March 23, 2006

• Was searching for some papers for my daughter and came across my baptismal certificate, 1/19/2002. So it has been 4 years since I was saved, in my current studies with Beth Moore – Breaking Free – I am seeing such a change in how I view the material, the chapters, and God. God has been doing a mighty work in me, and now I am beginning to see how deep this work is. I am not the same person I was when I first stumbled across Living Word Chapel in 1999, and I am so grateful to God that He brought me to Him.

  
  

  We are up to Revelation 10 – which is the Mighty Angel with the Little Book.

  
  

  We don’t know the identity of this angelic messenger, but he comes down from Heaven, is clothed in a cloud (Not Jesus who is clothed in garments of righteousness) there is a rainbow on his head (a reminder of God’s promise) and his feet like pillars of fire.

  
  

  He has a little book open in his hand and he sets his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. The contents of this book will not be shared with us, just John saw them. Reminds me of Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

  
  

  It is kind of cool that there are still mysteries. No one will know all the truth until God is ready to reveal the truth to us. There are mysteries so that we can’t claim to have it all down pat. Anyone who claims to know the whole of God’s truth regarding Revelation is not accurate – God has kept back important information like exact timing – so that we live in a constant state of readiness, not able predict until events happen. After that, when the first scroll is open we know we have 7 years until Jesus’ coming. But no one knows when the first scroll will be opened. That is part of God’s mystery. This little book is another of God’s mysteries. I am so glad that God knows more than me, glad that He is far bigger than anything that I can conceive, glad that I can’t put God into a box of my own understanding. Glad that He is an awesome God.

  
  

  This angel cries out with a loud voice like a lion and the seven thunders utter their voices.

  
  

  It is here that John is about to write, but a voice from heaven says, verse 4 Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them. Then the angel raises up his hand to heaven and swears by Him who lives forever and ever (Jesus) who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer. For those who doubt that Jesus was at creation, this is a good verse to use, for Jesus is the Word (John 1:1) and creation was spoken.

  
  

  When the 7th angel is about to sound, the MYSTERY of GOD would be finished, as He declared to the prophets.

  
  

  I want to spend a bit of time on the Mystery of God. The Greek word for “mystery” is musterion 3466 in Strong’s. It means something hidden, not fully manifest,

  
  

  The word mystery is used in the following verses in Revelation.

  
  

  Revelation 1:20 – mystery of the seven stars in Jesus’ right hand and the seven golden lampstands. He explains that the 7 stars are the angels of the 7 churches and the 7 lampstands are the churches.

  
  

  Revelation 10:7 – (which we are studying now)

  
  

  Revelation 17:5, 7 on the forehead of the woman riding the beast, a name was written, a mystery, “Babylon the great, the mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the earth.” An angel tells John that the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her.

  
  

  There is a mystery of lawlessness (2 Thes. 2:7), and a mystery that Jesus spoke in parables so that the meaning would be hidden for a time. a mystery of godliness 1 Tim3:16) Daniel 2:49 God is a revealer of mystery. Mark 4:11, to the disciples is the mystery of heaven given, Romans 11:25 Israel partially hardened so they will not know the mystery until the fullness of time.  Romans 16:25 preaching of Jesus according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept for ages past. 1 Cor 2:7 Hidden wisdom which God preordained before the ages to our glory, 1 Cor 15:50 mystery of resurrection, Eph 1:9 mystery of his will Eph 3: revelation of mystery, insight into God who created all things, Col 1:27 riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles, Col 4:3 Mystery of Christ.

  
  

  If the mystery of God is finished in the 7th trumpet, then it might be helpful to consider all that transpires with the 7th trumpet. The word for finished is teleo – end, goal. it means to bring something to perfection or to its destined goal.

  
  

  So we will peek ahead and see what happens with the sounding of the 7th trumpet – Reve. 11:15-19

  
  

  Two witnesses come up, earthquake 1/10 of city falls, 7,000 killed

  
  

  Loud voices in heaven “The Kingdom of the World has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.

  
  

  24 elders fall on their faces to worship God,

  
  

  Nations are enraged, for God’s wrath came.

  
  

  Time for the dead to be judged, rewards to bondservants, the prophets, saints and those who fear God’s name.

  
  

  The temple of God in Heaven is opened.

  
  

  The ark of the Covenant appears in His temple.

  
  

  Flashes of lightning, sounds, and peals of thunder, earthquake, great hailstorm.

  
  

  Woman flees.

  
  

  The 7th trumpet is the 3rd and final woe to fall on the earth.

  
  

  There is a correlation when Babylon is destroyed/

  
  

  (Makes me think that the mystery of God could be one of the mysteries that I often question, why there is so much pain and suffering in the world, why there is so much evil, why God doesn’t stop the evil. I now know that He was waiting, hoping for repentence of people, but now the mystery is complete. God will no longer let evil go unpunished). And Yet, God will still give people chances to repent, not only are the 144,000 preaching on the earth, but God will send two witnesses to proclaim His truth.

  
  

  So since the wrath of God is connected with the 7th trumpet, in Revelation the word “wrath” is used:

  
  

  Revelation 6:16-17 -the men hide in caves and they state that the 6th seal judgement is the wrath of God, (but it is men saying it is the wrath of God, not God saying it is His wrath).

  
  

  Revelation 16:1 – Just before the 1st bowl judgement.

  
  

  Loud voice from Heaven states, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.”

  
  

  They pour out the bowls immediately

  
  

  Revelation 16:9 – 7th bowl, the great city is split into 3 parts, and the cities of the nations fall, and Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of his fierce wrath.

  
  

  Revelations 19:15 – Jesus coming, and from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that he may smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty –

  
  

  So we see that the Wrath of God begins after the 7th trumpet, and ends with Christ’s coming.

  
  

  God waited and waited hoping and hoping that people on earth would repent. He wanted so much to save all on the earth. But in order for the earth to be cleansed, God had to act to clear the earth of the evil that will not change.

  
  

  I once asked Pastor Don about this, I was distressed about the idea of God’s wrath, and he pointed out to me that God patiently waited hundreds and thousands of years for people to repent, and if they repented he withdrew his wrath. He did not immediately rush in and trounce people. His wrath is just.

  
  

  I am certain that God wanted people to be convinced by Jesus, by the 144,000, by the disciples and by us, by the two witnessess. He wants none lost, but he will also not force someone to His will, He gives us freedom of choice. Those left on the earth at this time are those who freely chose to harden their hearts, refused the messages and signs given so abundantly, and now God is honoring that choice.

  
  

  Pray hard that most here on earth will be saved. Let’s not have anyone have to go through these distressing times.

  
  

  Heather

  • 7:20 pm
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