[0:00] out your Bibles with me please and turn to the book of Revelation chapter 10 comes right after chapter 9. It does come before 11 in my Bible anyway. So you would remember that chapters 8 and 9 intensify the judgment of God. They are the trumpet judgments, the plagues that attack the earth as well as chapter 9 the intensity goes up because now these trumpets are also called woes. They escalate because now the plagues become demonic and clearly spiritual to both torment and kill those who reject God. And so we come to chapter 10 and it's kind of you know it's got all this escalation all of a sudden chapter 10 is an interlude.
[1:02] It's a break again between the sixth and the seventh trumpet. And chapter 10 is going to tell us that with the seventh trumpet once that comes that's the end. So chapter 10 is kind of preparing us for that transition. Just like back when we were looking at the seal judgments in chapter 6 we get six seals that are broken on the scroll and then there's a break again between the sixth and the seventh seal there's an explanation in chapter 7. What about the believers? What happens to them? All right so that question is answered. Now we're getting a break in between the sixth and seventh trumpet to again explain to us a little bit of what's going on, some unanswered questions. So we're going to read chapter 10 in Revelation, just 11 verses.
[1:59] Hardly anything there. Kidding. A lot there. A lot of mystery here. So if you're able please stand as I read from Revelation chapter 10. 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 which had been opened 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. And when he got, excuse me, when he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 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. And the, excuse me, 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.
[3:30] He swore 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. 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 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.
[4:34] And I was told you must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.
[4:48] So reads the word. Let us pray for understanding. Father, we pray that you would grant us eyes to see and ears to hear, but it particularly hearts to receive this message, this little scroll and its significance, the announcement from heaven of the time being no more, of the mystery being fulfilled, the significance of the last trumpet. So help us to hear these words, help us to make connections.
[5:22] Father, because this applies to us as well. It gives us an understanding for the significance of the time in which we live. So help us to grasp that. Help us as well to eat it, to digest it, to internalize it, and then to tell of it. This we pray in Christ's name. Amen.
[5:45] Please be seated. In 1970, Jim Croce wrote a song to his wife who had just told him that she was pregnant. And he was so delighted. He wrote this song to her. If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do is to save every day till eternity passes away, just to spend them with you. If I could make days last forever, if words could make wishes come true, I'd save every day like a treasure. And then again, I would spend them with you. But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them. I've looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to go through time with.
[6:45] Beautiful song. Jim Croce. I like Jim Croce. He wrote that in 1970.
[6:57] Three years later, he died in a plane crash, tragically. If I had time. Time. In this chapter, the mighty angel proclaims, with the seventh trumpet, there is no more time.
[7:19] No more time. Time is a precious gift from God. It's limited. It's temporal.
[7:30] You can't save it in a bottle. Wish we could. Sometimes we wish we'd go back in time. Our lives have limited time.
[7:42] The world's time is limited. The Bible talks a lot about time. I started getting fascinated with this thought, and I started looking up, what does the Bible say about time? Just a few references.
[7:53] Ephesians 5 tells believers to make the best use of our time. Because the days are evil. This book starts, Revelation 1.3 starts talking about, blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy.
[8:13] Blessed is the one who hears and keeps the words of this prophecy. Because the time is near. The time.
[8:25] 1 Thessalonians 5 talks about time as well. Even in the first century, there was a sense by Paul writing to the Thessalonians that the end was already near.
[8:38] That they're not waiting for any big event to happen. He says, concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
[8:50] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. You know this. Like a thief in the night. We're not waiting.
[9:01] It can come in any moment. While people are saying, peace and security, it's then, suddenly, destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape.
[9:18] See, the time of the end will come so suddenly, it will take everyone by surprise. Time.
[9:31] It keeps moving. It keeps slipping away. I don't know about you, but for me, as I get older, and it seems like I get older faster than I used to get older when I was younger, it's just flying by.
[9:45] Day by day, week after week. There goes another week. What did I do? Well, I did a lot, but there's more to do.
[9:58] It just slips away. If I could save time in a bottle. Our time is limited. Here, Revelation 10 talks about time, and time is very significant.
