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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

CHAPTER TEN:
WHEN THE MYSTERY OF GOD IS FINISHED

[“Bitter-sweet Message”]
Key Word: Prophesy
Theme Verse: 7

Revelation 10:1-3 – A Little Bible and 7 Thunders

RV10:1 And I saw another strong angel enwrapped in a cloud descending out of the Celestialum. 388 There was a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun. [Matthew 17:2] His feet were pillars of fire.

388

Another strong angel enwrapped in a cloud descending out of the Celestialum: Compare this angel with that of Revelation 9:1. The language makes one want to see the Return of Christ and the description of the Angel is similar to Revelation 1:14-16. The fact this Angel has the Little Bible in his hand causes some to think this is The Angel of Malachi 3:1 – Michael the Archangel. This Angel wears a rainbow as a halo. The whole language points to the Glorified Master.

RV10:2 And he had in his hand an opened Little Bible. 389 And the angel placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth.

389	An opened Little Bible: It is a form of BIBLION again, BIBLARIDION, and is variously rendered: KJV: little book; KIT: booklet; RHM: little scroll; WEY: small scroll. Perhaps the one of chapter 5, but now opened.

RV10:3 The angel cried out in a great voice as when a lion roars. [Genesis 49:9; Daniel 10:6] And when the angel cried out, 7 thunders spoke 390 in their own voices.

390	7 thunders spoke: Curiously the word “thunders” occurs seven times in Exodus 9:23, 28, 29, 33, 34; 19:16; 20:18. Thunders are associated with God’s Voice. [2 Samuel 22:14; Job 37:4]

Revelation 10:4-7 – The Finished Mystery

RV10:4 I was about to write when the 7 thunders spoke. I heard a voice out of the Celestialum, saying: “Seal [Daniel 12:4] the things the 7 thunders spoke and do not write them.” 391

391	Do not write them: We imagine John writing ferociously given the things he has seen. He is so engrossed he must come up short here. What would be the purpose here? (Daniel 12:4, 9)

RV10:5 And the angel I saw standing upon the sea and earth raised his right hand to Heaven. [Daniel 12:7] RV10:6 He swore to the One 392 [Daniel 12:7] living throughout all future periods of time who created Heaven and the things in Heaven, 393 the earth and the things in the earth, the sea and the things in the sea: [Daniel 12:7] “There will be no delay! 394

392	He swore to the One: Compare Daniel 12:7.

393	Who created Heaven and the things in Heaven: Compare the source at Exodus 20:11 and Nehemiah 9:6.

394	There will be no delay: Variously translated: ASV: delay no longer; WEY: no further delay; BAS: no more waiting. The 7th trumpet is the “last trumpet” proclaiming the Coming of Christ and the “first resurrection.”

RV10:7 For in the days of the sounding of the Seventh Angel, 395 when that Angel is about to trumpet, the Mystery of The God 396 is finished! 397 [Just] as He declared the Good News to His Slaves the Prophets.” 398 [Amos 3:7]

395	The days of the sounding of the Seventh Angel: A period and not just a moment.

396	The Mystery of The God: This phrase is found at Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:1, 7; 4:5; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3, 4, 5, 9; 5:32; 6:19; Colossians 1:16, 27; 2:2; 4:3; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16; Revelation 1:20.

397	Finished: The 7 Trumpets bring to an end the Mystery of God. The 7 Thunders remain a mystery, however.

398	His Slaves the Prophets: This exact phrase occurs once again at Revelation 11:18. “Slaves” occurs 10 times with regard to the Saints. The word “prophets” occurs 8 times and may be understood to refer to the Christian Saints as prophets. (Revelation 22:6, 9) Compare Amos 3:7.

Revelation 10:8-11 – A Bitter-Sweet Assignment

RV10:8 And the voice I heard out of the Celestialum spoke to me again, saying: “Go and take the opened Little Bible from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and the earth.” RV10:9 And I approached the angel asking him to give me the Little Bible. The angel said to me: “Take and eat the Little Bible. 399 It will be sweet as honey to your mouth 400 but bitter in your stomach.” [Ezekiel 2:9-3:3]

399

Take and eat the Little Bible: If this be the same formerly sealed Little Bible of Revelation 5:1 – now in the process of being fully opened – John is to devour the actual Book of Revelation. This sets a pattern for the end-time Saints who would logically be very familiar with the Apocalypse. For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000© in Biblical Articles and the subject The Prophetic Horizon.

400

Sweet as honey to your mouth: This is very much like Ezekiel 2:8-3:13. (Jeremiah 15:16) The sweetness is the final victory and salvation. The bitterness is the foretold suffering of the Large Crowd in the Great Oppression. A honeycomb has much the look and color of a codex, that is something book-sized and earthen tan in color.

RV10:10 I took the Little Bible 401 from the hand of the angel and when I ate the Little Bible it was bitter in my stomach.

401	Little Bible: Or, booklet. It seems this bittersweet pamphlet or booklet is the following three woes which deal with the great Christian Holocaust, or the same of chapter 5.

RV10:11 And they say 402 to me: “It is binding you prophesy again 403 to peoples, nations, tongues, and many kings.”

402	They say: It is possible the angel and the Voice out of heaven are included. Since the angel may be the one speaking for Christ [Revelation 1:1]. Note "a voice" Rev 1:10, 12 where it is Christ.

403	It is binding you prophesy again: The word “again” shows a true break here with more prophesying to come after Revelation 11:1. We are still during the Sixth Trumpet and Second Woe. The subject of “many kings” is a theme to come. The word group “king(dom)” is yet to occur three dozen times.

Review Questions on Chapter Ten