“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth …” (Revelation 10:1-3).
As we saw in our previous study of the previous chapter in this chapter by chapter examination of the book of Revelation, we saw that the Apostle John has been watching the performance of the angels to whom were given seven trumpets. Each blows his instrument in succession as judgment falls upon the continents, the oceans and the rivers. The sun and moon are darkened by the catastrophe. Such descriptions easily fit within the purview of the approaching Planet X system and it’s accompanying pole shift and debris trail catastrophes along with global wars.
As the fifth angel blows his trumpet, swarms of locusts torment those on earth that were left behind after the rapture event (with the exception of those who have the mark of God on them as a result of personally receiving Christ during this time). The torment goes on for a total of five months. With the sound of the sixth trumpet, a 200 million-man army invades the Middle East and slays a third of the world’s population.
Before the seventh trumpet, the scene changes. The Apostle John records the story of “another mighty angel” descending to the earth and placing his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth. This angel holds the title deed to creation, depicted as the open scroll in his hand, and declares that there should be no more delay to God’s judgment upon an unbelieving world.
Who is this “another angel?” Is he the same “another angel” who took fire from the heavenly altar and cast it to the earth in Revelation 8:3-5? Some have suggested that both events are indicative of the work of Christ. This “another might angel” is clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow about his head and the brilliance of the sun emanating from his face. Even his feet are as bright as fire. These are descriptive terms also used of Christ in chapter 1 and of God upon his throne in chapter 4.
We may not understand why Christ would choose to be called “another angel,” but I can see the same High Priest of chapter 1 also standing before the altar of incense and casting fire upon the earth in chapter 8. I can see the same Lion/Lamb who opens the scroll in chapter 5, being the very one who descends to Earth with it in his hand in chapter 10.
Perhaps we are seeing Christ under the cover of these various characters because he does not want to detract from the impressive glory of his future descent in Revelation 19. It is without question that Jesus has complete control of every event. However, his work as Judge may be shrouded in a cryptic disguise, whereas his work as Savior is cast in a more glorious setting. Perhaps for this reason, Christ is seen as our High Priest at the menorah in chapter 1, but is depicted as “another angel” … releasing his wrath before the altar in chapter 8. Perhaps Christ is seen as our worthy Lion/Lamb in chapter 5, but is depicted as “another angel” launching terrible judgments in chapter 10.
The placement of his right foot upon the sea and his left foot on the earth may be indicative of Israel, located at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been suggested that the earth represents Israel and the sea was indicative of the Mediterranean, where the revived Roman Empire would someday rise.
If his right foot is on the sea and his left foot is on the earth, then he is looking south. Perhaps he is standing at the northern border of Israel with Lebanon behind him and Israel in front of him. This would be the place where Israel’s present conflict with Syria and the whole Arab world is brewing. He would be looking south toward the wide plains of Har Mediddo, from which the term “Armageddon” comes.
Parenthetical Passages
The tenth chapter offers the first of three parenthetical portions located between the sixth and seventh trumpets. Before observing the contents of these messages, we should once again take note of the menorah design incorporated here. Why does the Apostle John pause after the sixth trumpet to tell us about something that does not seem to be a direct part of the trumpet judgments? Why does he not tell us after the seventh trumpet, or before the first trumpet, or between any of the other six? Why here?
Perhaps it is because these are events prophesied to occur around the close of the sixth millennium and the beginning of the seventh. We are looking at another menorah design. In the grand scheme of God’s plan, each lamp of the menorah represents a thousand years, beginning with the creation of Adam and concluding with the Messianic Kingdom. As you may recall from previous posts, the fourth lamp of the menorah, which is the servant lamp, was most significant because it’s light was used to ignite the other lamps.
Historically, the servant lamp predicted the glory of the kingdom of David – Israel’s golden age. David established the kingdom almost exactly 3,000 years after the creation of Adam. However, not long afterward, the northern tribes rebelled. During the fourth millennium, the glory faded as the Assyrian (721 B.C.) and Babylonian (606 B.C.) captivities brought down the kingdom.
In the liturgy of the Menorah, the light of the seventh lamp was used to relight the fourth lamp at evening – at the time when the servant lamp was serviced. A priest would replace or trim the wick, fill the middle lamp with fresh oil, and use the light of the seventh lamp to relight it. This appears to be a prophecy that the glory of the kingdom of David will be restored for the duration of the seventh millennium – that is the 1,000 year utopian kingdom age of the millennial reign of Christ.