[10:12] Our time is very significant. So, we saw the times that were talked about in chapters 5 through 8 as there's a scroll in the hand of the one on the throne.
[10:27] This scroll is very significant. Chapter 5 says, who's worthy? In fact, we see the mighty angel the first time saying, who's worthy? To open the scroll and no one was found worthy to open it.
[10:42] And then we're told of the Lion of Judah. He's worthy. He's conquered. He can open the scroll. In fact, He's uniquely worthy. Not just to open the scroll, but to look within it.
[10:56] And so, we're looking for a lion, and John turns around and sees a lamb. A slain lamb. He's the one who opens the scroll. So, from chapter 6 through chapter 8, He's opening the seals of this scroll.
[11:10] And in that, we see the first four horsemen come out. We see conquerors and violence and famine and death. But those are all the same things that Jesus talked about in Matthew 24 that He said was not the end at all, but simply the beginning of the birth pangs.
[11:30] Conquerors and violence and famine and death. We've seen that all through history. In fact, the times that are revealed by the seals and the trumpets are all times from Christ to the final resurrection, till the final judgment.
[11:47] The fifth seal, the souls under the altar ask, how long? How long will this be? And they're told to rest a little longer because it's going to be until the last martyr's killed. So, no definite time given to them.
[12:00] The sixth seal is broken and we see suddenly it is the end. where all of a sudden we go from the time of Christ to the very end. He skips forward and shows us everything falls apart.
[12:11] The sun turns dark and the moon turns to blood and all the stars fall down to the earth and the mountains and the islands are gone.
[12:22] Everything's gone. It's the end. It's over. So, the sixth seal gives us kind of a preview. Then we have a little interlude again in chapter 7 that answers the question what about believers?
[12:36] What happens to believers when all this is going on? And we're shown two different groups who maybe aren't two different groups but we're told of a group on earth that is sealed and protected from all the plagues.
[12:48] And then we're shown another group up in heaven that's innumerable that are safe and rewarded in heaven. That's what happens to believers. If they're on earth they're protected. If they're in heaven they're good to go.
[12:59] Well, they are rewarded and joyful. Then the seven seals finally broken in chapter 8 and we see this very strange kind of thing.
[13:10] First there's silence and then we see that the trumpets get ready to sound but then this strange thing the angel goes to the altar and gets fire or gets incense from the incense altar and he adds the prayers of the saints to that and then he gets fire and adds fire to the incense and to the prayers and that the prayers of the saints with the fire is thrown to the earth and then there's explosions there's thunder and rumblings and the end.
[13:45] So we have a symbolic ending there with a seal that the prayers of the saints are answered. How long oh Lord till you avenge our blood? it's coming.
[13:57] They're given a picture of the very end and then their prayers are added to the fire and they are specifically answered. Every suffering prayer of every saint is answered.
[14:11] Every pain is answered. Made right. Then we start the trumpets and again we have four quick ones just like the four horsemen we have four quick trumpets where a third of the earth is burned by hail and fire then a mountain is cast into the sea and it turns blood a star falls from the sky and the waters turn bitter the lights all the sun moon stars are struck and they're darkened so we see sections of creation are attacked so darkening and blood and bitterness all these plagues and then we're told in chapter 9 or the end of chapter 8 that there's a difference between the first four trumpets and the last three trumpets because the last three trumpets are considered woes in fact a warning of beware earth dwellers for the remaining three woes because things are turning up a notch and we see in chapter 9 that the first woe the fifth trumpet all of a sudden it's different it's the abyss is opened and out of the abyss comes smoke and out of that comes locusts and they're not earthly locusts because there are all kinds of weird descriptions about these guys they're demonic because out of the abyss comes the demons they're demonic and they are not allowed to eat what locusts eat they're not allowed to do vegetation they're different kind of locusts they're to feed on people they're to torment people they're not allowed to kill them just torment them so people are in anguish and they would rather die than be tormented that's how bad it gets it's a spiritual thing it's a mind and psychology and emotional torment not a physical then the seven excuse me the sixth trumpet blows and here comes another horde the first one was like an army this one's like they're mounted horsemen and they're also demonic they're also don't have an earthly description they're like these kind of things but they're they're clearly otherworldly and they are given permission to kill they kill by three plagues that come out of their mouth and out of their tail although their tail is described as a serpent's head so again out of the mouth so these plagues are coming out of mouths and the plagues are fire sulfur or brimstone and smoke but again very satanic looking they're serpent like they're they're they're dragon like fire coming out of the mouth right just an earthly description and then we're told so what's the outcome of all that the very end of chapter 9 says those who survived did not repent they will not repent they don't repent of their two kinds of things their works and their worship their worship is described as as demonic worship worship of demons and idols and the scripture is clear if you're worshiping an idol which is anything that replaces God by the way not just a little you know little thing that you ooh
