John chased a rabbit after the sixth trumpet. This devotional reading looks at how God provides the Gospel to us.
Nuggets
- God provided earth with a scroll that provided comfort to mankind.
- The cloud provides mystery to God’s Word.
- The rainbow is symbolic of the glory of God.
- The angel’s face and legs were described.
- God provides His Word to instruct and comfort us.
- God is constant in His Word and His character.
- The worldview opposes God’s Word.
- Some things are not meant for us to currently know.
This is an interesting start to an interesting chapter. We just finished the sixth trumpet. We won’t get to the seventh trumpet until Revelation 11.
What are we going to do until then? For this devotion, we are going to talk about an angel that shows up on the scene.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in The Trumpets and the Bowls series
The Angel and the Little Scroll
Another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down’” (Rev. 10: 1-4 ESV)
God provided earth with a scroll that provided comfort to mankind.
We see Revelation as a scary book. It is judgment of fire and brimstone.
John’s readers would have seen this section is as comforting. It is a message from God giving encouragement of a limit to trials and tribulation.
Another Mighty Angel
Another angel comes onto the scene. John describes it as a mighty angel.
Is the angel the one that is strong, or the message? I would think it would have to be both. If either is weak, the message will not be accepted.
Green saw the mighty angel as being Jesus. No, this isn’t the first time that Jesus has been described as an angel. He described the rainbow, sun, and fire as reflections of Jesus’ glory.
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It would be logical that this would be Jesus. He came to earth as God’s messenger.
When we looked at the description of Vision Man, we said it was probably describing God. Talking about white hair, eyes like flame, feet of bronze, and voice like roaring waters (Rev. 1: 13-15) was always specific to God, not Jesus.
How is this angel described?
- “… his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire” (Rev. 10: 1 ESV).
- “and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring …” (Rev. 10: 3 ESV).
Similar. Not the same.
Conway thought it was important that we remember this message is coming from Heaven. Messages from God are of great significance. An element of the definition of important is that it is likely to have a profound effect on us. In this case, our survival and well being depends on our acceptance of God’s Word.
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That is why the Messenger had to be pure and trustworthy.
Cloud
The cloud provides mystery to God’s Word.
Guild put this appearance of Christ after the emergence of the antichrist. His appearance will defeat the antichrist.
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Again, Jesus’ mode of transportation is with a cloud. This time, He will be wrapped in it.
Guild felt the significance of being wrapped in the cloud was to show how the Church currently has limited knowledge of Him.
Conway explained that in this way. He called being clothed with the cloud a “… symbol this of the majesty and mystery that surround and invest the foundation-teachings of the Word of God.”
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What is fog? It is low lying clouds. I remember driving to a meeting for work where I couldn’t see much farther than the backend of the car ahead of me.
It was scary. But it also presented an element of mystery. Where was I at? How much farther to my turnoff? Were vehicles just out of my range of sight— and what speed were they going?
It seems to me that —if this angel is indeed Jesus — this describes more His first coming to earth, not His second. His Second Coming is going to eliminate the mystery.
Rainbow
The rainbow is symbolic of the glory of God.
Who doesn’t like a rainbow? They are pretty. Most of all, it is a covenant with God.
“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth’” (Gen. 9: 8-13 ESV).
We see it as a symbol of unity between Heaven and earth. We also see it as a symbol of peace.
We also remember it was the setting for God’s throne. “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (Rev. 4: 3 ESV). Grace is always present, whether God be responding to His people in love or in wrath.
Young described what we have here. He wrote, “It forms the glorious diadem of the angel of the covenant …” The rainbow is a crown over the angel’s head, just as it is over the throne.
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The rainbow is symbolic of the glory of God provided us when we enter into His covenant.
Appearance
The angel’s face and legs were described.
Jesus has been called the light of the world.
- “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (Jn. 8: 12 ESV).
- “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5: 14-16 ESV).
- “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn. 1: 5 ESV).
- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119: 105 ESV).
- “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn. 9: 5 ESV).
- “Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27: 1 ESV).
Also, Jesus is called the morning star.
- “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (II Pet. 1: 19 ESV).
- “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Rev. 22: 16 ESV).
This is in contrast to the antichrist, who comes in smoke and darkness.
In the last devotion, we talked about the destructiveness of fire. That applies here, too.
However, the fire is used by Someone Who is pure to consume their enemies. This, too, should be comforting to the Church.
A Little Scroll
God provides His Word to instruct and comfort us.
I think at times we forget that what we have is not, as Conway said, the revelation. It is John’s accounting of it.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do not give us Jesus’ messages. Those books give us the recording of Jesus’ words.
In other words, God’s Word tells us what we need to know. Without the record, we would have nothing.
We just don’t have it all. God has only given us some of the revelation.
God’s Word is only an introduction to Him. After we become his children, He reveals more to us through the Holy Spirit.
Some, God is waiting until He calls us home to reveal.
Some, we are never going to know.
Still, “He had a little scroll open in his hand …” (Rev. 10: 2 ESV). The angel has an open book. It is free for us to read.
Footing
God is constant in His Word and His character.
I don’t know about you, but I was confused about the footing.
Conway helped describe what all that meant. He wrote,
“His invincible power is signified by ‘the pillars of fire’; and his having set his feet upon the earth and sea tells of “the immovable steadfastness of the heavenly Conqueror against all the resistance of His enemies.”
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The message has been steadfast. It has lasted over 2,000 years and will continue to last until the end of the age.
Seven Thunders
The worldview opposes God’s Word.
Okay. Another confusing passage for me.
We have the voice of the angel, and we have the voices of the seven thunders.
Conway said that the angel’s voice is God’s Word. Sometimes, the effect of God’s Word can be like a roaring lion.
Conway thought the seven thunders referred to a verse in Daniel. I am not sure the verse fits, but his explanation is good. The thunders are those voices that oppose God.
Isn’t that the way it is? Satan and his followers oppose God’s Word. They want to rewrite it or ignore it all together.
Do Not Write It Down
Some things are not meant for us to currently know.
John wasn’t the only one instructed to keep a part of the vision to himself. So were Isaiah and Daniel.
- “And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’ And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot read’” (Isa. 29: 11-12 ESV).
- “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12: 4 ESV).
Conway felt that John – and Isaiah and Daniel – were told to seal up portions of their visions to protect us. He doesn’t want us to have foreknowledge of what will happen to those who feel His wrath.
Making the Connections
If this angel is Jesus and He is bring the Gospel to us, that would make it His first coming.
Again, that messes up the timeline if Revelation is supposed to be chronological. Hey, but we’re used to it by now, aren’t we?
To me, the most important thing is that we have the Gospel presented to us.
How Do We Apply This?
- Read God’s Word to know what it says about the Plan of Salvation.
- Read God’s Word to know what it says about the Day of the Lord.
Father God. We thank You that You have provided the Gospel to us in Your Word. We choose to put our faith and trust in You and submit to Your Will. Amen.
What do you think?
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