The Sealed Book
"But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."
On the premise that perhaps we are about twelve years away from the end of the 6,000th year since Adam, it might be prudent to view the book of Revelation from that perspective. Unfortunately this leads us through the marshy bog of "ISTS"...preterist. historicist, dispensationalist, idealist, futurist, and any "IST" we missed. As we navigate this quagmire, may our guideposts remain the well documented math laid out in the scriptures. My Lord has recorded time in painstaking fashion in his word for such a time as this. At the end of the day, there is no "ISTING" around the chronology of scripture. And at the bottom of the blackboard math, we are nearing the end of 6,000 years since Adam. Neither the changing landscape, the revelations of science, nor the sensation of headlines can alter this stubborn constant of time. Like old man river, it just keeps rolling along.
Many people suppose that there is no specific 1,000 year time period just ahead. This position is often accompanied by strenuous didactic calisthenics, selective spiritualizing of the scriptures, and default appeals to the heavy symbolism employed in the book of Revelation. But a position of no seventh 1,000 years must not only ignore the math of chronology, it must also retain its soundness in the face of two glaring witnesses in scripture:
1).
The 1,000 year millennial reign of Jesus, the Christ of God.
2).
The 1,000 year binding of Satan with a great chain, in a bottomless pit.
In both cases, a specific 1,000 year time period is cited. Furthermore the argument against a literal 1,000 years must challenge six verses of scripture in a row, that attest to that selfsame period. Two or three verses would have been enough.
But perhaps the most notable discrepancy of this position, is its refusal to recognize the spiritual poetry of a seventh day of rest, as the perfect parallel to a seventh 1,000 years of life on earth. At this late stage it would seem a self-evident truth that earth-life sits within a very structured seven day/seven thousand year framework. It is a framework of mathematic genius, and of a master poet's beauty. To remove the seventh 1,000 year piece fabric from the tapestry renders it ragged and incomplete. It violates the basic math and the plain beauty, that life is a 7,000 year wonder. We are about twelve years away from completing 6,000 of those 7,000 years. That would leave 1,000 years ahead of us to complete the perfect timeline that God has created.
Viewing Revelation from this perspective, we might ask ourselves: "How much, if any, of the Revelation has already taken place over the past 2,000 years? Since John's vision some 19 centuries ago, how much of the Revelation still remains ahead of us? Have the seven seals been broken? Has the sealed book been opened? Have the seven trumpets or the seven thunders sounded? Have the seven vials of the wrath of God been poured out yet?"
It should here be noted that prophecy and vision always look forward in time. When John entered the spirit-zone 19 centuries ago (come up hither), it's a safe bet that everything he saw was still in the future. Moreover, if we look to the prophecies of old, we would have to consider a protracted period of time for Revelation's fulfillment, rather than a short 3 1/2 year period. God's prophecy to the serpent in Eden spans some 4,000 years. Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, while seeming to happen in an instant, took 14 years to transpire. In the 9th chapter of Isaiah, his prophecy has a progressive fulfillment. A child is born @760 years later. A son is given @793 years later. The remainder of the prophecy takes us past the end of days and into eternity. In another short instant of time Daniel sees an image made of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay. But its fulfillment requires the rise and fall of four consecutive kingdoms on earth, over many years.
Also noteworthy here is that the earthly things which represent heavenly things are very real. So too are those heavenly things which represent earthly things very real. They do not appear for but a moment to populate their vision, and then vaporize or vanish away. They are fixtures in that world, just as the tangible realities in our world.
With these things in mind we take up the Revelation in the spirit world. John has left Patmos, and gone up thither at the angel's behest. Before him is a panoramic view that we can only begin to imagine. From his new perch, John can now see both worlds at once: the spiritual events taking place in heaven, and the consequence of those events taking place on earth.
The activities begin with a book, penned and sealed in the ancient past. The book is held in the right hand of him that sits upon the throne of heaven. Jesus, the Christ of God, is the only one from both worlds who is qualified to take this book from the right hand of the ancient of days. The prophecy it holds has been held at bay by seven seals. So Jesus, some 19 centuries ago, proceeds to break these seven seals, and open the book.
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