Analysis Of The Chapter This chapter Revelation 10:1 contains the record of a sublime vision of an angel which, at this juncture, John saw descending from heaven, disclosing new scenes in what was yet to occur. The vision is interposed between the sounding of the sixth, or second woe-trumpet, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW - I had a vision of. The meaning is, that he saw this subsequently to the vision in the previous chapter. The attention is now arrested by a new vision - as if some new dispensation or economy was about to occur in the world. ANOTHER MIGHTY ANGEL - He had before seen the seven angels who w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HAD IN HIS HAND A LITTLE BOOK OPEN - This is the first thing that indicated the purpose of his appearing, or that would give any distinct indication of the design of his coming from heaven. The general aspect of the angel, indeed, as represented in the former verse, was that of benignity, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, AS WHEN A LION ROARETH - The lion is the monarch of the woods, and his roar is an image of terror. The point of the comparison here seems to be the loudness with which the angel cried, and the power of what he said to awe the world - as the roar of the lion keeps the dwe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE SEVEN THUNDERS HAD UTTERED THEIR VOICES - After he had listened to those thunders; or when they had passed by. I WAS ABOUT TO WRITE - That is, he was about to record what was uttered, supposing that that was the design for which he hart been made to hear them. From this it would seem t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL WHICH I SAW STAND ... - Revelation 10:2. That is, John saw him standing in this posture when he made the oath which he proceeds to record. LIFTED UP HIS HAND TO HEAVEN - The usual attitude in taking an oath, as if one called heaven to witness. See Genesis 14:22; Deuteronomy 32:40; Eze... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SWARE BY HIM THAT LIVETH FOREVER AND EVER - By the ever-living God: a form of an oath in extensive use now. The essential idea in such an oath is an appeal to God; a solemn reference to Him as a witness; an utterance in the presence of Him who is acquainted with the truth or falsehood of what is... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IN THE DAYS OF THE VOICE OF THE SEVENTH ANGEL - The days in the period of time embraced by the sounding of the seventh trumpet. That is, the affairs of this world would not be consummated in that period embraced in the sounding of the sixth trumpet, but in that embraced in the sounding of the se... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE VOICE WHICH I HEARD FROM HEAVEN - Revelation 10:4. This is not the voice of the angel, but a direct divine command, SAID, GO AND TAKE THE LITTLE BOOK WHICH IS OPEN, ... - That is, take it out of his hand, and do with it as you shall be commanded. There is a very strong resemblance between th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WENT UNTO THE ANGEL - This is symbolic action, and is not to be understood literally. As it is not necessary to suppose that an angel literally descended, and stood upon the sea and the land, so it is not necessary to suppose that there was a literal act of going to him, and taking the book fr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS SOON AS I HAD EATEN IT, MY BELLY WAS BITTER - The effect immediately followed: that is, as soon as he was made acquainted with the contents of the book, either, as above explained, requiring him to deliver some message of woe and wrath which it would be painful to deliver, or that the consequ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME - The angel then said. THOU MUST PROPHESY - The word “prophesy” here is evidently used in the large sense of making known divine truth in general; not in the comparatively narrow and limited sense in which it is commonly used, as referring merely to the foretelling of future even... [ Continue Reading ]