The Paradox of Judgment
Revelation 10:1-11
January 21, 2007 

At productions such as plays, musicals, or concerts, after the performance has transpired for some time, there is a pause known as an intermission. Sets are changed, actors change costumes, musicians catch their breath, and attendees refresh themselves for the finale. Intermission implies an interval between the activities of the production.

As John unfolds the production of the ages in the book of Revelation, he makes use of a bit different device than the popular intermission; instead he uses an interlude. It’s not a down time but a time of explanation and amplification. It allows the readers to make sure they grasp the message intended by the scenes portrayed. The pace is changed to reinforce action.

The interlude after the 6th seal before the cataclysmic breaking of the seventh seal reminds the church from two perspectives of God’s care for them in the midst of the world’s tribulations. From the perspective of those on earth, God has marked them off or sealed those belonging to Him. This effectively shows that the Lord distinguishes between those receiving His wrath and those receiving the blessing of sonship through the sacrificial death of Christ. His protection is complete with none being lost whom Christ secured by His death, and none bearing judgment for whom Christ has already been judged at the cross (7:4-8).

Second, John reminds us of the future. Here is the “blessed hope” of the Christian, that in the midst of suffering, oppression, disease, and destruction of every sort, particularly those that result from clinging to the cross, that our suffering cannot compare with the glory that lies ahead (7:9-17).

Yet the seventh seal will be broken one day. The consuming fire of God’s wrath will fall. The interlude reminds us that the end is yet to come.

To show the same picture from a different angle, John reveals seven trumpets, layering them on top of the seals and showing another viewpoint of God’s unfolding judgments through history. Between the sixth and seventh trumpet, another interlude takes place. While the first dealt with the believer’s security, the second interlude deals with his activity in the throes of suffering and the world’s rage. Christians are ever to be about the work of the gospel, both in applying it and proclaiming it. Times of adversity and suffering are no exception rather they are superlative times for the gospel. What does John show us through this interlude?

I. Gospel proclamation has a terminus
We’ve already considered the prominence of “the book” held in the hand of the One sitting on the throne and then taken by the Lamb of God who alone is worthy to open the book and breaks its seals (chapter 5). That book comprises God’s eternal decree. All of human history—the totality of redemption and judgment—is comprised in the book that Christ alone can open. In that opening, the sovereign rule of Jesus Christ is highlighted.

But now, John mentions another book—this one is called “a little book” (Gk. biblidarion, rather than biblion or book)—to distinguish it from the book with the seven seals. He mentions the book in verse 2, and then drops its discussion until verses 8-11. Thus he introduces the subject of the book, amplifies an important foundational point, and then comes back to the little book.

New Testament students debate the meaning of the “little book” in the angel’s hand. Some say that it is the same book that we read about in chapter 5. Others say that it is an abbreviated version of the bigger book. John’s word for it is literally translated as “a little book,” which I believe offers distinction from the other book of whom Christ alone is worthy to open and look into it. Later, John will be told to take the book and eat it. If the book of chapter 5 addresses the totality of the divine rule, then it seems strange that John could take the book that Christ alone is worthy to open, and consume it since he is in need of divine rule and not the dispenser of it. On the other hand, if the book deals with one central message in the larger book—the gospel of Jesus Christ—then it makes good sense why John must take it, eat it, and proclaim it. That is our premise. The “little book” that John speaks of refers to the mystery of the gospel proclaimed through the ages and still proclaimed today as the only way to God.

1. Picture of great strength
Not only is the identity of the little book debated but so is that of the “strong angel.” “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.” This is a colossal angel! He has divine majesty reflected in his person. He comes down out of heaven—which tells us that in John’s vision he is back on earth and no longer in heaven. Giving the aura of having been around the throne of God, he is clothed about with a cloud, enhancing “the glory of his appearance” [G. E. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 141]. The rainbow, representing God’s faithfulness as a covenant-keeping God, provided an unusually distinct hat. His face, like that of Moses when he came down from the mountain after being with God, reflected something of divine glory by shining like the sun. His purity and strength are found in feet like pillars of fire.

The angel sounds almost like Jesus Christ! Some respected scholars call this a Christophany, a term used for Old Testament, pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. But John is not waiting for Christ’s first coming. He anticipates His second coming. He never calls Jesus an angel in Revelation but rather shows His authority over angels (1:20). Angels bow in worship before Christ (5:11-12) but here John does not bow in worship before the angel. As one that has seen the exalted Lamb of God, John surely would not fail to recognize Him and worship Him. Christ has “the book” in His hand which no one else was worthy to open (5:1-5), while the angel has “a little book which was opened.” Later, the angel swears by “Him who lives forever and ever,” but Christ has no need to swear by another since there is no one greater (Heb. 6:16).

