Simple Faith

Bill Henry: Notice his physical appearance is just awe-inspiring, but then when he cries out with a loud voice, it's like when a lion roars. Anybody here ever yell? Kids are like, "Yeah, my mom or dad." When I yell, it's like, "Hey!" Does that sound like a lion to you? No.

But when he's crying out, when he's yelling or shouting, it says in the Amplified, it is as when a lion roars. I mean, he just roars. This is incredible.

Guest (Male): Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington welcomes you to Simple Faith with our senior pastor, Bill Henry. Coming up on the program today, as we study Revelation chapter 10, we'll meet a mysterious angel carrying a book. Who is he? What's his mission?

That's what we aim to find out over the next several broadcasts. And remember what Bill has said consistently throughout our study in Revelation: we should take the Bible at its word and not try to read symbolism into the equation. So the angel with the little book is an angel with a little book. Here's Pastor Bill now to begin our study in Revelation chapter 10.

Bill Henry: "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 cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. 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.'

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. But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets."

As we look back briefly on the book of Revelation, if you remember back in chapter one, we're introduced to Jesus Christ being revealed in different ways and deeper ways. The first verse there is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so we see in chapter one Jesus being revealed.

Then into chapters two and three, John the apostle is writing down seven letters that were dictated to him by Jesus to give to seven specific churches in Asia Minor. As we talked about before, we also believe that these letters were prophesying church history to come, church ages that would come, as they line up so well when you hold them up to the almost 2,000 years of church history.

We also learned that we believe that these seven letters represent many different churches or all churches, really, in any age. All churches will fit into the category of one or two of those letters. Then we came to chapter four. That was chapters two and three. In chapter four, we have what we might call our first break in the book of Revelation as we see into the throne room of God—the glorious picture that we see of God's throne, the Lord being worshipped. It's just incredible.

Then we come to chapter five and we see the Lamb of God who took a scroll that no one was worthy to open. This scroll had seven seals which no one was worthy to open, but He alone, Jesus the Christ, the Lamb of God, was worthy to open the scroll. As He began to open each seal, there came with that a judgment of God upon a world that had rejected God, upon a world that has rejected Jesus the Christ.

After that, after the sixth seal was opened and that judgment happened, we see another break in chapter seven. In chapter seven, this break, we read of the 144,000 Jews who were sealed by God, 12,000 from each tribe. They were sealed by God to go and do the work of the Father here upon the earth.

Then we saw, still in chapter seven, a great time of worship, a great praise and worship session breaks out. We have a glimpse into what's going to be the greatest revival in the history of the world. We're told there in chapter seven, a great multitude that no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, as they stand before the Lamb crying out with a loud voice saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb."

When asked, John asked one of the elders, "Hey, who are all these people? I can't even count them all." The elder said, "These are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation and wash their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." I just love the mercy of God even in the midst of this.

Then we came to chapter eight and the seventh and final seal was opened. So grievous were the judgments to come as this seventh seal was opened, there was a silence in heaven for, as it were, it says almost half an hour. Again, just terrible things to come. Basically, then we saw there again in chapter eight as the seventh seal was opened, we saw seven trumpet judgments come forth.

Then as we come to the end of chapter nine, we read of the sixth trumpet judgment out of the seven that is to be blown. Now as we come to chapter 10, we see another break, if you will, as we're seeing something slightly different. Look at verse one again with me. John said, "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."

Here we see a pretty incredible description of another angel or messenger of God. Notice we're told that he's coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and he's mighty. He has a rainbow on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. Some commentators believe that this is Jesus Christ coming down. As they say, it sounds a lot like the description we read in Revelation chapter one, Revelation chapter four, even going back to Acts chapter one.

I don't believe that. I believe that this is not that, and here's the reason why. As we see there at the beginning of the verse, notice it says, "I saw still another mighty angel." As one Greek scholar points out, the word "another" there in the Greek is *allos*, and it literally means "another of the same kind."

He goes on to say if John had seen Jesus, he most likely would have used the Greek word *heteros* instead, which means "of another of an entirely different sort." In the Greek, it literally is saying that he saw another mighty angel, another of the same kind he had been seeing. So I believe John is describing another angel, perhaps Michael the archangel.

That's kind of what I think this is, but it might be Gabriel or an angel we haven't been introduced to. We don't know for certain. But again, it's interesting, notice that this angel is described as mighty. "Mighty" there is *ischyros* in the Greek, and it literally means "forcible, valiant, strong, powerful." I like this because it's powerful in the Greek, both in body and mind, physically and morally.

And that's this angel. He's just a mighty being. Notice too that he's coming down from heaven. We're going to see heaven and then he puts one foot on the earth and one foot on the sea. We're going to see this several times within these few very verses, so it's important that he's coming down from heaven.

Notice he has a rainbow over his head. Again, most commentators believe it's referring back to the throne room of God and we see the rainbow around God's throne. So basically the rainbow here tells us that this mighty angel comes with the authority of the living God. And again, his face shining like the sun, his feet like pillars of fire.

