The Sweet and the Bitter

“So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’” (Rev 10:9-11)

John was given a divine vision of the time when God would declare that “There is no more delay” (Rev 10:6). In some translations it is stated as “Time is no more.” God’s Words and actions will have accomplished what they were sent to do, and judgment would begin. The little scroll held the words that were sweet, for hearing from the Father is sweet. Yet they were bitter because the very Church John had laid his life down for was coming under judgment for her sins.

You will scarcely hear a preacher, let alone a prophet, speak about
God’s judgment. Yet God did not give us an endless amount of time to prepare ourselves for the end of all things. If we are the last generation to live before judgment begins, then it is not sweet things that we will be hearing from our Lord.

All throughout time God has warned His people about their sins in order to bring them to a place to receive inheritance and blessing from Him. If John were to warm the Church today, the very people he laid his life down for would reject him.

Will we only hear the sweet, or will we open our hearts to the full counsel of God? If Peter had not said to wake up . . . if Jesus had not said to beware of men’s honor . . . if all the writers of our New Testament had only said sweet things for us to read, then we might think that God’s standard has relaxed and He no longer will judge men. But this is not the example we have in the scriptures, and it is that which makes our stomachs bitter that is true; the brethren will cast us out of their churches because of the warnings from God to this generation.

All who are born of God love the brethren, just as John did. It is a bitter thing to be rejected for the word of truth. Yet God will give His word through those who will be faithful. Today, as you see the day drawing near, encourage one another to be faithful. Amen.