Revelation Chapter 10

Revelation Chapter 10 – Mighty Angel, Little Book Sweet and Bitter audio video notes. Prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John is allowed to see a mighty angel come down from heaven. Most (not all) commentators agree the mighty angel is Jesus Christ revealing his glory. And, why not? This is his Revelation!

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST – The Stone Cometh

By Pastor Delbert Young

Revelation Chapter 10 – Mighty Angel, the Little Book Sweet and Bitter

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Videos are not actually “videos of the teaching” The purpose was to make this teaching more available on YouTube, Vimeo, and web searches for this Revelation of Jesus Christ teaching.

Revelation Chapter 10 – Mighty Angel, Little Book Sweet and Bitter audio video notes

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Revelation 10:1-5

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:

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,

3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: 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 unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

Revelation Chapter 10

1, 2 Prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John is allowed to see a mighty angel come down from heaven. Most (not all) commentators agree that the mighty angel is Jesus Christ revealing his glory. And, why not? This is his Revelation! Matthew Henry says,

“The person communicating this discovery probably was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or it was to show his glory.”

Dake says,

“This mighty angel is, no doubt, Christ, who will come down from heaven with the little book open having taken it from the right hand of God in Rev. 5 and having opened the seven seals in Rev. 6:1-8:1.”

Others do not believe this is Christ.

“…though Christ appeared frequently as the Angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament (e.g., Gen. 16:13; 24:7; 31:11, 13; Jud. 6:22), there is no evidence that this person was other than a mighty angel (cf. Rev. 5:2), perhaps Michael the archangel.”

As we will see, this does represent the Christ. First, this mighty angel had the covenantal characteristic. He was clothed with a cloud. This would be a covenantal picture of the Old Testament made at Sinai when the Lord appeared as a cloud or in the cloud on the Mount. He also was the covenant cloud during the day upon the tabernacle.

Revelation Chapter 10

The Lord Jesus told the High Priest Jesus, the Son of Man, would come in the clouds (Mat 26:64).

He came in the cloud upon Jerusalem to give the sign the New Covenant had begun (Mat 24:30). We will one day meet the Lord in this cloud (1Th 4:17). Hallelujah! Isn’t it wonderful! One day you and I will get to be in the cloud! As we see, the cloud is covenantal. This mighty angel (messenger) is clothed with a cloud. This should immediately cause readers to think of Jesus. The cloud equals Jesus! He ascended upon a cloud. He came to the Ancient of Days in the clouds (Dan 7:13, 14). Also he said again and again He would return in the clouds with great glory (Mat 24:30; 26:64; Mar 13:26; 14:62).

The mighty angel was also seen as a pillar of fire. Again this is an Old Covenant image of the Lord. Also, there is the rainbow which was another covenantal sign given to Noah.

This mighty angel’s face was as the sun. This is a description of the Son of man in Revelation 1:16 where John records “his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” We have sufficient apocalyptic information that this mighty angel was the Christ.

In his hand was a little book. The word used here for book (bibliaridion – Greek) is not the same word used in chapter 5 for the book (biblion – Greek). Here in chapter 10, the word means “a booklet” just as it is interpreted. It is a little book. This is not the same book that was described in Revelation 5 which is contrary to Dake’s statement (previous). Dake said it was the book from Revelation 5.

Revelation Chapter 10

The remainder of verse 2 says he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth.

We note the tremendous scope of the mighty angel. We have a picture of his dominance. His awesome presence covers the earth (ge) or Jews. His dominance also covers the Gentiles (sea). Nothing has ever dominated all people like Jesus Christ. Within one generation after his ascension, the gospel of the kingdom had been preached and received in every nation. The entire earth is summed up in sea and land! With his feet upon both, he is declaring dominance over it. This mighty angel is no doubt Jesus Christ the Son of man.

We see the imagery of the feet upon the earth, the footstool of the Lord. Feet are also used in Scripture to show victory over the enemy (Jos 10:24; Psa 110:1; Heb 10:12, 13).

To grasp a full meaning of Revelation 10:2, we must remember that earth is (as always) ge in the Greek, which means soil or region. As in 7:1, the sea speaks of nations and creation (Eze 26:3; Isa 17:12, 13; Rev 17:15). The imagery declares the Lordship, range, and dominance of Jesus Christ. Both the land (ge) of Israel and the sea (Gentiles) are his footstool. What an image this is of Jesus Christ!

Revelation Chapter 10

3-6 The mighty angel released a loud voice as when a lion roareth. We have another allusion and imagery of the Christ showing that He is the mighty angel. This allusion is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (5:5).