Keep in mind that between the sixth and seventh seals, the Apostle John gave two parenthetical messages:
(1) 144,000 Jews are sealed on Earth.
(2) Innumerable throngs from all nations are transported to Heaven.
The 144,000 receive their seals before the judgments commence and the multitude saved “out of great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) draws our attention to the conclusion of the judgments.
We now come to the passages that follow the sixth trumpet – and again, the Apostle John gives us a series of parenthetical messages. They are:
(1) The descent of “another might angel” to commence the judgments.
(2) The restoration of the Jewish Temple.
(3) The ministry of the two witnesses.
They are considered parenthetical because, chronologically, they are not events that occur after the blowing of the sixth trumpet. We must back up in time – to a period before the first trumpet is blown. We are told about events that commence at least three and a half years prior to the sixth and seventh trumpets. We are taken back in time in order to observe the opened scroll, the restoration of religious rituals and the ministry of the two witnesses. The conclusion of their ministry will bring us to the end of the events of the sixth trumpet.
At this point, six angels have blown their trumpets, thus depicting God’s wrath upon the unbelieving wicked during the Tribulation period. The sixth trumpet seems to correspond to both the sixth seal and the sixth vial and briefly describes the dreaded battle of Armageddon. This woe judgment is not completed until the death, resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses, as we learn in chapter 11, verse 14, which says: “the second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”
The Hebrew Letter Yod 
As pointed out in previous posts, it is most interesting to observe the divine and supernaturally influenced structure of the Bible that displays a providential fingerprint of authenticity. We see that fingerprint of authenticity on clear display when reading the judgments of the book of Revelation. As such, it should make it that much more certain in anyone’s mind that these judgments are certain to come to pass according to God’s prophetic plan as displayed in this most fearful and important book. That said and understood, it is extremely interesting to see this display of authenticity in the peculiar observation that each of the 22 chapters of Revelation correspond to the meaning of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet in their respective order. That said, chapter 10 corresponds to the theme depicted in the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This Hebrew letter stands for the metaphysical “hand” of God. It is speculated that God created the universe with the letters yod and hay 
which form the divine name Yah . With the yod he created the world to come, while with the hay he created this world. Therefore, when we come to the “hand” of this “another angel” in verse 2, we should note that it is the hand of deity.
The numerical value of hay is 5, while the numerical value of yod is 10. Incorporated in the yod are two hays (5+5=10 or +=). The open scroll in chapter 10 is first viewed as closed and sealed in chapter 5. It is the title deed to creation – as seen in two physical realms, HA shamayim vaeht HA eretz [הָאָֽרֶץ וְאֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם] “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), each preceded by a hay . It is probably for this reason that the scroll is first seen in chapter 5 and later in chapter 10.
A Comparison of Revelation 10 with John 10
As revealed in previous posts, when observing the theme of all chapters of the books of John and Revelation, one will notice that the theme of each chapter matches and alludes to the theme of the corresponding chapter of the other book, thus displaying a hand of divine structure. When we compare the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John with the tenth chapter of the book of Revelation, we are struck with the symbolism that the “hand” of Jesus and the “hand” of God are essentially one and the same.
Jesus taught that all believers are secure in him …
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10:28-30).
In his Gospel, John presents Jesus as both the “door” (verse 9) of the sheepfold, and “good shepherd” (verse 11) of the sheep. The “thief … robber” is a reference to false messiahs (antichrists) who attempt to steal the sheep. However, they are unsuccessful because the sheep know only the voice of the good shepherd …
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:1-5).
It is remarkable that in Revelation 10, when John hears the voices of seven thunders and starts to record their messages, he is told to skip this part of the vision and not write it down …
“And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not” (Revelation 10:3-4).
This message harkens back to the message in John 10 that the voice of the good shepherd is only given for the ears of his sheep – not for the rest of the world. John understands the message of the seven thunders, but just as he starts to write them down, a voice from Heaven tells him to “seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” Isn’t it interesting that the seven-sealed scroll was just opened? Now, John is told to “seal up” a related message. In fact, this same voice from Heaven will tell him to eat the scroll! We are told about the effects of breaking the seals, but we are not told what was in the scroll. Nor are we told what the thunders uttered.
