The Bittersweet Truth
Rev. 10
George came home from work after a very long and terrible day. Everything had gone wrong. His secretary called in sick and he couldn’t figure out how to use the fax machine. The photocopier jammed and the paper caught on fire. The district manager scolded him for not meeting his monthly quota. As he plops down in his favorite easy chair he says to his wife, “I’ve had nothing but bad news at the office today. If there is one thing I don’t want, it is more bad news.” His wife gently replied, “In that case, you’ll be glad to know that 3 out of 4 of your children did not break their arms today.”
One of the most essential skills in life is to learn to take the good with the bad, to enjoy the pleasant and to endure the unpleasant, to make the most of the bittersweet experiences in life. One thing that helps us as Christians do this is to accept the fact that both the bitter and the sweet in life ultimately come from our Lord, Who we believe controls everything-from the small details of our personal lives to the larger events of world history. But do you ever ask like Job:
Job 2:10 …Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?...
Job recognized that God’s plans for us included both the sweet and the bitter. Tonight I want to take a closer look at the bittersweet reality of God’s plan for this world, and for you and I personally. These realities are symbolized in a vision the apostle John records in Rev. 10. (read vs. 1-4)
After the 6th trumpet judgment in Rev. 9, the pace of John’s vision slows down into a sort of interlude, a breather, before the 7th and final trumpet judgment comes in Rev. 11.
John sees a gigantic, mighty angel descend from heaven in a cloud, with a rainbow for his hat, and the sun for a face, and feet like columns of flame. In his hand he holds a small scroll (a little book) and as he touches down, he sets one foot on the land, and one foot in the sea, and speaks with the roar of a lion.
Everything about this angel reminds us of the throne of God described earlier in the Revelation, and is meant to tell us this angel represents the power and person of God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Yet as huge as he is, he is only a miniature figure of God’s greater glory.
But when he speaks, God also speaks. The seven thunders here are not just weather rumblings—they are a Voice, the Voice that is spoken of in
Ps 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders…
God’s voice booms out from His throne, confirming the words of the angel. John takes out his stylus and starts to write, but the thunder boom again Don’t write what you just heard. Seal it up, and keep it a secret.
Keep it a secret? I thought this book is called the revelation! Why would God taunt us by giving John a message and then ordering it to be kept secret?
I can think of one good reason: to remind us we don’t need to know everything about God’s plan for this world, or His plan for our own lives. This is our first bittersweet reality: God doesn’t tell us everything He knows.
Dt 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Here’s the bitter: ignorance can be very frustrating, because it is very humbling. It’s not easy to admit we don’t know it all, we haven’t got it all figured out. There are many things about God and His plan you can be sure of, but there are also many things that remain a mystery.
That’s one reason why I don’t really buy teachers who promise to unlock the “key” to the book of Revelation, or who construct elaborate maps and schemes and novels to prove they have the last days all figured out. I think God deliberately leaves us in the dark about many of those details, and we come along and try to “fill in the gaps” with our own speculations.
It’s better not to know so much than to know so many things that ain’t so. —Josh Billings
I think there are a lot of “prophecy experts” who seem sure of a lot of things that ain’t necessarily so. But be sure of this: nobody has God’s final plan of redemption all figured out.
Mt 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Whatever else Jesus means, He surely means that you and I won’t know all the details of His return and all the other events that come with it. I think that’s a good thing, because if we knew what was coming, we’d be too terrified and overjoyed to wait for it to get here. Not knowing God’s plan for the world is both bitter and sweet.
But bring this down to a personal level: what about God’s plan for your life? Do you ever get frustrated when God doesn’t clue you in on what’s going on? Have you ever had a season like Job, and life became one great mystery?
On the other hand, I believe mystery can be a sweet thing. I think it’s good I don’t see God’s whole plan for my life. There are things I don’t want to know about ahead of time. I don’t want to know when I will die; I don’t want face the pain of seeing my loved ones die before it is time. Besides, not knowing makes it possible for me to follow Christ by faith. I don’t know all of God’s plan for me—but I do know the Lord Who plans my steps. By keeping me in the dark about many of the details of His plan, it helps me learn to trust Him more.
John’s vision also reminds us of a second bittersweet fact about God’s plans in vs. 5-7 (read.) God’s plan will most certainly be accomplished down to the letter.
The mighty angel standing on the land raises his hand like a witness in a trial, and solemnly swears, by the Eternal God, by the Creator of everything, that the time for waiting is over.
When the 7th angel sounds his trumpet, God’s plan, the mystery revealed through His servants the prophets, will be finished. God’s plan will be accomplished.
That sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? God’s will, done on earth as it is done in heaven? Isn’t this what Jesus taught us to pray for, to long for? And certainly that will be a sweet day.
But it will also have a tinge of sorrow.
Think about the suffering and death John sees coming as part of God’s plan of redemption. Remember the plagues, the fire falling from the sky, the death of 1/3 of the population of the earth? God’s plan means things get much worse before they finally get better.
How many of you have people you love who are not Christians, raise your hand? What will happen to everybody who does not belong to Christ when God’s plan is complete? That’s right. There will be no more time to repent, no more chances to come to Christ and be saved.
