The 7th Trumpet - The Little Scroll

Revelation 10

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.  He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, 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.”  And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on 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, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just 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 and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”  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.  And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

I find it curious as to why God would reveal the 7 Seals, then the first 6 Trumpets, bringing John a vision of wrath, destruction, and death to the Earth, but then choose to withhold details about the 7th Trumpet.  As we have previously learned from the angel blowing the 4th Trumpet, the next 3 would be unbearable for those remaining on the earth on that day.  We can conclude after that that the  5th, 6th, and 7th Trumpets would bring terrible wrath.  We have seen this in the 5th and 6th Trumpets, but we will need to wait to discover the devastation coming from the 7th.  At the blowing of the 7th Trumpet, the fullness of God’s plan will be completed.  Once again, we see that the number 7 holds significance in the scriptures – 7 Days of Creation, 7 Lampstands, 7 Churches, 7 Seals, and 7 Trumpets.  

So, as we wait for the 7th Trumpet, we know that 1/3rd of the inhabitants on earth at that time have fallen to death, yet still there are those who will reject God’s loving grace and salvation.  The stubborn and hard-hearted have always been with us, and apparently will continue.  For this angel in Chapter 10, we find strength, in power and authority, enormity with one foot on land and the other on sea, fierceness with legs as pillars of fire, and a rainbow above his head, as a recollection of God’s promise to never destroy the earth again.  In his hand, he has a “little scroll” which is open for John to see.  John is instructed later in verse 8 to eat the scroll, which will be bitter in his stomach, as it contains the details of the forthcoming wrath.  This may allude to John’s ability to later (chapter 19) provide insight on the final days after the 7th Trumpet blows.

I find it interesting that in John’s vision, even the seven thunders are given a voice by the creator to describe the wrath to come, but then God from the heavens above gives a clear instruction for John not write it down.  John was able to see and hear of the coming wrath, but was not allowed to share at this time.  God will reveal it to mankind on a day of His choosing, and only then.  We have seen the fact that God is sovereign over all things, living and nature.  He created the heavens, the cosmos, the earth, and the life therein.  He is the only one who can bring an end to that for which He has created.  As the angel says, when the 7th Trumpet sounds, there will be no more delays; God’s plan will be finished.

Reference Noah’s ark as a major reset from the evil that had overcome mankind at that time.  The ark contained the life of all creatures, including mankind, to repopulate the earth.  His promise of a rainbow in the sky was to never destroy the earth again, but this does not mean He will not bring massive devastation upon the evil that exists in the world.  He has outlined in Revelation His plan for the end days with much suffering and death to those who refuse Him.  But, for those who have chosen to follow Him and to abide in Him, He will have enduring grace, just as He did with Noah and his family.