So, why the strong angel? It seems that what John does is to help the little churches of Asia Minor and the multitudes that have followed through the centuries, to get a clearer picture of the strength of our God and of His gospel. Here this “strong angel” reflecting the divine glory, plants his feet on sea and land, as though declaring that “his message involves the whole world,” so they need not cower at the challenge to live and proclaim the gospel [Ladd, 142]. We may be weak but our God is strong! So we may confidently face the demands of the world as His gospel messengers.

2. Exercise of divine restraint
As the angel cried out with a loud voice, John said that the sound was “as when a lion roars,” We get the picture of a message reverberating through heaven and earth at the angel’s declaration. Further, John tells us, “and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.” Now, we’ve already encountered seven seals and seven trumpets, so we expect the seven thunders to be yet another revelation of how God’s judgments will unfold in the world, especially since we’ve already associated thunder with the ominous presence of the Lord and His judgments (4:5; 8:5). Surely, he is preparing to give us details of judgments, perhaps even of things affecting unbelievers and also the suffering of believers. Perhaps! John continues, “When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write.” John responded just as we might have done with an eagerness to record the details. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” The point is made: John doesn’t tell what the thunders declared because Christ restrained his pen. Why did the Lord, whom I believe is implied by the “voice from heaven” that restrained him, tell him to keep this revelation to himself?

I would observe several things. First, God reserves some things for His glory. Job discovered that God has not disclosed all things but reveals what we need to know to live before Him (Job 38-42). Second, We must not attempt to probe beyond what God has revealed. That which He has shown us through the revelation of Holy Scripture is fully sufficient for all things. We must not become end-time speculators. God has spoken clearly enough, and on enough diverse subjects regarding living until the end. We enter into folly when we delve into that which God has restrained from us.

Third, there are things we don’t need to know because we cannot handle them. With our finite minds and understanding, the infinite wisdom and decree of God would be too much to absorb in a thousand lifetimes! Be certain, God has revealed everything we need to know (2 Tim. 3:16-17). No other promise need be given by which we can partake of Christ and His nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4). No other fact need be offered to convince the mind that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1; Psa. 19:1-6). No more truth is necessary for us to believe that God is One, and that He has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in three distinct persons. No other gospel need be offered other than that which is of Christ crucified, buried, and risen from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-11). Now, we may not grasp any of these things; yet the problem is not insufficient revelation but unbelief on our part.

3. Unveiling of God’s kingdom
The kingdom of God comes in all its fullness and glory in Revelation 11:15, which is the aim of the seventh trumpet. “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever”.” Now, that’s not the end of the book of Revelation, as you know. Rather, it is a snapshot of the end before John backtracks and fills in more details, layering scene upon scene. We’re still in the interlude period between the sixth and seventh trumpets. As the book unfolds the judgments of God, we see the wonderful paradox of how Christians live in the midst of God judging the world. We live in anticipation of the full revelation of the kingdom of God.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God preached the good news of His kingdom to His servants the prophets. Here is pointedly a word about those who gave us biblical revelation—“His servants the prophets.” The coming, second coming, and future reign of Christ as Sovereign Lord is the sum of the biblical message. In that fullness of the kingdom Christ will be recognized and acknowledged by all creation as King of kings and Lord of lords (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 11:17-18; 15:3-4; 19:1-16). John pictures this by the strong angel whose strength planted his feet on land and sea, as he swears by the God of all creation. “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and  ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”

These struggling believers, and many like them in our own day, may have felt that God’s mighty kingdom would never come in all its fullness. The promises of Christ’s eternal reign seemed so distant and unrealistic. So John directs attention to this great angel of colossal size, standing on earth and sea, yet who in acknowledged humility as one much weaker, swears by one infinitely stronger. Hebrews 6:16 tells us the rationale by which one swears by another. “For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given is an end of every dispute.” So this mighty angel swears by the Creator of all things. Over and over through Revelation, we find mention of God as Creator. In a world that pounds us over and over with “big bang” and “evolution of the species” and “spontaneous generation,” we need to pause and reflect on the grand reality: God created the heavens and the earth! The mighty angel specifies God as Creator of heaven, earth, and sea—and all things in them. Nothing is created apart from His will and power exercised in creation. All things are sustained by Him who rules heaven and earth (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-4).

What does the angel swear? “That there will be delay no longer.” Some of the translations have “that there shall be time no more,” or something akin to this. But chronos, usually translated as “time,” in this case is better termed “delay.” The point is that at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, nothing else stands in the way of the culmination of God’s kingdom in its fullness. Humanity’s rebellion, Satan’s adversity, the world’s opposition, and sin’s dominion will end. What Christ wrought at the cross is brought to its climax. The good news told to Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel is brought to its grand crescendo.

