Mike Bickle delves into Revelation 10, emphasizing the significance of the prophetic angel and the little open book, highlighting the preparation and role of End-Time forerunner messengers who will release the seven thunder messages. The passage reveals the authority and mission of the angel, symbolizing God's glory and judgment, as well as the importance of prophesying amidst challenges and victories to fulfill God's purpose in the End-Times.

INTRODUCTION A. Rev. 10:1-11:13 is a parenthetical section just before releasing the final bowl judgments. 1. Rev. 10-11 – God promised to raise up messengers before the bowls are released so as to not leave the people without messengers to prepare them. (Rev 10 is a key passage for IHOP-KC). God’s messengers bring strength in adversity (Rev. 12-13). 2. Rev. 12 -13 – God will raise up adversaries to purify the Church and aid the Harvest. 3. Rev. 14 – God promised consequences for the righteous and unrighteous in this time. B. Theme of Rev. 10 – prophetic messengers eating the “little book” releasing God’s purpose. C. The outline of Rev. 10 1. Rev. 10:1-4 – announcement of the seven prophetic messages (thunders) that God has purposefully concealed through history, yet will reveal in the End-Times. 2. Rev. 10:5-7 – God promises that the fullness of His mysterious plan will come to full victory (total completion). God will use the “seven thunders prophetic messengers” to contribute to the release of His End-Time purpose. 3. Rev. 10:8-11 – the messengers must be uniquely prepared as a prophetic oracle. A king can be anointed in one day but it takes a life time to raise up a deliver. Many pressures: social (rejection), spiritual (temptation, attack), physical (rigorous lifestyle). D. Why study this passage? To gain increasing prophetic understanding unto faith (action). John saw an angel coming down from Heaven (Rev. 10:1) and ate the book in a actual experience. E. Who is the angel? It is probably the same angel as in Dan. 10. Some see this as Jesus because of Jesus' glory as seen in Rev. 1:12-16. However, angels do have the glory of God on them. F. Another mighty angel – the three mighty angels in Revelation all have loud voices and extraordinary brilliance (Rev. 5:2; 10:1; 18:2). The idea is “another of the same kind” previously mentioned (as distinguished from angels with the trumpets). He is possibly the same angel seen by John in Rev. 5:2 (also called a “mighty” angel). Similar characteristics as this angel are ascribed to the angel who visited Daniel (Dan. 10:5-6) II. GLORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPHETIC ANGEL (REV. 10:1-3) 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. (Rev. 10:1-3) A. The angel's glory reveals his authority and mission as a picture of the prophetic messengers. The messenger (angel) is a significant part of the message. I want to personally walk in all 7 dimensions of God’s glory that are released by this message and by messengers. 1. He is a mighty angel – great power is released through him. 2. He is clothed with a cloud – the Shekinah glory cloud (Ex. 19; 24) 3. He has a rainbow radiance around his head – mercy of our covenant keeping God. 4. His face shines like the sun (Dan. 10:6 lightning) – revelation and beauty (2 Cor. 4:6). 5. His feet are like pillars of fire (Dan. 10:6 feet burnished bronze). Fire points to judgment necessary in establishing holiness. Pillars emphasize God’s firm and immovable stance in releasing the judgments in Revelation. 6. He sets his feet on the sea and land – God’s sovereignty in taking full possession of His inheritance (Joshua, Abraham, Moses) that is assaulted by the Antichrist (beast of the sea – Rev. 13:1) and the False Prophet (beast of the land – Rev. 13:11). This phrase emphasizing God’s sovereignty is found in all three sections (Rev. 10:2, 5, 8). 7. He cries out with a loud voice like a roaring lion – terrifying judgment as the lion preparing to devour his prey. This is a terrifying and bitter message (Rev. 10:10) B. Summary – each characteristic is a dimension of God’s glory foundational to the seven thunder prophetic ministry. These dimensions of God’s glory will be revealed to and through God’s End-Time messengers as vital to accomplishing the great work in the End-Times. III. THE LITTLE OPEN BOOK He (mighty angel) 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 a lion. (Rev. 10:2-3) A. The little open book – contrasted to the seven sealed book in Christ’s hand (Rev. 5), which is the title deed of the earth. The Usurper took by deceit from Adam the rights to govern the earth. The Man-child (Rev. 12:4) destined to rule earth is the primary theme in Revelation. B. The Usurper must be driven out through a legal process. Jesus takes the title deed from the Father hand in Rev. 5. He uses love and severity to accomplish the reclaiming of the earth. C. The little open book is a part (sub-unit) of the bigger sealed scroll of Rev. 5. John sealed this book as Daniel did in the prophetic book (Dan. 8:26; 12:4, 9). This is probably the same sealed prophetic book with the same prophetic information that Daniel had. Daniel 12 is a parallel passage that describes an angel with a similar glory who makes an similar oath and who commanded Daniel to seal the book. Revelation 10-13 uses the language Daniel used. D. That the book was opened reveals the “knowledgably of the contents of this sealed book.” IV. END-TIME FORERUNNER MESSENGERS – SEVEN THUNDERS PROPHETS 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 (messages). 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." (Rev. 10:2-4) A. John heard and understood the seven messages. Jesus expounded Scripture to His disciples (Lk. 24: 27-48; Acts 1:3). This will again happen in the End-Times. There are seven prophetic messages (not only seven prophets) to be released in the End-Times (Dan 11:33-35, 12:10). B. The thunder is released in response to the proclamation of the angel. The thunder is a message of glory and judgment. Thunder is symbolic of God’s voice (seven times in Psalm 29:3-9). As thunderstorms create awe and majesty, so the unique prophetic information (messages) will create awe and wonder. As thunder flows lightening flashes, so these peals of thunder (prophetic messages) are released by the lightening of the angel's voice (End-Time angelic activity) . The thunder is similarly released by intercessory angels (Rev. 14:14-20). C. The message is to be kept secret (sealed) until the End-Times. Daniel sealed his message (Dan. 8:26; 12:4, 9). This speaks of information and the release of events represented by it. V. THE END-TIME RELEASE OF THE SEVEN THUNDER MESSENGERS 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. (Rev. 10:5-7) A. Angel swore by God’s Person (eternity, sovereignty) – God will take control of the earth. B. No more delay – time has run out. God’s mercy and patience are over for the rebellious. C. The mystery of God will be completed in victory – Jesus' rule established with His people and evil and Satan fully judged. D. During the days of the sounding of the seventh angel – one means of releasing judgment is the prophetic proclamation of prepared and anointed messengers. E. When he is about to sound – this will occur during the Great Tribulation (3½ years). VI. THE MANDATORY PREPARATION FOR THE END-TIME MESSENGERS 8 The voice…said, "Go, take the little book…in the hand of the angel…" 9 I…said, "Give me the little book." He said, "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…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 said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." (Rev. 10:8-11) A. John eating the scroll, as Ezekiel did (Ezek. 2:10-3:3) is a prototype for End-Time messenger. Principle – the amount of time in God’s Presence is mandatory for all who will go deep in revelation. The amount of time through the years (longevity) and the time during each day (present tense) is essential. There are other factors besides time, but nothing can substitute for time. Daniel, David, Anna and John were all prophetic ministries with unusual revelation and unusual devotional lives from their youth and then were visited by God when older. Daniel 9:20-22 is a model of receiving revelation by fasting, praying, studying and angelic help. B. Sweet – ministering salvation, healing, revelation with authority then eternal rewards. C. Bitter – sacrifice, rejection, persecution, sorrow of temporal and eternal judgment (Lk. 19:41). D. Must prophesy – this will release God’s power and possession of the earth (Jer. 1:12-13).