Little Open Scroll

Exploring Prophetic Mysteries

With Daniel Speck 8.8.10

The Little Open Scroll

The bitter-sweet scroll of the Mighty Angel

John is given a scroll to eat by the Mighty Angel of Revelation 10.

I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven...and he had in his hand a little book which was open... And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey,” I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples, and nations and tongues and kings.” Revelation 10:1-11

There is a very similar scroll described by the Prophet Ezekiel:

“Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it...Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. Ezekiel 3:1-4

The two scrolls of Revelation

The Scroll with Seven Seals is a mystery scroll. It cannot be opened or read by anyone but the Lord Jesus Himself. The Mystery of God is Christ and the Church, that, “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, but has now been revealed.” (Ephesians 3:5). But the Little Scroll is open; it is not a mystery. All the promises and prophesies to Israel have always been open and public, never a mystery. It is little because it has to be small enough for John to eat.

A day of bitter weeping

Some may assume that when the Jews as a nation finally come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior, it will be a day of rejoicing and celebration. In fact the opposite is true. When they finally see that the One they rejected, turned over to be crucified and stubbornly rejected for 2000 years, is their only hope, it will be a time of the most bitter kind of weeping.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn...The land will mourn, every family by itself. Zechariah 12:10-12

When Peter realized that he had indeed denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, “...he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:75. Peter was alone with his mourning just as the families and women of Israel will each mourn by themselves. Even at a funeral people get together to mourn together, but this weeping will be so bitter that people will mourn by themselves. This isolated mourning also suggests the same type guilt and shame that Peter felt when he realized he had denied the Lord.

When Christ appears on the clouds all the tribes of the earth will mourn

Behold, He is coming on the clouds and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Revelation 1:7. At the appearance of Christ at the Seventh Trumpet, the Church will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, “...therefore comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:18. The Church will be rescued from the wrath to come and it will be a great day for all born-again believer in Christ. But for the unbelieving nations of the world and for unbelieving Israel, it will be a day of terror and weeping.

And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:16-17.

The Little Open Scroll is sweet because the Word of God is always sweet, but the prophecies to Israel are also bitter

How sweet are Your words to my taste, yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalms 119:102

But the prophecies of the Little Scroll also include a just judgment on Israel which will be bitter pill for them to swallow.

For I am with you, for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, yet I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you properly and by no mans leave you unpunished. Jeremiah 46:28

The Little Open Scroll begins the fulfillment of Israel’s redemption

The first part of Revelation, chapters 1 through 11 deal primarily with the Church. Once the Lord Jesus appears on the clouds and the rapture of the Church occurs at the Seventh Trumpet, then the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s covenants with Israel, is seen in the heavenly sanctuary and it is then time for the prophecies of the Little Scroll, the prophecies about the judgment and redemption of Israel as well as judgment on the nations, to begin in chapter 12.

Israel will weep at Christ’s appearing on the clouds, but their mourning will turn to joy when He returns to redeem them

Israel’s bitterness will turn to joy when the Lord Jesus returns on a white horse to save Israel and destroy the attacking armies of the Beast.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Revelation 19:11

Say to the daughters of Zion, “Lo, you salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.” And they will call them. “The holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.” Isaiah 62:11-12

Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. ...For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come.” Isaiah 63:1,4.

The Lord has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more. In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:15

Summary

The Little Open Scroll of Revelation 10 contains the prophecies about Israel’s judgment and redemption that will be fulfilled following the completed redemption of the Church and the appearing of Christ on the Clouds at the Seventh Trumpet Rapture. The two scrolls divide the book of Revelation into two parts: the Seven Seal Scroll completing redemption of the Church and the Kingdom of the World in chapter 1-11, and the redemption of Israel in chapter 12-20 as prophesied in the Little Scroll. The Little Scroll is both sweet and bitter as it reflects the sweetness of God’s Word, but the bitterness of the Israel when they see Him on the clouds at the Seventh Trumpet and realize that the One they rejected for 2000 years was truly the Messiah of Israel.