Revelation 10:1-7 - Homiletics

The mystery of God—finished!

According to some historical interpreters, the close of the ninth chapter sets forth in symbol the inrush of the Turkish power and the downfall of Constantinople. Apparently necessitated by such a view, the angel of the first verse of the tenth chapter is the reality of which the dominant papal power was the mimicry—a messenger of heaven with new light piercing the gloom. His setting one flint on the sea and another on the earth indicates his taking possession of Continental Christendom and insular England. The seven thunders are the anathemas of papal Rome. They may not be uttered, because they are the roarings of man and not the sayings of God. We cannot accept this interpretation, nor anything like it. On the understanding that this book forecasts in symbolic outline the fortunes of the Church of God on her way to the final consummation, it would be somewhat strange if the lines of history and those of prophecy did not present some mutual correspondence. But it by no means follows that any one apparent correspondence is the fulfilment of the prophecy, although it may be partially so. Besides, our text tells us that the great proclamation of the angel who set his feet on sea and land was that in the days of the seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished. Now, nothing is more certain than that, at the time of the Reformation and by its agents, there was no such proclamation made as this. Besides, even now the mystery of God is not finished, nor anything like it; consequently, it is not possible for us to assign the proclamation of this angel to anything that happened three hundred years ago. Repeated studies of the entire Apocalypse do but confirm the conviction of twenty years' standing, that we must give up date fixing entirely; that, while the book forecasts the future, it so does it as to confirm the word that "it is not for us to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power;" that we may expect, at divers times and places, and in divers manners, oft recurring fulfilments of the Apocalyptic word; and that the book contains, for our guidance and help, an indication of Divine principles and methods rather than incident in detail. We shall have a fresh illustration of this if we now study this paragraph, letting the seventh verse be the centre around which our thoughts may turn.

I. HERE IS A STRIKING NAME GIVEN TO THE SCHEME OF PROVIDENCE . "The mystery of God." A "mystery" is

II. THE PHRASE WHICH AT FIRST SUGGESTS PAINFUL PERPLEXITY HAS A DESCRIPTIVE TERM ATTACHED TO IT , WHICH AT ONCE RELIEVES AND INSPIRES . Before us is "mystery." But it is God's mystery! To him it stands, forth distinctly and clearly, without a fringe of haze. From him the entire providential plan emanates. With his full knowledge of consequences, sin was permitted to intrude. The entire control of all is ever in his hands. The diadems of royalty never fall from his brow, nor does the sceptre of dominion ever tremble in his hand. "The government is on his shoulder." And though the book speaks of it relatively to us, as his mystery, yet to him it is no mystery at all.

III. THE MAIN FEATURE OF THIS MYSTERY IS THAT IT IS ONE OF GOOD TIDINGS ; i.e. it is the gospel mystery ( ὡς εὐηγγέλισε ). As we remarked before (homily on Revelation 5:1-14 .), when the seven-sealed book is opened by the Lamb, it is clear that the unfoldings of providence become the unveilings of grace. Over and above the scheme of moral government, there is set this plan of redeeming love; and the wheels of time are rolling on and speeding forward to work out the great salvation, of which one sentence will sum up the outcome, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!"

IV. THE MYSTERY WILL UNFOLD ITSELF ON THE LINES LAID DOWN BY THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS . "According to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets." It has been thus hitherto. History has thus far developed according to the sayings of Moses and the prophets. Moses, in his words to the children of Israel, foretold what would happen to the Jewish people in after ages if they were unfaithful to their God. The twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy is being fulfilled to this day. So also, in the several prophets, there is sketched a ground plan of "the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow;" e.g. in the well known fifty-third of Isaiah there is not one single word which we are at a loss to verify, as we put side by side what Old Testament seers foretold and what New Testament evangelists and apostles declare. Further on, we read our Lord's predictions concerning the fall of Jerusalem. They have been fulfilled. History is thus the repeated fulfilment of prophecy. What has been will be again. And with no misgiving we declare that what is yet to be witnessed on earth will correspond with the prophetic words of the apostles and prophets of our Lord and Saviour. We are looking for, "the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ."

V. THE TIME OF THE END IS FORESEEN . When the seventh angel is about to sound then the mystery of God would be finished; i.e. as far as the plan of providence is indicated in the book of prophecy, it will be consummated. The "end" will be this: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." But let us not forget the sense in which this word "finished" is, must be, intended. It cannot mean that from that point God will reduce all to a blank, or become inactive, or cause the glory of redemption to be no more. Ah no! We cannot doubt that the advance will be still from glory to glory. But the mystery will be finished, as far as God hath seen fit to tell us in his Word. "Finished, according to the good tidings," etc. These give at once the intent and the limitation of the mystery which is thus to be "finished." Revelation is bounded both ways, back and front. We know nothing prior to that beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. We know nothing later than "the end, when" Christ "shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all."

VI. THIS FORECAST RECEIVES VAST ADDITIONAL WEIGHT FROM THE GLORY OF THE BEING BY WHOM THIS DISCLOSURE IS MADE . He is "a mighty angel." He appears in the name of Heaven; and is invested with the insignia of majesty, pomp, and might. There is a sevenfold symbolism here. He is "arrayed with a cloud"—at once the sign of the Divine presence, and a symbol of the mystery which surrounds the throne. There is "a rainbow upon his head"—the token of the covenant of peace. His face is "as the sun"—pure and bright with the burning blazing light of holiness. His feet are "as pillars of fire;" by his tread he puts down sin; with fire, he burns it up. He has in his hand "a little book open." This is strikingly different from the sealed book which only the Lamb could open. The open book contains the message which the apostle is to declare. He set his right foot upon the sea, etc., standing sublimely in possession of both in the name of Heaven. He cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth. His voice is full of strength. He lifts up his right hand to heaven, and swears by him that liveth forever and ever that there shall be no more delay. £ Long as the time may seem to be during which the world rolls round wearily with its burden of sin, when a certain point of time is reached, "a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." The consummation will be delayed not a moment too long, and the honour, majesty, and might of Heaven are pledges of the fulfilment of the word.

VII. WHEN THE MYSTERY OF GOD IS FINISHED , WHERE SHALL WE BE ? Finished it will be. "The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." As surely as at the end of one cycle of events the Saviour cried, "It is finished!" so surely when another cycle has run its round will there come another, "It is done!" The Author of our faith is also its Finisher. The Redeemer's cross finished the mystery of the old covenant; his crown shall finish the mystery of the new covenant. Anti when the end cometh we shall be—where? We shall stand in "our lot" at the end of the days. But what will our lot be? With the righteous or with the wicked? For then the distinction will be manifest. No one will then be in doubt as to his own posit[on before God. Surely it is of infinite moment to us that, when the mystery of God is finished, we should be on the right side. There is, indeed, a smaller "mystery of God" which is working out. "Every man's life is a plan of God" (Bushnell). "I girded thee though thou hast not known me." God is working it out according to his gospel. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," etc. And amid the "wreck of matter and the crash of worlds" we shall want a Friend in whom we can repose amid all the convulsions that shake this globe. There is One—and One only, of whom it is eternally true, "Thou art the same." That One is Jesus. He says to us, "Him that cometh I will in no wise cast out." Here, then, let us cling. He will not let us go, nor let us be harmed, though this earth be burned up. In him is everlasting rest.

"Then let the earth's old pillars shake,

And all the wheels of nature break;

Our steady souls should fear no more

Than solid rocks when billows roar!"