Revelation Chapters 10 and 11 – John Karmelich

1. This lesson is called, "Doing God's Will in Difficult Times".

a) In most of Revelation, John just writes down what he sees. You sort of picture John with a bunch of legal pads trying to describe what he saw and record directly what was told to Him. My point, is John doesn't participate much in the action, he's just an observer.

b) In these two chapters, God asked John to actually get involved with the program. No, he doesn't kill anybody. ☺ Still, John had to do more than just write what he saw.

c) Given that, I thought a good lesson theme would be about "Doing God's will", especially in adverse situations. That is the one key personal application I get out of this lesson.

2. This is a situation where it is best to summarize the text and then come back to this theme.

a) When we last left off, God was busy destroying the earth. ☺

b) Back in Chapter 5, there was a scroll with seven seals. After Jesus removed each one of the seven seals, John then saw "something bad" happen on earth. Jesus then removed another seal and something else "bad" happened. This continued for each seal.

c) The seventh seal lead to "seven subparts" for a lack of a better term. That is, the final seal lead to seven more judgments on earth. That was the topic of the last lesson. An angel blew a trumpet and then, more judgment occurs. This process is repeated six times in Chapters 8-9 where six angels blew six trumpets one at a time, and after each trumpet blow, another judgment-oriented "bad thing" happened on earth.

d) Chapters 10-14 are actually a break from the earth judgment/destruction project.

i) In Chapter 10, a "mighty" angel told John to go eat a small book. Then this angel told John that he must "prophecy" (i.e., keep writing Revelation) some more.

ii) In Chapter 11, John was told to measure the Temple. As a real estate appraiser, measuring buildings is part of my job so I can relate to this text. ☺ This is the Jewish center of worship that has existed on and off through their history. Currently there is no temple. Many scholars believe it will exist again one day.

iii) Next, John describes "two witnesses", who are basically warning the world that God is behind all of this judgment and getting the world to repent.

iv) The last half of the Chapter 11 is "just about everyone" in heaven praising God for the judgment that is about to happen.

v) If all of this sounds confusing, it is. ☺ We'll tackle each item one at a time.

3. This surprisingly, leads me back to my theme: "Doing God's Will in Difficult Times"

a) Let's face it, whatever and whenever this "Great Tribulation" is occurring, it can't be an easy time to live through and trust in God. It must be just as hard to write about it.

i) Yet, John did what he was told. He wrote what he was told. He "ate a book" (i.e., digested what he saw) just as he was told. He measured a building as he was told. John is being obedient despite the difficulty of the situation around Him.

b) Let's recall some facts about Revelation: John was probably in his 90's when he wrote this. He was banished to an obscure island in the Mediterranean Sea that was a Roman penal colony. Do you think John planned to be used by God in a major way at this point in life and this location? I highly doubt it. My point is God called John, at a late stage in his life to do something difficult. If God can use John, He can use any of us.

c) Doing "God's will" is usually about learning the bible as best as you can, and then living one's life with the idea that we are trying to please God in all that we do. Hopefully, Christians pray daily for God's will to be done. Ideally, we spend enough time in God's Word that we learn what God desires for our life. Then we go "do what we want". If we love God, then "what we want", whatever we are called to do, is pleasing to God. Over and above that, there may be difficult situations where God "calls" us to do things.

d) Very few Christians get some sort of "direct communication" from God telling them what to do. In other words, God does not audibly say to us to eat this book or measure this building. Still, all Christians have some sort of special gifts. It usually becomes obvious to us what they are, or our friends can tell us what are our special talents.

i) For example, I write these studies because I can't stand not doing them. I realize that God gave me a gift for writing, and I use it for His glory. It isn't the size of the "work" that counts, but whether one is obedient to doing what God called him or her to do for God's glory.

e) My point as it relates to this lesson is there many unexplained mysteries in this chapter.

i) Bible scholars debate just who is this "mighty angel" that told John to "eat a book".

ii) Bible scholars debate what John meant by "eating the book" and prophesying.

iii) Bible scholars debate why John had to measure the temple in Chapter 11.

iv) Bible scholars debate who are the "Two witnesses" John saw in Chapter 11.

v) Here is what most scholars neglect: John did it. He was obedient God's orders.

a) The two "witnesses" who are human and not angels were obedient.

vi) This leads to my point: There are going to be times in our lives where God calls us to do things that don't make sense. There are passages of the bible in which for us to be obedient to God, we are going to have to "blindly trust God". Notice God doesn't call John to kill anyone. God never, ever calls us to do something that is against one of His commandments. At the same time, doing God's will may make us unpopular with people or do things we would rather not do.

vii) Another point of this lesson is we need to focus on what the text does say versus what it does not say. Commentators have a field day trying to interpret the text and often miss some basic and key applications.

