THE VOICE, THE OATH, AND THE SCROLL: A DIVINE COMMISSION FROM HEAVEN

THE VOICE, THE OATH, AND THE SCROLL:

A DIVINE COMMISSION FROM HEAVEN

Between the Trumpets: When God Pauses Judgment to Reveal Mercy

Revelation 10:1–11

“And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

“Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: “There will be no more delay, but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 

“So, I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me,

“Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach but sweet as honey in your mouth.””

“So, I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.”

“Then they said to me,

“You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

 INTRODUCTION: THE MERCY IN THE PAUSE

Imagine you’re driving on a winding mountain road at night. The fog is thick. The road is slick. The guardrails are the only thing between you and a deadly fall. Suddenly, you see flashing warning lights ahead. Not to punish you, but to protect you. It’s a call to slow down, a signal that says: There is still time.

This is what God is doing here in Revelation 10.

Before the final trumpet sounds, before the full weight of judgment crashes down, God inserts a pause in time. This pause is not empty. It is filled with purpose. It is a suspension bridge of mercy stretched across the chasm of wrath.

God is not finished. He is not silent. He is not absent. He is speaking.

To those who know Him: He calls you deeper. To those who don’t believe: He invites you to see His heart. To those who have walked away: He reaches for you with a hand full of grace.

This is the mercy between the trumpets.

Opening Illustration: “The Bridge Between Trumpets”

There is a bridge—suspended in the space between judgment and mercy.

A bridge built not with stone, but with time, truth, and the trembling grace of God.

Between the sixth trumpet and the seventh, Revelation pauses.
Not because Heaven is unsure—
But because God is merciful.

This is not a break in the story.
It’s a holy intermission—a bridge of divine delay.
A moment where judgment waits,
And mercy still speaks.

God sends a mighty angel to stand over land and sea.
He holds an open scroll—not closed with seals,
but open for the world to see.

And in that moment, we are all called:
To walk the bridge.
To speak the truth.
To be the voice of mercy before the trumpet sounds again.

 FROM THE SIXTH TRUMPET TO THE SCROLL: A DIVINE PAUSE

Between the sixth and seventh trumpets, time seems to freeze. The world has been trembling under judgment. Chaos has erupted. But here, God pauses the narrative.

Why?

Because He is merciful.

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

This is a divine intermission. A sacred suspension. A holy breath. And in it, God does not send thunder, fire, or hail. He sends a scroll.

The seventh trumpet will sound. But not yet. First, God gives us a message. And a mission.

Lets look at these this chapter in light of our desiring practical insight/ SECTION 1

“And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” (Revelation 10:1–4)

He Descends with Majesty and Mystery (narrated by John)

And I saw…
Not merely a vision, but a divine unveiling—
A mighty angel, a messenger from the throne of heaven,
Not frail, not common, but mighty,
Descending in majesty, wrapped in the very garment of God’s glory—
A cloud, the robe of the Eternal, often seen when He appears,
Just as on Sinai, just as at the ascension—now again, heaven touches earth.

A rainbow crowned his head—
Not only a symbol of covenant, but of authority,
Of mercy encircling judgment.
His face—like the sun—shining in unveiled brilliance,
Not reflecting light, but radiating it with terrifying purity,
And his legs—pillars of fire—immovable, righteous,
Burning with the judgment of God, as in days of old
When fire led Israel and consumed falsehood.

In his hand—a little scroll,
Not sealed, not hidden—open, exposed to the eyes of the obedient,
A testament of divine intent,
A word that must be digested—sweet and bitter, both.

One foot on the sea, one foot on the land—
This is no regional dominion,
This is not a partial claim—
This is total authority, heaven’s decree standing
Over all created domains.

And then—he roared,
Not with a whisper, not with a plea,
But as a lion, the King’s herald, the voice of the Sovereign,
And seven thunders answered—
Not random noise, but structured power, complete and final,
The language of God rumbling through dimensions unseen.

John, faithful and eager, moves to write,
The scribe of Revelation, ready to document the fullness.
But heaven interrupts—
“Seal it.”
Not everything is for man to decipher.
Some thunder speaks in secrets that only eternity will echo.
“Do not write it down.”
What God withholds, no man should demand.
What He seals, no flesh should pry open.

