We’ve all eaten something that initially tasted delicious, only for it to turn out not to be friendly as it settles in the stomach. There’s an old anti-acid commercial that has people saying, “I like hot dogs, but hot dogs don’t like me.” That saying could be used as a metaphor in Revelation Chapter 10. We could use a physical metaphor to illustrate a spiritual truth.
Let’s not forget the big picture of the book of Revelation. God is moving all of history towards His full plan of Redemption. He has planned this in eternity past. It is divinely ordained. It will happen.
Consider with me this scenario: You live in the first century, when this letter, called “Revelation,” has been copied over and over to be circulated among the churches. By the time a copy has come to your church in your small community, there is only one part. It is chapter ten. You do not have all the symbolic details of the coming judgments from heaven on the wicked that is in earlier chapters. This is all you have. Yet, this chapter gives you enough information to encourage you, warn you, and affect your soul deeply. We will see all of this as we unfold this chapter.
Revelation, Chapter 10, provides a high-level overview of the events and timeline covered in the previous chapters. After the recap, there is a soul’s response to the judgments and the final judgment that is to come.
Scholar and Professor, Dennis E. Johnson calls Chapter 10 and the first half of Chapter 11, “an interlude inserted to dramatize the delay of final judgment.” He says, our attention is turned from the seven seals and trumpets to God’s care for his church in the midst of escalating judgments on the oppressors of the Church.
We read in Chapter 10 that there is a bitter-sweetness to the coming of Christ. The chapter begins with a sweetness to the taste of the Christian.
Verse one: A mighty and glorious angel is seen coming down from heaven. This means it is sent from God. The description of the angel is a sweet taste to the saint. The glorious cloud depicts the glory of Christ. It is also a reminder of the cloud that guided Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land. So, in this symbolic picture, we see that Christ will lead His church to the ultimate promised land: the New Heavens and New Earth.
The angel has a rainbow over its head. This should remind us of the Covenant promise to Noah. God is a Covenant God. This is a reminder that through Christ Jesus, we are in a covenant relationship with God. He protects and provides us as His new covenant people.
Richard D. Phillips, in his book Revelation, states, “Just as Noah emerged from the ark into a new world cleansed of sin, the angel’s rainbow anticipates the new heaven and the new earth awaiting Christ’s followers.”
Verse 2: “He had a little scroll open in his hand.”
This “little scroll” most likely refers to the scroll that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is holding. Almost all scholars agree that this refers to the Scroll/books mentioned in Revelation 5. In fact, many early copies of Revelation do not have the word “little” before the word “scroll” in this chapter. This is not a different scroll in heaven. This scroll is the revelation of Jesus Christ to the Church.
Verse two through five, the bitterness begins. It says, “his right foot is on the Sea, and his left foot is planted on the land.” We remember that the judgments come upon the sea and the land. We have an angel who represents the seven angels who brought the seven judgment seals and the seven trumpet judgment. He speaks, and his voice is loud and ferocious, like a lion's.
Verse three: “… and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.” This is a description of God's judgments upon the ungodly. God’s rebuke is fierce, ferocious, and fearful. His attitude towards the wicked unbeliever is neither passive nor subtle. He roars like a lion!
Hosea 11:10 (ESV) — 10 They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; …”
The prophecy of Joel shows us bitterness and sweetness about the coming judgment.
Joel 3:16 (ESV) — (Bitterness): The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. (Sweetness): But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.
(Bitterness): Jeremiah 25:30–31 (ESV) — 30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: “ ‘The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the Lord.’
(Bitterness): Joel 2:11 (ESV) — 11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
The bitterness taste builds when the angel “called out, the seven thunders sounded.” In the Bible, thunder signifies the majesty of God in his coming (Ps. 29:3), together with power to shatter all opposition. These seven thunders represent the seven judgments (Seven = complete/fulfilled), including the final judgment with the seventh trumpet. The seven thunders are a high-level recap of the judgments of God that we have read so far in the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Bowls we will read about in chapter 16.
This "thundering seven thunders" is a apt description. The judgments of God come like great thunder upon the earth, the anti-Christ system of this world, and the unbelievers who disregard God. The thunder of God will throw fear into the ungodly.
In verse 4, John was about to write down what he heard from the seven thunders, but he was told by a second angel, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” This is linked to a message to the prophet Daniel when he was given a symbolic vision of the judgment in the last days.
