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Was Revelation Written About The Distant Future?

sooda

Veteran Member
Both popular and academic readings of Revelation still suffer from a need to find some future supposed reference to various features of the text. This is despite considerable evidence that the text would have made good sense to its first-century readers, and that many would have been able to understand it as a depiction of their own world, albeit in a highly symbolic form.

The development of this ‘futurist’ reading strategy arose from ignorance of the meaning of the text quite quickly into the second century. So (for example) we find Irenaeus (130–202) speculating about the meaning of 666 (Against Heresies 5), discussing textual variants that include 616, but knowing the correct reading from people he knows who knew John’s teaching. And yet he cannot decipher the reference, and speculates it might be ‘Teitan’ or ‘Lateinus.’

With the rise of an interest in the classical world in the late 18th and 19th centuries came the explosion of interest in archaeology and papyrology, which meant that we now know much more about the ancient world than previous generations did, even ones that were quite close in time.

This went hand in hand with the growth of historical critical ways of reading the New Testament, and with it the conviction that our interpretation of the NT must start and be shaped by the historical meaning of the texts, that is, what the text meant to the writer and first readers. For most texts, this has led to the displacement of allegorical or speculative readings—seen as just that: speculative—with its historical meaning.


But the one text where this has not happened is the Book of Revelation. Even though futurist readings came about to fill the vacuum left by the absence of historical understanding, Western commentators often simply add back the historical meaning, but retain the futurist reading, so the text now means or refers to two different sets of things. Robert Mounce (who wrote the Eerdmans NIC commentary) explains it like this:

The predictions of John, while expressed in terms reflecting his own culture, will find their final and complete fulfillment in the last days of history. Although John saw the Roman Empire as the great beast that threatened the extinction of the church, there will be in the last days an eschatological beast who will sustain the same relationship with the church of the great tribulation. It is this eschatological beast, portrayed in type by Rome, that the Apocalypse describes…

It seems quite acceptable to believe in the dual fulfilment of biblical prophecy whilst accepting that the Old Testament prophets did not necessarily have the second (main) fulfilment in mind, even though they may have been “trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing.” However the New Testament writers, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recognised the second fulfilment.

The same thing applies to New Testament prophecies. The writers made predictions which sometimes referred to 1st century events and did not necessarily have a second major fulfilment in mind. Similarly Jesus made predictions which his hearers may have applied only to 1st century events. But it is clear that some of these predictions do have a second major fulfilment which is still future. We have to be careful, though, in seeking a correct understanding of these predictions.

There is a fascinating move going on here. Because the OT prophetic texts have a ‘second fulfilment’ in the person of Jesus, then NT ‘prophetic’ texts will also have a ‘second fulfilment’ in the timetable of ‘last days’ events. Note that Mounce is not here talking of the kind of partially-realised eschatology we find in Paul, for example in Romans 8, where what we have now is the ‘first fruits’ of what we will experience when Jesus returns. He is talking about historical events referred to (such as the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70) having corresponding historical events in a ‘last days’ calendar.

He does not appear to notice that is actually the opposite of what is happening in relation to the OT. The fact that there is a ‘second fulfilment’ in Jesus is because Jesus is the ultimate expression of God and his purposes, and all his promises find their ‘yes’ in him. To say that there is a further series of events that are needed to fulfil the NT is to say that not all God’s promises find their ‘yes’ in Jesus. Futurist eschatological schemes actually undermine the centrality of Jesus in the NT, because they focus the fulfilment of God’s promises in a scheme, rather than in his person.

But more significantly (in relation to Revelation) there is no indication whatever in the text itself that the symbolic action has this kind of ‘double reference.’ There is repeated emphasis on the fact that this is all to happen ‘soon’. The primary genre of the book is of a letter; John is addressing people he knows who live in a particular historical and cultural context, and since the work of Ramsay and Hemer on the seven ‘messages’ in chapters two and three, we have appreciated that Revelation is firmly embedded in its historical and cultural context. And the function of the messages themselves is to root the action in the world of first-century Asia; the visions that follow are not detached from the world they live in, but describe and speak to their world very directly.

