Arial
Active member
POV: futurist/amillennial
If we approach Revelation from this view, and focus first on the pictures presented what do we see?
In the first three verses of the book we have a prologue which will help to orient us to the kind of contents we will be reading or hearing. The divine authority is stressed. "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show His servants---things which must shortly take place," and its certainty (must). It is made known to John through an angel. It is revelation--disclosing truth, rather than hiding it. These things we are about to read, though they come in symbolic form, is understandable. It is for "His servants" and not for a select elite or group of people. God expects all who hear and read it, from the point that it was given onward to "take to heart what is written (v 3)". To profit spiritually from what is written. "for the time is near."
Nearly 2000 years have past since Jesus gave this message to John, so how can the time be near? The answer according to futurist/amillennialism, is that spiritual war takes place throughout the church age (resurrection to second coming) and that the seven churches John is writing to will soon experience all the dimensions of the conflict. The last days were inaugurated by Christ's resurrection ( Acts 2:16-17). God is, (has been since the resurrection) putting into play the final phase of victorious warfare over evil. There is support for this in the wording John, uses in 1:1 which seems to be built on Dan 2:45. "A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."
This vision in Daniel ranges from Nebuchadnezzar's, encompassing several pagan empires until God's kingdom is established (Dan 2:44-45). This kingdom is inaugurated by Christ's first coming (Mark 1: 15; Luke 11:20; Rom 14:7) but it consummation is yet to come. We live in the last days (2Tim 3:1,12; Heb 1:2). It is the end time of spiritual conflict.
If we approach Revelation from this view, and focus first on the pictures presented what do we see?
In the first three verses of the book we have a prologue which will help to orient us to the kind of contents we will be reading or hearing. The divine authority is stressed. "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show His servants---things which must shortly take place," and its certainty (must). It is made known to John through an angel. It is revelation--disclosing truth, rather than hiding it. These things we are about to read, though they come in symbolic form, is understandable. It is for "His servants" and not for a select elite or group of people. God expects all who hear and read it, from the point that it was given onward to "take to heart what is written (v 3)". To profit spiritually from what is written. "for the time is near."
Nearly 2000 years have past since Jesus gave this message to John, so how can the time be near? The answer according to futurist/amillennialism, is that spiritual war takes place throughout the church age (resurrection to second coming) and that the seven churches John is writing to will soon experience all the dimensions of the conflict. The last days were inaugurated by Christ's resurrection ( Acts 2:16-17). God is, (has been since the resurrection) putting into play the final phase of victorious warfare over evil. There is support for this in the wording John, uses in 1:1 which seems to be built on Dan 2:45. "A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."
This vision in Daniel ranges from Nebuchadnezzar's, encompassing several pagan empires until God's kingdom is established (Dan 2:44-45). This kingdom is inaugurated by Christ's first coming (Mark 1: 15; Luke 11:20; Rom 14:7) but it consummation is yet to come. We live in the last days (2Tim 3:1,12; Heb 1:2). It is the end time of spiritual conflict.