That Sweet-Bitter Tension God’s People Must Live Through

Revelation 10:1-11

You’ve not been well. You know something’s wrong. Your doctor runs tests and tells you that you have cancer. And for you to be cured, the cancer must be killed. But there’s a special drug! If you complete the course, the prognosis is very good. But meanwhile, you’ll be severely weakened. You’ll have much pain. There may be complications. What do you do? Things ahead won’t be easy. That drug will bring bitterness to body and bones. But you welcome it. You’re grateful. But there’s tension. There’ll be bitter times, but they’re sweet. And until the cancer is killed, there won’t be resolution. Cancer markers will go up and down! And meanwhile, you’re taking that bitter drug hoping to be cured. Until then, there’s tension - sweet hope in a bitter time.

Now, to be clear, I’m not giving medical advice. I’m illustrating chapter 10’s message. In God’s judgments on the wicked, his people will also experience bitter tribulation. But it’s a sweet bitter. Why? It’s sweet because we know the end. Christ wins. But until then, there’s tension. Chapter 10’s not an easy chapter. Like the dove Noah sent out, we can’t land satisfactorily on any resolution. It’s like a season cliffhanger. And we live in tension until next season. But dearly beloved, life’s like that. We must live in tension. There’s no resolution before the final resolution. Until then, it’s sweet bitterness.

And there are three lessons to help us live in that tension. Firstly, a vision of hope for current tribulations. Secondly, a promise but delay of future resolution. Thirdly, a commission to endure the sweet bitterness.

Firstly, a vision of hope for current tribulations. Jesus said, in the world you’ll have tribulation. And we’ve been seeing such tribulation on all Christians, represented by the 7 churches. Until Christ comes again, Christians will be opposed by the devil and the world; by the dragon, beast, and harlot. We’re tempted by Satan to sin. We’re ridiculed by his followers for wanting to be holy. The people of the world will hate us for not being like them. But there’s also hope. God hears our cries and deals with these enemies. With each seal and trumpet, God judges the wicked. But he’ll preserve his people - we’ll be safe in heaven - no more tears! But until then, on the earth we’ll have tribulation. In fact, the tribulation may be intense. The judgment God sends can harden the hearts of the wicked - this is what we saw in the sixth trumpet. And what happens to us when the hearts of the wicked are hardened? What happened to Israel when Pharaoh’s heart was hardened? He made them build bricks without straw. He increased the burdens on their backs. So the 7 churches knew there’d be tough tribulation ahead for them. But John’s vision would’ve given them hope. This gives us hope too.

Verses 1-2 say a giant angel came from heaven, he was clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow on his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like fire. He had a little scroll in his hand, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the earth. But why did this vision give hope? Because it was a repeated vision - a cycle. What do I mean? Think of past judgments. In the seal judgments, Christ sent out conquest, war, famine, and death with the first four horses. Terrible! And even worse with the fifth and sixth seals. The wicked wished the rocks would fall on them! But what about believers? They’d be preserved from final judgment. John’s vision showed an angel flying down, shouting - don’t harm God’s servants! And all of God’s people, symbolized by the 144,000, were sealed. What a relief! They wouldn’t be harmed. And after final judgment, they’re in heaven - robed in white, worshiping God. No more tears! No more suffering!

Similarly, the trumpets brought natural, economic, and political disasters. Torment and death would wipe out a third. But the unrepentant would be hardened. And what about God’s people? Here in chapter 10, God sent another angel. This vision would comfort the saints. Despite impenitence and hardness of heart, despite more tribulation and suffering, God’s people will be preserved. Even the repeated order of symbols comforts us. In chapter 1, God gave Christ his revelation to give John to show his people. Why? So they’d be comforted. Then in chapter 5, God had a scroll in his hand, Christ took that scroll, and opened each seal. Now in chapter 10, an angel took this scroll and gave it John. For what? So God’s people would be comforted. The message is simple, beloved - resolution will come, but not yet. But God's people will be preserved despite intense tribulation. The wicked are hardened. But God’s people won’t be destroyed.

