Bullet Point Bible - Revelation 10

The Mighty Angel and the Sealed Thunders

¹ Then I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire.² He held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.³ Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices.⁴ When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down."

This chapter serves as an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, similar to the sealing interlude between the sixth and seventh seals (Revelation 7).
The "mighty angel" possesses attributes often associated with divinity (cloud, rainbow, sun-like face, fiery pillars), suggesting immense authority derived directly from God, though his identity (Christ or a high-ranking angel) is debated by scholars.
His stance with feet on both sea and land symbolizes God's sovereignty and the universal scope of the message/authority being exercised over the entire earth (cf. Daniel 12:7).
The "little scroll" (*biblaridion*) being open contrasts with the seven-sealed scroll of Revelation 5, indicating its message is ready for revelation or enactment. Its contents likely relate to the final events before the kingdom's arrival.
The angel's roar "like a lion" signifies power, authority, and perhaps the announcement of impending judgment or divine intervention.
The "seven thunders" likely represent a complete and terrifying message from God, possibly detailing further judgments.
The command from heaven (likely God's voice) to "{{Seal up}}" the thunders' message demonstrates divine sovereignty over revelation; not all is revealed, and God controls the timing and extent of disclosure (cf. Deut 29:29).
This act of sealing contrasts with the later command in Rev 22:10 not to seal the prophecy, highlighting that this specific message from the thunders is intentionally withheld.
John's immediate readiness to write shows his prophetic duty, while his obedience in sealing underscores his submission to divine instruction.

The Angel's Oath: No More Delay

⁵ Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven⁶ and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, "There will be no more delay!⁷ But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, just as he has proclaimed to his servants the prophets."

Raising the right hand to heaven was a customary gesture for making a solemn oath, emphasizing the gravity and certainty of the angel's declaration (cf. Deut 32:40; Dan 12:7).
The angel swears by God Himself, identified as the eternal Creator of all realms (heaven, earth, sea), grounding the oath's authority in the ultimate power and faithfulness of God.
The crucial declaration "There will be no more delay!" signifies a major turning point. The time for waiting is over; the final stage of God's plan is imminent.
This announcement directly addresses the cry of the martyrs ("How long, O Sovereign Lord?" - Rev 6:10) and assures that God's judgment and redemption are proceeding according to His timetable.
The "mystery of God" (*mysterion*) refers to God's comprehensive plan of salvation and judgment, particularly aspects previously hidden but now being brought to completion and full understanding through Christ and end-time events.
This fulfillment is explicitly tied to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which will formally announce the establishment of God's kingdom (Rev 11:15-19).
The phrase "just as he announced to his servants the prophets" connects these final events to the promises and predictions found throughout the Old Testament, affirming the continuity of God's plan.
This section provides crucial reassurance amidst the terrifying judgments: God is in control, His purposes are nearing fulfillment, and the end is at hand.

John Eats the Little Scroll

⁸ Then the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak to me again, "Go and take the open scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take the scroll and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."¹⁰ So I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it, and it did taste as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.¹¹ Then they told me: "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

The divine voice from heaven again directs John, emphasizing that his prophetic ministry operates under God's direct command.
The act of eating the scroll is a powerful symbol of receiving, internalizing, and fully assimilating God's message, making it an integral part of the prophet (cf. Ezek 2:8–3:3; Jer 15:16).
The scroll tasting "sweet as honey" represents the initial joy, privilege, and goodness associated with receiving God's word and divine commission. God's truth is inherently good.
The subsequent "bitter" stomach signifies the difficult, painful, and often sorrowful nature of the message contained within the scroll – likely prophecies of judgment, persecution, suffering, and the world's opposition to God.
This bitter-sweet experience reflects the complex reality of prophetic ministry: the blessing of speaking God's word mixed with the burden of its often harsh contents and consequences.
It mirrors the dual nature of the Gospel message itself – sweet salvation for believers, but bitter judgment for the unrepentant.
John is recommissioned ("You must prophesy again"), indicating that receiving this scroll empowers and obligates him for the next phase of his revelatory task, likely detailed from chapter 11 onwards.
The scope of his renewed prophecy is explicitly universal ("many peoples, nations, languages, and kings"), highlighting the worldwide implications of the final events leading to Christ's kingdom.
This experience prepares John personally and prophetically to deliver the specific revelations associated with the little scroll, focusing on the final period of tribulation and the establishment of God's reign.
The impersonal "they told me" (Greek: "they say to me") likely refers back to the divine authority commissioning John, possibly the angel acting on behalf of the voice from heaven.

The Bullet Point Bible

Revelation 10