At the end of the book, there is a key phrase which reinforces all this:

Then he [the angel] told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.” (Rev 22.10)


What does this verse mean? It cannot be read in isolation from the parallel verse in Daniel 12.4 and 9–10:


But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge….Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

(We can see the allusion to Daniel 12 in Rev 22 by the echo in 22.11 of the phrase from Daniel ‘the wicked will continue to be wicked.’)

continued

Was Revelation written about the distant future?
 

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74x12

Well-Known Member
Going to the wise people of this current age and asking them what the Bible means is useless. God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness and has made the wisdom of the wise to be a snare for those who trust in it. Because only God can give the interpretation of a thing. When God says anything; then only God can explain it's meaning. Not even Satan or the fallen angels understand it. They have to listen to what God is telling His own people so they can understand it.

Notice that Daniel doesn't understand his own vision in Daniel 12:8-9 and the angel basically tells him not to worry about it because it's for "the time of the end". It wasn't given for Daniel's own time. Yet, you say it's not for the time of the end? We shouldn't ignore what the scriptures say about themselves.

But as he tells Daniel, the wise will understand. So if people want to be wise they should actually take the Bible seriously. Whatever it says about itself is what is true.

The world is controlled currently by the use of numerology witchcraft on the 5th dimension. This is done with the help of spirit guides who are extra-dimensional entities.

No wonder John tells us "Let he who has wisdom count the number of the beast" Because we should be paying attention to the numbers these people use.

Imagine geometry which is only 2d or 3d; but now it's taken all the way into the 5th dimension. Ritualized of course and used to control reality. If you understand this then you can understand how these numbers always manifest in ways that are impossible. Because they're doing it on the 5th dimension.

Basically, everything is rigged from elections to sports games by the numbers ... You're all living in a fake world.
 

dingdao

The eternal Tao cannot be told - Tao Te Ching
I'll comment on Revelations only.

John of Patmos composed Revelations in Hebrew with the Kabbala in mind. He then used the common translation techniques to record it in Greek. Hence the stilted grammar.
Neron Kaiser transposes to 666. He (Nero) blamed the Christians for the famous fire. He also used Christians as human candles for his palace, and other tortures. He put down a Jewish revolt and installed his bust on the Temple's alter, the Desecration of Desolation, 66AD.
He also imposed the first tax on Rome to rebuild after the fire. (Rome functioned on corruption.) He used some of this money to build a palace where the Colosseum now stands. This made him a lot of powerful political enemies.
At the time Revelations was written, Vespasian was Emperor and his son, Titus, had a Jewish wife. Things were looking up.
The came the Jewish revolt of 70AD. Vespasian sacked the Temple, which was also The Bank as referenced by the mentioning of a signet ring in The Prodigal Son.
With the destruction of the Temple form of Judaism and the economy, Vespasian and Titus had enough money and slavepower to build the Colosseum.

Translate Revelations back to Hebrew and do a Kabbalistic analysis to get the fine points.

Yes, I'm a preterist.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
Going to the wise people of this current age and asking them what the Bible means is useless. God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness and has made the wisdom of the wise to be a snare for those who trust in it. Because only God can give the interpretation of a thing. When God says anything; then only God can explain it's meaning. Not even Satan or the fallen angels understand it. They have to listen to what God is telling His own people so they can understand it.

Notice that Daniel doesn't understand his own vision in Daniel 12:8-9 and the angel basically tells him not to worry about it because it's for "the time of the end". It wasn't given for Daniel's own time. Yet, you say it's not for the time of the end? We shouldn't ignore what the scriptures say about themselves.

But as he tells Daniel, the wise will understand. So if people want to be wise they should actually take the Bible seriously. Whatever it says about itself is what is true.

The world is controlled currently by the use of numerology witchcraft on the 5th dimension. This is done with the help of spirit guides who are extra-dimensional entities.

No wonder John tells us "Let he who has wisdom count the number of the beast" Because we should be paying attention to the numbers these people use.

Imagine geometry which is only 2d or 3d; but now it's taken all the way into the 5th dimension. Ritualized of course and used to control reality. If you understand this then you can understand how these numbers always manifest in ways that are impossible. Because they're doing it on the 5th dimension.

Basically, everything is rigged from elections to sports games by the numbers ... You're all living in a fake world.

