What is the meaning of Revelation 10:11? And they told me - The command comes immediately after John eats the little scroll (Revelation 10:8-10), showing that the heavenly messenger’s words carry divine authority. - As in Revelation 1:1, the message originates with God, is delivered through an angel, and reaches John. The same chain of authority reassures us that what follows is trustworthy (cf. Revelation 22:6). - Throughout Scripture, God often repeats a calling after a dramatic encounter—think of Elijah’s renewed mission in 1 Kings 19:15-18 or Ezekiel’s second commissioning in Ezekiel 3:4-11. John stands in that prophetic line. You must prophesy again • “Must” signals divine necessity, echoing Acts 23:11, where the Lord tells Paul, “You must testify about Me in Rome.” • “Prophesy” includes both foretelling and forthtelling—declaring God’s truth and warning of coming events (Jeremiah 1:7; Revelation 1:19). • “Again” shows that John’s work is not finished; chapters 11-22 flow from this renewed mandate, much as Jeremiah continued after the temple sermon (Jeremiah 26:2-6). • God’s servants may feel spent, yet He often sends them back into the fray with fresh strength (Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 4:1). about many peoples - Revelation’s scope is global: “A vast multitude... from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue” worship the Lamb (Revelation 7:9). - God promised Abraham, “All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3), and this verse shows that promise reaching its fulfillment. - John’s prophecy therefore concerns ordinary men and women everywhere, calling them to repentance and faith (Acts 17:30-31). and nations • Nations (ethnos) highlights political entities—kingdoms and states that often rage against the Lord (Psalm 2:1-2). • Revelation records judgments that fall on the “nations” (Revelation 11:18; 16:19), yet also envisions their ultimate healing: “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). • God’s sovereignty over every nation encourages believers facing governmental hostility (Daniel 4:34-35; Acts 4:24-28). and tongues - Language barriers do not hinder God. At Pentecost, the crowd heard “each one... in his own language” (Acts 2:6-11). - John’s vision underscores that prophecy must penetrate linguistic divisions so every tongue can confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11). - Revelation itself became Scripture translated into thousands of languages, fulfilling this directive. and kings • Prophecy will confront rulers just as Moses stood before Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1), Nathan before David (2 Samuel 12:7), and Paul before Agrippa (Acts 26:27-29). • Later in the book, kings assemble against the Lamb (Revelation 17:12-14), yet “the Lamb will triumph” because He is “King of kings.” • The message to kings is twofold: a warning of judgment (Psalm 2:10-12) and an invitation to join the nations bringing their glory into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24). summary Revelation 10:11 is God’s resounding recommission of John. Having digested the bittersweet scroll, he must proclaim God’s unaltered Word once more, addressing every layer of humanity—from common peoples in every language to the highest rulers of the earth. The verse assures believers that God’s gospel and judgments are universal, unavoidable, and ultimately victorious, urging us to faithful witness until Christ’s return. |
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