A Sweet-and-Bitter Message -The Finish of the Sacred Secret

The Finish of the Sacred Secret

Meantime, Jehovah has another commission for John. After the seven thunders have sounded, the strong angel speaks again: "And the angel that  I saw standing on the sea and on the earth raised his right hand to heaven, and by the One who lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it and the sea and  the things in it, he swore: 'There will be no delay any longer.' " (Revelation 10:5, 6) By whom does the strong angel swear?    The glorified Jesus swears, not by himself, but by the highest Authority of all, Jehovah, the immortal Creator of the heavens and the earth.  (Isaiah 45:12, 18)  With this oath, the angel assures John that there will be no further delay on God's part.

The Greek word here translated "delay" is khro'nos, which literally means "time."  Some have thus felt that this declaration of the angel should be translated: "There will be no more time," as though time as we know it will end.  But the word khro'nos here is used  without an definite article.  So it does not mean time in general but, rather, "at time" or "a period of time."  In other words, there will be no further period of time (or, delay) by Jehovah, A Greek verb derived from khro'nos is used also at Hebrews 10:37, where Paul, quoting from Habakkuk 2:3, 4, writes that "he who is coming .  . .will not delay." 

"No delay any longer" -how those words appeal to the aging  John class today? In what respect is there no delay?  John informs us:  "But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to blow his trumpet, the sacred secret of God according to the good news, which he declared to his won slaves the prophets is indeed  brought to a finish."  (Revelation 10:7) Jehovah's time is here for bringing his sacred secret to its happy climax, with glorious success!

What is this sacred secret?  It involves the seed first promised in Eden, which proved primarily to be Jesus Christ.  (Genesis 3:15; 1 Timothy 3:16)  It also has to do with the identity of the woman out of whom the Seed comes.  (Isaiah 54:1; Galatians 4:26-28)  Further, it takes in the secondary members of the seed class and the Kingdom in which the Seed reigns.  (Luke 8:10; Ephesians 3:3-9; Colossians 1:26, 27; 2:2; Revelation 1:5, 6) The good news about this unique heavenly Kingdom must be preached in all the earth during the time of the end. -Matthew 24:14.

Surely, this is the very best of news.  Yet, at Revelation 11:14, 15, the third woe is linked with the Kingdom.  Why?  Because for those of mankind who prefer Satan's system of things, the trumpeting forth of the good news that the sacred secret of God is brought to a finish-that is, God's Messianic Kingdom is here-is woeful news.  (compare 2 Corinthians 2:16)  It means that the world arrangement that they like so well is near to being destroyed.  The voices of the seven thunders, containing such ominous storm warnings, become clearer and louder with the approach of Jehovah's great day of vengeance. -Zephaniah 1:14-18.

Next time: A Sweet-and-Bitter Message -The Opened Scroll

From the Book of Revelation