Ongoing Revelation of God’s Mystery

Revelation 10:1-7 

1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 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 should be delay no longer, 7 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.

After the sixth angel of the churches of God is done with dispensing the Lord’s judgement on the unrepentant, another angel comes to John with a small book.  This angel was clothed with a cloud, had a rainbow of colors on his head, a face shining like the sun and feet as on fire; He was a formidable and awesome sight of beauty after the previous six angel’s messages of dark judgements.  This angel was so big that he could stand with one foot on the sea and one on land.  His shout was actually seven thunderous messages, but we do not know what they are, as John was commanded not to write them down for us to know what he heard.  This signaled God’s continued judgement to go on without delay that His final work may be unveiled according to His predetermined will.  The mystery of God’s completed work as He had been testifying to through the prophets as His servants (Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7, Colossians 1:26-27, Micah 4:12).  The revealing of the unraveling of God’s plan is to be seen as on the unrolling scroll as it has been written from the beginning towards the end.  John heard and knows, but we know only the shadow of His ways as they are seen and testified to in the scriptures as we see them happen in His timing and will.  He tests the hearts of men to see whose are completely His 2 Chronicles 16:9), for repentance and faith in the Lamb of God.