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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 4 - THY KINGDOM COME (REVELATION 10:1 - 12:17) – The two witnesses of the last days and the expulsion of Satan from heaven
PART 4.1 - PREPARATIONS FOR THE SOUNDING OF THE LAST TRUMPET (REVELATION 10:1 - 11:2)

2. The Oath of the Angel (Revelation 10:5-6)


REVELATION 10:5-7
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.

The magnificent, mighty angel raised up his hand to heaven and made God and all of the angels witness to his words. This oath, spoken as confirmation to the world-changing message he had just spoken, makes clear that he was a creation of God, and not the Lord Himself. He needed the name and authority of his God, as well as the greatness of the entire creation, to substantiate and guarantee his decisive words. We, as people, however, should never swear, since we don't know whether or not we can fulfill our oath entirely and perfectly. Our speech should always be true, open and honest, without swearing (Matthew 5:34-37).

The words of the angel were based on two facts: firstly, on the eternality of the living God, and, secondly, on His power of creation. God lives from eternity to eternity, for He is holy, without sin, without cunningness or deception. Therefore death has no power over Him, for He Himself is life.

It is different with Allah in Islam. He is the best of all devisers, and deceives those, who deceive him (Suras Al 'Imran 3:54, al-Nisa' 4:142, al-Anfal 8:30). Therefore Allah is no god, but rather a fallen spirit, descended from the father of lies, and the one who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). His power is a pseudo-power characterized by great deceit.

The true God, however, is the source of life. Power and energy indwells Him. He is almighty and all-knowing. He is infinite and original power, like the Semitic concept of “EL” meaning “power” and “might”. Jesus, as well, carries life in Himself. All power in heaven and earth is given unto Him. Even so is the Holy Spirit the life and power of God. Neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit were created. Instead, each one is eternal God from eternal God, holy, glorious, full of love, infinite and immortal, in complete unity with the Father, full of humility and gentleness.

God lives, as the angel said, “from eternity to eternity”. This concept cannot be assumed automatically to mean He would live from one age to another or from one period of time to another. With God there is no time and space. Both terms arise out of the realm of humanity, and not from the realm of divinity. God is omnipresent and timeless. Christ dwells in heaven and in the hearts of His followers. The Holy Spirit searches the depths of divinity and comforts the justified sinner through the blood of Christ. The oath of the angel reminds us that God lives forever, just as He revealed Himself to Moses: I Am Who I Am, and I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE (Exodus 3:14). The church of Jesus Christ deemed this revelation to be true and valid of Jesus, and confesses: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

In addition to the eternalness of God, the angel testified in both the material as well as the spiritual realm, was in his oath to the creative power of God. All that exists brought into being with wisdom, love and prescience by the almighty Creator. Observatories, space-stations and moon landings can only evaluate and analyze a small fraction of what our Father in heaven created, controls and maintains. To Him is due all honor, praise and worship.

Our heavenly Father created also, with great wisdom, love and prudence, the small planet Earth, with all of its plants, animals and people. Where else in the entire universe is there abundant water, light and life? This is unknown of other stars or planets. In addition, Jesus said: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:7; Matthew 10:30) And: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow” (Matthew 6:28). The lilies not only impress us through their beautiful splendor, but also by how they silently grow! The static of a wind blown stock of wheat in full corn is infinitely higher than the static of the highest TV tower in the world. The great numbers of doctoral theses in the natural sciences prove that we are only tapping at the tip of the iceberg with our technical research in terms of comprehending the infinite power and wisdom of the Creator.

In addition to heaven and earth as proofs of the creative power of God, the strong angel also takes the water masses of the oceans, with their manifold number of fish, plants and strong currents, as a guarantee for the truth of his message. More than two-thirds of the earth's surface (71 percent) is covered with water, which decisively shapes the course of nature. How could we live without the rain that builds in clouds over the seas? How could the rivers of the world serve as channels and carriers for all the dirt and waste products of a planet of over six billion people if they could not flow into the oceans? Innumerable species of fish, crabs and algae are important sources of nourishment for mankind. The deep seas have hardly been researched. Who is it that gives thanks to the Creator for the seas, fish and rain? Who acknowledges the grace of our almighty Creator, made visible in all of these?

