"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: 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, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices." Rev. 10:1-3.

The events particularly connected with the sounding of the sixth trumpet are recorded in chapter 9. But the Revelator has other events to introduce before the sounding of another trumpet-the seventh and final. Therefore, all of chapter 10 and part of chapter 11 to the 15th verse come in parenthetically between the sixth and seventh trumpets.

This rainbow angel is not one of the trumpet angels already sounded previously, nor yet the seventh trumpet angel (third woe angel) whose final blast will mark the end of probationary and prophetic time. A closer look will make this point clear. Note that the previous six angels had trumpets with which they "sounded." This angel had no trumpet, but he "cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth." (Verse 3) His cry like the roar of a lion would scarcely sound like the blast of a trumpet. (We need more roars of a lion in these last days to awaken the slumbering nations.)

This distinguished messenger from heaven appears on earth with a special message. The description of this "mighty angel" clothed with a cloud, a rainbow upon his head, his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire indicates his God-given authority to make this most solemn declaration that the end of time is near. (Verses 5-6). The symbol is drawn from the heavenly world and the scene is laid upon earth, so we must look to history of the true Church to find its fulfillment in some distinguished messengers. This we recognize in that holy body of Spirit-filled New Testament ministers whom God began to raise up about the year 1880 A. D., at which time was ushered in this "evening light" restoration movement. Continuing down to the present time, the ministry of the Church of God has ever proclaimed that heaven-born message that probationary time for all mankind shall be no more when our great High Priest shall leave His mediatorial throne at the speedy sounding of the seventh trumpet. The proclamation of this angel indicates that there will be no "age to come," that this "evening time" of the gospel day is the last and final warning call from heaven before the sun of time set on the western horizon. This same message is given in more detail in three phases by the messages of the three angels in Chapter 14:6-12. Read them.

The rainbow angel standing upon the sea and earth (indicating his universal message) with his hand uplifted to heaven speaks in thundering tones of the seventh angel but not as the seventh angel. (V. 5-6). He speaks of the seventh angel in these words, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." (Verse 7). In the "Emphatic Diaglott," which is a word for word English translation from the original Greek text, this verse reads thus, "But in the days of the blast of the seventh trumpet, when he may be about to sound, and the secret of God should be completed, as he announced its glad tidings to his servants the prophets." This rendering clearly indicates that the "mystery of God shall be finished" or completed when the seventh trumpet is "about to sound." The door of mercy and salvation closes then, and not years after it begins to sound.

What is the meaning of the "mystery of God" that shall be finished? Is it some special revelation brought to light just at the end of time? Let the Scriptures answer. Jesus told His disciples, "It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 13:11. Paul writes: "The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but NOW is made manifest to his saints." Col. 1:26. Again he says, "To make known the mystery of the gospel." Eph. 6:19. Clearly, the gospel-the good tidings of redemption through Christ-is the "mystery" to be finished or completed. It was given to take out from the nations a people for God's name. Acts 15:14. Its finishing must, as a matter of course, be the close of this work. Then a voice from the throne of God will proclaim, in tones which roll like thunder through all the earth, the solemn sentence, "It is done." Rev. 16:17.