Sermon Tone Analysis

Textual Idea – God showed John another vision of His universal reign & the vital importance of the Word of God.

Sermon Idea – People need to know of God’s universal reign & the vital importance of the Word of God.

Interrogative – What did God reveal to John about His reign & the importance of the Word of God?

Transition w/ key word – Our text presents 5 symbols teaching us of God’s universal reign & the importance of the Word of God.

1.

An unusual angel - vs. 1-2a

2.

An unusual act - vs. 2b-3

3.

An unusual answer - vs. 4

4.

An unusual announcement - vs. 5-7

5.

An unusual assignment - vs. 8-11

Introduction – I like to snack.

I get it honestly because my parents were snack people too.

I love it when mom comes to visit because she always brings home made Chex mix she made.

She’ll also bring things that are sweet and salty – both tastes in one item.

It could be chocolate covered pretzels or chocolate covered peanuts, but it will have chocolate and salt.

I also happen to love kettle corn, has a sweet and salty taste to it.

I sometimes have energy bars in my office and typically they are mixed nut bars with some yogurt icing – again giving that sweet and salty taste.

In our study today in Revelation, we’re going to consider what I call “The Bittersweet Word of God.”

Background – Last time we saw 6 of the 7 trumpet judgments as the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

The judgments were fierce, they were intense and they came at us in rapid succession that are honestly overwhelming to try and process all that.

We talked about 3 scenes related to the shock and awe in heaven, the shock and awe upon creation and shock and awe directly upon humans.

What was amazing about all these judgments is the response of the people was not to repent before God and beg for mercy nor did they turn away from their idol worship and sinful behavior.

God graciously provides another interlude, a “divine half-time” to give us a breather from these judgments.

Chapters 10-11 serve like a parenthesis in this cosmic battle of good versus evil.

We’ve seen another interlude or parenthesis in Chapter 7 between the seven seals of judgment between seals 1-6 and the seventh seal.

When you place a set of parenthesis in a written document, you do so to furnish some information to the reader that they need to know that helps explain the action taking place in the story.

What we’re looking at today is the divine parenthesis or interlude between the trumpet judgments 1-6 and before the 7th and final trumpet is sounded that doesn’t happen until 11:15.

It helps us understand some things taking place in this Great Tribulation period.

Sermon Idea – The Word of God and the plan of God are bittersweet, bitter in the judgment of God & yet sweet in hope of salvation.

We need to understand God’s universal reign & the vital importance of the Word of God that tells us both the bad news of judgment which is bitter and the good news of salvation which is sweet.

Transition w/ key word – Our text presents 5 symbols teaching us of God’s universal reign & the importance of the Word of God.

1.

An unusual angel - vs. 1-2a

Explanation - His identity –

▪ Some propose this is the Lord Jesus because of his stature and positioning over earth and sea, his being clothed with a cloud, the rainbow on his head, brightness of His face like the sun as well as his feet like pillars of fire, in general his overall appearance.

It is plausible in that this angel is referred to as a “mighty angel” - mighty means strong, powerful, as compared to other angels mentioned thus far in our study.

He’s clothed with a cloud and some commentators view this as a picture of the shekinah glory cloud in the OT when God led the COI as a pillar of cloud and His presence would settle over the tabernacle.

His face was bright like the sun - they point back to 1:16 and how John saw Jesus walking among the golden lamp stands.

There was definitely a rainbow around the throne in chapter 4:3.

So I get that.

His feet like pillars of fire could point to 1:15 with Jesus’ feet.

They also point to this mighty angel’s mannerisms how he speaks and his stature.

Objections this is Jesus –

Nowhere in Revelation is Jesus pictured as an Angel – use of “another” “allos” GK = another of the same kind in vs. 1 refers to this angel being similar to the previous angels.

If this mighty angel was Jesus Christ, we would expect the word “heteros” = another of a different kind.

Whenever Jesus does appear in Revelation, He has a unique title: IE “The First & the Last” 1:11, the “Beginning of the creation of God” 3:14, “Lion of Judah” 5:5, “the Lamb” 6:1, 16, 7:17 & 8:1”, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” 19:16.

It would be reasonable that if Christ were the angel in view here, He would be distinctly identified.

Other strong angels who cannot be identified with Christ appear in both 5:2 & 18:21.

If this were Jesus, He’d have no reason to take the oath this angel takes in vs. 5-6.