I'm not living in a fake world. I don't let the charlatans dictate meaning.. or conflate ancient writings with modern countries or people.

"The world is controlled currently by the use of numerology witchcraft on the 5th dimension. This is done with the help of spirit guides who are extra-dimensional entities. "

Wow.. How did you surmise that bit of nonsense?
 

sooda

Veteran Member
I'll comment on Revelations only.

John of Patmos composed Revelations in Hebrew with the Kabbala in mind. He then used the common translation techniques to record it in Greek. Hence the stilted grammar.
Neron Kaiser transposes to 666. He (Nero) blamed the Christians for the famous fire. He also used Christians as human candles for his palace, and other tortures. He put down a Jewish revolt and installed his bust on the Temple's alter, the Desecration of Desolation, 66AD.
He also imposed the first tax on Rome to rebuild after the fire. (Rome functioned on corruption.) He used some of this money to build a palace where the Colosseum now stands. This made him a lot of powerful political enemies.
At the time Revelations was written, Vespasian was Emperor and his son, Titus, had a Jewish wife. Things were looking up.
The came the Jewish revolt of 70AD. Vespasian sacked the Temple, which was also The Bank as referenced by the mentioning of a signet ring in The Prodigal Son.
With the destruction of the Temple form of Judaism and the economy, Vespasian and Titus had enough money and slavepower to build the Colosseum.

Translate Revelations back to Hebrew and do a Kabbalistic analysis to get the fine points.

Yes, I'm a preterist.

Actually, Nero died in 68 AD so Vespasian was recalled to Rome and his son Titus took over control of the Roman legions and those Arab, Egyptian and Syrians who fought alongside the Romans.

Titus' mistress was granddaughter of Herod.. Berneice of Jerusalem. The reason things got so terrible is because the Jews themselves were divided.. Some wanted to kill the Romans and throw them out.. others supported the status quo of the Roman occupation.
 

dingdao

The eternal Tao cannot be told - Tao Te Ching
Actually, Nero died in 68 AD so Vespasian was recalled to Rome and his son Titus took over control of the Roman legions and those Arab, Egyptian and Syrians who fought alongside the Romans.

Titus' mistress was granddaughter of Herod.. Berneice of Jerusalem. The reason things got so terrible is because the Jews themselves were divided.. Some wanted to kill the Romans and throw them out.. others supported the status quo of the Roman occupation.
They were afraid of the ghost of Nero, so they referred to him by the Kabbalistic evaluation of his Latin title.
After all, he made the Christians an enemy of the state.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
They were afraid of the ghost of Nero, so they referred to him by the Kabbalistic evaluation of his Latin title.
After all, he made the Christians an enemy of the state.

Yes, they were afraid of Nero.. That he would come back from the dead and return with an army of Parthians from across the Euphrates River. Reincarnation was a common belief up until the 5th century.

Dominitian was also a brutal oppressor and he followed Nero after the year of four emperors.. (69 AD) Rome had its own civil turmoil and riots during that period.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
@dingdao

The Year of the Four Emperors, 69 AD, was a year in the history of the Roman Empire in which four emperors ruled in succession: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.

The suicide of the emperor Nero in 68 was followed by a brief period of civil war, the first Roman civil war since Mark Antony's death in 30 BC.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
I continue to think that when Revelation begins with "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" that we are supposed to read it as a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Verse three states that this letter is prophecy, that it must be read aloud and heard aloud. This 'Blessing' is to all who hear and take to heart these words read aloud, which is to say it is a Revelation of Jesus Christ not merely a revelation of things to come, and even the things to come we are told are signs and symbols. What can this mean if not that it reveals Christ. The blessing is non other than the blessing promised to Abraham when he was told all the world would be blessed through him, and the book here goes further saying that this prophecy makes people into a nation of kings and priests.

Verse 6 affirms that this is what the blessing refers to when it says "...made us to be a kingdom and priests..." which introduces Exodus 19:6-9 spoken of the Jews and runs parallel to Exodus for several verses extending to where it says "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud..." Notice here what that cloud is in Revelation is not a mist but people. They are the people who hear the words of the prophecy and take them to heart.

There is an evil claim running rampant that Revelation is proof of Christ's power to predict the future, power to do miracles and power to scratch our backs for us. Nothing could be further from the words of this book. Try to come up with something more alien to it. You can't.

