Daily Thought

Chapter 10 to chapter 11 verse 13 forms a second parenthesis in the sequence of judgements. Chapter 10 concerns God’s purpose in creation. John sees ‘another (Greek allos) mighty angel’, similar to the holy angels in the previous chapters, coming down from heaven with a little scroll open in his hand. Although he is probably not Christ Himself, as many commentators have held, by his remarkable description he clearly has divine authority delegated to him to reclaim both land and sea for his God by means of judgements executed because of the indictments recorded in the scroll. The ensuing seven thunders give warning of the coming cataclysm, but God in His mercy prevents John, by a voice from heaven, from recording it.

This angel now swears by the Eternal Creator, probably indicating that he is a creature, not Christ, that there ‘shall be delay (RV margin for KJV ‘time’) no longer’ in executing all God’s purposes. The ‘mystery of God’ referred to, v. 7, is His long silence despite the growing wickedness and rebellion of mankind. This silence has been intended to give unbelievers ample time to repent and believe the gospel preached by God’s servants the prophets. But with the imminent sounding of the seventh trumpet His longsuffering will be exhausted, and the judgements which the same prophets also predicted will be consummated. Then all the anguish caused by God’s mysterious silence will be ended and explained, as His righteousness is at last asserted during Christ’s millennial kingdom. No longer will truth be ‘on the scaffold’, while wrong is ‘on the throne’! J. R. LOWELL.

The voice from heaven then instructed John to take the scroll and eat it, saying that it would be bitter to his stomach, but sweet to his mouth. Although a believer always finds God’s word sweet, he finds its message of judgement for his fellow men very bitter. Finally, John was told to continue to prophesy ‘concerning’ (RV margin) many different peoples and all ranks of society. Thus he was commissioned to complete his warnings of coming world judgement. But are we warning unsaved people around us of the fate awaiting them if they continue to reject God’s longsuffering mercy in the present gospel of His grace?