The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chapter 1)
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Submitted by JStaller on Wed, 2008-09-24 05:29.
Alright. Here we go--the first chapter of Revelation. Highly charged imagery, dense Jewish symbolism, intense cultural and religious pressure, and a rich history of literature collide, producing (in my opinion) the greatest spiritual vision in the Christian experience. If you can enter into this vision, you will see Christ.
imminency question
When John uses the phrase 'the time is at hand' he is definitely referring to the already/not yet fulfillment of the kingdom of God. This is indicated by the context which you have pointed out Justin. However, could John also be giving us a verbal introduction to the nature of the Revelation? That is, the fulfillment of the plan of creation and redemption, the second coming of Christ and the final judgement. Many interpreters of the NT speak of the expectation of first century Christians that Jesus is coming at any moment. Verse one mentions 'things which shortly must come to pass'. These two phrases are the first references to the time element in the book. Two thousand years later, we are still waiting for Jesus to return and many preachers today claim that these are the final days. How do we correlate John's view with the many interpretations that see much of the apocalypse already fulfilled throughout history? How do we explain John's point of view in light of our own perspective today? Please explain.
Bro. TOM G.