REVELATION
DISCOVER THE MYSTERY OF JESUS
CHAPTERS 10
Part 3
As Revelation 10 opens, we stare at the mystery of Jesus. It is on the backdrop
of an Earth, which lies in an ecological desolation; the land and sea are ravaged.
The benumbed survivors have hastily buried billions of corpses in mass graves.
The horrible roar of demon locusts is silent for who knows how much longer.
Those horrific mounted Calvary from Hell seem to have ceased their murderous
campaign. The sun is getting brighter from the strange darkening that caused
such weather disasters, the smoke of the grass and forest fires has started to
settle and some specks of light green anticipate grass should again soon be
poking up from the scorched earth. The bittered waters of the Earth are getting
clear again and no stellar debris has fallen to Earth lately. It is half time and the
midpoint of the Tribulation has come. And the mystery is what has been the
effect of all this unleashed wrath of God on the Cosmos? Has the cosmic
rebellion ceased? Has Satan bowed his knee and confessed that Jesus is Lord?
Have the decimated populace of Earth seen “the Light which lighteth every” one
born into the world? No.
* When God flooded the Earth and killed everyone but Noah’s family, did all the
generations that followed believe and follow the Lord?
* When Moses destroyed the Egyptians in the most public and visible spectacle
of divine proportions, did Egypt have a national revival? Did they turn in faith
and repentance to the Lord?
* When Jesus did wonderful miracles and signs that no one could even
question, did everyone turn in faith and repentance to Him as the Lord? Did
the nation of Israel trust, obey and follow Him as Messiah?
* When the Apostles went out across the world with supernatural power,
healing the sick, raising the dead and speaking with the unquestionable
authority of God did all the nations they visited turn in faith and repentance to
the Lord?
* Is it any wonder that the descendents of the Flood, the families of the empire
of Egypt, the children of Jesus’ day and the generations born to those who
saw and heard the apostles are any less hard hearted? They see wonders,
hear marvelous things, and experience the incontrovertible hand of God and
turn from it. Oh the mystery of the human will, so blinded by willful sin!
As you read Revelation 10, It may surprise you to know that in the entire span of
time from Creation until now; God has never reigned on Earth. Yes, He is the
sovereign King over the entire Universe, over both Heaven and Earth. He has
ruled, overruled, and intervened on Earth. He governs all human events, yet He
does so for now in a way that appears remote and incomplete. He has never
used His absolute power to bring about an end to demonic evil, human rebellion,
and global injustice and suffering. He does not receive the worship and honor
that is His due as the sovereign King. He has authority that He chooses for now
not to exercise.
God is sovereign and He rules over the universe, but He does not reign on earth.
When He finally establishes His reign, all sin and all suffering will cease. That is
our eternal hope for which we pray whenever we repeat the words, “Thy
Kingdom come, They will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
The mystery is why does God continue to wait. Why does He warn, offer and
watch for a few more sinners to repent? That’s it. The MYSTERY OF JESUS is
His amazing love for even those who never seem to stop rejecting Him. He waits,
and now is the time for the 7th trumpet to sound.
THE VISION OF THE SON OF GOD: FOCUS ON JESUS
v. 1-5
After the opening of the six seals of Revelation 6, the 7th seal initiated the 7
trumpets of Revelation 8-9. Now in Revelation 10 John sees what lies ahead with
the 7th trumpet. This trumpet holds the longest of the messages of doom. Do you
remember what happened to set off this chain of terror? It was the opening of the
scroll (5:7) by the Lamb who was worthy. And what was it that made Him worthy
to be the Heir of the Universe (Hebrews 1:2)? He was the Lamb slain for sin. He
was now wrestling the Dominion of all things back from the thief, the liar and the
murderer, Satan. Jesus is in the process of judging all that the usurper to the
Throne has caused in the cosmic rebellion. So at this midpoint in the vision John
receives of the drama of redemption. We are reintroduced to the hero, our Lord
Jesus. John paints a beautiful picture by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of Jesus
as the Almighty Redeemer and Absolute Victor.
Thus Revelation 10 is a snapshot capturing all of the work of Christ and the
grandeur of God’s plan of redemption.
JESUS REFLECTING GOD’S IMAGE (10:1) Jesus was often seen in the Old
Testament as a pre-incarnate angel of the Lord. When He appeared in these
instances it was as a special and mighty angelic messenger from God. In these
instances He would accept and receive worship which no angel would ever
accept other than the usurper himself, Satan. The 4 descriptions of this mighty
angel correspond at each point with previous descriptions of Jesus.
* THE CLOUD: In Revelation 1:7 Jesus comes with the clouds. This mighty
angel comes clothed with the clouds. Jesus was clothed in a cloud just like
this the last time the apostle John saw Him ascend into Heaven in Acts 1:9.
And John heard the angels who spoke with the apostles that “in like manner”
Jesus would return (Acts 1:11). In the Old Testament Israel was led by a
pillar of fire and a cloud (Ex. 13:21), they saw the cloud when God’s glory
appeared (Ex. 16:10), when the Tabernacle was commissioned by God (Ex.
40:38), over the Mercy Seat (Lev. 16:2). Paul tells us that it was Christ in that
cloud, who led, watered and fed them (I Cor. 10:1-4). Just as the Shekinah or
Glory Cloud hovered over the Holy of Holies when God’s presence was there,
so the star or Glory Cloud stood over the manger when God was incarnated.
The Cloud is always associated with Deity.