THE MIGHTY ANGEL: A COVENANT CLOAKED IN FIRE

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head…” (Revelation 10:1)

This angel is not ordinary. He is a divine portrait—every detail layered with meaning drawn from the fullness of Scripture:

• Clothed in a cloud – like the pillar of cloud that led Israel by day (Exodus 13:21), this represents God’s tangible presence and sovereign covering.
• A rainbow over his head – echoing the sign of the covenant given to Noah (Genesis 9:13–17), a reminder that God remembers mercy even in judgment.
• His face shining like the sun – just as Christ’s face shone in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), this signals divine radiance and authority.
• His feet like pillars of fire – recalling the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Exodus 14:24), symbolizing both judgment and guidance.

This mighty angel places his right foot on the sea and his left on the land—a prophetic gesture of dominion over all creation. Nothing escapes the reach of God’s authority. The earth, the sea, and everything in them belong to Him.

Then, this majestic being gives a great shout—like the roar of a lion. It is a sound of unmistakable power, evoking the voice of the Lion of Judah. His roar releases seven thunders—mysterious, divine responses that thunder from heaven. John, caught in the moment, is about to write what he hears, but a voice commands him:

“Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
(Revelation 10:4)

Even the prophet must submit to the limits of divine revelation. There are things only God knows, mysteries yet held in reserve for the final unveiling. Not everything is for man to decipher. This moment reminds us that revelation belongs to God, and we are stewards, not authors, of His Word.

“Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: ‘There will be no more delay, but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.’”
(Revelation 10:5–7)

This is the sworn oath of finality. With hand lifted to heaven, the angel makes a declaration—not by his own power, but by the authority of the eternal Creator:

• The One who made the heavens and all that is in them,
• The One who formed the earth and all that dwells upon it,
• The One who spoke the seas into being and filled them with life.

And this is what he declares:

“There will be no more delay.”

No more waiting. No more postponement. The fullness of time is upon the earth. The mystery of God—that long-awaited, often misunderstood purpose—will now come to completion. Just as God spoke through His prophets, the moment of fulfillment is here.

This mystery is not confusion—it is the revealed will of God, now ready to unfold. A mystery not hidden forever, but progressively revealed, and now about to be consummated.

🔹 Revelation 10:5
– “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land…”

• Expanded:

“The one standing with one foot on the sea and one on the land—
A symbol of total dominion, heaven’s authority planted on earth’s foundations…”

This line draws out the imagery of the angel’s stance, representing God’s sovereignty over both land and sea, a common biblical metaphor for complete dominion (cf. Psalm 24:1, Exodus 20:11).

🔹 “Raised his right hand to heaven and swore…”

• Expanded:

“Lifted his right hand to heaven,
As one does before making a solemn vow.
But this is no ordinary oath…”

This portion explains the seriousness and legal formality of the act, rooted in oath-making (cf. Daniel 12:7) and invoking divine authority. In Jewish and early Christian thought, raising the hand symbolized a formal and binding testimony or covenant.

🔹 “…by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven…earth…sea…”

• Expanded:

“He swore by the Creator—
The Maker of heaven and all that fills it…
Who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the deep.”

This directly reflects the angel’s oath by the eternal Creator, and weaves in Isaiah 42:5, Nehemiah 9:6, Exodus 20:11 to echo that God is the author of all creation. The poetic expansion roots the moment in the character of God as both eternal and sovereign.

🔹 “There will be no more delay”

• Expanded:

“Time—
That long stretch of mercy…
Is now reaching its end.
No more postponements…
But not without warning. Not without purpose.”

Here, the central phrase is unpacked theologically: the end of delay means the end of divine patience, yet the text still reveals that mercy remains just before the trumpet sounds.

🔹 “…in the days of the seventh angel…the mystery of God will be fulfilled…”

• Expanded:

“For in the days of the seventh trumpet,
The final sound of heaven’s purpose…
The mystery of God will be fulfilled.
That which was whispered to the prophets… will now come to light.”

This ties Revelation 10:7 into God’s redemptive timeline. The “mystery of God” is biblically layered (Romans 16:25-26, Ephesians 3:3-11, Colossians 1:26). The expansion underscores that this is the culmination of prophetic expectation—a key point of the text.

🔚 Mercy Before Judgment

• “Yet still—hear the mercy in the moment…

Before the trumpet sounds,
He gives one more moment—
Not of silence,
But of grace.”

