J Philip Bible Readingssingle_cat_titleSpecial Events

"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 for ever 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."

Revelation 10:1-7

Another interpretation of the mighty angel standing alongside the first - is that the Word of God stands over against what we saw in the terrible vision of chapter 9 - the dark irruptions of evil from the pit, the principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. The Word of God is the answer to the dark confusions emanating in clouds of smoke from the pit, the answer to the demonisation of our civilisation, to the increasing tensions of evil in the world, giving light in the gathering darkness. This, then, defines one urgent duty of the Church of God - to thrust the Word of God into society, into the counsels of men and of nations, to let it loose, to let it tower, and dominate the life of man. The fact that it is a 'little book' seems to have a particular significance. It is that God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 'Take', says Paul, 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God' (Ephesians 6:17). Our own Scottish history has proved the validity of this thesis, for unquestionably the Bible has shaped and controlled -until recently - the life and honour of Scotland, cleansing the body politic of the nation - aye, and keeping it clean - and making possible the growth and development of true and godly character in her sons and daughters. John therefore gives us a timely reminder concerning the need of our day. The power of the 'little book' despised and rejected of men as it is, stands over against the moral and spiritual confusion of the modern world as the only bulwark strong enough to counteract the mounting evil. If this is refused, then there is no hope anywhere.