Mystery of God

Beale helpfully notes the links between Revelation 10:6-7 and 6:11, both of which speak of the time being fulfilled. 6:11 speaks of the completion of the suffering of the saints, while 10:6-7 says that the time is no longer (that is, there is no more delay) and that the mystery of God is fulfilled.

That is, the mystery of God revealed through John’s preaching teh contents of the little book is that the saints will suffer, but more than that, the mystery that their suffering will lay the foundation for a new creation. The slain Lamb opens the seals on the book; but then He serves up the little book, a pamphlet torn from the unsealed book, so that slain saints can also speak and do things hidden from the foundation of the earth. The mysterion tou theou (10:7) is completed in the completion of the marturian of the two witnesses (11:6).

And, if we combine Paul’s notion of mystery with Revelation here (Ephesians 3), the mystery is that Gentiles will share with Jews the Messianic suffering that brings the kingdom. For centuries, Jews alone served as the scapegoat for the nations. Now Gentiles are allowed to draw near and join in. The angel straddling sea and land makes a single scapegoat people from every tribe and tongue and nation.

The fulfillment of this mystery, John implies, is the fulfillment of creation’s purpose (10:6), and the content of the gospel (10:7).