justify the version. John, like all pious people, when he heard the
lion's voice, followed by the "seven thunders," was filled with solemn
awe, anticipating the coming dissolution of all things. It was not the
only instance of his weakness and misapprehension, (ch. xix. 10;) nor is
this infirmity peculiar to the apostle John; for we find other disciples
mistaking "the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his
own power." (2 Thess. ii. 1-3.) These Thessalonians had misapprehended
the language of Paul in his first epistle to them, when speaking of the
end of the world. (1 Thess. iv. 15-17.) To relieve the anxieties of the
Thessalonians, relative to the apprehended and sudden coming of the
Lord, Paul wrote again to correct their mistake; so it may be supposed
that the Angel interposed this solemn assurance to his servant John, for
the like purpose, of allaying his forebodings. The words in the
original, literally translated, stand thus: "That the time shall not be
yet." That is, the "time of the end," as we read in Daniel xii. 9, shall
not be, till the seventh trumpet begins to sound. The phrase,--"time of
the end," may signify either the final overthrow of antichristian power,
or the end of the world, because of the resemblance between the two
events. The plain and certain meaning, then, of the Angel's oath is,
that the "mystery of God shall be finished" only by the work of the
seventh angel. What this mystery is, we will discover in the following
chapters. Indeed, it had been long before "declared to the prophets,"
but still accompanied with comparative obscurity suitable to their time;
for the word "declared," is expressive of glad tidings, being the same
in origin and significance as that which we translate,--_gospel_, good
news. Accordingly, our Saviour directs his disciples, in view of his
appearing either to overthrow the Roman power, or to judge the world, in
the following words of cheer: "And when these things begin to come to
pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh." (Luke xxi. 28.) To the prophet Daniel the same event was attested