7. But--connected with
Re 10:6.
"There shall be no longer time (that is, delay), but in the days
of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to (so the
Greek) sound his trumpet (so the Greek), then (literally,
'also'; which conjunction often introduces the consequent member of a
sentence) the mystery of God is finished," literally, "has been
finished"; the prophet regarding the future as certain as if it were
past. A, C, Aleph, and Coptic read the past tense
(Greek, "etelesthee"). B reads, as English
Version, the future tense (Greek, "telesthee").
"should be finished" (compare
Re 11:15-18).
Sweet consolation to the waiting saints! The seventh trumpet shall be
sounded without further delay.
the mystery of God--the theme of the "little book," and so of
the remainder of the Apocalypse. What a grand contrast to the "mystery
of iniquity Babylon!" The mystery of God's scheme of redemption, once
hidden in God's secret counsel and dimly shadowed forth in types and
prophecies, but now more and more clearly revealed according as the
Gospel kingdom develops itself, up to its fullest consummation at the
end. Then finally His servants shall praise Him most fully, for the
glorious consummation of the mystery in having taken to Himself and His
saints the kingdom so long usurped by Satan and the ungodly. Thus this
verse is an anticipation of
Re 11:15-18.
declared to--Greek, "declared the glad tidings to." "The
mystery of God" is the Gospel glad tidings. The office of the
prophets is to receive the glad tidings from God, in order
to declare them to others. The final consummation is the great
theme of the Gospel announced to, and by, the prophets (compare
Ga 3:8).
JFB.
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