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The Double Effect of the Book of Revelation Rev. 10:10 "Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter Many believe the book John eats figuratively is the book of Revelation. If this is so, he is at the halfway part of the book. He has seen wonderful visions in heaven, yet God judges the earth. Now, he is about ready to see how everything will end up, which has this double effect. This same way is the way the Bible affects us today. We read the precious promise, eternal guidance, the victory God has over evil, and the brightness of who Jesus is and what He did for us. Yet, there is also God's judgment on sin and its effect on the world. Many will pick up the Bible, read that part, and throw it down again, ignoring all the good stuff and being turned off by the bad stuff. They say, "How can a loving God do all that judgment on people and the world? : We can counter how can a loving God allow evil to continue and go on forever. God won't allow it to prosper. Eventually, judgment is coming, Hell awaits the unbeliever, and good will triumph in the person of Lord Jesus Christ. As John, we are encouraged by how God will win, and Jesus will reign. But we ought to move to action to warn and win others to Christ when we are certain of the eventual end of the sinner, unrepentant without Christ. May we do as John did: Hang in there and invite people to the greatest thing that could ever happen in their lives: Salvation in Christ that overcomes all of the judgment God will bring against sin. --- Dan Nelson