Revelation 10

The word for angel means “messenger” or “envoy.” What kind of representative of God comes down from heaven at the beginning of Revelation 10 as a part of the story of the Lord's trumpets of judgment? This mighty angel from heaven seems to be wrapped in the presence of God, with the glory cloud of the Lord all around Him. Above His head is the rainbow, the emblem of the Lord's covenant faithfulness to not destroy the earth again with a flood. His face is shining like the sun, for He is the radiance of the glory of God.

This messenger begins to sound to us like Jesus, the final Word, the Messenger of the covenant in whom the Lord delights. He has in His hand a scroll that He alone could take and open. His legs are like pillars of fire, the sign of God's presence to His people in the wilderness. He seems to straddle the entire earth in complete authority, with one foot on the sea and the other on the land. His voice is like the roar of a lion. The Lord roars from Zion according to the Hebrew prophets, and Jesus Himself is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When He speaks, the fullness of the frightening thunder of God sounds throughout the earth. When this Messenger of God comes, no one can miss His appearing.

The thunder of God had intelligible content connected to it, but John is not allowed to write down that message as a part of this book. That word will be revealed to man at another time according to the Lord's choosing. For now it is sealed up in the hidden things of God.

The events contained in this vision of judgment are known to Him, and they are sure. The Lord Himself has sworn with upheld hand in the Name of Almighty God. This is a most solemn act, assuring John that when this final messenger comes, there will be no more delay. God is not slow in bringing about His judgment, but He is patient, insistent that not one of His children will perish, but that all will be drawn into the wonder of everlasting light.

Brothers and sisters, when it feels like everything in your life is falling apart, when a third of your day has turned to night, there is a divine Messenger of the Lord who has one foot on the land and the other on the seas. He is more than a messenger. Though He comes again to judge the living and the dead, He is the Prince of Peace to you today. Surrender to Him now lest you have to face Him when He comes in fury. He has sworn by the Name of God that there will be no more delay. Bow before Him while it is still called today. A trumpet is coming. It will sound, and it will be one blast too many for those who will not abide in the Lamb.

The God of the universe has sent Jesus once to save. Soon He will send Him again to destroy. That is a solemn promise. No one should assume that God is kidding about this. His determination to judge evil is as serious as the cross. Remember Lot's sons-in-law. The old man seemed to them to be joking when He told them to flee from the wrath of the Almighty. They would not listen, and they were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah. Do not be like them and ignore the seriousness of the Lord's Messenger. One day there will be no more delay. The Day of the Lord will come. This was announced long ago to His servants the prophets. It will come to pass.

This message of impending judgment is not like an ice-cream sandwich. If you take it into your mouth, it is not pure delight. John was given the little scroll to eat. He was not given a choice as to whether he would consume it. He received this command: “Take and eat it.”

Today the Lord serves us the delicious food of His divine peace from heaven when we gather together on the Lord's Day for worship. He says, “Take, eat, this is My body.” He gives us the cup after the bread. He says, “This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood. Drink of it all of you.” This good meal is a participation in the body and blood of our Savior. His death has become our life. The cup of God's wrath that He drank on our behalf has become for us a cup of blessing.

But this scroll of God's judgment that is coming against the unrepentant does not sit well in a feeling man's stomach. Even if it is as sweet as honey in your mouth, it will make your soul bitter with disgust. It will not sit well even in the heart of a man who thinks he knows and understands the goodness of the Lord's justice against sin. It is certainly stronger medicine than we can take for ourselves, and it may be too much for us to watch others consume that cup that only Jesus can bare.

One day we may be strong enough to rejoice in the glory of God's justice upon the unrighteous. Nonetheless, today, even though there may be words from God that trouble us, we must be faithful messengers of the one Messenger who will one day show that He is the King of heaven and earth.

We must preach the Word even about the bitter providences of God that touch people groups all over this tired planet, where things fall apart. This coming holy wrath is a portion of a full story that is most glorious. Those who will embrace the revelation of heaven coming upon the earth in a day of perfect renewal, must understand that until that day there will be great strife and horrible loss. We mourn with those who mourn, and we taste the bitterness with them of a world that has never been the same since the day when a man and a woman believed these lying words: “You will not surely die.” But we also rejoice with the inhabitants of heaven who celebrate before the angels of God, when even one lost sinner repents.