part 3: the time is near!
Puzzled About Revelation, February 25 2021
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
Recap: Interpretive Keys to the Book of Revelation
Q: Why is a correct interpretation of the end-times (eschatology) important?
1. Because of authority: It is God’s Word, and we are responsible before Him for how we handle it. No doctrine is an “island” unto itself. A distortion in one area inevitably affects other parts.
2. Because of glory: God has said how He will act and get glory for Himself in human history. God’s name, truthfulness, and trustworthiness are on the line!
3. Because of obedience: Belief leads to behaviour. Wrong doctrine inevitably produces wrong discipleship.
4. Because of endurance: Many say it’s not a salvation issue (true), but it is an endurance and perseverance issue. Those who are not adequately prepared are being set up for deception and destruction!
Q: Does the Bible give us the interpretive "keys" that unlock Revelation?
Yes, Scripture Interprets Scripture!
1. The Book of Daniel: “The appointed time of the end”
2. The teaching of Jesus: “Olivet Discourse”
3. The nation of Israel: The restoration of the Kingdom of Israel & David’s throne
Note: Daniel and Jesus keep the prophecies grounded in real time & history, centered around the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem in fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and King David. Jesus also clearly connects these events to the time immediately preceding His glorious & visible return to the earth to restore David’s throne and establish His millennial kingdom. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the Bible rejects interpretations such as preterism and amillennialism, which place these events in history (i.e.70 A.D.), not future prophecy that finds their literal fulfillment on the earth.
Definitions:
· Preterism: The belief that most or all of Revelation and the biblical prophets have been fulfilled in history, particularly in the events of Nero’s persecutions and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by General Titus in 70A.D.
· Futurism: The belief that Revelation is primarily concerned with “the time of the end” and is, therefore, yet future in its fulfillment. This means there will be a final tribulation period and antichrist at the end of the age prior to the Second Coming of Christ.
Introduction:
Six times in the Book of Revelation, we read these words: “The time is near,” or “I am coming soon” (Rev. 1:3; 22:6,7,10,12,20).
Christians have been looking with expectation for the second coming of Christ for nearly 2,000 years now, and every generation has seen “signs”. What makes our generation different? Why do so many believers around the world have a sense that “the time is near”? Though no one knows the exact day or hour of our Lord’s return, does the Bible give clues that we are approaching the season of His coming? How should this affect how we live our lives today?
Q: Why do I believe we are approaching the season of “the time of the end”?
1. Because of the Spirit’s witness and work in my life: Like Simeon, I have been given the hope of seeing the “appointed time of the end.” The Holy Spirit also gave me Daniel 11:32-33 as my life ministry verse, which speaks of teaching in the context of the days of the “abomination that causes desolation” (Dan. 11:31).
2. Because of the Scriptures:The Holy Spirit also opened the Scriptures to me to see that the overwhelming testimony of Scripture points to this period of history we are soon approaching…
I. Isaiah 46:10
God has declared the end from the beginning. God actually announced the end of all things at the creation of all things. So if you want to understand the end, you need to understand the beginning. Did you know that creation week is actually a picture of history, and of the last days?
Even More Definitions😊:
· Millennium:The 1,000-year period of rest at the end of this age, when Christ will set up His earthly kingdom on the throne of David in Jerusalem (See Rev. 20:1-10).
· Amillennialism: Believes that there will not (a-) be a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth. This position tends to spiritualize the millennial kingdom and suggests we are in the kingdom already, with Jesus currently ruling on the throne of David in heaven (in a spiritual sense). This view tends to interpret the promises made to the nation of Israel as being fulfilled in the Church (“Replacement Theology”) and assigns to the 1st century many of the passages concerning future tribulation, great apostasy, and a literal antichrist at the end of the age. This view is growing in popularity and dominant in the Catholic Church and Reformed/Covenant Theology.
· Chiliasm (Historic Premillennialism): “Chiliasm is the belief that there is a future 1,000-year reign of Christ where perfect peace will reign, and the Lord Jesus will be King on earth. Chiliasm is also known as millennialism.” (https://carm.org/dictionary/chiliasm)
The belief held by many of the Church Fathers (e.g. Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius) was that Christ would return at the end of 6000 years of earth history under the curse to set up His millennial (1000-year) kingdom on the earth. This is patterned after Creation Week and the Sabbath/Jubilee cycles (see below).
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
Biblical time markers:
1. Creation Week & The Sabbath (Day): 6 days of work + 1 day of rest = 7 days.
Why did God take so long to create? Why seven days? God’s own acts of creation and rest established a prophetic pattern (“type”) for the Sabbath day, Sabbath year, and Sabbath millennium. Just as those were literal days, so there must be a literal 1000-year Millennial Sabbath rest for the earth after 6000 years of labour under the curse. This is in keeping with the Bible’s teaching that in certain instances, a prophetic “day” = 1000 years. (Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:8-11; 31:14-17; Lev. 25:1-7; Rev. 20:4-6)
2. The Sabbath Year: (6 years + 1 year = 7 years.)
Hebrew slaves were to be set free after six years. (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12-15)
The land was also to be given a Sabbath rest every seventh year. (Exodus 23:10-12) This is a prophetic pattern (“type”).
