Appearance of the sealed book As we have come to know God's warning, revealed in the time of the Antichrist, the rising of wars for punishment, we wonder, what is the attitude of the Lamb towards him, especially for the sake of His bride? Chapter ten shows us the person of the Lord as an angel clothed with a cloud. In His hand, there is a little book, opened, to reveal His intentions towards mankind, especially in the time of tribulation, and in particular, at the time of the thick darkness of the Antichrist. Chapter eleven explains his sending of the two prophets, Elijah and Enoch, two witnesses, to help the Church to flee to the wilderness, if possible, and they stand in the face of the Antichrist to resist him. Let us go back to the angel who holds the book, to find in this chapter: 1. The angel clothed with a cloud 1-4. 2. Swearing of the angel 5-7. 3. Swallowing of the book 8-11. 1. THE ANGEL CLOTHED WITH A CLOUD "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. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land, and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices"[1-3]. He is the "Angel of the Covenant," who is revealed in the hearts to reassure its trouble, saying to the believer, "I am he, do not be afraid!" Bishop Victorianus confirms that He is Jesus Christ, and He is: 1. Descending from heaven: Being heavenly, He is concerned, not in preventing His believers tribulation and difficulties, but in their reaching heaven. 2. Mighty: He was revealed strong to His bride, to strengthen her, that she who is engaged to Him, would not faint. Indeed, the believers realize that they are not able by themselves to bear the difficulties, but through the mighty Lord they are capable (2 Cor. 3:5.. By himself the believer is weak, but with the Lord he is strong. By himself he faints, but he puts on the victorious Lord who defeats. 3. Clothed with a cloud: The cloud points to the the presence of God, as it symbolizes His glory and majesty. When the time of His second advent is near, to reign forever, He appears to the believers in His glory. Thus, in their waiting for Him, they do not cool down, but hear Him saying, "Surely I come quickly." They will not stop calling on Him, "Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 20:20). They beg Him ceaselessly saying: "Your kingdom come." The cloud has an old story. When God led His old people in the desert, He overshadowed them with a cloud. The cloud of glory descended between the two 6 churches in the tabernacle, and in the temple of Solomon. When Ezekiel prophesied about the rejection of the Jews, because of their wickedness, he saw the cloud leaving the Holy of Holies to the exterior house, then moved to the wall of the city, and finally ascended to heaven. When the Lord Jesus came at His transfiguration, the disciples saw a "bright cloud" shadowing them. The Church is now living under the cloud in heavenly glory, but in pledge, waiting for all the glory, when her Bridegroom comes, "on the cloud of heaven with power and great glory" (Matt. 24:30). 4. The rainbow on his head: The glory, with which He crowns His head, is the reconciliation, that he gave us with God. This reconciliation is the subject of the praise of the heavenly and the humans, as they stand amazed at this great love! 5. His face is like the sun: Bishop Victorianus thinks that, this metaphoric description indicates the joy of the resurrection, and the resurrection is the defeat of death. The Lord lights the way for His children. He disperses the darkness in front of them, and gives them the life of victory and conquest until death. 6. And His feet like pillars of fire: When we are clothed with the Lord Jesus, by Him, we demolish the obstacles, as with two pillars of fire, so we do not stumble on the way, no matter how strong the tribulation is. 7. In His hand a little book was open: This is the living word of God for those who wish to enter into it, and enjoy it, by constantly meditating on it. It is a book that reveals the purpose of God towards human beings. With Him, souls feel security and restfulness, for being sure of the authority of God, and His capability in keeping His children in the hardest trials. It is a little book, for the judgment day is near, and only a few prophecies remain unrealized yet. The believers will endure only for a short time. 8. And He placed His right foot on the sea, and his left on the land: Bishop Victorianus says, that His feet are His disciples, that fill the land and the sea, preaching, and witnessing to Him. At the time of the Antichrist, many think that all had deviated, and there are no more believers in God. This feeling is capable of discouraging the believers, or those who wish to turn back from their deviation. For this reason, the real King assures them that "the land and its fullness, the universe and all its inhabitants" is His. He is not missing any witness to Him, on land or sea. He is present on earth to keep His Church, and His works, through His zealous children for the sake of the weak! 9. And He cried out as when a lion roars: How wonderful! When the earth is filled with the blasphemy of the Antichrist, and his followers against the Lord, many think that there is no more left of His members as a struggling church, only a handful of weak, escaping bunch. The hidden reality is that God shouts on the mouth of His children, roaring as a lion, for He is "like a strong man to run its race" (Ps. 19:5). "God thunders marvelously with His voice. He does great things which we cannot comprehend" (Job 37: 5). "Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write. but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them" [4]. When He shouted out, the seven thunders obeyed, or nature thundered in obedience to His call, so we may pay attention to His call as it is said, "Hear attentively 7 the thunder of His voice... He thunders with His majestic voice" (Job. 37:2-4). "The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice" (Ps. 18:13).But if we wonder about what the thunder said, God’s words are enough, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered," to fulfill our inquiry. We are sure that God demanded that for our salvation, and our good. May be, by means of these voices the prophets came to know who is the Antichrist, His name in full and His birth. The clear uncovering of this matter is dangerous. May be, the thunder spoke extensively about sad and bitter matters, which will take place at the time of the Antichrist. And mentioning it in detail may lead those who live in this period to despair. So let us be silent as far as the Lord wishes that. 2. OATH OF THE ANGELS "And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land, lifted up His right 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, but in the days of the sounding of the seven angels, when he is about to sound, the the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” [5-7]. He lifted up His hand to heaven. The lifting of the hand is an assurance to the believers, that what he is announcing is serious,, drawing their sight towards heaven, the source of comfort. What did he announce? He announces with oath, "that there should be delay no longer," or the time of tribulation has come to an end, the time of the Antichrist. This oath reveals the extent of bitterness that the believers endure. As the Lord says, "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened" (Matt. 24:22). He draws our attention to the seven trumpets, which reveal the secret of God, which His servants the prophets had preached. This secret is but the end of ages and the coming of the Lord for judgment, right as the prophets had prophesied. 3. THE SWALLOWING OF THE BOOK "Then the voice which I heard from heaven, spoke to me 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 sweet as honey in your mouth.’ And I took the little book out of the angel's hands and ate it, and it 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’" [8-11]. This book that reveals the purpose of God towards His Church, also carries within it, the bitter pains that she will suffer, especially at the time of the Antichrist. He saw this little book open, and He did not ask him to seal what he reads in it, as He had asked him concerning what the seven thunders were talking about (Rev. 10:4). He 8 ordered him to take it, and eat it, which means to understand it and announce it to the human race. The book was sweet in his mouth because it spoke about the two witnesses, who are coming at the time of the Antichrist, as we shall see soon in the following chapter. In his stomach it became bitter, because it encloses a very bitter period. Bishop Victorianus explains that the reason for the sweetness, is the reward he gets for preaching it. Its bitterness in his stomach is because of what it contains of bitter sufferings. He asked Jeremiah to eat "the word of God," and he said, "Your words were found, and I ate them. And Your words were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (Jer. 15:16). Also when Ezekiel ate the book, in His mouth, it was sweet like honey, but inside of him were bitterness, wailing and sorrow (Ez. 2:8, 9-3:1-3,10). It is sweet, because of our understanding God's purpose towards His children, His justification to many, during their great distress. It is bitter because of what they go through in their troubles, and because of their grief over the perverts. They say as the psalmist said, "Indignation has taken hold of me, because of the wicked who forsake Your laws."
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