Revelation Chapter 10
RCW Text with Notes
2025-09-08
10.1 Then, I saw another strong angel descending from heaven. He was clothed with a cloud, a rainbow was on his head and his face was like the sun, and his feet were like columns of fire.
10.2 He had a small open scroll in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.
10.3 He roared loudly like a lion, and he was answered by voices of seven thunders.
10.4 When the seven thunders spoke, I started to write , but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal what you have heard the seven thunders say. Do not write them.”
10.5 Then the angel which I saw stand on the and and on the land, lifted up his hand toward heaven,
10.6 He swore an oath by Him who lives forever, Who created Heaven and all that is in it, and the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in them, that the time is up.
10.7 But, in the days of the sound of the 7th Trumpet, as he prepares to play his war trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, as He had declared the good news to his servants the prophets.
10.8 Then the voice I had heard from Heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the small open scroll from the hand of the angel that stands on the sea and the land.”
10.9 So, I went to the angel, and said, “Give to me the small scroll. And he said, “Take it, and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in your mouth.”
10.10 I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but by stomach became bitter.
10.11 Then the angel said to me, “You must prophesy again before many cultures, and races and languages and many rulers.”
Notes.
Concerning translation, I deviate very little from traditional English versions, but I prefer the realism of the literal “scroll” to the anachronistic “book”. The word for “voice” is the word “sound” and usually context will make clear which it is. There are no uncommon Greek terms in Rev. 10. However, the meaning of the events John recorded here might not ever be understood, without a further revelation.
10.1 The description of this “strong” angel resembles the glorified Jesus. Like Jesus, he is wrapped in a cloud, face like the sun and legs like glowing hot bronze from Revelation 1. But this is the only being in the Bible who wears a “rainbow” on his head. I assume that this is the origin of the concept of a Halo, and perhaps all the efforts of medieval artists to depict holiness. It may also be important that this angel has a halo, and not a crown, as victorious humans do. One reason that this might matter is that in the first seal, the first rider on the white horse is a spirit, but he has a victory wreath on his head, that no one seems to be certain about. This strong angel, a clear evidence that there is a range of powers represented by angels, some much more powerful than others, but this one has a single unique message, that is almost an intermission in the story, and even divides the 6th Trumpet period into two sections.
10.2 This is the only “small scroll” in Revelation, it is the only scroll open at this point, and we are told nothing about it or its contents. Because John says this angel stands, with one foot on the sea and one on the land, he is sometimes thought to be a gigantic figure, symbolically straddling a coast line, like the ancient Titans or a Colossus. But that will change in a few verses. In Revelation, Sea and Land are most often seen as symbolic of humanity, divided between migratory/transient/aggressive cultures like armies and empires, and more stable sedentary, agriculturally settled cultures, but this is difficult to clarify.
10.3 This uniquely strong and important angel, spiritually straddling humanity, lets out a loud roar, like a lion. Do humans living on the earth during the 6th trumpet hear anything? Is this message for them? And the response he receives for his roar is loud thunder, seven times. It is the only place in Revelation of thunder without lightning. The number 7 in this context implies that the message conveyed by the thunders is refined seven times, as the words of God are described in Psalm 12:6. Is this the same message seven times, or seven different messages? This is not revealed.
10.4 Amazingly, nothing is revealed about the Seven Thunders. John was allowed to tell us that he heard them, and that he was ordered not to reveal what they said. But it is clear, that here in the context of the 6th Trumpet, is a major event in heaven, but is treated as “top secret” and “need to know” and that excludes everyone but John. He apparently never revealed to anyone what he heard in this scene. So John, was uniquely privileged and trusted with something too important for anyone else to know. My understanding of the Revelation and the entire New Testament is currently being reworked based on the conviction that this event in Revelation 10:3,4 is exactly what Paul was writing about in 2 Cor. 12:1-6. There is not and cannot be an alternative solution that is more clear than this. Like everyone else, I was taught about all the extra-Biblical evidence starting with Irenaeus, and I have studied the debates over the relationship of Revelation to Nero and Domitian, but I now firmly believe that John saw and recorded the Revelation in the spring of 41 AD, just after the death of Caligula. And that all of the New Testament, except for Matthew, was written after the apostles in Jerusalem had been informed of the content of Revelation. I also believe that Paul met with John and became informed about the Revelation at the Jerusalem Council in 49 AD, before he composed any of his canonical epistles. Therefore, every prophetic reference in Paul was made with a knowledge of this book. I have written about this elsewhere on Deadright.net. I am not willing to speculate on the message of the Seven Thunders. We are not supposed to know for a reason. I believe we will know if we need to, when the time comes, and we are not in the 6th Trumpet yet.
10.5 The Greek does not say it was his right hand, that was lifted during his oath, but most assume it was. Perhaps for an angel it doesn’t matter? But the image of this super angel standing with authority over all humanity like this, seems to signal a universal declaration is about to be made.
10.6-7 The oath made by this super angel, standing over all humanity, is actually to make a simple point. “This is it! There is no more time left before the conclusion of the fulfillment of the prophetic mysteries begins. The common translation “no more delay” is wrong. The word for “delay” is not in the text, and implies that God’s plan is late, and not on time. But we know from 2 Peter 3:4-8 that God “is not slow” concerning the keeping of His promises. The mystery of God will be completed at the time of the sounding of the 7th Trumpet.” But this is still rather confusing, because he spoke these words before the ministry of the Two Witnesses, which is still during the period of the 6th Trumpet. It seems that there is still at least 3.5 years before the 7th trumpet is sounded. However, notice that 10:7 is very careful to say that the mysteries are completed during the period before the 7th trumpet is blown, while the angel is preparing to sound. So, it looks as if the super angel is specifically talking about the period of the Two Witnesses. A lot of attention has been placed on this phrase, “the Mysteries of God”, usually relating them to Ephesians 3:4-6 and Romans 16:25-26. Both of these texts may point to Revelation 10, but that has not been examined before.
10.8-11 John is having an Ezekiel moment. Ezekiel 2:9 – 3:3 is the clear precedent for John’s experience. Jeremiah 15:16 says something in a more metaphorical sense. So did David much earlier in Psalm 119:103. But John is not known for any public prophetic testimonies, yet he was told to “prophecy again” and to everyone. We have to conclude that the text of Revelation fulfills this statement, there is no alternative scenario.