The book of Revelation contains four mentions of the word mystery. The first is the mystery of the seven stars. It is in Revelation 1:20 “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” KJV All Roman coins had seven stars that stood for the seven hills on which the city was built. The fact that Jesus held them in His hand indicates what they really are, and that they are under His control.
Revelation 10:7 “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.” KJV Chapter ten details a mighty angel holding a little scroll or book. Up until then, all the visions were clear and plain to John, the writer. But this book was to be sealed and not written down by him. The angel instructed him to take the book and eat it. Revelation 10:8-11 “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. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” KJV. Evidently this book contained some additional hidden knowledge that upset John, although he received it with joy. Whatever it was, he understood that the mystery, the hidden wisdom of God, was finished, complete.
The final mystery is in Revelation 17:5 “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” KJV Revelation 17:18 “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” KJV So that’s the secret known only to the initiated, that Babylon was the code word for Rome. All through chapter seventeen, the descriptions of what goes on there are listed. It’s all about the kings and the beast who will reign at different times, but they all end up in hell.
What does that have to do with our day? As mysterious as the revelation prophecies are for the people of the New Testament Church, especially those in danger of their very lives, are there lessons for us to learn? The ultimate power behind all the tribulation of that day was the devil, of course. He has never given up. He has never slowed down. He doesn’t take a day off or a vacation. The point of all that turmoil is to shake us up and wake us up to reality. Jesus told us there would be trouble in John 16:33. But then He said, “ . . . but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.(!)” KJV
Oh, victory in Jesus! Is the tribulation any great mystery? What keeps people from repenting and giving their lives to Jesus when we see just how bad it is going to be? There is only one answer and it is found in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” KJV The god of this world. The same god who will cause trouble all the way to the end when he is at last locked up in hell forever. Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” KJV Yes, Lord, we will go. Amen.
