Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 10:5-7

"And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished they mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets." — Revelation 10:5-7 (ASV)

And the angel . . .—Translate, And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted his right hand to the heaven, and swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that time (that is, delay, or postponement) should no longer be: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to sound (his trumpet), the mystery of God was finished, as He evangelized His servants the prophets.

There is a change of tense which sounds strange: he says, then (not “will be,” but) was finished. In thought he hurries on to the end, and sees the close no longer in the dim future, but as, with the eye of God, an accomplished fact. The certainty is guaranteed with an oath. The gesture of the uplifted hand to give emphasis to the oath is of ancient date. Thus Abraham expressed his resolution to take none of the spoils of the conquered kings: “I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord . . . that I will not take from a thread to a shoelatchet” (Genesis 14:22; compare Exodus 6:8, margin). So, too, the man clothed in linen (Daniel 12:6–9, a passage which is largely the foundation of the one before us) lifts up both hands and swears that there shall be a fixed period for the accomplishment of the scattering of the power of the holy people.

The oath in the passage under consideration is to the effect (not that time should cease and eternity begin, but) that there shall be no longer any delay. The suffering saints had cried, “How long?” (Revelation 6:9–11), and they had been told to wait a little time. Now the close of all such waiting time is announced: when the seventh trumpet shall have blown, the mystery of God will be finished.

“‘The mystery of God’ does not mean something which cannot be understood or explained. It is never applied to such matters, for example, as the origin of evil, or the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity. It does mean a secret; but then a secret may be told, and when told is no mystery. The mystery, or secret, of God means, therefore, the whole of His plan and His counsel concerning this earth in its present state of discipline and of imperfection; all that God means to do upon it and towards it, even until that which we read of as the time of the end (Daniel 12:4–9), the close of this last dispensation, and the introduction of that new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (Dr. Vaughan).

No wonder, as he announced this fast approaching close of the ages of suffering and trial, he should add, “According as He (not “declared”—an utterly inadequate word—but) evangelized His servants the prophets—that is, according to the glad tidings which He had ever proclaimed to and by His servants the prophets.” A somewhat remarkable parallelism between this passage and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 has been pointed out. In both passages there is reference to the mystery, the glad tidings, and the last (the seventh trumpet is also the last) trumpet. This harmony of reference is full of interest, even if only to notice the union of thought between the two Apostles. Taken in connection with St. Paul’s statement, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” this harmony may also throw light upon the teaching respecting the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5–6; but see Note there).