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

 Meantime, Jehovah has another commissio for John:  "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 adn the things in it and the earth and the sea and things in it, he swore:  'There will be no delay any longer." (Revelation 10:5, 6)

The Greek word here translated "delay" is  khro'nos which literally means "time."  Some have thus felt that 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 a definite article. So it does not mean time in general but, rather, "a timer" or "a period pf to,e."  In other words, there will be no further period of time (or, delay)  by Jehovah. A Greek verb derived from khro'nos is also used 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 of GOd according to the good news, which he declared to his own 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 1:2, 27; 2:2; Revelation 1:5, 6)  The good news about this unique  heavenly Kingdom must be preaced in all the earth during the time of the end. -MATTHEW 24:14.  

Surely, this is the very best of news.  Yet at Revelation 11:24, 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 vengeace. - ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18.

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

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