According to Revelation, when were the prophecies to take place?
Day 6
Day 6
B. Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, May 23, 2020
“Soon”,
“quickly”, “the time is near”, or “time is at hand” per Revelation 1:1, 1:3, 2:16,
3:11, 22:6, and 22:10. But also consider other potential interpretive passages for being at hand, end of the ages, near, etc., in other portions of Scripture such as Matthew 26:18; John 2:13; Luke 21:20, 1 Corinthians 10:9-11, 1 Peter 4:7, and James 5:7-8.
New
Testament Christians were being prepared for something that was soon to happen.
It would seem outrageous that Christians receiving the New Testament letters,
including Revelation, would read these “near time” indicators and assume this
was thousands of years into the future.
In
the Old Testament, when Daniel was confused about certain issues presented to
him, the Lord said to seal up (i.e., shut up the prophecy) similar in reference
to Job 41:15. The prophecy (e.g., Daniel 8:26, 12:4) pertained to the distance
future. Unlike Daniel, the Lord informs John not to seal up (Revelation 22:10) the prophecy of the book of
Revelation (though there was one instance where John was not to record
something but instead seal that up). But this helps us realize the imminence in
timing of the prophecies to a first century reader in the seven churches.
When
the Lord Jesus spoke to Peter in John 21:18-22 prophesying about His coming, He
made it clear that Peter would die before His coming. And the disciple that
Jesus loved may remain. Peter knowing his
end is in sight in 2 Peter 1:14-17, reiterated that coming of the Lord had not
happened yet as he was still alive. This is why cleverly devised schemes saying
the Lord had come were false (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). This puts the date
of the Lord’s coming after Peter’s death (A.D. 68, by Nero) but before the
death of John.
This
also reveals that in many instances a first century understanding of the “coming
of the Lord” in the context of judgment is not in reference to an end of the
world, last day event. They were under the impression that the Lord had come,
and yet the world hadn’t ended. These
are two unique events: the coming judgment on the Jews and the Second Coming of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
