Revelation 10:1–11
[Introduction]
Today we open Revelation Chapter 10.
In the previous chapter, Chapter 9, the fifth and sixth trumpets were blown, depicting confusion and suffering beyond human control. Nevertheless, the Bible records: “the rest of mankind… still did not repent”.
In other words, the problem is not on the outside, but the direction of the heart.
Chapter 10 is a chapter inserted in the “middle” of that intense judgment.
It is an “interruption” within God’s judgment—a chapter of hope inserted into God’s silence.
Outline:
- The Mighty Angel Coming Down from Heaven (v. 1–4)
- “There Will Be No More Delay”—Now Is the Time of Grace (v. 5–7)
- Eating the Little Scroll (v. 8–10)
[Summary] The Message of Revelation Chapter 10
[1] The Mighty Angel Coming Down from Heaven (v. 1–4)
John sees a “mighty angel”. This “mighty angel” is God’s plenipotentiary (supreme commander).
There was a rainbow above his head
His face was like the sun
His legs were like fiery pillars
He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land
The rainbow is the sign of the promise “not to destroy” that God gave after the flood in Genesis Chapter 9 of the Old Testament.
The presence of a rainbow in the context of judgment speaks this:
“I will judge. However, I do not forget My promise”.
We who live in Kurobe City also know the fury of nature.
The rapid Kurobe River, heavy snow, and earthquakes. Before the power of nature, humans are small.
But the Bible says that a God greater than nature rules with a promise.
[2] “There Will Be No More Delay”—Now Is the Time of Grace (v. 5–7)
The angel raises his right hand and swears by God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
“There will be no more delay!” (Revelation 10:6, NIV)
This declares the “end of the reprieve”.
In the original Greek, this is χρόνος οὐκέτι ἔσταιchrónos oukéti éstai.
It means “time shall be no more,” declaring the arrival of the decisive end.
The “time” here is not merely clock time. It is the time of God’s patience.
God has been waiting for a long time—for us to repent, to turn back. However, there is an end to that reprieve.
To use an easy-to-understand analogy: Every autumn, the mountains of Kurobe are suddenly covered in the first snow.
The weather in the mountains is different from the feeling at the foot. Travelers who thought “it’s still summer” sometimes lose their lives on Mt. Tateyama.
God’s clock moves at a rhythm different from our daily sensations.
● “The Mystery of God Will Be Accomplished”
What is “the mystery of God”（τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ） (tò mystérion toû theoû)?
This is the Gospel of Christ that Paul speaks of—the “plan of salvation opened to all people, regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles” (cf. Ephesians 3:3–6).
Revelation announces the completion of that Millennial Kingdom (Messianic Kingdom).
Everyone, looking back on your life, are there things you wish you had done “at that time”? The same is true for your relationship with God. It seems the time is “now,” not “someday”.
[3] Eating the Little Scroll (v. 8–10)
This is the scene that touches my heart the most in today’s passage.
God commands John to “take it and eat” the little scroll.
When John ate it—it tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth, but after he swallowed it, his stomach turned sour.
This is a strange sight.
But the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel had the same experience (Ezekiel Chapters 2–3).
God’s words have sweet parts.
“I love you,” “I forgive all your sins,” “I give you eternal life”—where else could such sweet words be found?
Where else are there words that soak so deeply into the hearts of middle-aged and elderly people weary of life?
But at the same time, God’s words have parts that are bitter in the stomach.
“You have sin,” “You cannot stand before God alone,” “There is judgment”—we know this truth somewhere deep down.
Especially those of you who have lived long lives must know the darkness within yourselves.
The people you have hurt, the things you regret, the things you think cannot be undone.
But please listen. Only after tasting that bitterness can you truly understand the depth of the sweetness.
Only those who know the weight of sin can truly know the joy of forgiveness. God wants to give you the sweetness first.
You Must Prophesy Again” (v. 11)
Finally, let us focus on the very last words of this chapter.
After eating the scroll, John is commanded:
“You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
In other words, this is not the end. It is the resumption of the mission.
Those who have received God’s word become those who speak it.
Today, you have “tasted” God’s word. You sang hymns and heard the words of the Bible.
That is already a small act of “eating.”
And if those words have begun to move something inside you
—even if it is a sensation of bitterness—
it is a sign that God is speaking to you.
[Summary: The Message of Revelation Chapter 10]
Even within God’s judgment, there is a rainbow.
God’s patience has an end.
God’s word is sweet, but bitter.
Even in the midst of the vision of judgment, God continues to speak. And He appoints those who speak.
This is a message addressed to us. And it is a message to the entire church.
To those of you encountering the Bible for the first time:
God is not speaking to destroy you. He speaks because He wants you to wake up.
The nature in the town of Kurobe is grand. However, the human heart is higher than the mountains and deeper than the valleys.
God is speaking to that heart.
It is not a religion that is merely sweet.
Nor is it a morality that is merely bitter.
A word that is sweet and bitter, yet true. That is the Cross.
Lastly: In the middle of the story of judgment, God paused and had John eat the scroll.
Why? It is because at the center of judgment, there is a plan of salvation.
“There will be no more delay” — but for you today, there is still time.
Could you use that time and say to God just one word?
“God, I do not know You well.
But if You truly exist, please speak to me.”
This is enough. God is listening to that prayer.
Won’t you please open your heart today?
Amen
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