“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’  And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’”

We find ourselves near a physical midway point as we work through Revelation, ten chapters into the twenty-two chapter book. We also find ourselves at the second interlude, and by the time we finish chapter eleven, with the two witnesses and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we will have fully crested the halfway mark. This may seem surprising, that we’re already nearly halfway through, or it may come with some dismay, that for all the judgment and destruction we’ve seen poured out, we’ve only just come to the middle. If you find yourself even slightly disheartened, if you feel a little tattered, or bowed under the weight of everything we’ve read so far, then let me begin by offering you a return to comfort. Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:24–25,

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

After Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus replies in Matthew 16:17–18,

“… Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

In Matthew 21:42 Jesus quotes Psalm 118 saying,

“Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

And Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11,

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

We read from the onset, from the very beginning of the first verse of Revelation that what we are about to see is the revelation, the revealing of Jesus Christ. There is guidance, judgment, destruction, justice, mercy, peace, and unimaginable glory foretold and described within the pages of this book, but regardless of what we read of, be it terrifying to mortal minds, or more beautiful than we can comprehend, it all goes back to Jesus. He is our Rock, our Foundation, it is through His lens that we see all of this, His context by which we have to understand. The things we’ve read of up to this point in the tribulation are heavy, and I don’t encourage you to look upon suffering with any degree of callousness, or hardheartedness, but I also call you to maintain Christ at the center of it all, and to understand the goodness of all His works. This is a message of truth and glory, one that gives honor and praise to God, and eternal hope to all who find refuge in Him. We cannot miss the forest for the trees in the midst of different debates and interpretations, but neither can we become so focused on the destruction of the earth and the tribulation of man that we miss the grounding presence of our Savior throughout this book. This is a message not to be understood as we desire, but to be seen as it truly is.

The Glorious Message of Truth

1. The Authority of God’s Message

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.”

Typically when we see the word “angel” in Scripture, we think, somewhat obviously of angels. Maybe in your mind that is something like the seraphim or cherubim, many-winged, many-eyed servants of God, that the human mind has a hard time really envisioning. Maybe you think of something in a form like a radiant man, like Gabriel when he appears to Daniel in the Old Testament, Zechariah, and then Mary in the New Testament. Maybe you think of fat little winged babies, flying around with golden harps – you know, the ones that don’t appear anywhere in Scripture. Regardless, the most common understanding when we read “angel” is, supernatural servant of God, and to be fair, this is usually what the Bible is referring to when it says angel. But this is not the only meaning of angel – not to cause more confusion, but it’s similar to “apostle,” in that the vast majority of the time when we see this word, it’s referring to the twelve (and Paul), what we’ll call “big A” Apostles. These who are “Apostles of Jesus Christ,” who were ministered to and commissioned by Jesus Himself. This is certainly what people are appealing to when they falsely call themselves apostles today, or claim apostolic succession, that they are of the same authority as a figure like Peter, John, or Paul – and they’re not. Conversely, there is what we could see as a “little a” apostle – the word literally translates as “messenger” or “delegate.” Think of figures like Timothy, Titus, or Barnabas – their message is sound, their work in the Spirit and for the church is true, but they didn’t receive their commission from Jesus. Bringing this back to angels, this word can serve the same dual function – an angel is ultimately a messenger. In most cases, a supernatural messenger delivering the word of God, but it’s not necessarily limited to this, which is why we can read of the seven angels of the seven churches early on in Revelation and understand that this is likely referring to the seven messengers or seven pastors who will deliver John’s message from Christ, and not seven supernatural beings set over the churches. And so, whenever we read of an “angel,” whether it’s expressly supernatural or not, we have to start by thinking of them as messenger, and this absolutely applies to this mighty angel we see in today’s passage. The idea of a messenger is significant in that they themselves don’t hold power, but rather communicate the power of the one from whom the message came. If I serve as a messenger of the gospel, I don’t give it its power or authority, it is not the perfect hope of mankind because of the will and purpose that I have applied to it. The gospel is powerful because it is God’s, it is perfect and eternal because He is perfect and eternal – the Word isn’t just a collection of good ideas, cobbled together by mankind, it carries weight, authority, and profound truth because it is the Word given to us by holy God. Angelic messengers are seen as glorious and overwhelmingly powerful because their message is these things. Messengers of the gospel have moved the mountains of worldly empires, withstood centuries as kings and dynasties faded from memory, and reshaped the form and function of the entire, sinful world because of the power of the message. So, as we consider Revelation, and the message of Truth that it unveils, it helps to look at this messenger, this mighty angel, to acknowledge the attributes he’s been given, and understand that he’s a reflection of the authority of the message He carries. As he descends from heaven the first thing we’re told of him is that he’s wrapped in a cloud. This language calls back to God literally manifesting His presence in the world – the pillar of cloud that guided the people of Israel by day as they left Egypt, the cloud that would descend upon the tent of meeting, and the cloud that we see in the New Testament at the time of Jesus’ transfiguration before Peter, James, and John, descending upon the mountaintop as God speaks and testifies to the work of His Son. And so our first takeaway is that we see this angel is literally wrapped in the manifested will of God. Next, attention is drawn to this angel having a rainbow over his head, another symbol of the power of His given message. The world has done its very best to ruin the imagery of the rainbow, and sadly, it’s been very successful in the minds of many people. A rainbow has nothing to do with luck, or leprechauns, or the gay community (fun fact, the so-called “pride” flag isn’t actually a true rainbow, being comprised of only six colors, while the design of the natural color spectrum is made up of seven). As a reminder regarding the rainbow’s origin, Genesis 9:12–17 says,

