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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 15
The
Little Open Book
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Let's pray:
Father,
We thank You for having revealed to us six tools essential to understand Bible prophecy.
We would like to add a seventh tool to our box: «the little open book», found in the
book of Revelation.
What is this little book? How can it be useful to us?
May this lesson enlighten us on this subject. We humbly ask this in the name of Jesus
Christ.
Amen.
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Revelation 10:1,2
And 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.
And he had a little book open in his hand.
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Revelation chapter 10 opens onto the vision of a mighty angel
having a little book open in his hand.
First, in order to better understand what this little book represents, we will try to find
out who is this mighty angel.
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Revelation 10:1
And 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.
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Revelation 1:13,15,16
[I saw] One like the Son of Man (...).
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, (...) and His countenance was
like the sun shining in its strength.
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The mighty angel corresponds to the «Son of Man» of Revelation
1.
Who is this «Son of Man»?
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Revelation 10:3
[He] cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.
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Revelation 1:15,17,18
His voice [was] as the sound of many waters (...).
«I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore.»
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The description of the mighty angel with the little book
corresponds with that of the «Son of Man», who describes Himself as He who was dead but
now lives forever.
The mighty angel is Jesus Christ.
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Jesus is often described as the One coming on the clouds:
«I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven,
clothed with a cloud.» (REVELATION 10:1)
«Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced
Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.»
(REVELATION 1:7)
«Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the
earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory.» (MATTHEW 24:30)
«I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with
the clouds of heaven!» (DANIEL 7:13)
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Revelation 10:2,5,6
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 (...).
And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his hand to heaven
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.
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The deeds of the mighty angel are vital clues to identify the
nature of the little open book.
Let's look at the following verses...
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A careful reading shows a striking link with the book of Daniel :
Revelation 10:2,5,6 |
Daniel 12:5,7
===============================|=========================================
He set his right foot on the | There stood two others, one
on this
sea and his left foot on the | riverbank and the other on that
river-
land (...). And the angel whom | bank. (...) Then I heard the man clothed
I saw standing on the sea and | in linen, who was above the waters
of
on the land lifted up his hand | the river, when he held up his
right
to heaven and swore by Him who | hand and his left hand to heaven, and
lives forever and ever (...) | swore by Him who lives forever, that it
that there should be delay no | shall be for a time, times, and half a
longer.
| time.
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Daniel 12:6,7
«How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?» (...)
[The man clothed in linen] swore by Him who lives forever that it shall be for a time,
times, and half a time.
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Revelation 10:6
[The angel] swore by Him who lives forever and ever (...) that there should be delay no longer.
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In the days of Daniel, a period of «a time, times, and half a
time» is announced before the end.
Centuries later, the angel of Revelation 10 declares «that there should be delay no
longer»...
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Daniel 12:4,9
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the
time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. (...)
Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
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Revelation 10:2
[The angel] had a little book open in his hand.
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Even more: whereas the book of Daniel is sealed until the time of the end, the angel of Revelation has now an open book in his hand...
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Daniel 12:4
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
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Yes, the little book which the mighty angel of Revelation 10 has
in his hand is actually the prophetic book of Daniel.
It was sealed, that is, couldn't be understood by the people living in the time of Daniel.
But now this book is open, and reveals its secrets to us who live in «the time of the
end», as we will see during these lessons.
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Matthew 24:15
Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation", spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).
----------------------------------------------------
We have just seen that the mighty angel holding the little open
book represents Jesus Christ.
Here is an interesting point: in the last days of His ministry on earth, Jesus was already
advising His disciples to spend time studying the book of Daniel.
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Revelation 10:6,7
[The angel] 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, 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.
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The angel with the little open book foretells the fulfillment of
«the mystery of God», at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
What is the mystery of God?
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Colossians 2:2 (NIV)
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.
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Colossians 4:3
(...) meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ.
----------------------------------------------------
The mystery of God is embodied in a word: Christ.
This mystery, then, is the plan of redemption that God offers us through the sacrifice of
Jesus.