[17:48] I don't know it's something that you make it's something that you make it could be your career your your family it could be anything that you make be your value but they won't give up worshiping of their idols and idols are always connected to demons because an idol is the instrument of a demon to keep you stupefied to keep you numb to God to think oh yeah yeah if I just had more money that will make me happy or if I just get this position then I have good identity and they're just idols they're just deceptions but they won't give that up and they won't give up the works that go with it so now we come to chapter 10 between the 6th and the 7th trumpet before the last trumpet blows we're given two explanations of the time now we had had the explanation of the times from Christ to the end now we're given an explanation of the time from the last trumpet to the end this is now we're narrowing remember
[19:00] Revelation keeps going back starting with Christ and going forward when we get to chapter 12 we're going to do it again he's going to go back to the birth of Christ and go forward so we keep getting these different views the seals give us the view the trumpets give us the view by the time we get to the bowls we're just going to the end stuff but it keeps giving us these views so here we are now he's starting to make a distinction before the last trumpet heaven makes two more announcements two messages verse 1 through 7 chapter 10 is the message that there's no more time with the sounding of the seventh trumpet no more time the mystery is done it's all done and then from 8 to 11 there's a second part of this now John gets involved where now the scroll that the angel's holding now is to be taken by John just like the lamb took it from the throne right now
[20:02] John is to take the scroll and not unseal it because it's already open mysteriously he's to eat it so obviously symbolic and then to preach it okay so two messages one no more time two proclaim the mystery and by the way it's a bittersweet message okay so let's look at the first part verse 1 to 7 first message there's no more time God's mystery has been fulfilled so first John sees a mighty angel in verse 1 now I don't know about you but as I read this and I read it again I read it again I read it again this doesn't sound like any normal angel very Christ like right just I mean listen to this scripture it's a mighty angel coming down from heaven wrapped in a cloud well Jesus is always described as wrapped in a cloud or coming on a cloud right chapter 1 with a rainbow over his head well chapter 4 described
[21:06] God on the throne with a rainbow over his head and then he's got his face shining like the sun well that's exactly how Jesus is described in chapter 1 face shining with the strength of the sun and his legs literally his feet the translator changed it to legs because feet shouldn't look like pillars so he must have meant legs feet that actually John wrote feet like pillars of fire again you look at chapter 1 and that's how Christ was described with you know British bronze like in a furnace bright shiny right so is that Christ I don't know there sounds like him but no Jesus isn't called an angel but wait a minute if you go back to the Old Testament he's called the angel of the Lord well it doesn't say his name is Jesus you find that out later but it does talk about the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament no the angel not an angel but the angel of the Lord who talked to Abraham and later Abraham saying this is God talking to me right here or the same one that talks to Joshua the angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate
[22:15] Christ in my view so it could be Jesus so you have the mighty angel and then verse 2 you have a scroll a manuscript but this one's called a little scroll did you notice that verse 2 he had a little scroll open in his hand so that's the question oh well is this the same scroll this one's called the little scroll although in verse 8 it's called scroll like the normal word we have in chapter 5 the scroll but this was a little one so if you like to read commentaries they have a lot of fun with that going back and forth but here's the interesting thing so in chapter 5 when the lamb takes the scroll from the hand of the one on the throne it's sealed with seven seals so we go through the next couple of chapters unsealing it so by chapter 8 the scroll now the seven seals been broken the scroll is what open now in chapter 10 we read there's a scroll and it oh it just so happens to have been opened could be a different scroll you know it's little of course this is the mighty angel so maybe it just looks little compared to