The Sabbath millennium:
Just as there were six days followed by a seventh day, six years followed by a seventh year, so too there will be 6000 years of labour and toil under sin and the curse whereby we, humanity, are slaves to sin, and also the land is cursed, ever since the Garden of Eden. There will be 6000 years under that economy, and then, Messiah will come and establish His 1000-year, seventh-day millennial rest.
Here we can see that the book of Revelation gives us the final key to understanding that creation was a prophetic picture announcing the end from the beginning, that the end of this present age would come 6000 years after creation.
“Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. 13 In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.”
3. The Jubilee Year: Every 50th year was to be a Jubilee year. (Lev. 25:8-13ff)
slaves were set free; everyone returns to their own property
debts forgiven; (forgiveness of sins)
property was returned to its rightful heirs.
This is a prophetic picture (“type”) of the Millennial Kingdom. How many jubilee cycles will there be?
“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
Vs. 5-6: “formed… destroyed…” Refers to the creation and to the destruction of the world by the flood in the days of Noah.
Vs. 7: “By the same word…reserved for fire…” Contrary to human wisdom, we do not look only at the past to determine the future, but to God’s word.
Vs. 8: Peter is quoting Moses in Psalm 90:4 which many people use to explain that God is outside of time, and that time for God is not the same as time is for us. But I also believe, as the church fathers did, that this also supports the idea that the days of creation were prophetic of periods of thousands of years = six days of creation = six thousand years from creation to the day of judgement (the Day of the Lord) followed by a 1000-year millennial rest.
But let’s look at Vs. 6-7 again: “By the same word…” What word is Peter talking about? In Genesis chapter 6, we see God announcing the flood because the wickedness of man’s heart was continually evil all of the time.
““Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for they are [corrupted flesh]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.””
Genesis chapter 6:3 My spirit will not contend with man…120 years.” This is clearly not referring to the length of man’s life, but rather, I believe, to the length of time to the end of the age. This is clearly not referring to 120 “ordinary” years, because it would have happened already if that were the case. I believe it refers to 120 jubilee cycles. (120 jubilee cycles x 50 = 6000 years.)
Jubilee cycles: 50th year Jubilee (7x7+1) x 120 cycles = 6000 years
120 = 12 (governmental number) x 10 (number of completeness or fullness). Therefore, this symbolizes the time between the first Adam surrendering his dominion mandate to Satan in the garden of Eden until God the Father establishes His government on the shoulders of His Son, the second Adam, at the consummation of the age.
· See Lev. 25:8-13ff; 2 Peter 3:7; Gen. 6:3
4. Hosea’s Prophecy of Israel’s ~2,000-Year Exile & Return (5:14-6:3):
“For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. 15 Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face—in their misery they will earnestly seek me.” 6 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
Vs. 1: Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. I believe that this was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus spoke His scathing criticisms of the religious establishment. (See Matthew chapter 23) Jesus returned to His father and notice what Hosea says, that He will return when they have borne their guild and seek His face. There is a connection here between Jesus’ return and Israel’s national repentance at the end of the age. Jacob’s trouble = great tribulation.
Vs. 6: Jesus does not come in judgement to cut off the Jewish nation, but to redeem and heal them. Timing: “After two days…On the third day…” Resurrection, revival two days after He returns to His place with the Father.
Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection at dawn on the third day is a prophetic pattern for the timing of Israel’s spiritual rebirth after 2 “days” (~2000 years). Jesus raised and returned to His Father around 30-32AD. (Adding 2000 years = 2030 approximately.)
5. Moses’ prophecy in Psalm 90:10
“The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.”
This passage is not speaking about the length of a man’s life being 70 or 80 years, but of the corporate life of the nation of Israel. Israel was never a nation in the land for only 70 or 80 years historically…
Psalm 90 is a prophetic prayer of Moses speaking to the future of the nation in the last days. Israel will once again be reborn as a nation, but only for a short time before trouble comes and her strength is nearly cut off—this is the time of Jacob’s trouble or the Great Tribulation. Israel was “reborn” in a day in 1948 and regained the city of Jerusalem in 1967. (1948 + 70 or 80 years = 2018 or 2028. 1967 + 70 years = 2037.)
II. The Time is Near!
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Rev. 1:3)
Q: Haven’t there been enough false prophets and false predictions? How will we know “the time is near” for all the things which must take place and for the Lord’s return?
Jesus spoke to this very issue…
““Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.””
Vs. 7-9: “Watch out that no one deceives you…the end will not come right away.”
Vs. 10-19: General signs (wars, earthquakes, famines, diseases, fearful events & great signs in the heavens, persecutions by both religious and government authorities)
Vs. 20: Specific signs: “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.” See also Matt. 24:15
Vs. 25: celestial signs, men faint from terror (These events clearly did not happen in history.)
Vs. 27-28: “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Vs. 29-31: “He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. See also Matt. 24:32-35.
Q: Why do I believe we are approaching the season of “the time of the end”? How will we know that “the time is near” for all the things which must take place and for the Lord’s return?
1. Because of Israel: The return & restoration of the Kingdom of Israel—made up of Jewish & Gentile believers—is the focal point of all prophecy in connection with Messiah’s second coming.
2. Because of the nations: Middle East, rising globalism, deception, apostasy.
3. Because of the Scriptures: the overwhelming testimony of Scripture points to this period of history we are approaching…
“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”