Revelation 10

Revelation 10:1

The vision of a mighty angel appearing in great glory, who had in his hand a little book, which St. John was commanded to eat. Rev. X. throughout.

XIII. Rev. X. 1 A MOST beautiful and wonderful scene now opened itself to my view; for I saw another mighty angel, who carried, in his REV. X. 1. AND I saw another mighty an-

ighty angel descends with a little book.

appearance, the marks of unusual strength and vigour, descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud, so that I could not discern the full lustre of his whole body; though variegated with the rays it either reflected or transmitted, it appeared very glorious; and the complete circle of a rainbow [was] about his head, and his face [was] bright as the meridian sun; so that I could not bear to gaze directly upon it. And I had reason to think there was an extraordinary lustre emitted from all the other parts of the body; for even his feet were like pillars of lucid fire. And he had in his hand a little book open, which I afterwards understood to be the volume of the Divine decrees, to be communicated to me. And he put his right foot upon the sea, and the left foot upon the earth, to signify the Divine dominion over both, and the concern of both, in what was further to be transacted. And he cried with a loud, solemn, and awful voice, as a lion roars; and when he had cried, the seven thunders, which I had heard before, uttered their voices again, responsive to his, and to increase the terror of so tremendous a scene. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to have written the contents of what they had uttered; for, loud as their voices were, there was something articulate and intelligible in the sound; and just in that instant, I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Seal up in secrecy what the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not; for they are, indeed, intended for thy information, but not for that of the public. And the angel which I saw with so many ensigns of distinction, standing with one foot on the sea, and the other on the earth, lifted up his hand towards heaven, with a gesture of solemnity and reverence, as appealing to the great Sovereign of the universe. And sware by the eternal Jehovah, even by him who liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven, and those

a Angel clothed with a cloud.] The beauties of this noble description are finely illustrated by that most elegant and pious writer, the Rev. Mr. James Hervey, in his Meditations, Vol. II. page 21, 22.

b Lion roars.] The original word, rather signifies bellows; but that English word has an idea annexed to it, which appeared to me not to suit the dignity of this description.

St. John is commanded to take the book and

things which are in it, and the earth, and the things which are in it, and the sea, and the things which are in it, that time should be no longer; that the time of the judgments, to be signified by the pouring out of the seven vials, should not be much longer delayed; and that, when it came, the whole economy of the world should soon draw to a conclusion, and all the periods of time be consummated, that the more important scenes of eternity might open: He swore, I say that the delay should not be much longer, but that it should hasten to its end, in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, who was about quickly to sound, and was to introduce the period of the seven vials; and that, consequent on the pouring out of the last vial, the mystery of God, as he had revealed its glad tidings to his servants, the prophets, should be fulfilled, in the utter ruin and destruction of all the enemies of the church, and in its happy and glorious exaltation. And the voice which I before heard from heaven, now spake to me again, and said, Go, and take the little book, which, as thou perceivest, is open, out of the

That time should be no longer.] The word grow sometimes signifies, delay, as well as time. And, according to the former version, the meaning is, that there should be no delay of the destruction of the church’s enemies, and of its prosperous and glorious condition. In the latter view, it signifies that the end of time, and the consummation of all things, should soon come. Though the former sense seems to be principally intended, yet I own myself not to be so certain as absolutely to determine it. I think it is evident, that some of the concluding prophecies of this book refer to the eternal state, and therefore I have taken that sentiment into the paraphrase, though not to the exclusion of the former sense, which, as I said, seems to be principally intended, considering the connection, and that the interval between the pouring out of the seventh vial, and the consummation of all things, must, at least, be more than a thousand years; and, perhaps, a much more considerable period. Dr. More is of opinion, that the only meaning of this clause is, that the time was elapsed which had been marked out by the period of three years

and an half. See his Theolog. Works, p. 122. Grotius refers the accomplishment of it to the vengeance to be taken upon the Jews, by Adrian and his successors. Compare Saum’s Serm. Vol. I. p. 1, 2. Mr. Lowman renders the clause, the time shall not be yet; that is, the time of the glorious state of the church shall not be yet; but it shall not be long to it; for in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, as it follows, the mystery of God shall be fulfilled, &c.

Muster of God.] Dr. Butler, the late worthy Bishop of Durham, understands by this, the great mystery of Providence, in suffering vice and confusion to prevail so much in the world. See Butler’s Anal. p. 40.

