Chapter
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Revelation 10:6

ESV and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay,
NIV And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, 'There will be no more delay!
NASB and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will no longer be a delay,
CSB He swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, "There will no longer be a delay,
NLT He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, 'There will be no more delay.
KJV 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:

What does Revelation 10:6 mean?

The mighty angel who John saw descend from heaven swore an oath by God that there would be no delay. The Greek phrase here is chronos ouketi estai. Translations such as the KJV phrase this as "there should be time no longer," which is woodenly literal but extremely misleading when read in plain English. The point of this statement is that God's merciful work of restraining evil, holding back catastrophe, or delaying judgment for sin is now at an end. From this point forward, all things in the end times will occur at their "natural" pace, so to speak. God will no longer intervene to stave off the inevitable.

The angel's announcement that there will be no delay also shows us the book of Revelation does not follow a strict chronological order. No further delay occurs at the end of the tribulation, but Revelation doesn't proceed in a direct, linear fashion between chapters 10 and 22, as God fulfills His plan.

The mighty angel has addressed God as eternal. He has named God the creator of heaven and earth and all that is in both places. As the creator of everything, God has the right to fulfill His purpose for history and man's role in history. No one can thwart that purpose. Although God is patiently offering salvation to human beings today (2 Peter 3:9), someday His offer will expire. Death marks the end of a person's opportunity to accept Christ (Hebrews 9:27). God advises humans, therefore, not to boast of tomorrow for no one knows what tomorrow will bring (Proverbs 27:1). Hebrews 3:15 instructs: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Further, 2 Corinthians 6:2 states, "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
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