Jesus said: “But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,  Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke 10:10-11).  Our Lord takes the rejection of preaching His word very seriously.  There are those in this world that simply do not see that point.  Rejection of the Gospel means that person is also rejecting Christ (John 12:48).

As Christians, we have a very heavy responsibility.  It takes the word of God to arrive at faith and that means the Gospel has to be preached by those sent to deliver it (Romans 10:14-17).  Therefore, without the saved being the vessels wherein God’s word is carried (II Corinthians 4:6-7), people simply cannot be saved as there would be no preaching of the truth (Romans 1:16 and James 1:21).  Let’s take in every word of God so that we can teach others the way to please God and have eternity as their home also.

Sometimes we get discouraged knowing that the majority of those we try to teach will reject what we are showing them from God’s word.  Ezekiel was also dealing with this.  Notice what God said to Ezekiel for a lesson to all of us: “And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.  And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.  And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.  For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.  And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.  And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.  But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee” (Ezekiel 2:1-8).

When we go and preach to individuals, let’s remind them that it is the word of God we are bringing (I Corinthians 2:1-5; 13).  Let’s remind them that rejection of our teaching them the truth means they are rejecting God (I Samuel 8:1-7).  Tell them without obeying that which we preach, they have no hope of eternal life (II Thessalonians 1:7-10).  – B.A.Y.

The “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth” was strongly revealed thus far in chapter nine.  The work of the Devil through the Roman Empire would have an effect on mankind for a season.  But, “the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands.”  Now we enter into chapter ten.  Just as there was a message of consolation for the church between the sixth and seventh seal (chapter 7), so there is such an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet (10:1 - 11:13). We are told more about the contents of the open book in chapter eleven.

10:1 “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.”

• In Revelation chapter five: verse two, we read of John who “saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice...”  Now in chapter ten we find another mighty (strong) angel revealing something else.
• The figurative language used to tell of the garment of this angel shows that he is a heavenly being (cf. Psalms 104:2-4).

• Unlike the sealed book of chapter five, this book is open.  The angel steps foot on both land and sea, this signifies that the message within that little open book applies to the whole earth.

• The imagery of verse three shows that the angel’s voice was loud and accompanied by seven thunders.  Sometimes divine revelation is set forth to be loud like a roaring lion (Amos 3:8).

• Here we see that John was ready to write what the seven thunders uttered, but a voice from Heaven (implication of this being the Lord, Matthew 3:17; 17:5) prevents John from revealing those things.  Instead, John was to seal up that which the seven thunders uttered and not write about those things.
• We see here for certain that all things are not revealed from God to us (Deuteronomy 29:29), and we know that those things would not have been beneficial to the faith of God’s children (John 20:30-31; 21:24-25).
• With the image of thunder, keep in mind that thunder precedes the storm (I Samuel 7:10), thus signifying that the unrevealed message was a message of Judgment (Exodus 20:18-20).

• Again, the image of this angel shows that this message applies to the whole world as he lifts up his hand to heaven in swearing an oath to reveal all of God’s revelation.
• We concluded chapter nine by seeing that man has not repented.  God has warned and sent plagues upon the earth as a punishment, but there has been no change.
• Daniel prophesied of the coming Kingdom in the days of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:31-45).  Daniel also prophesied that the Roman Empire would oppose God’s people for a period of time (Daniel 7:17-22).
• The mystery of the downfall of Rome was not yet revealed, but this angel promises that revelation is going to be known.  Daniel gives some insight (Daniel 7:27-28), but God will reveal more to unveil the mystery.  Man has yet to realize, even in our day, that the Lord reigns in the kingdoms of men (Daniel 5:21; 26, and Revelation 11:15).

• Now John is instructed by the Lord to take the open book from the hand of the angel whom stands upon that which symbolizes that the message is to all-the-world.

• John is to take and consume the words of that little book (Psalms 119:112 and Matthew 4:4).
• The word of God is wonderful and tastes very sweet.  But, along with the promise of hope there is also a promise of doom which can make one’s stomach “bitter” (Ezekiel 2:8-3:3).

• John is now told that his work is not done.  He is going to be a useful tool in the Lord’s vineyard.  Thus, he must know that his appointment is to take this message and spread it far and wide.

1. All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
2. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (Reprint by Hendrickson, 2002, original copyright 1896).