There are some historical mysteries that may never be solved, from the pyramids of Giza in Egypt to Stonehenge. We don’t really know how the Egyptians built the largest of these pyramid some 5,000 years ago. They have a unique design and possess a mysterious phenomenon. Stonehenge is another of the greatest unexplained mysteries of the world. Huge bluestones from the mountains of Wales were lugged more than 240 miles to the Stonehenge site. How did they accomplish such a feat? Was it a temple, a burial ground, an observatory, or an ancient calendar? Who knows?

The Bermuda Triangle is yet another unexplained mystery and is held responsible for the disappearance of countless airplanes and ships in the ocean between Florida, San Juan, and Bermuda. The first unexplained event occurred on December 5, 1945 when Flight 19 was lost. Flight 19 was the designation of five Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared during a U. S. Navy training flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. All 14 airmen on the flight were lost, as were all 13 crew members of a Mariner flying boat while searching for the flight. Navy investigators never could determine the cause for the loss of Flight 19. Same as the loss of a Boeing 777 of flight MH370 of the Malaysian Airline it disappeared over the Indian Ocean March 8, 2014. No signs of wreckage or bodies were ever found…

There is the still the mystery of the Shroud of Turin, the Lost City of Atlantis and many more. The Bible is not without it own mysteries. I like to call this chapter the mystery chapter. God promises it secrets will be reveal.

I. The Mystery Angel 10:1-2

1) We come to another interlude, however this is still the sixth trumpet, remember this trumpet judgment had three woes. Note cp. 8:13, 9:12; 11:14.
In each case between the sixth and the seventh judgments there is this interlude. We’ve already seen that, between the sixth and seventh seals and it occurs between the sixth and seventh bowls of Revelation chapter 16 verses 13 to 16. This interlude begins in chapter 10 and runs all the way down through chapter 11 to verse 14. These interludes serve a dramatic purpose, yet, show mercy in allowing more opportunity for repentance.

2. The identity of this angel has promoted great discussion among theologians for years. Some say this is Jesus Christ. It is true that in the OT the pre-incarnate Christ was seen as the “Angel of the Lord”. But after He took on for Himself the nature of humanity, after He died on the cross, after He rose and ascended into heaven, He has taken His rightful place of great power and glory at God’s right hand. Jesus was never an angel He is fully God and took on the appearance of man.

3. He is not one of the trumpeting angels. They were identified for us back in chapter 8 as the seven angels in verse 2, who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them. This is not one of them. This is not the seventh angel. This is another strong angel, not one of the seven trumpeting angels that blow the trumpet judgments. The word “another” here is the word allos in the Greek. It means another of exactly the same kind as the rest of the angels. It certainly would not be true that He – Christ was an angel just like all the rest of the angels, because all the rest of the angels were created. And He is uncreated, as the eternal God. Hebrews 1:1-8.

So here is a glorious mighty angel garbed in judgment clothes, coming with fiery legs and feet to stamp out the judgment of God. In his hand he has the title deed to do this. It maps out his directions and the course of the judgment which it is to follow. He cries with this loud voice like a thundering lion roaring and associated with that are seven peals of thunder uttering their voices. Chapter 1 verse 11 and 19, remember God told John to write.

4. The description of clothing shows us that this angel is a diplomatic representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Michael is the name given to the angel “who is liken unto God” in fact that is what the name Michael means. Not is God but is like Him. It could be the clothing that has caused some to identify this angel with Jesus as “Clothed with a cloud”.

Remember that angels announced His first coming and will again announce His second coming to earth. “And a rainbow was on his head” This is his cap and seems to be a reminder of God’s covenant with man. “And his face was like the sun” the angel’s face is shining because he has come out of the presence of the Lord. Remember when Moses came down from the Mt. Sinai after meeting with God, his face was said to shine. “And his feet like pillars of fire” This speaks of the judgment to come.

5. This angel now claims the earth and sea for the Lord Jesus. It is action symbolic of victory. “And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land”. Once the seventh trumpet is about to sound; the angel with his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth, claims both land and sea as God’s. God’s creation will soon to be purged of the usurper and his followers. Although Satan has temporarily taken possession of the sea and the earth, this symbolic act shows that all of creation still belongs to the Lord and He rules it with sovereign authority. Michael will cast Satan down from the heavens and he will protect God’s people. This we will study in Cp. 12.

