In conclusion, Revelation appears to be an altogether straightforward and largely fulfilled prophecy, leading us to the present time. It by and large happened happened consecutively over the 250 years or so after it was given.
It is not totally fulfilled, of course, and so we wait for our blessed hope, Jesus’ soon returning.
Now, there are bound to be detractors–You can’t have an opinion them. There may be many opinions out there, but there is always still a right answer.
But, we choose to close with what I think to be a portrait of the current state of the body of Christ, and why there has been so much confusion around this book.
Many a eschatalogical position has endured for one simple reason, God wanted it to. Other positions have fallen away for a similar reason, it did not serve God’s purpose in the Earth. Now, God is not the author of confusion, but He will work with men for good in all circumstances for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He will take what the enemy means for bad and turn it for good. God is perfect in making sure that the things we do wrong come out to bless us, if we will just trust Him through to the end, and be willing to learn along the way.
Many people have shunned futurist approaches because, often, they lack optimism. In some aspects, they may be right. In other sides, dispensationalist have typically pointed to a at-face-value approach to Biblical interpretation, with a focus on the national promises to Israel. But, for what it’s worth, they simply cannot both be right.
But, what can be seen by many of these things is their effect. Forms of Preterism and Dominionism, the idea that the church would take over, had grown popular before the great wars of this past century (WWI & WWII). After the realization in these that things were not really getting all that better, the notion lost much of its enthusiasm and its popularity. Today, another generation removed from these conflicts, we again see a resurgence of interest in these things, and yet, at the same time, we see a great interest in the furturist approach to Revelation.
But, what the futurist approach does, that the dominionist did not, is focus on watchfulness and preparation. God knows in the end who is right, and who is not, but He also knows that His command to His people is to, “Watch!” Too many Christians, in too many places and times, have left their post as watchmen, slumbering in the night, and were not ready for the evils that came upon the world in their day. While we do not hold to their position, or agree with their conclusions, we appreciate the spirit of watchfulness on the futurists, who do not let themselves be weighed down by the cares of this life.
Yet, at the same token, we realize that their position on the Kingdom of God also leaves people unprepared in another realm. Denying people the reality of the Kingdom, saying it is only referring to the Millennium and Beyond, and that the church is only a parenthetical insertion in the meantime. They have stepped away from the prophetic demonstration of power that God is wanting to bring through this next prophetic move. Taking up battle positions, many have entrenched themselves against what God is wanting to do, and what God’s heart is is that we could learn to in all things grow up into our head, who is Christ, having both the form of godliness, and its power.
Others in the more apostolic-premillennialist position may typically have a greater understanding of God’s power, but their lack of the recognition of the Kingdom Here robs them of the Biblical language to describe such things. Perhaps as a result of too much humanistic “Kingdom Now” bad theology, some of these have simply taken up a safer vantage point, but the result yet effectively robs the church of the fact that we are now citizens of the Kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13).
Whereas Matthew 12:28 says that it was by the authority of the Kingdom that Jesus cast out demons, if we do not have the Kingdom today, then we have no authoritative position to cast out demons anymore. If it was removed with Jesus, then neither did the Apostles to carry out Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 28 and Mark 16.
But, looked at another way, the church could not receive many prophetic truths today, simply because they lack the maturity in the things of the Spirit to hear them. Put frankly, with the current level of receptivity and prophetic awareness of the body of Christ as a whole, if there were no book of Revelation, or if the wider body of Christ saw them as fulfilled, then, more than likely, all prophecies of any sort of coming judgments would be treated with contempt (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Without a framework such as Revelation, if men tried to bring forth their revelations regarding judgments and calamities soon to come upon the Earth, many would find little footing upon which to “justify” their claims . So, too, it is not surprising that there should be mystery surrounding this book, even if it is as simply fulfilled as I put it. Yet, while it may be yet used for our good, it in itself would not change the simple fact of whether the book has been fulfilled or not.
