Revelation 10:8-10 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
When this little book was first read its prophetic content would be sweet to the apostle but afterwards, when he had thoroughly digested its strictures, it became bitter.
In it would be things so awful and terrible; such grievous persecutions of the people of God; such desolations in the earth; that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would, when combined with a greater understanding, become painful to his mind.
In particular, the initial sweetness of scriptural meditation can often be mingled with bitterness when, after developing a better perception of them, we make odious comparisons with the state of the world in which we live or even with that of our own hearts.
To avoid Biblical prophecy becoming bitter we should sweeten its sometimes disturbing content by reflecting on Matthew 28:18-20 'Then Jesus came to them and said: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'
Also on Isaiah 41:10 where we are told: 'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'
When this little book was first read its prophetic content would be sweet to the apostle but afterwards, when he had thoroughly digested its strictures, it became bitter.
In it would be things so awful and terrible; such grievous persecutions of the people of God; such desolations in the earth; that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would, when combined with a greater understanding, become painful to his mind.
In particular, the initial sweetness of scriptural meditation can often be mingled with bitterness when, after developing a better perception of them, we make odious comparisons with the state of the world in which we live or even with that of our own hearts.
To avoid Biblical prophecy becoming bitter we should sweeten its sometimes disturbing content by reflecting on Matthew 28:18-20 'Then Jesus came to them and said: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'
Also on Isaiah 41:10 where we are told: 'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'
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