[23:36] I don't know remember this isn't Paul writing this is John writing what he sees so we don't have exact definitive he's just it looked little in his but he's big but I don't know if that's what he meant by little so the scroll same term in verse 8 and then he describes again verse 2 oh by the way this mighty angel he had one foot on the sea his right foot was on the sea and then his left foot is on the land or the earth the sea is where the dragon is going to come from later the beast is going to come from the sea sea is always a picture of the rebellious part of man it's just a picture and then the earth of course where man comes from but here's this mighty angel even though there's a beast and a dragon coming out of their first guess who's already over that sea and land mighty angel to me is
[24:50] Jesus has that authority that sovereignty yeah the beast is coming out but he'll be put back then something interesting happens in verse 3 and 4 so this mighty angel calls out with a loud voice oh by the way like a lion again who's the lion okay just another Christ feature in this angel cries out with like a lion roaring so this is a pretty attention getting voice and when he called out there's a reaction when he called out the seven thunders sounded oh so the lion roars and then there's a reaction of I can't do thunder thunder thunder so seven distinctive thunders and John says I'm going to write that down I'm about to write it down but I heard a voice from heaven saying seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down so why is it here well John's faithfully reporting what he saw and what he did so what are the seven thunders don't know because we're told seal it up you don't need to know there are some things that God does and shows that he will not explain to us seven thunders curious and again if you like to read commentaries and read about you know see lots of page wasted that you could find out what they think which is useless because
[26:41] God didn't reveal what it was but obviously more things that he's doing but is not revealing so that just kind of reminds us I think it's just there just to kind of remind us you know God's not going to tell us everything he's not going to reveal every little secret especially even Paul said you know when I was caught up into the third heaven I saw things that I can't describe and there were just things I'm told not to tell and because I got to see those wonderful things I also got a nice little thorn in the flesh that by the way keep me humble because I thought oh I got to saw nobody else saw but be careful when you think that way then in verses 5 through 7 we see the mystery here's the announcement then so verse 5 now the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land he raised his right hand to heaven and he swore he swore with an oath and he affirms that oath as God is his witness
[27:46] I swear by him who lives forever and ever by the way it's the same one who has created heaven and what's in it and earth and what is in it and seeing what is in it what is in it that's that's kind of a the threefold view of everything heaven earth sea but I swear by him and the creator what first of all two parts to this message at the end of verse 6 first part is that there will be no more time literally that's what it says that there would be no more time my translation and most translations have delay because that makes sense no more delay but he didn't use the word delay he used the word time chronos time but so here's the other part of it no more time but verse 7 but in the days so he's getting to win now in the days of the seventh call the seventh trumpeting to be sounded by the seventh angel in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God would be fulfilled filled just as he announced to his servants the prophets just like he's been saying from day one just like he said from Noah and Abraham and Joseph and David and so on so on so on so on he has said to his prophets all along the same mystery he's been telling all along mystery that started in Genesis 3 that the seed of the woman would conquer the seed of the dragon same mystery how's a woman's offspring going to stomp out the dragon
[29:38] God it'll be all fulfilled in other words everything's done time's up is the message no more time no more opportunity for repentance no more delays no more putting off this is it with the sounding of the seventh trumpet that is the last trumpet and at the seventh trumpet God's mystery is complete it's fulfilled it's over it's finished he's done now notice it doesn't say where am I verse 7 in the days so it's not the minute not not the actual it's in the days it's in that time period of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God will be fulfilled so the beginning of the final judgment so we can go ahead and look over go over one chapter to the to the description of the seventh trumpet okay so so we have an interlude here in chapter 10 we have an interlude in chapter 11 through verse 13 and then we're told in chapter 11 14 the second woe is past behold the third woe!