4. Chapter 10, Verse 1: Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. ² He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.

a) In the last chapter, John was watching six angels blowing trumpets and six separate judgments taking place on earth. Now another angel shows up. This one has a rainbow above his head, his face looked like the sun, he hand one foot on the land and one on the sea. He roared like a lion and had a small book in his hand. Any questions so far? ☺

b) OK, the first question: Who is this angel? Let me start by explaining that some people believe it is Jesus, and others believe it is just a mighty angel.

i) Back in Chapter 1, there was a word-picture description of Jesus. Some of that same symbolism is used here in Chapter 10. That is why some people believe this is actually Jesus in another word-picture form.

ii) The counter argument is that this is "just" a powerful angel. In the last chapter, we had six angels blowing six trumpets. Verse 1 says "another angel". The word "another" in the Greek means "another of the same kind".

iii) Whether one believer it is Jesus or an angel, I don't think it makes much of a difference. In a matter of verses, this "mighty angel" is going to tell John to "eat a book". John obeys. Whether God gave this instruction via an angel, or Jesus directly gives the instruction, either way John obeys it. I don't see any relevance of knowing whether or not this is Jesus Himself. We can move on.

c) Let's discuss the symbolism behind this angel a little.

i) Whoever or whatever it is, it is big and powerful. This angel is "robed in a cloud". When one thinks of "clouds", one thinks of cloudy or foggy. The idea is one cannot see clearly. Whenever God appeared in the Old Testament, there is usually a reference to clouds. The idea is we cannot fully comprehend what God is like.

ii) This mighty angel had a rainbow around his head. Back in Chapter 4, the throne room of God was described. There was a rainbow around the throne. The only other bible reference to a rainbow was the one after the flood. That was God's promise never to flood the world again. That promise was never to judge the world again, but only to never use a flood to judge the world again. (Ref.: Genesis 9:15; 2nd Peter 3:7). The rainbow is a symbol of God is "sticking to His promise".

iii) The text says this angel's face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire. The word "fire" in the bible is associated with judgment. Most metals are heated in hot fire to get rid of impurities.

iv) The text says he put his one foot on the land and one on the sea. The basic idea is that this angel is big. The effects of his message cover "the whole world".

v) The final word-picture is the shout of a lion. In other words, this "message" is not only big, but loud. The idea is that it will be heard loud and clear.

vi) Putting it all together, this is about "judgment". This angel is being sent as a "forewarning" of the judgment of the world.

d) So why does this angel appear "now"? The purpose of this angel has to do with the "little scroll" (or little book) that the angel had in his hand. This is mentioned in Verse 2. We'll discover in a few verses that this angel is delivering a scroll for John to "eat".

i) So what is this little scroll? The text doesn't say. This is one of many mysteries of these chapters. What we need to do is focus on what the text does teach.

ii) Back in Chapter 5, we had Jesus taking a scroll from God the Father. That scroll from Chapter 5 had seven seals. As each seal was removed judgment happened.

iii) Whatever this little scroll is, it is given to John in a matter of verses. Most people suspect it ties to the writing of Revelation. It is God saying in effect, "Hey John, despite all of the tough things you've had to write about so far, we're not done. I (God) need you to take this scroll and write some more."

5. Verse 3 (cont.): When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. ⁴ And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

a) If things are not confusing enough, it is about to get worse. ☺

b) John now records that after this "big angel" roared, there are seven "thunders" that spoke. John was about to write what these thunders spoke, but a voice from heaven said in effect, "Do not write down what they said".

c) As I said in the introduction, visualize John with a big pad of paper writing down what he saw. In Verse 3 he mentions these "seven thunders". God said in effect, "Don't mention the thunders". I visualize John erasing what he just wrote.

d) So why mention these "thunders" in the first place?" If God said not to write down about the seven thunders, why reference them to begin with? The best answer is that God is still "keeping some secrets" from us. It is God saying in effect, "There are things I want mankind to know and things I want to keep a secret, at least for now".

i) The "mystery of the seven thunders" is God's way of saying to us, "The bible may be all you need to know about God and about what I (God) expect of mankind, but it does not represent full knowledge of Me. There are still things I as God choose not to reveal to mankind in this book.

e) Remember the secret to understanding Revelation is to focus on what the text does say instead of speculating on what God is keeping silent about: There are books full of commentaries on the "secret meaning" of these seven thunders. The truth is if God wanted us to know the meaning, He would have stated as such.

f) To me, the key point of this chapter is that this "mighty angel" was sent with this "little scroll" to deliver it to John. John was given the responsibility of communicating that message to us here in Revelation.

