The Angel And The Little Scroll

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Revelation 10:1-11                                                                                                      Lesson  10

Key verse 10:10-11                                                                                                     Kevin E. Jesmer 8-1-10

“I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages

and kings.’”

In chapter 8 and 9 we saw a lot of destruction and hardships that was unleashed upon the world. There was the plague of locusts that came up out of the Abyss led by their leader, named Destroyer. They had power to inflict suffering on the unrepentant populace for five months. We saw the huge army, amassed at the EuphratesRiver, two hundred million strong, set free to bring about God’s judgment. God had a clear purpose in allowing all the suffering that took place. It was his last- ditched effort to save people who stubbornly refused to repent of their sins, before they had to face the final judgment. Through it all we saw how God is actually the one who was in control. We also saw God’s grace in protecting those who received the seal of God on their foreheads.

In this passage, through all the suffering, we will see the glory and majesty of our God revealed in one of his ambassadors, a mighty angel. The mighty angel came down from heaven carrying a little scroll. John was given a mission to eat the little scroll and prophesy against many peoples, nations, languages and kings. Through this passage let us be encouraged by the fact that God is all powerful, almighty and the sovereign Lord of all that occurs in our lives and in this world. Let us adopt the attitude of a true servant of God’s word…the attitude that strives to internalize God’s word personally, obey it and teach it to others. Most importantly may you grow spiritually until the word of God can be like honey in your mouth and may you still hold onto it even when it becomes sour in your stomach at times. May God bless you.

Part l: The Mighty Angel And The Little Scroll (10:1-7)

In verses 1-4 God encourages the believers who were going tribulations.“ ¹Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. ²He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. ⁴And 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.” The mighty angel who came down from heaven was robed in a cloud with a rainbow above his head. He stood astride the sea and land. He was carrying the little scroll, in his hand. His appearance reminds us of Jesus in 1:12-16, but he is not Jesus. He is the King’s messenger. When he shouted, the voices of seven thunders spoke. The contents of the second little scroll are not indicated, but it also may contain a revelation of judgment. They definitely contain the word of God.

His appearance was very encouraging. Look atverses 1, 3, “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars….³and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.” First, there was a rainbow above his head. In the Bible, the rainbow is a very glorious symbol. After the flood God set a rainbow in the sky and promised Noah and all mankind, that never again would he send a flood to destroy the earth. (Gen 9:13) Therefore it is a symbol of God’s faithful covenant. The rainbow is also something beautiful in the sky after a big storm. Noah saw the rainbow after a flood. Rainbows are seen after a summer rain. Therefore rainbows can be symbols of hope and a new beginnings after suffering. And we all know what is at the end of a rainbow? Yes!…a pot of gold. The rainbow above the angel’s head surely would have planted hope in suffering believers’ hearts.

We all need to see the hope of God for a new beginning in the midst of hardships. We have so many hardships. There are people I know who work so hard but they still have a hard time to pay the rent. Some students are getting deeper in debt and are not even sure that they can get a job using their degree. Some are stressed because of relationship problems. This summer has been a dry time in regards to ministry. It is so hard to get a person to begin Bible study and come to Sunday Worship Service. We are all in some sort of storm. But we need to lift up our eyes and see the rainbow, the sign that God is bringing a new beginning in our lives and ministry. The storm is passing and a bright new tomorrow in Christ is beginning.

Second, God’s ambassador is mighty. He is powerful. The angel’s legs were very strong, like fiery pillars. They were set on the land and the sea. He came from heaven. His power dominates the land and the sea. His voice was like seven thunders, like the roar of a lion. The roar of the lion is a display of his power and authority. I wonder what the seven thunders were saying. The voices probably contained two elements; God’s judgment and the fulfillment of God’s plan. Maybe there was an announcement of judgment found in Revelation 8:13a, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth…” Maybe he was saying what was written in Revelation 11:15b, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Maybe it was the words of heavenly worship found in Revelation 5:12, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Whatever was said, the point was clear, that though the world seemed to be harassed by demons, our God is the almighty God and he is fulfilling his plan of salvation. He is the victorious one, and so are those who are sealed by God.

The angel announced eminent fulfillment of God’s plan. Look at verses 6 & 7. “And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! ⁷But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’” The mystery of God in the New Testament is that God has brought Jews and Gentiles together as one holy nation under the banner of the gospel. (Eph 3:6) But complete fulfillment of this mystery, the angel was referring to, can be seen in Revelation 11:15, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”At the end of time, God’s plan for human history is completely revealed, all prophecy will be fulfilled. The end of the age will arrive when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. God has declared with absolute certainty that this will happen. We share in this victory with Jesus as his people. We may loose a few battles but the war is already won. This is very encouraging news for the people of God of all generations.