When that happens, no more opportunity to hear the mystery of the gospel exists. John burns that in our minds by this scene. No more preaching, witnessing, or praying for the conversion of unbelievers will take place.

“The mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.” Both the mystery of redemption, which we see throughout Scripture, and the mystery of judgment reach their climax. Consequently, we must draw several inferences.

First, there is a warning here for those reluctant to hear and heed God’s Word. The time will come when there’s no more time left for delaying.

Second, those defiant of the gospel are warned that the day will come when you can no longer defy Christ and His gracious offer in the gospel.

Third, the call to proclaim the mystery of Christ lasts until the last trumpet sounds. We are not off duty until that divine signal! Our work is not over until God says it’s over.

Fourth, God’s revelation—this “mystery”—is made known until the last trumpet. Here is grace and mercy poured out in the last pages of Holy Scripture.

II. Gospel proclamation has an impetus

An impetus gives force and speed and motivation to an action. It’s important to keep in mind that Revelation is not a chopped up book but one that was read in total to the church. What is said in chapter 10 connects with chapter 9 and chapter 11. We’ve already noted much of the connection with chapter 9 and the trumpets sounding, but chapter 11 tells us of the activity of the church prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The church will have periods of great power and periods of great suffering. It will face the world’s animosity for its gospel proclamation. The two witnesses in chapter 11 represent the church and its focus on gospel proclamation. John receives a renewed sense of divine appointment for gospel ministry in 10:8-11. There is the implication that John’s renewal is ours as well.

1. God has made Himself known
We would know nothing of God if He had chosen not to reveal Himself to us. Yet He has revealed Himself in creation, as “the heavens are telling the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). He has revealed Himself in our conscience, “Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them” (Rom. 1:19). Yet more specifically and clearly, He has made Himself known through the revelation of Holy Scripture. The 1689 London Baptist Confession (chapter 1, ¶ 6) summarizes the effective revelatory work of Scripture like this:
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men (2 Tim. 3:15-17; Gal. 1:8, 9).

John thinks specifically of the revelation of the gospel in chapter 10. “Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” This little book, which here he specifies as “the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and the land,” contains the details of redemption and judgment through the gospel. The book “is open,” so it is not one of hidden mysteries or of details undisclosed. Here God has spoken clearly through Christ: “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” That’s the promise in the gospel for those who believe. But the same passage continues, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18). The gospel contains both promise of redemption through Christ for all that believe; and it contains the certainty of judgment for those who do not believe. Jesus declares that if you do not presently believe then you are judged for your unbelief; you are condemned for rejecting the gracious offer of God through His Son.

John was told to “take the book which is open.” God’s revelation of redemption through the gospel is available and understandable. Do you realize the kindness of God shown to you in giving you the gospel in your own language? Millions of people have not been extended such mercy. Yet God has given you the gospel. Take the book—the gospel. God has made Himself known.
    
2. The gospel affects us
Now we see John’s description of what took place. Here is this colossal angel with great power, standing on sea and land. John is told to take the book out of his hand. It’s not a book for angels but for men—as the gospel is for sons of Adam so that through Christ we might become sons of God. “So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.” Audacious? Brash? Crazy? No, John just obeyed; the book of the gospel belongs to those whom God is pleased to give it. The angel gave him a strange command that uses metaphorical language to help us understand our relationship to the gospel. “And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey”.”

Take it and eat it—taste and see that the Lord is good! Here is an open scroll; John can read its message; so he takes it and eats it. He feeds upon the gospel. He finds new strength and sweetness in the gospel. For all that hear and understand; the gospel is sweet. Yet there is bitterness when the gospel is rejected; there is the certainty of judgment declared by it.

The whole gospel is both sweet and bitter. John’s bitterness in the stomach implies that it is internal—“something within the believer” [Leon Morris, TNTC: Revelation, 142]. The gospel that liberates all who believe is also the word by which those refusing to believe will be judged. John, as with all who are faithful in proclaiming the gospel, knows the sweetness of those who believe Christ as revealed in the gospel; and yet the bitterness is experienced by seeing Christ rejected and sinful men thereby condemned.

3. Along with John, we must proclaim the gospel
John doesn’t hesitate: “I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings”.” The gospel proclaimed gives hope when believed. The prophetic word refers to declaring the gospel. Though John was an old man by this time, he is reminded that the work of gospel proclamation was not finished. Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). With sweetness, some believe. With bitterness, some remain in unbelief. Yet for the glory of Christ among all peoples, we must proclaim the good news of the Son of God dying for sinners and rising from the dead to give life to all that believe. By that word of the gospel, each of us is either saved or condemned. Which is it for you?

Conclusion
Here is the paradox of judgment: that God would give us the little book, the gospel, to deliver us who deserve His judgment. Out of the same book there is hope through Christ for all that believe; and certainty of judgment for those rejecting Him.

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