We will discuss the seven thunders shortly. First, let’s continue with the mighty angel as he does sware by him that liveth for ever and ever.

The one to whom is sworn is an allusion to the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:13, 14). The mighty angel who does stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven. We note that his standing upon the sea and upon the earth is repeated (verse 2 and verse 5). Repetition in Scripture indicates importance. God wants to be sure we notice what was being repeated. Here the most important fact is that the mighty angel stands upon the sea and upon the earth – Gentiles and Jews.

His hand is lifted to heaven showing the position of one taking an oath in a court of law. Chilton writes:

“The Angel lifted up His right hand to heaven (the proper stance for a witness in a court of law: Gen. 14:22; Exo. 6:8; Deut. 32:40; Ezek. 20:5-6; Dan. 122:7) and swore an oath…We must observe carefully that Christ is presented here in the position of a witness, as St. John has informed us on two occasions already (1:5; 3:14).”

Revelation Chapter 10

Jesus, the mighty angel (messenger), lifts his hand as a “faithful and true witness.” We never seem to meditate upon to what or of what Jesus is the witness. His witness is for the New Covenant which means the end of the Old Covenant. The end of the age or time of Moses. This is what the mighty angel is witnessing to. He declared with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth that there should be time no longer, 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 hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The loud voice roaring said, “…there should be time no longer.”

He said that in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God would be finished. One must allow that to penetrate the thought process. Dispensationalists say that time will not end until the Advent. The Advent would be no sooner than the last vial. But is was declared that time will end at the seventh trumpet. This could not be the end of history. The mighty angel must be referring to the end of time concerning something else. It was the end of temple worship, Judaism, and Israel as the people of God.

We are well aware that most commentators interpret this time no longer as the end of the world with the second Advent and destruction of the earth as we know it. Contextually this does not fit, and neither does it fit Biblically. Why then is the angel roaring that time will be no more? If this is not the end of the world, of what is it the end? It is the end of the Old Covenant.

The New International Version perhaps better translates this verse and needs mentioning here.

Revelation Chapter 10

Revelation 10:6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! [NIV]

The idea is given that it is not the end of history. The Lord is no longer delaying. Again, what He is about to end? The trumpets are the sounding of the messengers of God. Jesus Christ said the gospel of the kingdom must first be preached into all the world as a witness. Then the end would come (Mat 24:14). Recall that the context of Jesus (Mat 24:14 previous) is the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the nation. It is the end of the age of Moses being discussed in Matthew 24, not the end of the planet.

The message must be sounded in all nations as a witness. Then the end would come. The nations were to be told exactly what was going to happen to Jerusalem. This was the witness, i.e. sign that Jesus Christ the Son of man was upon the throne in heaven (Mat 24:30).

After the seventh trumpet was sounded and just prior to the vials being poured out, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb was sung (15:3). The song of the Lamb replaced the song of Moses. The song of Moses (as we will see) was a song of testimony against the nation of Israel. The nation was taught to sing of the day of its own destruction.

Revelation Chapter 10

Prior to the second Advent, Jesus must destroy the generation that rejected and pierced Him. If He does not, then all of Scripture is not reliable. He must terminate Israel, and Jerusalem must be laid desolate (Rev 1:7; Mat 10:23; 16:28; Mar 9:1; Mat 24:30-34; Luk 17:24).

This coming was unmistakable and was not missed by anyone.

That coming was as a lightning bolt across the sky from one part of heaven to the other and was not missed (Luk 17:24). It was as huge and massive as a mighty angel large enough to step on the sea and the land at the same time. This unmistakable coming did happen. Jerusalem’s destruction was a world event. The entire known world knew that Rome had sieged Jerusalem and Jerusalem was falling. Every nation had heard the witness of the gospel of the kingdom prior to the siege of Jerusalem and knew that Jesus said it would happen.

It is here, contextually, John speaks of the seven thunders. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. There seems more history to come even though the angel said “there should be time no longer.” There are things to happen that John could not write. This shows this chapter cannot refer the end of the world as traditional doctrine teaches.

Revelation Chapter 10

Daniel was instructed in a very similar way concerning a command to seal up his vision (Dan 9:24). Thousands of years of history remained after Daniel was instructed to seal up his vision. Thousands of years of history remained after John was told to seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered. The point to be made here is there is more to come. If more is to come, then this passage does not speak of the end of time as we have been informed. Rather this speaks of the end of delay for the termination of the Old Covenant.

The apostles went as instructed. The gospel of the kingdom had been preached (Mat 24:14; Col 1:23; Rom 1:8; Col 1: 5-6). The mighty angel proclaimed that there will be delay no longer!