Verse seven says "Every eye will see him." In other words he will be revealed to us if we hear the words of this prophecy read aloud and also take them to heart. Of course these days this either rare or impossible, since the language has been lost partially.

It is as I Corinthians 13:8 says "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." The book Revelation is evidence of this. Note this passage in I Corinthians is also a denunciation of all literalist perspectives of scripture.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Going to the wise people of this current age and asking them what the Bible means is useless. God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness and has made the wisdom of the wise to be a snare for those who trust in it. Because only God can give the interpretation of a thing. When God says anything; then only God can explain it's meaning. Not even Satan or the fallen angels understand it. They have to listen to what God is telling His own people so they can understand it.

Notice that Daniel doesn't understand his own vision in Daniel 12:8-9 and the angel basically tells him not to worry about it because it's for "the time of the end". It wasn't given for Daniel's own time. Yet, you say it's not for the time of the end? We shouldn't ignore what the scriptures say about themselves.

But as he tells Daniel, the wise will understand. So if people want to be wise they should actually take the Bible seriously. Whatever it says about itself is what is true.

The world is controlled currently by the use of numerology witchcraft on the 5th dimension. This is done with the help of spirit guides who are extra-dimensional entities.

No wonder John tells us "Let he who has wisdom count the number of the beast" Because we should be paying attention to the numbers these people use.

Imagine geometry which is only 2d or 3d; but now it's taken all the way into the 5th dimension. Ritualized of course and used to control reality. If you understand this then you can understand how these numbers always manifest in ways that are impossible. Because they're doing it on the 5th dimension.

Basically, everything is rigged from elections to sports games by the numbers ... You're all living in a fake world.

I'm buying your story, simply because it is the most entertaining one.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
I continue to think that when Revelation begins with "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" that we are supposed to read it as a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Verse three states that this letter is prophecy, that it must be read aloud and heard aloud. This 'Blessing' is to all who hear and take to heart these words read aloud, which is to say it is a Revelation of Jesus Christ not merely a revelation of things to come, and even the things to come we are told are signs and symbols. What can this mean if not that it reveals Christ. The blessing is non other than the blessing promised to Abraham when he was told all the world would be blessed through him, and the book here goes further saying that this prophecy makes people into a nation of kings and priests.

Verse 6 affirms that this is what the blessing refers to when it says "...made us to be a kingdom and priests..." which introduces Exodus 19:6-9 spoken of the Jews and runs parallel to Exodus for several verses extending to where it says "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud..." Notice here what that cloud is in Revelation is not a mist but people. They are the people who hear the words of the prophecy and take them to heart.

There is an evil claim running rampant that Revelation is proof of Christ's power to predict the future, power to do miracles and power to scratch our backs for us. Nothing could be further from the words of this book. Try to come up with something more alien to it. You can't.

Verse seven says "Every eye will see him." In other words he will be revealed to us if we hear the words of this prophecy read aloud and also take them to heart. Of course these days this either rare or impossible, since the language has been lost partially.

It is as I Corinthians 13:8 says "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." The book Revelation is evidence of this. Note this passage in I Corinthians is also a denunciation of all literalist perspectives of scripture.

It only makes sense to me that the letter would be read aloud to the congregations.

REVELATION CHAPTER 3 KJV

It helps to study the history of the first century to try and understand the writings and their symbolism, but I doubt we can ever get a comprehensive grasp of the symbolism that made perfect sense to the people of the first century.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
Going to the wise people of this current age and asking them what the Bible means is useless. God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness and has made the wisdom of the wise to be a snare for those who trust in it. Because only God can give the interpretation of a thing. When God says anything; then only God can explain it's meaning. Not even Satan or the fallen angels understand it. They have to listen to what God is telling His own people so they can understand it.

Notice that Daniel doesn't understand his own vision in Daniel 12:8-9 and the angel basically tells him not to worry about it because it's for "the time of the end". It wasn't given for Daniel's own time. Yet, you say it's not for the time of the end? We shouldn't ignore what the scriptures say about themselves.

But as he tells Daniel, the wise will understand. So if people want to be wise they should actually take the Bible seriously. Whatever it says about itself is what is true.