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”

The rainbow stands as a reminder of a covenant that God made with the world, a promise that despite the fact that the world will certainly face destruction, the waters will never come forth to destroy all life again. But even in this, we often miss the imagery of the rainbow, because we fail to see that by its very design, it’s a bow. Its shape is that of a weapon, and its aim is away from the earth, it is a literal symbol of God’s power and wrath, very real, and aimed away from the world. And so over the angel’s head is the image of true, destructive authority, properly controlled and aimed, but still very present. The face of the angel shines like the sun, which is reminiscent of Jesus’ face, shining during the transfiguration, and when He comes to John on Patmos. There is great, shining glory placed upon the face of the messenger of God. And then, as the last piece of his physical description, his legs are like pillars of fire. When we read of the pillar of cloud that guides the people of Israel by day in Exodus, we also see that at night the Lord guided them by a pillar of fire. When Pharaoh pursues them, and they are temporarily trapped at the Red Sea, Exodus 14:19–20 says,

“Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.”

We also see God’s fire poured out from above as Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:37–38, which says,

“‘Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

Many people are familiar with this passage, but I’d read it several times before I took in what was being said – the fire of the Lord burned up not just the offering and the wood, and it didn’t just evaporate the water that the altar had been flooded with – it consumed the stones, and it burned up the dust itself. This is the fire of God, a massive, all consuming, destructive force, and it’s what makes up the legs of this angel. When we read a passage of Scripture all at once (which is certainly not something I’m discouraging anyone from doing), it can be easy to read what is said and move past it without really drinking in the implications. “There’s an angel,” we read, “he’s coming down from heaven, he’s got some cool stuff going on and a scroll… Okay, now what happens?” But this angel doesn’t appear the way he does for no reason, John doesn’t record his features without purpose. But if we look at the way God has created this particular messenger, we can go forward with a deeper understanding of the authority of the messenger and the message he carries.

“He had a little scroll open in his hand.”