[30:55] is soon to come in fact it comes in the next verse verse 15 of chapter 11 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 remember the Lord has always had his kingdom his kingdom is not of this world but when the seventh trumpet blows see his kingdom is now on earth the kingdom it's no longer the devil's kingdom anymore it's all his so with the seventh trumpet blows the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever and the 24 elders who sat on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying we give thanks to you O Lord God almighty who is and who was for you have taken your great power and begun to reign on earth the nations raged but your wrath came and the time here we go the time same word time time is no more here's the time is up now what time when the seventh angel blows what's the time for what is the time for the time for the dead to be judged prophets and the saints and those who fear your name both small and great and the time for destroying the destroyers of the earth so the seventh trumpet is the end it's judgment and reward the stuff that it's going to talk about in chapter 17 and 18 and 19 and 20 and 21 and 22 see he'll get to that he'll get the details of that later but now he's just saying when the seventh trumpet sounds that's it time's up they say well wait a minute there's a whole bunch more chapters of
[32:54] Revelation can't be up well just remember that chapter 12 is going to start over going to give you another view okay so so what's the significance of this proclamation what difference does it make that this swearing the raising the right hand and the swearing that these things are now finished what do we need to do with that it's like okay now I can fill out my chart and I'm good right now this isn't for filling out your chart this is for applying what does it what does it mean now for us what does this mean for us if all of the seals and the trumpets are really just previews and are already going on if the four horsemen stuff is already going on and if the plagues on the earth of the trumpets are already going on including the demonic army and the demonic cavalry
[33:55] I said it right right cavalry I always want to say cavalry cavalry that's already happening in fact I think it repeats itself through history kingdoms come and go nations come and go conquerors come and go wars come and go famines come and go all this stuff keeps coming so what what Paul said to the Thessalonians is true there's nothing we're waiting for you know that the day of the Lord can come like a thief in the night wait I gotta wait for the temple be rebuilt Do you?
[34:43] Where'd you hear that? I know I know where you heard it but what kind of temple are we talking about and why would he come back to sacrifices of animals when Christ has fulfilled everything it's possible according to Paul and according to Revelation what must soon take place okay so what difference does all that make well in Daniel 12 as we read through Revelation we're going to see Daniel and Daniel Daniel right you'll see it's like Daniel talked about this before but he didn't have all the detail so Daniel 12 similar words very similar words so Daniel 12 5 someone said to the man clothed in linen who was by the way the angelic figure who was above the waters just like in Revelation 10 the mighty angel is standing on the waters someone said to him how long shall it be till the end of these!
[35:52] So the end of the world and he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and he swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time times and half a time and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things will be fulfilled!
[36:22] I did not understand said Daniel Daniel didn't get it right I mean Daniel is a pretty smart guy right he didn't get it I don't get it then I said oh my Lord what shall be the outcome of these things and he said go your way Daniel for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end in other words it's not about you you just my messenger. You're going to write it all down and then you're going to seal it all up and I'll reveal it later. I'll write it in a scroll, Daniel, and seal it up with seven seals and I'll reveal it later.
[36:55] I wonder when that was, right? So it's for the time of the end. But here's the significance. Here's the significance. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined.
[37:08] But the wicked shall act wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand. But those who are wise shall understand. Here's the significance. When you hear these things, you just think, oh, that's interesting.
[37:24] Oh, now I can fill out my chart. Or do you think, how do I respond to this? What do I do with this? See, the significance is the wise understand.
[37:38] And they purify themselves and they're being purified by God. Is that what you do when you hear this? Do you go, okay, Lord, you're going to do this.
[37:49] Am I ready? Am I ready? And is my family ready? What about my friends?
[38:02] I mean, this is going to happen. And it can happen at any time. Time is slipping away. Am I concerned about that? See?
[38:15] See, the wise understand and purify themselves and are being refined. But the wicked do not understand. They continue to act without regard to God. So which are you?
[38:28] Which am I? Well, I'm a believer, so I'm okay. Well, are you a believer listening? Are you thinking about this? This isn't fantasy.
[38:41] We reach after and go, oh, that's fantasy. Is it? Revelation is about peeling back what we don't normally see and seeing behind the scenes.
[38:56] We don't see demonic hordes. Not with our eyes. But gifts. The things that are happening in the world are demonically inspired and led.