7 Rather than to the end of the days of history, the loud voice spoke to the revealing of the mystery of God. The time had come for the mystery to be finished. Notice the angel did not sound a trumpet, but rather his voice. We see the thought of a message being declared by a messenger of God. It was not a literal horn being blown. It was a message being proclaimed. Jesus told his disciples when the end of Moses would come. The only requirement to be met prior to the end of Moses was the gospel of the kingdom being preached (Mat 24:14).

The voice of the seventh angel came and time was no longer for temple worship. The mystery of God was declared. What is that mystery? The mystery of God does not pertain to the end of time for history, but rather to the fact that the day of the church had come! Natural Israel was blinded. They were blinded so the Gentiles could come to the one true God and Father. The mystery that was from the beginning of time concerned the church. To establish the church, the mystery of God should be finished. The day of Moses was finished. The day of the mystery had come. Time was no longer for Moses. Time had begun for the church.

Revelation Chapter 10

As we have learned, if we follow the signs we find about what John is speaking.

We are told over and over about this mystery (Rom 11:25; Eph 3:3-10; 5:32; 6:19; Col 1:27; Rev 1:20). The mystery concerns Christ and his church. The church is about the coming in of the Gentiles. The age of the church began when the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). There was time no longer for Moses in A.D. 70. The Son of man came upon Jerusalem in great power, revealing Himself as King of kings and Lord of lords. This happened as the voice of the seventh angel sounded (11:15).

Revelation 10:8-11

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto 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 thy 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.

11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

8-10 As we have learned and are learning, the Revelation is related to allusions. John makes these allusions from what we call the Old Testament Scriptures. When John thought “Old Covenant,” he thought of an age that was ending. When John thought “New Covenant,” he thought of an age beginning. We think “old” as in years. John thought “old” as in “ending.”

Revelation Chapter 10

When John wrote the Revelation, the Scriptures he made allusion to were current Scriptures, not old. In fact, they were the only Scriptures. The New Testament cannon had not been collected as yet. The Scriptures were not old to John. The age was old! Virtually two thousand years ago, the Old ended with the ending of the age and the New began with the beginning of this age. The age ended when the temple was destroyed.

Here John’s allusion to the little book is remarkably clear. It is from Ezekiel 2 and 3. Please do not skip this section of Scripture. One cannot read the following passage and not see that this is about what John is here speaking. Please read the following passage with the little book of Revelation 10 and John’s eating it in mind.

Ezekiel 2:8-10

8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Ezekiel 3:1-5

1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

Revelation Chapter 10

Once again the reference (allusion) is concerning the rebellious house of natural Israel (Eze 2:8). Jesus told the national leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) their house would be left desolate (Mat 23:38). In Ezekiel 1-3, Ezekiel is being commissioned into his prophetic office and sent to the nations. He would first go to Judah and Jerusalem. John is here being commissioned to prophesy concerning Jerusalem and Judah. John is speaking of the oncoming destruction of Jerusalem and the land (ge) just as Ezekiel once did.

Revelation 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

11 John is showing his readers that his commission is very similar to the commission that Ezekiel was given. Thus it becomes very necessary to see what Ezekiel prophesied.

A quick look at an outline of the book of Ezekiel shows that as soon as he received his commission, he began to prophesy against Jerusalem. Ezekiel mimed the siege that would come upon Jerusalem around 605 B.C. This was the first historical destruction of Jerusalem. In chapter 4, Ezekiel actually puts siege on a brick (4:1-3) and uses an iron pan to show the strength of the enemy. Then Ezekiel shows the length of the siege by laying on his left side 390 days and on his right side 40 days.

The Lord said, “And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege” (Eze 4:8). Also the Lord Himself said, “I will lay bands.” There was nothing Jerusalem could do. The Lord had laid the bands upon it. Ezekiel then goes through the famine of the siege.

Revelation Chapter 10

Next Ezekiel was instructed to take a razor and shave his head and beard and divide the hair into thirds (see Rev 8:8,9 for third part). One third would be burned with fire showing the number of people that would be destroyed by the soon coming siege, fire, and pestilence. Another third would be smitten by the sword. Another third would be scattered into the wind. Only a few would be kept as a remnant tucked into the bosom of God (Eze 5:1-17).

Next Ezekiel was told to prophecy against the mountains of Israel.

We have seen and will again see that mountains speak of worship (see discussion of 8:8-9). The land would be cleansed of the idolatry of the religious system.

John was told to eat the book just as Ezekiel was told. John was told he would prophesy just as Ezekiel was told. We see that John was given the same commission as Ezekiel was given. We are able to draw truth concerning John’s commission from Ezekiel. John’s message would be to the nations, but first to Israel and the city of Jerusalem. If so, then there should be historic proof of similar events, and as we know, there are.

