I
see the problem clearly: people are ignoring the plain time
statements in the text and replacing them with tradition. Revelation
1:1 says it was to show His bond servants "the things which must
soon take place." That phrase alone refutes the idea of a 2,000
year delay. Then in verse 3 it says, "for the time is near." People still think Revelation is about
the future because: They were taught futurism from the
pulpit. Generations have been told Revelation is about the end of the
world instead of the end of the Old Covenant age. They misunderstand the language.
Symbolic or apocalyptic language is taken literally, so they expect
literal beasts, marks, and global catastrophes. They ignore audience relevance.
Revelation was written to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4)
about things that concerned them. They overlook fulfillment. The
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was a massive historical event that
fulfilled Christ's prophecies, including those in Revelation. Jesus
said in Matthew 24:34, "this generation will not pass away until
all these things take place." If we let Scripture interpret itself
and honor its timing, it becomes clear Revelation was not about our
future, but about their soon coming judgment.
By Dan Maines
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