The Angel Swears by God
“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 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! 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 10:5-7).
Please raise your right hand and repeat after me to swear in is a common phrase and practice in Western courtrooms and is required of all witnesses before they take the stand or give a deposition for trials. This swearing in to tell the truth before the court can lead one to stand trial for perjury if they fail to make honest statements. Unfortunately, many people have disregarded the seriousness of oaths and will therefore make dishonest statements despite having sworn to tell the truth.
During his vision, John sees the angel who had previously stood on the land and sea. In the Word of God, land often represents God's covenant promises, His faithfulness, provision, and eternal dwelling with His people. It also signifies a place of blessing, identity, spiritual rest, and the charge to live according to God's will. The Bible says: “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 11:13-15). Therefore, land was a sign of God’s blessings that He would make prosper through their obedience.
The angle also had one foot in the sea. In the Bible, the sea often symbolizes chaos, danger, rebellious nations, or forces against God. The sea can represent masses of people, nations, or tongues, as well as God’s authority over creation. The Bible says: “Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages” (Revelation 17:15). We will go in-depth on this in upcoming lessons, but for now, it is important to remember the symbolism of this body of water that the angel stood in.
This angel was a formidable, majestic figure representing divine authority. Then John witnessed the angel swear by God, who made everything in the world, that there would be no more delay. First, there is no one higher than God to swear by. Therefore, the angel, being a representative and messenger of God, had the authority to declare an oath from God. This is not the first time God has sworn an oath by himself. There is no one higher than God whom He can declare an oath on. Therefore, whenever God makes an oath, it is upon Himself. “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13). When God makes an oath, it will not be broken by Him, and this is why the covenant between God and Abraham’s descendants still exists today. God never breaks His covenants, and His word never returns unto Him void.
The angel announced that there would be no more delay. He was speaking of the judgments to come. This marks the climax of God's plan, the revealing of His complete purpose (the "mystery of God"), and finally the fulfillment of prophecies given to His servants, the prophets. This also signifies that God's long-suffering grace is coming to an end. The end-time prophetic events, those concerning the seventh trumpet, will happen without further delay. Many in the world today have the ideology that just because God has not yet returned, they can continue in their wicked ways without any consequences, or they feel as if time is on their side. However, this is not true. Israel thought the same thing when they had turned away from God and were content in their idolatrous ways. However, God is never in a hurry to administer judgment and punishment upon His children. He gives us every opportunity to get it right, but when He finally renders judgment, it is more than well deserved. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). In essence, verses 5-7 are a crucial moment where God's patience runs out, marking that the final phase of judgment and the fulfillment of His redemptive promises are imminent and inevitable, thus commencing with the seventh trumpet.
John Eats the Scroll
“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ “ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and king”
(Revelation 10:8-11).
John was told to take the scroll and eat it. It would taste like honey, but it would turn his stomach sour. He was then told that he must prophecy again about many people, nations, languages and kings. When God has called a leader to ministry and speak His truth, it is not always received well by others. It is a good and necessary word because it comes from God himself if that leader is aligning himself with God. However, it can produce a sourness in those who hear it and in the one giving it, because many do not want to hear the truth.
Ezekiel was given the same instructions in the vision that he had. The Bible says: “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth” (Ezekiel 3:1-3). Many people do not want to hear the truth and would rather listen to a lie. However, just as Ezekiel had to do, one must still deliver God’s word when called, even if people will not listen. Prophets are called to speak God's truth and call God’s people to holy and righteous living, but they often face rejection for delivering unsolicited messages. This is what distinguishes them from the false prophets who tell the people only what they want to hear and fail to turn the people’s hearts to the true God and lead them astray. True prophets expose sin and call the people to repentance, even if it means speaking brutal truths, thus turning the people’s hearts back to God.
People do not want to hear about hell, but it is real. People do not want to hear that Jesus is coming soon, but He is. People do not want to hear that we cannot be like the world, but they must change. People do not want to hear that they cannot take advantage of God’s grace, but they must. People do not want to hear that they must repent or lose out on Heaven, yet, they will. The Bible says: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). Many churches are filled today because the pastors are tickling the ears of the people instead of calling them to repentance, salvation, and warning of the end times. An alarm must be sounded, and John was given a prophetic warning to deliver to the church, so that people across the world could understand what God wants and requires of His people and be prepared for troublesome times.
Homework for next Bible study: Share what the gift of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection means to you.
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