The world is controlled currently by the use of numerology witchcraft on the 5th dimension. This is done with the help of spirit guides who are extra-dimensional entities.

No wonder John tells us "Let he who has wisdom count the number of the beast" Because we should be paying attention to the numbers these people use.

Imagine geometry which is only 2d or 3d; but now it's taken all the way into the 5th dimension. Ritualized of course and used to control reality. If you understand this then you can understand how these numbers always manifest in ways that are impossible. Because they're doing it on the 5th dimension.

Basically, everything is rigged from elections to sports games by the numbers ... You're all living in a fake world.

There is NO Daniel.. Daniel is the character in a story that spans 500 years and had MANY authors.
 

sooda

Veteran Member
THE PROPHETS WHO WERE ACTIVE DURING THE EXILE

THE PROPHETS WHO WERE ACTIVE DURING THE EXILE

Ezekiel's Messianic message


is largely found in chapters 33--39. The people once dispersed will once again gather together like "dry bones", and God will breath his spirit into them (chap.37).

Ezekiel was the Old Testament's most "priestly" prophet; small wonder, then, that he devotes many chapters (40--48) to the description of the future temple and its symbolic sacrificial rites. His prophecy also contains much that is of consolation to the thirsty soul (eg. chap.34).
 

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
This is despite considerable evidence that the text would have made good sense to its first-century readers

Basically you think the Bible is an ancient newspaper, meant for the people of the day to keep up with current news. Despite the knowledge of ancient people passed on their history verbally for thousands of years before the written word ever existed. Yet all the sudden they changed their minds, made a newspaper and called it a day? You dont see anything suspect about that line of thought?
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
A truly fulfilled prophecy was made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's founder Joseph Smith. This true prophet made a prophecy describing the American Civil War nearly 30 years before this historic war took place; this prophecy was totally fulfilled: :there will be a war between the northern states and the southern states beginning in South Carolina; the southern states will call upon Great Britain for assistance. Hence, this proves Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

Doctrine and Covenants 87
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
Going to the wise people of this current age and asking them what the Bible means is useless. God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness and has made the wisdom of the wise to be a snare for those who trust in it. Because only God can give the interpretation of a thing. When God says anything; then only God can explain it's meaning. Not even Satan or the fallen angels understand it. They have to listen to what God is telling His own people so they can understand it.

Notice that Daniel doesn't understand his own vision in Daniel 12:8-9 and the angel basically tells him not to worry about it because it's for "the time of the end". It wasn't given for Daniel's own time. Yet, you say it's not for the time of the end? We shouldn't ignore what the scriptures say about themselves.

Right on! We agree on this, For sure!
 

MJFlores

Well-Known Member
Both popular and academic readings of Revelation still suffer from a need to find some future supposed reference to various features of the text. This is despite considerable evidence that the text would have made good sense to its first-century readers, and that many would have been able to understand it as a depiction of their own world, albeit in a highly symbolic form.

The development of this ‘futurist’ reading strategy arose from ignorance of the meaning of the text quite quickly into the second century. So (for example) we find Irenaeus (130–202) speculating about the meaning of 666 (Against Heresies 5), discussing textual variants that include 616, but knowing the correct reading from people he knows who knew John’s teaching. And yet he cannot decipher the reference, and speculates it might be ‘Teitan’ or ‘Lateinus.’

With the rise of an interest in the classical world in the late 18th and 19th centuries came the explosion of interest in archaeology and papyrology, which meant that we now know much more about the ancient world than previous generations did, even ones that were quite close in time.

This went hand in hand with the growth of historical critical ways of reading the New Testament, and with it the conviction that our interpretation of the NT must start and be shaped by the historical meaning of the texts, that is, what the text meant to the writer and first readers. For most texts, this has led to the displacement of allegorical or speculative readings—seen as just that: speculative—with its historical meaning.


