1. The booklet of John

1. Booklet of John.pdf                                                

(Revelation 10: 9) 9 So 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 as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
.                            (All quotations from the New King James translation)                                       


The time has come near, for a far-reaching booklet.
How can we know that and what is that booklet about?
The content of this booklet will play a decisive role in this series of articles.
We begin with a short intro of the book of Revelation.

Theme: The Divine plagues, why are these necessary?

It all starts with the apostle John in captivity.
The resurrected and glorified Jesus appears to John in a vision, which vision is revealed to John by a sent angel, about what will happen in the last days:

 (Revelation 1: 1) 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

John was imprisoned because of his faith and testimony on Patmos, an island to which prisoners were exiled:

(Revelation 1: 9) 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.


Patmos

So because of his bold preaching, John stayed on a prisoner island. The wicked seem to have it easier, they live just the way they want to and apparently they are doing well. But showing off all their opulence is an empty life. Christians must arm themselves not to be tempted, to not participate in that behavior:

(1 John 2: 15-17) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Christians, like John, need not be discouraged or hurt if they don’t fit in that behavior, even by their own family members. Respond in righteousness as Jesus did, because later Jesus mother, James, and Judas came to believe:

(Matthew 12: 46-50) 46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.

The Divine Plagues

God’s plagues are real, as the great flood was real (Gen. chapter 7), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was real (Gen. chapter 19) and as the 10 plagues in Egypt were real (Ex. Chapters 7-12). Just like Jesus did, Christians can protect themselves from unbelievers ‘with an answer’ about a choice every person must make, a choice for life. Talk to unbelievers about that, it gives you strength:

(2 Corinthians 10: 4-5) 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ….

Are the Divine Plagues Necessary? What is going on?
The denial of YHWH and wickedness have increased dramatically.
When Jesus perceived that the worship of His Father was being done great injustice, Jesus intervened. This will happen again soon:

(John 2: 13-16) 13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

When God’s people, the apple of His eye, endures great injustice and are oppressed or humiliated by the wicked, God intervenes. God’s people will be saved but the wicked will then be oppressed. That will also be the case in the last days:

(2 Thessalonians 1: 6-8) 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A brief overview of God’s plagues in the book of Revelation
As first follows the inspection of the 7 communities by Jesus (Rev. chapter 2-3).
The 7 communities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.
After the inspection of the 7 communities, John is asked to ascend to heaven so that the further heavenly vision can be shown to him (Rev. 4: 1-2). The further heavenly vision can be roughly divided into three parts, towards a stepped climax:

The sealed scroll with 7 seals, which only the Lamb can open:
1 The opening of the seven seals by the Lamb (Rev. 6: 1-17,8: 1-5),  followed by 
2 The blowing of the seven trumpets (Rev .8: 7 to 9:21, 11: 15-19),  followed by 
3 The pouring out of the seven bowls of wrath (Rev. 16: 2-21)           It is done!   

After opening the 6th seal follows a fierce warning:

(Revelation 6: 12-17) 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

According to our research, it may be a large debris field entering our atmosphere or strikes the earth, which could be a signature of a brown dwarf star.
The people will be desperate of fear, they know that the great day of wrath from God and from the Lamb has come. But this fierce warning will not be the end.
After the opening of the 7 seals, the trumpets are blown.

When the sixth angel blows the 6th trumpet

After the 6th angel has blown the trumpet, four angels are released who will kill a third of the people by their plagues (Rev. 9: 13-19).
But the remaining people did not repent:

(Revelation 9: 20-21) 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood….21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

After the blowing of the 6th trumpet, but before the blowing of the 7th trumpet, an intermediate section is inserted in Revelation chapters 10-11 consisting of three parts:

  1. The booklet that John had to eat (Rev. 10: 1-11)
  2. Measuring the temple (Rev. 11: 1-2)
  3. The two witnesses prophecy. (Rev. 11: 3-13)

Our heavenly Father hopes that people will repent and for that reason be spared, but unfortunately not all of them repent (Rev. 9: 20-21).
Note that during their days in Egypt, God’s people were not affected by the 10 plagues:

(Exodus 8:22) 22 And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land.
(Exodus 9: 6, 26) 6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died….26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
(Exodus 10: 22-23) 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
(Exodus 11: 5,7) 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals….7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’

The booklet that John had to eat 
Revelation 10 (verses 1-11)

1 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.

