Confusion swirls around a particular verse in the book of Revelation. If we are teachable as little children, God will reveal the meaning to us.

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7). The New King James Version offers a couple good changes: “shall begin to” should read “is about to,” and “should” here is better translated “would.”

Here is the verse again, with the necessary changes: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished.” Now that we have the correct words, what does this mean? Before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which the seventh trumpet blast heralds, a specific message must be delivered to the world. Revelation is a timeline of all prophecy. We know the fulfillment of this verse lies just ahead!

The Context

“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire” (Revelation 10:1). This powerful, brilliant, fiery angel delivers a message straight from the throne of God!

“And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth” (verse 2). The little book is for the entire Earth. All people will soon understand the message because the mystery will be removed from it!

“And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not” (verses 3-4). The little book is a thunderous, lion-roaring message specifically for this end time. When the Apostle John heard it, he was not allowed to write it down! God only made this precious truth available a few decades ago.

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer” (verses 5-6). The Revised Standard Version translates “time no longer” as “no more delay.” World crises such as terrorism, natural disasters and the national debt are accelerating like never before! Over a hundred prophecies in your Bible warn of the world becoming frighteningly bad before Christ’s return.

Two Books

The urgency of the times should stir God’s people to proclaim the warning message to every human on the planet. The little book of Revelation 10 is the foundational truth of this final Church era. No other book proves why 95 percent of the Church rebelled, and what Christ has done to correct the problem. These people have rejected the mystery of verse 7.

The scriptures before and after Revelation 10:7 repeatedly mention the little book. Verse 7 mentions another book, or “mystery.” This chapter is telling us to be watchful for two books in this end time. They are literal, physical, recently published books. You can hold them in your hands and flip through the pages. The Bible is not speaking figuratively here.

Here is what the late founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, wrote in a 1985 co-worker letter about Mystery of the Ages:

Since last December I have been working diligently on the largest and most important book in my life. In real fact, I feel I myself did not write it. Rather, I believe God used me in writing it. I candidly feel it may be the most important book since the Bible! … We want to reach the largest audience possible with this book. I know you will feel the same way when you read it.This new book Mystery of the Ages unveils all these mysteries. It puts the many different parts of the “jigsaw puzzle” together. It is, in fact, a synopsis of the entire Bible. It is my prayer that you will read it along with your Bible—that it will make your Bible come alive and understandable. And with God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in you, I feel sure that it will. I am now in my 94th year, and I feel that this book is the most valuable gift I could possibly give you.

If Mr. Armstrong was correct, the words in Mystery of the Ages flowed straight from God’s mind! While the world is in darkness regarding the Bible, you can understand if you study it along with Mystery of the Ages.

Prophesy Again

Notice what must take place after the “mystery of God would be finished.” “And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter” (Revelation 10:8-10).

God commands us to deeply digest the little book: Malachi’s Message to God’s Church Today. I highly recommend that you read and study it once a year. It is a bittersweet message because 50 percent of God’s rebellious people will never repent. The other 50 percent will only return to God after dying in the nuclear Great Tribulation. However, this message also gives tremendous hope for a future free from suffering.

“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (verse 11). Remember, Revelation is a time frame of all prophecy. After Mr. Armstrong delivered Mystery of the Ages to the largest audience possible, a prophet must come on the scene with the little book to prophesy again. If you read between the lines, you realize that something terrible must have happened in God’s Church to require someone to prophesy a second time. Otherwise, the second man would simply continue the first man’s work of prophesying.

Measure

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:1-2). On top of prophesying again as a witness to the world, God’s man in the end time must measure the Church.

“Temple” here comes from the Greek word naos, meaning the inner part of the temple where God is. Only those who love God and submit to His law allow God to measure them. Only they will be protected during the Great Tribulation.

How do you suppose God views the rebels who tore down Mr. Armstrong’s humanitarian empire, burned countless copies of Mystery of the Ages, and fought us in court to keep that book out of print? They are part of the “court which is without the temple”—the outer court. These rebels refuse to be measured, so God says don’t even bother trying! The “times of the Gentiles” will not be pleasant for God’s rebellious Church and the nations of Israel.

We can’t afford to approach Mystery of the Ages and Malachi’s Message to God’s Church Today casually. These important books measure us.

Reigning Forever

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). The Ferrar Fenton Bible renders it this way: “He shall reign in the eternities of the eternities.” We will finish giving away the two books of Revelation 10 just before Jesus Christ returns to this Earth to rule for all eternity!

Christ’s future is your future too, if you will seek God’s truth with all your heart and apply what God says. God will remove the mystery from your mind today so you can help deliver the two books of Revelation 10 as a witness to this lawless world. Then you will become part of Christ’s Bride, teaching all who have ever lived how to remove the mystery from the Bible and live by the perfect Word of God.