THE HOLY INTERRUPTION
The apostle John, in experiencing and recording all the events of the book of Revelation, had such an incredible time. Sometimes things happened incredibly fast. John envisioned the 7 trumpets and then went to record them. As he was doing so, he experienced what is known as a “holy interruption.” He literally stopped what he was doing, and went the direction the new angel was taking him and when finished; John went back to what he was doing. Once you see this interruption, the verses involved will start to make more sense.
First, let's set the scene.
John just finished recording the events he saw with the opening of the 7 seals. Then his attention turned to 7 angels with 7 trumpets. John watched and then started to record the events that correlated with the angels with the 7 trumpets.
The events of 1st through 4th trumpets were written, but before the 5th trumpet would sound, another angel appeared with the announcement that there were 3 woes coming.
Therefore trumpets “5, 6 and 7,” are additionally called “the 3 woes.”
This was further confirmed, when John finished describing the events of the 5th trumpet, as he concluded with “One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.”
Then John described the events of the 6th trumpet, and as he was about to conclude (at Revelation 9:21) and said, “the second woe past” and then he had a very “holy and incredible interruption” by the Angel of the Lord Himself. John would not get to make that “concluding statement” until sometime later.
At the beginning of chapter 10, John received a visit from the Angel of the Lord.
John would not be able to finish writing the conclusion of the 6th trumpet/ 2nd woe until “everything involved with the holy interruption” would be finished.
In the Bible, the only place a rainbow is full circle and complete is with God (Revelation 4:3). The Angel 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” (Revelation 10:6). This is not the characteristic of a normal angel. I believe this was Jesus, appearing as the Angel of the Lord.
This Angel declared in Revelation 10:6b-7, “that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the 7th angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” The “Angel” said that the 7th trumpet will be very final in that “the mystery of God would be finished as prophesied.” And then the voice from heaven commanded John to eat a little scroll to be given to him by the Angel. Which he did. It was sweet in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. This was the same voice from heaven that commanded him not to reveal what the seven thunders said.
The interruption continued from eating the little scroll and John was “commanded to prophesy."
Which John did, starting in Chapter 11, verse 1 and he did not stop prophesying until the end of verse 13, at which point, the “holy interruption” was over.
It was as if John was writing about the trumpets and at the end of the 6th trumpet, the Lord stopped and redirected him. And when done, John concluded the prophesying, and then picked up where he left off in Chapter 9, at the end of the 6th trumpet (2nd woe) and he finally gets to write Revelation 11:14, “The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.”
To recap, from “the end of chapter 9 until chapter 11, verse 13” is all “holy interruption.” John got back to the trumpets and woes, starting in verse 14.
Remember in Revelation 10:7, the Angel of the Lord told John, “in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished.”
It came quick for John to see and record, but it will not be so quick in worldly time! The 7th trumpet, 3rd woe, is the Great White Throne of Judgment,” which does not take place until after the Millennium.
John was in effect recording the trumpets of judgment, when the Lord took Him to something else important. Then he came back to where he left off and started again.
How do we know “the 7th trumpet, 3rd woe,” is the final judgment? For one thing, notice the word “judgment” and “of the dead.” The Millennium will be over, and it will be time for “the judgment of the dead,” not the dead in Christ or asleep in Christ, but time of “the judgment of the lost,” at the Great White Throne of Judgment.
One must realize there are pauses and breaks in the book of Revelation, to understand what John went through and conveyed.
First, let's set the scene.
John just finished recording the events he saw with the opening of the 7 seals. Then his attention turned to 7 angels with 7 trumpets. John watched and then started to record the events that correlated with the angels with the 7 trumpets.
The events of 1st through 4th trumpets were written, but before the 5th trumpet would sound, another angel appeared with the announcement that there were 3 woes coming.
- Revelation 8:13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
Therefore trumpets “5, 6 and 7,” are additionally called “the 3 woes.”
This was further confirmed, when John finished describing the events of the 5th trumpet, as he concluded with “One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.”
Then John described the events of the 6th trumpet, and as he was about to conclude (at Revelation 9:21) and said, “the second woe past” and then he had a very “holy and incredible interruption” by the Angel of the Lord Himself. John would not get to make that “concluding statement” until sometime later.
At the beginning of chapter 10, John received a visit from the Angel of the Lord.
John would not be able to finish writing the conclusion of the 6th trumpet/ 2nd woe until “everything involved with the holy interruption” would be finished.
- Revelation 10:1 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.
In the Bible, the only place a rainbow is full circle and complete is with God (Revelation 4:3). The Angel 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” (Revelation 10:6). This is not the characteristic of a normal angel. I believe this was Jesus, appearing as the Angel of the Lord.
This Angel declared in Revelation 10:6b-7, “that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the 7th angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” The “Angel” said that the 7th trumpet will be very final in that “the mystery of God would be finished as prophesied.” And then the voice from heaven commanded John to eat a little scroll to be given to him by the Angel. Which he did. It was sweet in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. This was the same voice from heaven that commanded him not to reveal what the seven thunders said.
The interruption continued from eating the little scroll and John was “commanded to prophesy."
- Revelation 10:11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
Which John did, starting in Chapter 11, verse 1 and he did not stop prophesying until the end of verse 13, at which point, the “holy interruption” was over.
It was as if John was writing about the trumpets and at the end of the 6th trumpet, the Lord stopped and redirected him. And when done, John concluded the prophesying, and then picked up where he left off in Chapter 9, at the end of the 6th trumpet (2nd woe) and he finally gets to write Revelation 11:14, “The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.”
To recap, from “the end of chapter 9 until chapter 11, verse 13” is all “holy interruption.” John got back to the trumpets and woes, starting in verse 14.
- Revelation 11:14-15 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
Remember in Revelation 10:7, the Angel of the Lord told John, “in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished.”
It came quick for John to see and record, but it will not be so quick in worldly time! The 7th trumpet, 3rd woe, is the Great White Throne of Judgment,” which does not take place until after the Millennium.
John was in effect recording the trumpets of judgment, when the Lord took Him to something else important. Then he came back to where he left off and started again.
How do we know “the 7th trumpet, 3rd woe,” is the final judgment? For one thing, notice the word “judgment” and “of the dead.” The Millennium will be over, and it will be time for “the judgment of the dead,” not the dead in Christ or asleep in Christ, but time of “the judgment of the lost,” at the Great White Throne of Judgment.
One must realize there are pauses and breaks in the book of Revelation, to understand what John went through and conveyed.
COMPANION ARTICLE
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