The scroll could be seen as small because, despite the vastness and complexity of God, and what we see unfolding in Revelation, His message, His singular Truth is actually a very simple thing. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:33,

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”

This is given in the larger context of his clarifying points of stumbling and confusion in the church at Corinth, however the sentiment that God is not a God of confusion applies much more broadly. Proverbs 3:5–8 tells us,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

And in Matthew 18:1–4 we see Jesus teach,

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

It’s not that God is not worth contemplating endlessly, it’s not that there’s no merit in higher thought and deeper philosophy, but the Truth, despite its vastness, is a remarkably simple thing. It is only in the fear, anxiety, arrogance, and futility of our flesh that we find what God offers so simply to be so incomprehensible.

“And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.”

There is nothing that escapes the Truth of the message of God, no element of creation that evades His divine will. The angel stands, one foot resting on the chaotic depths of the sea, the ocean that is mystery and death to man, yet is fully known and fully brought to heel by the power of the Living God. His other foot rests on the land, bridging the gap between order and chaos, between structure and disarray – something that man is perpetually trying to do without success. And then, he speaks. We don’t see exactly what is said, but in response to his voice, roaring like a lion, sounding with authority given by Christ, there is an answer, as seven thunders sound. We’re not told explicitly, but given how we’ve seen thunder used so far in Revelation around the descriptions of the throne in heaven, and the specification that there are seven thunders, which echoes back to the seven torches, which are the seven spirits, it stands to reason that the seven thunders come from the throne of God. From a perspective of flesh, there’s an eternity’s worth of things to be terrified of in Revelation. If we aim to approach this book in Truth, if we seek to understand and know what seems to be chaos as justice and peace, to really ground ourselves in the certainty and authority of God’s message, then we start with looking at what He has told us of His messenger – and this angel is a glorious and formidable embodiment of the power of God. We can look here, and we can begin to remember the hope we are called to in the midst of a world in shambles – today, tomorrow, until this world and all that is in it comes to an end.

2. The Promise of God’s Message

“When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’”

It’s interesting to think that, for everything that is communicated about God through the appearance of His messenger, the words of his cry, and the response of the thunder are sealed up. We’re not given explicit detail as to what is said, which presents a mystery – and it’s not lost on me that mysteries present stumbling blocks for some. There are two things to consider surrounding the sealed words of the seven thunders. First, consider that sometimes we can take the amount of detail and information that is given in Scripture and begin to think that God somehow owes us this. The truth is we aren’t owed anything, but rather are given the living, breathing Word of God as a blessing, as a provision of His mercy, it is a show of exceeding generosity, not something that was owed to us. We must never forget that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts, and His mysteries elude the comprehension of man by their very nature. Conversely, consider that there are many mysteries that God has already made known through His Word. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7–10,

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.”

While God in His attributes and nature carries inexplicable mysteries, His message is not mysterious at all – rather the Truth, Love, Peace, righteousness, justice, judgment, and eternal glory of it has been explicitly communicated and is testified to through His Spirit that indwells His children. His message has already been relayed in the promise of the blood of Christ, and so while it’s possible that the thunders say something that is being saved for the time of Revelation, until the tribulation is under way, it also seems possible that they communicate something that is already known to those who are children of God, and something that will come to fruition in time, to be seen by all.

“And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

We’ve already talked about the authority that comes from our foundation being in Christ, but we have to consider as we build up from this, what we are promised, and what it means to our stability. Note that the angel does not swear by these things themselves, but by the One who made them. Jesus teaches during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:33–37,

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

I do not cite this to suggest that the angel goes too far, or is somehow wrong in making his oath, rather to direct our attention again to his given authority, by which he makes his declaration. He does not swear by the earth or by the heavens, but rather the eternal One who created and is master of them all – and then look at what he swears,

“… that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled…”

This angel doesn’t have the authority in and of himself to make this declaration – no one has the authority to do this but God and God alone. But as we’ve seen, this angel is a manifested image of God’s authority – he’s not communicating his own promise, he’s not swearing by his own will, he’s relaying God’s promise to the world. A promise of hope to His children, and one of greater trial to His enemies. A message that is guaranteed upon the word of Him who spoke reality into being, who holds the fabric of existence together by His will, who was and is and is to come, who is forever faithful and true. We are told much, and revealed more through the Spirit when we read the Word, but we have greater assurance that in time, even that which is still a mystery to us now will not remain that way.

