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What Do We Need to Know? Revelation 10: 1-11
The sounds of six trumpets have now died away. The wicked are reaping the harvest of their own folly. But they are still unrepentant. The demons of Apollyon are swarming out of the bottomless pit to bring affliction and adversity. In the midst of these woes, the Revealer of Revelation once again centers John's vision upon our own Lord Jesus Christ before the sounding of the seventh and final Trumpet. Remember the interlude in Chapter seven between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seal? There is something important going on here! In the same sense there is God's continuing revealing of Himself in the midst of the conflicts and disasters of our own age. We are plagued with doubts about the future. We naturally expect things to become worse in our society. Then, suddenly there is made known the presence of God in our midst. Is it perhaps that we do not sense the need to look for him in the times of prosperity? Is it perhaps that for a little time God regularly lets the wicked gain control and think they have the solution to the world's problems before He pulls the rug out from under them? One economic commentator noted that even though the world does not practice the forty-nine year cycle and fifty year Jubilee celebration commanded in the Old Testament, somehow in just about that time cycle God brings His order out of the world's humanist disorder. Has it only been fifty years since the Great Depression? How will the depressing of Communism now affect the "New World Order" that is trying to be born? Remember, God is sovereign and as we learn from the Gospel contained in this Revelation, our eyes like those of the Apostle John must be focused upon Jesus Christ our Lord and Master. Into this interlude steps a giant of an angel. This Angel bears witness to the Gospel of our Christ. Of course this witness is symbolic not especially verbal. In fact the words of the thunders are even hushed and we are left with only a vision. In light of the next chapter I wonder if this Angel's name isn't called "Revival"! Since this being is revealed as an Angel we should not suppose that this is one more being of the Christ. No! In fact the symbolic witness of this angel is like our witness in life should be. He is there, he is robed in a cloud, there is a rainbow, his face was like the sun, his legs were like fiery pillars, one foot was in the sea and one was on land, he was holding a scroll, and he spoke. What should we learn from this vision? The images are not too difficult to penetrate. Just as we are to tell the world about our God, so this Angel reveals our Almighty and Glorious Father.
Certainly, this symbolic witness is beyond our means, however our words to our world must avow the same testimonies. This section of Revelation assures us that God intends to reveal Himself and we are promised that the mysteries of God will be accomplished in accordance with the word of all His prophets. Now, that we have mentioned the word mystery, we have a great mystery in this Chapter ten of Revelation. There it is in verse four. "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.'" Here we are informed that we will not know the whole mind of our Maker. He will hold His own counsel as it pleases Him. What is symbolized here? Given our human propensity to curiosity about the future, it is well that this word of silence catches our attention. How many people come to the book of Revelation hoping to find an outline of the end times? How many authors have succumbed to the temptation to provide a recipe for millennial expectations? How many people miss the purpose of the Gospel in Revelation? Not only in the end times, but in all times, we have a message and witness to the people of God's creation. The book of Revelation simply shows us what our time will be like if we take up that Word and share it in a hostile world. To this end, let us look at the last scene in this chapter. Like the Apostle John, we are to "take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." This scroll from its context and from other clear Scriptures in the Old Testament is certainly the Word of God. Before we proceed we should note that there are two ways to interpret these verses. First, we might interpret this in the context of John's situation. The word here which is sweet to his taste is bitter to his stomach. Since John must testify about the Anti-Christ and other terrible things we can sympathize with his situation. This sense here is that the more his heart was filled with the love of Christ, the more certain that the prophecy of woes will be a bitter experience. Second, we might interpret this in the context of the Church's message in all ages. In this sense that very Word which informs us of the Glorious Gospel brings us the enmity and bitterness of the world which rejects that same word! We have to be careful here. My commentators are in disagreement. Could it be that this describes our personal wrestling with the Gospel and the need for proclaiming that Word in a hostile world. We see that John's next assignment is indeed daunting. At least we are not asked to do things of the same difficulty. Yet, we too are called to witness in the midst of another in a long line of wicked and perverse generations. Do you quiver at the implication of your responsibility? Do you quake at what is expected of you in our time? All ages are the same, at least we are fortunate that when the Lions and the Padres enter the stadium they play football instead of extermination! But, our call and our responsibility is still the same as that of the first generation of Christians. We are to speak and live the Gospel in every way we can. That which is sweet to our taste, that precious Gospel that saves our souls must be witnessed to in our time. How does your stomach react? Like the angel in this vision we, the saints that God has called out of this world have a witness to give. We are His own Church! We are called to His own purpose. How it all ends and the methods of His providence remain a mystery. The book of Revelation testifies to the facts that there is a Gospel, there is a Church, we have a task, and most important of all our very own Christ has won the Victory. May we be given by the Holy Spirit the guts to fight the spiritual battles of His glorious campaign! Amen.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Box 13926 -- Columbus, OH 43213 Rev 10a 04 February 90
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