{"id":196,"date":"2019-11-15T15:38:10","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T23:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/?p=196"},"modified":"2022-01-10T17:37:41","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T01:37:41","slug":"the-revelation-to-john-sooner-or-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/2019\/11\/15\/the-revelation-to-john-sooner-or-later\/","title":{"rendered":"The Revelation to John, Sooner or Later?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How accurately can we set a time frame for the chapters of the book of Revelation? It will take a look at end time prophecy from the Book of Daniel, the gospels, and letters of Peter and Paul to get a feel for how to frame the times related to the events of Revelation. These events are described in symbolic terms but have literal fulfillment just as the symbolic images of Daniel\u2019s prophecy had literal fulfillment in his four kingdoms and the coming of Messiah. Daniel was given literal passage of time until Messiah. Seven years, his seventieth week, were set aside without a definite beginning. John filled in associated events to introduce this seven-year period. It is revealed to John, a man, in a context he should understand in human terms. He gave six seals which should introduce the end time events of that last week of the seventy Daniel foretold which occurs during the seventh seal. The following verse introduces the Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must SOON TAKE PLACE (lit.- coming in swiftness); and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In God\u2019s Time or Ours?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If God had meant for the events of the\nRevelation to be understood as being for the distant future, He could have\neasily worded it that way rather than veiling it in ambiguous terms. God was\naccused of that in Ezekiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ezekiel 12:26 Furthermore, the word of the Lord came to me,\nsaying, 27 \u201cSon of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, \u2018The vision that\nhe sees is for many years from now, and HE PROPHESIES OF TIMES FAR OFF.\u2019 28\nTherefore say to them, \u2018Thus says the Lord God, \u201cNone of MY WORDS WILL NOT BE\nDELAYED any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,\u201d\u2019\u201d declares the\nLord God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is aware of the human time perspective and delivers His word in terms understandable to us. Yes, one day is as a thousand years to God. That is discussed in 2 Peter 3 concerning the second coming. God does not use that as an excuse to make meaningless statements such as, \u201cSOON TAKE PLACE,\u201d to man. Daniel prophesied the first advent of Christ which was half a millennium after his time. God gave the time spread of the first sixty-nine weeks (483 prophetic years) until messiah would appear. It covered the four kingdoms he prophesied of beginning in Daniel 2. He purposely left the seventieth week and Christ\u2019s Second Advent without time designations except for the conditions of those times showing an increase in knowledge and travel. We now, two thousand years later, realize the observations of Peter in 2 Peter 3 concerning the seventieth week and Christ\u2019s return fit well with the \u201cone day is as a thousand years with God\u201d concept. That gives us perspective on the events of the seventh seal. It does not, however, clue us in to the time consideration for the first six seals. They occur before the seventh seal. How much before is the question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only Four Seals? That\u2019s a Lot of History!<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second coming and the seventieth week\nare revealed during the seventh seal. There is no indication that the time scale\nfor the first five seals is included in the description of the seven seals. The\nfirst four seals describe a time of conquest, war, famine, and disease. Conquests\nand the wars that follow take a long period of time. Conquest indicates a time\nof settling into a new nation after a conflict. War indicates battles to\nprotect conquested lands. After wars, disease and famine spread. These are not\nevents that take place in a short period of time. With the time constraints of the\nfollowing verses it seems unlikely there is sufficient time for all this\nconquest, wars, famine, and disease to ravage the earth before this final generation\npasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke 21:24 \u2026 Jerusalem\nwill be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are\nfulfilled. (1967 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 24:14 This gospel\nof the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the\nnations, and then the end will come. (approx. 2030 A.D.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 24:34 Truly I say to you, this generation\nwill not pass away until all these things take place. (70-80 years)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As previously mentioned, Daniel gave a timeline to the time of Messiah\u2019s first appearance during the first sixty-nine weeks of his prophecy in chapter 9. He gave a succession of world events that would happen until that time revealed in the four kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the final kingdom, Rome. As far as the seventieth week, there was no calendar of events leading to it. He gave Daniel the conditions of the times and then told him to seal up the book, until the end time. That was easily accomplished as few men have had access to that book throughout history. It was not until knowledge and travel had increased that knowledge of scripture was widely available due to the industrial revolution. It was due to mass production of the Bible that many had the opportunity to read scripture for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel 12:4 But as for you,\nDaniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many\nwill go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revelation Was a Message to the<\/strong>n and now<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first message of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 is given to seven churches of that current time. Christ even tells these churches He is \u201ccoming quickly.