Reader’s Digest published an article entitled, “Words I’d Like to Hear.” Some examples…
Words I’d like to hear from my auto mechanic: “That part was paid by our store rewards that we earned.” Or “You could get that done more cheaply at the garage down the street.” Or “It was a good month for us. No charge for your repair!”
Then there are the words I’d like to hear from my child’s teacher: “Everyone misbehaved today except Johnny.” Or “Johnny traded his candy bar for carrot sticks.” “Johnny gave his coat to the boy that had none.”
How about these words from a clerk at the store? “The registers are down. The store manager authorized that everyone that made it to checkout would get their items free.” Or “We’re sorry we sold you defective merchandise. We’ll pick it up at your home and bring you a new one, or give you a complete refund, whichever you prefer.” (Readers Digest, March 1992, p.12)
Some words are music to the ears. They’re sweet to hear, especially in the bitter experiences of life.
In chapter 10, these visions the apostle John takes in are comforting and reassuring especially in the harsh reality of life.
Before we get into chapter 10 though, here are a few facts about the apostle John’s experience: More than 40 times John states he saw! More than 40 times John said he heard!
Imagine these sights and the information that the apostle John took in so far in Revelation chapters 1-9. It would be very heavy and overwhelming! Now, remember the apostle John is a 90-year-old man during these experiences! Can you envision receiving this much information and stimulation?
In chapters 6-9, the Apostle John witnessed some terrible pain and suffering, but in the middle of it all, he finds some comfort. I invite you to study with me Revelation 10, where John found that comfort.
In the midst of it all, John is encouraged as he sees a “mighty angel” with a little scroll.”
Revelation 10:1-3 “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.” (ESV)
Now, this “mighty angel” was first revealed back in Revelation 5:2, and there was also another scroll – a 7-sealed scroll – which only the Lamb was able to open. Of course this is a different scroll than what we read about here in chapter 10. But there in chapter 5, we have the same “mighty angel.”
He is the one who asked the question, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” That’s when Jesus steps forward, takes the scroll, and begins to open the seals. With that act, Jesus claimed His authority over the world, and then all heaven rejoices!
In chapter 10, the “mighty angel’s” appearance is described. Notice in verse 1 that he is “wrapped in a cloud.” It could remind us of the pillar of cloud that led the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land. God was in control then, even when they had to wander in the desert for 40 years. Certainly, Jesus is in control now.
More than that, this angel has a “rainbow over his head”. There is a rainbow that surrounds the throne of God seen in Revelation 4:3. It speaks of God’s power and ability to keep His Word. In Genesis 9, after God flooded the earth, He sent a rainbow as a sign that He would never flood the earth again. And to this day, many thousands of years later, God has kept His promise. Every time we see the rainbow, we’re reminded of His promise. We’re reminded that God keeps His Word. We’re reminded that no matter how bad things get, God will never let us down. Even during the Great Tribulation, with the rainbow above the angel’s head, we know that God will never forget His plan and His promises.
In addition, the angel’s “face shines like the sun” and his “legs are like pillars of fire.” In Exodus, God protected and directed the children of Israel with a pillar of fire. And in Revelation 1:16, Jesus stands among the churches with His face shining like the sun. Everything about this “mighty angel’s” appearance reminds us that God has all things under control.
We also read about the “mighty angel’s” stance. In verse 2, his right foot is on the sea and his left foot is on the land. In other words, He stands over all the earth. It’s imagery that Jesus is indeed LORD!
The “mighty angel’s” appearance, his stance, and his voice all demonstrate that he was given divine authority. In verse 3, His voice sounds like “a lion roaring,” the king of beasts. And in Revelation 5, when Jesus took the title deed to the earth, He was called a Lion – the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
These visions assure the apostle John that in the midst of the chaos of the Great Tribulation, God is still in control. Jesus is still Lord of all, and His plan is still being carried out.
Now, if that’s true during the Great Tribulation to come; that’s certainly true during the trials we experience today.
Revelation 10:4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” (ESV)
God doesn’t want us to know what these thunders are. But maybe I can explain God’s reservation with this idea.
Alfred Hitchcock told a story about a king who was granted two wishes. His first was to see the future. But when he saw everything that lay ahead – the beauty and the pain – he immediately asked for his second wish: that the future be hidden. “I thank heaven,” Hitchcock proclaimed, “that tomorrow does not belong to any man. It belongs to God.” (Guideposts, 1959)
There are some things we just can’t handle; and perhaps, that’s the case with these thunders.
