December 13, 2019
What does it say?
John saw a mighty angel and heard the voices of seven thunders, but he was told not to record their words. He was given a sweet scroll to eat, but it was sour in his stomach.
What does it mean?
Recent chapters have detailed how devastating the Great Tribulation will be on the earth and its inhabitants. Yet the full extent of God’s judgment is unknown because John was prevented from writing down all of the things he heard the angel and the thundering voices speak. Similarly, the contents of the small book are unknown, but God wanted John to internalize His message regarding how end time events will play out. At the appointed time, Christ’s return will no longer be delayed, and evil on the earth will come to an end. While the message of God’s grace is sweet, the end result for many will be bitter.
How should I respond?
Nothing is sweeter than the story of God’s love for the world through the sacrifice of His Son. As believers, it’s hard to imagine how people see the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any other way. But the bittersweet nature of the Gospel is this: believers will spend eternity in God’s presence, while unbelievers will be eternally separated from Jesus and His followers. Time will eventually run out and Jesus will return. Are you daily internalizing God’s Word so you can share the sweet taste of God’s salvation with someone else before it’s too late?