Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 10

FIRST SCENE OF THE INTERPOSED VISION

And I saw . . .—Translate: And I saw another mighty angel descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the (not “a”) rainbow upon his head, and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, and having in his hand a little book (or, roll) open.

Many have thought that this angel can be no one other than Christ Himself. It must be acknowledged that the description is such that we might well hesitate to apply it to any but our Lord; nevertheless, the words, “another mighty angel,” present a serious difficulty. Our Lord might indeed appear as an angel, but it is hardly conceivable that He would be called “another mighty angel”—an expression that seems to associate this angel with those others who have taken part in these visions.

Remembering this, we must separate from our thoughts the idea of personal angelic beings. Such beings are employed by God, but in the mechanism of these visions, the angels are not necessarily personal beings, any more than the stars are literal stars; they are typical, representative angels, as when we speak of the Angel of Peace or the Angel of War. Thus, we have the Angels of Time, of Death, and of Life, as in the Apocalypse.

The angel here, even if he does not represent Christ Himself, descends with the evidence of Christ’s power. He comes to remind God’s hidden ones that Christ is with them always, and that He will not hide His commandments from those who are living as strangers and pilgrims on earth (Psalms 119:19; 1 Peter 2:11), for he bears a little book open in his hand.

The value of this vision is best seen by recalling the vision of the Fifth Trumpet. There, for the first time, the plagues seemed to gather supernatural power: the key of the abyss was given to the star that fell, and the locust host was led by the angel of the abyss.

In response to this, this angel comes, bearing evidence of Christ’s power. When troubles come that darken and confuse, the messenger from heaven will come to give light, teaching, and strength to the faithful. In this way, this angel first gives assurance of the power of Christ. He comes clothed with a cloud, always the token of the Divine Presence (Exodus 13:21; Ezekiel 1:4; Matthew 17:5; Acts 1:9).

The, not “a,” rainbow, but the rainbow (i.e., the rainbow of Revelation 4:3), the token of covenant and love, glowed around his head. His face, like that of Moses, had caught the unutterable light, the sun-like light of Christ’s presence (Revelation 1:16); and his feet were like pillars of fire to tread the earth, strong in the power of purification and judgment.

Some call this the Angel of Time because of his utterance in Revelation 10:6. But is it not rather the typical representative of the Angel of the New Testament, coming with the tokens of covenant truth, power, and love? He had in his hand a little book open.

Our memories are carried back to the other book, or roll, displayed in Revelation 5:1-5, and two contrasts strike us: that roll, or book, was sealed, and no one was found worthy to open it; this book is open—that book was larger, while this one is described as a small book.

Do these contrasts help us to the meaning? One thing they seem to tell us is that the book contains none of those secret things that were the contents of the former book.

The closed, sealed book pointed to the hidden springs of future history; this one points to what is open to all. That book was comparatively large and filled with writing, as the visions of oncoming history were great; this book is small and contains what all may master.

These considerations forbid the idea that the book is a brief repetition of what was in the sealed book, “or that it was the revelation of some remaining prophecies,” or of some “portion or section of prophecy.” The vision is a representation that he who comes armed with the evidence of Christ’s presence also comes with that ever-open proclamation of God’s love and righteousness.

The little open book is that gospel which is the sword of the Spirit, the weapon of the Church, that Word of God open to all, hidden only from those whom the god of this world hath blinded. The fallen powers may bear the key and let loose darkening clouds of confused thought and unworthy teaching; the outer courts of the Church may be overcast. But unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness, and God’s Word has risen with new light and power upon the bewilderments and glooms of the age.

“Three books are associated in the Apocalypse. The first is the book of the course of this world (Revelation 5:1); ... the last is the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:27): between these two comes” another book, which is the link between the other two—the ever-open book of God’s promises and the witness of God’s righteousness and power. Elliott regarded this little roll as the Bible opened anew to mankind at the time of the Reformation.

The period offers many magnificent illustrations of the vision, but it does not exhaust its truth, since in every age the reverent study of the Word of God has given freshness and strength to forgotten truths and has saved men from the bondage of traditional notions. From among such students have arisen God’s witnesses.

And he set . . .—The attitude of the angel, with one fiery foot planted on the sea and the other on the land, is that of a conqueror taking possession of the whole world. There is a power, then, by which the Church and children of God may possess the earth.

It is not the power of pride or worldliness. The true weapons are not carnal: the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, and the meek-spirited (meek to be taught and meek in life) shall possess the earth.

And cried with a loud voice . . .—Better, and he cried with a loud voice, even as a lion roars. This is another sign of the presence of Christ with the Church. The voice is the voice of courage and strength derived from Him who is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.”

And when he had cried . . .—Translate, and when he cried, the seven thunders (notice, not “seven thunders,” but “the seven thunders”) spoke their own voices. The thunders are called the seven thunders to bring them before us as another order of sevens, and into harmony with the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials.

Thus we have four sets of sevens. It was not a sevenfold peal of thunder, but seven thunders, which distinctly spoke their own voices. This marked language brings the seven thunders, though their utterances are never revealed, into prominence as a portion of the Apocalyptic system.

But what were these thunders? Were they more terrible judgments still? And did the sealing of them signify the shortening of the days of judgment, as Christ had said (Matthew 24:22)? It may be so.