This offers an invitation and a warning, mirroring Revelation’s tone: though judgment is imminent, God’s mercy still beckons.

THE SCROLL THAT MUST BE EATEN: A SWEET AND BITTER CALLING

(Revelation 10:8–11)

“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’”
(Revelation 10:8–9)

The command from heaven was not to merely observe the scroll…
But to take it.
And not just to take it—
But to eat it.

This was no ceremonial moment.
This was a call to consume the message of God so deeply
That it would shape not just the prophet’s voice,
But his soul.

And as John obeyed,
He discovered what every true servant of God has come to know:

The Word of God is sweet as honey—
Because it is true.
Because it is pure.
Because it reveals the glory of the Holy One.
Because it offers light in darkness and hope to the humble.

But then…
It turned bitter.
Bitter, not because the Word itself is flawed—
But because truth is costly.
Because the burden of a prophet is not only to rejoice in the message,
But to carry it
into a world that resists it.

“And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it.
It was sweet as honey in my mouth,
but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.”
(Revelation 10:10)

To eat the Word is to internalize the divine will—
To allow it to permeate your being.
To speak with God’s voice
is to carry both heaven’s joy and heaven’s sorrow.

This is the cost of revelation.
This is the weight of commission.

And then came the charge:

“You must prophesy again
concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
(Revelation 10:11)

The vision ends not with silence—
But with marching orders.

John, who had already seen so much,
Was not permitted to retire into mystery.
He was commanded to prophesy again.
To speak to nations.
To confront kings.
To declare heaven’s truth regardless of earth’s resistance.

And this, Church, is our call too:

Eat the Word.
Live the Word.
Speak the Word.
Even if it costs you peace.
Even if it stings in your belly.
Even if the truth divides the crowd.

For though the world may grow deaf to righteousness,
Heaven is still speaking.
And those who consume the scroll—
Will carry both the sweetness and the burden
Of a truth that cannot be silenced.

 LET’S REVIEW

1. A MIGHTY ANGEL AND THE SEVEN THUNDERS:

THE SILENCE OF GOD’S MYSTERY
(Revelation 10:1–4)

“And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

John beholds a celestial figure clothed in authority and glory: wrapped in a cloud, crowned with a rainbow—a covenant reminder. His face shines like the sun, and his legs blaze like pillars of fire. He stands astride land and sea, claiming dominion over all creation, with a little scroll open in his hand.

When he cries out, his voice roars like a lion—a sound of divine majesty and judgment. Seven thunders respond, voices from heaven itself. Yet just as John moves to write what he hears, he is restrained.

“Seal it up,” the voice from heaven commands.

There are revelations too deep, mysteries too sacred, timings too sovereign for man to grasp. God is not silent, but He is precise. Not everything holy is meant for human articulation.

Heaven still speaks, even when heaven also withholds.

2. THE OATH THAT ENDS DELAY: THE MYSTERY TO BE FULFILLED
(Revelation 10:5–7)

“Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: “There will be no more delay, but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

With hand lifted in solemn oath, the angel swears by the eternal Creator. This moment is not merely prophetic; it is judicial. It is heavenly court. The angel declares the end of divine delay.

“There will be no more delay.”

God is patient, but He is not passive. The long-suffering of God has an expiration, and mercy makes way for judgment.

Yet before the trumpet sounds, we find an echo of grace: a moment to listen, a final chance to respond.

The “mystery of God” that has echoed through the prophets is now nearing its resolution. The hidden will be revealed. The veiled purpose of the ages, the plan of redemption, the full unveiling of God’s justice and mercy—will be fulfilled.

And when God fulfills a thing, He leaves nothing undone.

3. THE SCROLL THAT MUST BE EATEN: A SWEET AND BITTER CALLING
(Revelation 10:8–11)

“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’”

John is not just shown a vision; he is drawn into a commission. He is told not merely to see, but to consume.

He must eat the scroll.

And so must we.

Sweet in the mouth, bitter in the belly.

The Word of God brings joy, revelation, and delight. But once ingested, once it permeates our being, it brings a heaviness—the burden of truth, the weight of responsibility, the sorrow of rejection.

“And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.”

The true servant of God does not merely proclaim the Word; they live it, weep over it, and carry it through fire.

And then came the charge:

“You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

There is no retirement from revelation. No backing down from truth.

John’s call is our call:

Eat the Word.
Live the Word.
Speak the Word.
Even if it’s bitter.
Even if it costs everything.

