Revelation Series; wk. 10 - Revelation 10 11.09.25

Title: Revelation 10
Link to full Sermon: (click here)

Revelation 10: The Pause Before the Final Trumpet

This week’s message took us through Revelation 10, a short but powerful chapter that reminds us that God’s Word is both sweet and sobering—sweet because it is His truth, and sobering because it reveals the reality of judgment and the urgency of repentance.
Before diving into the passage, Pastor Tere walked us back through the unfolding events of Revelation 8 and 9. We have seen the seals and trumpets released, plagues covering the earth, demonic forces unleashed from the abyss, and the tragic truth that even after all of this, many still refused to repent. Over half of the world’s population is gone by this point in John’s vision. Yet Revelation 10 gives us a moment of pause, an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, where God reminds John, and us, that there is still more to proclaim.

The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll

John describes a mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow above his head, one foot on the land and one on the sea. This image shows authority, that God’s rule extends over all creation. Some believe this angel represents Jesus, but as Pastor Tere pointed out, the angel swears by the One who lives forever and ever, meaning it cannot be Christ. Instead, this angel carries a message from the Lord, a small open scroll representing prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
When the angel roars, seven thunders speak, but John is told not to write down what they say. There are mysteries of God that remain sealed, even to those who receive revelation. Not everything is for us to know, but everything we are told points to the same truth: God is sovereign and in control.

The Sweet and the Sour Word

John is told to take the scroll and eat it. It tastes sweet like honey, but it turns sour in his stomach. God’s Word is always good, always true, and always life giving, but for those who reject it, it brings sorrow. The sweetness represents the joy of hearing from God, and the bitterness represents the grief of knowing that judgment will fall on those who refuse to repent.

This same imagery appears in Ezekiel 3, when the prophet is told to eat a scroll before proclaiming God’s message to Israel. Both Ezekiel and John are commissioned to speak truth to people who will not listen. Revelation 10 reminds us that prophecy is not meant to scare us, it is meant to wake us up. God reveals what is coming so that people might repent and turn to Him before it is too late.

The Mystery of God Will Be Accomplished

Verse 7 says, “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished.”

That mystery is the fulfillment of God’s plan, the day when Christ will reign on the earth for a thousand years, restoring His rule and reigning in righteousness. The same God who began His work with Israel will complete His work through Christ, establishing His eternal kingdom.

Throughout Revelation, there is a repeated pattern: lightning, thunder, rumblings, and earthquakes appear at the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh bowl. These all point to the same climactic moment, the day when heaven’s power and God’s justice collide with earth’s rebellion.

The Urgency of the Gospel

At the end of the message, Pastor Tere brought this back to where it all matters most, our response.

Every person will one day stand before God. Revelation 20 describes the Great White Throne Judgment, where all whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will face eternal separation from God. But the good news is simple and sure: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

God does not desire that anyone should perish. That is why He gives us time and opportunity now, to repent, believe, and share the message of salvation while there is still time. He calls His Church to live with urgency, to proclaim His name boldly, and to remember that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Living in the Pause

Revelation 10 may feel like a pause in the action, but it is not a break in God’s plan. It is a reminder that He is still working. Just as the scroll was sweet and sour, we also hold both the joy of salvation and the burden of truth. Until that final trumpet sounds, our mission remains clear: to tell the world who Jesus is.