Father Mike Schmitz

We have the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls that mark destruction.

Now, this can be a lot to take.

And that is a lot to take.

Maybe even for, for John, who is witnessing this whole thing.

We're just hearing about it, but John got to see this whole thing.

And what's happening is he's given a little reprieve.

Here's a voice that speaks to him from heaven saying, go take the scroll, which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.

Went to the angel, told him to give me the little scroll.

He said, take it and eat it.

It will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey to your mouth.

And there's this moment of, I would say even compassion on John.

At the same time, this scroll that's bitter to his stomach but sweet to his taste, it relates both the sufferings and the victories of Christ's church.

He's given both a taste of the desolation and a taste of the consolation before he has to prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.

Now, this is just, again, it's fascinating.

Let's go back.

I keep jumping back and forth, but we're going back to chapter 9, verse 20.

It says, the rest of mankind, this is after the horns were blown.

It says, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot either see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their immorality or their thefts.

I think it's important for us to recognize, yes, this is judgment coming upon the world, but this is judgment meant to be oriented towards repentance.

This is so important for all of us.