Year 3, Day 355: Revelation 10-11

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Obedience

• Obedience: Genuine and satisfying obedience comes out of our identity.  Our true identity comes only from God.

Twice in these chapters we have a time for John to decide whether to obey or not.  Because John’s identity is rooted in God, he can easily obey.

In Revelation 10, we hear God tell John to eat the scroll in spite of the fact that it will make his stomach sour.  John does it.  He obeys.  John knows that ministry is filled with pleasant and difficult moments.  John also knows that a spiritual life is filled with moments of great sweetness as well as moments of bitter soul-searching and growth.  Often our obedience to God leads us through a life that is both sweet and bitter.

In Revelation 11, we hear of another time for John to be obedient.  God tells John to measure the temple.  He obeys.  He does the work before Him.  Again we see that His obedience comes from the fact that John’s identity comes from God.

However, within this greater story of obedience we see another example of obedience.  Before the temple two witnesses stand.  The two witnesses are a thorn in the side of the world.  They prophesy to the world and bring about plagues and curses on those who are not humble before God.  Yet because of their obedience to God the world will hate them.  War is made against them.  Eventually they are killed and the world celebrates over their dead bodies.  Yet these witnesses are obedient to God in spite of the rejection that they find in the world.  They are obedient because their identity is rooted in the Father, not in the validation that might come from the world.

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