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Revelation 10 |
 The Angel with the Little Book
"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 as the sun and his feet as pillars of fire; 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. And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth; and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices." Rev. 10:1-3 |
| This is a detour before we get to the seventh trumpet. The cloud is the same covering symbol used in the wilderness over the tabernacle and all the Israelites. The lion voice reminds us of the tribe of Judah that Jesus was born into. All symbols point to Jesus. One of his feet is on the land and the other on the sea. What does sea represent? It's people, isn't it? The message about Jesus will travel across oceans to distant lands. Everyone will hear the truth about God. |
| The rainbow was a symbol of God's covenant with man.
Genesis 9:16
When God looks at this rainbow He thinks about His promise to never leave or forsake us.
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 The
angel raised His hand to heaven like people do when promising to tell the
truth in court. He said that He swore by God that lives forever, that time
would be no longer. He did not mean that the world was at an end. He did
not mean it was the end of time for people to decide whose team to be on.
What He meant was that real long time prophecy was at an end. The message
of the 2300 day prophecy and all those times with the trumpets. The
message in the little book was about time. |
 Notice
what Jesus had in His hand. What is in this book? John was told to eat the
book. He was told it would taste sweet but in his stomach it would be
bitter the truth in this book would go around the world. People would be
so happy to know what the Bible says. The truth about the end of time was
good news. But the waiting and misunderstandings about what the book said
would be a bitter experience. |
 Jesus
has His feet on the land and sea to show He is in control of all that goes
on here on earth. He has power and authority over the whole earth no
matter what Satan tries to do. The thundering that John heard must have
been very loud. John was supposed to keep a secret. He was not supposed to
write out what the seven thunders said. Those messages would be made plain
later. (Joel 2:28) God needed to keep some things secret so that the faith
of people could be tested.
John was very careful not to write for us to know what the seven thunders said. God loves obedience. Are you careful to obey and help your parents? Are you careful to obey God more than any earthly voice? |
| Bitter
Sweet Book
The news was sweet to those wanting to go home to heaven in 1844. They saw that the 2300 day prophecy was ending in 1844. They made a mistake as to what was to happen. God did not correct this mistake for there were many doubters in the crowd and they would leave during the disappointment. Many left the church and never wanted to follow God again. Others went back to their Bibles to see where they came up with the wrong idea. God wanted to see who really did love Him. He let them get the wrong idea and then be discouraged. He helped those who really wanted to understand their Bibles. It made Jesus sad that there were people who did not enjoy Bible study. It made Him sad when they turned away from Him. But you know what? He knew all the time what was in their hearts. He knew that their influence could be real bad so he let them get discouraged and leave. This made it safer for His real honest people. |
| Quiz:
1. What did the rainbow symbolize? 2. What did the cloud symbolize? 3. What did it mean that Jesus raised His right arm? 4. What did John hear but was told not to write down? 5. What did John have to do with the little book? 6. What were the feet of Jesus in, and what did it mean? 7. What did it mean that time would be no more?
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| More Information:
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Significance
of the Rainbow
The rainbow round about the throne is an assurance that God is true, that in Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We have sinned against Him, and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas, "Do not abhor us, for Thy name's sake; do not disgrace the throne of Thy glory; remember, break not Thy covenant with us." Jer. 14:21. The rainbow of promise encircling the throne on high is an everlasting testimony that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. It testifies to the universe that God will never forsake His people in their struggle with evil. It is an assurance to us of strength and protection as long as the throne itself shall endure. {DA 493.2} Desire of Ages by Ellen White The rainbow spanning the heavens with its arch of light is a token of "the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature." Genesis 9:16. And the rainbow encircling the throne on high is also a token to God's children of His
covenant of peace. {Ed 115.1}
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 With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow . . . spans the heavens, and seems to
encircle each praying company.
. . . {FLB 347.4}By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard, saying, "Look up," and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look up steadfastly into heaven, and see the glory of God, and the Son of man seated upon His throne. Faith I Live by p. 347 |
 Heavenly beings, sustained and guided by the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, were impelling these wheels; above them upon the sapphire throne, was the Eternal One; and round about the throne a rainbow, the
emblem of divine mercy.
As the wheellike complications were under the guidance of the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, so the complicated play of human events is under divine control. Amidst the strife and tumult of nations, He that sitteth above the cherubim still guides the affairs of the earth. {AG 50.4}
Amazing Grace p. 50 discussing Ezekiel's vision in Chapters 1 and
10. The author of Amazing Grace is Ellen White. |
| Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne . . . and there was a rainbow round about the throne. Rev. 4:2, 3. {AG 70.1} The rainbow of promise encircling the throne on high is an everlasting testimony that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It testifies to the universe that God will never forsake His people in their struggle with evil. It is an assurance to us of strength and protection as long as the throne itself shall endure. {AG 70.2} God's throne will never end so also His strength and protection is never ending. |
As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the
combined power of mercy and
justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. {AG 70.3}It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. |
The rainbow about the throne is an assurance that God is true. . . . We have sinned against Him and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas: "Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us." Jer.
14:21