Below are some quotes from Josephus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the events surrounding.

As we know, Josephus was an eye-witness historian of the A.D. 70 fall of Jerusalem. Josephus was a priest who also functioned as a commander in the army of Israel which fought against Rome. He was captured by the Romans and used as a mediator.

Revelation Chapter 10

Josephus writes concerning the siege,

“Vespasian did indeed already pity the calamities these men were in, and arose, in appearance, as though he were going to besiege Jerusalem, – but in reality to deliver them from a [worse] siege they were already under.”

“Internal sedition did not cease, even when the Romans were encamped near their very walls …for they returned to their former madness, and separated one from another, and fought it out, and did everything that the besiegers could desire them to do; for they never suffered anything that was worse from the Romans than they made each other suffer; nor was there any misery endured by the city after these men’s actions that could be esteemed new.

But it was most of all unhappy before it was overthrown, while those that took it did it a greater kindness; for I venture to affirm, that the sedition destroyed the city, and the Romans destroyed the sedition, which it was a much harder thing to do than to destroy the walls; so that we may justly ascribe our misfortunes to our own people, and the just vengeance taken on them by the Romans.”

Concerning the length of the siege, Josephus writes,

“And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eighth day of the month Gorpieus [Elul.].”

Concerning the strength of the enemy (iron pan of Ezekiel 4:3), Josephus writes,

“Titus did not think it fit for so great an army to lie entirely idle, and that yet it was in vain to fight with those that would be destroyed one by another …for although they might guard the known passages out of the place, yet would they, when they found themselves under the greatest distress, contrive secret passages out, as being well acquainted with all such places; and if any provisions were carried in by stealth, the siege would thereby be longer delayed …they must build a wall round about the whole city; which was, he thought, the only way to prevent the Jews from coming out any way, and that then they would either despair of saving the city, and so would surrender it up to him or be still the more easily conquered when the famine had further weakened them.”

Revelation Chapter 10

There were such seditious acts within the city of Jerusalem itself that Titus decided to sit back and wait for the Jews to destroy themselves and not lose any Romans.

What a war tactic! Many times the devil does not need to attack a church. If he will just sit back, often the church will destroy itself from within. However, Titus did not want his mighty army idle and growing lazy. He decided to build a wall around the entire city to stop any escape by underground tunnels. It was an “iron pan” wrapped around the city.

Concerning the Lord being responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem, Josephus writes,

“…but in reality it was God who condemned the whole nation, and turned every course that was taken for their preservation to their destruction.”

The Lord laid the bands upon them. Before looking at a report from Josephus concerning the famine, a reminder is given of what the Lord said would happen during Ezekiel’s famine.

Ezekiel 5:10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

The Lord said that parents would eat their children, and children would eat their parents. Here is one account from Josephus:

“She then attempted a most unnatural thing; and snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, ‘O thou miserable infant! for whom shall I preserve thee in war, this famine, and this sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our lives, we must be slaves! This famine also will destroy us, even before that slavery comes upon us; yet are these seditious rogues more terrible than both the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these seditious varlets and a byword to the world, which is all that is now wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews.’ As soon as she had said this, she slew her son; and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him and kept the other half by her concealed.”

Revelation Chapter 10

Many people scattered. Some escaped even before Rome sieged Jerusalem and then some afterwards. Here are a few accounts of this from Josephus:

“After this calamity had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink.”

Some of those escaping “swallowed down pieces of gold that they might not be found by the robbers; and when they had escaped to the Romans, went to stool, and had wherewithal to provide plentifully for themselves.”

Many were killed by the famine, pestilence, fire, and sword just as the prophecy foretold.

“Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege, eleven hundred thousand.”

Eleven hundred thousand (above) would be (1,100,000) one million one hundred thousand.

“Nor was there any place in the city that had no dead bodies in it, but what was entirely covered with those that were either killed by the famine or the rebellion; and all was full of the dead bodies of such as had perished, either by the sedition or by that famine.”

Revelation Chapter 10

“…they were everywhere slain, and everywhere beaten; and as for a great part of the people, they were weak and without arms, and had their throats cut wherever they were caught. Now, round about the altar lay dead bodies heaped one upon another; as at the steps going up to it ran a great quantity of their blood, whither also the dead bodies that were slain over [on the altar] fell down.”

There was no religious “mountain” not affected.

Every major city was captured and every village burnt either by Cestius, Vespasian, or Titus.

Below is a list of cities taken and references to Josephus Wars of the Jews.

