The Authority of the Little Scroll
(Rev 10:1~7)
Revelation continues to describe the woes God gives in order to induce people to repent. Yet people are changed by the gospel rather than the woes. Its deplorable that we are so stubborn before God while we are so wimpy in front of sins. However God gives the gospel to us his helpless creatures. To non-believers, Gods woes are the means of his justice while to believers, those of sanctification. God wants us to notice the authority of the little Scroll, greater than the woes, to repent through it, and enjoy true authority.
1. A mighty angel holds the Scroll. A mighty angel came down from heaven with a rainbow above his head. Thus God says to us 'Remember the rainbow' whether we are surrounded by locusts or 200 million horse-riders. God, who gives power and glory to those who do His ministry, lets his angel hold the Scroll in order to emphasize its authority. Gods judgment and salvation equally reach whatever and whomever on the sea and on the land. The gospel is all about trials to come and salvation. Instead of chasing the savior here and there, we need to discern the gospel in the little Scroll. We are not broken by woes, but by the Word through the woes. Thus we are not changed by trials, but by the Word we ride through them. We should bring our unfaithful spouse to God instead of saying, 'Poor wretch! Be fed up with affairs and come back to me.' We are not changed until we attend worship. Revelation is the book of Gods love, which urges non-believers to return to Him. The seven seal woes and trumpet woes are Gods calling.
2. Its authority comes from being sealed up. Gods providence is not revealed to everyone because we have different degrees of faith. The core of the Bible is crucifixion and resurrection, which doesnt come across to ungodly people. We cant figure out the true meaning of our incidents like cancer, conflict, and affairs because we only understand the gospel from a human perspective. Yet something must be sealed. In Revelation, the 144,000, the locust, the great prostitute, and the beast are used as symbols. People under trials can easily understand them. Things were sealed when my daughter took her CSAT. But she began to come across to the Word when she looked back on herself through QT, preparing for retaking the university exam. On refelction, God responded to her through her failure in the exam. When we frown at others focusing only on ourselves, we cant see the authority of the little Scroll. We need to share our sealed incidents with others through our life. In the 17th century, Jeanne Guyon understood the Bible through her trials of caring for a patient, persecution, and tough patriarchal life. Later when she was sent to prison on a false charge, she silently accepted her trials, threw away her intelligence as rubbish, and held on to God the more every time she faced unfair situations, looking for her sacred simplicity. Thus this small woman showed us the great authority of the little Scroll. This is the sealed life of God. It is to be opened in Gods time. May God bless us to be silent about what we feel is unfair, empty ourselves, embrace others wounds in order to live our sealed life!
3. What it says is fulfilled without delay. Gods salvation and judgment will come upon us all of a sudden. Those who are not ready for this with the Word will face Gods judgment. The very hour and day and month and year must come exactly in Gods time without delay. This applies to all of us. Theres no exception. No one knows whats in store for him. Those who are ready with the Word will see salvation when Jesus comes like a thief, yet those who are not will face judgment. If we hold on to the authority of this little Scroll, we will meet the Lord even in the midst of our trials. When we meditate on Gods word everyday and do our ministry faithfully, we will surely experience Gods Kairos in our daily life.
4. Its authority dwells in us when we read it in the same usual manner. The mystery of God is accomplished all the time, 'just as he announced to his servants the prophets.' God gave us his only begotten son to save us. The only criteria regarding Gods salvation or judgment is this little Scroll and the gospel in it. Gods mystery is about our trials to come. God will reveal us his mystery when we worship the Lord as usual through the Word with the theme of trials, text of the Bible, and a tutor of the Holy Spirit lest we should face his judgment. When we dont understand the word, we cant share our trials, which brought us to church, with others. We cant avoid the fatal sins of pride, jealousy, laziness, anger, and adultery. We need to be awake and fight against them. We need to share our weaknesses in our community with the training of humility and generosity through our personal and public worship services. Our worship may seem trivial, yet it makes us truly humble by constantly revealing our shame. Our sharing gives us authority. It makes us not only see our hatred and pride but also embrace our fellow Christians as Gods people for whom Christ paid his blood.No matter how trivial it may seem, its the most expensive reward of God. Before pastor Ju, Gi-Cheols wife passed away, the North Korean Peoples Army brought some money and a land registry certificate for her. She rejected them, saying 'My husband didnt devote his life for these things!' Thus she demonstrated the authority of the Scroll by rejecting the money and land even though she was poor. May God bless us to enjoy the same authority by our daily QT, discern the time to keep the seal or the time to break the seal, demonstrate our life to our descendants, and revive others with our sharing!
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 (Rev 10:07).