One thing seems certain—the guesses which have been ventured (such as that they are identical with the trumpets, or that they are the seven crusades) can hardly be admitted. Whatever they were, they were perfectly intelligible to the Evangelist. He was on the point of writing down their utterances. Will this fact help us to understand the general object of their introduction here?

And when the seven . . .—Translate, And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Seal up the things which the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them.

He could have written down their utterances. It was no mere thunder-like sound he heard; the thunders spoke. He would have continued his writing as he had been commanded (Revelation 1:11) had not the voice from heaven forbidden him.

The utterances, then, are for those who hear them; they are not to be made generally known. Is it not the solemn, sacred, divine voice, not to be known by all, but by those who have ears to hear when the God of glory thundereth? Lo! He doth send forth His voice, yea, and that a mighty voice (Psalms 68:33). Mankind may hear the thunder; only those whose ears God has opened can hear the utterances and the inspiriting messages which they bring.

So was it once in our Lord’s life. The people said it thundered; some thought an angel spoke. But there were articulate words which He who came to do God’s will, in whose heart was God’s law, heard, and to Him that thunder-like voice promised to glorify His name (John 12:28–29).

Similarly here, the Evangelist (who is in this but a type of the true witnesses for God), who is to prophesy before peoples and kings (Revelation 10:11), hears words spoken by the divine voice which make him strong for his mission.

It is always so. There are dull ears that hear thunder, but never God’s voice; there are dim eyes that see no trace of the divine craftsman in all nature, though

“Earth’s crammed with God,
And every common bush aglow with Him.”

The thunders are not to be written down; they are for those who have ears to hear.

And the angel . . .—Translate, And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted his right hand to the heaven, and swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that time (that is, delay, or postponement) should no longer be: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to sound (his trumpet), the mystery of God was finished, as He evangelized His servants the prophets.

There is a change of tense which sounds strange: he says, then (not “will be,” but) was finished. In thought he hurries on to the end, and sees the close no longer in the dim future, but as, with the eye of God, an accomplished fact. The certainty is guaranteed with an oath. The gesture of the uplifted hand to give emphasis to the oath is of ancient date. Thus Abraham expressed his resolution to take none of the spoils of the conquered kings: “I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord . . . that I will not take from a thread to a shoelatchet” (Genesis 14:22; compare Exodus 6:8, margin). So, too, the man clothed in linen (Daniel 12:6–9, a passage which is largely the foundation of the one before us) lifts up both hands and swears that there shall be a fixed period for the accomplishment of the scattering of the power of the holy people.

The oath in the passage under consideration is to the effect (not that time should cease and eternity begin, but) that there shall be no longer any delay. The suffering saints had cried, “How long?” (Revelation 6:9–11), and they had been told to wait a little time. Now the close of all such waiting time is announced: when the seventh trumpet shall have blown, the mystery of God will be finished.

“‘The mystery of God’ does not mean something which cannot be understood or explained. It is never applied to such matters, for example, as the origin of evil, or the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity. It does mean a secret; but then a secret may be told, and when told is no mystery. The mystery, or secret, of God means, therefore, the whole of His plan and His counsel concerning this earth in its present state of discipline and of imperfection; all that God means to do upon it and towards it, even until that which we read of as the time of the end (Daniel 12:4–9), the close of this last dispensation, and the introduction of that new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (Dr. Vaughan).

No wonder, as he announced this fast approaching close of the ages of suffering and trial, he should add, “According as He (not “declared”—an utterly inadequate word—but) evangelized His servants the prophets—that is, according to the glad tidings which He had ever proclaimed to and by His servants the prophets.” A somewhat remarkable parallelism between this passage and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 has been pointed out. In both passages there is reference to the mystery, the glad tidings, and the last (the seventh trumpet is also the last) trumpet. This harmony of reference is full of interest, even if only to notice the union of thought between the two Apostles. Taken in connection with St. Paul’s statement, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” this harmony may also throw light upon the teaching respecting the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5–6; but see Note there).

And the voice... —Translated: And the voice which I heard from heaven (I heard it) again talking with me (it is not the angel that speaks, but the voice which had commanded him to seal up the thunders is heard again speaking), and saying, Go, take the roll (or, the little roll; there is a difference in the manuscripts) which is opened in the hand of the angel who stands upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went away to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he says to me, Take and eat it up; and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.

The image of eating the roll is derived from the Old Testament. We find it in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:1–3) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:16). The passage in Ezekiel is probably the basis of the present passage, and the chapter in which it occurs gives us the meaning of the symbol: the eating of the roll, or the words of the roll, is the complete mastering of the contents of the book—the digesting, as we say, its meaning, until the principles and truths are thoroughly familiar and loved.

As the explanatory verse, Ezekiel 3:10, says: All my words that I shall speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears. This is similar to the Psalmist’s practice: Your words have I hidden within my heart. He made himself so familiar with them that they were no longer a code of laws, but a constant instinct, a second nature to him.

Thus should he who is to be a witness and a prophet for his Lord be preeminently familiar with his Master’s words and heart, saturated with his Master’s principles. “He who would carry God’s words to another must first be impressed and penetrated with them himself. He must not only hear, read, mark, and learn, but also (according to the Scriptural figure) inwardly digest them.”