The sounding of the seventh trumpet
The link here is with the last phrase of verse 6; the pronouncement has been made that "there should be delay no longer;" verse 7 begins with a "but" and gives the sense that instead of any more delay or any more uncertainty concerning the plans of God, the announcement is made that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound the mystery of God should be finished. The sounding of the seventh trumpet is recorded in chapter 11v15 and the details are completed in chapters 15 & 16 of the book. Thus the time scale of God's programme is no longer secret. A mystery in scripture is not so much "mysterious," but something which has been held back until the due time. That time has now come. A reading of the following scriptures will make that clear.
- Matthew 24v36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
- Acts 1v6-7 - "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him saying, Lord wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power."
- Daniel 12v7-9 - These verses relate directly to this chapter 10 of Revelation. "And I heard the man clothed in linen which was upon the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven and sware by him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard but I understood not: then said I, Oh my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And He said Go thy way Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand."
- Amos 3v7 - "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets".
The sounding of the seventh angel thus marks the beginning of the end. Another aspect of this expression "the mystery of God" is as follows: this is one of fifteen mysteries in the New Testament, each of which has been revealed as a fresh truth. These mysteries contain everything on God's prophetic schedule of events for the world, and at the sounding of the trumpet the full revelation of his programme is completed. One of the features of this, when we consider that the entire bible is a revelation of God, is that the full character of God has not yet been displayed up to this point. We have seen His awesome power in creation, we have seen His holiness in the law that he gave to Israel; we have seen the overflowing character of love and mercy and grace shown to man at the cross of Calvary. We have not yet seen the overflowing wrath of God. His character will thus, now, be fully revealed. The only other place in scripture where we find the expression "the mystery of God" is in Colossians 2v2 where it tells us about "that mystic secret of God which is Christ." (amplified version). The Christ who came to reveal the Father and to accomplish all His purposes will now orchestrate the awesome wrath of God on an unbelieving world. There is another aspect to this, the martyred saints in heaven crying with a loud voice saying "how long oh Lord holy and true dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" Revelation 6v10; Here is the answer to that question which has been posed before the throne of God for many days. The waiting is now over, the cup of evil is almost full; the next chapter does not end before it is recorded "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ." Divine justice will ultimately be done.
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