Though the Wrong Seems Oft So Strong | Rev 10

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a cyclone, a typhoon, and a hurricane?

All three are words that describe tropical storms that form massive rotating systems with strong winds, thunderstorms, heavy rain, and form a spiral when viewed from above.

The difference between a cyclone, typhoon, and hurricane is simply the location where the storm is formed. These are merely regional names for the same kinds of storms.

The technical category is “tropical Cyclone” and we call them hurricanes when they are in the Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans. In the west Pacific, they are usually called typhoons, and the name is shorted to cyclone in the Indian Ocean and near Australia.

But all of them are fueled the same, rotate the same, and produce damage the same. These storms can range in size from 62 miles in diameter to 1200 miles in diameter. intensity can vary, but the most intense storm on record had sustained winds of 215mph.

When viewed with satelite imagery, one of the most recognizable features of these storms is what is called the eye in the center. The eye of the storm is a remarkable place. The eye can vary in size depending on the size of the overal storm. Eyes as small as 1.9 miles and 230m in diameter have been observed.

Those who have lived through hurricane landfalls will testify to what being in the eye of a storm is like. One moment the rain will be hitting so hard that it sound like a freight train is running over your house, and then in an instant, everything will be quiet and calm.

The clouds will clear. If it’s night, you’d be able to look up and see stars. Some people who do not understand what is happened will think this means the storm is over and they have survived, but they don’t realize they are about to be hit with the backside of the storm.

But in the moment, there is an opportunity to catch your breath. See if you can situate yourself and more advantageously. and then brace yourself for the backside of the storm.

There is a way in which Revelation 10 is like the eye of a hurricane. We’ve been seeing the world be hit hot and heavy. we are seven seals and 6 trumpet blasts in. Already 1/2 of the world’s population has died, and yet, as we saw last week, the people of the earth have still no repented of their idolatry.

I noted as we were beginning this section and I believe when I was introducing the book that there would be times when the Lord graciously gave John, and by extension, us, opportunities for us to catch our breath in the midst of intense judgment.

Revelation 10 is one such location. Chapter 11 is going to bring us back into the intensity.

Chapter 10 helps us catch our breath, and make sure we are viewing things with the proper perspective.

I see 5 key reminders in this text that I want us to walk through today, 5 key reminders in the midst of judgment.

Let’ read Rev 10 together.

Revelation 10 LSB

Then I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little scroll which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth, and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” Then the angel, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth, lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He proclaimed good news to His slaves, the prophets. Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

The Lord remains Lord over the earth, skies, and seas

Blazing appearance of this angel

Booming Voice

Feet on the land and seas

Scroll...likely contains the seventh trumpet which may, in turn, contain the seven bowls.

APPLICATION: we see instability in our world right now. It’s easy to forget who’s really in charge.

Some things are not for us to know

About to write, but told to seal them up

Deuteronomy 29:29 LSB

“The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

APPLICATION: we want to know more than we need to know. Are you willing to trust him while you wait?

APPLICATION: we often want more details. How does this get fulfilled? Are you comfortable with the ambiguity?

God will fulfill all things

Seventh trump = no more delay. The end has come. (The seven bowls). This pronouncement takes us through thr seventh trumpet, the seven bowls, which all culminates in the second coming, wherein God’s vindication of his people is complete.

Mystery of God is finished - -the plan revealed in full a the appropriate moment. Mystery - previously unknown, now made known. His full plans for establishing his kingdom and restoring Israel will be complete.

Good news to his slaves the prophets

OT prophets. they anticipated the restoration of the kingdom. Here the fulfillment begins to unfold.

APPLICATION: Do you feel at times that God is slow to fulfill his promises? Sometimes God’s “no” or “wait” are difficult. But make no mistake. God will do every one of them.

God’s justice is indeed bittersweet

Consuming of the scroll.

Ezekiel 2:8–10 LSB

“Now as for you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” Then I looked, and behold, a hand was sent forth to me; and behold, a scroll was in it. Then He spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, sighing, and woe.

Ezekiel 3:3 LSB

And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

Have you experienced both the sweetness and bitterness of the word through Revelation so far?

Sweetness

Power of God

Glory of the resurrected Christ

Comfort for the churches of Asia Minor in the seven letters

The Throne room in heaven where there is someone worthy to open the scroll

The vindication of the people of God even through judgment on the unbelieving world

The coming reality that Jesus is coming again and when he does what a glorious day that will be!

I hope you come to love the book of Revelation and so experience the blessings of obedience to it as Chapter one says!

But we have also felt the bitterness as well, have we not?

There is tremendous suffering. So far 1/2 of the earth’s population has died, and the rest are living in pain and suffering at the hands of literal demons.

It’s painful to know that if the rapture were to happen today and the tribulation were to begin tomorrow, that people that we know and love must endure these things.

Brothers and sisters if that bothers you, are you talking to your friends and family about Christ? Are you helping them see the need to trust in him?

God’s judgment is indeed bittersweet.

Finally, John is given a recommissioning of sorts:

There is a mission to be accomplished

You have more to see and say

As we move forward, we are going to see what John had to prophesy about.

Peoples. Nations. Tongues. Kings.

These foreshadow what John will see and speak of as he continues to write.

And he must write!

John was not finished with his mission.

We are not finished with ours. We have more to see from Revelation. More to learn. More to understand. More to digest.

More to proclaim. Remember the purpose of John’s Revelation was to 1) comfort a suffering church that God will have the final triumph but 2) warn those who are living in rejection of our God.

The task of warning and pleading with people to come to Christ falls to us.

How will they believe in him whom they have never heard, and how will they hear unless someone tells them?

These 5 reminders help us set our perspective in the midst of the intensity that is Revelation.

Revelation 10 functions a moment to catch our breath in the midst of the judgment storm.

Take a look around at what Rev 10 reminds us of:

The Lord remains Lord.

We have not been given to know all things

God is fulling all his good promises

That process is indeed bittersweet from our human perspective

And there is a mission still to be accomplished.

All this sets the stage for the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the pouring out of the seven bowls, the glorious return of Christ, and the establishment of the kingdom.