Daniel 8:26 (ESV) — 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
Again, later, Daniel is given a symbolic vision of the end in Daniel 12. The end is revealed to him. Daniel asks, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” Daniel is told, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”
There are different reasons possible for this command to Daniel and to the Apostle John to seal up what you hear. One reason is in Daniel 8:26, “… for it refers to many days from now.” It was not the time to share what you had been told. Another reason may be that man is not ready or able to receive what is heard. Like a child, there are many things a child cannot understand until a certain level of maturity. The Apostle Paul rebuked the Christians in Corinth for this reason.
1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (ESV) — “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
Here we read the spiritual immaturity of the church in Corinth. Paul wanted to teach them deeper truths about the kingdom of God, but their minds were still thinking with worldly principles. They were not ready and able to grasp mature spiritual food. We do not want to be like this. We should want to grow and understand the principles of God’s kingdom. In order to do that, we need to think differently from the way the ungodly world thinks. We need to think and live the principles of His kingdom. Also reference Hebrews 6:1.
The next part of our chapter is verses 5-7. We taste sweetness, yet bitterness to the soul. We read of the seventh seal and seventh trumpet. When the seventh trumpet sounds, Christ returns. Hence, the announcement of “no more delay”, the end has come to the earth, as a sin-corrupted creation, and an end to all wickedness. Justice has arrived.
Verse 7, the last trumpet will sound, and “the mystery of God” is fulfilled. The mystery of God is the end, all things completed. He is moving everything towards the completion of His Plan of Redemption, and it is now time for this mystery that didn’t seem to unfold, but has been all along. It has come. It is unveiled.
Last week, we learned from 1 Corinthians that believers will be made completely whole again when the last trumpet is sounded, and the saints are raised bodily, and they are given new spiritual bodies. We have mentioned how God is going to remove all sin, evil, and the fruit of evil from the earth and the skies. This is a description of a “new heaven and new earth.” More to come later in this study in Revelation 21.
Verse 7 ends with, “just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” God has been warning mankind of His judgment and plan for over 2,000 years. This was announced through the prophets Daniel, Joel, Hosea, and Jeremiah, and we will see in part three of this chapter that the mystery of God was announced to the prophet Ezekiel. The point is, it is not a mystery because God has not spoken of it. It is a mystery because man ignored it and because history has not revealed it. What I mean is, wars, disasters, wickedness, disease, natural disasters, rampant sin, and death appear to be winning. The unfolding of the redemption plan of God seems, or appears, not to exist. Yet, God is in control, and He is using all things to work together for His good plan. (Romans 8:28)
In part three of our chapter, we read about the sweetness and bitterness of God's final judgment.
Revelation 10:8–10 (ESV) — 8 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.” 9 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.” 10 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.
The prophet Ezekiel had a similar vision and command.
Ezekiel 2:8–3:3 (ESV) — 8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. 1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
Do you see that the same revelation given to the prophet Ezekiel is the one given to the Apostle John? Revelation 10:8-10. The eating of the scroll, as in Revelation 10 and Ezekiel, means to take God’s word into your soul and hide it. Do not proclaim it, but keep it to yourself. Ezekiel 2:10 gives us a clue to what he saw in the scroll.
“… there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.”
This tells us that the contents of this scroll—the same scroll in Revelation 10- were bitter to the soul. The message on the scroll was sad, like those of a funeral, and words of doom. What was so sad? The scroll described the final judgment upon mankind. This is the same scroll in Revelation.
Revelation 10:9, “It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.”
What does that mean? Initially, the message that God is coming back to bring justice upon the unjust and the wicked is, “Hurrah! The wicked will be held accountable! God fulfilling his promise of, ‘Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord’, will come to pass. Vengeance upon the persecutors of God’s people, Hurrah! We will enter into the Full Redemptive Plan of God. No more tears, no more hard ache, no more sin and fears and evil! Hurrah!”
Then, after the Hallelujahs quiet down, and the message seeps down, and you think about it longer, the message becomes bitter. The message turns to a deep mourning and sadness. Yes, rewards and vindication for us, the people of God. But God’s vengeance and unrestrained wrath on all who do not belong to Christ Jesus is destruction, damnation, retribution, and eternal punishment forever. From “Hallelujahs” to “Why didn’t my family believe? Why didn’t this friend and that friend repent of their sins against God and throw themselves on Jesus Christ? Woe is my soul. I am full of sorrow for them.”
Can you taste the sweet, yet find bitterness in your soul? The Apostle Paul describes the two-fold “bitter-sweetness” to the church in Thessalonica.
