Over and over again, God’s people think: where is God and his promises? Just imagine the people in Malachi’s day, or the people living in that 400-year period after Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament, before Christ came. And think how often those people must have thought, what is God doing, why is taking so long? Think of the children of Israel down in the land of Egypt, 430 years! Why doesn’t God move? But God came at the exact time that he had promised—the exact time that he had shown in the vision. We also read in the words of Paul, no, God was not slow; he did not come late. It was exactly when the fullness of the time had come that God sent forth his Son…
And what was the fullness of the time? It was when the Romans' roads were ready, so Paul could travel up and down the Roman Empire. There was a day when they did not have roads in the Roman Empire. But when Paul was ready to go out, they had roads. And they had the Septuagint version. There was a day when they did not have the Old Testament in the Greek language, but when Paul was ready to preach, it was there. It was in every synagogue up and down the Roman Empire. And the very fact that the synagogue was there, gave him a place to preach in every city. Oh yes, God was not late. When the fullness of the time had come, God did it. He did not terry. He did not delay.1
G. I. Williamson
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.