REVELATION
LESSON 16
ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?
Revelation 10: 5-6
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon
the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for
ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the
earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are
therein, that there should be time no longer:
This angel will raise his hand toward heaven to swear to tell Gods
truth. The angel is making an oath by the only sure guarantee, God himself because
he could swear by nothing greater. God swore by himself. This angel swore by
someone greater than his self.
The angel was swearing or giving oath on the authority of the Lord
Jesus Christ that there should be no delay any longer. The Greek word Kronos
has two meanings. Time and delay, it is obvious that time is not the exact
meaning for there is time after this event. In fact, the last three and a half
years of the seven-year tribulation period that follows, plus one thousand
years of the millennial kingdom.
The word translated “delay” where they will be delayed no longer. We
have been living under the time of Gods delay for centuries. This angel is
warning mankind that God is about to conclude his patience in the face of mans
rebellion against His will and that soon the final conclusion will take place.
In Revelation 6:10-11 it said, “How long O Lord, holy and true
until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth”. Each of
them was given a white robe to delay a little longer. Here in Revelation
chapter ten the mighty angel will say its time to stop the delay. When the time
comes for the seventh angel to sound the seventh trumpet for the third trumpet
woe. It will release seven bowl judgments. This is where God will complete his
plan.
It will be the answer the martyred tribulation saints have been
waiting for. God will no longer delay his vengeance for their persecution and
death. To the believers still on earth who have been hiding and waiting these
words will mean they will no longer have to wait for God to move against the
wicked. To the unbelievers on earth this will mean God is now going to fulfill his
wrath with no more delay.
This message should be a word of consolation to the saved and a
word of terror to the lost. In a moment the awesome final judgments of God will
start falling and nothing will stop them.
Revelation 10:7 7 But
in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound,
the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the
prophets.
When Gods plan for human history is completely revealed all
prophecy will be fulfilled. The mystery of God should be finished as he has
declared to his servants and prophets. A mystery of God means that God is going
to disclose a truth that is only possible to know in the word of God.
Jesus has now opened all seven seals and six of the angel have
sounded their trumpets. The last trumpet will be seven bowl judgments. Before the
seventh angel blows his trumpet, a voice from heaven will declare the mystery
of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants and prophets.
One of Gods great secrets will unfold during the seventh trumpet judgment
exactly as the prophets predicted.
The bible identifies several mysteries. One is the mystery of
salvation.
Colossians 1:25-26 25 Whereof I am made a
minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to
fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid
from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
1 Corinthians 15:51 51 Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
All of these mysteries are coming to a close. It is apparent by
the fact that 42 months of the tribulation have expired when the statement is
given. At this point there are only 1,260 days of mans known history left,
apart from the kingdom age.
Revelation 10:8-9 8 And the voice which I
heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book
which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the
earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said
unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up;
and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Now at this point John is more than just a
hearer and writer, he must be a doer. The same voice of the seven thunders
tells John to go and take the open book out of the mighty angel’s hand. This is
also true for believers, serving God requires doing, not just hearing.
Since the mighty angel is pictured as standing
with one foot in the sea and one foot on the land, John must no longer be in
heaven. He has apparently returned to earth to take the little book. It is
possible that there was no longer need for this book. It must have to do with
the events that are to come upon the earth.
After John took the book, he was told to take it
and eat it. Although he was warned that it would be sweet to the taste and
bitter to the belly. This is a form of receiving a commission or special task
from God. At this point in Johns life he was switched from being a spectator of
these amazing things to being a participant in them.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven he instructed
his disciples to go and preach the gospel to everyone. Christians are not saved
to be waited on, they are saved to serve.
The angel tells John to take the book and eat
it. This may sound strange but it is not new to the bible. Jeremiah ate the
words of God and Ezekiel ate a scroll from God. The idea is that the word of
God must be received into the heart. The bible will profit us little unless it
becomes part of us, we must digest it, it must be brought inside of one’s self.
The instruction to eat the little book will come
as the word of God is sweet to the believer but bitter to the unbeliever.
Isn’t it sweet to know that final victory is
assured to the believer, but bitter to consider the plagues, pain, loss of life
and eternal destiny of the lost.
It was pleasant for John to receive the message
from God but painful for him to focus on the steps toward fulfillment.
Perhaps the full impact of what John experienced
is a reminder to all who proclaim Gods wonderful word and speak of his coming
judgement and wrath. We must speak it with a measure of sorrow and bitterness with
a broken heart of the judgment and his wrath on lost souls.
Please believe this script as I write it. At the
same time, I’m praying for lost souls they have no Idea what is ahead of them.
Choices have to be made, choose Jesus.
Stay in the word,
Brother Andy
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