The Little Book

The Little Book

Rev. 10.2 “And he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth”—Placing His feet as pillars of fire upon the sea and the earth indicates He is to judge them with the holiness and righteousness of God. “Set” denotes “occupy”: wherever His feet are to tread, the same is occupied by Him (Deut. 11.24; Ps. 8.6).

“A little book”—Some say this little book is the Old Testament, others think it refers to Revelation chapters 11-22. However, none of these seems to be satisfactory. There are many evidences pointing towards it being the book mentioned in chapter 5.

(1) In 5.3 and 7 the book is said to be in the hand of the Lamb, but it is still sealed. In 10.2 it is said to be in the hand of the Angel and it is open.

(2) Since in 5.1-3 the book is sealed, nothing is mentioned of its size. Now in 10.2 we find it is opened, it thus being possible to tell of its littleness.

(3) John’s eating this little book, as mentioned in 10.9-10, simply indicates that God has revealed these things to him.

(4) “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel” (10.7). As the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery of God is finished since it has now been manifested. At the opening of the seventh seal the book is still unopened because the seventh seal includes the seven trumpets. The book is opened only after the sounding of the seventh trumpet, for only then is the mystery fulfilled.

(5) In the vision John sees the opened book (10.2,7,8). This does not imply that the book is opened at the sixth trumpet.

(6) 10.11 says “prophesy again”, thus showing that the prophecy is divided into two parts. The first part is from the first seal to the blowing of the seventh trumpet; and the second part is from the seventh trumpet to the new heaven and the new earth. After the sounding of the seventh trumpet there come forth the plagues of the seven bowls. How do we know that the second part of the little book not only speaks of the kingdom and the new heaven and new earth but also includes the seven bowls? It is because in 10.10 it is stated that after John has eaten the little book his belly is made bitter though it is sweet as honey in his mouth. And hence there is both bitterness and sweetness, thus proving both blessing and woe are included here.

Since the book is opened at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, it additionally can be said that the first part of the little book is sealed while its second part is open. Consequently, with regard to the prophecy contained in this book, the first part is a mystery; that is to say, it remains a mystery from the first seal to the seventh trumpet—from 6.1 to 11.19.

But it can be said that the second part of the prophecy is open since not only in 10.7 is it clearly stated that at the sounding of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God is finished, but also in 11.15 it is distinctly declared that at that time the kingdom is come. The second part commences with the seventh trumpet (yet not its sounding) and continues on to the new heaven and the new earth, that is, from the time of 12.1 to 22.22.

What is meant is that at the sounding the last trumpet saints are raptured (the first trumpet saints were raptured at first rapture (Rev. 7.9, 3.10, Luke 21.36, Matt. 24.40-41,42), but the kingdom begins when Jesus returns which is at the end of the 7th trumpet (end of the 1260 days) as the 7th trumpet pours out the 7 bowls.

The judgments of the seven seals and of the seven trumpets constitute the procedure for opening the book with a view to bringing in the kingdom and also eternity.