In the prophecies that follow the message to the seven churches, we read of seven seals followed by seven trumpets.

Before I tell you what the seals and trumpets are, take note the following pattern. The seals are given in the following order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, (an interruption), 7. Immediately after the seals the trumpets follow in the following order, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, (an interruption) 7.

The interruption in the seals is found in Ch. 7 of Revelation. This interruption is an answer to the question: “who shall be able to stand?” Ch. 7 portrays the sealing of the people of God. Similarly, there is an interruption in the trumpets. Ch. 10-11:14 answers the question of what the church of God will be [or should be] doing in the last days.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

What are the seals and what are the trumpets, in summary?

After the message is given to the seven churches – John was taken to heaven in vision and saw a scroll with seven seals that needed to be opened. Long story short, only the lamb was qualified to open it. When each of these seals are finally opened one by one, historical events that stretch to the second time are revealed. These historical events relate to the church. The people of God go through persecution.

After the opening of the seventh seal, seven angels are seen with trumpets ready to sound (repeating the same historical timeframe but this time revealing the judgments to befall the earth throughout history). In the OT trumpets were used in signalling to the people of certain things – but the best use of trumpets was when the Israelites wanted God to intervene or to remember His people. Therefore, the trumpets were also used to invoke God’s actions (Leviticus 10:8-10; 2 Chron. 13:12-15). In the context of the seven trumpets, these trumpets are God’s judgments… The purpose of these trumpets is to show the world that God is ready to intervene and that He is not indifferent to the suffering of His people.

 NOTE: Recapitulation – expand and enlarge – adding more detail style employed.

The seven trumpets start sounding indicating judgments to befall the earth just before Jesus returns. Now we pick up in Revelation 10 where the final judgment is about to fall on earth. Just before the final judgment, there is an interruption – almost like a zooming in, with a different camera angle to reveal to you and me, what the church is supposed to be doing in such a difficult time before the doom of the world; just before hell break loose (as the saying goes) upon the world. Before the final judgments of God falls on this earth.

“The trumpets are not God’s final eschatological judgments upon impenitent sinners but judgments taking place within the flow of history. Therefore, we should clearly distinguish between the purpose of the trumpets and that of the seven plagues (Rev. 16). The plagues will occur at a specific historical moment that will quickly lead to the parousia.
” Angel Manuel Rodriguez

The questions to be answered is “what is the task of the church during these troublous times?

The timeline for Revelation chapter 10 starts around the 18th hundreds. How do we know that?

1. Jesus reveals to us a message from heaven

a. Read: Revelation 10:1

Revelation 10:1 NKJV

¹ I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

The question is who is this “mighty angel?”

Notice that he’s different from the angels that John saw before. He is even called “another.” When you look at his characteristics as you compare scripture with scripture, you immediately notice that he resembles Christ. Rev. 1:1; 4:1.

Revelation 1:14–15 NKJV

¹⁴ His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; ¹⁵ His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

So, one could argue that this is Christ Himself, or that this Angel is representing Christ.

Let’s continue reading: Revelation 10:2

Revelation 10:2 NKJV

² He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

What is the little book that the angel has in his hand?

The Greek uses the word Biblaridion which indicates that this is a little scroll. Not Biblion which is the word for a complete book or a scroll.

The question we must ask ourselves now is, what is this little piece of a book, or portion of a book that was opened? Do we find anywhere in scripture a book or portion of a book that was closed before, one that would be opened in the last days?

A close examination of this text and its context leads us back to the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel – not all of it, but a portion of it is spoken of as being sealed until the time of the “the end.”

Please note the parallels between Ch. 10 of Revelation and Daniel 12.

Daniel 12:4 NKJV

⁴ “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Which portion is sealed: Note that Daniel 8:26  says that,“26 “…the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.”” That is to say, the vision concerning the long-time prophecy of the 2,300 years is to be sealed for it has to do with the end times.

To further highlight the close relation between these two books, note the similar characteristics of the Angel in Revelation are found here in Daniel as well.

Daniel 12:7 NKJV

⁷ Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

Rev. 10:5 speaks also of the angel raising His hand.

Daniel 12:9 NKJV

⁹ And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

These texts parallel well with Revelation 10 very well. Furthermore, evidence that the little book the Angel had is the prophetic portion of the book of Daniel that were not explained is found in Revelation 10:6 where John hears that the time would be no longer. BUT WE WILL COME TO THAT.

Daniel 8:26–27 (NKJV)

²⁶“And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.”

²⁷And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

I think this evidence is clear that the portion of the book to be opened is that which deal with the 2,3000 years – the Bible’s longest time prophecy therefore, was to be understood in the time of the end and something significant was going to happen. 

Let’s continue reading…

What else do we read in Revelation 10 concerning this Angel?

Revelation 10:3–4 NKJV

³ and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. ⁴ Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

• The thunders: God’s voice in scripture is mostly portrayed this way. Psalms 29.

Revelation 10:5–7 NKJV

⁵ The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, ⁷ but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

• Note: The time will be no longer according to KJV. and the mystery of God would be finished.

First: Note that the word time comes from the Greek work “Chronos” meaning a duration of time. Therefore, the long stretch of time leading up to a certain event would come to an end.Contextually, we are dealing with eschatological prophecies. Prophecies concerning that “which should happen here after.” Events that would occur before the end of the world. We have also seen that the little book here being referred to is the prophetic book of Daniel. Therefore, the phrase that “time would be no longer” indicates that the longest time prophecy would be fulfilled. The prophecies surrounding that time would begin to unfolded.

