There are 4 reasons Futurism is wrong. Futurism sees Revelation as a future timetable of end times events. Rather the “Last Days” started the moment Jesus rose to the Father! (Acts 2, Hebrews 1).
JOHN WROTE REVELATION TO HIS GENERATION
In Revelation 1 John obviously wrote it to his generation about the Roman persecution that was about to break out.
He says "The time is near" and "soon" and they were to take this book he was writing to heart and obey it! How can they obey it if it’s about something that starts 2000 years later? That's just not consistent with the pastoral concern of John to HIS generation. As if he would say “You guys think the Romans are bad - well toughen up princesses! Because wait till you see what happens in 2000 years!” It’s just funny!
EVERY GENERATION OF FUTURISTS THINKS THEIRS IS THE GENERATION.
It’s just so much fun to draw up conspiracy theory timetables and ‘crazy-walls’ with maps and coloured wool crossing all over the place. But every time someone publishes a big book that becomes a best seller it’s wrong, and people become increasingly sceptical about the whole of Christianity. Futurists have a long history of being WRONG! We’ve seen it here recently. It’s just a bad witness - and I wince at the damage being done to Christian credibility by people getting caught up in so many lies and conspiracies.
FUTURISM SOMETIMES START CULTS and KILLS PEOPLE
The JW's and Mormons started as Millennial movements. Then look at Jonestown and the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas.
IT DISTORTS THE SHAPE OF THE BIBLE
In the gospel, Jesus fulfils all the OT promises as he dies and rises again and reigns over the church (as the new kingdom of God with both Jews and Gentiles sharing in this kingdom.)
Jesus fulfilled ALL Old Testament promises in being our ultimate prophet, priest and king, our sacrifice, our temple, our Israel, and so brings the kingdom near. But it is a kingdom that is ‘not of this world’. He reigns now from heaven. We long for Judgment Day when Jesus will save us from sin, the world, and the devil - and install a new Heavens and New Earth. Adding a strange “half heaven, half earth millennium” to the picture messes up the sense from the rest of the New Testament that the moment Jesus returns - that’s it! It’s Judgement Day and a New Heavens and New Earth.
WHAT IS REVELATION ACTUALLY ABOUT?
It’s about Rome - but also to us - if we understand the symbols. It’s about tyrants, and nature in chaos, and the temptations of wealth. It’s about the gospel - and rehashes that in picture language. John also reminds us of the end of the world and heaven in a number of places. It’s not a timeline that marches in a straight line, but a waltz that goes around and around certain themes.
Watch these two 11 minute videos. (They’re up to 4.65 million hits!)
Also - my favourite theologian on Revelation is Dr Paul Barnett. I know his family and have met him, and he’s a warm and generous Christian man. He’s also a very smart historian. He was also a Bishop, is an expert on Hebrew symbolism, and even received an Order of Australia medal.
Buy this - and do this as a personal devotion. I pray Revelation gives you new insight into the temptations and dangers of the spiritual battle we are in. It’s language makes me uncomfortable - and that’s the point!
RTBT Revelation: Apocalypse Now and Then
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