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Revelation 10:7
In the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, (...) the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
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If it's true that the mystery of God is the plan of redemption in Jesus Christ, is it also true that this plan was announced to the prophets, as mentioned in this passage of the Scriptures?
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1 Peter 1:10-12
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what
manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the
things which now have been reported to you.
----------------------------------------------------
Yes, the plan of redemption was indeed announced to the prophets of God.
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Revelation 10:7
(...) but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished.
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Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in
heaven, saying,
«The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and
He shall reign forever and ever!»
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The seventh trumpet announces the last stage of the plan of redemption, which ends happily, with the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ.
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Revelation 10:8,9
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.»
And 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.»
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Then, Revelation chapter 10 reports the experience of the apostle
John who must eat the little book.
«To eat the book» is an action rich in symbolism, and this symbolism is also found
elsewhere in the Bible...
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The symbolism of the book being eaten, the words being eaten, is often used:
«"But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be
rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." Now
when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in
it.» (EZEKIEL 2:8,9)
«He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to
the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And
He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll
that I give you." So I ate it, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.»
(EZEKIEL 3:1-3)
«How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!» (PSALM 119:103)
«Your words were found, and I ate them.» (JEREMIAH 15:16)
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Revelation 10:10
And 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.
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So the experience of John teaches us that the book of Daniel,
that is, the little open book, would first be a source of joy and hope for its students
(sweet as honey in the mouth), but would then cause disappointment and discouragement
(bitter in the stomach).
Can we find such an experience in the history of Christianity?
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Daniel 8:13,14
«How long will the vision be, concerning (...) the giving of
both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?»
And he said to me, «For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be
cleansed.»
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During the nineteenth century, Christians throughout the world
studied the book of Daniel, and especially the prophecy of the 2300 days (subject of a
future lesson).
Having calculated that the 2300 days were going to end in 1844, and believing that the
foretold cleansing of the sanctuary corresponded with the return of Jesus who would
cleanse the earth, they all zealously preached the gospel, eagerly waiting for 1844.
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Revelation 10:10
[The little book] was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
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But, as we saw in our last lesson, the sanctuary which had to be
cleansed at the end of the 2300 days was not the earth, but rather the heavenly sanctuary.
So the sweet waiting of the years preceding 1844 was followed by a deep bitterness, when
all those sincere Christians understood that they had not properly interpreted the content
of the book of Daniel, thus perfectly fulfilling the prophecy of Revelation 10.
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Revelation 10:10,11
[The little book] was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I
had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
And he said to me, «You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and
kings.»
----------------------------------------------------
After this great disappointment of 1844, God addresses two
messages to the Christians.
First, the year 1844 does not represent the end of the world, but rather the beginning of
God's judgment, and we must announce this message to everyone before the glorious return
of Christ.
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Revelation 10:11
You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.
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Revelation 14:6,7
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth - to every nation, tribe,
tongue, and people - saying with a loud voice,
«Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come.»
----------------------------------------------------
So the disappointed Christians stood again, and began to preach this new message «to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people».
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Revelation 10:10; 11:1
But when I had eaten [the little book], my stomach became bitter.
(...)
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod.
And the angel stood, saying, «Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those
who worship there.»
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Here is the second message God gives to the Christians, after this great disappointment of 1844: we must «measure the temple of God», that is, study more deeply the subject of the sanctuary, in order to understand the book of Daniel and its prophecy about the cleansing of the sanctuary.
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Daniel 12:3,4
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the
firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many
shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
----------------------------------------------------
Our preceding lessons about the sanctuary, its furnishings and
its services, just like our future lessons about the book of Daniel, will «increase our
knowledge».
Now, it is up to us to preach this message and to «turn many to righteousness»!
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Let's thank God:
Our Father,
Bible prophecy is an amazing subject filled with surprises!
We are grateful to You for having given us the book of the prophet Daniel, which had been
sealed after its writing, but which has now become «the little open book» for us who
live in the last days before the return of Jesus.
We also thank You for the understanding of the sanctuary, a subject which was a cause of
bitterness for Christians before our time.
Please help us every day to «turn many to righteousness» by preaching these wonderful
truths. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 15 is waiting for you!