Don’t keep secret the prophetic words of this book, for the time is near. Revelation 22:10
The time for Jesus to return is near.
Of course, every generation of church-goers from the first church in Jerusalem until now believed Jesus would return soon. They were wrong.
Why am I right?
Let’s say you are a new Christian in 150 AD, in the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Your name is Khons (since the name is ancient, take your best shot at pronouncing correctly.) The pastor of the First House Church of Alexandria has just received a Codex of the book of Revelation.
He is reading the book every night in the house church.
Over and over, night after night, Pastor Maat (go with “Matt” as the pronunciation) has been reading the book of Revelation. For an hour and a half every evening you listen to the book of Revelation (the ancient Egyptians were the first to divide the day into 24 hours).
By listening over and over, you have the entire book memorized.
But you have questions!
Reviewing the book from memory, you are asking:
First, how is it possible for the entire world to see the two witnesses die?
Second, how can you buy things with a mark on your hand?
Third, how can one-third of the world’s population die quickly?
Since you are play-acting as Khons, I’m not giving chapter and verse of these thoughts from the book of Revelation. The chapter and verse markings weren’t put into place until 1227, so you don’t have them in ancient Alexandria. If you were a member of Pastor Maat’s church, he would be encouraging you (just like Khons) to memorize the entire book of Revelation.
Khons has questions, Pastor Maat has questions, and you would too if you lived in 150 AD.
However, you live today, and the questions of the early church about the book of Revelation are easily answered…
First: Everyone in the world watching an event? Happens daily with mobile devices!
Second: A word-wide currency? Consider the US Dollar and emerging cryptocurrency creating an easy “666 rescue” when the dollar collapses.
Third, mass death from one cause around the entire world and at the same time? How about the past year?
What Khons couldn’t understand – you can today. And we don’t even have to memorize the entire book! I wonder what Khons would have thought about looking up Revelation chapter 8, verse one on a mobile device?
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Revelation 8:1 ESV
This seventh seal describes the last judgments – right before Jesus returns. Along with these judgments comes the knowledge to understand the book of Revelation. Often, the meaning of Biblical prophecy is revealed during the actual event of fulfillment.
Let me repeat: Often the meaning of Biblical prophecy is revealed during the actual event of fulfillment.
The “seventh seal” judgments and the knowledge to understand them are realized now, not in the time of Khons or Pastor Maat, but in our time.
Look up, the TIME IS NEAR!
Interruptions will feature the Book of Revelation in 2021. Read #280, #281, #295, #307, #316, #333, #343, #364, #380, and #395 at www.grantedwardsauthor.com for previous blogs on Revelation.
I’m writing 19 more blogs on Revelation in the next year.