Revelation 10:1 – 7 “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices.
When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven. And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay! But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, just as He proclaimed to His servants, the prophets.”
John has been watching with horror as demons have swarmed over the earth, but now God is sending His messenger angel. Who is this messenger? All that we know is that this is one of God’s trusted couriers; this angel must be very close to God. The rainbow is part of the throne of God. Ezekiel described God this way: “Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.”
This angel has one foot on the sea and the other on the land, indicating that God is sovereign over all creation. The angel’s voice is like the roar of a lion and when he speaks, the seven thunders cry out. John, who is listening to all this, immediately wants to write down the messages the seven thunders are speaking, but a voice from heaven tells John to seal up what the seven thunders have said and not to write it down. Not every revelation is to be shared as soon as it has been given! There are visions and messages that are given years in advance; this does not mean that the person who has the vision should run out and share it. This is the age of social media, and some people are willing to share all their intimate details, including their meals, complete with photos. But timing is vitally important. God told the prophet Habakkuk when he was complaining about not seeing results as quickly as he wished, “For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3
The angelic messenger reassures John, “And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay! But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, just as He proclaimed to His servants, the prophets.” God is still on His throne and His timing is perfect.
William Barclay comments, “The meaning is that the whole purpose of God in human history will stand revealed. Much in life is difficult to understand; wickedness seems to hold sway. But, as John saw it, there is going to be a final show-down. God and Antichrist, good and evil, will face each other; final and total victory will be won, the questions will find their answers and the wrongs will be righted. Beyond all the strangeness of the picture stands the truth that history is moving towards the inevitable triumph of God and that, though evil may flourish, it cannot in the end be triumphant.”
Why do so many of us love to watch old Western movies? We watch in anticipation that sooner or later, the good guys in the white hats are going to show up and right all the wrongs, rescue the captives, and clean up all the messes. Unrealistic as those movies are, there is one thing that is true about those plots: There is a God of the universe whose nature encompasses all goodness, righteousness, truthfulness, faithfulness, and every other virtue. The One True Living God is all-powerful and all-loving. And one day, God IS going to come in and finally settle all the messes! On that day, what color hat will each of us be wearing? Will we be wearing white hats, indicating that we are on God’s side, or will we be wearing black hats? Spoiler Alert: better be sure you are found serving God and wearing a white hat!
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for these scriptures, even though they are sometimes hard to understand. Thank you that you ARE a God of Justice and that you WILL make everything right! Help us to love you and to serve you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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