Up to chapter 10 in the book of Revelation, the earth has gone through most of the Tribulation, and things seem chaotic. The world seems out of control. Yet this scene is an assurance that Jesus is in control.
The apostle John describes the angel’s appearance, his stance, and his voice all convey a secure and determined outcome. So during the trials in our life, when our world seems to be in chaos…
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT JESUS HAS HEAVEN AND EARTH IN HIS CONTROL.
That’s life in a fallen world, especially as we approach the End Times. Author Os Guinness says, “Evil is not a problem because God is too small… but because God is so great that we cannot be expected to know what He is doing”.
We just have to trust Jesus, He is good; He knows what’s He is doing, and He’s on our side. Jesus is working out His sovereign plan for our eternal good!
So when things are not so good, when our life seems to be in chaos, remember that Jesus is in control. Remember that Jesus is on the throne. And…
WE NEED TO REALIZE JESUS WILL COMPLETE HIS WORK.
The Lord will finish what He started and accomplish His good plan. That’s what the angel says starting in verse 5.
Revelation 10:5-7 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as He announced to His servants the prophets. (ESV)
This mighty angel spoke an oath to God in verses 5 and 6 and even he gives a critical announcement “there shall be no more time” or another translation “There will be no more delay” v.6.
In verse 7 we are reminded specifically that this is the day all the prophets warned people about. The “words of lamentation, mourning and woe.” The OT prophets warned and carried the grief of man’s failure to repent and how God would bring destruction. Here the apostle John was shown when that day was dawned! Six angels have already sounded their trumpets of judgment. But when the 7th angel sounds his trumpet, God’s mystery, God’s plan to restore all things would be accomplished. God announced to the prophets long ago that a King would come. He told them that the Messiah would judge the world and then bring peace to this world.
- Isaiah reports about a time when the lion would lie down with the lamb – Isaiah 11:6.
- Jeremiah proclaimed about a time when the “righteous branch of David” would execute justice and righteousness on the earth -Jeremiah 33:15.
- Ezekiel announced about a time when Israel would live in peace forever in her land – Ezekiel 37:24ff.
- Daniel prophesied about a time when God would set up an everlasting Kingdom – Daniel 2:44.
- Daniel also revealed about a time when the Messiah would put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness – Daniel 9:24.
- The prophets looked forward to a time of world-wide blessing and peace. They looked forward to the coming of the Kingdom of God.
It is something believers have longed for! Now, John has a preview of that day that will come to pass. The angel testifies in verse 6, “There would be no more delay!” And in the very next chapter, the 7th angel sounds his trumpet… and that’s exactly what happens!
Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” (ESV)
Jesus will come again to set up His kingdom, and the promise of the ages will be fulfilled! It’s that promise which provides the reason for our witness on earth today.
Some important aspects of the Second Coming of Christ are…
- It gives meaning to ministry, missions, and our witness today.
- It will help us endure hard times;
- It will motivate us to be actively involved in His redemptive plan, because every believer should know that our labor is not in vain.
So, in the chaos of our life, remember that Jesus is in control, and realize that He will complete His work. Then…
WE WILL FIND CONSOLATION IN GOD’S WORD.
We can find encouragement and comfort in His promises. We will find a sweet message even in the bitter experiences of life. That’s what the Apostle John found.
Revelation 10:8-11 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (ESV)
With the sounding of the 7th trumpet in chapter 11, the events of the tribulation could end right there; but the angel tells the apostle John that he must “again prophecy.” In other words, John must again record the rest of the terrible judgments of the tribulation.
They are bitter words of judgment, and John is asked to eat them. He is asked to absorb them into his thoughts and emotions, into his very being. I’m sure he’s not looking forward to experiencing those words of judgment. But when he does, he finds those very words to be sweet in his mouth.
He finds a sweet message in the bitter experience and so can we. When we open God’s Word, we find words that are “sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” – Psalm 19:10. In the bad news situations of life, find good news in the Bible. In the bitter experiences, find sweet comfort in God’s Holy Word.
In God’s Word, He promises to set all things right. This is the truth that keeps believers going forward.
So when you hear bad news, find good news in God’s Word. Open this book and remember that Jesus is in control. Realize that Jesus will complete His work, and find comfort in that. In God’s Word, the Bible, we can find sweet words during bitter experiences of life.