The end of the delay is at hand!
The Beloved Disciple recorded what he heard, saw, and experienced by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 10:
1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a Voice from Heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
This angel is the third appearance of a distinctive messenger and the term “another” in Greek refers to one of the same kind as the previous angels. His description includes: clouds, rainbow, sun, and feet. These attributes link him closely to Jesus Christ and His ministry.
This angel roars like a lion which refers to the end time ministry of Jesus Christ when He returns to evoke judgment on the earth. We are not clearly told who this angel is. Two candidates would be Gabriel whose name means “strength of GOD” and Michael whose name mean “who is like GOD”. It could be a third angel who closely represents the attributes of Jesus Christ Himself and has been held as a mystery until now.
The seven thunders uttered Words that John was not allowed to write even though he understood them. These Words have been reserved for the “hereafter” which tells us that this Book in essence has not been completed.
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven
6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, 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,
7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
This angel has declared that the delay has completed and the time for repentance is now past.
The following are 14 mysteries mentioned in the New Testament:
The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:11)
The Kingdom (Mark 4:11)
Israel’s Blindness (Romans 11:25)
The Rapture (1st Corinthians 15:51)
His Will (Ephesians 1:9)
Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22)
The Gospel (Ephesians 3:4; Colossians 1:26-27; 4:3)
Iniquity (2nd Thessalonians 2:7)
GOD and Christ (Colossians 2:2)
The Faith (1st Timothy 3:9)
Godliness (1st Timothy 3:16)
The Seven Stars and Golden Lampstands (Revelation 1:20)
Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)
The Harlot (Revelation 17:7)
8 Then the voice which I heard from Heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”
9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
John was instructed to “eat the book” or assimilate it which means to take into the mind and thoroughly understand it. This is exactly what we are to do in our daily walk (i.e., renew our minds). This moves us from “head” knowledge to “heart” knowledge. This is a central focus of The Holy Spirit in our lives.
The Word is often compared to food:
Bread in Matthew 4:4
Milk in 1st Peter 2:2
Meat in 1st Corinthians 3:1-2
Honey in Psalm 119:103
Assimilation is vital to our understanding of Scripture and The Holy Spirit is given to us for this purpose.