Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Revelation 10:1-11

Theme: The judgments of God upon a wicked rebellious people are catastrophic, and still the rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands.

Now the promise comes ... there will be no more delay.

God’s Kingdom is close at hand.

Date: 07/08/2018 File name: Resurrection22.wpd

ID Number:

In chapter 10 we arrive at an intermission between the 6th and 7th Trumpet Judgments.

And do we need it.

Just reading about the judgments that are coming upon the earth and its inhabitants can leave us breathless.

In his wrath God will pour out cataclysm after cataclysm upon a sinful, evil, and an unrepentant humanity.

The sounding of the sixth trumpet depicts the unbelievers who refuse to repent from their evil works, even though they have witnessed divine judgment in a series of plagues.

But before the 7th trumpet is sounded God tells us that in the sounding of that trumpet the mystery of God will be accomplished.

The sounding of the seventh trumpet, which heralds the imminent return and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, will usher in that long-anticipated day: “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever’ ” (11:15).

In this interlude God encourages His people in the midst of the fury and horror of divine judgment, and remind them that God is still in sovereign control of all events.

During this interlude God comforts His people with the knowledge that He has not forgotten them, and that they will ultimately be victorious.

Like the believers of Malachi’s day even God’s people will fear being swept away by the divine judgments that are ravaging the earth.

God will comfort and reassure them that He has not forgotten them and that He still controls events and protects His own.

“Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard.

A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

17 “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession.

I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.”

(Malachi 3:16–17, NIV84)

I. THE BIG ANGEL

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven.

He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand.

He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.

When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.

4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.

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!

7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.””

(Revelation 10:1–7, NIV84)

1. this is the second of three mighty angels we read about in the Book of Revelation

a. the first mighty angel is in Rev. 5:2, and is the angel who asks the fateful question

“ ... “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”

b. the third mighty angel is in Rev. 18:21, and is the angle who throws a large boulder into the sea to demonstrate the coming destruction of the great city of Babylon

c. there are those theologians and commentators who identify this “mighty angel” as Christ, himself, but I agree with those who think this is an error

1) in the Book of Revelation, angels are always angels, and Christ is always clearly identified as the Second Person of the Trinity

2. angles play an important role in God’s redemptive ministry—particularly His judgments

A. THE GLORY OF GOD’S ANGELS

1. the bible teaches that there are different types of angles indicating that there is a God-ordained hierarchy of the Heavenly Host

a. there are “ordinary angels” —I use the word ordinary to mean other angels in the Bible that aren't specifically named

1) most angels that are described in the Bible are normally described as tall young men with shining faces and wearing white simple robes

2) and, just so you know, there is no mention of any wings

b. there are Archangels such as Michael

1) the word archangel means chief angel, and seems to indicate a place of special authority

2) while many in Judaism, Islam, and even Christianity consider Gabriel an archangel, he is never referred to as such though he is one of the few angel referred to specifically by name

c. there are unique creaturely-angels such as the Seraphim, Cherubim and the Four Living Creatures of Revelation 4:6-8

ILLUS.

These angels sound like something right out of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by Newt Scamander, (Some of you will get that).

d. then we have some unique angels life the three Mighty Angels or Revelation whose description is vivid

1) this mighty angel comes directly from the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ ... he comes down from heaven

2) he is described as mighty—this angel is not only physically powerful, he is also valiant

3) he is robed in a cloud—demonstrating his status and majesty, and the fact that he comes bringing judgment

4) around the angel’s head is a rainbow symbolizing God’s mercy, and His faithfulness to keep his covenant promises with his people even in the midst of judgment

5) his face beams like the sun, yet even that brilliance is but a pale reflection of the Shechinah glory of God, who “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim.

6:16)

6) his legs are like fiery pillars, symbolizing his unbending holiness in stamping out his judgment on the earth

2. the description of this mighty angel is meant to convey the magnitude and magnificence of the angel’s appearance

a. these magnificent spiritual beings were created by God, and will play a significant role in the grand finale of God’s redemptive work

B. THE MINISTRY OF GOD’S ANGELS

“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!”

(Revelation 10:6, NIV84)

1. the angels were created by God for one purpose: to carry out His will

“Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.”

(Psalm 103:20–21, NIV84)

a. angels protect us, provide for us, proclaim God’s truth and will to us, and they punish and carry out God’s judgments

2. it’s this last ministry that we see the Angels of God carrying out during the Great Tribulation

a. throughout the Bible we see that Angles are instruments of God’s wrath

1) it is an angel who bars the way back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis, (Genesis 3:24)

2) in Sodom and Gomorrah, two angels strike the men of those cities blind because of their evil intent (Genesis 19:13)

3) in the Book of 2 Kings we read that the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35)

4) in Acts 12:18-23, we read that Herod Antipas is struck dead by an angel when the crowd worships him as God and he gladly receives the adulation

5) at the Second Coming of Christ it’s the angels who will gather the unrepentant for final judgment

“He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom.

The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.”

(Matthew 13:37–41, NIV84)

3. this mighty angle has one task ... to announce the impending final judgements upon a rebellious, and unrepentant mankind

a. in Revelation, chapter six the saints cry out, “ ... “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?””

(Revelation 6:10, NIV84)

1) here is the answer ...

There will be no more delay!

b.

God has poured out a series of six cataclysmic judgments, and the net affect is, “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent ... .”

(Revelation 9:20, NIV84)

c. this mighty angel now gives a loud shout like the roar of a lion, and the voices of seven thunders echo back (vs.

2)

ILLUS.

I couldn’t help but think of the explosive echos we heard reverberating off the hills Tuesday night when we celebrate Independence Day at the Schlempers’ farm.

1) John is about to record what these voices say, but is prohibited from doing so

“And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.””

(Revelation 10:4, NIV84)

2) there is, of course, much debate over what the content of these seven thunders are

3) I think that John is commanded to seal them up because, if their contents were made known, even the Elect of God would faint away or drop dead from fright

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”

(Matthew 24:21–22, NIV84)