6. Verse 5: Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!

a) Now we are back to this "big angel" himself. The key point is that this angel swore to God that "there will be no more delay". The question is, "delay of what"? We've already had chapter after chapter of judgment of the earth. What is being delayed? The answer is God's "wrap up". Even though it is going to take a bunch more chapters to describe this judgment, the point is God is "getting on with it".

b) One has to read these verses in the time perspective of all of history. We've been dealing with sin for thousands of years. God once got rid of all sin by flooding the earth. God promised one day (in effect) that He would judge the earth again, only this time it is with "fire" (i.e., judgment) as opposed to a flood. (Ref: 2nd Peter 3:7). That is Revelation in a nutshell. It is about Jesus Second Coming. It is about God judging the earth, with one big "last call" for salvation before Jesus comes and rules on the earth. In the time perspective of all of history, there are no more delays before the final judgment.

7. Verse 7: But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."

a) Again, understand Chapter 10 is full of "unexplained" things:

i) We had a big angel, with many unexplained things about his appearance. What is known about that angel is he is announcing to the world, "This is it, folks!"

ii) We've had "seven thunders" say something, only to have John tell us it's a secret and we can't know what these seven thunders said.

b) Verse 7 tells us something we do (or should) know: The mystery of God will be accomplished". The sentence says, "Just as he announced to his servants, the prophets." The idea is that Jesus Second Coming has been preached throughout the bible as recorded by different prophets.

i) Remember that in the bible the word "mystery" means "something unrevealed up to know". We think of a mystery as something we never know for sure. The biblical idea of a mystery is something unknown only up to this point in time.

c) So what is this "mystery of God"? The answer is what we've been discussing through most of Revelation: God's judgment on the earth. While we don't know the exact dates, Revelation does tell us "how" it is going to be happen. The point is God created human life. God is going to "wrap it up" one day and bring life as we know it to an end.

8. Verse 8: Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." ⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹ Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

a) Verses 8 to 11 give the purpose of Chapter 10 as far as John was concerned. Some voice, presumably God's told John to go take the scroll out of the angel's hand. John was then told to eat the scroll. The scroll tasted sweet in his mouth and was sour in John's stomach. Then John was told, presumably by that same voice, to go prophecy some more.

b) First, let's discuss this "voice" that told John to do things:

i) Imagine looking at this "mighty angel": It was big, and was "on fire". It roared like a lion. Whatever it was, this angel (or Jesus himself) was intimidating. Yet, some voice, told John to go take the book out of the hand of this angel and "eat it".

ii) That is why I believe it was God Himself who told John to do this. If it wasn't God, why would John follow these instructions?

iii) Let's give John some credit here. He obeyed orders. You and I would probably be afraid to go near this "angel creature". Still, when God told John to do this, John did not question the orders. John obeyed what God commanded him to do.

c) Now let's discuss "eating the scroll". God once told the prophet Ezekiel to eat a scroll. (Reference: Ezekiel Chapter 3). In that chapter of Ezekiel, God not only told him to eat the scroll, but it too, would be sweet in the mouth and sour in the stomach. By the 4th verse of Chapter 3, God was telling Ezekiel to go prophecy the words God was about to give him. In other words, God was "putting words" inside of Ezekiel and he was to speak out to the Nation of Israel the words God put in him.

i) Obviously, "eating the book" is meant to be symbolic. Just as we use the expression, "let me digest what you are saying", so John had to "eat this book".

ii) We're seeing a similar picture here in Revelation 10. There is a scroll that John was told to eat. In Verse 10, John was told he must prophesy again to many peoples, nations, languages and kings. In other words, John must communicate more of Revelation to anyone and everyone willing to read this book.

iii) This gives us a clue as to what this little book that John was "eating": It describes Revelation itself. It describes the judgments that are still to be described in the remainder of the book, plus the actual events tied to Jesus Second Coming.

iv) In other words, God is telling John to keep writing. That's the application of this lesson: To encourage John to "keep writing". Despite all that John has seen so far, there is a sense that John must do more. It's not over yet.

