Revelation Part 42
We can be thankful for what God has revealed. We may not know every detail of the future, including what the seven thunders said, but God has given us enough to be able understand the purpose of His plan.
In Revelation 10:5–6, the mighty angel raises his hand to heaven and swears by the eternal Creator that there should be delay no longer. He swears by the One who created heaven, earth, the sea, and everything in them. Revelation 4:11 declares that God is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power because He created all things and because by His will, they exist and were created.
The message is that God's plan is moving forward according to schedule. The events of Revelation are not random, and the end will not be indefinitely postponed. The angel announces that the time of waiting is coming to an end. In the days when the seventh angel is about to sound, the mystery of God will be finished.
The wording "in the days" is significant because it suggests a period of time rather than a single instantaneous event. The seventh trumpet begins a final sequence of events that continues toward the return and reign of Jesus Christ. This connects with the questions found in Daniel 12, where Daniel asks how long these events will continue. The answer involves a specific prophetic period and the final breaking of the power opposing God's people. The final years of this age will move rapidly toward their conclusion.
There are many details about end-time events that continue to raise questions. Students of prophecy debate issues involving the timing of events, the resurrection, the place of safety, the tribulation, and other prophetic details. Some aspects remain unclear. But Revelation 10 gives us an important assurance. Even where there is ambiguity about the precise order of every event, the plan itself is not uncertain. God is in control, and everything is moving toward the completion of what He has promised.
Revelation 10:7 says that when the seventh angel is about to sound,
"the mystery of God would be finished."
The Bible uses the word "mystery" in an important way. A biblical mystery is not simply something permanently unknowable. It is something that was once hidden but is revealed by God in His time.
There are several mysteries discussed in Scripture. There is the mystery of the kingdom of God in Matthew 13:11, the mystery connected with the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, the mystery of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the mystery of Christ, the mystery of the church, the mystery of Christ in the believer, and the mystery of the incarnation. These truths could not be fully understood through human reasoning alone. God must reveal them.
In Matthew 13:11, Jesus explained that it had been given to His disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, while others did not understand. Some could see without truly seeing and hear without truly hearing. Christ came so that the spiritually blind might see, the deaf might hear, and the spiritually dead might receive life. Yet many still failed to understand because they did not respond to the truth that was revealed.
Ephesians 1:9 says that God has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure and purpose. God has a plan for mankind, but much of that plan has been misunderstood. In the proper administration of the times, God will bring His purpose to completion. Revelation 10 emphasizes that there will be no more indefinite delay. The mystery of God is moving toward its final fulfillment.
Colossians 1:26–29 describes the mystery that had been hidden for ages and generations but was then made known to the saints. Romans 16:25 also speaks of the mystery that had been kept secret but was revealed according to God's command. The truth of God is not dependent upon secret knowledge possessed by a select group of human beings. God reveals His truth through His Word and through the power of His Spirit.
This is why so many religious ideas and counterfeit versions of Christianity can lead people away from the truth. Human beings may claim special knowledge, but Scripture teaches that genuine spiritual understanding comes from God. 1 Corinthians 2:4–16 explains that the things of God are revealed through His Spirit. The natural mind does not automatically understand the things of God because spiritual truths require spiritual discernment. Through God's Spirit, believers are given access to the mind and understanding of Christ.
We can therefore be thankful for what God has revealed. We may not know every detail of the future, including what the seven thunders said, but we know enough to understand the purpose of God's plan. The mystery is being revealed, and ultimately all that God has promised will be brought to completion. It is encouraging to know that everything is on schedule.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
