Revelation Teachings by Eileen Smith The earth has been hit with 6 trumpet judgments. There has been destruction to the industry and shipping one third of the water supply has been contaminated, one third of the daylight has been temporarily wiped out, demonic like locusts have caused unbearable torture to the ungodly, & a demonic like military attack has killed one third of the ungodly left on earth. Just as there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, there is one between the sixth and seventh trumpets, which seems to be a time of preparation for the seventh trumpet. This interlude lasts through chapter 10 and much of chapter 11. Let"s take a look at what happens during the interlude. Verses 12 John see1s another powerful angel coming from heaven. This one he has never seen before. John see1s this one come down from heaven which indicates that John is viewing this from the earth. How he changed locations the Bible does not explain. We need to remember that an angel is a messenger. Let1s look at the description of this angel. He comes down from heaven. From the very presence and straight from the throne of God itself. He is clothed with a cloud symbolizing a majestic, glorious, and heavenly appearance. He has a rainbow on his head which symbolizes the glory and mercy of God. The rainbow was a sign of God1s mercy shown to Noah. Genesis 9:12-13 The glory of God and the mercy of God are seen in this angel. This angels face was it were the sun symbolizing the light, brightness, and brilliance, and splendor. The he has feet like pillars of fire. This symbolizes the purity, holiness, righteousness, and strength of the angel. Some have thought this angel to be Jesus, but Jesus is not called an angel elsewhere in the Book of Revelation and He would hardly be referred to as simply "another angel." No one worships this angel, and the way he makes an oath by God in Verse 6 of this chapter would be appropriate for an angel, but not for the Son of God. The angel is simply drawing attention to his heavenly glory. This angel holds a little book open . What is this book? It has been suggested that is was the seven sealed scroll and since the seven seals have been broken and has been revealed perhaps there is no longer need for the this book. So John is told eat it. There is another thought and this to me seems to be more reasonable. This little book is a scroll, therefore, it is more likely new revelation to John of events from this point on to chapter 19. It has to do with events that are to happen on the earth. Eating a scroll is a symbolic reference to "digesting or eating the Word of God." Before someone can be a spokesman for God, he must digest the Word of God, or mentally feed on the Word of God. One Commentary made this observation: One of the reasons for so much stagnation in the Church of Jesus Christ tody is that in spite of all the translations and writings available, God1s people are not "digesting the Word of God." They have a tendency to read more about what other people have said concerning the Word of God than to read the Word of God itself. This angel is not only great in power but also great in size. As soon as he comes down to earth he puts his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land. This symbolizes his gigantic size, strength, and power. He is claiming the land and the sea with a message that will affect the whole universe.
Seven Thunders Verses 3 4 This angel has a mighty voice and he cries out loudly like the roar of a lion. At the angel's shout, seven thunders utter their own voices. The number seven symbolizes completeness, fulfillment and finality. Thunder symbolizes the power and strength of God's voice. The seven thunders do not roar, but speak, they have an intelligible message. In other words they have a message that can be understood and is clear. The seven seals and the 7 trumpets involve a sequence of events, so it is reasonable to assume that the thunders also reveal a sequence of events, so terrible that God in his mercy withholds them. If we were to look in the rest of Revelation each time that thunder is mentioned (8:5, 11:19, 16:18) indicates the wrath and judgments of God. In Chapter 1:19 John was commanded to write and now he has been told to seal up and write them not. The voice is not identified other than as being "from heaven." It is possible that the voice could be God or Jesus. Who ever the voice belongs to the sealing seems to indicated there is a sense of urgency. The message of the thunders is not to be passed on. Sealing them without writing them is a way of saying that they contain revelation God does not want the people of this age to know. Daniel was told in his vision to seal this book until the time of the end. Daniel 12:4, 9 The very fact that the Bibles tells us about these 7 thunders is important. It lets us know that some things are going to happen during the end times that we have not been told. We should not try to speculate what the message of the 7 thunders is. If God wanted us to know, He would have told us. Verses 5-6 John obeys the voice, and now turns his attention back now to the angel standing on the sea and the earth. The angel lifts his right hand toward heaven in a gesture that declares he recognizes God is on the throne and of one about to take an oath. The judgment of the world is about to come because the eternal God and His Christ who also shared in all God1s work of creation are in control. At the time the angel makes this oath there is a considerable time ahead, for the thousand years of the millennium are still in the future at this point. But his