II The Mystery Thunders 10:3-4

1. The angel cries out for all to hear of God’s ownership. This is the latter part of the tribulation and God is about to claim the earth and all there in. Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “These seven thunders is God’s amen to the angel’s claim.” Sevens Thunder is connected to judgements, when God speaks from Heaven, His voice is like thunder. We know nothing of them. Psalm 29:3 says; “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thundereth. The Lord is upon many waters.” / Job 37: 5 says; “God thundereth marvelously with His voice; great things doeth He which we cannot comprehend.”

Application: We have heard of the still small voice of God. That is true, sometimes God whispers to our spirit, but sometimes God needs to shouts. Listen for the voice of God!

2. John was about to write down what ever God had spoken, but was told he must conceal the message of the Seven Thunders. Some Bible scholars have tried to translate what was spoken. To me that is futile, because if John heard them and they were sealed up then no one but God will know until it happens. This is similar to Daniels directive in chapter 12:8-9.

These must be some great and terrible judgments to be cloaked. They are so terrible that God in His mercy withholds them. Christ once said, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Dr. John Alfords adds this comment, “The godly are thus kept from morbid pondering over the evil to come; and the ungodly are not driven by despair into utter recklessness of life.” There awaits mankind the most unspeakable and horrifying evil in the world to come that even to think of such things would cause men to tremble. It is not for our hearts to bear!

III The Mystery of God 10: 5-7

1. We notice the angel swears a solemn pledge in verse 6. His hand is raised toward heaven because that is where God dwells. This initiates the last plagues of the Day of the Lord, indicating that the end has come and that the prayers of the saints will be answered. This all takes place when the 7th angel is preparing to blow the trumpet. Remember he has not done so yet but time has run out. Verse six conveys this concept, not that time stops but God’s purging of the earth will not be further delayed after the “days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound”.
This would mean that the 7th trumpet brings us to the conclusion of the great tribulation.

2. It is at this time that the “mystery of God” will finally be made clear. “The mystery” is a term that means to shut or to close. In the NT, a mystery is a truth that God concealed but has revealed through Christ. It is used some 22 times in the NT.

a) In the ordinary sense a “mystery” implies knowledge withheld; its Scriptural significance is truth revealed. The definition I gave might be best illustrated by the following passage:
Col 1:26 [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ” Ro 16:25 might almost be taken as a definition of it,

3) The Lord has promised that the day will come when the mystery of His silence will be broken. And that day is connected to the seventh trumpet. Please notice in verse 7 of chapter 10, a starting point for us, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished as He preached to His servants, the prophets.”
There is coming a day and that day is in the time of the seventh angel blowing the seventh trumpet that the great mystery of a silent God will end.

Here the mystery is the final consummation of all things as God destroys sinners and establishes His righteous kingdom on earth. The mystery of God will be over and God will say to Satan…this is your destruction. When the seventh angel sounds in chapter 11 verse 15 as we read, the Kingdom of this world becomes the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He reigns forever and ever. This world is His kingdom. Satan is awaiting the sentence!

IV. The Mystery Book 10:8-11
1. This order comes from the “voice which I heard from heaven”. The same voice which in verse four told the apostle not to write down what he had heard the “seven thunders” say. John is told to do something very strange but has a very typical meaning. He is to take and eat it this little book.

2. This act illustrates taking in God’s Word. God’s Word is often compared to food: Bread in Matthew 4:4; Milk in 1 Peter 2:2; Meat in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 and Honey in Psalm 119:103. John’s physical reactions demonstrate what every believer’s proper response to God’s judgment should be.

3. In Ezekiel 3:1-3, the prophet was also commanded to eat a scroll, the revelation of God to Israel. “This figure of eating the book is familiar, and suggests the feeding of the soul on the Word of God. John could only proclaim the Word of God if he had taken it in; “

Conclusion
The Lord has promised that the day will come when the mystery of His silence will be broken. How can we apply this truth of mystery to our everyday lives? His plans are sometimes hidden and they can become a troubling mystery to us. Folks many things God is not telling us for our own good. They remain a mystery. Why does a good person serving God died so young or murdered like Jim Elliott? Why do little children suffer and starve. Why is an innocence baby born just to die?

These are mysteries of a sovereign God. We tell Him, “I don’t understand this plan of yours.” Yet, He is a sovereign God and he has one and it is not for us to always know why. He loves us with unconditional love but we do not…
I know that does not change how you feel and the mystery of it all seems cruel. How do I handle that? It takes courage to leave the rest to God.

It takes trust to believe that God has a plan. This is where faith comes to play. It sustains us and keeps us and brings a peace that passes all understanding. There is no condition where God is not good and holy and all knowing. The agony of the mystery just might be relieve to some degree if we appreciate those we do have, love them with unconditional love