464. CHAPTER 10
1. I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
2. He had in his hand a little book open, 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; and 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. Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted 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 no more time,
7. but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be concluded, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
8. Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the earth."
9. So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
10. Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
11. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about peoples, nations, tongues, and many kings."
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
The Contents of the Whole Chapter
This chapter has as its subject the examination and exposure of people in the Protestant Reformed churches - here as to what they believe with respect to the Lord's being God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught (Matthew 28:18), and with respect to His humanity's being Divine - something that has not been accepted there, and which can with difficulty be accepted, as long as the dogma of justification by faith alone resides in their hearts.
The Contents of the Individual Verses:
| Verse Contents | Spiritual Meaning |
|---|
| 1. I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, | The Lord in His Divine majesty and power. |
| clothed with a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, | His Divinity on the natural plane and His Divinity on the spiritual plane. |
| and his face was like the sun, | His Divine love and at the same time Divine wisdom. |
| and his feet like pillars of fire. | The Lord's Divinity on the natural plane in respect to His Divine love, which sustains all things. |
| 2. He had in his hand a little book open, | The Word in respect to this point of doctrine there, that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that His humanity is Divine. |
| and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, | The Lord has the entire church under His auspices and governance. |
| 3. and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; | A grievous lamentation that the church was taken from Him. |
| and when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. | The Lord has disclosed throughout the whole of heaven what is in the little book. |
| 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." | These things must indeed be disclosed, but they are not accepted until after those people meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet have been cast out of the world of spirits, because it would be dangerous before then. |
| 5. Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his hand to heaven 6. and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, | An attestation and testification of the Lord on His own authority, |
| 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, | who animates all who are in heaven and the church, and enlivens each and every thing in them. |
| that there should be no more time, | There will be no church or any state of the church unless people acknowledge one God, and that the Lord is that God. |
| 7. but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, | The final examination and exposure of the state of the church - that it will perish if the Lord does not establish a new one - |
| the mystery of God would be concluded, as He declared to His servants the prophets. | that then will appear what was foretold in the Word of both Testaments and previously concealed, that after the Last Judgment upon those people who have destroyed the church, the Lord's kingdom will come. |
| 8. Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the earth." | A commandment from heaven for people to assimilate that doctrine, but in order that John might show how it would be received in the church before those meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet were removed. |
| 9. So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." | A disposition of the heart with many people to accept the doctrine. |
| And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." | Accepting the doctrine from an acknowledgment that the Lord is the Savior and Redeemer is pleasing and agreeable, but acknowledging that He alone is God of heaven and earth, and that His humanity is Divine, is displeasing and vexatious, owing to their falsifications. |
| 10. Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. | So it came to pass, and thus it was shown. |
| 11. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about peoples, nations, tongues, and many kings." | Such being the case, the character of people caught up in faith alone must be further told. |
THE EXPOSITION
The subject of this and the following chapter is the Lord, showing that He is God of heaven and earth, and that He is God even in respect to His humanity, thus that He is Jehovah.
That this is the subject of these two chapters may be seen from the particulars in the spiritual sense, and from their concluding verses (chapter 11, verses 15-17).