[39:07] Do not be deceived. The battle we fight is not flesh and blood. We fight against spiritual forces of wickedness.
[39:24] Oh, you don't believe in that? Yeah. I was talking to the chiropractor just the other day. About that. Yeah, it's there. So first message.
[39:35] No more time. Mystery will be fulfilled in the seventh trumpet. Second message, verses 8 to 11. Now it actually gets more personal. There's the idea. There's the concept. Do you believe it?
[39:46] What will you do about it? Secondly, we get more personal. Now it's about a bittersweet message that's to be proclaimed again. The message from the scroll.
[39:56] The scroll. What is the scroll? Well, it's bitter and sweet and I'm to proclaim it. Well, John is. Well, yeah, it's just John. This doesn't have anything to do with me, right?
[40:08] That's John's job, not mine, right? I just kind of read this and I think John stands for us, don't you think? So verse 8, now comes the second part of this.
[40:22] Then the voice that I heard from the heavens spoke to me again saying, go take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who's standing on the sea and the land. Go take the scroll.
[40:34] So I want you to notice, first of all, there's a parallel in verse 8 with chapter 5, 7. Remember back in chapter 5, 7, you have who's worthy to open the, right?
[40:45] It's the lion and he sees it's the lamb. And what does the lamb do in chapter 5, verse 7? The lamb, who's worthy now, goes to the one on the throne and takes the scroll from the hand.
[40:59] Same language. takes the scroll from the hand. Right? He's worthy. And then we see he's going to open that scroll. And now we come to chapter 10 and we have a scroll that's already been opened.
[41:16] Is it the same scroll? Yeah, it's little. I don't think it's the same. No, it's the same one. There's a parallel. So you go from, okay, the one on the throne gives it to the lamb or the lamb takes it from the one on the throne.
[41:30] Now the lamb is opening the scroll and a few chapters later, now this, he's not called the lamb. I got that. He's called the mighty angel. It's in the mighty angel's hand who really looks a lot like Jesus.
[41:44] Okay? Sounds like the roaring of lions. But maybe it's not Jesus. Maybe it's just a representative. It doesn't matter. So the scrolls come from the throne. Now the scrolls gone to the lamb.
[41:55] Now the scrolls coming to us. Now it's coming to us. It's coming to John, but John's there for us because John's passing everything.
[42:06] So father, son, son, prophet, prophet, us. See it? To me, I could totally be wrong, but I think that's the picture here.
[42:21] So what is he supposed to do? Now we come to this kind of weird thing. Eat the scroll. Verse 8 and 9. It's a parable.
[42:32] Symbolic, obviously. What does he do? Well, he's told to first, go take the scroll, verse 8. Then verse 9, now, take it and eat it. Notice it's in pairs. It's go take.
[42:44] Now it's take eat. Does that language sound familiar, by the way? Take and eat? It's just a coincidence, right? Take and eat.
[42:55] Just coincidence, right? What's that mean, eat? Well, what are we doing? We're taking the body, symbolically, and we're taking the blood, right?
[43:13] And we're eating it and drinking it. What does that mean? What are we talking about when we do that? It's obviously symbolic.
[43:25] It's not, this isn't turned into the blood and the, no, come on. It's symbolic. It's picture. What are we doing?
[43:37] So he's told to do the same thing. Go take and eat. So what do we do when we eat? So what does food do? So just kind of think through the picture. So I take food, I eat food.
[43:48] What does food do? Nourishes me, strengthens me, right? Hopefully, if I eat the right kind of things, it does good things. Okay. So I ingest it.
[44:00] I internalize it. I put it to work in me. I identify with it. I use it. So I'm taking the scroll. So what's the scroll?
[44:11] Well, what's the scroll? What is this that I'm ingesting? What is this that I'm consuming, that I'm making part of me? What is this scroll that's going to strengthen and nourish me?
[44:21] And by the way, when I first take it into my mouth, it's, oh, tastes great. You ever had food that tastes great and then later, yeah, same kind of thing.
[44:35] And sweets are like that, aren't they? Sometimes, if you're allergic to chocolate, oh, and then later. So it's like, it's kind of like that. It's sweet. Isn't God's word sweet at first?