It is a mystery that must await the sound of the seventh trumpet. Only then will the mystery be revealed. There is a reference to seven thunders in Psalm 29. And again, we are not told the content of the messages. We are only told of their effects …
“Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:1-11).
Note the location of the Lord in this Psalm. His “voice … is upon the waters,” obviously the Mediterranean because the next thing we are told is that his voice breaks the cedars of Lebanon. Place this in the context of Revelation 10, and we find the Lord standing at the border between Lebanon and Israel. As noted earlier, with his “right foot upon the sea” and his “left foot upon the earth,” he is looking south … as far south as Kadesh in the Negev desert. In Jerusalem, where the Temple is restored, everyone speaks of his glory.
Listening To His Voice
David speaks of the glory of his thunderous voice. The Apostle John notes that it sounds like the roar of a lion. So, let us hear what he says …
“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer” (Revelation 10:5-6).
Here is the pertinent message. Though we are not given the messages of the seven thunders, the essential reason for this vision is given. The Lord is saying in effect, “Let the judgments begin.” This is not a message for the cessation of time, but rather that there should be no more delay to the day of judgment.
Peter tells us that the Lord is “longsuffering … not willing that any should perish,” but that there will come a time when grace will give way to judgment …
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:9-10).
From the scriptures, this “day of the Lord” coming as a thief in the night bringing with it the event of the heavens passing away with a great noise, the elements melting with fervent heat, and the earth burning up seems to refer to a period of time that will begin when Jesus comes for His church, and will continue with His judgment upon this Christ rejecting world, commonly known as the great tribulation. It continues through His establishing His Kingdom on the earth, and the great white throne judgment of God, and into the dissolving of this universe and the creation of the new heavens and earth (verses 10).
This conclusion that the Day of the Lord is extended from after the rapture event all the way through to the end of the millennial reign of Christ and the event of the Great White Throne Judgment when the heavens and the earth will be dissolved and destroyed before the new is created is well documented and seen in scripture …
“For the day of the LORD of hosts [shall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he shall be brought low” (Isaiah 2:12).
“And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2:19).
“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty” (Isaiah 13:6).
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it” (Isaiah 13:9).
“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:13).
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished” (Isaiah 51:6).
“Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel 1:15).
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:31).
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).
“Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18).
“Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy” (Zephaniah 3:8).
Verse 10 of 2 Peter 3 presents us with the dissolving of the heavens and the earth narrative and is interestingly linked with the “Day of the Lord” Tribulation judgment period demonstrated in the aforementioned scripture references – that is to say, it does not seem to end when the Tribulation ends. The final judgment and dissolving of the creation and implementation of the new will occur at the end of the Millennial utopian reign of Christ’s kingdom on Earth and the conclusion of the Great White Throne Judgment event. We see this further in Revelation 21. Notice the same language and word used in Revelation 21 as is used in 2 Peter 3:10 and it’s description of the old heavens and earth “passing away” …
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2).
In light of the disintegration of the material creation, it is for this reason that Jesus admonished us to “lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust doesn’t corrupt and thieves cannot break in to steal” (Matthew 6:19-21).
If the material universe is going to be destroyed, it is rather foolish to be a materialist and to place all my stock in material things. If I count my treasure and worth by my material possessions when it is dissolved, obviously, I will have nothing. In fact, when saved believers stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:10, rewards for serving Christ while alive in the earthly body will either be won or lost …
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
It is quite a sobering thought to know that not every saved person in Heaven is going to have the same amount of reward when they get to Heaven. Rewards received are not going to be automatic for everyone. They are earned while here in the physical, earthly body. The context of 2 Peter 3 above also seems to be admonishing the lost in a stark warning that the earth and it’s works are going to be burned up. The key passage and warning to the lost is seen in the phrase “but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is very accurate to say that the lesson to take away from this warning is to not put your trust and treasure in earthly things because it is not going to be here eventually. None of it is going with you. The only thing that a person will have to take with them is their immortal soul (if they have received and trusted on Christ to get there). Earthly riches has the tendency to harden the heart against God and his message of salvation through Christ. The deceitfulness of material wealth and possessions cannot be understated. This is likely why the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Peter, chose to reveal that this world “and the works that are therein” shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3 is both an admonition to those who are saved, but also a strong warning to the lost (see the section at the end of this article titled “THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN AND YOU: THE RAPTURE AND YOUR ESCAPE FROM THE APPROACHING GREAT TRIBULATION JUDGMENT -WHAT YOU MUST DO TO RECEIVE IT.” Make no mistake, there is nothing inherently wrong with being well off and owning material possessions. God does not condemn and turn anyone away for it. It is the “trust” in wealth and self that will damn a person when said person sees no need for receiving the salvation that only Christ can give, for no one will enter Heaven without having received the gift of pardon that he graciously offers to every human being on Earth. Such wealth and materialism tends to blind the heart and cause one to see no need for anything – as is seen in Christ’s condemning and damning words to the Laodicean Church of Revelation 3 …
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:14-22).