(CF Heb.

6:13 – When God made a promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself because there is none greater).

This Angel’s coming down to earth from Heaven, does not fit the descriptions of Christ’s 2nd coming described elsewhere in Scripture.

(Cf.

Matt.

24:30; 25:31; 2nd Thess.

1:7–8).

In any case, this mighty angel is one of great prestige, authority and he plays an important role, as a spokesman for God, in this vision John is actually going to participate in shortly.

This is an unusual angel.

Notice…

2. An unusual act - vs. 2b-3

Explanation - The mighty angel set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land revealing his massive size from John’s perspective in the vision.

This action symbolizes God’s universal sovereign rule, reign and His authority to judge Heaven and Earth.

The 2nd commandment in Ex.20:4 prohibits fashioning an idol of anything that is in Heaven above or the Earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.

In Ex. 20:11, God said in 6 days the Lord made the heavens the earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested on the 7th day.

In Ps. 69:34 the psalmist says “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.”

The picture John sees of this mighty angel putting his feet down on the sea and land are like God is re-staking His rightful claim that He is about to take back what is rightfully His in the first place from that treasonous usurper Satan.

Paul declared in 1st Cor.

10:26 “The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains.”

The mighty angel then roared which we would expect from a creature of his size & stature, John said it sounded like a lion reflects the power, majesty and authority of God.

Several OT prophets like Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, & Amos speak of God’s roar of judgment.

(Slide) Note Jeremiah 25:30: “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, as those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.”

What the mighty angel said is recorded in vs. 6-7 which we’ll get to in a moment.

We have two symbols of this vision 7 divine parenthesis between the 6th & 7th trumpet judgments, an unusual angel & unusual act, notice:

3.

An unusual answer - vs. 4

Explanation - At the end of verse 3, we’re told after this mighty angel roared to get the attention of the universe, John recorded 7 thunders uttered their voices.

(Slide - highlight 7 lightening strikes) Apparently these were loud like thunder but clearly distinguishable voices and John understood what they said because he was ready to write down what they said.

But then John heard another unmistakable authoritative voice that commanded John not to right down what he just heard.

Of course 7 is the number of perfection and coincides with what we’ve seen so far, 7 stars, 7 golden lamp stands that represented the pastors of the 7 churches of Asia in chapters 1-3.We have a scroll sealed with 7 seals in chapter 5 with 7 judgements, we now are in the 7 trumpet judgments in 8-9.

One immediately wonders why John is told not to write down what the 7 thunders uttered.

It’s almost as if the human mind cannot even begin to comprehend the judgements coming from those 7 thunders!

(Vs.

Slide) Ps. 18:13 says “The Lord thundered from Heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire.”

The fact that John was ordered not to write down what was thundered is an ominous and intimidating sign!

Clearly this is a literary device functioning as an ominous threat.

It is God saying in effect, “You’ve seen a great deal of my wrath & judgment against sin, but no where close to all of my hand in judgment.”

The fact that God chose not reveal is in fact an act of mercy but clearly designed to wake us up to the reality of His pending judgment.

(Slides) It’s interesting in Psalm 29:3-9 that the voice of God thunders 7 different ways:

1) Over many waters

2) Powerfully

3) Majestically

4) Splinters the cedars of Lebanon

5) Stirs up flames of fire

6) shakes the wilderness

7) Makes deer give birth & strips the forest bare… “And in His temple everyone says Glory!”

Transition - So we have an unusual angel, unusual act, an unusual answer now we see…

4.

An unusual announcement - vs. 5-7

Explanation - It’s almost as if this mighty angel is about to take his place in God’s divine witness box raising his hand toward heaven and then swears an oath.

(Slide - Highlight right hand)

It is a solemn vow before God that what he is about to say is of utmost importance and truthfulness.

His vow is by the eternal God who lives forever and ever, the Creator God of the Universe who created Heaven and everything in the earth and everything in it, the sea and everything in it!

The fact he is standing on the land and the sea taking this oath, speaking for God reiterates God’s rightful place as Sovereign Lord of the Universe!

Make no mistake ladies & gentlemen, God is in charge & He’s thundering from Heaven: “Ignore Me to your own peril!”

The content of his divine message on behalf of God is that should be no longer a delay for the 7th trumpet to sound and the mystery of God would be finished as the prophets predicted.