There is an evident structure to the Book of Revelation.  Just as there was a gap between the sixth and seventh seals (chapter 7), so there is a similar parenthesis between trumpets six and seven.  The seventh trumpet sounds at 11:15 and the section 10:1-11:14 consists of two visions: the angel with the little scroll (10:1-11), and the two witnesses (11:1-14).  As before, what is recorded for us in chapters 10 and 11 is not meant to be regarded as chronological, as though these visions describe something taking place after the blowing of the sixth trumpet. Rather, as in chapter 7, these are visions describing something that cover the same period of time as those events described by the first six trumpets (and the first six seals).  According to 10:6-7, whenever the seventh trumpet does sound, there will be no further delay in the plan and purposes of God. Consequently, in 11:15, whenever the seventh trumpet sounds, we are ushered into the arena of the Day of Judgment.

As many have recognized, the basic structure of Revelation is expressed as a recapitulatory and progressive parallelism. That is, the book is constantly covering the same general ground, returning to survey it on several occasions, on each of which further insight is provided.  Furthermore, while Revelation 1-11 does this from the perspective of the conflict of the church, Revelation 12-22 covers this ground against the background of the ultimate, heavenly conflict.  The visions of 10:1-11:14, therefore, form the concluding section to the this first half of the Book of Revelation, and relate to us the relationship between the church and the world during this age, and in particular upon the judgment of the ungodly.

Only when the church is indistinguishable from the world does it escape the trouble that is reflected here.  However, the church that is true to its calling, separating itself from the world’s agenda, can expect all kinds of trouble and difficult.

As Calvin writes in a comment on 1 Peter (also written to encourage the people of God against persecution and trial): "But he includes much more than this, for he teaches us, that the Church of Christ has been from the beginning so constituted, that the cross has been the way to victory, and death a passage to life…"

The opening of chapter 10 reminds us of the opening of chapter 5 since both chapters describe a "strong angel," who cries with "a loud voice" (10:1,3; 5:2) of lion-like proportions (10:3; 5:5).  Everything about the description of this angel would seem to indicate that Christ (rather than, say, Michael or Gabriel) is intended (though many commentators disagree since nowhere else is Christ called an "angel" in the Book of Revelation).  In that sense, it is similar to many such passages in the Old Testament where the "angel of the Lord" is a theophany, or Christophany, ¾ a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ in human form in the Old Testament economy.

The angel appears "clothed with a cloud," (10:1) and appears to reflect the imagery of Daniel 7 where the Son of Man comes on the clouds to receive authority from the Ancient of Days.  Similarly, the description of the rainbow that overarched his head (10:1) is a powerful reminder of a similar description given in the opening chapter of Ezekiel (1:26-28), where God’s glory is described in this multi-colored way.   Both of these descriptions from Daniel and Ezekiel have already been alluded to in the opening chapter of Revelation (1:7,13). The writer may now be attempting to tie up the picture of the Son of Man as book-ends to this first half of Revelation.   Additionally, the description of his face as "like the sun" and his feet (or legs) like "pillars of fire" also remind us of the description given of Christ in the first chapter (1:15-16).

Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man was intended to portray the presence and power of God’s servant with his people in the midst of severe persecution and trial. The concern facing John’s readers, and the church ever since, has been similar.

The "strong angel" carries in is hand a "little scroll", on which is inscribed the contents of verses 1-13 ( or more likely, chapters 11-16, and possibly 17-22 as well). In chapter 5 a similar scroll was introduced (5:1). Some believe the two scrolls of chapters 5 and 10 to be identical, but the fact that John uses a different word for scroll here than in chapter 5 probably points to the fact that this scroll is a smaller, less general one. Some differences between it and the one here may be explained by the fact that the scene in chapter 5 takes place in heaven whilst this one takes place on earth. Both scrolls draw heavily from allusions to Ezekiel 2 and Daniel 12.   Chapter 5 was God’s promise to fulfill His covenantal obligations to His people that had forfeited their right to the blessings of God.  Christ as the one who endured the covenant curse was found worthy to open the book containing the promise, and therefore to inherit the promises themselves.  Chapter 10 follows that same line of thought: that Christ, who is the divine Lord, is alone worthy to inherit the promises of the covenant on behalf of His people.  The imagery is one of a mighty ruler whose dominion is over land and sea (10:2).  Later, in chapter 13, both land and sea will bring forth a beast over which we are already informed Jesus reigns supreme.  The lion-like roar (10:3) reminds us of Amos:

The lion has roared¾ who will not fear?
The Sovereign LORD has spoken¾ who can but prophesy?
                                                        (Amos 3:8).

The identification and meaning of the seven thunders is difficult.  Does the prohibition to write down what John has heard mean that some things in the future are not to be revealed in order that we might live more in dependence on God?  Or, was the message so extraordinary (ineffable) that, like the message Paul heard about which he records in 2 Corinthians 12, the church has no business knowing it?  Or, is this an example of God delaying or even canceling, His proposed work of judgment in order to rescue more of mankind from the certain effects of sin by encouraging repentance?    Or, are the seven thunders meant to be yet another parallel set of seven judgments along with the seven seals, trumpets and bowls (the contents of which, of course, are not revealed)?  Commentators have suggested all of these.

But a more certain interpretation will follow the Old Testament closely, and in particular Psalm 29 where God is alluded to in terms of a seven fold formula: "the voice of the Lord…," the first of which adds by way explanation that: "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters."  It would appear that the way John introduces it in verse 3 indicates that his readers knew that to which he referred. The fact that they are kept hidden may indicate nothing more than the fact that they contain nothing new.

The only problem with this understanding of the seven thunders is that it comes out of sequence with the seven seals and seven trumpets in that it comes between the sixth and seventh trumpet, rather than, say, after the seventh trumpet and before the seven bowls.

It is interesting that the seven thunders precede the seventh trumpet and therefore signifies, along with the first six seals and the first six trumpets, judgments which take place throughout the course of the time that followed the first coming of Jesus Christ.   The multitude in John 12, hearing the voice from heaven acknowledging the prayer of Jesus that the Father’s name be glorified, thought that it had thundered (John 12:28-29).  Jesus' interpretation that followed is therefore all the more salutary: "’This voice was for your benefit, not Mine.  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’  He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die." (John 12:30-32).  On this view, the death of Jesus was the first indication of judgment upon the impenitent, and the certainty of God’s plan of redemption which includes the destruction of the wicked as well as the salvation of the people of God.

As soon as the thunders have been revealed to John, the angel swears an oath, reminiscent of Daniel 12:7, regarding the immanence of the future Day of Judgment which the seventh trumpet will unleash: "there will be no more delay" (10:6).   The AV has "there will be no more time" which leads to ideas of a timeless eternity.  All of this leads to the idea of the fulfillment of "the mystery of God" which reaches a crescendo in the final revelation of the Judgment Day.

The Book of Revelation is unfolding the course of history as an unfolding of a mystery. Things otherwise hidden from view become apparent by God’s initiation and explanation. We would know nothing apart from God’s revealing work. The greatest mystery of all is the way of salvation as presented in the gospel, something which Paul gives testimony to in Romans 16:25-26. What John is testifying to here is that the end of time will reveal to us what God is doing in this world, namely fulfilling His plan of redemption.  History is His-story.  What Daniel and the other prophets (c.f. v.7) had been able to do, given their place in the history of redemption, John is now disclosing us: that the first coming of Jesus has actually set in motion the process that leads to the final consummation.  The picture of Jesus opening the sealed book in chapter 5 had already established for us that perspective.