And it’s a vision of power. Last week, we saw the terrible army of demons unleashed by Satan on the earth - like an army of locusts. But here was a giant angel! The many fallen angels are nothing compared to this mighty angel. This colossal angel gave hope. It had one foot on the sea and the other on the land. This means that wherever God’s people are found in the whole world, this angel would protect them. He even reflected God’s own glory. The angel was clothed with a cloud. Clouds signify the presence of God. At Sinai, God descended with a cloud; at the Mount of Transfiguration, God surround the summit with clouds; Christ ascended with a cloud. Christ will come in the clouds. Psalm 104 calls the clouds the chariots of God. So this angel was sent from God. He also had a rainbow over his head. Revelation 4 described God’s throne surrounded by a rainbow; meaning, this angel was commissioned by God himself. His face also shone as the sun. Like Moses who spent time with God - this angel had a reflected glory. He was with God. His coming was God’s comfort.

Now, to be sure, this was an angel, not Christ himself. Not only because it’s a repeated vision of an angel giving comfort, but also because verse 6 says the angel swore an oath in God’s name. And he’s giving comfort - this opened scroll. It’s the same scroll opened by the Lord, but it’s described as small because the angel was so massive. This scroll was God’s complete revelation, front and back - describing final judgment on the wicked and ultimate deliverance for the people. And an angel from God held it to bring hope. This is what John saw. We now see what he heard.

Secondly, the angel declared a promise of future resolution but also its delay. This is the tension. In verses 3-4, the angel emitting a great shout like a lion’s roar. And seven thunders sounded. It seems like God would send another set of judgment! Brilliant! The wicked will be dealt with! And John was about to describe these judgments, but Christ told him not to. Seal them up. Don’t reveal them. Christ’s not sending them. This was halted judgment. But why not? The giant angel roared! Surely final judgment would come! Surely after many rounds of drug therapy, you’d expect your doctor to say things have improved - but she says - I’m sorry, the markers are still high. You have to clear this difficult hurdle before things get better. Dearly beloved, resolution doesn’t come when we want it to. It doesn’t come when we expect it to. We think that after all we’ve been through, all the suffering, all the trials, all the temptations - that surely this time, God will prevail! Surely, my boss, my classmates, the opposition - they’ll get what’s coming to them! Nope. Imagine, after the first plague, Moses and Aaron would’ve said - surely Pharaoh would let God’s people free now. And it seemed like it would happen, and then not. After the second plague, perhaps this is when it’ll happen, but it didn’t. Interestingly, after the 10th plague, and the people were released, Pharaoh still chased them. But rather than looking at this negatively, like a disappointment, there’s a hope in delayed judgment. It means that when final resolution does come, it’ll be extra hot.

Remember, the seal judgments resulted in a quarter of the earth judged. The trumpet judgments resulted in a third. If the seven thunders were released, it would’ve resulted in worse judgment. Maybe this giant angel would’ve struck half the world’s wicked. But God said don’t unleash the judgment. Why? Because God is storing up the final judgment for the earth. Not half but full. When the seventh trumpet is blown, that’s it. Now, this news would’ve been sweet. But it was also bitter. God’s people were suffering - the people who survived the sixth trumpet judgment were hardened - like Pharaoh, they’d make lives harder for Christians. Yes, there are times of great intense persecution. God hears the cries of his people and sends judgment. But not yet. God’s people were waiting for comfort and resolution! But not yet. There’s tension. And God intends for it to be that way now. But he’ll send final resolution.

And when he does, it’ll come quickly. Verses 5-7 describe how the same giant angel put his hand to heaven to take an oath in the name of Christ - creator of heaven and earth - that when the seventh trumpet was blown, then final judgment will come - which had been declared to all the prophets in the past. So there’s a promise. When the seventh trumpet is sounded, history as we presently know it will be terminated, God’s enemies will be eternally condemned, and God’s people will be vindicated. And it’ll be total. How total? Remember the giant angel? In verses 2, 5, and 8 we’re told his feet were on land and sea. It’s not only that he’ll preserve God’s people. There’s a secondary meaning. Stepping on something in the Bible means domination. Christ will put his feet on the neck of his enemies. So the angel symbolized sovereignty over these realms. But what are in these realms? In chapters 12 and 13, we’re introduced to 2 beasts who serve Satan, the red dragon. The beast who comes from the sea is the Antichrist and the beast who comes from the land is the false prophet. Those who would oppress God’s people religiously, politically, economically, bodily, emotionally, mentally; together with Satan, would be forever judged by God. The angel swore an oath - by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what’s in it, the earth and the sea - judgment will come on the wicked. Everything will be resolved one day. There will be no more tears, no more suffering. But what do God’s people do in the meantime? We continue to struggle in that tension. After John saw and heard, he tasted.