The question is, do we have eyes to see God working in the midst of cataclysmic disaster to fulfill his plan and bring about his kingdom? Can you see God working through the hardships and difficulties that are happening in your life? Just as certain as there are death and taxes, so there is also suffering and a cross that you must carry. If we are those who think that Christian life is a life of constant joy, laughter, ease and blessing upon blessing, all the time, you will be greatly disappointed. If you are not prepared, hardships of life will broadside you, even if you are a Christian. Such people, in their self centered way of thinking, will doubt the love of God when faced with their cross. Some will even doubt God’s existence. A few may even become enemies of God, working against God’s holy purpose. If we do not protect our hearts, then we may be one of those who fall away forever in the times of Tribulation. We need to be prepared and one way to be prepared is open your eyes to see God’s kingdom advancing. Jesus set the perfect example for us. Even when he was suffering and dying on the cross, he never doubted the love of his father. To be certain, God has a very clear purpose through it all. It may be not only to draw you closer to him, but also to draw your loved ones. It may to be to help some one repent of their idols and give their entire heart to the living God. It may be to help our nation to repent. Whatever the reason, we must always hold onto the truth revealed in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Part ll: Take It And Eat It (8-9)

     The angel had a very important mission for John. Look at Verses 8-11, “ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” ¹⁰I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”  This scroll is the word of revelation and judgment to the people of the earth. It is the word of God.

John was told to eat the little scroll. To eat the scroll means to digest it, to extract all of its nutrients and incorporate the nutrients into our own bodies. The scroll becomes part of us. It is sort of like communion when we take the bread of life, Jesus.  Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Jesus said many other things like this. John was to take and eat the little scroll just as we must take and eat the bread of life. Let’s us repent of our superficial glances at the Bible and ingest it daily as we must.

Part lll : Sweet And Sour (10)

This little scroll had some interesting characteristics to it. Look at verse 10. “I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.” Why is it that the little scroll tastes as sweet as honey in his mouth, but turns his stomach sour? First, let’s think about the scroll being sweet to taste. First the word of God is indeed sweet to taste. It is full of satisfying truth and true hope and great blessing. It is encouraging and strengthens the heart like nothing else in this world. Some of the fondest moments I have with the Jesus and his word are times when I could write daily bread, alone, at a picnic table at an Easter Bible conference. Or at before breakfast at a kitchen table or a table in a hotel. I have many Books of the Bible on my i-pod. I recently downloaded the Book of Joshua. I listened to the whole book as I walked the dog. It was sweet to me. The word of God is also sweet as I share it with Bible students who are truly interested in learning of Jesus. It is sweet when God reveals his truth to me in epiphanies of truth. These are personal revelations of truth from the Bible that strike our hearts like thunder. We never forget them. We are inspired to write them on our bedroom walls. My first epiphany of truth from God was Genesis 15:1b, “Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward.” This promise came to me in the midst of some intense persecution. They were a comfort to me. I never forgot these words for the past 24 years. They were like honey in my mouth. I thank God that some of my kids are experiencing epiphanies of truth in Bible study. King David even experienced the word of God as honey. He wrote in Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Where would we be without the word of God?

I pray that we all may enter into this relationship with word of God. We need it to be disciples of Jesus. When the word of God is like honey in your mouth you can walk with Jesus faithfully and never fall away. Life in Christ will be a joy a delight to you. You will know that the word of God is more satisfying than music, more interesting than animated power points, more life changing than the words of an interesting preacher, more comforting than small group meetings. We need all these things, but the Word of God is the best! In the past 24 years in ministry I have discovered that those who have not cultivated a passionate love for the word of God and who depend on entertainment, speakers, books and fellowship for their lives of faith, will follow Jesus only a few years. They will become disinterested and fall away from Jesus.

There is another interesting characteristic to the word of God. Look at verse 10 again, “I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.” Why would the lovely word of God turn your mouth sour?  John was told that he must prophesy against many peoples, nations, languages and kings. God’s word is truth, so it is sweet to taste; but often it speaks against our sinful desires. It convicts us as it exposes sin in us. Jesus acted out this truth when he turned over tables in the temple. (John 2:15) God’s word turns over tables in our own hearts. The word of God calls us to closer obedience to Jesus. It is not easy to obey. The word of God urges us to proclaim its truth to an unreceptive world. It is not easy to proclaim. We would all like to have our Christian lives to contain quiet moments of prayer and meditation drinking coffee in the mornings. But when the word of God leads us to the sacrificial, narrow way, to pick up our own crosses, it may be become sour in our stomachs. We may not like the place where the word of God is leading us. When the study of the word of God gets dry and not interesting and unappealing to us, how do we respond to the word of God? Do we throw it up out of our stomachs? Do we cast it away and look for more entertaining things, like a more interesting preacher or a book to the exclusion of the Bible?