3. The Reality of God’s Message

“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’  And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’”

Next time you’re out in public, look around. Whether you’re at the grocery store, a restaurant, a concert, or a sporting event, look at the crowds, at all the people milling around you, and understand the probability that most of them will not be present in heaven. I do not say this out of arrogance or callousness, but simply as a statement of fact – again during the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus teaches,

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Though some may be obvious, it may be difficult for us to think on and qualify who all are the “few,” and while we are given discernment to judge right from wrong, it is not down to us to pass final judgment on any one person. However it’s not hard to look at the world and see how many people continue to parade through the wide gate of destruction. How many people are there who boldly embrace the culture of the world, the spirit of the satanic, as they reject God in favor of their own “truth”? How many people have we already read of in Revelation who, in the face of unprecedented terror cried out, not to God, but to the world to cover and protect them under its crushing weight? How many have we read of who cling to idols, who persist in sin and debauchery while the righteous judgment of God pours out upon them? Billions? Regardless of their exact number, they are a majority, and they are destined, by their own choosing to spend eternity in agonizing exile. This is God’s will, the execution of His righteousness upon the fallen world – but understand that God is not sadistic, He is not vengeful without cause, and while this is His holy will, it’s not His desire. In Ezekiel 18:31–32 God says,

“Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

And in 2 Peter 3:8–10 we read,

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

God’s desire is that we would repent, that we would turn to Him, that we would live, and through this desire we currently live out our days in the patience of His mercy, His judgment delayed for the moment. John’s experience, this eating of a scroll is not the first time we see this in Scripture. Ezekiel 3:1–3 recounts something similar saying,

“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”

In both cases the word was sweet in the prophet’s mouth, and while we don’t see the exact same description of the bitterness that John experiences in his stomach, Ezekiel 3:14–15 later says,

“The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me. And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.”

The reality of God’s message is this – His Word is unimaginably sweet, His Truth, more wonderful and more righteous than mortal minds can comprehend, but there is a bitterness that comes along with this sweetness, a balancing that occurs. Because despite His righteousness, despite His unyielding, unimaginable glory, His goodness, His worthiness to be worshiped and praised, there are those who hate God. There are those who, weeping and gnashing their teeth will despise holy God with every minute of their lives, will curse Him with every breath, and will spend eternity suffering the separation of His judgement. This is a good thing, it’s a right thing, but it is not exactly a sweet thing. There is a bitterness to this, because it shouldn’t be so – God should be worshiped, He should be surrendered to, and through this right action, the people should live. We have to remember that the triumph that we celebrate is not that people suffer and die, but that righteousness is delivered, and God is glorified. Our desire must be as God’s is – that people would not die in their sin, but rather that they would live for Christ – but also with a firm conviction that justice will be leveled against sin and iniquity, and that the righteous name of God will be upheld. Hebrews 10:28–31 tells us,

“Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

And so, the reality of things is that God’s message holds all authority, it’s promises are true beyond mortal reckoning, and yet there are those who will not receive it, who will reject Him, who will fearfully fall into His hand instead of being held there protected as one of His children. This is good thing, a right thing, but a heavy thing – it speaks to the gravity of the world’s position, to God’s eternal glory and righteousness, and the desperate need to live out lives that shine, that reflect our God, that those who would see would turn, repent, and be changed, that one fewer might perish, and one more might live, to the good of every one who is saved, and glory of God the Father. This reality is what John must prophesy about, concerning, “many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” The world will hate the Lord, the spirit of this world will hate God forever, but for the one who repents there is still time, for the one who turns there is still hope. John 1:12–13 says,

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Receive the authority of His message, believe in the promise of His name, and know the reality of being born again as a child of God.

Pastor Chris’ sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpqlTdTR3Lc