John (literally) gets into the vision
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is 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 told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (Revelation 10:8-11–ESV)
At this point the vision becomes interactive. Here is a question for you. Presuming that we will see this event with this angel in heaven do you think when you see it (of course you must be a Christian for that) John will be in it? That gets a little too “Back-to-the-future” for me. Just ponder it and see what your thoughts do. In any event, I do not think we will see John go take that scroll. I think that verses 8-11 were an interlude in the vision a portion where the prophetic scene paused and John jumped in. I could be far, far from the truth, but I cannot access these things in my life right now.
The one narrating from heaven told John to go take the scroll from this mighty angel. The Lamb that was slain had taken a closed scroll, but John was to go take this open one. What he was to do with it was not given just then. I bet he presumed he would read it.
A strange instruction was given though. John was to eat the book. Seriously? Yep. Well, it must not have been too much for John to consider for he did and the prophecy which the angel gave about its sweet taste and bitter aftereffect, too, came to pass.
John was to consume the word of God, the plan of God. It would be sweet and pleasant to him, but its implications were sour. God’s word is pleasant to those who will partake of it, but the real implications can be harsh and unpleasant. That is what leaves us sour.
For John God’s will and God’s goals he loved and had long internalized them as such. To be able to consume the pure words of God was a thing pleasing to him, but the words of God did not only have a bearing upon him. The words of God had a bearing on others as well and this bearing was secondarily perceived and disconcerting, unpleasant.
A side story from work
An ophthalmology residency lasts for 3 years, and usually one of the senior residents in the program will act as a leader among the residents. They are the liaison to the faculty and are given a title: chief resident.
Right now I have been directing our residency for 12 years and so have appointed and worked closely with 12 chief residents. What discourages me is that a significant percentage of them leave embittered one of the recent ones being the most troubled of all. To have this role is an honor for implied by holding it is a measure of respect from the faculty.
What I believe happens, though, is that some of the residents are so wired to be liked when they suddenly are given a role of leader and its associated authority they crumble. For the first time some of these residents are required to settle differences and make decisions others do not like. The circumstances of being in such a position go beyond their satisfaction and give them a sour stomach. This is maturity, it is reality, but when it comes it can be bitter. Life hits these residents very much harder as soon as they enter practice. It is not bad for it to dawn earlier.
John took pleasure in the words of God, but knowing God’s word had to take steps and understand eternal things in a way that would give him a bitter aftertaste. In the world in which we live we need divided into God’s camp and Satan’s. We are naturally inclined to the later, but can be rescued into the former. Bitter times and bitter tastes there will be, but in the end God is good, God cares and at some point a real “Happily ever after” will dawn.
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