The same massager told Daniel; 12:4, 8.

Daniel 12:4 NKJV

⁴ “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Daniel 12:8 NKJV

⁸ Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

Seventh-day Adventist we understand this time being referred to (as it is evident in scripture) to be the prophetic time. So, after 1844 when the longest time prophecy would be fulfilled, there would be no other time prophecy to be expected before that time. We would just be anticipating the return of Christ in a very short time.

What about the mystery of God that would be finished, what is that all about?

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 7 (The Mystery of God)

Jesus used a similar phrase, “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11), and Paul also speaks of “the mystery of God” (Col. 2:2) and “the mystery of Christ” (Col. 4:3). The mystery of God, that which He reveals to His children, is His purpose for them—the plan of redemption. Compare 1 Tim. 3:16; 6T 19.

Conclusively, the message from Jesus through His prophet was that time would expire in the eighteen hundreds and that the investigative judgment would be begin then. Jesus would start the work of the anti-typical day of Atonement.  

Jesus reveals a people to carry out “a message”

After John witnesses all these eye opening scenes. He is then asked to do something very familiar to the prophets of old.

Revelation 10:8–10 NKJV

⁸ Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” ⁹ So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” ¹⁰ Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.

Have we heard this before?

Ezekiel and Jeremiah were told to do the same thing, weren’t they. Let us allow Scripture to interpret itself.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart

However, as the prophet digested this message, later on reported that he had become a laughingstock all day long… ch. 15:17-18

Ezekiel was told to eat a little scroll: Eze. 2:9

Ezekiel 2:9 NKJV

⁹ Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.

Ezekiel 3:2–4 NKJV

² So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. ³ And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. ⁴ Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.

What about John? He was told that he must eat it:

SDABC v.7

The word translated “must” is in an emphatic position in the Greek. John, as a representative of the advent believers after the disappointment, is placed under strong obligation to deliver a further message. A great work remains to be done. They must go forth and proclaim the message of the third angel, of Rev. 14:9–12.

When prophecies come to pass friends, we can be certain of the finer details of its content. Many Bible scholars and historians looking at what happened in the 18th century in the religious world, agree that the church has gone through the experience predicted by John the revelator.

Note:

The Advent Believers

Friends, it has often been the case with God’s messengers. They always had this bitter-sweet experience.

Similarly, you love meditating on the wonderful word of God, and after discovering something amazing from the word, you always have this intense desire to share the message. However, there are disappointments which sometime follow the proclamation of your message, would you agree? Sometimes people doubt the message, sometime people think we’ve lost it, and other times, we ourselves cast dirt on the message. All these can result in disappointments.

GOD ALLOWS THESE DISAPPOINTMENTS – WHAT THE ADVENT BELEIVERS EXPERIENCED HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED BY OTHER PEOPLE OF GOD BEFORE. THESE DISSAPOINTMENTS CAN BE POINTS OF GROWTH OR THEY CAN SERVE AS NEEDED EXPERIENCES TO LEAD US TO A MORE DETERMINED SPIRIT OF STUDY AND THUS LEAD US NEARER TO GOD.

1. Moses had to go through several setbacks – even when God had declared to him that he will be with him and that he was going to take the children of Israel out of Egypt.
2. Jesus’s and the disciples. Jesus allowed the Jews of his time to hail Him the coming King – but he didn’t stop them. Did the disciples misunderstand the time of Jesus’ major events? What was Jesus’ response?
3. And the Advent Believers had to go through that experience.

• They went through a difficult time. They believed with all their heart that Jesus was coming. Read it about it. We do not have much time to go into that. But all around the world, people believed that Jesus was coming! When he did not come – many people were disappointed, however, those who returned to scripture were comforted when they learnt that the sanctuary which they thought was the earth (to be cleansed) was the heavenly. They also learnt that the angel said “you must prophesy again!”

Selected Messages, Book 2 (Section 2—Erroneous and Subversive Movements)

Not one cloud has fallen upon the church that God has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork the work of God but He has foreseen. All has taken place as He has predicted through His prophets. He has not left His church in darkness, forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and through His providence, acting in its appointed place in the world’s history, He has brought about that which His Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell. — 2 SM p. 108

Jesus reveals a great work for the remnant church

Revelation 10:11 NKJV

¹¹ And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

The word translated “must” is in an emphatic position in the Greek. John, as a representative of the advent believers after the disappointment, is placed under strong obligation to deliver a further message. A great work remains to be done. They must go forth and proclaim the message of the third angel, of Rev. 14:9–12.

SDABC, 799.

So just before the seventh trumpet is blown. Before the seven last plagues are poured upon the ungodly. Just before Jesus returns. The church is given a work to do and that is “You must prophecy again.

Have we been faithful to this great commission?

What can you do my friend seeing that God has raised a movement of which you are part of for a time such as this?

APPEAL

• Individually, seek to be faithful to the great commission. Go and search out those souls that are thirsting and bring them to Jesus. Win one at least yearly to the Lord. Not by might, but by His spirit. There may be people in your neighbourhood, in your house even that needs to be reached out to. There is now social media and other tools to use. Be faithful friends.
• Church, we must be the light in this community. We must do something. We must not just become church “members,” we must not just preach to ourselves, thought that is important, we must GO OUT. We need to stop the talking and get busy with the doing the Lord’s business.

Let’s Pray