A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): There is a lot we don't know this side of heaven and that's okay. Pastor John Randall shares these thoughts on the matter.

John Randall: While there are many things concerning God and his character and his nature that we understand and that have been revealed clearly in his word, there are also things that I don't fully understand that I don't always comprehend. There is some information which God has seen fit not to reveal at this time.

This principle can be difficult sometimes for us to accept, especially when we feel we need an answer yesterday. It's a liberating day as a Christian when we realize we don't know it all. We don't understand it all. But what we do know about God and what the Bible reveals, we can hold on to. It's enough.

Guest (Male): Once again, it is our pleasure to welcome you to A Daily Walk. We trust you're ready with your Bible in hand as we continue our chapter-by-chapter study through Revelation. Today, we begin a look at chapter 10. After the destruction and loss of life we saw in chapter 9, chapter 10 is a chance to catch our breath and meet a big angel with a little book. Here is Pastor John Randall with his message, No More Delays.

John Randall: Open your Bibles with me now to the book of Revelation, chapter 10. If you're joining us for the first time here, welcome. We're so glad that you're here. We have been going through the book of Revelation and we find ourselves this morning in the 10th chapter with a message entitled No More Delays.

Revelation chapter 10, beginning in verse 1. "I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand, and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he cried out with a loud voice as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices."

"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.' And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 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 delay no longer."

In looking at the condition of our world today, many have asked the questions: Why does God allow suffering to go on? Why doesn't he stop all of the violence? Why doesn't he unmask the deceivers? When will God intervene? Why does it seem as though heaven were silent? Is God unaware or unconcerned?

The book of Revelation answers those questions. There is coming a day when there will be no more delays. The Bible says that God will not always strive with mankind, but the time will come when he puts a complete stop to all the evil on the earth. A day is coming when the evil schemes of wicked men will be stopped.

A day when the mockers who said, "Where is God?" when the agnostic, the atheist, and the unbelievers who scoffed and said, "Where is his coming?" will be silenced. The Bible tells us a brighter day is coming, when all the counsels and all the purposes of God concerning men and the world will be accomplished. When Jesus comes again and the kingdom will be established on the earth, Satan will be immobilized, bound in chains, and delivered to prison with him and his demons. Righteousness will rule, and knowledge will fill the earth and Christ will be the King.

Within our study in the book of Revelation, we are given a prophetic glimpse into a time coming of judgment upon a Christ-rejecting world. We've already seen the seven sealed judgments that were opened, which were followed by the seven trumpet judgments. But here in Revelation chapter 10, we come to an interlude, an intermission, a break in the action.

The first intermission happened back in Revelation chapter 7. It was between the sixth and seventh seals being opened. And now there is a second intermission or pause between the blast of the sixth and seventh trumpets. The question is: why the pause? Why the hesitation? Why does God momentarily stop what has already begun?

Perhaps the reason for the pause in the cycle of judgment is that the Lord is giving men still time to repent of their sin. He's still holding out salvation by mixing mercy with retribution. It's as if God brings man right to the very edge of complete destruction and then holds back, giving man one more chance to repent and turn to him before it's too late.

The Bible tells us clearly in Second Peter 3:9 that God is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The chapter begins with an introduction of a mighty angel as preparations are made for the final trumpet to sound. Look at verse 1. John writes, "I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven."

The Apostle John announces, "then I saw," which by the way is an important and reoccurring phrase repeated throughout Revelation. This time John sees another angel. In the previous chapter, you remember the fifth and sixth trumpets sounded and John witnessed several powerful, wicked angels that were leading demonic armies that inflicted unparalleled torment and destruction on mankind with teeth like lions, faces like men, and hair like women's hair.

They wore armor and they were stinging humanity like scorpions, and those who were stung were unable to die for five months. And then there were four more angels that were released that destroyed a third of humanity in Revelation chapter 9. But this angel that John sees in chapter 10 is a good angel. By the way, there are at least 60 references to angels in the book of Revelation, and three times there is mention of these angels that are strong or mighty.

We've observed several of these angels described in Revelation around the throne worshiping the Lord. We've seen them given certain tasks in carrying out the judgment of the Lord. We've read of them being sent to seal a group of people of the Lord during the tribulation. But now another mighty angel, one of the same kind, comes forth and John gives us a description of what he looked like.

