Revelation
22:10 says, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is near." This directly contrasts with Daniel
12:4, where Daniel was told, "But as for you, conceal these
words and seal up the book until the end of time." Daniel’s prophecy was sealed because
its fulfillment was far off. Revelation, however, was not sealed,
because its fulfillment was near. The Greek word for "near"
is engus, meaning close in proximity or time. It never means 2,000
years later. If the time was genuinely near when
John wrote this, then the events of Revelation had to be fulfilled in
the 1st century, not in our future. Otherwise, John would be
misleading his readers, who were told to obey the words of the
prophecy (Revelation 1:3), because the time was at hand.
By Dan Maines
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