The strong angel was seen coming down out of heaven. This is not one of the seven with trumpets. This angel is, probably, the One mentioned in Revelation 1:1. Jesus Christ sent and signified the revelation to His angel. John had seen the Lamb take a scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne and begins to open the seven seals that secured its contents. The last seal is broken and the book is open (8:1). The language of this chapter seems to identify this little book as the sealed book when it was first seen in the right hand of him that sits on the throne. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ depicted now as an open book since all seven seals have been loosed.
1. Arrayed with a cloud
2. Rainbow upon His head
3. Face as the sun
4. Feet as pillars of fire
5. Little Book opened in His hand
6. Set His right foot upon the sea and His left foot upon the earth. As God’s authorized agent, he represents Jehovah’s dominion over land and sea.
7. Cried with a great voice, as a roaring lion and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices (10:3). A voice from heaven said, “SEAL UP THE THINGS WHICH THE SEVEN THUNDERS UTTERED, AND WRITE THEM NOT.” Not everything John witnessed was to be written in a book (Rev. 1:11). This mystery was not intended for publication. We will have to be content with not knowing. Paul was ushered up to the third heaven and heard things that man was not allowed to speak (2 Cor. 12:4). Deuteronomy 29:29 reads, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.” John was later told to “Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand (Rev. 22:10). Therefore, it seems clear that not everything was to shortly come to pass. A small section of Revelation 20:7-9 would occur after the thousand years. Maybe the things spoken by the seven thunders pertained to that time, also. We do not know for certain and will never know. Further, seeing that we have no record of what he saw and heard, it was either irrelevant to the people living on earth at that time or is not designed for human ears and eyes at any time like 2 Corinthians 12:1-7. Either way, John witnessed what he was not allowed to reveal to others at that time. But, there are days called, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” that will be sounded when the mystery of God is finished regarding the good news given to his servants the prophets. We believe those days quickly followed the fall of “the great city which is spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:15, 13-14, 8).
8. Raises his right hand to heaven and vows that there will be no delays in the judgment of the Great Harlot (i.e., Jerusalem). There were delays. The remnant asked, “How long” (Hab. 1:2-4). The martyrs asked, “How long” (Rev. 6A:9-10)? The wicked accused the Lord of being slack concerning his promise (2 Peter 3:3-9) but the Lord was patient, not neglectful. Martyrs were told to rest a while longer until their fellow servants and brethren would be killed and finish their course (Rev. 6:11). No more delays. The saints have finished their course. It is now time to avenge the Old Testament prophets and New Testament saints (Rev. 16:4-7; cf. Lam. 2:16-17. Hab. 3:16).
9. Now the voice tells John to take the opened book in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and land and the angel tells him to take it and eat. It would make his belly bitter, but in the mouth, it would be as sweet as honey. This revelation of good news is also a revelation of destruction. There is a first resurrection and the redemption of the 144,000 (Rev. 20:5,6; Lk. 21:28; Rev. 14:1-ff), and a new Jerusalem with a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1-ff). There is a marriage of the Lamb and His bride (Rev. 19:6-9) However, there are some bitter characteristics of the revelation of His coming. There was a great tribulation, persecutions, and the destruction of the city and its temple. The ungodly and unbelieving will be judged to torment.