The End of the Age of Grace: Following the testimony of the mighty angel, which made the eternal and almighty God of creation Himself to be the guarantor for his alarming message, he summed up the first part of his revelation with a short sentence: There should be delay (chronos) no longer!

These far-reaching words first of all meant: the coming judgment would no longer be held up by a time of reprieve! In the future sinners will no longer find room for repentance. The age of grace comes to an end! Eternity breaks in to our existence.

The merciful limitation of this word of judgment means, however, the last reprieve for mankind will only have expired after the seventh angel has sounded his trumpet of judgment.

One other interpretation says, that time and space, as fundamental elements of our earthly existence, will only be done away with when the end judgment comes. After that the believer, who is grounded in Christ, would live secure in his risen Lord, while those far from Christ will be tortured in the company of demons.

This dramatic change will be more radically realized than we could expect. In the absence of time and space all computers will go crazy and crash. The godless will no longer find a hold or dwelling within the endlessness of existence. Like space ships without steering they will plunge into the black holes of outer space.

Children, like adults, now and then say: I don’t have time! It will be a horror when, in eternity, and in the absence of space and time, they really and truly won’t have any more time.

The Mystery of God: The angel of the Lord brought to the deported patriarch on the isle of Patmos a comforting promise: “But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)

The mystery of God is as great as God Himself! It encompasses His merciful plan of salvation for His fallen creation. God revealed this mystery in stages to His messengers in the Old Testament. Jesus assured His disciples that to them the privilege to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven had been given (Matthew 13:10-17). Yet shortly before His departure to heaven He said to them: “It is not for you to know times or seasons (regarding the coming of the Messiah's kingdom) which the Father has put in His own authority.” (Acts 1:7) Paul declared in his letter to the church in Rome, that the mystery of the hardening of Israel had in part to do with the fullness of the Gentiles coming in (Romans 11:25-36). He testified also, that through the preaching of Jesus Christ the mystery of God would be revealed, and that obedience to the gospel would be realized among all the nations (Romans 16:25-26). Paul said later, that the unity of man and woman in marriage was a picture of the unity of Christ and His church, assured, “This mystery is great.” (Ephesians 5:32)

In Jesus Christ the entire mystery of God lies hidden. He Himself is the divine “seed of corn” that had to fall into the earth and die, in order that from Him similar “seeds of corn” would spring up. They, in turn, through their spiritual death, through their self-denial, would multiply the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus (John 12:24-26). This growth and the gathering of the church of Jesus Christ comes to its culmination in the sounding of the seventh angel.

Christ, however, is also the same as the Stone that falls from heaven that overcomes and crushes the riches of this world. With the multitude of His followers He fills the entire world. The mystery of God, therefore, contains not only the uniting of God with men and women in Christ, but also the destruction and overcoming of all works of satanic arrogance (Daniel 2:44).

The Father in heaven will, together with Jesus, dwell in all of His followers. (John 14:23) They have become His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). Mortality will put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). Flesh and blood will be filled with Spirit (John 1:13; 3:6). Egocentric natures will be transformed into love (Romans 5:5). The mystery of God is great. It encompasses the called out and chosen followers of Christ from all time. They are the family of God and represent the spiritual body of Christ. Jewish Christians and Christians from among the nations have become an inseparable unity in Him! The coming of the Holy Spirit to slaves redeemed from sin through the blood of Christ brings about a new creation, a new spiritual creation. At the return of Christ, and following the sounding of the seventh trumpet, this new creation will be manifested with an even greater greatness and glory than present at the first creation.

The living God, who, according to Islam can have no children, has, in reality, become the Father of innumerable followers of Christ. As Father His name will be glorified, in that many sons and daughters will be born to Him; like the dew that arises out of the morning sun, like the sand on the sea, and like the vast army of stars in 200 billion galaxies! Truly, the mystery of God is very great! To the prophets and apostles of old this mystery had previously been revealed in stages. Its completion, however, was only announced through the “angel of the Lord”.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we rejoice and give thanks to You because You have given Your only Son all authority in heaven and on earth with all ruling over the angels that help us. The mystery of Your plans comes near to its end with the seventh trumpet. Prepare us to live according to Your will at all times.

QUESTION:

  1. What did the great angel proclaim concerning the time left until the end of the world?

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