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The mighty angel who descends from heaven in Rev. 10: holds in His hand "A little
scroll open". There are three contrasts here with the scene of chapter 5: There, it is a
scroll; here it is a little scroll. There none but the Lamb of God could be found worthy
enough to take the scroll; here a mighty angel has it. There it was sealed with seven
seals; here it is open. It seems evident that this mighty angel comes with full authority
and with all the evidences to make formal claim for his Lord. When Christ, as the Son of
man, was about to come in lowliness to Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Calvary, a man of the
wilderness in camel's hair was His forerunner. Now that the same Son of man is about to
take the kingdom and reign in glory, His forerunner is a mighty angel. John Baptist cried
"Repent", but the sixth seal reveals the utter impenitence of man. The mighty angel
makes no call to repentance.
Majesty accompanies this great forerunner's every act. "He set his right foot upon the
sea, and his left foot upon the earth." This first act symbolizes possession. At His first
coming though "the world was made by Him, the world knew Him not'. He was pointed
out by His forerunner as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. At His
second coming the world made by Him will be claimed by Him. Creation will not be
alienated for ever. His forerunner this time enters into possession. The inheritance is
secured:--
"Ask of Me, and I will give thee the heathen, thine inheritance, and the uttermost part
of the earth, thy possession."
No longer as the Lamb of God to die for sin, but the Lion of the tribe of Judah He is
coming in power and great glory. The cry of this mighty angel was as the roar of a lion,
and seven thunders utter their voices at his cry, "the seven thunders" to be exact. We
have the seven angels, the seven stars, the seven spirits, and here the seven thunders.
What were these echoes awakened by the angel's voice? Were they the distant sounds of
the seven vials? We do not know. For some wise purpose the apostle was commanded,
"Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not". Whatever
they said, it was sealed. We believe that they are unsealed in the pouring out of the seven
last plagues. The angel now:--
"lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who
created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein
are, and the sea, and the things which therein are, that there should be time no longer."
Before saying anything about this, we shall be wise to notice a parallel passage in
Dan. 12: The prominent figure is Michael, the great prince which standeth for Israel.
The setting is the time of great tribulation and resurrection. Daniel is instructed to shut
up the words, and to seal the book, even to the time of the end. Then comes the parallel
with Rev. 10::--
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when
he held up his right hand and his left unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever,
that it shall be for a time, times and an half: and when he shall have accomplished to
scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."