November 4, 2014
NO MORE DELAY
Revelation 10
Nathan Wagnon
Central Truth
After men refuse to repent, even in the face of severe judgment, a strong angel declares that the mystery of God will no longer be delayed.
Key Verse | Revelation 10:5–6
And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land . . . swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay. (Revelation 10:5-6)
Revelation 10
The Angel and the Little Scroll
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Dive Deeper | Revelation 10
Sometimes I wonder how many of us really believe God is in control. I mean, many reading this would readily affirm that the Lord is sovereign, but many of us function as if He is not. We lament the obvious brokenness and chaos around us, then recite a creed to make ourselves feel better. But in the brokenness and chaos of our own lives, how often do we turn to coping mechanisms because we functionally believe God is not sovereign?
The pain and uncertainty of life consistently tempt us to think the world will always be this way, or worse. This is a lie. The truth is that the Lord only delays because His patience gives people the opportunity to repent and turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9).
Yet, there will come a time when He will no longer delay. This is what we see taking place in today's passage. Following ample opportunities for mankind to repent, a strong angel swears by the Eternal Living God and then announces that the mystery of God will no longer be delayed. The Lord is about to vindicate His name and finish what He started.
Revelation was written to encourage people experiencing enormous oppression and persecution not to lose heart, but to persevere because, in the end, God wins. This truth is the same for us today. Regardless of what we are currently experiencing, the sovereign Lord is always in control.
He is moving and working in and through our broken world to accomplish this "mystery" that God's kingdom will replace the kingdom of this world (Revelation 11:15). This truth can be tough to grasp on a daily basis, especially when most of us consistently experience a measure of difficulty. Still, we should never mistake God's patience for impotence.
There will come a day when all things are set right. Until then, let us fix our eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:2), empowered by the Spirit not only to recite an orthodox creed, but also to functionally believe the truth that our lives are firmly in His hands.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you live your life as if God is in control?
2. What are some ways your trust, or lack of trust, demonstrates itself in your life?
3. How should the truth that God will ultimately prevail affect the way you live your life?
4. What areas of your life need to shift or change in light of this truth?
5. Who can hold you accountable to actively trust in God's sovereignty?