Tag: the end times

The Book of Revelation was Fulfilled in the First Century

Many Christians believe the book of Revelation is a prophesy about the end of the world in our future. They say the events told of in the prophesy are too fantastic to refer to anything which has already happened in human history. The problem with this thinking is that these Christians are applying Revelation’s imagery to the physical realm when they should apply it to the spiritual realm.

The most scandalous thing ever to happen in human history was when humanity murdered the son of God on the cross. This is the most important event to ever happen, and it will always be so. Yet, while this event was happening, most of the world was completely unaware of it. No one in China, for example, had any idea that their own creator had become a man and was dying on a cross. Even those who were directly involved with the crucifixion were unaware of what they were truly doing. “Father, forgiven them; for they do not know what they’re doing.” In the spiritual realm, however, when our Lord was crucified, the whole world was being destroyed.

The book of Revelation revealed what happened in the spiritual realm in the first century. The symbols will only seem to be too fantastic if one applies them to the physical realm. The entire old world was crashing down and a new world was being created by the death and resurrection of Christ. The first century is the most important century of human history, and always will be.

We also know the book of Revelation was fulfilled in the first century because that’s what the book itself tells us…

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Revelation 1:1-3, NKJV (emphasis mine)

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.”

Revelation 22:6-10, NKJV (emphasis mine)

The symbology of Revelation best fits the events of the first century when the old world was replaced by the new — the most important century of all time.

In the Twinkling of an Eye

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (NKJV)

Two essential things to believe if you are going to be a Christian: 1) Jesus rose from the dead; 2) We will also rise from the dead. If you don’t believe either of those things, there’s no point in being a Christian.

There is a conundrum though. How can I be changed in the twinkling of an eye from one who sins regularly to one who will never sin again? Is it not necessary for me to change and grow into this new condition? What about my will? Don’t I have to successively make the right choices over time to become perfect? Apparently not, according to Paul.

It reminds me of an episode of Futurama titled Obsoletely Fabulous. In the episode, Bender the robot needs an upgrade to make him compatible with a newer robot. He has to go from hating this new robot to loving it. How can this be done without altering his personality against his will?

I’ve posted the episode below. It’s from YouTube, so it’s not a perfect showing, but the story is still fully there. Hopefully YouTube doesn’t remove the episode any time soon. Enjoy…

Part 1

After part 1, there’s a section of the episode missing where Bender meets some other robots on the island. These are primitive robots who have rejected modern technology.

Part 2

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Post-Christian Nihilism

What happens when we no longer have any God (or gods) to look up to? What happens when men become their own gods? What happens when “the will” becomes the highest ideal?

Israel was purged of their tendency to worship false gods with their exile. Their house was cleansed of that demon. But eventually they turned their own religion into a false one and were worse off than before the exile.

When a society becomes Christian, all the old religions are displaced. There can be no going back. No one can become a child again. What replaces Christianity?

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV