The End Is Near
Today’s passage: Revelation 10
Focus verse: “There will be no more delay!” (Revelation 10:6)
John’s vision takes a bit of a diversion before the seventh and final trumpet. After the sixth trumpet blast, we’d expect people to repent of their wrongdoing. They don’t. They persist in their sinful behavior.
At this point, another angel descends from heaven. Robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above him, his face looks like the sun and his legs resemble pillars of fire.
He plants one leg on land and the other on the sea. He holds another scroll, a small one. This one isn’t sealed.
With his right hand raised toward heaven, he declares, “There will be no more delay!” That is, the end is near.
To make sure we realize he’s not saying these words of his own accord, he avows he’s stating the truth in the name of eternal God, the God of creation. This angel is the mouthpiece of the Almighty.
At last, judgment on the unrepentant is about to occur.
From Genesis 3 (after Adam and Eve sinned), the rest of Scripture has been moving steadily toward this conclusion: a new heaven and a new earth to replace what we know now.
All who follow Jesus will live with him there for the rest of eternity. This has been God’s plan since the beginning.
With the end about to take place, we can utter a sigh of relief. At last, eternity approaches.
While we look forward to the pristine paradise that awaits us—one reminiscent of God’s first created paradise in Eden—let’s not lose sight of making the most of our life while we’re still on this earth.
God has a plan for each of us to fulfill in our remaining time here. May we do what he has called us to do and finish strong before we join him in his everlasting paradise.
The seventh trumpet blast and the third woe are all that remain before God’s finale unfolds. “This,” the angel says, “will accomplish the mystery of God.”
John goes to the angel with the tiny scroll and asks for it. The angel tells John to eat it. John does, and it melts in his mouth like sweet-tasting honey, but it turns sour in his gut.
Then he’s told to continue prophesying. It’s an implication that what John has to say may not sit well with his audience.
Questions:
- What does the “mystery of God” mean to us?
- How content are we to not know every aspect of this mystery?
- Do we expect this mystery to become clear once we join God in heaven?
- How can we make the most of our remaining time here on earth as we anticipate our future in heaven?
- How should we react if people don’t like what God tells us to say?
[Discover what Paul says about God’s mystery in Romans 11:25–27, Romans 16:25–27, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:2–9, Colossians 1:25–27, and 1 Timothy 3:16.]
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Read more in Revelation Bible Study: Discover Practical Insights from John’s Epic Vision.
Discover practical, understandable insights from the book of Revelation.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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