* THE FACE: John also saw the face of Jesus in Revelation 1:16 with a
countenance “shining like the sun” so this description in 10:1 matches again.
Just like at the Transfiguration (Mt. 17:2) and on the Road to Damascus (Acts
9:3) Jesus shines as bright as the Sun. Just like Malachi said when he
predicted the coming “Sun of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2).
* THE FEET: The Feet of Jesus in Revelation 1:15 were like brass glowing
from a furnace, which sounds exactly like this mighty angel with “feet as
pillars of fire”. What is remarkable is the 4th element of this description – the
rainbow crowning His head.
* THE CROWN: We have encountered the rainbow in Revelation 4 as it
encircled the Throne reminding us of God’s grace from the times of Noah
(Gen. 9:13) and the Flood.
Ezekiel (1:28) also saw this rainbow around the
Throne of God. Because of the article used in Revelation 10:1 “the rainbow”
this seems to be God’s special crown for His beloved Son Jesus. It is very
interesting to note that the Hebrew word “bow” is the same for a rainbow and
a weapon that shoots arrows. So, this rainbow speaks of both God’s judgment
and His grace, which perfectly meet in the person of Jesus (Psalm 85:10). As
we have seen so far, the greatest multitude saved in history (7:14) is coming
out of the time of Earth’s greatest judgment. Jesus loves and seeks sinners at
all times and in every place.
This being could well be our Lord Jesus Christ, appearing to John as a kingly
angel. Jesus often appeared in the Old Testament as “the Angel of the Lord” (Ex.
3:2; Jud. 2:4; 6:11–12, 21–22; 2 Sam. 24:16). This was a temporary
manifestation for a special purpose, not a permanent incarnation.
JESUS CLAIMING HIS INHERITANCE (10:2) As Jesus portrayed by this mighty
angel descends He plants His feet on the land and sea. This is a picture of laying
claim to His own possession. This is an exclusive right of Jesus as the one who
purchased this by His blood Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to
Himself, by Him, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven, having made
peace through the blood of His cross. In a special sense this may show Jesus
sharing the right of our redemption, we are joint heirs with Jesus. Remember
Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. And again in
Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first
covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal
inheritance. Paul also said in 2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign
with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
JESUS ROARING HIS VICTORY (10:3) As we learned in Revelation 1 the voice
of Jesus is powerful. John describes it in v. 10 as “a loud voice, as of a trumpet”
and again in v. 15 “and His voice as the sound of many waters”. But now we hear
the voice of the Conquering Lamb. Look back at Revelation 5:5 But one of the
elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root
of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Here in
Revelation 10 the lion roars. Thus we hear the conquering, all mighty voice of
Jesus declaring His right to possess His possession. In the Civil War the (rebels
or) Confederates had a battle cry that was piercing and nerve rending.
JESUS SHOWING HIS GRACE (10:4) This is a strange verse without looking at
it in light of the whole Bible. John hears and records this event because God
wants us to see His loving patience. God who is not willing that any should perish
halts the annihilation of the human race because there must still be a few more
who will be saved. To the end of the Earth’s history, God is sprinkling His grace.
When the seven thunders explode in the decree of final destruction God seals it
up for a bit longer. Remember God’s mercy in Noah’s day (Gen. 7:4) as He
waited those extra days. Remember the mercy of God as He listens to
Abraham’s plea to spare Sodom even for a few righteous. And God sends the
angels to drag Lot out of Sodom and try to convert his married children. So the
Earth is spared a while longer as God deploys one evangelistic team after
another in chapters 7-14.
There may be a similar word in Daniel 12. After the revelation of the terrible
Tribulation coming (12:1-2), Daniel is told to seal up the words (12:4) for 3 ½
years (12:6-7) as an angel swears by the Almighty. This may be the same scene
John is now seeing. If so it is a blessed reminder of God’s grace in the midst of
judgment. Even as the wrath of God intensifies, so He keeps offering salvation
even though the implacable hardness of human hearts only seems to increase.
JESUS REVEALING THE IMAGE OF GOD (10:5) When the Ancient of Days,
God the Father, wants to reveal Himself He always does so through His Son. As
John 1:18 says No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is
in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. The writer of Hebrews says
Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past
to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the
worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His
person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by
Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
In Revelation we have seen already several wonderful pictures of Jesus:
* The Son of Man (1:13)
* The Creator of the Universe (4:2, 11)
* The Slain Lamb (5:6)
* The Great High Priest (8:3)
In the Old Testament we find Daniel meeting with a heavenly representative. Lets
compare these passages and see if we can identify Daniel’s visitor:
Daniel 10:5-6, 18 Revelation 1:13-17
Clothed in linen Clothed with a garment down to the
feet
Girded with fine gold A golden girdle
Body like beryl Head and hair white as snow
Face as lightning Face as the sun
Eyes as lamps of fire Eyes as a flame of fire
Arms and feet like polished brass Feet like fine brass
Voice like a multitude Voice as many waters
At the sight Daniel retained no strength John fell at His feet as if dead
There can be no doubt about it, Daniel saw the Lord Jesus in His pre-incarnate
glory and John sees Him as the Risen and Glorified Son. But both of them are
the Image of the Invisible God! And here in Revelation 10:1-5 we have a vision of
Jesus in all His glory. Coming to take back His Earth, He lays claim, and gives
the cry of victory.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
REVELATION DISCOVER THE MYSTERY OF JESUS CHAPTERS 10 Part 3