Hello Gena,
It goes right along with this regarding Revelation;http://bible-truths.com/lake7.htmlIS THE BOOK OF REVELATION A HISTORY OR A PROPHECY?
Has everything in the book of Revelation been already fulfilled as taught by the Preterist theory? Or is there much to yet be fulfilled in this prophecy?
Here is some wisdom concerning the prophecies of Revelation. John wrote in a book what he saw at the time of the vision. The seven churches of Asia Minor already existed at the time of his vision.
But the vision is not all history to those who read it down through the centuries, not at all. The things written in this book are both present and future to the reader: (1) "…to show to His servants things which must shortly [Greek: ‘quickly’ or ‘swiftly’] come to pass…" (Rev. 1:1), and
(2) "For I testify unto every man that hers the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things [written in this prophecy], God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book…" (Rev. 22:18).
Now then, if this book has already been completely fulfilled, how would it be possible for me or anyone else who reads this book down through the centuries, to "add to" or "take away from" the prophecy of this book? Such an admonition would be meaningless if everything in this book were already completely fulfilled by the end of the first century.
The contents of this prophecy started with the vision of John on Patmos two thousand years ago and will continue until the return of Christ and the judgment of the world, and continues even beyond that until the end of the ages spoken of in this prophecy!
DEFINING: "COME QUICKLY"
What does Christ mean when He says, "I come QUICKLY?" By the way, the word "shortly" in Rev. 1:1 is the same Greek translated "quickly" everywhere else in Revelation.
"…things that must quickly come to pass…" (Rev. 1:1)
"…I will come unto thee quickly…" (Rev. 2:5).
"…I will come unto thee quickly…" (Rev. 2:16).
"Behold, I come quickly… (Rev. 3:11).
"…the third woe comes quickly… (Rev. 11:14).
"Behold, I come quickly… (Rev. 22:7).
"And, behold, I come quickly… (Rev. 22:12).
"Surely I come [Greek: ‘am coming’] quickly… (Rev. 22:20)
From the first verse in Revelation to the last verse, we are told of things that must com to pass "quickly." But all this was written two thousand years ago and it has not as yet all come to pass. If two thousand years is "quickly," I would hate to know how long it would take if it came about "slowly." A contradiction in the Scriptures? Hardly. But is rather a contradiction in men’s interpretation of this prophecy.
I have had Preterists write me and ask if I couldn’t see that all of Revelation was already fulfilled in the first century AD? Oh really? Has "EVERY man’s work" been judged already in the lake of fire? And is it a fulfilled reality today that,
"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away"? (Rev. 21:4).
Have you seen the world news in the past two-four hours? Am I missing something? I see tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain, everywhere, every day!
All scholars agree that Revelation was written late in the first century AD. Are we to believe that God caused the most profound book in the entirety of the Bible to be written and fulfilled BEFORE virtually a single person had an opportunity to even read it? That’s absurd.
WHEN IS THE TIME AT HAND THAT JESUS COMES QUICKLY?
What and how then, does anything in this book come about "quickly?" Good question. Obviously not everything in the whole book has come about "quickly," because there is much yet to come about and be fulfilled. Just what then does come about "quickly?"
When Jesus tells John that He wants His servants to see what must "quickly" (or shortly, if anyone insists on using that word), He does not say that everything in this book must quickly or shortly, come to pass. Notice it: One time we are told that the third woe comes "quickly." And all of the other six times it is Jesus Christ Himself that comes "quickly."
"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly" (Rev. 11:14).
That is, it comes quickly behind the second woe. We have the first woe, then the second woe, and right on the heels of the second woe comes quickly the third and final woe. And so this use of the word "quickly" proves nothing concerning how long it takes to fulfill the whole book of Revelation.
So really then, the only use of the word quickly that we need to understand is how it is used with reference to Jesus Christ "coming quickly." Six times we are told, "I will come… I will come… I come… I come… I come… I come…" So it is JESUS CHRIST that "comes quickly," rather than all of the prophecies of the book being fulfilled quickly in any ONE generation.
Nowhere in Revelation does it say that every prophecy in the book will be fulfilled, quickly in any one generation—either past, present, or future. It is not just in one end-time generation that Revelation is fulfilled quickly! NO! It is fulfilled "quickly" in each and every person who "READS AND UNDERSTANDS" this prophecy, through all generations, even though there is an eventual culmination at the lake of fire and final white throne judgment.His Peace to you,
Joe