First of all, he said he was clothed with a cloud. There was a cloud that surrounded this angel. In both the Old as well as the New Testament, the cloud is often associated with God's presence. In the Old Testament, God's presence descended with a cloud. The Lord led the nation of Israel in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

We find that when the temple was completed by King Solomon, the Lord's glory came down in the form of a cloud and filled the temple. We know from the New Testament when Jesus ascended back to the Father following his death and resurrection, that he went up into the clouds and the Bible says that when he comes again, he will come with the clouds. In other words, the mighty angel that was clothed with the cloud that John sees had come from the presence of the Lord.

But he also, it says, had a rainbow on his head. In Genesis chapter 9, the rainbow was placed in the sky as a reminder of the covenant promise given by the Lord to Noah, that he would not judge the earth a second time with a flood. It was a reminder of God's mercy. We have seen those who have taken the rainbow, but we know what it means. The Bible tells us what it means.

We also see a reference to a rainbow in Revelation chapter 4 when it says that there was a rainbow around the throne of God. But also, it says this angel, his face was shining like the sun. In Revelation 1:16, John first saw the glorified Savior Jesus Christ and said his face was shining like the sun. And here this mighty angel coming now from the presence of the Lord, his face was also shining with the brightness of the sun. It reveals again that he had been in the presence of the Lord.

It says that his feet were like pillars of fire. Again, when John saw Jesus in Revelation chapter 1, verse 15, it says his feet were like fine brass as refined in the furnace. You get the idea that within the description of this mighty angel, there are obvious similarities between the mighty angel and Jesus himself. I think there's a principle that we can learn from this and that is this: this angel came from the presence of the Lord and he looked a lot like the Lord.

He represented the Lord. I believe that as we make it a priority to be in the presence of the Lord personally, spending time with the Lord devotionally and privately, he rubs off on us in the best way. Prayerfully people see more of Jesus and less of us. Amen? Hopefully that's your desire.

The Bible tells us in Second Corinthians 3:18 that we all with unveiled face are beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord and we are being transformed from the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. You remember when the apostles stood before the Sanhedrin and they were tried for preaching the gospel? It says that the religious leaders took note of the fact that they were bold and they perceived that they were uneducated men and untrained and they marveled, but they realized that they had been with Jesus.

There was something about these men that looked a lot like Jesus. John continues now his description and he tells us what was in the angel's hand. This is what he looked like, but this is what was in his hand. In verse 2, "He had a little book open in his hand, and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars, and he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices."

The mighty angel that John sees, a huge angel with a tiny book. That's really what he saw. Revelation chapter 5, we saw that Jesus had a scroll in his hand that was opened in successive chapters. But this angel has a little book and it's already opened. We're not told what the book said, but more than likely it contained the remaining judgments that were about to unfold.

But notice where he's standing. He's got his right foot on the sea and he's got his other foot on the land. He is a massive angel. We see where he's standing, and in that position with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, it is a picture of power and authority over the entire situation on the earth. There's a book in his hand, his feet are on the earth and sea, and then we're given a description of his voice.

It says there was authority in his voice because when he cried out, it was like when a lion roars, authoritative in nature. In the Old Testament, Jeremiah connected a loud voice like a lion to the judgment of the Lord. I hope you're seeing this by now as we study through the book of Revelation, that the Old Testament is uniquely tied to the New Testament. There are things that John mentions in Revelation that go right back to the Old Testament and connect one with another.

It's really important to understand that and Jeremiah made this connection. Jeremiah 25:30, listen to what it says: "The Lord will roar from on high and utter his voice from his holy habitation. He will roar mightily against his fold. He will give a shout, and those who tread the grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth." Hosea the prophet also mentions this in Hosea chapter 11, verse 10, when he said, "They shall walk after the Lord, he will roar like a lion. When he roars..."

Once the angel lifted up his voice, it says that there were seven thunders that uttered their voices or responded. Like a seven-gun salute, seven thunderous voices answer back to the cry of this angel, articulating a message. Again, we don't know what the message was. We know the number seven in the Bible is the number of completeness, so the message was complete.

