Revelation 10 & 11: In chapter 10, the angels give John a taste of what is to come in the last days. He is given a book to consume which begins sweet, but sours when digested. Chapter 11 shows the mighty two witnesses challenging those who dwell on the earth of their sinfulness. Steve Gallagher continues to walk us through the bittersweet message of God's unfolding plan of the end times - a plan that confronts sin with truth and judgment, but with a sincere desire for souls to repent, turn to Him, and be set free.

Host: Steve, as we continue our discussions in the wonderful Book of Revelation, we're going to tackle chapters 10 and 11 today. And as we look at these chapters, one of the things that stood out to me is that for someone who maybe hasn't spent a lot of time in this book, you can kind of be reading through and things are moving along in a fairly understandable timeline, and then all of a sudden you get to chapters like 10 and 11 and things don't seem to fit. Help us to understand why that is.

Steve: There are basically two things happening in the Book of Revelation. There is a chronology of events. It begins in chapter 4 with the seal judgments. Then there's an interlude. Then it goes through the trumpet judgments. Then there's a number of interludes. And then the bowls of wrath, some more interludes and then the return of Christ. So, this is one of those interludes here in chapters 10 and 11 that fill in a lot of the blanks and the background information that the reader needs to really comprehend what's going on during the tribulation period.

Host: For someone who's not familiar with these interludes, is there a way to recognize when you're coming to one of these?

Steve: I think it's mostly just a matter of spending enough time in the book that it becomes more evident. And I understand that there are all kinds of opinions about different things, but still, if you just spend time soaking in this book, getting the message of it into you, letting the Lord impart His truth to you, and even supplementing it with different commentaries, it will help prepare you to enter into this final period of man's history.

Host: Yeah, that's a great way to look at it. Well, let's look at chapter 10. What's actually happening in this chapter?

Steve: Well, the main event occurring in chapter 10 is that John is given a little book and he's told to eat it. And the angel who gives it to him tells him that it's going to taste sweet, but it's going to end up basically giving him a stomachache.

Host: Steve, as you share that story, that sounds familiar. And I see this in Revelation. There are a lot of things that seem to point back to other Biblical events that we may already be familiar with.

Steve: Yes. This particular experience that John had was very reminiscent of something that happened to Ezekiel hundreds of years before. Really, all the way through the book, Revelation is steeped in the Old Testament. Especially the Old Testament prophets. And that is one of the things about the Book of Revelation that's very fascinating. There is not one formal quotation of the Old Testament in this book, but of the 400 verses in the Book of Revelation, there are 278 allusions to Old Testament passages.

Host: So really, Steve, it sounds like you would encourage a new believer or someone who's not familiar with Revelation to spend some time in the Old Testament prophets. I know one of the things that encourages me so much is to see how faithful God is to bring these things about and continue His plan over the ages.

Steve: Yeah, I mean, think about it from the perspective of the New Testament believer. All of a sudden, John, who everyone loves, but let's face it, he's 90-some years old, and you're wondering, how lucid is he? And all of a sudden, he comes out with this massive vision, and you may wonder about it. But how much credibility it must have added to the whole storyline that you see the Old Testament prophets throughout everything he is saying.

Host: Well, let's talk about this book that has been eaten. Steve, what's the importance of that book?

Steve: Well, there is some debate about what this little book is. But I think most scholars believe that it is at least a portion of the book that was handed to Jesus in the throne room in Revelation 5. I believe the book that Jesus was handed in Revelation 5 was the unfolding of God's plan for the end times and this little book is a portion of that. John is told to eat it, digest the message of it, and then he's told to go out and prophesy. And so, it's his prophesying on the nations that seems to usher in the judgments of the final days on earth.

Host: When you think about what he's talking about, the solemnness of it, the importance of it, you get a sense of why it's so important that God has used this vision to make it real to us. This was not just some theology John came up with. This was something that God put into him. And I think as we're working here in ministry, one of the things we learn over the years is that if you haven't experienced something, then you don't really have a lot to say about it to other people.

Steve: Yeah, and that's one of the real issues with the end times church that we're facing. There's an enormous amount of information that Christians understand and comprehend mentally. But that information really doesn't do you any good if it hasn't been worked into you. And I think that is kind of what's being expressed here. It's a picture of God imparting spiritual reality into a person and then that person being able to speak forth with authority the realities that he's been given.

Host: Well, let's take a look at chapter 11 and kind of use the same model. What generally is going on here in chapter 11?

Steve: Well, here again, we have, in a certain sense, a reenactment, because you have these two witnesses that are suddenly introduced onto the scene of the tribulation period. And they're coming, apparently, in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. I say that because of some of the things that they do. And they suddenly are there to confront the earth dwellers about the sinfulness in their lives. And people hate them for it.

Host: We don't like to be confronted about our sin. But man, it is the mercy of God how He does it. And even, how He's going to do it. Especially in these last days. He will be confronting people’s sin with the great heart desire that they would repent and turn from it.

Steve: And be free of the hold of that hideous thing. That's what it's all about, and that's what the prophetic ministry is always about. It is to yes, bring the truth, but it's with the hope that people will be set free.

Host: Yeah, as opposed to the sense that God just wants to pound us with a hammer. Well, maybe He does want to pound us with a hammer sometimes, but He has a goal in mind. He wants to pound you out of you so that He can fill you with Himself. Which is the great privilege we have. We were created to be filled with Him.

Steve: Well, that's the offer that comes through these two witnesses to the world population. And 99% of the world will hate them for it.

Host: Man. Well, in the time that we have left, talk a little bit about how this chapter concludes.

Steve: Well, the final verses of chapter 11 basically reestablish the chronological layout of the book. And they're basically describing the sounding of the 7th trumpet, which is going to inaugurate and open a whole new set of judgments that are going to come forth in chapter 16. And this is also the heavenly announcement of Satan's overthrow and the transference of the kingdoms of this world to Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! Who doesn't want that?
       And so that is what the sounding of the 7th trumpet initiates. And really, isn't that what this book is all about? It’s the description of Jesus Christ taking back what is rightfully His? And of course, we won't see the culmination of that until chapter 19. But it's all part of the process that God has initiated to purge this earth of evil and to cleanse it and prepare it for His bride.