[44:53] Oh, I don't know if I should nod at that. Sweet at first, that means it's not later. It's sweet when we take it in. It's, I have joy. Rejoice at receiving his word.
[45:05] I rejoice at the gospel. You say, well, yeah, but that can't be bitter later, can it? Oh, yeah. Come on. Have you had the gospel? Is it all happy days after?
[45:16] Is it your best life now? Okay? It's your best life. Yes, but not now. Because what? If you follow me, what will happen? Yeah, if you desire to be godly, you'll be persecuted.
[45:30] You don't want, they treated me that way. They're going to treat you that way. It's not your best life now. No, your best life's coming later. Oh, it's sweet. Oh, absolutely sweet. Oh, that's why we want to hear it every day.
[45:44] I still want some more of that sweetness. But it means, now that I'm taking Christ, I live different. I don't live for now.
[45:57] I postpone gratification. At least, that's when I'm wise. That's what I do. It doesn't mean I always do that. And it's more.
[46:09] So what is this scroll that he's eating? It's not just the gospel, but now he's been revealing things. So it's a scroll that's opened, right? So it's been revealed. So you're taking the mysteries of God that have been revealed, and you're taking those.
[46:22] Those mysteries are both sweet because God is going to make things right. The prayers of the suffering will be answered. How long, oh Lord, will you allow evil to triumph?
[46:35] How long will you allow evil acts to go on unpunished? This is not right. It will be right, and that's sweet.
[46:48] But there's another side to that because that judgment gets applied to people. And I don't like that part. It's right.
[46:58] It's just. That doesn't sit, does it? It doesn't sit right. God says he takes no pleasure in the punishment of the wicked.
[47:09] God doesn't like to do that. But he's just. Right? There will be a time when there's no more time. All will be made right.
[47:27] It's sweet in the mouth because it's God's justice and it's righteousness. It becomes bitter because that means judgment and pain for others.
[47:38] It's joy now in the receiving. It's grief later in the suffering. So what does it mean?
[47:49] This taking and eating. So John takes and eats and then he's told, verse 11, you must again prophesy to many peoples and nations and languages and kings.
[48:04] You must now make it known. Proclaim it. Prophesy. Don't get too. If you read the prophets, most of what they're saying is this is what God says about you and this is what you need to do.
[48:21] And if you don't do that, this is what God will do to you. That's what prophets basically do. They don't do a whole lot of revelation about the future. They just basically said, God has said repent and get right and or else.
[48:35] Pretty much, isn't it? You read Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. It's what they do. And so John is doing the same. You must prophesy. You must tell.
[48:46] You must proclaim. You must reveal the mystery. What God has revealed now, you reveal. You make known to others. And basically, that is a call to repentance which is sweet and a warning against rejection which is bitter.
[49:05] So the scroll has revealed that. It's open. The message is clear. Now, tell people what you know. That's our job. John is a witness and so are we.
[49:19] Our job is to witness. What have I seen and heard? What have I seen about Jesus? That's what I tell. What have I heard about Jesus? That's what I tell. What has Jesus told me? Well, I got to tell him that too.
[49:30] I remember when I first, you know, do you go up from a youth pastor to a pastor? Do you go up or do you go down? I think you go down. Anyway, when God made me give up youth ministry which I loved and become a senior pastor which, oh, I love.
[49:50] My first church, I saw this God reveals things.
[50:05] I totally just lost track of my thought. I'm going to skip it. I guess the Lord has taken it away. I ask the Lord every week, I ask Him to give me insight and strength and boldness and power to preach Your Word and restrain me when I need restraining.
[50:26] So, I'm just going to take it that that's what He's doing. So, what's the significance? What's the outcome as we proclaim this sweet and bitter message?
[50:37] John's told to eat the scroll. And in Ezekiel 3, Ezekiel's told exactly the same thing. It's interesting.
[50:49] There's an eating of the scroll and they're sweet and bitter. It's like, was John borrowing? No, God just does some things in the same way. So, like Ezekiel, John is to eat.