message is that there will be no more delay once the seventh trumpet sounds. The events that follow will occur rapidly. This may also imply that the time in which sinners may repent is getting very short. God1s purpose for the end of the age is about to have its final revelation. There has been speculation that this angel is Jesus but I want to read what Tim LaHaye says in his commentary: "The unusual action of the angel lifting his hand toward heaven and swearing "by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it" (10:6) certainly indicates that this mighty angel is not the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 7 During the days of the sound of the seventh trumpet which is about to sound and which will continue sounding, the mystery of God, the good news of salvation in Christ, which he had announced to his servants the prophets will be finished, (Carried out, fulfilled, completed). The ungodly and evil of the world should have accepted the message of the prophets, but they chose to go their own way. Mystery is often used in the Bible for something only partially revealed in the Old Testament and then fully revealed in the New. So this mystery could also mean a new understanding of the nature, plan, and purpose of God. As these things take place the complete fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about judgment and restoration will fulfilled. It will be clear then that God is a faithful God who knows what He is doing. The prophets of the Old Testament made it clear that sin and corruption must be purged from the earth before God1s kingdom could be established. That the Kingdom must be brought in through judgment is good news, for it means that everything that falls short of the glory of God in the present world system will be gone, replaced by better things of the coming kingdom of Christ, which include the new heaven and the new earth. This is the coming kingdom of Christ. Read 2 Peter 3:1013
John's Little Book Verses 89 John again hears a voice from heaven command him to go to the angel, who is still standing with one foot on the sea and one foot on the earth, and take the little book. What is the contents of this little book, since it is in the hand of this mighty angel, it must be in some way representative of the Word and purpose of God. In obedience John goes to the angel and asks for the little book. Let1s stop right here for a minute, John goes in obedience and asks for the book. There are two lessons for us in this: 1. The Word of God is never just handed to us, it is never forced on us. If we are to receive its message, we have to go over to the bookshelf, table, or drawer, take it and study it. 2. God commands us to take the Word of God and study its messages They searched the scriptures daily. Acts 17:11 Study to show thyself approved to GOD 2 Timothy 2:15 All scripture is given for instruction in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16 As of yet he hasn1t been told what to do with the book. Now the angel instructs him to eat all of it. John is told that there will be sweetness in his mouth but bitterness in his stomach. The Bible does not explain the meaning of eating the book here but in we read where Ezekiel was told a similar message. The meaning was that he was to digest the God given message and make it part of him before going out to proclaim it to the people. Ezekiel 2:8 and 3:3 Jeremiah spoke also of finding and eating God1s Word and having it become joy and rejoicing of his heart, which include the mind and innermost thoughts. Jeremiah 15:16 What is this saying to us? Those whose hearts are open to receive God1s Word find the Holy Spirit anointing it and bringing with it a sense of the nearness and presence of God that is indeed sweeter than honey. We too must eat it, digest it, let the Holy Spirit who inspired it illuminate it, and apply it to our own hearts & lives. There is something we need to remember also & that is that the Word of God is not all sweetness. There is judgment as well as mercy. Sometimes we have bitter experiences, and feel like quitting. Verse 10 The book John eats contains more than sweetness. It becomes bitter in his belly. In the Bible belly often speaks of the heart and the emotions or the inner being. After he digests the message and realizes what he is required to proclaim, the bitterness comes. No one who has had the love of Christ fill his or her heart rejoices at the thought of judgment to come. God himself does not will that any should perish, that is why he sent His only Son to die on the cross while we were yet sinners. Verse 11 John is recommissioned, he is to proclaim the Word of God to the whole world. He is to proclaim the bitter as well as the sweet, the judgments that are to come as well as the salvation that is coming. In the coming days there would be some judgments beyond anything ever experienced before. There were also the glorious promise of a new world to be proclaimed also. The mighty angel let him know that even though he was still on the Island of Patmos, he had a great ministry before him. This prophesy was not just about the people of his own day and time but about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Every minister and teacher of God1s Word is called to proclaim both the sweet and the bitter of God1s Word, both the grace and judgment of God. The minister and teacher is to be faithful to his calling. He or she is to hold nothing back. The truth must be proclaimed, for the eternal fate of the people is at stake. Acts 5:20 Titus 2:15 Jeremiah 1:7 Ezekiel 3:17
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