2 Thessalonians 1:5–10 (ESV) — 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
We read that God will repay with affliction those who afflict the church, the saints. He will grant relief to the afflicted. He will inflict vengeance on our behalf. Verse ten says that Jesus will be glorified in his saints—that is, us. He says we will marvel at His coming. Joy! Joy! Joy!
We also read of the bitterness of this event. Jesus will appear with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord. Eternal punishment. The wrath of God will not be a slap on the hand. It will not be a time-out in the corner. It will not be anything short of eternal damnation and punishment. Forever. Eternal. Away from any mercy, grace, joy, love, peace, and favor of the Lord.
Yes, we will rejoice at his coming. We even pray, “Come Lord Jesus Come. Come quickly.” We pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” And yet His coming is also a day of dreadful doom for others. Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will Roar!
So, what must we do? We do as Ezekiel was told, just as John was told at the end of Revelation 10.
Revelation 10:11 (ESV) — 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Ezekiel 3:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
We are to share this message of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must warn others of the promised blessing God is offering and the doom that awaits those who refuse Him. And as Ezekiel was told, speak, tell them, whether they listen or refuse to tell them.
Some will hear the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will make it come alive in them. The Spirit of God will grant them faith. He will grant them a repentant heart. He will grant them a love for Jesus Christ. He will grant them hatred and disdain for being a rebellious sinner towards God. The Spirit of God will make their heart new. No longer an enemy of Christ, now His follower and servant. All of this divine work is being done 100% by the Spirit of God. That is why it is called Amazing Grace.
Muddy Creek Baptist Church has three events coming up that give all of us an opportunity to sow the seeds of the Gospel of Salvation, and to pray for the Spirit of God to invade hard hearts with the love of Christ.
On Thursday, May 7, we will have a National Day of Prayer Gathering at Powhatan Village Park. Three times during the day, you will have the opportunity to meet with other Christians to pray for the souls of this country and the direction of our country.
Secondly, VBS is coming mid-June. This needs prayer. We are sharing the Gospel of Salvation and discipling children. This is also an opportunity to be a part of a Gospel work. There are a variety of ways to roll up the sleeves and help.
Third. Last week, I shared the new opportunity we have to take the Gospel to an entire area and a group of people in a single event.
Where is this single event? Cozy Acres Campgrounds. It’s only 7.5 miles from the church. Think of it as a small town ripe for the Gospel. Think of it as the harvest field waiting for laborers to go and reap the harvest that God has prepared. When? Saturday, June 27th, from 4 PM to 7 PM.
What do we need to do? Foremost, pray. Pray for those whom God leads to that Campground the weekend of June 27th. Pray that He will draw sinners to humble themselves to the Savior Jesus Christ. Pray for this Church to rise up and go with the Gospel. Pray that spiritual darkness will be dispelled and the glory of God will be in our midst. Pray that God’s kingdom will come and His will be done!
Sweet to the taste, yet bitter to my soul.
As Christians, we love hearing the Gospel that saved us. We love the Savior who saved us. We love God who called us to Himself. But we know that we should not keep this to ourselves! We need to share this Gospel that saved us. We need to tell others of the Savior who saved us. We need to show the love of God so that the called will believe.
Sweet to the taste, yet bitter to my soul.
We who love the Lord Jesus will rejoice and marvel at His appearing. We who have the Love of the Lord Jesus will mourn for those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Sweet to the taste, yet bitter to my soul.
Thy bitter-sweetness Thy thunders roar,
Awaiting joy, my faith does soar.
The taste does change, this I hear and see,
My heart sinks to sorrows for those who won’t believe.
Give us Courage that we may speak,
A double-edged sword that cuts them deep.
We will rise up, proclaim Thy Name,
Thy saving power, glory, and unmatched Fame.
Let us pray.
Lord of the Harvest, Your Words of Truth are sweet and bitter. We delighted in glorious joy when you opened our eyes to see. As we ponder the mysteries that set us free, our hearts begin to lament in great sorrow for those held captive, yes, those who remain in darkness. We especially taste bitterness in our souls for those whom You have woven into our lives. Our souls mourn for their salvation in Christ Jesus.
As you have poured mercy upon us, we who did not deserve mercy, so we ask that you would rain down mercy upon this land. Grant us courage to speak Thy word to the rebels, the perishing, to the lost. Awaken those appointed to believe. Use us to cast Your net and bring in Jesus’ harvest. It is not by our abilities, but by Your Spirit. In Christ Jesus, amen.
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