\u201d The initiation of this promise is revealed in the first four seals to come. Clearly Revelation is not all about some distant future. Chapters 4 and 5 are a parenthesis in the Revelation to introduce the Lamb who is the only one worthy to open the seals of the prophetic events to come beginning in chapter 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phrase \u201cSOON TO TAKE PLACE\u201d in Revelation\n1:1 is referring to the events of the first seal, and it follows the next three\nare logically connected. Is it relative to God\u2019s perspective, since everything is\nSOON to the author of eternity? The context here shows that the revelation is given\nfor John\u2019s understanding. Christ is not attempting to veil the message from\nJohn with these words. Just as Daniel revealed the history of the four kingdoms\nuntil the time of Christ, here Christ is informing John of the history of the\nworld until His next appearing. During Jesus\u2019s ministry He spoke of what appears\nto be a description similar to the events of the first four seals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 24:6-8 You will\nbe hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that YOU ARE NOT FRIGHTENED, for those\nthings must take place, but that is NOT YET THE END. 7 <\/sup>For NATION WILL RISE AGAINST\nNATION, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be FAMINES\nand EARTHQUAKES. But all\nthese things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel also makes such a prediction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel 9:26-27 Then\nafter the sixty-two weeks (and seven) the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing,\nand the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the\nsanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; EVEN TO THE END there will be\nwar; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week,\nbut in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no reason to consider these scriptures as anything other than a description of the first four seals. Christ tells His disciple not to be frightened as though they may see some of these events. And they did. They saw the destruction of Jerusalem and John lived to see the further conquests of Rome, Daniel\u2019s fourth and final kingdom. Hundreds of millions perished in the wars, famines, and pestilence of the next two millennia. Anyone who has studied Middle eastern and European history has perspective on these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fifth Seal & the martyr’s perspective<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Following the first four seals comes the loud cry of the martyrs under the throne of God known as the fifth seal. For those who wrap the entire set of events in the seals into the last seven years or the seven and a short period of time preceding it, we have a failure of perspective. It is the same failure we have seen throughout history in those who predicted the apocalypse in the year 1,000 and almost every century following. The cry of these martyrs of history tells a story. It tells of those in eternity who have been waiting expectantly through the generations since their deaths for the gospel’s sake. They have been the witnesses of the playing out of these first four seals over a long period of time. They have become a little impatient even in the perspective of eternity. Had these four seals been understood by John and his brethren in heaven as taking place briefly before seals six and seven, it would have been nonsensical point to ask of God, “How much longer!” They were right in the middle of the end time events according to the view of some. They had only seven years to wait for the entirety of events. No, the cry comes out in the perspective of eternity in which seven years in but a blink in time. Two millennia would warrant such a cry. The first four seals are a perfect fit to describe the Roman empire, its fall, the hundreds of wars and battles of history, Islam, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, famine, the black plague, smallpox, the Crusades, on and on. It is only those without historical perspective that cannot see that God has not skipped any description of the history relevant to the Revelation. He may, as Christ did in His apocalyptic messages abbreviate the times in between the first and second advent, but He does account for the general climate of history. Wars and rumors of wars, Matthew 24:6, fills the gap of history. False prophets and Messiahs also will appear. These are in the valleys of history, but the emphasis is on the mountain peaks. The first and second advents get the focus in prophecy. The first four seals are brief and to the point. They are the valleys of history. The sixth seal begins to get expanded description as it is the beginning of one of the mountains of history. The seventh seal brings us to the peak of history covering chapters eight through nineteen of Revelation. Coming as close to the end when the gospel is preached in the whole world, Matthew 24:14, as we are, should present an urgency to any believing the first four seals have not yet occurred. Are we looking for seals of worldwide conquest, wars, famine, and disease? Or, are week looking for seal six and the signs from the heavens?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Narrow Perspective<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is only the twentieth century-centered theological perspective that can\u2019t accept any other position that does not stuff all the events of the first four seals into their own times during the final week (seven years) of Daniel\u2019s prophecy. The order of the seals indicates the order in history. We do not have sufficient time for a meaningful fulfillment of the first four seals within the time constraints of this final generation if we are to take the end time signposts literally. The clock began ticking in 1967. Beginning then, we had a generation of time left. We are a half of a century past this. When \u2018did\u2019 or \u2018are\u2019 these four seals to begin? They should be happening at the moment if they haven\u2019t already. It seems only reasonable, without a prejudice forcing the whole book of Revelation into our own time, that the events revealed in it cover the unbroken timeline of history just as did the four kingdoms of Daniel\u2019s prophecy. This seems the perfect moment for the fifth seal with the saints in heaven under the throne crying out, \u201cHow much longer?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The God\u2019s and Man\u2019s Size Times Converge<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There were about two thousand years from the preincarnate Christ appearing to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre until His appearing as Messiah to the Jews. There will be about two thousand years until the last seven when He appears to the entire world. God sees the whole. We can barely wrap our eyes around the last seven years coming so swiftly. Christ tells the then current church of Philadelphia, \u201cBecause you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, THAT HOUR, WHICH IS ABOUT TO COME upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I AM COMING QUICKLY; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown, Revelation 3:10-11.\u201d It sounds pretty imminent here. He closes in Revelation 22:20 with the same words. This statement is true because, and only because, the events of the first four seals were about to begin in John\u2019s day. It will complete in about two thousand years, two days in God\u2019s time. Yes, He is has been and will be “coming quickly.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How accurately can we set a time frame for the chapters of the book of Revelation? It will take a look at end time prophecy from the Book of Daniel, the gospels, and letters of Peter and Paul to get a feel for how to frame the times related to the events of Revelation. These … Continue reading “The Revelation to John, Sooner or Later?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions\/366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revelation714.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}