Ever Since the First Century AD

People in successive generations have consistently believed that they could see the signs for the imminent return of Jesus.  Even just before He left, at His ascension, the disciples asked if this was the time that He would return. (Acts 1:6)

In 1 Corinthians 7:

“I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.” v26

“This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.” v29

“For the present form of this world is passing away.” v31b

While it is true that the present form of this world is passing away, it is also obvious that it is also being replaced by something new, something different.

The Half Hour Silence in Heaven - Revelation 8:1

This unprecedented half hour of silence in heaven represents an immense pause in the implementation of God's plan on Earth. We are in this period of pause right now, and have been there virtually since the resurrection of Jesus!

"When the Lamb opened the seventh seal there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour."

This half hour silence in heaven in Revelation 8:1 (after Jesus opens the seventh seal) represents a delay in God's plan because Earth (the church) has not completed the mission God established for it. (See points 2-4 for the mission God has set for the Church.)

Delay 1. An Important Part of God's "Mystery" Has Not Been Put Into Practice by the Church

After this half hour delay in Heaven, in Revelation 10:6-7 the mighty angel says about this time, "that there should be no more delay, but when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God's mystery as He had announced to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled."

What is this Mystery of God?

(Note that the Greek word used, 'musterion,' refers to something which was kept hidden for a time but has now been revealed. Some translations use 'secret' instead, but it is always one which has been revealed. See Ephesians 3:4-5.)

1. Paul teaches two parts of this Mystery of God in Ephesians 3:

a) that the Gentiles (non-Jews) are now included with the Jews in God's plan - v6

b) that "through the church the many-sided wisdom of God might now be made known to the angelic (demonic) rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm." v10

In other words, when the Church, the 'body' of Christ, is functioning on Earth as He did, as the seventy and the apostles did briefly, then the enemy, the "spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly realm" in Ephesians 6, are put to flight as they were in Luke 10 and the early chapters of Acts.

The scope and force of this part of God's plan, that we become "the body of Christ" on Earth, is so powerful, so far-reaching once we put it into effect that "if the rulers of this age perceived this they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:8

Paul taught more in Ephesians 4 on this second mystery of God:

c) that every believer has been given at least one of the ministry gifts, v7-8, 12

d) that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are spread right through the body, v11

e) that the job of leadership is to train up the body (men, women and children) to do the work of the ministry. v12

Who is doing that? 

2. Jesus showed that it is easy to train others to do ministry like He did

Jesus first trained the twelve (Luke 9), then the seventy (Luke 10), to do the same sort of things that He did, and in the same sort of way. Who is training people to minister healing and deliverance in the same, simple but effective way that Jesus did it?  "The things I do you will do also." ( John 14:12 ) ,

3. He defined a disciple as someone who does what the Master does.

 "A disciple, when he is fully trained, will be like his Teacher." He then said to go out and make disciples. "Go into all the world..." Who is making disciples like Jesus intended? (Luke 6:40 , Matthew 10:24 )

4. He has not even been away for two days in God's timing.

 "A thousand years is as one day.." (2 Peter 3:8, Psalms 90:4). 

5. Heaven is nowhere near full. 

When God throws a party He wants everyone there. "Go out into the highways and byways.." (Luke 14:12 ).  

6. Without Him Nothing Was Made That Has Been Made (John 1:3)

When we understand this we can see God/Jesus in anything "man-made", from a set of traffic lights to rap music, from the pyramids to skyscrapers in Dubai, from cell phone technology to nuclear energy. He is constantly encouraging us to push boundaries, explore, discover, build and do things that have never been done before. 

That's God's nature, and He's far from finished with us yet!  

7. Seeing a Sign Does Not Mean We Are Near the Destination

Think of road signs, some of which show many hundreds, sometimes even thousands of miles to the destination.

People are concentrating on the signs rather than the destination. What is the destination - is it Heaven, is it salvation, is it eternal life?

None of those. The destination is something that God has planned to take place on the Earth. He first shared His plan with the Israelites at Sinai, but they did nothing about it.

He then shared it with the Christians after Jesus’ resurrection, but they have done nothing about it. 

He doesn’t have another plan, He doesn’t have another group, He still has something that WE are meant to put into place. The fact that we haven’t put it into place causes a delay in the end times scenario as shown in Revelation 8:1.