The problem is the spiritual immaturity regarding revelatory and ongoing prophetic ministry in the church. While we no not write new Scripture, we serve the living God, who continues to speak to His people. Not being spiritually minded, many choose to limit their revelation to only what the written Word says, while others claim false revelations that contradict it. Thus, the tares stand to confuse the people, and keep people from seeing the road between the two ditches.
So, if God were to choose to work through the confusion, to allow some to be prepared this way, simply because it was all they were able to hear, is that anything wrong? Of course not. It would, certainly, be better if we could all know what the scriptures meant, having all faith and fathoming all mysteries, but, even if we did, we would still need to hear and obey.
The Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, and cause for division, but is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Some would say, the Kingdom is Now! Well, maybe. I would prefer to say, The Kingdom is Here. If you want it, that is. But, for Jesus, that Kingdom was a cross, and whoever wants to follow Him, must be where He is. He is near the weak and broken, and He extends His Kingdom to those like a child. Does a mostly fulfilled book of Revelation mean city-wide revival and cultural transformation? It could, under two conditions–that God’s men and women lay down their lives, and that the people to whom they are sent repent. Even Jesus didn’t get Jerusalem to repent, having done nothing wrong, and the city was razed to the ground because of it. No revival, but judgment.
The Kingdom always looks like the role of a servant, for the nature of the Kingdom always looks like love. And, it is a love that requires more than a little bit of surrender and sacrifice. For, as it is written, though he was like God, He humbled Himself and became in the fashion of a man, taking on the role of a servant. We should all do the same. And, if city transformation is to come, it will always look thus. For, they shall know we are Christians by our love, not by our bank accounts, big ministries, or even our nice Christian T-shirts.
The Kingdom, while in our hearts, is bigger than our hearts. Though none believed the Gospel, God’s Kingdom would not be diminished. Yet, of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. If God is Spirit, and Spirit is Eternal, not flesh, why would we expect anything less or different of God?
The layout of the plan of the ages, from the institution of Babylon, it’s strengthening through the breaking of the wooden yoke off of the neck of Jeremiah resulting in an iron one, through it’s continuation through the ages as “Mystery Babylon” is countered by a similar reign of a better Kingdom.
So, in this outline of the age of “the man”, meaning, the statue of the man of Daniel 2, we see it defeated, and cast down by the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Even as King Nebuchadnezzar set up an image and said, “bow down and worship this or be thrown into that firey hot place, the furnace”, so God the Father, at the cross, set up His Image, Jesus Christ, and said, “Bow down and worship this, or be thrown into that firey hot place, the blazing furnace (Matthew 13:42, 50), Gehenna, the lake of fire”. Of there it is said that the fire is not quenched, and the worm dieth not.
Nebuchadnezzar saw, through divination as it were, the coming judgment, and recreated it to his own pride and glory. Yet, the true kingdom was coming. And, even as Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold according to Daniel, it is Christ Jesus who is the true head of God. As it is written, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? ” (Song of Songs 5:9).
The Kingdom is Here, and it is proved every time a demon is cast out. God has already poured it out, and, yes, it costs everything.
To those who believed, to them gave He power that they might become sons of God. It’s up to us to keep on walking, and to do something with what He gave us. It doesn’t have to be great things in the eyes of man, but it has to be something. And, the only thing that pleases God is faith, and in that faith, obeying what we hear Him speak.
Jesus went about doing the works of the Father, and that was the works of the Kingdom. He only did and spoke that which was directly from the Father, and in that, never faltered nor was discouraged until He established justice in the Earth (Isaiah 42:4).
But, what of us? Seeing we have such great and precious promises, let us press on to the mark of the mark of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The call to Revelation is the call to the Gospel, for, as the man who found the treasure in the field, once He saw it, He was compelled by the desire itself. He didn’t have to work up the effort, and surely, every man considered him a fool. But, foolish only is the man who, having seen the treasure, and having sold all, does not straightway buy what he has pursued.
If the Kingdom is a seed, then faith is all there is. For, in the single seed itself is the largest of trees, and it needs nothing otherwise added.
Blessed is he who is not offended (Luke 7:23, paraphrase).