The Mighty Angel with the Little Book

Revelation 10:1 - 7

1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

A mighty angel coming down from heaven, clouds are usually associated with events which originate in heaven. (Revelation 1:7; Revelation 14:14; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:17) The rainbow on the angels head show the dignity and grandeur of his mission. The face which was as bright as the sun was of great significance and very appropriate to his mission because it was to shine the Gospel light on those who had been deprived of having the gospel message by the Dark Ages. Flames rising from his feet shows a penetrating brilliance which belongs only to heavenly beings.

This angel had a little book in his hand, by being little it reveals events which would not take long and such did not need a large book to record them, this small book was open which indicates the things which were about to happen were to be made known and were not sealed as the book in chapter 2 was.

It further shows the Bible had been closed to the people by the Roman-Catholic empire. Rome had decreed that the bible in the local congregations must be chained to the pulpit, the priest was the only one who had access, the members must take what the priest said as truth. This little book was bringing the Gospel message back to the people.

The angel with his feet planted on the sea and the earth, which was the entire world, indicated that what was going to happen would effect the people of the entire world.

This angel's loud roar of a message indicated that the message of the Bible being available to all was heard by all. It was not a whisper, but a loud announcement.

This message brought forth complaints, or thunders from Rome. The seven thunders represent the seven hills the ancient city of Rome sat on.

John did not understand the deceptions voiced in the seven thunders, so he began to write them down, because he was instructed to write the things which were to happen. God did understand and did not want the deceptive complaints to confuse us so His voice from heaven told John not to record their complaints.

The angel raises his hand to heaven, he is about to swear on God's name, angels are not forbidden to swear, it is only man who is forbidden to swear, (Matthew 5:33 – 34)

The angel swears by God, that the time was at hand, meaning that this prediction was to happen soon, there was no more delay. This prediction was written in the first century but the “Restoration” which gave the people the Bible to read began in the 16th century (1500s).

The mystery of God refers to the work of the restoration that was to restore the Bible to the common people. The seventh angel's sounding would indicate this work was complete. The seventh angel would not be long in sounding because this angel said there would be no delay. When that angel sounds then the restoration would be complete.