Translation
and swore by the one who lives forever and forever, who created heaven and all the things in it, and the earth and all the things in it, and the sea and all the things in it, saying, “There will be no more delay.
Paraphrase
(the same as translation – and swore by the one who lives forever and forever, who created heaven and all the things in it, and the earth and all the things in it, and the sea and all the things in it, saying, “There will be no more delay.)
No More Delay
The King James translates this, “Time shall be no more,” but that does not communicate well the intent of this statement. Instead think of it this way: “Time’s up; there will be no more delay.”
How does this relate to the persecuted believers? This may answer the question of the martyrs under the altar in when they asked, “How Long?” Revelation 6:10. Yet there is a vagueness about this answer; it cannot be used to predict how or when God will act, only that He will act. And how will He act? Did it mean God would remove them from persecution immediately? No, that was not the intent. However, it did mean God would encourage them, strengthen them and make Himself real to them immediately. Believers who were feeling the pressure could expect God to do something, they just didn’t know what that would be. He could give them a sense of His presence and added strength to face hardship and death, or He could work miracles on their behalf. But they should be convinced that God would act, He would not leave them feeling alone or abandoned. If they died for Him, they would do so with a strong sense of His presence, and knowing they would be richly rewarded.
Verse seven is key in understanding the words, “no more delay.” Verse seven says that “the mystery of God will be completed.” God has at various times through history, unveiled new aspects of His plan and revealed things about the way He works that had previously been hidden. That is the meaning of the word “mystery” in Scripture. This revealing can be of a personal nature, pertaining to how God works with individuals, or of a global nature, relating to how God works with all mankind. Not everything is clear to us yet, but someday it will be.
In this verse there is a tension between time as we know it, and time as God sees it, between the need for patient endurance and the promise of encouragement. We could say that this verse pictures the future invading the present, and the present extending into the future. Eugene Peterson has said, “We live in an intense eternal now” (Reversed Thunder, p. 107). Through divine mercy, the end is prolonged for those who need repentance, but for those who are faithful in persecution, God’s mercy necessitates that the end will come soon (John Yeatts, Believer’s Commentary on Revelation, pp 187, 188).
So, when will the mysteries of God be completely revealed? Yes, they will be. We cannot know exactly when or how; just remain faithful, because God will reward those who are true to Him.