I use the eschatological scheme known as historical: spiritual . Under this scheme we allow the Holy Spirit to interpret for us (with reference to other scriptures) what the prophesy means to us today. If the scriptures are for us all then we need to believe that God wrote them to us all whatever era we live in. 1 John 2:27
Below I reproduce the verses of Revelation chapter 10, with my comments following.
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Revelation 10:1
The word translated here as “angel” comes from the Greek word meaning “messenger”. In Revelation 20:1-3 an angel is described but he has the power that only God, that is Jesus Christ, could possess to bind Satan in the bottomless pit. Similarly here this angel could in fact be Jesus Christ. Note the similar description below.
2 And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight [appearance] like to an emerald.
Revelation 4:2,3
2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Matthew 17:2
14 His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And His feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shines in His strength.
Revelation 1:14-16
The descriptions in Matthew 17:2 and Revelation 1:13-16 are definitely of Jesus. They have the same components in their descriptions as the figure in v.1 here. So it is either Jesus Himself or an angel representing Him.
Some argue that the wording “another mighty angel” precludes the possibility that it is Jesus. But look at the following:
And the LORD [YHWH] appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed [humbled] himself toward the ground,
Genesis 18:1,2
Yahweh (Jehovah) is Jesus pre-incarnate, the I AM whom Jesus claimed to be many times. It is in the same way these three men are described here, where one of them is Yahweh, that Jesus is described in verse 1 as another mighty angel. That is he appears like unto another mighty angel; certainly that is true from the Apostle John’s perspective.
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Revelation 10:2
Some commentators say this describes the first Bible printed by mechanical means making it available to many people. Johannes Gutenberg completed his first Bible about 1455 at Mainz, Germany. The English word “book” was derived from the German word for beech, a type of wood, which described a wooden tablet.
Under the eschatology I now hold to I interpret this more broadly. Even a scroll is a book so we cannot lock in a book of the type we are now familiar with. But the type of book the Apostle would have been familiar with was a scroll. In John’s time around 90 AD there was no collated Bible but many scrolls and probably NT scrolls circulating around.
The figure here I believe to be Jesus our Lord and God. He opens the word of God directly to all. You might say the Reformation with Martin Luther’s 99 Theses on October 31, 1517 was a beginning but I say this is true always.
Remember the Greek word translated “angel” means “messenger”. Jesus standing on the sea and the earth (the whole planet) is Him opening to us His message, the gospel — sola scriptura — and it is to the whole world, not just the Jews. No popes or man are needed to interpret the word, it is given to all and the Holy Spirit will “lead us into all truth”.
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
Revelation 10:3,4
As for the seven thunders they were not revealed to us. John heard but was told not to write what they said. Another mystery I am afraid.
Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In chapter 5:1-5 we read of the seven sealed book that only the Lion of the tribe of Judah could open.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Revelation 5:4,5
In this chapter it is not the same book, but instead a little book, which only Jesus Christ can open.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And swore by Him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Revelation 10:5,6
Jesus is the Creator of heaven, earth and sea and everything in them. But we are now approaching a time where time ceases to exist. In eternity there is no time. The Creator lives outside of time — always has — hence His name YHWH means the self-existent One, I AM THAT I AM. (Exodus 3:14). However, this is the end time, the last days before Christ brings His kingdom to earth.
So really this expression “there should be time no longer” means that as God sees it happening, it happens. There is no delay, no variation in His plans. It is done! God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). The next verse emphasises this point.
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets.
Revelation 10:7
God’s view of time is not ours. He sees everything as if it has already happened past, present and future (Isaiah 46:10). This seventh angel announces that the mystery of God is finished. That is Jesus Christ has paid the price and redeemed His servants, which was the message He promised through the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Revelation 10:8-10
Now we are back to the first angel in this chapter (Jesus, or His representative) and the book is the word of God which Christ has given us.
Eating the little book means digesting the word of God, and it can be a bitter pill when we obey it, but in our mouth it is sweet as honey (Psalm 119:103; Jeremiah 15:16).
Moreover he said to me, Son of man, eat that you find; eat this [sc]roll, and go speak to the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that [sc]roll.
3 And He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your bowels with this [sc]roll that I give you. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And He said to me, Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them.
Ezekiel 3:1-4
Whether or not Ezekiel had to literally eat the scroll or not, the point the Lord was making was that he had to go speak the words of God to the people even if it was difficult to do, but speaking God’s words felt like sweetness in his mouth.
8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not you rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.
9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent to me; and lo, a scroll of a book was therein.
10 And He spread it before me; and it was written within and without, and there were written therein lamentations and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 2:8-10
The prophet Ezekiel was told to prophesy God’s words to the nation even if it was bitter to the belly. In the same way the Apostle John is told to preach the gospel to the whole world.
11 And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 10:11
But it does not mean John only, as the word of God is to all followers of Jesus. We are called to preach the gospel everywhere and at all times.
2 Preach the Word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2 Timothy 4:2
In chapter 11 we see the “two witnesses” who represent all the believers, who are called to witness Christ’s message to the world.
Recommended Reading
- Revelation 1-3
- Revelation 2 & 3: Jesus on the Synagogue of Satan
- Revelation 4
- Revelation 5
- Revelation 6: The White Horseman Brings Toxic Death Shots
- Revelation 6: The Four Horsemen Bring Global Depopulation
- Revelation 7: The Saints Are Sealed
- Revelation 8: 7th Seal Opened
- Revelation 9: Abyss Opened
- Revelation 10: The Little Book
- Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses
- Revelation 12: Believers in the Wilderness
- Revelation 13: The Mark of the Beast
- Revelation 14: The Final Harvest
- Revelation 15 and 16: The 7 Vials of the Wrath of God
- Revelation 17: Babylon the Great
- Revelation 18: Come Out of Babylon
- Revelation 19: Marriage Supper of the Lamb
- Revelation 20: Great White Throne Judgment
- Revelation 20: The Church Age
- Revelation 21: New Heaven and New Earth
- Revelation 22: Jesus the Tree of Life
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Bible Science Forum 
2 responses to “Revelation 10: The Little Book”
I enjoy reading your interpretation of Revelation, but one factor spoils it. That is that the layout of links to each chapter’s commentary is either incomplete or hard to find.
Would you please overhaul the links so it is easier to find each chapter’s commentary and not just some?
I want to read more of your commentary, but I can’t and that is frustrating. I think it’s one of the best interpretations I have encountered, but the difficulty of accessing more than your commentary on chapters 6 and 7 is discouraging. Please will you make your commentary on the other chapters 8 onwards easy to find. If you do I think it could very well be an effective evangelistic tool because what I’ve read of your commentary makes a lot of sense. Indeed what you say seems one of the if not the most correct interpretations of the prophetic body of Revelation so I can see a complete and easily accessible commentary on chapters 8 onwards is likely to greatly add to the credibility of scripture with atheists etc. and leave them with little or no reason for treating the Bible as a collection of myths.
It really is a great work and I congratulate you, but the absence of commentary on chapter 8 onwards or at least absence of links to such material is tragic and a great letdown. I will add that if this was in book form and was complete and well laid out I would most likely buy a copy as I believe others would be inclined to.
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Very good suggestions. I’ll add a list of all chapters that I have done below each Chapter so you can find all of them.
My next plan is to write a book. It is already in the planning stage so keep checking the site. You can subscribe with your email address at the bottom of any post.
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