Many Christians today are under the impression that the prophecies in book of Revelation are future or about to occur soon. This stems from Dispensational Theology and it's premillennial eschatology. One of the main tenets of dispensational theology is that upon the rejection of Christ by Israel, God's prophetic clock stopped if you will, and he went to plan B, inserting a parenthetical gap between Daniel's 69th and 70th week and Revelation Ch.3 and 4 called the "church age" or the dispensation of grace. While there is much more about Dispensationalism that could be addressed, it is this "gap theory" that I will focus on.
When one opens John's Apocalypse they are immediately faced with these verses:
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
In a nutshell, John is addressing his fellow servants and the seven churches and is going to show them things "prophesy" which must shortly come to pass for the time was at hand.
Many have attempted to downplay these verses, twisting them, spiritualizing them, you name it, it's been tried. The denial of the plain meaning of these words for the sake of one's personal beliefs or theology is folly. Now as John opened Revelation he closes in similar manner.
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
In the book of Daniel Ch. 12 Daniel is told seal up the words of the book until the time of the end and to go his way. John was told to do no such thing for the time was at hand, the time of the end, the end of the 70 weeks and the destruction of Jerusalem. There can be no other conclusion if we remain faithful to scripture and not man made doctrines.
So you see God's prophetic clock did not stop, there are no gap's, nor is there one mentioned or alluded to in scripture.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luk 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
When one opens John's Apocalypse they are immediately faced with these verses:
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
In a nutshell, John is addressing his fellow servants and the seven churches and is going to show them things "prophesy" which must shortly come to pass for the time was at hand.
Many have attempted to downplay these verses, twisting them, spiritualizing them, you name it, it's been tried. The denial of the plain meaning of these words for the sake of one's personal beliefs or theology is folly. Now as John opened Revelation he closes in similar manner.
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
In the book of Daniel Ch. 12 Daniel is told seal up the words of the book until the time of the end and to go his way. John was told to do no such thing for the time was at hand, the time of the end, the end of the 70 weeks and the destruction of Jerusalem. There can be no other conclusion if we remain faithful to scripture and not man made doctrines.
So you see God's prophetic clock did not stop, there are no gap's, nor is there one mentioned or alluded to in scripture.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luk 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
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