Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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R E V E L A T I O N.

CHAP. X.

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This chapter is an introduction to the latter part of the prophecies of

this book. Whether what is contained between this and the sounding of

the seventh trumpet

(ch. xi. 15)

be a distinct prophecy from the other, or only a more general account

of some of the principal things included in the other, is disputed by

our curious enquirers into these abstruse writings. However, here we

have,

I. A remarkable description of a very glorious angel with an open book

in his hand,

ver. 1-3.

II. An account of seven thunders which the apostle heard, as echoing to

the voice of this angel, and communicating some discoveries, which the

apostle was not yet allowed to write,

ver. 4.

III. The solemn oath taken by him who had the book in his hand,

ver. 5-7.

IV. The charge given to the apostle, and observed by him,

ver. 8-11.

The Seven Thunders.	A. D. 95.

     

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:

  2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his

right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

  3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and

when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

  4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was

about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,

Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write

them not.

  5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the

earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

  6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created

heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the

things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are

therein, that there should be time no longer:

  7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he

shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as

he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

     

Here we have an account of another vision the apostle was favoured

with, between the sounding of the sixth trumpet and that of the

seventh. And we observe,

     

I. The person who was principally concerned in communicating this

discovery to John–an angel from heaven, another mighty angel,

who is so set forth as would induce one to think it could be no other

than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

1. He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too

great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his

dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about him.

2. A rainbow was upon his head; he is always mindful of his

covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious, yet it is perfectly

just and faithful.

3. His face was as the sun, all bright, and full of lustre and

majesty,

ch. i. 16.

4. His feet were as pillars of fire; all his ways, both of grace

and providence, are pure and steady.

     

II. His station and posture: He set his right foot upon the sea and

his left foot upon the earth, to show the absolute power and

dominion he had over the world. And he held in his hand a little

book opened, probably the same that was before sealed, but was now

opened, and gradually fulfilled by him.

     

III. His awful voice: He cried aloud, as when a lion roareth

(v. 3),

and his awful voice was echoed by seven thunders, seven solemn

and terrible ways of discovering the mind of God.

     

IV. The prohibition given to the apostle, that he should not publish,

but conceal what he had learned from the seven thunders,

v. 4.

The apostle was for preserving and publishing every thing he saw and

heard in these visions, but the time had not yet come.

     

V. The solemn oath taken by this mighty angel.

1. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to heaven, and

swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as God often has

done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord, Redeemer, and ruler of the

world, now appeals.

2. The matter of the oath: that there shall be time no longer;

either,

(1.) That there shall be now no longer delay in fulfilling the

predictions of this book than till the last angel should sound; then

every thing should be put into speedy execution: the mystery of God

shall be finished,
v. 7.

Or,

(2.) That when this mystery of God is finished time itself shall be no

more, as being the measure of things that are in a mutable changing

state; but all things shall be at length for ever fixed, and so time

itself swallowed up in eternity.

The Little Book.	A. D. 95.

     

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again,

and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand

of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

  9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the

little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and

it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth

sweet as honey.

  10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate

it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I

had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

  11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many

peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

     

Here we have,

I. A strict charge given to the apostle, which was,

1. That he should go and take the little book out of the hands

of that mighty angel mentioned before. This charge was given, not by

the angel himself who stood upon the earth, but by the same voice from

heaven that in the

fourth verse

had lain an injunction upon him not to write what he had discerned by

the seven thunders.

2. To eat the book; this part of the charge was given by the angel

himself, hinting to the apostle that before he should publish what he

had discovered he must more thoroughly digest the predictions, and be

in himself suitably affected with them.

     

II. An account of the taste and relish which this little book would

have, when the apostle had taken it in; at first, while in his

mouth, sweet. All persons feel a pleasure in looking into future

events, and in having them foretold; and all good men love to receive a

word from God, of what import soever it be. But, when this book of

prophecy was more thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents

would be bitter; these were things so awful and terrible, such grievous

persecutions of the people of God, and such desolation made in the

earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would not be

pleasant, but painful to the mind of the apostle: thus was Ezekiel’s

prophecy to him,

ch. iii. 3.

     

III. The apostle’s discharge of the duty he was called to

(v. 10):

He took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up,

and he found the relish to be as was told him.

1. It becomes the servants of God to digest in their own souls the

messages they bring to others in his name, and to be suitably affected

therewith themselves.

2. It becomes them to deliver every message with which they are

charged, whether pleasing or unpleasing to men. That which is least

pleasing may be most profitable; however, God’s messengers must not

keep back any part of the counsel of God.

     

IV. The apostle is made to know that this book of prophecy, which he

had now taken in, was not given him merely to gratify his own

curiosity, or to affect him with pleasure or pain, but to be

communicated by him to the world. Here his prophetical commission seems

to be renewed, and he is ordered to prepare for another embassy, to

convey those declarations of the mind and will of God which are of

great importance to all the world, and to the highest and greatest men

in the world, and such should be read and recorded in many languages.

This indeed is the case; we have them in our language, and are all

obliged to attend to them, humbly to enquire into the meaning of them,

and firmly to believe that every thing shall have its accomplishment in

the proper time; and, when the prophecies shall be fulfilled, the sense

and truth of them will appear, and the omniscience, power, and

faithfulness of the great God will be adored.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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