City of Joppa. – III, IX, 1

City of Tarichezem. – III, X, 1

The City of Gamala. – IV, I, 1-10

City of Gischala. – IV, II, 1, 2

City of Jamnia. – IV, III, 2

The City of Azotus. – IV, III, 2

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City of Gadara. – IV, VII, 3

City of Lydda. – IV, VIII, 1

The City of Jamnia. – IV, VIII, 1

City of Emmaus. – IV, VIII, 1

City of Bthletephon. – IV, VIII, 1

The City of Idumea. – IV, VIII, 1

City of Betaris. – IV, VIII, 1

City of Caphartobas. – IV, VIII, 1

The City of Jericho. – IV, VIII, 1

City of Gerasa. – IV, IX

Revelation Chapter 10

The land was cleansed of the idolatry of the religious system. There was no further delay in the destruction of Jerusalem. The time of temple worship ended. Time was no longer.

Revelation 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto 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 thy mouth sweet as honey.

Revelation 10:10 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.

9, 10 John asked for the little book. It was given to John under the requirements that John would eat it up. Ezekiel was once told to eat the little book and then speak to the house of Israel. John has the same experience. Ezekiel ate and then prophesied the book he had eaten. The book was full of “lamentations, and mourning, and woe” for the nation of Israel (Eze 2:10). So it is with John. Lamentations, mourning, and woes came upon the nation of Israel. This would be sweet because it would declare the New Covenant. It would be bitter because of the desolation.

Matthew Henry says,

“Most men feel pleasure in looking into future events, and all good men like to receive a word from God. But when this book of prophecy was thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter; there were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions of the people of God, such desolations in the earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would be painful to his mind.”

John used the Scripture from the little book (scroll) of Ezekiel as his allusion to his readers.

If one was familiar with the Scriptures, he would not miss what John was saying. He was the commissioned bearer of the prophetic word to the nations beginning with Israel. Not one event about which Ezekiel prophesied failed to happen to Jerusalem during the siege. Absolute destruction of Jerusalem and the land (ge) was apparent. The war ended in A.D. 70 and that event would be what the first-century Jew of that day would call the end of time. Ask a Jew today when temple worship ended. The answer will be 70 A.D. Over a million Jews died and ninety thousand were taken as slaves. The temple was destroyed and has never been rebuilt in nearly 2,000 years. Moses’ time ended.

Revelation Chapter 10

The mighty angel declared with the voice like a lion there would be no further delay. There should be time no longer.

Contemporary Theological View(s)

Revelation 10:6 And sware by him that liveth 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

As significant as the destruction of Jerusalem was in A.D. 70, it is amazing how little is said about it by contemporary Dispensationalists. Few Christians even know about Jerusalem’s desolation in A.D.70. If they know, they do not realize the importance of its desolation. Dispensationalists who even recognize that the meaning in 10:6 is “no longer a delay,” interpret the passage as no delay when this begins to happen in the future.

Walvoord and Zuck say,

“It …affirms the omnipotence of God in dealing with the world in judgment when the time is ripe.”

Commenting on the previous quote we ask, “Was it not ripe in 70 A.D. when Jesus said it would be judged?”

Revelation Chapter 10

Jimmy Swaggart says the time delayed no longer is showing that Satan will now be cast out of heaven.

“What is he talking about, ‘the mystery of God?’ He is talking about casting Satan out of heaven. Why he hasn’t been cast out much sooner is truly a mystery known only to God. The casting out of Satan has been predicted since Adam’s day (Gen. 3:15) and will take place in the latter half of the Great Tribulation period (Rev. 12:7-12).”

John Rice says,

“Christ is to come from Heaven with saints and angels, the kingdoms of the earth are to become the kingdoms of Christ. The battle of Armageddon will take place. Israel will be regathered and saved. The Gentiles living then are to be gathered before the throne and judged (Matt. 25:31-46). There is no more time of delay before these great things occur.”

The point made here is that no dispensationalist even refer to Ezekiel’s eating of the book just as John ate of the book.

No one refers to the desolation of Jerusalem and the end of the delay meaning the time has come to destroy it. The Dispensationalists always point to a time to come, or some future throwing out of the devil, or to the gathering of Israel.

Revelation 10:10 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.

Contemporaries use this to prove the division of the tribulation. The first three and one-half years are sweet. The last three and one-half years begin sweet, then turn bitter.

Revelation Chapter 10

“The significance of this would seem to be that this new revelation of the prophetic details of the final half of the Tribulation Period would be at first welcomed with delight, but then when the horrible martyrdoms and sufferings were described, especially of those who would be then turning in faith to God, the reaction would be one of bitterness.”