"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." (Rev. 1: 1-3 nkjv)
In a previous article titled "What Is Meant by "Signified" in Rev. 1?" (here) I showed how many people, especially Amillennialists, argue that the word "signified" means information communicated through symbols and therefore the whole of the Book of Revelation is symbolic, having nothing or very little in it that is literal. That is a big mistake.
When a person reads in the Book of Exodus about the ten plagues, such as blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn, does he think that these things are mere symbols? That there were no literal frogs, locusts, flies, etc.? I think that most Christians believe that these things were literal. That being so, we must wonder why many of those same Christians, when reading of similar plagues in the Book of Revelation, want to take them as mere symbols and not as literal events and things.
In this post I will begin to comment on what some other words in the opening words of the Book of Revelation mean, for there are indeed some misinterpretations of them also by many. First, we will look at what is meant by "things which must shortly come to pass." Second, we will look at what is meant by "for the time is at hand."
Many theologians of the Amillennial school, or Preterists, want to say that the words "must shortly come to pass" mean that those "things" occurred shortly after John recorded them, and therefore there is nothing left unfulfilled in the Book of Revelation. They also do the same when it comes to the words "for the time is near." However, both these phrases or clauses do not mean that all the things prophesied in the Book of Revelation were to take place immediately after John recorded it. Those of this school of thought often want to put an earlier date to the writing of the Book so that they can say that the prophecies of the Book were all fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple by the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70. Most scholars however contend that John wrote it about 95 A.D.
We must also keep in mind that 1) the Book of Revelation is a prophetic book, so the prologue says "the words of this prophecy" and "things that must come to pass," and 2) that it deals with the second coming of Christ, which is what the title of the book alludes to by the words "the revelation (apocalypse) of Jesus Christ." The revelation of Jesus Christ is his second coming, being his parousia, epiphany, or apocalypse. In II Thessalonians chapter two we have two of these words used to describe the coming apocalypse of Christ, which in the KJV are "the brightness of his coming." The word for "brightness" is "epiphania" and is elsewhere translated as "appearing." The word for "coming" is parousia and means coming or presence. We may therefore translate as "the appearing of his presence." In chapter one Paul wrote of this return of the Lord: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." (vs. 7) The Greek word for "revealed" is apokalypsei. So, all three of these words are used to denote the return of Christ.
Shortly Come To Pass
The word "shortly" comes from the Greek word "tachei" and ἐν τάχει (en tachē) may be translated as "in or with haste" or "hastily" or "quickly" or "rapidly" or "speedily." In fact, "speedily" is how this word is translated in the following text, where Jesus said: "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." (Luke 18: 8 kjv). Paul similarly to Revelation 1: 1 (kjv) says "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. 16: 20)
How can John claim these events would happen “soon” or "shortly" occur when nearly two millennia have passed? Considerable discussion attends the meaning of ἐν τάχει. There are three interpretations of these words. First, the words require all of the events set forth in the book to have transpired within the lifetimes of John’s initial readers (the preterist interpretation). Second, the words denote events which may be in the distant future, but which transpire in rapid sequence once they begin. Third, the words denote closeness in time, but from God’s perspective. For myself, I am sure that the words mean what option two says. It implies that once the end-times events begin, they will unfold rapidly, rather than suggesting a short time from when the prophecy was written.
However, I do admit that the words themselves may carry the connotation that what is prophesied will take place in a short period of time starting from the time the prophecy was uttered. This is clearly the meaning of its use in these words of the apostle Paul: “I hope to come to you shortly” (I Tim. 3:14). Later in Revelation we have “things which must shortly take place” (Rev. 22: 6) and where Jesus says in the next verse “I am coming quickly” (ἔρχομαι ταχύ; erchomai tachy). The force of the adverb ταχύ (tachy) may therefore mean, “Whenever I come, I will come quickly,” in which case the stress is on the certainty of the coming. So we thus read: "And they departed quickly (tachy) from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word." (cf. Matt 28:8) So Jesus may have meant, “I am on my way and I intend to be there very soon.” It may also be a futuristic present tense.
