Extracts and comments from Revelation Chp. 1:3(a)
1.3
(c)Happy is he that reads (a)and those that hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in, for the (b)time is near.
(a) Those that hear and see, this indicates that this writing is probably pre. Acts 28:28. However, we feel strongly that it is pre AD 70, as at no time is the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple mentioned. (The majority view of the dating of Revelation is one of the Christian persecution periods. Nero's persecution between AD 54 - 68. Vespasian's persecution between AD 69 -79. Domitian's persecution between AD 81- 96). The whole emphasis is the Lord's return, and the Judgement of God on the Nations, and the re-establishment of Israel to the original promises to Abraham and the Patriarchs.
The fact of the rejection of Jesus by Israel at Acts 28:28, means a later fulfilment. However, Christ came "at the end of the Ages", (Heb. 9:26, the C. of E. translators show "end of the world", again to suit their dogma. The Greek states "completion of the Ages" Interlinear, Strongs, Comp.) the length of which is too immense for our comprehension. So, whether 20 years as would have applied in the Acts period, if the Jews had accepted Christ, or 2000 years or more, these times are infinitesimally small, by comparison with, "Age times", as defined by the Almighty which can be millions or even billions of years, as we understand time.
Science, with its own criterion (probably justified); states recently that the Earth and Universe are between 5.5 and 14 billion years old, this is an increase, as the earlier estimates were between 4.5 to 5.5 billion. These are huge, almost impossible to grasp time spans, and make the last 2,000 years the blink of an eye by comparison! See: Age of the Earth Controversy:
This also is a classic double fulfilment, or fill-full (completed), of which there are many in Scripture. Because of the wrong translation of the Bible by the Churches over hundreds of years (Roman, C of E, and others), see: Corruption of the Bible Text: to suit their dogmas, care must be taken by the reader to determine the original meaning. A common example is "end of the world". Almost every case in the New Testament should read "end of the Age". An example is Matt. 12:32,"neither in this world, or in the world to come". This should read "neither in this Age, or in the Age to come". The implications as to meaning are enormous, as our Lord only ever talked about the Kingdom Age and at that time to Israel only! The current Churches talk about and teach a world ending calamity! See also Rev. 14:1(c).
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