May 16, 2019
Revelation 10 New Living Translation (NLT)
I am always intrigue with how two people can experience the same exact thing and come away with a totally different interpretation of it. As human beings, we are so different apart from our oneness with Christ. It is that oneness with Christ that must hold our hearts in the last days; we cannot allow anything to separate us from that union. Our gaze must be upon Christ’s mission and our spirits and souls (mind, will, emotions) must be upheld by the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are being called into place, so we can help one another navigate in the Spirit each day. You need other believers; you need the fellowship of the Spirit in other believers in order to gain the Wisdom—whole counsel—of God. The unbelieving world will struggle in the last days—lack understanding and guidance—but believers will be held together and encouraged by the Word and the spiritual family. Are you staying in the Word and in fellowship with other believers?
John is exiled on the Island of Patmos for speaking and sharing the Word of God to those who did not want his message. While imprisoned there, he receives a vision from the Lord. In Chapter 10, we find John encounters a mighty angel who announces God’s final judgments that will deal with all creation. John has been aware of two scrolls: the first scroll revealed in Chapter 5 was opened by the Lamb and listed judgments, but the content of the second scroll is not revealed. It is described as small, but it is clearly critical to God’s purposes for the eternal Kingdom. John is told to eat the scroll much like Ezekiel was told to eat the scroll regarding the judgment of Israel. It tasted sweet in the mouth of those believers, but it will actually bring hardship and destruction. The Word of God is precious and comforting to those who receive the Lord, but for those who rebel against the Word it will bring sorrow and suffering.