A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Opened Scroll

 While John is waiting for the blowing of this seventh trumpet and the bringing to a finish of the sacred secred of God, he is given a further assignment. "And the voice that I heard out of heaven is speaking again with me, saying: "Go, and take  the opened scroll that is in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth.' And I went away to the angel and told him to give me the scroll. And he said to me:  'Take it and eat it up, and it will make you belly bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.'   And I took the little scroll  out of the hand of the angel and ate it up, and in my mouth  it was sweet as honey.'  But I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter. And they say to me:  'You must prophesy again with regard to peoples  and nations and tongues and many kings.'" - REVELATION 10:8-11.

John's experience is rather similar to that of the prophet Ezekiel during his exile in the land of Babylonia. He too was commanded to eat a scroll that was sweet in his mouth. But when it filled his stomach, it made him responsible to foretell bitter things for the rebellious house of Israel.  (Ezekiel 2:8-3:15)  The opened scroll tha tthe glorified gave to John is likewise  a diving message.  John is to preach regarding "peoples and nations and tongues and many kings."  To feed upon this scroll is sweet for him because it is from a divine source.  ( Compare  Psalm 119:103;  Jeremiah 15:15, 16.)  But he finds it bitter to digestr because -as previously with Ezekiel-it foretells unsavory things for rebellious humans. - PSALM 145:20.

 The ones who tell John to prophest again are doubtless  Jehovah God and  Jesus Christ.  John although exiled on the Island of Patmos, has already prophesied regarding peoples, nations,  tongues, and kings  through the information recorded in the book of Revelation.  The word "again" means that he must write and publish the rest  of the information recorded in the book of Revelation.  But remember John is here actually participating  in the prophetic vision. What he records is, in fact, a prophect to be fulfilled after 1914, when the strong angel takes up  his position astride the earth and the sea.  What, then, does this dramatic portrayal mean to the John class today?

Next time; A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Little Scroll Today

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