(see a previous article titled “THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN TIME AGES OF PROPHECY FULFILLMENT: CHURCH CANDLE 7 – THE AGE OF LAODICEA” in the “Recommended Reading” section at the end of this article.
That said, time is running out. The judgments of the Tribulation Period were foretold in the pages of the divinely inspired text of the Bible. We know that many prophecies have already come to pass, therefore, let us be assured that all written biblical prophecies pertaining to the future will also eventually come to pass as well.
The Mystery of God
The Apostle John comments upon the angel’s decree that there should be no more delay. He indicates that the judgments begin with the decree and that they will be concluded in the days of the seventh trumpet …
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7).
At once, our attention is drawn to the “mystery” that had been given to the prophets. There are some mysteries revealed in the New Testament that were not taught by the prophets. The Apostle Paul tells us that he received certain teachings directly by divine revelation – mysteries that were not taught in Judaism. But this is a “mystery” that was taught in the Old Testament. In fact, the term “mystery” appears 22 times in the New Testament and follows the meanings of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This particular scripture represents the 20th appearance of the word “mystery” in the New Testament and corresponds to the meaning of the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet – which is the letter resh רֵ that stands for the “wicked.” This tells us that the “mystery” in this verse concerns the judgment of the wicked in the end of days. Since we are told that this is the “mystery of God” declared to the prophets, it is likely that it incorporates all of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the judgments upon the wicked in the “day of the Lord.”
This “mystery” is concluded with the blowing of the seventh trumpet. Therefore, we can only determine that the seventh trumpet will come near the conclusion of the Tribulation and that its events will wind up with the appearing of Christ in what Revelation 19 calls the clouds of glory.
“Eat” the Scroll
Somehow, the Apostle John has been transported to the site where the angel stands upon the sea and earth. Not only is he close enough to see and hear the angel, but also he is told by a voice from Heaven to approach the angel and take the scroll from his hand.
In passing, I would personally like to know who is speaking to John. Though we are not told directly, we know that he has had personal conversations with only a few in Heaven. In the first chapter, he hears the voice of Jesus (1:10). Christ dictates seven letters directly to him (2&3). In chapter 4, John hears that “first voice” (4:1) again beckoning him to ascend into the heavenly realm. Immediately, he is transported in the spirit, but does not mention his escort once he gets there because his eyes are drawn to admire the awesome throne and the One who sits upon it.
The next person to speak to him is one of the elders (5:5). It seems that John is turned over to another escort, while the Savior Christ approaches the throne and takes the seven-sealed scroll. Perhaps John has taken a seat among the twenty-four elders around the throne. We are not told the name of the elder, but I have an idea that John knew who he was.
In the chapters that follow, John observes the rituals of Rosh Hashana, but no one speaks directly to him until chapter 10. Here, we know only that “a voice from Heaven” directs him to approach the angel with the open scroll. When he does so, the “mighty angel,” who must be none other than Jesus Christ himself, speaks directly to John, first instructing him to eat the scroll, then telling him to measure the Temple. Then the angel reveals his identity by telling John about the two witnesses. He says, “I will give power unto my two witnesses …” (Revelation 11:3). Only Jesus could give them supernatural power and call them his witnesses. After that, John sees a lot, but he has no other personal contact until he hears a voice instructing him to: “Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord …” (Revelation 14:13).