d) So what does it mean when this book would be "sweet in your mouth and sour in your stomach"? I think the idea of Jesus return is exciting ("sweet to the mouth") but when one contemplates all the people who are condemned because they refuse to accept God's terms for salvation. That is the "bitter to the stomach" word-picture.

e) Let's step back and think about this for a moment:

i) John has already seen intense visions of God throne room, angels, judgment etc. Despite of all of this, John is told to keep writing. Chapter 10 is God telling John in effect, "Although a lot of judgment has happened so far, I (God) am not done yet. If I'm (God) am not done, neither are you (John) in terms of writing about it!"

ii) The application is, "Where God leads, God provides". God may not call you or me to write down the Apocalypse. ☺ He does call us to live as a witness for Him. That can be hard at times. Sometimes we have to pause and catch our breadth, and then move on. That is what John is being told to do here. Despite all of the emotionally draining things John has seen so far, John is told to keep going. In a subtle way, I see this chapter as about encouragement.

iii) So why don't we get a big angel to come and tell us to "eat a book"? ☺ In a sense, we do. It is God's word. That is our guidebook for how we are to live. We then draw upon God's power to live in accordance with the principals of that book.

f) All of Chapter 10 can be thought of as "one big effort" to get John to continue his work. Yes, this "mighty angel" also announced in effect, "This is it, no more delays in world judgment". The other main action in this chapter is John taking and "eating" the scroll that was in the hands of this angel. The main point I get out of Chapter 10 is John obeyed what was commanded of him to do. That concept continues in Chapter 11.

9. Chapter 11, Verse 1: I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. ² But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.

a) As I stated in the introduction, Chapters 10 and 11 are the first time John had to do things other than write down what he saw. In Chapter 10, John had to "eat a scroll". The key point is that John was told he must keep on prophesying (i.e., describe God's judgment) and keep on writing what is to become the Book of Revelation.

b) Here in Chapter 11, John was given a measuring stick. John was told to measure the temple, the altar of the temple and count the worshipers who were in the temple. The idea is the temple is a specific size and John was to measure it and count the specific number of people who were worshipping in that Temple.

c) First question: What temple? That would be "the" temple. This was the central place of worship for the Jewish people.

i) Let's recall how the Temple was built: It was based on the model of the tabernacle in Exodus. There was an indoor structure surrounded by an outdoor fenced area.

ii) The last literal ("the") Temple to exist was destroyed in 70AD. (Most believe John wrote Revelation around 90AD). That last temple did have an outer court.

iii) Verse 2 says John is not to measure the outdoor area (the outer court), as has been "Given to the Gentiles". "Gentile" refers to anyone who isn't Jewish. The fact it is excluded from the Temple gives the idea that no outer court is used in association with God-worship.

iv) How do we know it is not referring to a temple in heaven? Given the fact the outer court is "given to the Gentiles" would indicate that this is an "earth-based" place where part of it (the indoor area) is used to worship God and the outdoor area is not included in this temple-structure as it is given to the Gentiles.

d) Now we get back to the classic debate of whether or not this is a single, future event or does it refer to all of Christian history?

i) If you recall, some Christians believe in a literal, future event called "The Great Tribulation". It covers a seven-year time span, which we'll discuss in a moment.

ii) The other view is that this "Tribulation" covers all of Christian history. Those who hold this view argue the fact that because the building and the people are "measured" is symbolism that there are only "x" number of saved people. It is a way of saying there is a limit to the number of people who go to heaven. Those who do not want to worship God are "cast out" with the Gentiles (nonbelievers).

iii) Those who hold the view that the Tribulation is a specific, future event will argue that a new temple will be built one day in Jerusalem where the original one stood. Now that Israel is a country again gives credence to this view. Somehow, the antichrist strikes a peace deal between Israel and its neighbors. Somehow, the Israelites are allowed to rebuild their temple. The fact that Verse 2 says "the outer court is given to the Gentiles" means that only the indoor structure will be built.

a) If you ask religious Jewish people how they will know when the Messiah comes, they will say the Messiah will lead them to rebuild the temple and have an era of world-peace. One can see how the antichrist will deceive them by allowing a new structure to be built.

b) The spot where the last the last Temple stood is now "The Dome of the Rock", which is a holy spot to Muslims. A (not the) view is that when this new Temple is built, in order to appease the Muslims, only a smaller Temple will be built that does not have an outdoor court. The area of the "outdoor court" is given the Gentiles (i.e., the Muslim shrine).

10. Chapter 11, Verse 2 (cont.): They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. ³ And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.

a) These two sentences describe two new characters in Revelation: "Two witnesses".