Lesson 10 Revelation 10:1-11:19

Lesson 10 Revelation 10:1-11:19

Lesson Outline

I. MAJOR POINTS

1. Metaphysical meaning of the little scroll that tastes sweet but becomes "bitter in the stomach."
2. The primary purpose for metaphysical Bible interpretation.
3. Metaphysical meaning of the two witnesses.
4. The metaphysical meaning of the refusal of the two witnesses to remain dead after they were killed.

II. READINGS

1. Rev. 10:1-11:19
2. Be Ye Transformed 236-239

III. QUESTIONS

1. Why is what the little scroll stands for "sweet as honey in the mouth" but "bitter in the stomach?"
2. What should be our primary goal in our study of Truth, and especially in metaphysical Bible interpretation?
3. What do the two witnesses stand for in human nature?
4. How are the two witnesses sometimes killed? Why do they refuse to stay dead?

Lesson Text

Rev. 10:8-10 "Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, 'Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.' So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, 'Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.' And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter."

The little scroll stands for the letter and the theory of metaphysical Truth teachings. In the form of a body of knowledge which can be learned, it is symbolized as a scroll in an angel's hand, which can be "eaten." In this form (knowledge of letter of Truth) it makes a sweet impression on our minds.

But knowledge of Truth must become digested into consciousness (in the stomach) in order to be put to work in one's life. It is here that the bitterness can be felt. Just learning the knowledge about spiritual healing can be a "sweet" experience. Needing a healing is a bitter thing. And using Truth to attain healing can sometimes prove to be rather a bitter effort. The same is true concerning forgiveness, letting go, non-resistance, etc.

NOTE: It comes as somewhat of a pleasant surprise to many Truth students to eventually learn that it is not good for life to be all sweet. As one advances in spiritual understanding, he realizes that "bitterness" is just as valid and useful a part of life experience as "sweetness" is.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

After dealing with the interpretation of Revelation up to this point, a student might understandably get a bit weary with so much reference to difficulties and suffering. At this point it might be well to remind ourselves that the book of Revelation is a symbolic book, highly symbolic. It deals with the continued growth and unfoldment of our souls AFTER WE HAVE COME INTO THE WAY OF TRUTH AS REVEALED BY JESUS CHRIST. What this strange book has to tell us is that there are certain things a person can learn, accept, and understand ONLY AFTER he or she has made a serious commitment to Spirit.

For a time, most souls go through cycles of existence in which the goal of all their efforts is simply to get what they think they want, and avoid as much trouble and pain as is humanly possible. This can be the goal of life for many persons. Some may spend whole lifetimes never growing beyond this goal.

But some persons grow beyond this point and begin to see that self-seeking and finding ease and pleasure are not the highest goals to seek in life. Many Truth students come to realize that SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING is the most worthwhile of all goals. Then the direction of that person's life begins to turn away from certain past preoccupations and grows into new realizations.

In studying metaphysical Bible interpretation, we are attempting to learn and understand Truth which will take us out of many of the old habits and limitations of mechanical existence. While we know that the nature of life, the essence of life, and the purpose of life are GOOD, we also reconcile ourselves to the fact that there are many factors yet within life which we still react to as NOT GOOD. And it is to help us receive more light on certain of these factors that our Bible, and especially the book of Revelation, so often deals with difficult or unpleasant subjects.

Rev. 11:3-12 THE TWO WITNESSES

This section deals with the "two witnesses" who are killed by "the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit." They are dead for three and a half days, but come back to life and go "up to heaven in a cloud.".

The meaning of the two witnesses has to be something which illustrates of character of bearing witness, or giving testimony to something concerning the Christ within. Yet they also have to be something that can be temporarily killed or suppressed in us by uprisings of negativity (beast ascending from the bottomless pit). Yet they are things which always spring back to'life again in us.

Two things about the human soul which seem to fit into this symbolism would certainly be:

1. Good intentions.
2. Compassionate attitudes.

These two factors in consciousness, when alive and working, bear witness for us and give testimony for us that we are serious in our commitment to Spirit, and to our faith in God. But when sudden uprisings of negativity (beast) come from that mysterious, unexplainable "somewhere" (bottomless pit), very often these two factors in us become its first victims. Our good intentions and our compassionate attitudes go "dead."

But they refuse to stay dead! "But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet. ... Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up hither!1 And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud." (Rev. 11:11-12)

Good intentions that are based on knowledge of Truth never die. Also, compassionate attitudes that are based on knowledge of Truth never die. Negativeness that seems to come from nowhere may seem to wipe them out for a while, but they always return to life. As they return to life in us, they always become stronger. And they also resume a larger and more important place in our lives.