After the seven vials of wrath are poured out, John is personally escorted by one of the seven angels (17:1) to view the judgment of the great city called “Mystery Babylon” (See the article titled “THE SEVEN-FOLD DEATH OF MEGALOPOLIS: GOD’S HIDDEN SIGN” in the “Recommended Reading” section at the end of this article.
Finally, in Revelation 21:9, John is taken to see the holy city, New Jerusalem, by “one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues.” The same angel that showed him the judgment of the wicked city now shows him the glory of the celestial city.descending to the earth for the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom reign of Christ.
Finally, in the last chapter of the book, Jesus tells John that he had a particular angel assigned to him …
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches” (Revelation 22:16).
Amazingly, the Apostle John was escorted by an angel under the direct appointment of Jesus himself. He does not tell us his name. Was it Michael, who is seen in chapter 12 fighting with the devil? Was it Gabriel, whose name is not mentioned anywhere in this book? Gabriel had given Daniel similar prophecies. He had also visited Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Rabbinical sources say that Gabriel and Michael are among the four guardians around God’s throne. Perhaps they are two of the four cherubim, called beasts (KJV) in chapter 4. Nowhere is John’s escort given a name. In this chapter, we know him only as a “voice” from Heaven …
“And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Revelation 10:8-11).
It may seem strange that John ate the title deed to God’s creation, but God does everything for a reason. Perhaps his giving the deed to John was a way of transferring ownership to the saints – especially since John seemed to be the representative of all believers. Bear in mind that John’s translation into Heaven as seen in chapter 4 represents the rapture of the church into Heaven. He, as an individual, is thought to represent the whole of Christianity in the prophecy. Therefore, eating the scroll could have a collective meaning for all believers.
Though it was sweet to his taste, it soon turned his stomach. This could represent the sweetness of the Gospel message of salvation through Christ and the bitterness of the Tribulation period to come. These are typical of the world’s birth pangs – those sorrows that are necessary for the birthing of the Kingdom Age after the Tribulation has ended. The book of Revelation is filled with horrible judgments upon the world that are needed to rid the human race of wickedness before the glorious kingdom is established.
Ezekiel Also Ate A Scroll
John’s experience with eating the scroll is almost identical with the Old Testament story of a temple priest named Ezekiel. The Hebrews, including Ezekiel, had been enslaved in Babylon. Bitter over his tragic circumstances, Ezekiel is hard to convince that God had a good reason for allowing such punishment upon his nation, his city, his temple and his fellow priests. God commissioned him to teach the people, but Ezekiel refused. He wanted nothing more to do with the priesthood. He was angry with God. But, as we can see in Romans 11:29, God’s gifts and calling are without recourse (or as the KJV put it, without repentance). God will not take “no” for an answer when his calling is upon someone for a specific purpose. The same is true regarding his gifts (which includes the eternal security of the born again believer in Christ) …
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29).
Furthermore, God wanted Ezekiel to tell the people that their sins had brought this calamity upon them. Well, no one wants to hear that God is responsible for the punishment. So God showed Ezekiel a scroll with judgments written on it …
“And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe” (Ezekiel 2:9-10).
The scroll was similar, if not the same, as the one presented in Revelation 5. It contained the details of God’s judgment upon the wicked. Perhaps Ezekiel’s scroll represented the title deed to the land of Israel. God had just evicted the people from the Holy Land because they had failed to keep the Sabbatical cycles. Instructions and warnings about the Sabbatical years are found in Leviticus 25 & 26. In this important section of the Mosaic Law, God threatened to remove the people from the land if they abused the soil by not letting the cropland lie fallow every seventh year …
“And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths” (Leviticus 26:33-34).
As a side note, Israel is still suffering under this penalty, and will continue until the Antichrist commits the “abomination of desolation,” as Daniel 9:27 puts it, “until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Therefore, the scroll in Revelation is related to Ezekiel’s scroll and the prophecy.
Ezekiel stands as a representative of the nation, as one chosen to eat the scroll …
“Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them” (Ezekiel 3:1-4).
These instructions are identical with John’s experience. The scroll was sweet to the taste, but bitter as Ezekiel tells us …
“So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away [just like what happened to John in Revelation 4:1] and I went in bitterness … (Ezekiel 3:14).
