Angel’s assignment: (10:8-11):
The voice of God spoke to John: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings”(10:8-11).
Obediently, like Ezekiel before him (Eze.2:9-3:3) John symbolically took the scroll and ate it. Like the angel said: he found them both “sweet as honey” and “bitter.” Sweet because John, like all believers, wanted the Lord to act in judgement to take back the earth that is rightfully His and be exalted and glorified as He deserved. Bitter because there is terrible doom awaiting unbelievers which turned the sweet into bitterness. All who love Jesus Christ would feel the same way. Believers long for Christ to return in glory, for Satan to be destroyed and the glorious kingdom of our Lord to be set up on earth, which He will rule in glory while establishing in the world righteousness, truth and peace. But they like Paul mourn bitterly over the judgement of the ungodly (Rom.9:1-3).
But John was told, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.” The use of “again” indicates John was being commissioned a second time (1:19). To write the rest of the prophecies God was going to give him. He was to learn and record something more devastating. He was to be faithful to his duty to record all the truth he had seen and would soon see. John was to warn of all the bitter judgements coming in the 7th trumpet and the final 7-bowls.
John was still in exile in Patmos (1:9). He had no opportunity to preach to all nations. The best thing he can do is write all the prophecies and distribute them so as to warn all people of the bitterness of judgement to come and of death and hell. All unbelievers may know this through John’s records that God has restrained this judgement for little time. God’s delay is man’s opportunity and a grace from God. But a day will come when He will come and judge all sinners and Satan and demons.
- The unusual witnesses: (chap.11):
Throughout the history God has faithfully sent His prophets and spokesmen to call sinners back to repentance. Prophets viz. Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah and others confronted both wayward Israel and sinful Gentile nations. During the first-half period of tribulation, God will raise up 2-amazing, exceptional and powerful preachers.
Measuring of the temple: (11:1-2):
After getting the commission to write the prophecies Apostle John was given a measuring rod like a staff by the same angel or the strong angel to measure the dimensions of the temple. A similar vision in the book of Ezekiel (Eze.40:3-43:17) where an angel used such a rod to measure the millennial temple.
John was told to measure the temple of God, including “the altar and those who worship in it.” He was told to leave out the outer court of the Temple. This is perhaps that God sometimes marks things out for destruction. Here John’s measurement is better understood as signifying the ownership, defining the parameters of God’s possessions. Also indicates something good, since what was not measured was evil. In other words, God’s measuring off Israel for salvation and His special protection, preservation and favour.
The Greek word for “temple” does not refer to the entire temple complex, but to the inner temple, made up of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The altar is probably the brazen altar, located outside the inner sanctuary in the courtyard, since that is where those who worship in the temple would have gathered. The people were never permitted into the inner temple. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place. The worshippers in John’s vision depict a remnant of believing Jews worshipping God during the tribulation.
The tribulation temple will be built in the first 3 ½ years under the influence of Antichrist. Many orthodox Jews today dream of rebuilding their temple, but its site is now occupied by the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Because Muslims believe it to the place from which Muhammad ascended to heaven, it is among the most sacred shrines in the Islamic world. For the Jews to take that site from the Muslims and build their temple there would be unthinkable in today’s political climate. But during the tribulation, under the protection of Antichrist (Dan. 9:24-27) they will be able to rebuild the temple.
John was instructed not to measure the outer court where brazen altar is located. This place is given to the nations; and they will tread underfoot the holy city for 42-months (3 ½ years). This covers the domination of Antichrist. This period will be the culmination of the “times of the Gentiles.”(Lk. 21:24)
During this 42-month period, God will shelter many Israelites in a place in the wilderness (some speculate the rock city of Petra) “Then the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God so that there she would be nourished for 1260 days”(Rev. 12:6). Many Jews will follow Jesus’s warning and flee to safety. The rest of people who remain will face terrible persecution from the forces of Antichrist. At that time God will bring salvation to Israel, using the 2-witnesses or powerful preachers who will appear in Jerusalem (11:3) and will also face hostility and hatred (11:7-8). These two powerful preachers would preach the gospel to the Jewish remnant.