For the scroll that comes from heaven must not return to heaven unread.

It must be eaten. It must be lived. And it must be declared.

The thunder is sealed. The oath has been sworn. And now, the scroll must be consumed.

John is not just a bystander in the vision—he is summoned into it. The scroll, held open in the mighty angel’s hand, must now pass from heaven’s grasp to the prophet’s mouth. But this is no ordinary reading. It must be eaten—taken deep into the soul, swallowed, digested, and lived.

“Take it and eat.”

This command echoes through time, from the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:1–3) to the apostle John. The Word of God is not merely to be studied, it is to be ingested—made a part of you, transforming the marrow of your being. What begins as sweetness on the tongue—truth, revelation, divine intimacy—soon turns bitter in the stomach. Why?

Because the Word, though sweet in promise, is bitter in commission.

• Sweet, because it is from God.
• Bitter, because the message is often rejected.
• Sweet, because it unveils hope.
• Bitter, because it speaks of judgment.
• Sweet, because it is light in darkness.
• Bitter, because the darkness fights back.

John’s call is now our call:

“You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

This is not optional. This is the burden of the scroll. Once tasted, the truth cannot be silenced. Once consumed, it must be declared. The scope is global—many peoples, many tongues, many rulers. This gospel, this Word, is not a cultural artifact—it is a living fire, meant to traverse every border and pierce every heart.

The church is not called to comfort.
The church is called to clarity—to stand in the space between trumpet blasts and declare what God has said, without apology and without fear.

Conclusion: The Voice, the Oath, and the Scroll

God is not silent. He is not absent. And He is not finished.

He still speaks through thunder. He still delays in mercy. He still gives scrolls to those willing to eat them.

And to the Church today, He says:

“You must prophesy again.”

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: THREE AUDIENCES, ONE CALL

To the Believer:
This is your moment to be faithful. God is not calling for spectators. He is summoning messengers. Eat the scroll. Digest the Word. Proclaim the truth. Walk the bridge of mercy, and lead others across. You were not saved to be silent. You were filled to overflow.

To the Unbeliever:
The warnings of God are not threats. They are invitations—loud mercies calling you home. You are not too far gone. This pause between judgment and finality is for you. Turn to Him while mercy still speaks your name.

To the Wanderer:
You may have left the church. You may have wrestled with doubt, wearied by religion, hurt by people, or lost in the fog of your own questions. But this pause—this space in between—is your doorway home. The bridge still holds. The angel still stands. The scroll is still open.
Come back. God is not finished with you.

CONCLUSION: WHEN MERCY SPEAKS, LISTEN

The bridge between trumpets sways—not with weakness, but with the tension of truth and time. But it holds, because God built it.
This is not a delay driven by hesitation. It is a pause forged by compassion.
Judgment will come. But for now, mercy pauses.

And in that sacred pause, God calls:

• To believe.
• To return.
• To speak.

“The mystery of God will be fulfilled…” (Revelation 10:7)

But until that final trumpet sounds…

Speak life. Eat the Word. Walk the bridge.
And be the voice of mercy in a world trembling on the edge of judgment.

 Closing Illustration: “Still Standing on the Bridge”

We are still standing on that bridge.

The angel still holds the scroll.
The mystery of God is not yet fulfilled.
The thunder has spoken, but the silence is not empty.
It is full—full of grace, full of calling, full of purpose.

This is our moment.
To eat the scroll.
To carry the Word.
To speak, even when it is bitter.
To love, even when the world rejects truth.

Judgment will come. But now—mercy reigns.
And the bridge still holds.

So walk it.
Speak from it.
Call others across it.

For the voice of mercy still echoes through time—
and you, Church, are that voice.

 Benediction: The Voice of Mercy

Now may the God who speaks in thunder and whispers in mercy,
the One who holds the scroll and opens the heavens,
strengthen your heart to eat His Word,
empower your voice to proclaim His truth,
and steady your steps to walk His bridge of grace.

May you go as a messenger—not of fear,
but of fire and faithfulness,
declaring to every nation, tongue, and king:
“The mystery of God will be fulfilled.”

Until the final trumpet sounds,
May you live with conviction,
Speak with clarity,
And love with courage.

In the name of the One who stands over sea and land, whose face shines like the sun—go forth and be the voice of mercy.

Amen.