It's interesting to note that this angel's description does sound a lot like Jesus. And that's why I come back to Michael. Michael in the Greek is a form of the Hebrew word *Mika'el*, and it literally means "who is like God." And so it could be; it may not be. But I think it's kind of a neat thing to look at.

Look at verse two. So this mighty angel had a little book open in his hand, and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. He had a little book open in his hand. Some think that Jesus gave to him the scroll that he was reading from, but I don't believe that because it's interesting, here literally in the Greek it's "little book," and it's a different form of the Greek word that Jesus has the scroll, meaning a full scroll, if you will.

So he has this little book, he has this little scroll. Some believe that it might be the rest of the book of Revelation that John will end up writing down. We don't know for sure, but again it's interesting. That aside, this mighty angel of God sets his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the land, and remember he came down from heaven.

Notice that all areas are covered: the heavens, the earth, and the seas. So again, to me, we're seeing here a picture of complete power over the creation of God, including human beings. Complete power. You see, I believe that these verses are showing us now that God is in the process of taking back the earth. He is in the process of taking back the earth from the false god of this world, Satan, and even given the authority to his angels to complete this.

Look at verse three. This angel cried out with a loud voice as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. I don't know, this is such an awesome picture. If this doesn't inspire you or humble you, I don't think anything will. I mean, notice his physical appearance is just awe-inspiring. But then when he cries out with a loud voice, it's like when a lion roars.

Anybody here ever yell? Kids are like, "Yeah, my mom or dad." When I yell, it's like, "Hey!" Does that sound like a lion to you? No. But when he's crying out, when he's yelling or shouting, it says in the Amplified, he sounds as when a lion roars. I mean, he just roars. This is incredible. So he's crying out. Again, in the Greek, as he's hearing this, John hears this. Notice it says, "And when he cried out, this angel, seven thunders uttered their voices."

I don't know, was it last year? I think last year I was filming the backyard. Actually, it was the beginning of this year and we had one of those killer storms, lightning and thunder. Some people were building a house behind us and I had my camera going. All of a sudden lightning hit right on their property and just that boom. You ever have that happen and all of a sudden that boom of thunder? Whoa, knocks you out. Well, this is seven thunders.

Imagine the booming as they're crying out. Notice it says seven thunders uttered their voices. Now, for us, sometimes we might think "uttered" and it's almost like they're mumbling, you don't understand what's being said. But here's the key: John could understand what was being said. In the Amplified, let me read verse three out of the Amplified because it catches the Greek better. It says, "And he shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion, and when he had shouted, the seven thunders gave voice and uttered their message in distinct words."

So when these seven thunders—it wasn't just some uttering that no one could understand. It was in distinct words. How do we know this? It's refortified. Look at verse four. "Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write." So he could understand what he heard, so he was about to write it down.

But I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them." Anybody want to know what that says? Well, I'll tell you later if you sign up for $50 each. I got an inside scoop to what's actually—no, nobody does. We don't know what's being said because it's sealed up. It's been sealed up and that's what it says.

I find this very interesting because even though John had heard specifically what they had said and was going to write it down for us to be able to read here today, all of a sudden he says seal it up. You ever find out when somebody has a secret and you want to know it? You couldn't care less before, right? But all of a sudden when you find out, "Hey, man, there's something gnarly going on. You want to know what it is?" It's like, part of you is just—your flesh especially—"Oh yeah, what's going on? What is it? You gotta tell me."

We have a rule in our house: you can't start something and then not finish it. "I'm going to tell—oh, no, I better not tell you." And that's kind of almost what's happening here, right? "Boy, I heard all these things, the thunders and seven voices, but I can't tell you because I was told to seal them up."

Look, it's interesting when you look at the book of John. John, when he's writing his gospel, and I'm paraphrasing here, but he said, "This book is not all the things that Jesus said and did, because if I wrote all those down, it would take all the libraries and all the world to contain it." And we don't have here in the 66 books that we call the Bible, written by some 40 authors—we don't have everything that's ever happened written here.

We don't even have this portion right here. There are things that God has edited out, if you will. There are things that God has said, "No, I'm not going to put in my word." But you see, we need to understand that there are times when God speaks and, guess what, it's not for everybody to hear. And that's kind of what's going on here. There's this voice of heaven: "Don't write it down."

It's like what happens in Daniel chapter 12, if you remember. Daniel 12:4, "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." It's interesting because if you look at the study of biblical prophecy, the last 120 years, it's exploded within the church. A lot of people say, "Well, that's the reason you can't trust it, because it's new."

I understand that to a point, but it goes right along with what Daniel was told, wasn't it? All of a sudden, "Hey, I want you to shut up the words, seal the book until the time of the end, and many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase." Well, it's interesting to look at our world. Within the last 150 years, what are the two things that have totally changed our world?