The question then becomes whether the words "shortly come to pass" denote the manner in which events will transpire (rapidly) or the certainty and imminency attending the events. I firmly believe that ἐν τάχει in Revelation does not mean soon but swiftly, and indicates rapidity of action when once the action begins. We see this in the medical compound word tachycardia, which does not mean that the heart will beat soon, but that it is beating rapidly. We also get our word tachometer from the same Greek word we are studying. Automobiles have both a speedometer and a tachometer. The former measures the speed of the auto while the latter measures the revolutions per minute of the engine. Both measure the rapidity of motion when the action of moving starts. These terms are not descriptive of when the events will occur and our Lord will come, but rather, descriptive of the manner in which they will take place when they occur.
For The Time Is Near
So what is meant when the text says "for the time is near" or "the time is at hand"? The Greek word for "near" or "at hand" is "engys" and is used in various contexts and may signify what is near in a physical sense or what is near in the sense of time. Notice these verses where this word is used by our Lord in conjunction with his coming again and of the signs of that coming:
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!" (Matt. 24: 32-33 nkjv)
Once we begin to see the signs of the Lord's coming, we may say that the coming of the Lord is near. So Jesus said:
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21: 25-28 nkjv)
"Draws near" is from the Greek word "engizō" which is from "engys." Notice that it is "when" the signs "begin to happen" that we may say that redemption is near. Paul said: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Rom. 13: 12 kjv) where "at hand" is from the same Greek word. He also spoke of Christians "seeing the day approaching" (Heb. 10: 25) where "approaching" is the same Greek word. James says "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5: 8 kjv) where the same Greek word is used. Peter says "the end of all things is at hand." (I Peter 4: 7)
So we may say of the words of Christ in Revelation 1: 3 that "the time is near," or "the time is drawing closer," or "the time is approaching," or "the time is not far away." They do not mean that the prophecies in the Apocalypse would occur immediately after John wrote down the things he saw and heard. The "end of all things" has not yet happened, nor have the prophetic events described in the Apocalypse.
Barnes in his commentary rightly observes:
"It would apply to any event whose beginning was soon to occur, though the end might be remote, for the series of events might stretch far into the future."
By the judgment of Christ against the seven churches we may say that the beginning of the judgment of God has begun. After all, Peter wrote:
"For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome (or 'end') for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (I Peter 4: 17 esv)
This is what we see in the Book of Revelation. Christ first, in connection with his coming Apocalypse and day of judgment, judges first the churches, or professing Christians, and then comes the judgment of the unsaved wicked.
We must also call the reader's attention to the fact that the word "time" in the words "the time is at hand" is from "kairos" and not "chronos." Kairos and Chronos are two distinct ancient Greek concepts of time. Chronos is quantitative, linear, and measurable (clock/calendar time), while Kairos is qualitative, representing the character of segments of time. Chronos focuses on the duration (how long), whereas Kairos focuses on the season or what is characteristic of certain periods of time. This is why chronos is better translated by "time" or "times" and kairos is better translated as "season" or ''seasons." Trench in his synonyms says:
"Chronos is simply time as such or the succession of moments...Olympiodorus remarked: "Chronos is the interval at which something is done; kairos is the time [kronos] suitable for the action. Thus chronos can be kairos, but kairos is not chronos..."
Where chronos is quantitative, kairos is qualitative. When I say "it is time to do so and so" I could mean because a certain date has been reached, or I could mean that circumstances for doing that thing are right.
So, when Jesus says to John "for the time (kairos) is near," he meant that the things that will characterize the world prior to his return are near, and not that a certain date was near.
I wrote a series titled "The End Is Near" in 2012 in my Baptist Gadfly blog and had nine chapters. You can read the first (here) for November, and the others are in December. They also can be found in my blog where I am moving all my writings on eschatology. (See here)
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