Thirdly, we are commissioned to endure the sweet bitterness now. Verses 8-11 tell us that the Lord told John to take the scroll which contained God’s plan for final judgment from the angel. Then the angel told John to eat the scroll. Even though it would be sweet tasting, it would be bitter in the belly. And it was. And Christ told him to preach against all peoples, nations, tongues, and kings. Now, what does this mean? This instruction for John to eat the scroll was also given in Ezekiel 2 and 3. Ezekiel was given an open scroll with words front and back. It outlined the judgment that was coming. It would be bad. And Ezekiel was to eat it. He was to make it his own, to assimilate and internalize the message. This was the same for John. John had to feel it. Resolution would come. But he had to trust that even though the scroll was open and God was going to resolve all things, it wasn’t going to be now. And that’s what we must internalize as well - to trust God now for future resolution even if it’s not now. And not just us, but our brethren in Pakistan, who are accused of blasphemy against Islam. And also for Christian bakers in Belfast who are bullied for not making certain wedding cakes. But it’s for those who struggle to honor the Lord in their work, but are pressured again and again to break the law. It’s for those who want to live for Christ, but are tempted daily by the devil. Let’s trust God now for that future resolution. Do we trust that the struggle will end one day? Are we looking forward to it? Does it taste sweet to us? You’re struggling with loneliness, or sin, or discontentment; you’re struggling with a lack of success, or you’ve had all successes in the world but you’re still dissatisfied; or you’re troubled you don’t love the Lord enough. Do you trust that one day, you’ll be in the presence of God with all the saints - no longer lonely? Do you trust, that sin won’t grip you in heaven anymore. Do you trust that you’ll have an intense joy? Rewarded with crowns? Finally satisfied not at the top of the ladder in life, but sitting at the feet of Jesus? Do you trust that while your health is challenged, you’ll be perfect in body one day? While cancer may ravage your body, and miracle drugs fail, you’ll stand complete one day in the very presence of the Lord. Is that prospect not sweet dearly beloved? To be in the presence of God? But what do you do with the current bitterness? Trust. This is how you endure the sweet bitterness now.

But it’s also to proclaim. In verse 11, John was told by Christ, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” When God told Ezekiel to eat the scroll - to internalize the message, he also commissioned Ezekiel to preach to the people. But he also told him they won’t hear. God said - “And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.” This was the same with Moses. Between the first and second plagues, what did he still proclaim? “Let my people go!” But Pharaoh was hardened. What must we do during this tension, while waiting for final resolution? We must continue to proclaim and be witnesses, to stand firm on our principles, to live as Christians.

And this is what we do today at the Table of our Lord. Here, we proclaim that we trust in Christ. We proclaim Christ’s death until he comes. We proclaim that he forgives sinners. We proclaim that he loves us; that he died for us, so that we would be his people forever. We also proclaim his soon coming - that he will come to judge the impenitent. But he won’t judge us, because we are marked - he’s shed his blood for us. We proclaim instead that he’s coming to bring us to heaven, to wipe away every tear of ours. And we proclaim that he’s sweet to us. Dearly beloved, may we know as we come to his table, that his banner over us is love. As we eat of that bread, to know he was broken for us. That as we taste the sweetness of the cup, to know he drank of God’s bitter judgment. Let us taste his goodness to us as he comes to us in the Supper. And yes, some of you have this bitterness in life now - you’re going through bitter tension. But come to the Table, find strength to resolve to live for him, to rejoice because he’s coming to resolve all things. In the sweetness of life’s bitterness, this Table offers extra sweetness to those who believe.

1. A Vision of Hope for Current Tribulations

A. The vision of hope repeated

B. The vision of power brings hope

2. A Promise But Delay of Future Resolution

A. The promise of halted judgment

B. The promise of quick judgment

3. A Commission to Endure the Sweet Bitterness

A. Let God’s people trust

B. Let God’s people proclaim