10
1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered. 4When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.” 5Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. 6He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. 7When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.” 8Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” 10So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. 11Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
Revelation 10:1-11
11
1Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.” 4These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 7When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. 11But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. 12Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. 13At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.
Revelation 11:1-14
In the previous Gem I gave you seven puzzles which lie before us:
- “Another strong angel”? The same one as in 5:2 or a different one?
- A ‘small scroll’ or a normal scroll?
- Eating the scroll in what order: sweet – bitter or bitter – sweet?
- Measure the temple; yet the measurements of the temple are well known?
- Measure the temple (what part?); but don’t measure the outer court?
- No more delay; yet delay?
- The thunders speak intelligible words; yet keep it secret?
Now you have to admit, it all leaves one puzzled, doesn’t it? Given that fact and the way in which John has presented this to us, with pauses in order to draw it out, I intend to continue with this section in a similar way to John himself. I have highlighted above in red the puzzles in this pause point (Revelation 10:1-11:14). I will add to these magnificent seven any other questions you, my readers, come up with. They may be significant or trivial but we will look at each of this series of the magnificent seven one by one and add to them the smaller / little questions as we see fit.
Another Strong Angel
Another mighty angel, another strong angel, (Rev 10:1)
ἄλλον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν
other angel strong
This matches the angel in Rev 5:2 “ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν” translated as “a strong angel”. But in this verse in 10:1 we have the added element “another” from ἄλλος (allos – another of a similar kind) – [See Gem 1423]. Saying ‘another’ suggests there is more than one strong or mighty angel. However, there are commentators who think the angel is the same one as in Rev 5:2 because that is the only strong angel John has referred to, so he must be thinking of that angel. But hang on a moment, he has added the word “other” without the definite article [the]. The first reference is indefinite – an angel. The second reference is also indefinite “an other strong angel”. By using the [ἄλλον] he has added another angel different from the first mentioned. Hence the debate!
I told you in Gem 2266:
“There are seven angels but they are The Seven Angels who stand before God. There is much debate about who these angels are, but at the very least they are high ranking angels standing in the very inner court of God. Some see them as seven archangels, others see them as the seven angels mentioned in 3 Enoch 17:1-7, an apocryphal book. Those angels are named as follows: Micha’el, Gabri’el, Satki’el, Sahaki’el, Baradi’el, Baraqi’el and Sidri’el.”
But of course there could well be a difference between strong angels, mighty angels and archangels. Is this the same angel who shouted out in a loud voice in Revelation 5:2?
And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?”
Revelation 5:2
Was the angel strong or mighty because of the power of his voice? We have to ask another question related to the angel in 10:1. Is this angel mighty because he has his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land? Well, you have to admit that is pretty mighty. This angel has to be gigantic in proportions! At the very least he is a big angel, unless he is standing just at the line of the wave as it laps the sand. But once again he gives a great shout and when he shouted the seven thunders answered. This one clearly had a loud voice as well.
And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered.
Revelation 10:2-3
That of course leads us into Puzzles 2 and 7. More on that at the appropriate time. Next Gem we will move on to Puzzle 2 – What is the significance of the small scroll, the little scroll and a standard scroll? Is this important to the most important chapter in Revelation – namely Chapter 11? I am prepared and ready to field (catch) your questions to add to this list. Basically I intend to work my way through the magnificent seven listed above. However, I will also answer any others you come up with, either in the <Comments> section for those of you who put your questions there, or in the body of a following Gem depending how significant it is.
You have to admit when you read Revelation 10:1 to 11:14 it does prompt questions. After all, it is a darn right puzzling section of the Bible and of Revelation in particular. However, the chapter referred to as the most important chapter of Revelation is Chapter 11 and we are not dealing with Revelation 11:15-19 – we all know what that holds for us.
There’s plenty of time to ask your questions; one down, six to go.
Ian
You have not because you ask not.
Ian
At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
John 16:23-24