Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay. But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
(verses 5-7)
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Finally. “There will be no more delay!” Yes, and Amen. The purposes of God will be fulfilled. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”(Habakkuk 2:14). All the Lord’s promises made down the years through the prophets will come to pass. Think of them! And the yearning of God’s people through centuries of time, flowing out of that faith-filled prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” will be brought to fulfilment.
Finally.
His delays have reason. They are rooted in the Lord’s abiding patience and his longing for none to perish but for all to come to a knowledge of the truth. He lives outside time, yet he takes time to cultivate fulfilment of all he has intended, allowing the crop to come to harvest and the fruit of the tree to perfectly ripen.
But the time will come. Here in “Revelation” we see it. This mighty angel, with attributes reminiscent of the Lord himself (robed in cloud and rainbow, face like the sun, legs burning like fire), shouts out decisively with a voice roaring like a lion. He speaks the divine declaration, voicing it firmly and plainly: “There will be no more delay!” Lest anyone doubt the certainty of its fulfilment, he grounds this proclamation in the absolute sovereignty of Almighty God, the One who lives forever and who has created everything in all existence, whether in heaven or on earth or in the sea. This declaration is sure. The rest of Revelation will play it out before our very eyes. The fulfilment is guaranteed.
Which is a powerful thing to know right now. In the midst of praying “Your kingdom come” into the many circumstances of our lives, we need to hold this final scene firmly in mind. For though we pray to the Sovereign One who stands outside time, we ourselves do the praying here, within the tight confines of time itself. Which means that so often we need to engage in much watching and waiting.
And, oh, how stretching to faith that wait can be! In the last 24 hours I have sent out several requests on our church Prayer Chain. Each request is a cry for help to the Sovereign Lord. Each one stretches faith. Each calls us to watch and wait. And for each, time will lapse.
I think of prayers I have for my own family – some have been prayed for years. I think of others for myself – the stretch is similar. Sometimes there are flashes of great joy, seeing his clear intervention. Sometimes I feel dulled by time’s slow pace, with no obvious answer.
But this scene in Revelation 10 lifts my sights. It tells me fulfilment is coming. The Lord’s grand plan, with my own small parts wrapped up in it, will be fulfilled. It’s guaranteed.
So keep on trusting, even during life’s challenges. When faith is stretched, press through. When trials come, when temptation strikes, when discouragement looms, lift your sights. Take hope. Stand firm. Look ahead to the certainty of that final day when there is “no more delay.”
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Dear Lord, thank you that you are working your purposes out. There is a day coming when the wait will be over. In the meantime, please lift my sights to that hope. Strengthen my faith to trust you here and now. Amen.
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Pray:
What prayer have you prayed often, without yet seeing fulfilment? Ask him to clarify his will. Then pray, hearing those future words spoken over it: “There will be no more delay.” Thank him for that future answer. Pray now with renewed heart.
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Photo by Antônia Felipe on Unsplash
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