REVELATION IS NOT HISTORY!
Revelation is not a history lesson! It is, for the most part, prophecy! While a plausible argument could be made that the letters to the seven churches are history, their spiritual symbolism has much meaning for the end-time. Others may present Revelation as a review of history. Again, while history does often repeat itself, the visions that John saw were of end-time events.
One event that historians like to cite as history is the abomination of desolation first spoken about by Daniel in his chapter twelve. Then Jesus confirms it as a future event in his Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter twenty-four. Later Paul writes about it in II Thessalonians chapter two as a future event. The words “abomination of desolation” are not mentioned in the book of Revelation; but details of the “man of lawlessness,” that Paul writes about and the “beast” that John writes about in Revelation chapter thirteen are the same evil person. I believe that there is little doubt that the “man of lawlessness” is the beast—the capital A—Antichrist. He will be worshipped as a god; but some historians have a different view.
They believe that the abomination of desolation was fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid king, of a Greek state in West Africa, erected an altar to the Greek god Zeus, and sacrificed a pig on the altar of incense in the Jewish Temple; but that happened in 168 BC There is no scripture witness that this event is the same event that Jesus mentioned in his Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter twenty-four. For Jesus did not review history; but rather he foretold the future.
Some events that are related to us in Revelation have happened in the past and are happening now. Deaths by sword, famine, and pestilence have been happening for millenniums; but their severity and the numbers of destruction assigned to them in Revelation has not yet happened. I believe that the Horsemen of the Apocalypse have been riding since Jesus was on this earth. Their destructions will increase as the end of time draws near; but many of the other literal events of the end times have not yet happened. The Gog and Magog War, the appearance of the Two Witnesses, the Harvest of the Earth, the appearance of the beasts of Revelation, the start of God’s Final Judgments and Wrath, the Antichrist, Armageddon, and other events, are all future events.
The structures for many of these future events are happening now. One thing that we should carefully look for in all signs of the times is the supernatural hand of God. In all wars that end in an unexplainable way, like fire from heaven or armies self destructing, God’s has intervened! Things that happen in the heavens, on the earth and in the seas that man has no control over can be nothing but the hand of God. Many of these types of events are mentioned in Revelation.
Daniel was told, “… shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” DANIEL 12:4 Scripture and our times confirm that knowledge is increasing and Revelation confirms that evil will increase as well. Yet, we have not seen many of the events that John saw in his visions.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. REVELATION 1:1-2 Revelation is the prophecy of events that God uses to reveal his Son to the Jews! By the time Armageddon is over, no one will doubt that Jesus is the Son of God and Lord of all!
Revelation will be history when the heavens and the earth pass away and there are new heavens and a new earth. Then the New Jerusalem will descend on the new earth—Revelation will then be history!
Written by Mallard E. Guy Jr.
October 9, 2024