We've observed that thunder and lightning in Revelation is often associated with judgment. We know that John was about to write down what he heard, but then he was instructed not to write it down. Instead, he was told to seal it up. We're not given a reason why. Perhaps because the judgments were too intense, we don't know.

But John heard something and up to this point he's been writing everything down. The Lord said, "I want you to write down everything you see, everything you hear." So like normal, he's about to write down what he hears and the Lord says, "Don't write that. Don't write that down. Seal that up. Don't do that." In the Old Testament again, we see another similar example of this in the book of Daniel.

Daniel chapter 8, Daniel was writing things down in the vision and the evening and the mornings. In Daniel 8, it says it was told what was true. "Therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future." Daniel was curious. He said, "Hey, what is this that I just wrote and sealed up? Can I know what it means?" The Lord said, "Daniel, seal it up. It's not for you to know. It's for later on."

And this is an interesting point to consider this morning because John has been told what to write, writing things down obediently, now he's told to stop writing. Why stop writing? We don't know. But it does illustrate I believe another divine principle and application. Listen carefully. This is it. That while there are many things concerning God and his character and his nature that we understand and that have been revealed clearly in his word, there are also things that I don't fully understand that I don't always comprehend.

There is some information which God has seen fit not to reveal at this time. And this principle can be difficult sometimes for us to accept, especially when we feel we need an answer yesterday. Some even choose to walk away from the Lord at points like this. "Well, God didn't answer me and I didn't hear and I don't understand why this happened, so I'm not going to walk with him anymore," and they walk away.

Listen, the first thing we need to understand is we need to resist the thought that God is somehow trying to antagonize us here on the earth from heaven. "I know something you don't know, ha-ha, you're never going to find out, sorry." That's not God. There are certain things that we couldn't handle, that we couldn't comprehend.

It's a liberating day as a Christian when we realize we don't know it all. We don't understand it all. But what we do know about God and what the Bible reveals, we can hold on to. It's enough. Never exchange what you don't know for what you do. God has revealed himself. Recently I was speaking somewhere and there was a Q&A and they take all these questions down.

There was a group of pastors sitting there and for some reason there was three of us up there and I got all the tough questions. I asked for the easy ones but the guy did the exact opposite. I mean, questions that are like... and so somebody asked me the question, "What does this mean and that mean?" and it was a pretty deep theological question in this Q&A, and it's live on the radio. "What do you think about this?"

And my response was, "I don't know." I think that shocked some people. But the fact is there's certain things I just don't know. This is what I do know, and I was able to answer this is what I know for sure, but I don't know. That's a good question. Heaven will reveal some things that we don't know this side of heaven.

There was a man by the name of G. Campbell Morgan, who was a famous commentator and preacher in England. And he had a daughter who became severely ill, to the point of death. And so he began to intercede and pray for his daughter's healing. And he was reading through the Bible and he was reading in Mark chapter 5, that story where Jesus told the parents of Jairus and his wife that their daughter would rise from the dead.

And so when Morgan read that passage of scripture right where he was praying, he was confident that this promise was about his daughter and that she was going to be okay. Three days later she died. She did not rise physically to be restored to her family. However, the Lord pointed out to Morgan that she did rise and was taken to heaven for eternity. Folks, here's the place we need to come to. I don't always know why. I don't always know how. But I do know who. And that makes all the difference in the world.

So there's the angel standing with book open over heaven and earth, speaking loudly. And John tells us what the angel said. Verse 5, he said, "The angel was standing on the sea and on the land, he raised his hand to heaven and he swore by him who lives forever and ever." He's making an oath. The one who created heaven, the things that are in it, and the earth and the sea. There's not going to be any delay any longer.

The mighty angel stands with foot upon the sea and foot upon the land, raises his hand, takes a solemn oath, and he calls as his witness someone greater than himself. He calls God as his witness. And with this oath, the angel declares the character and the nature and the attributes of God. He points out that he's everlasting. The angel emphasizes that God is eternal. Folks, there was never a time when God did not exist. He has always existed.

He's not created. He is the creator and the sustainer of all things. He is everlasting. He also confirmed that he is the creator. And thirdly, that there would be no more delays. Some of your translations may read "time no longer." There's no more delays. And what he's saying is everything that's been promised, everything that's been prophesied, it's about to come to pass. Everything is about to come to a culmination.

