SPECIAL TOPIC: SOON RETURN

SPECIAL TOPIC: SOON RETURN

For the concept of "a soon return" compare Rev. 1:1,3; 2:16; 3:11; 22:7,10,12,20. This may be an OT allusion to Dan. 2:28, 29, and 45. In the book of Revellation, John never quotes the OT but makes many allusions to it (I have come to believe this is because the book is addressing apostate Judaism). The time markers which start the book, end the book! Of 404 verses, possibly 275 have OT backgrounds. Translators have been divided in the interpretation of this phrase because of their theological presuppositions about the purpose of the book of the Revelation (i.e., preterist, futurist, idealist, historist):
1. suddenly
2. once begun will swiftly occur
3. soon to begin
4. will certainly happen
5. imminently
Usage of this term in Rev. 22:7, 12, 20 shows that John expected these events to occur during his lifetime (see full note at Rev. 10:6; 22:3). Since there has been a 2000 year gap between the writing of Revelation and our day, many say
1. the use of an immediate time frame seems to be typical of the prophetic literature from the Old Testament which used imagery of current events to foreshadow end-time events (see SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)).
  1. both the Olivet Discourse and the book of Revelation are about God's judgment on Jerusalem, the temple, and faithless Judaism
  2. John used first century Rome to depict the end-time godless world power
  3. Isaiah and Ezekiel used a restored (post-exilic) Judah
  4. Daniel had used Antiochus Epiphanes IV
2. The coming of the new age of righteousness is a hope and encouragement for every generation of believers, but the experience of only one, the last (idealists).
3. As I have become older, the partial preterist view of Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; and the book of Revelation have become my current (2023) understanding.
  1. William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors has affected my understanding of the structure of the book of Revelation (i.e., 7 literary untis which overlap in time)\
  2. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell has affected my understanding of the time frame of the prophecy
4. I think I have been unduly influenced by a futurist understanding based more on my time and place of birth than Bible study.
No one can explain why the return of Jesus has taken so long when it was expected so soon (Matt. 10:23; 16:28; 23:36; 24:34).
1. There is a tension in the NT between the any-moment return of Jesus and a delayed parousia (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ANY-MOMENT RETURN OF JESUS vs. NOT YET).
2. Also see D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, pp. 101-102, for the term as a prophetic symbol of severity and unexpectedness, pp. 173-175
My current understanding of Revelation has combined a recapitulation view (structure) and a partial preterist view (timing). You can see the recapitulation view in my exegetical commentary and hear my audio summary on www.freebiblecommentary.org, "Worldwide Voices," under my name, A., 3. (for lectures at the Texas Ashram).
For a good discussion of the four views on how to interpret the book of Revelation, see
1. Steve Gregg ‒ YouTube video, "Overview of Revelation" (www.thenarrowpath.com)
2. the book, Four Views of the Book of Revelation, by several authors, ISBN 0-310-21080-1

SPECIAL TOPIC: DELAYED RETURN