When the word of God becomes sour in our stomachs we must stick with it. In Luke 9:23 Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and pick up our crosses and follow Jesus. When we stick with the word of God, the word of God will surely become like honey to you once again. It will be a joy to you and preaching it to a dying world will be a joy also. Stick with it. Get though the dry moments and find the honey in the word of God all over again.

Part lV: You Must Prophesy (11)

John was given a mission related to the word of God in the scroll. Look at verse 11 again. “Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’” To prophesy means to speak as if divinely inspired; to give instruction in religious matters; to make a prediction and to preach. John was to eat the scroll and then preach the message of its contents to the people of the world. These words gave John hope and direction. He was already an old man and a prisoner on the island of Patmos, but God’s word to him meant that he would not die in exile. He would go on preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth as a bishop in the early church. For us, to prophesy, means to preach the word of God to the people of our generation. God has called us, to do this, here at UBF, mainly through 1:1 Bible study and discipleship.

When we eat the word of God, we will be able to prophesy “life giving” things to the young people of this generation. We all want to share God’s word in meaningful ways. But to do so you have to ingest the word of God, into our hearts in order to prophesy in the first place. Anyone who does not have such a relationship with the word of God can not speak the word of God. We all saw the messengers at the Peoria summer Bible conference. We all loved their messages and felt that they spoke very powerfully. They were preaching the word of God. They were prophesying to the people of our generation. God is raising them up as world class messengers. But what did it take for them to prophesy so powerfully? They had to eat the word of God. There was a messenger training camp. Prior to this camp they had to memorize their passages and prepare the first draft of their messages. Under the guidance of the senior UBF staff in the Chicago area, five messengers spent one week in full devotion to message preparation. They might have has six drafts of their messages. They ate together and slept in the same building and prayed together and prepared together. Each messenger made a personal decision to sacrifice in order to prepare their messages. They had a positive attitude in order to eat the word of God and God blessed them and us abundantly. I need to eat the word of God diligently in the coming two weeks. We are going to U of I Champaign Urbana where I will preach at our UBF ministry. I can not just wing it and talk about something very shallowly. This is not prophesying. I need to give my heart, digest Ephesians 5 and 6 and wholeheartedly prepare the word of God. May we repent on not eating the word of God. May we all devote ourselves to deep and scholarly Bible study and to the preaching of the word of God! America…let’s get back to the Bible!

In this passage we could see that God remains all powerful and almighty even in the midst of the deepest turmoil in our world and in our lives. We must open our eyes to see his glory and his kingdom advancing and grow. We also discovered what our attitude must be towards the word of God if we are going to stand as servants of Christ. We must “eat” the word of through deep and scholarly Bible study. We need to experience that sweetness of the word of God. And when the word of God becomes sour in our stomach, we must hold onto it, and allow it work in us and through us. Then it will become sweet in our mouths once again and more often. Lastly, let us devote our selves to prophesying the word of God to the nations of our generation, starting at NorthernIllinoisUniversity. Amen!

Part l: The Mighty Angel And The Little Scroll (10:1-7)

1. 1.     Read vs. 10:1-4  How does God encourage the believers who go through the tribulation (woes)?  Describe his appearance and characters (1,3)  What does the rainbow symbolize? (Gen 9:13) What does the fact that he stands on land and sea?

1. 2.     How does he announce the fulfillment of God’s plan? (6,7) What is the mystery of God? (Eph  3:6; Rev 11:15b) How should this strengthen our faith in God? (Ro 8:28)

3.  What is the little scroll? What do you think are the contents of this scroll? (Rev 8:13a; Rev

11:15b; Rev 5:12)

Part ll: Take It And Eat It (8-9)

4. What does it mean by ‘take it and eat it.’? How can we take and eat the word of God? What should be our attitude towards the word of God? What efforts can you make to take and eat God’s word?

Part lll : Sweet And Sour (10)

6. What was John’s initial reaction to the word of God? What does it mean that it was sweat in his mouth? How can we have such a relationship with the word of God? (Ps 119:103)

7. What does it mean when the contents of the scroll turned John’s mouth sour? How can this happen? What must be our response when the word of God become sour to us? (Lk 9:23)

Part lV: You Must Prophesy (11)

8.  What was the command of the angel? Who must he prophesy to? (11) Why would this be very difficult to do? (Jn 7:7; Mk 6:4) Why must we do it? How can you apply this command to your own life?