10/04/20
Prior to John writing the book of Revelation the apostles and all the saints believed Jesus would return in their life time. Scriptures that plainly show this are below.
1 Peter 1:20 “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.”
1 Peter 4:7 “but the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”
Notice, the end of all things is at hand.
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James 5:8 “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Is at hand indicates very near.
Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching.”
Seeing the day, the return of Jesus, approaching.
Hebrews 1:2 “has in these last days spoken to us by His son...”
1 John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
It is the last hour.
1 Corinthians 10:11 “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and are written for our admonition, on whom the end of the ages have come.”
The church felt that the end of the age has come.
Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly......”
Shortly.
It is obvious that all the first century church firmly believed the return of Jesus was very near. The Apostles were seeing events of their time and saw how these events mirrored or paralleled what Jesus said to them. Apparently the events were very convincing but they were wrong. It must have been that God let them believe this and did not intervene until John wrote the Revelation. Why would God do this? God may have allowed this to happen in order to separate the true believers from the false. God does not make mistakes but people do even Apostles.
Peter wrote about scoffers in the last days. 2 Peter 3:1-3 Jude wrote that we should contend earnestly in the faith which was delivered to the saints. There were people in the church who were losing their first love and faith. There was persecution. Many of these left fellowship in a falling away. 2 Timothy 1:15 It was a very dark time for the church. For those who did remain faithful their wait was rewarded when God gave the book of Revelation. It contained much information that answered many questions but also had some sad news: the return of Jesus was not near but at a future time still unknown to all except God the Father. There was to be an attack on the church by Satan that would “drive them into the wilderness.” This means that the power of the holy people would end , Daniel 12:7 and they would become like Abraham was, in the wilderness. The church would lose all offices except prophet and prophetess and would be scattered and not organized after the manner of their beginning . They will no longer preach the gospel to the world. They would be taught directly by the Holy Spirit of the Father through Jesus. They will fellowship in very small numbers; 2, 3 or 4 , Mathew 18:20 . They will not have anything to do with the worlds ways. They will know that Jesus will not return until sometime after the Philadelphia and Laodicean churches are established. The Antichrist makes the covenant with ten nations for seven years but at three and a half years breaks that covenant and proclaims himself God which begins the time of Jacobs trouble and all the worlds trouble called the great tribulation. These end time saints know that they will be sealed with Gods protection shortly before the tribulation , Revelation 7:4 and the tribulation will be shortened by 220 days by the return of Jesus. By the book of Revelation, the book of Daniel, the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles, the book of Ezekiel and certain verses from the psalms and the minor prophets the saints of the end time will be taught by God through Jesus to rightly divide the word of truth. The saints will be watching for all these things to come to pass and then stand before the son of God