What about your own life? God gave the apostle Paul a glimpse into the Lord’s plan for his life once and he said
Ac 20:22-23 22And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
The point is not that we should run from God’s plans for us, but that we should realize that none of us know how much suffering or trouble is involved in God’s plans. The hope of God’s plans being accomplished in our lives does not guarantee a pain free or trouble free life.
On the other hand, look at the sweetness of this certainty: When God’s plans are accomplished in our lives, joy awaits us. On the other side of the world’s tribulation is the renewing of all things, the resurrection of the righteous, the beauty and glory of heaven. On the other side of our suffering and trouble in this world is the arms of Jesus, and the glory of being with Him forever. The Cross Jesus endured led Him to a crown, and the crosses you endure will lead to your crown. The bittersweet reality of the fulfillment of God’s plan is expressed by
No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.- William Penn
For God’s plan, both in the world, and in your life and mine, there will be thorns before the throne, the cross before the crown---just as it was in God’s plan for our Master, Jesus Christ.
The final bittersweet reality of God’s plan is symbolized by vs. 8-11 (read.)
How many you have ever tried what they call sweet and sour sauce? It’s famous for putting on chicken, or some Chinese food. When you think about it that’s an odd combination—something like what I used to eat when I was younger---mustard smeared between two vanilla wafers. This little scroll is something similar, except you don’t get both tastes at the same time, but one after the other.
The Voice from heaven, the Voice of God, commands John to go and take the small scroll from the mighty angel. That must have been pretty scary, walking up to this giant and yelling up, making your request. But things get even more odd when the angel tells John eat this scroll. It’ll be sweet to your mouth, but bitter in your stomach.
The scene here is meant to echo the scene in
Eze 3:1-2 1Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
The scroll Ezekiel ate contained the future judgments God planned for Israel. It is very likely this scroll John eats is similar, in that it contains the final steps in God’s ultimate plan of redemption for the world. John ingests this plan, he takes it into himself, symbolizing an receiving of that revelation, an embracing of God’s plan. Because John has embraced God’s plan, he is able to obey the 2nd command of the angel in vs. 11 (read.)
The symbolism here applies to our response to God’s plan for the world, and His plan for our own lives. We must embrace God’s plan—both the bitter and the sweet.
Embracing the sweet isn’t too hard. All of the sweet promises of God aren’t hard to swallow: forgiveness of our sins, adoption into God’s family, a new life, a clean slate, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me…Those are sweet promises and it is easy to embrace them. When life is good and sweet, and everybody is healthy, all your bills are paid, and all your needs are met, it isn’t hard to believe and obey.
Embracing the bitter is another matter altogether. All the difficult challenges of God aren’t so easy to swallow. You must die to live, take up your cross daily, give to receive, all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution… Those can be bitter pills to swallow. Yet we must still embrace these realities of living for Jesus in a fallen world. When life becomes hard and bitter, and sickness strikes you or those you love, and you go without, and death and despair threaten to rob you of your peace, it can be very hard to believe and obey.
But both the bitter and the sweet are realities of life---even when you follow Jesus. The real trick is to embrace both for Jesus’ sake, to not allow the sweet times to make you soft, or allow the bitter times to harden your heart. When you learn to do this, then you are ready to speak God’s truth to the world. John had to eat the book---he had to embrace God’s plan---before he was ready to prophesy= to speak for His Lord to the people in His world.
Sandra’s life had been easy, like a spring breeze. She married a man she loved, they lived in a nice home, and then they were going to have a son. But in the 4th month of her pregnancy, a car accident stole her peace. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son, but now her arms and heart were empty. She barely made it to the florists to pick up a Thanksgiving flower arrangement for her church.
Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took the life of her child?
“Good afternoon, can I help you?” The shop clerk startled her.
“I … I need an arrangement,” stammered Sandra.
“For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful, or would you like what I call the Thanksgiving “Special?” asked the shop clerk.
“What do you mean?” Sandra asked.
“I’m convinced flowers tell stories,” she continued. “Are you looking for something that conveys ‘gratitude’ this Thanksgiving?”
“Not exactly!” Sandra blurted out. “In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”
The shop clerk said, “I have the perfect arrangement for you.”She disappeared into the back and came back out with a large bouquet of roses, only these roses had all of the flowers cut off, leaving only the thorny stems.
“What kind of flower arrangement is that? Do you expect me to pay for this?” Sandra said.
“Not unless you decide you want to. But first hear me out. Several years ago I lost my husband, and for the first time in my life, I spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.”
“So what did you do?” asked Sandra.
“I learned to be thankful for thorns,” answered the clerk quietly. “I’ve always thanked God for good things in life and never asked Him why those good things happened to me. But when bad stuff hit, boy did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are part of God’s plan for my life. My experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love.”
Tears rolled down Sandra’s cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. “I’ll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year’s arrangement is always on me.” When Sandra got home she read the card:
My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow shine much more brilliant.
Can you hear the bittersweet message God has for us in these verses? Life is hard, and you won’t always understand, but that’s OK, because God is in control. He is working everything in the world, everything in your life, according to His wisdom. His plan will be accomplished, and all of us who choose to embrace that plan will be glad we did when it’s all over. Will you embrace God’s mysterious, certain, personal plan for your life?
