“The Great Unveiling: Good News and Bad News”
Rev. 10:1 – 11:19
The phrase of “I have good news and bad news” has pretty much been immortalized. It’s often used jokingly, sometimes seriously; it points to the fact that things could be worse, or perhaps that things could be better. It reminds us that the sweet is often mixed with the bitter.
So it is in life. Picture a young bride, shortly before her wedding day, having the ability to envision her future. She sees a beautiful wedding, scenes filled with bliss; she and her husband have beautiful children; and the entire family will all reside, in eternity, in heaven! She’s inspired and excited so begins to rejoice at this good news. But then the bad news scenes scroll by – her life will also see the terrible prolonged illness of her husband, his untimely death, her resulting poverty, loneliness and pain. She must go through all of this on the way to meet the Heavenly Father! That’s the Bad News, the bitter mixed with the sweet. Similarly, Revelation paints the picture our future, one in which the good news is tempered by the bad.
First of all, hear the words of the first 7 verses of chapter 10, which tell us THERE IS A TIME: “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."There is good news and bad news. Let’s check out THE GOOD NEWS. As a representative of God THE ANGEL HAS MASTERY OVER LAND AND SEA. He stands there as the eternal Creator. Even as God once spoke and created the world, so He will speak and create again! And notice that He holds the Word, and towers over the affairs and world of humankind! He is in charge!
We discover that the 7th trumpet, the time of final judgment, is ready to blow! The complete mystery of God will be made known; Christ will finally judge the world. THERE IS AN ANSWER TO THE PERPLEXITIES OF HISTORY. There will be no more delay in the bringing about of this terrifying scene of history! This is the prayer actually uttered first by the Psalmist (2:5-9): “Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the LORD declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, my holy city." The king proclaims the LORD's decree: "The LORD said to me, `You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" The Psalmist predicted it, and the martyrs had questioned “How long, O Lord?” And here is the answer – NOW! WITHOUT DELAY! That’s the good news – nothing stands in the way – judgment will occur!
But did you catch the BAD NEWS here? All the restraints will be removed! That means the anti-Christ will be let loose. What Daniel predicted (Daniel 12:1) will come true: “A TIME OF TROUBLE, SUCH AS NEVER HAD BEEN.” It’s like this – remember the old TV westerns? There was always a good guy and a bad guy. The good guy wore the white hat and the bad guy wore the black hat. And no matter what the problem was, the show always had to end in a draw between the two – it was the only way to make a hero of our idol! And so in the next to last scene, as the sun was fading in the west, the two paced nervously towards each other on a now barren main street, as the population peeked out their windows! And, sure enough, the good guy, though he drew second, was more accurate, and won dual. One person won, and the other lost; yet, in a way, all had suffered! And so the picture before us is one of a final dual, and a total victory where the wrongs will be righted, the problems will be solved, and God will finish what He began! But the bad news is there must first be the final dual. The time of judgment, of good news, will also be a time of terror, of bad news.
We see this FINAL SHOWDOWN OF TERROR beginning in 10:8 and on through 11:14. The first part of this great terror is seen in the command 10:8-11: “Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "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 little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as 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." John is asked to eat A BITTER-SWEET SCROLL. It is sweet because it is the good news of God. As the Psalmist has said, God’s Word is always like “honey to the lips.” But again, there is the bad news – the message this Word is bitter. Why? RECEIVING THE MESSAGE IS SWEET – HEARING IT AND PROCLAIMING IT IS BITTER. John is to devour, completely digest, the contents, and make them his own – and then preach it! To preach judgment is always painful – few preachers major in it! Sermons that create the most turmoil in me are those in which there is that “negative” message, that God does have wrath, that He will judge, that we must respond. It is bitter – it does turn the stomach – but it must be proclaimed! That’s what John is commanded to do!
The action continues with A TIME OF CONFLICT. The scene begins with these instructions to John (11:1-3): “I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." To measure the temple is to measure God’s people; take stock, count, look at the people of God. They will be safe; they will be in the inner sanctuary where the non-Christians cannot go. The evil will only be allowed to trample in the outer court – again there’s a limit on what evil can do, even when it’s unrestrained! That allows the witnesses an opportunity to bear that one, last glorious witness to Christ – and the witnesses here are the church in the world. And she will be safe in her witness. But make no mistake about it; IT’S A TIME OF WAR BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD, GOD AND EVIL, BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD AND THE ANTI-CHRIST.
Listen to verses 4-6: “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.” OLIVE TREES AND LAMPSTANDS – Like the lamps Zechariah (Zech. 4:2ff) saw connected directly to the source oil in the living olive trees – GOD’S PEOPLE ARE UNQUENCHABLE. The church, as a whole, is untouchable, even though individuals may become martyrs or suffer. For the church will be endowed with the same spirit as the prophets of old, and will have the same invincible powers as even Elijah or Moses, to call down the power and wrath of God in mighty and miraculous ways!
But the terror is made even more specific. Our interpretation hinges on what is first mentioned in verses 11:2 & 3 – THE 42 MONTHS AND 1260 DAYS. This is the time the evil will be turned loosed and the church will be called upon to witness! So what does it mean? Again, it’s symbolism. 42 MONTHS IS 3 ½ YEARS WHICH IS HALF OF 7 – HALF OF PERFECTION. It’s imperfection – limited! It’s Daniels’ time and times and half a time. Or think of it this way; 1260 DAYS, WHICH IS 42 MONTHS, HAS SOME HISTORICAL PRECEDENCE for those who first read this prophecy of John. It reminded them of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes (167-164BC). Good old Anti saw himself as a missionary of Greek culture and decided that the whole empire was to be Greek. So he passed edicts and forced people to follow them. The result, of course, was violence. People rose in opposition and martyrs were many; bloodshed was common. Finally a small band of God’s people battled back and defeated Anti and set about restoring the Temple, which had been desecrated. (To this day, this restoration is celebrated by Jews on Hanukah.)
