Stormcrow
Member
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Revelation 1:1-2 (NASB)
Revelation 1:1-3 establishes several key things about everything that follows in the rest of the book.
First, this is a vision of Christ revealed in heaven. Up to this point, the only testimony we have of the risen, ascended, glorified Christ in heaven comes from Stephen as he is about to be stoned to death (Acts 7:55-56), and Paul's Damascus road conversion (Acts 9:3-7). The book of Revelation was written to a wider audience so that they could know Christ was in heaven and God was in utter and complete control of things. It begins as a message of hope for the church undergoing intense persecution of which John is a "fellow partaker."
Second, it establishes that the contents of the book come from no less than God Himself, communicated to John through an angel.
Third, it establishes that the events of the book are soon to occur as they relate to John and his audience, the seven churches in Asia. This is such an important point that it is repeated throughout the book. These prophesied events were not meant for us living 2,000 years later! This is further born out by this verse:
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:3 (NASB)
If the book of Revelation is all about us, living in 21st century America, why would God Himself tell John to write something to people whom He knew would not live long enough to be blessed by reading and heeding the things written in it?
Put another way, it would be like God "blessing" someone in the 1st century with a treasure map for buried treasure on the moon and telling them they would have the treasure "soon"; God Himself knowing that the treasure could not be recovered for almost another 2,000 years!
Thus, the "futurist view" - in essence - makes God out either to be a cruel prankster or an insidious liar.
I will continue this in the next post...
Revelation 1:1-3 establishes several key things about everything that follows in the rest of the book.
First, this is a vision of Christ revealed in heaven. Up to this point, the only testimony we have of the risen, ascended, glorified Christ in heaven comes from Stephen as he is about to be stoned to death (Acts 7:55-56), and Paul's Damascus road conversion (Acts 9:3-7). The book of Revelation was written to a wider audience so that they could know Christ was in heaven and God was in utter and complete control of things. It begins as a message of hope for the church undergoing intense persecution of which John is a "fellow partaker."
Second, it establishes that the contents of the book come from no less than God Himself, communicated to John through an angel.
Third, it establishes that the events of the book are soon to occur as they relate to John and his audience, the seven churches in Asia. This is such an important point that it is repeated throughout the book. These prophesied events were not meant for us living 2,000 years later! This is further born out by this verse:
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:3 (NASB)
If the book of Revelation is all about us, living in 21st century America, why would God Himself tell John to write something to people whom He knew would not live long enough to be blessed by reading and heeding the things written in it?
Put another way, it would be like God "blessing" someone in the 1st century with a treasure map for buried treasure on the moon and telling them they would have the treasure "soon"; God Himself knowing that the treasure could not be recovered for almost another 2,000 years!
Thus, the "futurist view" - in essence - makes God out either to be a cruel prankster or an insidious liar.
I will continue this in the next post...