[51:00] So, a little insight here into Ezekiel or into what this means by reading the call of Ezekiel. By the way, this is Ezekiel getting his first message from God. This is what you can do.
[51:12] I'm taking you and this is what you can do. Okay, this is your commission. So, Ezekiel 3, he said to me, son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel.
[51:24] So, it's kind of the same thing John's told. Eat the scroll and then go. Tell. Right? Talk to the house of Israel. So, I opened my mouth and he gave me this scroll to eat and he said to me, son of man, feed your belly.
[51:36] with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it that I ate it and it was in my mouth sweet as honey. So, same picture, isn't it?
[51:49] Here though, nothing said about bitter but there is perhaps a bitter outcome because we read on and it says, he said to me, son of man, now that you've eaten it, now go.
[52:01] Go to the house of Israel and speak with my words. So, what's the scroll? The scroll's about God's word. Speak my words to them for you are not sent to a people, this is interesting, you're not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language but to the house of Israel.
[52:19] Not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. So, difference between Ezekiel and Revelation, Ezekiel, you're speaking to one people, one group.
[52:36] In Revelation, John, go prophesy to who? Peoples and nations and languages and all kinds of, okay? So, perhaps, Ezekiel has a different experience because he's only talking to one.
[52:50] But, the house of Israel, Ezekiel, will not be willing to listen to you for they are not willing to listen to me. And if you're my messenger, they're gonna, you know, they're gonna shoot you.
[53:04] So, have fun. Because all the house, why won't they listen? Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.
[53:16] See, so it's a sweet message to Ezekiel because he loves God. But it's a bitter outcome because now I gotta go preach and no one's gonna listen. Can you imagine? No one will listen.
[53:33] Ezekiel. So, Ezekiel preached to a stubborn and hardened people who will not, who were not willing to listen to him.
[53:44] But we proclaim to a wider, universal people who may be willing to listen. We don't know. That's in God's hands. We just preach.
[53:55] We just tell them. We just witness. We just share what we know. God takes care of the rest. Right? And what a delight.
[54:05] What a sweet win that's received. And here's our, our, our motivation. Time time is limited. Time is short and soon there will be no more time.
[54:28] So, can I meddle with you for just a moment? Are you willing to listen? will you receive the sweet message of the gospel?
[54:43] Receiving the sweet gospel message does not mean your life is all roses after that. In fact, I can promise you your life will be harder. But it's not about this life now.
[54:57] It's not. And the sweetness will over, in my mind, overpower the bitterness. Okay? There's bitter times. Absolutely.
[55:10] The sweetness is what reminds you of there will be a day when it's all sweet. It's all. And you're going to say, man, it wasn't even, I wasn't nothing compared to what I got now.
[55:22] that's what we're motivated by. Have you received the sweet message of the gospel? In other words, how have you responded to who God is?
[55:36] He is gracious and He's also holy. What does that make me? Well, I like the gracious part of God but not the holy part of God. Because the holy part of God makes me look, yeah, not holy.
[55:51] What am I going to do about that? So, that's why Jesus came. Because I can't fix my problem. He came and He paid my debt of sin that I can't pay and then, and then, that wasn't it.
[56:04] Then He gave me His righteousness so that I can stand before God and not have to wait. I can go right in. Even though I'm still unclean but I go in to get cleaned. Wash my feet again, Lord.
[56:18] So, have you received that? Have you believed that? Have you trusted that? Have you walked in that? What will you do with the message of Revelation?
[56:31] Your call today is to eat it, let it digest, let it take part, and then tell others. Okay?
[56:44] Nice and easy? Yeah. Yeah. Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your word. Lord, I love your word because it always rings true.
[57:01] If it just sounded all rosy and no trouble, then we would be suspicious. gracious. But you are honest with us. There are things you don't reveal to us and we trust you about that.
[57:19] And then the things that you do reveal to us are quite clear that there is a time when there's no more time. When you will end the whole thing.
[57:31] And so that makes our time, Father, very significant. So help us to grasp that. Help us to take in this message. First and foremost, the message of your gospel, of your great truth, of the bad news and the good news.
[57:51] And Father, help us to love others so much that we want them to know it. So help us in that, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.