But the one text where this has not happened is the Book of Revelation. Even though futurist readings came about to fill the vacuum left by the absence of historical understanding, Western commentators often simply add back the historical meaning, but retain the futurist reading, so the text now means or refers to two different sets of things. Robert Mounce (who wrote the Eerdmans NIC commentary) explains it like this:

The predictions of John, while expressed in terms reflecting his own culture, will find their final and complete fulfillment in the last days of history. Although John saw the Roman Empire as the great beast that threatened the extinction of the church, there will be in the last days an eschatological beast who will sustain the same relationship with the church of the great tribulation. It is this eschatological beast, portrayed in type by Rome, that the Apocalypse describes…

It seems quite acceptable to believe in the dual fulfilment of biblical prophecy whilst accepting that the Old Testament prophets did not necessarily have the second (main) fulfilment in mind, even though they may have been “trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing.” However the New Testament writers, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recognised the second fulfilment.

The same thing applies to New Testament prophecies. The writers made predictions which sometimes referred to 1st century events and did not necessarily have a second major fulfilment in mind. Similarly Jesus made predictions which his hearers may have applied only to 1st century events. But it is clear that some of these predictions do have a second major fulfilment which is still future. We have to be careful, though, in seeking a correct understanding of these predictions.

There is a fascinating move going on here. Because the OT prophetic texts have a ‘second fulfilment’ in the person of Jesus, then NT ‘prophetic’ texts will also have a ‘second fulfilment’ in the timetable of ‘last days’ events. Note that Mounce is not here talking of the kind of partially-realised eschatology we find in Paul, for example in Romans 8, where what we have now is the ‘first fruits’ of what we will experience when Jesus returns. He is talking about historical events referred to (such as the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70) having corresponding historical events in a ‘last days’ calendar.

He does not appear to notice that is actually the opposite of what is happening in relation to the OT. The fact that there is a ‘second fulfilment’ in Jesus is because Jesus is the ultimate expression of God and his purposes, and all his promises find their ‘yes’ in him. To say that there is a further series of events that are needed to fulfil the NT is to say that not all God’s promises find their ‘yes’ in Jesus. Futurist eschatological schemes actually undermine the centrality of Jesus in the NT, because they focus the fulfilment of God’s promises in a scheme, rather than in his person.

But more significantly (in relation to Revelation) there is no indication whatever in the text itself that the symbolic action has this kind of ‘double reference.’ There is repeated emphasis on the fact that this is all to happen ‘soon’. The primary genre of the book is of a letter; John is addressing people he knows who live in a particular historical and cultural context, and since the work of Ramsay and Hemer on the seven ‘messages’ in chapters two and three, we have appreciated that Revelation is firmly embedded in its historical and cultural context. And the function of the messages themselves is to root the action in the world of first-century Asia; the visions that follow are not detached from the world they live in, but describe and speak to their world very directly.

At the end of the book, there is a key phrase which reinforces all this:

Then he [the angel] told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.” (Rev 22.10)


What does this verse mean? It cannot be read in isolation from the parallel verse in Daniel 12.4 and 9–10:


But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge….Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

(We can see the allusion to Daniel 12 in Rev 22 by the echo in 22.11 of the phrase from Daniel ‘the wicked will continue to be wicked.’)

continued

Was Revelation written about the distant future?

When the Book of Revelation was written it was during the time of apostle John.
After 2,000 years, I believe we are now that distant future.

He wrote about the seven seals
which is followed by the seven trumpets
which is followed by the seven woes

I have touched on the first and fifth seal and could be viewed in a different thread in this forum.
Nine Pieces Of Evidence That Confirm The Historical Accuracy Of The Bible

1st seal - white horse - Nicene Christianity becomes a state religion 380 AD
2nd seal - red horse - Crusade expeditions occurred between 1096 and 1291 AD
3rd seal - black horse - Great Famine in Europe 1315–1317
4rth seal - pale horse - Black Death 1347-1351

#408 MJFlores, Mar 20, 2019

When the Bible was completed, the prophecies shined as history unfolded.
Example of the prophecy written:

Revelation 6:9-11 New International Version (NIV)
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Prophecy fulfilled, History:

The Inquisition was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Beginning in the 12th century and continuing for hundreds of years, the Inquisition is infamous for the severity of its tortures and its persecution of Jews and Muslims. Its worst manifestation was in Spain, where the Spanish Inquisition was a dominant force for more than 200 years, resulting in some 32,000 executions.

https://www.history.com/topics/religion/inquisition


In my opinion, the seven seals mentioned in the Book of Revelations were fulfilled. It is the trumpets that would be revealed next.
 
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