Revelation 10

1. Why was John commanded to seal up that which the seven thunders uttered?
2. What is the mystery of God?
3. What is the little book and why was John told to eat it?

Futurist-Prophecy yet to be fulfilled
1. The message of the seven thunders may have been of intense judgment, too devastating for John’s readers to read. On the other hand, there are some issues that God has simply chosen not to reveal to mankind at this time so there is no point trying to make an argument from silence.
2. Most futurist writers view the mystery of God as synonymous with the problem of pain. Why has God allowed Satan to have his own way (and humans for that matter) for so long? The mystery of God will reveal His reasons.
3. It seems every futurist writer has a different view of this little book. John is told to eat it because he was to live by its words. It tasted sweet in hope, but bitter in judgment.

Historicist-Prophecy fulfilled throughout the church age
1. The seven thunders are interpreted in many ways, all having to do with the period of the reformation and the evil Papal system. It may be the 7 thunders are Papal Anathemas denouncing Luther and therefore unworthy of record.
2. The mystery of God is the timing of God’s judgment on the Papal system. Their final chance to repent was via the Reformation. Israel had been given 1,500 years to repent before AD70, now the Papal church had been given 1,500 years to repent before the reformation.
3. The little book is the Bible, now open to the common people through the events surrounding the reformation. Around this time the printing press was invented and the new translations of the Bible emerged (Greek 1516, Swiss 15:18, German 1522, English & Swedish 1526, Danish 1537, KJV 1611). John eats it to symbolize the reformation church feeding on God’s Word.

Preterist-Prophecy fulfilled in distant past
1. The sayings of the seven thunders were too terrible to write. We are told they exist because God wants us to know He has not revealed all things to us.
2. The mystery is the end of ‘Jewish’ Christianity. The temple will be destroyed along with its rituals and Jewish and Gentile Christians will forever be united.
3. The little book is, essentially, the book of Revelation (same book as in chapter 5). Eating the book was an imitation of Ezekiel 3. His prophecy was about the destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC, now John ate a book prior to its destruction in AD70.
*At this point (v. 11) Preterists split into two camps. One continues to view Revelation as a description of AD70, others see a transition to a description of the eventual fall of Rome.

Spiritualist-Prophecy fulfilled repeatedly throughout history
1. The seven thunders represent the voice of the Lord (John 12:27-31, Psalm 29). The fact that we are not given the content simply shows us that all has not been revealed to us.
2. The mystery of God is the union of Jew and Gentile into one body of believers inhabited by Christ.
3. The book contains God’s message for the whole world. God’s Word is sweet, but proclaiming it leads to persecution (bitter aftertaste).