Ezekiel did not want to tell the people why they were in captivity. In fact, God airlifted him (just like the Apostle John got airlifted) to a community on the banks of the Chebar River in Babylonia and challenged him to preach to the exiled Israelites. A side note: The community was called Tel Aviv. God’s celestial aircraft touched down near Tel Aviv. Today, Israel’s international airport is located on the outskirts of a modern Israeli city built on the shore of the Mediterranean in 1909 and named Tel Aviv.
Contrary to Ezekiel’s unwillingness, the Apostle John was quite willing to share his prophetic message, not only with the seven churches, but also with the world. John was told that his message would be taken before many nations, and indeed, it has been read in every generation until this very day:
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Revelation 10:11).
Ezekiel had a different opinion of his responsibility. God told him to tell the people, but he sat down among the captives and refused to speak for seven days. Therefore, God brought him out of the community and punished him. God closed his mouth so that he could not utter a sound …
“And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:26-27).
Ezekiel had to deliver his messages by sign language. That is why we find him doing such strange things in his book. On one occasion, Ezekiel took his furniture out of his house and lived in his front yard. This is why he lay on his side with an iron skillet in front of his nose for several months.
Finally, after seven years, a runner came from Jerusalem and told the prophet that the city and temple had been destroyed. Then God returned his speech …
“And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb” (Ezekiel 33:21-22).
Ezekiel was 33 years old when his ministry began in the opening verse of the first chapter. It was then that he was struck dumb by divine decree. This occurred in the fifth year of the captivity. Now, seven years later, in the twelfth year of the exile, he hears that Jerusalem has been destroyed. As long as Jerusalem remained, Ezekiel could not speak, except through demonstrations or writing. Once the city was destroyed, however, Ezekiel was free to preach to the people. God had promised him …
“But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:27).
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? “He that heareth, let him hear …” Seven times in Revelation 2 & 3, the Apostle John writes …
“He that heareth, let him hear what the Spirit saith.”
John’s message is related to the prophecy of Ezekiel. In fact, when John measures the Temple area, he is following the example of Ezekiel as well. But I shall attempt to look at that prophecy in the next installment.
THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN AND YOU: THE RAPTURE AND YOUR ESCAPE FROM THE APPROACHING GREAT TRIBULATION JUDGMENT -WHAT YOU MUST DO TO RECEIVE IT
The demonstrably divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a coming horrendous seven-year Tribulation period of judgment upon Earth for all of mankind, no matter what your religion, belief or creed is, and even to those who don’t believe anything spiritual at all. We can now clearly see the signs of this approaching nightmare. However, as we’ve already seen, this same divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a dramatic escape from off the face of the earth before this horrendous time of judgment only to a certain category of people.
Put simply, an event is coming that will be so stupendous that it strains the mind to contemplate such an event happening. It is an event that will see millions upon millions of people across the globe suddenly disappear without warning. The millions of disappeared will have literally ascended into Heaven itself after instantaneously receiving a new glorified body fit for Heaven. A body that will be able to withstand the atmosphere and glory of Heaven. This event is known as the “Rapture.” But the promise of escape is only to those who are “born again” in Christ. This is why it is crucial to understand what Christ meant when he declared in no uncertain terms that only those who are “born again” in him will enter the Kingdom of God. For the explanation of this, keep reading below.
In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …
1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation. The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife. Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation. The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself. The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The Bible describes these three kinds of death:
- physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).
- spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …
- the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell. He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.
It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul. But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4). So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.
2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to perish eternally in the torment of Hell because of your sin. Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you. Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin. Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him. Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God. Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort. Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you. The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26).
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you. You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope. You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised. This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers. Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it. Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.
The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.” It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The logical question you may be asking at this point is: “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?” The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God. To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals. God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms. In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …
“Dear Lord Jesus: I realize that I need you. I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin. But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness. I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf. I come to you and open my heart to you. I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child. I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be. I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved. I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer. The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart, God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).
Recommended Reading:
THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN TIME AGES OF PROPHECY FULFILLMENT: CHURCH CANDLE 7 – THE AGE OF LAODICEA
THE SEVEN-FOLD DEATH OF MEGALOPOLIS – GOD’S HIDDEN SIGN
The next article in this series can be read in the link below:
THE RESTORATION OF TEMPLE WORSHIP
END TIMES: DARKNESS DESCENDING 
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