Right here is the answer to the prayer of believers throughout the ages who have pleaded for the kingdom of God to come and for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. No more delays. No more waiting. It's here. It's happening is what the angel is declaring. And not only will there be no more delays, but John also said that there is a mystery that's going to be revealed.

In verse 7, it says, "But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound," notice this, "the mystery of God would be finished as declared to his servants the prophets." There's not going to be any more delays and the mystery of God is going to be finished. No more delays and it's complete.

Listen, the mystery in the Bible, in biblical vocabulary, isn't something that no one knows. A mystery is something no one could know unless it had been revealed to them. And this phrase mystery or *mysterion*, as it is used in the Greek, is found throughout the Bible. In fact, the Bible tells us that the ultimate conversion of the Jewish people turning back to God in Romans 11:25 is a mystery, but it's been revealed.

The bringing of Gentiles into the family of God, a mystery. God's promise for the church is called a mystery in Ephesians 3. The living presence of Jesus in the life of a believer is called the mystery of God. The gospel itself is referred to as a mystery of Christ in Colossians chapter 4. It's a mystery, but the mystery's been revealed.

And in this context, the mystery of God refers to the unfolding of his resolution of all things, the completion of his plan throughout all the ages. The things that the Old Testament prophets pointed to, prophesied concerning, looked to, but did not fully understand. Prophecies that told about the Savior's first coming and also about his second coming. They couldn't see how they came together.

And here in Revelation 10, it's coming to an end. It's going to be completed. No more delays. God's purposes are going to be fulfilled. Things are coming to a close. Things are winding down at this point in the tribulation period. And the fulfillment of what the prophets predicted long ago is coming to pass. Judgment no longer delayed. There's no longer a mystery. It's a living reality.

Folks, I believe that today there are things that are winding down. That we are living in the last days. That the Lord is coming soon. I don't know when, but I'm anticipating his arrival. We could see it in this generation in our lifetime. We need to be ready for it. But look around. All of the things that are happening. John says this mystery is being revealed.

Guest (Male): Okay, we'll put on the brakes right here, but there is more to come, so keep listening. This is A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. You've just heard part one of a message called No More Delays. Hear it again at our website adailywalk.org, oneplace.com, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A case could be made that we've never been more divided as a nation than right now. When a nation is divided, to whom can we turn? Well, that's answered for us in a book we'd like to get into your hands from Jack Countryman. It's titled If My People, A Prayer Guide for Our Nation. You'll receive 40 days of prayer and reflections in the spirit from Second Chronicles 7:14. And we're making it available to our A Daily Walk listeners for the cost of just $8. You can call us for the ordering details at 877-242-0828. That's 877-242-0828 or request it online at adailywalk.org.

We are thankful for your support, especially during these summer months. If you've been encouraged and blessed by the teaching of the word and want to help us deliver the good news all across the nation and the world, stop by adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. Now let's return to Revelation chapter 10.

John Randall: After John observes this mighty angel, now this is interesting, he's actually given a command from this angel. Look at what it says in verse 8: "Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, 'Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.'"

So I went to the angel and said, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it. It'll make your stomach bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in your mouth." So then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and I ate it. And it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many people's nations, tongues, and kings."

Interesting, John is told to go up to the big angel and ask for the little book. And so he walks over and says, "Hey, I'll take the little book." And the angel says, "Here you go, eat it." The book? What does this mean, take the book and eat it?

Let me just help you out here for a second. This doesn't mean that John took a book, a physical book, and began to physically eat it like when you were a little kid and you ate paper in kindergarten. He's not talking about that. If you still eat books, we need to talk, okay?

But in the scriptures, in the Bible, this is symbolic language. The eating of a book means assimilating or digesting what is written. Read it, in other words. Understand it. Understand what it says. There's something similar again, Jeremiah, the Old Testament, chapter 15, verse 16. You remember Jeremiah said, "Your words were found and I ate them. And your word was to me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, Lord God of hosts."

Jeremiah didn't physically eat the word. He's saying, "I took it in, I received it, I assimilated it and it was a blessing in my life."

Guest (Male): We'll finish up the message next time on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall where you never have to walk alone.