Should be fulfilled.] As it is here said, that the mystery of God should be fulfilled, it seems plainly to intimate, that the things yet to be revealed should extend to the end of time; and when it is declared, that this should be fulfilled in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, who was about to sound, it intimates, that the remainder of time, even to the end of the world, should be comprehended in that period of prophecy, to which the seventh trumpet, introductory to the vials, relates.

as sweet in his mouth, and bitter in his belly.

hand of the angel, which standeth upon the sea, and upon the earth; for it is intended for thy use and information. (Compare Jer. xv. 16.) And accordingly I went to the angel, and awful as his appearance was, I said to him boldly, in consequence of the Divine command, Give me the little book which thou holdest in thine hand; and he said unto me, Take [it,] as Ezekiel did that which was shewn to him, (Ezek iii. 1, 2,) and eat it up; to signify thy receiving it into thy mind, and digesting there the events to which it relates; and it shall imbitter thy belly, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey; to signify, that how pleasant soever it may be to be honoured with such revelations, the contents of these, in thine after reflections, shall be very bitter and grievous. And, accordingly, I took the little book out of the hand of the angel, and seemed, to myself, to eat it up; and the event exactly answered what he had said to me; for, in my mouth it was sweet as honey, but when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said to me, Thou hast not yet dispatched the whole of thy work, in what thou hast already registered, of these visions of the Lord; but thou must again prophesy to many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings. The oracles thou hast yet to deliver, shall be propagated through many countries, translated into a variety of languages, and perused by persons of various ranks and conditions, and some of them the most eminent and conspicuous; but fear not to deliver them, being assured that He, by whom they are inspired, will take care they shall be punctually fulfilled.

IMPROVEMENT.

If other parts of this chapter should seem to be less pregnant with important practical instructions, perhaps the design was, that we might be engaged to fix our entire and undivided atten-

Again prophesy.] Mr. Mede infers the new descriptions, and new events to rom hence, that the apostle is about to which they refer, which are introduced to over the same period of time he had here, and constitute the following chapters, before been discoursing of, giving an account of the state of the church, as he had of interpretation, to justify the expression. Just done of the state of the empire. But See the preceding note.

VOL. 6.

Reflections on the oath of this illustrious angel.

section on the awful words of this illustrious angel; whose appearance is described in colours so exceeding beautiful and striking; with the radiance of the sun streaming from his countenance; the variegated colours of the rainbow encircling his head; of a stature so vast and majestic, that he at once bestrode the earth and the sea; with his hand solemnly lifted up to heaven; with a voice awful as thunder, appealing to the venerable name of God, the Creator of the heavens, of the earth, of the sea, and of all their various inhabitants, in order to add the sanction of an inviolable oath, to a declaration, which in itself, from such a Divine messenger, was worthy of absolute and entire credit; a declaration, that time should be no longer: which is a certain truth, in the most sublime and interesting sense of which the words are capable. Time, as distinguished into days, and weeks, and months, and years, by the revolution of the heavenly luminaries, when the most resplendent of these are extinguished in their orbs, as they quickly will; when the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; time shall then, I say, be absorbed in an immeasurable eternity. And O, what an eternity! An eternity, either of perfect and inconceivable felicity, or hopeless and remediless misery. But, besides this general construction, there is an important sense in which the proclamation of this celestial herald shall be fulfilled, with regard to individuals; that time shall be no longer; the time of Divine patience in waiting upon us; the time in which we shall be continued under the sound of the gospel, and the offers of mercy, and the means of salvation; the time in which we shall be conversant with these scenes of mortality, and with the persons who are here most familiar to us, at least in the present circumstances of their being. The period, during which we are to inhabit this earth, and enjoy our spiritual advantages, or our worldly possessions, and pleasures, is confined within very narrow limits. The oath of this mighty angel is, perhaps, just ready to be accomplished, and time is closing, and eternity is opening upon us. O that we may consider time and all its concerns, as very shortly to vanish, that our thoughts and our cares may be directed more and more to our own eternal interest, and to that of our fellow creatures. The Judge is even at the door: let us endeavour therefore to be ready, let us improve every transient moment to the purposes for which it was given us; and in these views of the brevity of time, and the importance of preparing for eternity, let us detest all the pleasures and allurements of sin; for they will soon appear like the mysterious morsel of the apostle, bitter as wormwood in the belly, though with deceitful and fatal indulgence, we may, for a few moments, have relied them, like a sweet morsel, under our tongues; vainly desiring to prolong those pleasures, which can serve only to add more keen and exquisite sensibility to our future pain.

John is commanded to measure the temple.