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LESSON 15 - CHAPTER 10:1-11


R E V E L A T I O N

Charles Caldwell Ryrie, p. 93-98

A REMINDER

These lessons are written as an accompanment to
Charles C. Ryrie's [1996] Book
REVELATION
Everyday Bible Commentary
Moody Publishers
Chicago
ISBN: 978-0-8024-1825-8
(You Must Own your own copy)
(Ryrie's book text is not included in these lessons) 

THE ANGEL

AND

THE LITTLE BOOK 



THE ANGEL AND THE LITTLE OPENED BOOK
10:1-11

Ryrie, Pg. 93 Top

The Character of the Angel 10:1-2

       His Origin v. 1

       His Glory v. 1

       His book v. 2

       His Stand v. 2


The Visualized Text

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;

2 and

       he had in his hand a little book

              which was open.

       He placed

              his right foot on the sea and

              his left on the land;

 

 

OUR COMMENT

Certainly, a great angel. Christ Himself does not return to the earth [our verse tells us this one comes down out of heaven] until after the Marriage Feast of the Lamb so it isn’t Him. In Chapter 14 “The Lamb” is seen atop Mt. Zion, but the scene is of the heavenly Zion, Jerusalem, and the city has not yet descended at this time in John’s vision.

 


 

The Cry of the Angel 10:3—14
       Its Character 3a

        Its Consequences 3b-4

 

The Visualized Text
        3 and he cried out with a loud voice,

                        as when a lion roars; and

        when he had cried out,

                the seven peals of thunder

                        uttered their voices.

4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken,

        I was about to write; 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.”

 

Ryrie, Pg. 95 top
    Its Character
    Its Consequences

OUR COMMENT
Walvoord reminds us once again that “this illustrates a divine principle that while God has revealed much, there are secrets which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time.”[1]



The Confirmation by the Angel 10:5—7

THE VISUALIZED TEXT
5 Then
       the angel whom I saw standing
              on the sea and
              on the land

                     lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and

                     swore by Him

                           who lives forever and ever,

                           who created heaven

                                  and the things in it, and

                           [who created] the earth

                                  and the things in it and,

                           [who created] the sea

                                  and the things in it,

                           that there will be delay no longer,

 

7 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 the gospel to His servants the prophets.

 


Ryrie, Pg. 95 mid

 

OUR COMMENT
Throughout the Old and New Testament God’s prophets were given messages by God as to His purposes and the results of not being guided by His words. Now, as back then, mankind and their governments (including Israel) have chosen not to believe God and His written word – and instead lived as if they were God Himself, but in full violation of His person and attributes. The time of His judgment lies at hand.

Verse seven is a quite wonderful verse. When John’s vision become reality in earth’s time and the Seventh Angel speaks, God’s plan and program will that was revealed to and by the prophets of both the Old Testament and the New Testament will have come to a conclusion. God’s program to create a blessed kingdom under the headship of His Son as King, putting an end to sin and evil, will now begin to become complete. No more revelation beyond this book is now needed to see God’s Kingdom plan completed.


 

The Command Involving the Angel 10:8-10 

Its Source v. 8
Its Substance v.8

 

THE VISUALIZED TEXT

8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven,

 

Its Substance

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.”

 

John’s Obedience vv. 9-10

The Verse’s Object vv. 9-10 

John’s Obedience & The Verse’s Object

9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.

 

And he says to me,

       “Take it and

       eat it;

       it will make your stomach bitter,

but

       in your mouth

              it will be sweet as honey.”

 

10 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.

 

Ryrie, Pg. 96 2nd paragraph

Its Source, 10:8

Its Substance, 10:8

John's Obedience, 10:9-10 
                 
The Object, 10:9-10
 

OUR COMMENT
How true is Ryrie’s statement here. As we work our way along this wonderful book we feel many things. We can see how mankind has forsaken the Lord God in many places and ways. We can see the rewards to those who have been found by Him and who live for Him. But… as we dig further and further into the end times in this revelation… our hearts will become hurt by the price unbelief will bring. How difficult it is, and will be, to see friends, family, neighbors, and millions upon millions of strangers face the results of their unbelief. Especially those people and places who will see great pain and suffering and yet… they “will not believe.”

As a further look into “the end times” it will become obvious that Satan’s view of the future is to bring all things under his subjection – to rule over the Kingdom which has been given to Christ whom all authority has been given. Satan will offer the world a substitute for Jesus Christ. This substitute will offer the world everything that Jesus will actually provide when He assumes His rightful role as the Rightful King.

In the next couple chapters Satan will begin establishing a one world government and a one world religion – all will worship the “beast” or die – and a one world economy: worship the beast as the christ, or starve to death hiding in the mountains. 


The Commission of John 10:11
       (These prophecies concern many peoples)

 

THE VISUALIZED TEXT

11 And they [the Angels] say to me,

       “You must prophesy again concerning

              many peoples and

              [many] nations and

              [many] tongues and

              [many] kings.”

 

Ryrie, Pg. 97 lower 1/3

OUR COMMENT
This is the commissioning of John to preach this massive vision that covers 22 chapters in the New Testament. In other words, these prophecies concern many peoples, and this is the content of the little book. The verse makes it clear that this is a worldwide vision… of great importance because it affects many peoples, nations, tongues (languages) and kings - The whole world.


 

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