January 20, Revelation 10
Sometimes a sound will reverberate in a canyon or even in a big room for several seconds, the sound waves bouncing off surfaces and returning. A single “hello” may be answered by a chorus of “hellos” echoing back.
This portion has the literary equivalent of echoes in it. John’s words echo, not the actual voices of the prophets, but their themes and experiences. Ezekiel, Amos, Joel, Daniel and Jeremiah are all here. The mighty angel’s appearance, the roar of his voice, the prohibition to record what the thunders said, the trumpet sounds and eating the scroll—they’re all echoes. They remind us of things God had done and spoken through Israel’s prophets long before John experienced the revelation on Patmos.
We need to learn and remember some important lessons from this text about God’s communication with humans. First, while he has told us what we need to know, God hasn’t told us everything we might be curious about or everything there is to know. The seven thunders said something John heard, but was told not to write. That reminds me of Moses telling Israel the secret things belonged to God, or Paul
hearing things he was forbidden to repeat when he was called up into paradise. The very nature of an infinite God suggests there is much beyond our realm and grasp he has not revealed.
When the angel swore by the Creator that what he had announced to the prophets would come to pass, we’re reminded of the faithfulness and certainty of God’s word. We’re used to broken vows, unkept promises and idle threats in our experience with one another, but God will absolutely and completely do what he says. That’s a great source of joy and comfort for people who trust and obey him, but an ominous
threat to those who persist in rebellion.
When John ate the little scroll, he found it to be just as the voice from heaven had promised—sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. John found the word of God pleasant, but there were unpleasant aspects of its message, too. It was a privilege and honor to speak God’s words, but some of the things he had to say were very difficult. Just as the gospel reveals both the righteousness and wrath of God, and just as it is the aroma of life to some and death to others, John found the little scroll to be both
sweet and bitter.
Let’s never take for granted the privilege of being able to know what God has revealed. I hope you share my confidence that his word is trustworthy and reliable. If you and I respond to the word, we too will be heirs of the sweet promises it contains.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—January 2024
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