You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings

An angel descended from heaven in a cloud, with a rainbow on his head and face bright as the sun. He landed his right foot on the sea and left foot on the earth. At this stage it is not clear if this is the seventh angel who will sound the shofar. He has a little book and began to cry aloud accompanied by seven thunders who also spoke. Then John started to write the words spoken from the thunders but was commanded to stop.

The angel turned heavenward to God and swore that when the seventh angel sounded (perhaps the shofar sounded), the mysteries of God should have been revealed to all. Then a voice from heaven commanded John to take the opened little book from the angel. When John requested the book from the angel, he was told to eat the book, thus preventing John from revealing the contents of the book. When John had swallowed the book, he was commanded to prophesy to many nations and their kings.




Revelation 10
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book

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. 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, 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,[a] I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,[b] “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand[c] 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.

John Eats the Little Book

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

For we who have believed do enter that rest

There is a warning that although many heard the gospel that was preached, not everyone will enter into the gospel's promised rest if there is no faith in the hearers. A link is made of God's rest as being the same rest in which God rested on the seventh day after the Creation. God's creation is finished and so too is God's work of salvation, and then God rested. But only through faith can the hearers of the Word enter into His rest.

From history, the rest that God promised has not yet been fulfilled since people were disobedient. This refers to the Israelites from after the exodus from Egypt. So there is another opportunity to enter into God's rest through Messiah.

Believers need to continue in obedience to God through His Word, in order to enter into His rest. There is nothing that can be hidden from God. Although this may seem as if no one may qualify but the chapter reminds us that is why there is the need to rely on the mercy and grace of God by coming to the throne of Christ who is our High Priest.





Hebrews 4
The Promise of Rest

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”[b]
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; [c] 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”[d]

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”[e]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

The Word Discovers Our Condition

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Our Compassionate High Priest

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.