The other, strong angel—the Angel of the Lord, the Angel of God, the Angel of the Covenant1 in the Old Testament, the Word made flesh in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ, risen in Glory, sitting at the right hand of God, the almighty Father, Who will come again and Whose reign will know no end—has roared like the Lion of Judah, with reference to Israel, with His face towards Jerusalem. He has sworn by the Eternal One that time is coming to an end and that, as soon as the seventh angel has blown his trumpet, the mystery proclaimed to the prophets of Israel will be complete. He holds a (little) book, a (little) scroll in His right hand.
What is that mystery that was proclaimed to the prophets? The original Greek text says: the mystery will have been completed, as it has been made known by His servants, the prophets, ‘as the good message’, the Gospel. From the Greek verb ‘euangelidzoo’, to bring good news. The Gospel of the prophets. The Mystery is a message of hope and joy given by God. It is His plan of salvation for Creation, for man, for Israel, for the nations and for the world. The completion of the Kingdom of God that all the prophets point to is announced by the seventh trumpet.2 The birth of the new world is coming through severe birth pangs.3 The world that is corrupted by sin, the lost Paradise, is now being restored rapidly. There is no time, no more delay and no further waiting. The Church of Christ, the body of Christ, the bride of the Lamb, the Queen who will reign with Him at the restoration of all things,4 will then also be revealed.5 The whole of Creation is groaning, as in the pangs of childbirth, until finally there will be the revelation of the children of God. Romans 8:19-21 “For the anxious longing of the Creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the Creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the Creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the Glory of the children of God.” God has subjected Creation to sterility and decay, to entropy and a long process of extinction until the revelation of the Saviour and the Church, which is His Body.6 And the completion of God’s secret plan, the revelation of redemption, is also the complete restoration of Israel, about which all the prophets also brought their message of good news, deliverance and salvation. This is also about the preservation of the nations who remain after the judgment of Matthew 25:31-33. Revelation 21:24-26 “The nations will walk by its light [of the New Jerusalem], and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it!” And finally the redemption of the world too, of Creation itself.
2 Peter 3:13 “But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a New Heaven and a New Earth, where righteousness dwells.” We are on the way to a wonderful and glorious future!
• The man whom we already met, clothed in linen and who swore by the One who lives for ever and ever by raising His right and His left hand to Heaven, says: “I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as He raised his right hand and his left toward Heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time [1 + 2 + 1/2 = 3 ½], and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people [Israel], all these events will be completed.”7
• There is talk of eleven mysteries, secrets8 in the New Testament, namely, the mystery of the incarnation,9 of the new birth10—Christ in you, the unity of Jew and Gentile in the Church,11 the seven stars and the seven candlesticks,12 the Kingdom of Heaven,13 the transformation of the generation of believers alive at Jesus’ ‘return’,14 Israel’s partial hardening,15 the mystery of lawlessness,16 Babylon,17 the Church as the bride of Christ,18 the mystery of His will.19
Bible References:
1.Malachi 3:1 2.Revelation 11:15–18 3.Matthew 24:8; Mark 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:3 4.Acts 3:21 5.2 Thessalonians 1:3–10 6.Romans 8:18–22 7.Daniel 12:7 8.1 Corinthians 4:1 9.1 Timothy 3:16 10.Colossians 1:26–28 11.Ephesians 2:14–22, 3:3 12.Revelation 1:20 13.Matthew 13 14.1 Corinthians 15:51 15.Romans 11:25 16.2 Thessalonians 2:7 Revelation 17:5 Ephesians 5:32 Ephesians 1:9–10