John now sees in the vision brought by a messenger angel (from Rev. 1: 1) another strong Angel descending from heaven. This Angel with a face like the sun clearly is an image of the glorified Jesus:

  • (Revelation 1: 13,15-16,18) 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man….15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16…. and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength…. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Face like the sun, see also Matthew 17: 2)

The rainbow above His head indicates the throne on which Jesus sits together with His Father, because the rainbow is the symbol of the promise to Noah:

  • (Revelation 4: 3) 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. (see also Ezekiel 1:28)
  • (Genesis 9: 14-15) 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
  • (Mark 14:62) 62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power (of God), and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (see also Rev. 1: 7)

That the glorified Jesus was clothed with a cloud indicates Jesus’ second coming:

  • (Luke 21:27) 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

The glorified Jesus put His right foot on the sea and His left foot on the earth, which pictures Him as a conqueror, as the King on the white horse (Rev. 6: 2). It means the victory among the creatures on earth (water – Rev. 17:15 – nations over which the [financial] harlot had power) and the victory over His enemies in heaven (earth – Rev. 13:11 – beast that spoke as the dragon, as Satan).

  • (Matthew 22:44) 44 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool“?

The booklet has been opened, the information does not have to be kept hidden.
As the saying goes; ‘Like an open book ‘, no secrets are written in.
John must fully understand what is in it to be able to further prophesying, for it must be fully disclosed. The booklet that John had to eat comes in the sequence right before the Two Witnesses prophecy. Still other books are mentioned in the Scriptures.
For ‘the judgment‘ of all people by our Judge Jesus (Acts 17:31), ‘the Book of Life‘ will be opened, which contains information about all people.
But in the Scriptures is told, that ‘more books’ will be opened, meaning that more information will become available at that time as to the measure of glorification for all those who will receive ‘life’.  And also for incriminating information for those who will receive ’no life‘ but destruction:

  • (Revelation 20:12) 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
  • (Daniel 7:10) 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.

Jesus cries with a loud voice, Jesus is the roaring lion of Judah:

  • (Revelation 5: 5) 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Rev. 5: 6-9 – only the Lamb can open the seals)

4 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.

The 7 thunders represent the voice of God:

  • (John 12: 27-29) 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.….
  • (Revelation 19: 6) 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! (see also Revelation 4: 5, 8: 5, 11:19, 16: 17-18)
  • (Psalm 29: 3) 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters.

Why may the message of the seven thunders not be written down and why must that section be sealed by John and kept secret?
This secrecy corresponds with the secret in the book of Daniel:

  • (Daniel 12: 3-4) 3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. 4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

What the seven thunders have spoken will be revealed in God’s own time. The voice of God has dramatic significance for all those who do not repent of their wickedness.

5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven

Jesus is going to pray to His Heavenly Father for His slain disciples:

  • (Revelation 6: 9-11) 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

6 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,

  • (Daniel 12: 5-7) 5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” 7 Then I heard the Man clothed in linen, Who was above the waters of the river, when He held up His right hand and His left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

After a set time, times and a half, refers to the 2 witnesses’ prophecy. We will discuss this further in this series of articles.

7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

This sacred secret concerns the intention of God, to have the heavenly New Jerusalem ready at the end of days for ‘144,000 kings‘ ( Rev. 22: 5) along with a great crowd of baptized heirs ‘as servants‘ (Rev. 7: 13-15):

  • (Ephesians 3: 4-6) 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets, 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel….

8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again 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.”

It is the voice of the sent angel who further reveals the vision:

  • (Revelation 22: 6-9) 6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

9 So 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 as sweet as honey in your mouth.

Eating the little book has the same effect as what is written in the book of Ezekiel:

  • (Ezekiel 2: 9-10) 9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
  • (Ezekiel 3: 1-3, 14) 1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness….14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.

10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.

The booklet is not a literal book, but is ‘a description’ for what is about to happen. It contains a message (sweet) that signifies hope and salvation to the faithful but means woe or torment (bitter) to the unrepentant godless ones.
It is pronouncing judgment about an unrepentant people. The preaching work of the two witnesses will have at least a twofold but rather a threefold message.

As the most important message, to repent to the Creator and His Son, and also a message against idolatry, against the love of money:

  • (Mark 10:23, 25) 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”….25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

But also as third, not to worship Satan, under no circumstances. By accepting the mark, via forcing on vaccines. By making people fearful of reprisals. It is all the sowing of fear, by the children of Satan:

  • (Luke 12: 4-5) 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

We will return to this aspect of the sowing of fear in the article series.

11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

With the opened booklet fully taken in, John can continue to prophesy what is about to happen.

Resume:

Why the Divine plagues are necessary.
The sealed scroll with 7 seals, which is opened by the Lamb.
The intermediate section in Revelation chapters 10-11 consisting of three parts;

  • The little book that John had to eat (Rev. 10: 1-11)
  • Measuring the temple (Rev. 11: 1-2)
  • The two witnesses prophecy. (Rev. 11: 3-13)

Revelation chapter 10 verses 1-11; The little book that John had to eat.

In the following article: Measuring the Temple

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