Delay No Longer
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· 9 viewsThe final pause before the last of the three waves of judgment is marked by divine promise and the bittersweet realities of the end of the apocalypse.
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Angelic Interruption(1-3)
Angelic Interruption(1-3)
An angel steps in dramatically and cries out, triggering the voices of the seven peals of thunder. This is the beginning of the final pause in God's judgments.
Loud cry like a lion connected with announcements of Judgment. (Jeremiah 25:30)
7 Seals
False Peace
War
Economic Collapse
Death
1/4 Population Destroyed
Earth & Heaven Shaken, 144,000 Sealed
Silence in Heaven (First Pause)
7 Trumpets
1/3 Trees, Grass Destroyed
1/3 Seal Life, Ships Destroyed
1/3 Fresh Water Poisoned
1/3 Sun, Moon, Stars Darkened
First Woe - Demonic Locusts
Second Woe - Fire and Brimestone Kill 1/3 Population
Anticipation of Christ's Reign (Second Pause)
We see a truly interesting series of events in this chapter, and each one has a reason and lessons for us to learn. From these first verses and the appearance of this angel we see again:
God has complete authority and control over this planet
He has total power to declare His will and see it done.
Forbidden Inscription (4)
Forbidden Inscription (4)
Similar to what was told to Daniel and Paul.
“The vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is true;
But keep the vision secret,
For it pertains to many days in the future.”
He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.
was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.
Don't treat God like you would a school teacher or a friend that you think owes you an explanation for everything.
We have 66 books full of wonderful revelation from God, but there are limits to what we have been given.
There are things that we cannot understand.
There are things that are hidden from us.
Following God requires the humility of trusting in His goodness, even when we can't see the outcomes of what he is up to.
Powerful Invocation (5-7)
Powerful Invocation (5-7)
Another reminder that this angel is standing with authority over land and sea.
The right hand was the symbol of power. The angel is directing all of the attention to the true source of power in heaven.
We finally see the good news that there will be delay no longer.
Answers the prayer from the martyrs in Rev 6:10 asking, "How long?"
Mystery of God refers to something hidden in the past but now revealed.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
God is building a sense of anticipation here by giving us a taste of things to come. He's letting us know that the grand conclusion is about to happen. It is like the music changing in a movie to let you know that something really big is about to happen.
Honest Introspection (8-11)
Honest Introspection (8-11)
This passage is really confusing at first, but the point it is making is actually quite simple.
John is told to take the book from the hand of the angel - the book that held the words of God concerning the future events.
He is told to take those words quite literally into himself, a picture of absorbing and believing the words of God.
He is then told he will have two reactions to these words, reactions I think we all probably have to the words of Revelation.
First, we find it tastes pretty sweet. It is awesome that Jesus will come back and fix everything!
Second, we find it feels pretty bitter in our stomach. There is no way to avoid the reality that these final days will contain more pain and suffering than any other point in human experience. Guess what, that's okay! We see here that God is good, but He isn't safe! We can cheer that the allies stormed the beaches of Normandy to begin the victorious push that ended WWII and still feel a little nauseous at all of the dead, bloated bodies left in the sand and on the cliffs. God isn't sugar coating things here. This also means that there is something instructive about being exposed not just to the glory of victory, but to the violence of victory. You'll have a chance to try to answer what that is in your small groups.
Questions to Discuss:
Do you feel like you live as though God were in total control and had authority over everything? Why or why not?
Does it bother you that God keeps certain things to Himself? If yes, what things and why? If not, why are you comfortable with it?
Why is there delay now? Why doesn't God just bring about the fulfillment of His promises immediately?
How do you feel about the revelation of God's future judgment? What is your honey to bitterness ratio? How do you think you should feel?
What do you think God wants us to learn by being exposed to some of the most graphic and traumatic aspects of His coming judgment?
How should the truth of this prophecy motivate your heart for the lost in the world of every tribe and nation? How can you be involved in spreading the news of the Gospel to those who need to hear it?