It was during these tumultuous years that Daniel wrote his prophecy, with its promise of triumph. From that day on these phrases – 1260 days, etc. – stood as A SYMBOL FOR A PERIOD OF PROLONGED SUFFERING during which non-believers seem to dominate the world and evil appears to have free-reign. Yet God’s people have always been given the message that they are to have a witness in the midst of this world. The pagans will, for a while, dominate, but the ‘measured of God’ will be protected! It is my firm belief that this 1260 days of the free reign of evil, is THE PERIOD IN WHICH WE LIVE. It stands for the time between Christ’s arrival in the manger of Bethlehem and his coming again to judge the earth! During this time we are reminded that as we witness we will not be free from persecution and physical danger, but will be protected against spiritual danger. There will be a spiritual sanctuary for witnessing believers!
But don’t miss the BAD NEWS. The 7th trumpet will sound. Verse 7 reads: “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.” THE BEAST, THE ANTI-CHRIST, WILL MAKE WAR FOR ONE LAST TIME; he will have that one, last, mighty go at it.
And it will be the greatest of all his wars and efforts. We’ll see more of him in chapters 12, 13, and 17 so I don’t want to say much more here – except to mention that the antichrist stands for THE FORCE AND POWER IN THE UNIVERSE WHICH IS AGAINST GOD! And as the strength of the church increases so does the anti-Christ’s anger; and when he is given that last opportunity, he will come smashing down upon us!
And what’s frightening is what appears in verse 8: “Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” It seems at first as if the forces of evil will win. The witnesses will be killed; the church will appear to be snuffed out. The cities called Sodom and Egypt are proverbial for wickedness and oppression, for immorality and bondage. And it will temporarily win, as it always does on the earth. That, by the way, is what makes evil so appealing – the evil one can offer us what appears to be immediate victories in life!
But GOOD NEWS comes along in verses 9-14: “For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.” Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! After 3 ½ days in the “tomb of death” the bodies will be given NEW LIFE! The dry bones of Ezekiel will again come to life! John feels the reality of this vision so strongly that he switches here from the past to the present tense – as it’s actually happened already! And this recovery of the church is so miraculous that the world gives God the glory! Evil is undone. The end has come. The second woe has passed and the third is here!
And so the time of terror will really be A TIME OF TRIUMPH. As we approach verses 15-18 we expect to see that last judgment, the final coming of Christ. But, surprise again, we first catch a glimpse of THE VICTORY PARTY. Listen: “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
It’s an important perspective for us. It’s like reading a novel by beginning with the last chapter first – we discover how it’s going to end and then back up to the story. That way we know all along how things will end up and the tension and pressure is off. This chapter ends like a news headline, which proclaims victory and then chapter 12 details the battles! We are reminded that, even as CHRIST SECURED VICTORY AT HIS FIRST COMING; HE WILL COMPLETE THE BATTLE AT HIS SECOND! For when He comes with the blast of the third woe, there will be no more appeal for evil! The unrepentant will be doomed. And while it’s uncomfortable to think of a God who will ultimately condemn, we know the evil people will have had ample opportunity. If they did not hear Moses and the prophets, if they did not hear Christ, if they did not hear the first 6 trumpets, then they will not hear! As Rev. 22:11 says, “Let the one who is doing wrong continue to do wrong; the one who is vile, continue to be vile; the one who is good, continue to do good; and the one who is holy, continue in holiness."
And from that perspective we see THE FINAL PROCESS God will use. The kingdom of God will be ushered in with all its fullness. CHRIST WILL RETURN TO FULLY ESTABLISH HIS REIGN. Every knee will bow and tongue will confess his name. The mere thought of this prompted Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” and “The kingdom of our world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.” What a scene!
SATAN WILL BE FINISHED! He has been the prince of this world, but he will not be of the next! When Christ returns, this evil kingship on earth will be taken away – Satan’s power will be defused! And all of this reminds us again that the process of life is such that humans will not simply produce, through their own greatness, a golden age. Life will not simply move into a higher realm by human designs and efforts. Christ has said that GOLDEN AGE WILL COME, BUT ONLY AS HE COMES WITH JUDGMENT – purging and gathering the wheat and burning the chaff! That is the future! And while it may not be popular to preach it that way, that’s the way it is! The glory of our human efforts is but an open sore – and a cancerous one at that.
Only the reign of Christ, following his judgment, will bring about the golden age of peace and security!
Notice the chapter ends with more good news (19): “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” We see THE ARK OF GOD’S PRESENCE in the open temple of God. The ark is the symbol that GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO HIS COVENANT with His people. God’s words in Deuteronomy have proven true (7:6-9 GNT): “…you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God chose you to be his own treasured people beyond all others on the fertile land. It was not because you were greater than all other people that the LORD loved you and chose you. In fact, you were the smallest of peoples! No, it is because the LORD loved you and because he kept the solemn pledge he swore to your ancestors that the LORD brought you out with a strong hand and saved you from the house of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, Egypt’s king. Know now then that the LORD your God is the only true God! He is the faithful God, who keeps the covenant and proves loyal to everyone who loves him and keeps his commands—even to the thousandth generation!” Evil is purged; grace has purified us; we can enter into his presence – forever! God is faithful. When we burn that faithfulness into our retinas, we will see that God, in Jesus Christ, is always waiting to receive us – even now, around His table! That’s really good news. So let’s come to Him. Amen.