Transportation. Like all of a sudden you can drive somewhere in two hours that used to take two weeks to do in a covered wagon. But also knowledge shall increase. Anybody heard of something called AI? I mean, sincerely, knowledge has increased the last 150 years like never before in the history of the world. And so did God then open up these things that were sealed? Again, we could keep going on there, but turn with me please to Revelation 22.

Now there are places like this talking about the seal of God's word throughout the Bible. Let's look at Revelation 22:10. "And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.'" Now as we're looking at these things, the rest of the book of Revelation, God wants everybody to know the time is at hand. We need to know these things, that these things are coming.

But the application, as we look at this to me, is quite clear, quite plain to see. God has revealed to us through His written word all of the things that we need to know as Christians, even as human beings. God has revealed to us all that we need to know. We don't need to add to the word of God. We might have more questions: "Lord, I wish You would have explained the Trinity a little better. Hey, I wish You would have told me why You let this happen or what happened there." Amen, anybody? I mean, seriously.

But we need to trust that what God has given us, even things that might be sealed away, that we need to trust in God with that. So many today are wandering off into what's called Gnosticism. Gnosticism has been around since the writing of the New Testament. Gnosticism, from the word *gnosis* in the Greek, basically meaning "extra knowledge."

So they're adding knowledge to the Bible. "Well, I know the Bible says this, but let me tell you, there's some other stuff." People who add onto the books of the Bible, those Gospel of Judas or different silly things, and they try to add on. "Hey, we can look into things." I'll give you a perfect example today. There's a book called *Jesus Calling* that's out there. Many of you might even have it at home. It's by Sarah Young.

I have a big problem with that book, and I'll tell you why: because it's written in the first person from Jesus. It's written in the first person like she's literally hearing from Jesus and writing down. And that's what she basically said she did; she heard from the Lord and wrote it down to give to the people. Now, there are several things wrong with that.

First of all, God stopped speaking, as we read in Hebrews chapter one, right here in the word of God. This is it. We've heard through His Son Jesus Christ. Now again, that doesn't mean His Spirit isn't alive today moving in our lives, speaking to us, but not with the authority of the word of God. Now, the second thing which you may not know: her book is called *Jesus Calling*.

It's based upon a book called *God Calling*. It was a book written by three nuns back in the 1970s. It's a devotional, same exact thing. They locked themselves in an apartment, I believe it was in New York City, and they all heard from God and wrote down what they heard from God and turned it into a devotional. I know that because I was a Catholic back then and I actually had that devotional.

So it's based upon extra words of God and claiming to be from Jesus. I have a huge problem with that because honestly, what it's really saying is the Bible isn't enough. The Bible's good, and I bet some of us might even feel this way: the Bible's good, but man, I need this extra stuff to help me really hear from God. That's a lie from the pit of hell, by the way.

Usually, when people are saying that, honestly, it's people that when I really start to talk to them, usually they haven't even read through the whole Bible one time, let alone studying their Bible and reading it every day and continually going through their Bible. And to be honest, these are those people that are like this in their walks. Maybe this is you here today or watching. You're going like this in your walk: "Woohoo!" and then sin sets in. "Whoa, doing really good, holy, holy—oh, sin sets in."

And you think that's the life of a Christian. That is not the life of a Christian. That is the life of either someone who's not a Christian or someone who is a prodigal son or daughter. You see, I have a really weird conversion story. I'm not going to get into it, but I was saved in the charismatic part of the Catholic Church. Put that together. But when I got saved and I started going to Catholic Church again, they told me not to read my Bible.

And so I grew in certain ways, but in other ways, I found myself in some of the old sins that I'd been in before. I'd sit down with priests and nuns and get drunk. I mean, it was like this weird thing. But then, some things happened. My knee went out, major knee surgeries, different things. I started reading my Bible—my Catholic Bible, even. Started in the Gospel of John and guess what?

All of a sudden God did something so radical in my life as a Christian, if you will. I don't know if I came to Christ or if I just got saved. I was all of a sudden the guy who was actually hearing the word of God and doing the word of God. All of a sudden, I went from this, and honestly, mostly down here, to this—just going up. And don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. There are some things because I still sin.

But man, when I base my life upon the word of God and do my best to walk in loving obedience to the word of God—and it's a joy for me to do so—it's like, I've told this to you before, but I remember reading and all of a sudden it said, "Be not drunk on wine." I didn't sit there and go, "Oh man, I can't get drunk on wine anymore." You know what went through my heart? "Lord, I don't have to get drunk anymore?"

"Let no corrupt communication proceed from your mouth." It wasn't like, "Oh man, I can't curse anymore." No, it was like, "Lord, I don't have to curse anymore, do I?" And I realized how set free I was by the power of the Spirit of God through the word of God. And you see, God's word—is what I'm trying to get back to—is perfect. It is more than enough. Every time I read through it—and I try to do it once a year—every time I read through it, God reveals more to me.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill's series in Revelation. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. If you'd like to share today's message with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen, and you can actually download an audio MP3.

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