Dingwall Baptist Church



The Angel and the Little Scroll10?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. 2?He 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, 3?and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4?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.”5?Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6?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! 7?But 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.”8?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.”9?So 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.’[a]” 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. 11?Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”IntroductionSide - 1Remember last week, I said we need to hold on to our seats and prepare for a bumpy ride. Just like aircraft turbulence. When we go on holiday, we know that our chosen destination will be calm, serene and sunny. However, the ride may get bumpy on the way.This week’s passage, and into chapter 12, offers a bit of respite, prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet.Cracking the Code (Context)Slide - 2Verses 1-7: another angel, most likely the angel of or messenger of Christ, as he takes on some of Christ’s features, e.g. as in Revelation chapter 1. The word ‘Mighty’, could be a word play on Gabriel.It was often employed by Jewish writers to convey the sense that this mightiness, was greater than Greek or Roman God’s, but not greater than God or Christ.Scholars diverge widely in their views of the “little scroll” the angel holds But because it becomes the content of John’s prophecy (Rev. 10:10 – 11), it seems more likely that this scroll represents the substance of the whole book of Revelation.The angel is wearing a cloud and a rainbow upon his head. The cloud probably represents the mystery of this revelation and the rainbow, another link to the Old testament, the sign given to Noah as a promise. Also, like the throne room in Heaven.His face seems to reflect the divine glory and his legs are like fiery pillars, as in the cloud and fire in the Exodus events. Like the Exodus, this scene takes place on earth, not Heaven.Remember that Satan was cast down, as were fallen angels, so the scene represents the fact that God has come down, in Christ, to confront the evil that is on earth, represented by the angel’s feet being firmly planted on the sea and the land.Just as Christ came to earth, God does not just cleanse Heaven of Satan and his evil, He takes him on, takes the battle to him here on earth.In ancient cosmology, Heaven and Earth are thought to overlap, so we get this toing and froing between the two.The angel’s voice is like a loud roar, like thunders but John is prevented from writing down what the thunders say. The thunders reveal that some matters are not yet ours to know (10:4). The hidden things belong to God alone (Deut. 29:29); until Jesus returns, we know in part only (1 Cor. 13:9). This does not mean that we should not seek knowledge (Prov. 18:15; 23:12; 25:2); it does mean that God has set boundaries to what is best for us to know, and we should acknowledge those boundaries. All, will be revealed at the final consummation, seen later in Revelation as a great celebration, but its hard to see that now because of all of the tribulation.Slide – 3 2 clicksVerses 8-11: John is exhorted to take the scroll and eat it, something reminiscent of what we find in the prophets such as Ezekiel and Jeremiah:But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you…Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, ?which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe… (Ezekiel 2:8-10)When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty… (Jeremiah 15:16)John is to be seen as like the prophets of old who, in their calling, were to endure all kinds of woes, to mourn and lament but to proclaim God’s word was a great joy.Slide - 4Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”… (Revelation 10:11)John, is perhaps saying here that he has been told to prophesy, like the prophets of the Old Testament, to many nations, languages and kings.However, as there is to be no more delay, verse 6, the news is bittersweet, for that is good news for the martyrs who cry out ‘how long’, but it also means that there is no more time to repent, no more chance to turn back to God and amend our lives, i.e. for those who are alive when the seventh trumpet sounds, the final bowl is poured out and the mystery is revealed.Therefore, do not delay, this is a message of urgency, a bittersweet message. In John’s mouth, the words are sweet, and we still have the words of the gospel, the invitation to turn to God, today. But we also know that evil has a shelf life, and God will bring the final curtain down on Satan’s end time trail of terror and tribulation.Slide – 5 x 2 clicksEugene Boring say thatEvery person who struggles to preach and teach the word of God knows this taste, this satisfaction, and sickness in the stomach. We all, must proclaim and live out that message, be true prophets and not false prophets. The message is both gift and demand, grace and responsibility. (Boring, Interpretation) The promise of “no more delay” (10:6) reminds us that though we must wait now, delay will not last forever. A time is coming when God will fulfill all his promises made throughout history (Acts 3:21). As we, next time, move into chapter 11, we will see that these two chapters are a kind of summing up of this section of the book. It finishes with the message going forth from the churches, God’s witnesses, with His prophetic word, here on earth. More about that next time.If that then – what now? (Contextualise)Slide - 6Let’s remember where we are so far, as the journey has been a bit bumpy. There were six seals, and before the seventh seal was broken; seven trumpets appear, fire is taken from the censers and thrown back down to earth. The same sequence of events starts again, with the sounding of the trumpets and this time John uses images from the Exodus story.By time we get to the sixth trumpet, as we did last week, the four horsemen, from the seven seals section are back on the scene. Yet, despite the plagues, just like in the Egyptian Exodus, people do not repent.Here today, in chapter 10, there is another kind of intermission, a welcome break from the most severe turbulence, before the seventh trumpet is sounded towards the end of chapter 11.Slide - 7Delays, as found throughout the book, test our patience. We want God to come and sort things out. After all, we live in the time when we expect things in an instant.When I was at school, we were encouraged to have a pen pal. We would be linked up with someone in the USA. You wrote your hand-written letter on special lightweight paper and post it off, not expecting a reply for around a month.These days, I can see what my family in Australia are eating for their dinner the instant they sit down in a restaurant. I can message them and get a reply straight away.We probably are a lot less patient than we were in the past, and particularly when compare to the day the John wrote to the seven churches. Delays, were part of their daily life.However, waiting on God, is a good discipline for us to practise, when things seem to be delayed, spiritually. We need to learn to function in a fast-paced world, where what we need is slow paced spirituality.Slide - 8Darkness still covers the land, in the forms of wars and plagues and bereavement and sickness. All of the things which God promises to bring to an end, later in Revelation; still happen in our time.The martyrs are told, not yet. We cry out but we are told, not yet:Pentecostal minister, Joseph Charles Price, put it like this,Slide 8 2nd click “No matter how dark the night, I believe in the coming of the dawn.” We should follow John’s example, obeying even when the message we are called to proclaim proves bitter or does not make sense to us. Some circles, especially those that emphasize prosperity, condition audiences to expect only pleasant things from God; but his message is not always pleasant, though he always provides the obedient grace to endure it (cf. Jer. 39:18; 45:5). The message of Revelation concerns “many peoples” (10:11). No one is exempt from its warnings, and those most inclined to comfort themselves with the current ease of their society should take special heed. Slide - 9Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”… (Revelation 10:11)There may be a delay, but remember that this prophetic message, of hope, is for our time. We are all prophets, priests and kings,We can all spread the good news and minister outside our own boundaries, welcome the stranger and make the most of the delay. I find it tricky to use Brexit as an illustration, as if I prepare something by Thursday, it can be changed by Sunday. However, no one seems to want to delay the process and we all just want it over with. We don’t like delay.God’s delay is also something of a difficulty, particularly in times of tribulation. But its also good for those who need to hear and respond to His grace and mercy.In a sense, we too stand between Heaven and earth, we too take the fight to Satan, by standing firm in Christ, being like Him by dying to self and allowing Him to become strength in our weakness.It’s a peculiar means to an end. But the end, will come. And the end, will be our new beginning.Remember, no matter how dark the night; dawn is coming.May we see more of its light, even in the darkness, in these coming days.AmenCommunal Discernment (Conversation) ................
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