“things which must shortly come to pass”

Into the last half of the 19th century:

“It is written, ‘shortly,’ because to him who meditates eternal things, all time is sort. Or because it is purposely contrived by the Master, that his servants shall be ever watchful, and apprehensive of his instant coming. And he tells them plainly, that the end shall come as ‘a snare, upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth.’ Wherefore, as St. Thomas observes, there is for every one a double uncertainty; inasmuch as the hour of his death is uncertain, and again, the day of the last judgment may be nearer than the space of a man’s life.”    [from EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF ST JOHN THE APOSTLE, by Edward Putnam, 1858]

I think this idea has been hinted at, but not spoken outright like it is here. This is the idea that the prophecy is not yet fulfilled because it’s important that “his servants shall be ever watchful, and apprehensive of his instant coming.”  This thought is still fairly prevalent today. Personally, I think it plays a part in all this, though I’m not sure that it’s the main goal.

“shortly–Greek, ‘speedily’; literally, ‘in,’ or ‘with speed.’ Compare ‘the time is at hand,’ Re 1:3; 22:6, 

Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.   (Revelation 1:3; KJV)

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.    (Revelation 22:6; KJV)

“‘shortly’; Re 22:7, ‘Behold, I come quickly.’ Not that the things prophesied were according to man’s computation near; but this word ‘shortly’ implies a corrective of our estimate of worldly events and periods. Though a ‘thousand years’ (Re 20:1-15) at least are included, the time is declared to be at hand. Lu 18:8, ‘speedily.’ 

I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?    (Luke 18:8; KJV)

“The Israelite Church hastened eagerly to the predicted end, which premature eagerness prophecy restrains (compare Da 9:1- 27). 

The Gentile Church needs to be reminded of the transitoriness of the world (which it is apt to make its home) and the nearness of Christ’s advent. On the one hand Revelation says, ‘the time is at hand’; on the other, the succession of seals, &c., show that many intermediate events must first elapse.”    [from THE REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN THE DIVINE, by A. R. Fausset, 1863]

The use of the term “Israelite Church” is very misleading: the Israelites are God’s chosen people, not a “Church.” The Israelites are born into the group of chosen people, the Gentiles are not, even though now all must make the choice to follow Christ.

I agree with the point that “[t]he Gentile Church needs to be reminded of the transitoriness of the world (which it is apt to make its home) and the nearness of Christ’s advent.” This is a less direct way of saying what Putnam said in the last quote.

The last line about “intermediate events” is a bit of a dodge. Fausset implies that these “events” have not happened yet, as well as implying that the “events” may take a while to come about, but he doesn’t quite take a stand.

“They are things which must take place ‘shortly.’ From this word some have argued that the book must have begun to be accomplished soon after it was written: and hence that it contains a continuous history of the Christian Church. But the very same expression is used of an event, which, as all acknowledge, has yet to be accomplished. ‘The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly’ (Rom. xvi. 20). 

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.    (Romans 16:20; KJV)

And I will make enemies of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.    (Genesis 3:15; NASB)

“But this promise is in the very manner of prophecy; the style of Him with whom a thousand years are as one day.”    [from THE APOCALYPSE EXPOUNDED BY SCRIPTURE, by Robert Govett, 1864] 

Govett has something very interesting going on here; he summarizes the two thoughts that we’ve seen for a while previous to 1864: that the prophecy must have started being fulfilled in John’s time, and that the prophecy is about the history of the Church; but he provides an interesting argument against these ideas. Namely, that the same word (en tachei) is used by Paul in Romans to remind us of the prophecy from Genesis, that “all acknowledge, has yet to be accomplished.” 

I’ve seen arguments today that indicate not all acknowledge that the prophecy is unfulfilled; some think that it was fulfilled at the cruxifixction and that Satan was bound at that time. As I’ve argued previously, the world today does not provide evidence of a bound Satan, or even a Satan with a bruised head. 

If we can agree that Genesis 3:15 is unfulfilled, then we have a prophecy from the writings of Moses that is far older than Revelation waiting to be completed. “Shortly” hardly describes either prophecy, but “quickly” certainly could. We are in a time right now where things are moving more “quickly” than anyone ever thought they could: where the whole world is lining itself up with prophecies thousands of years old. If this is not something that you, dear reader, can see right now, then I hope to convince you as we delve deeper into Revelation.

“Unto the faithful servants of the Lord only can this revelation show the things which must shortly come to pass. The things revealed are those contained in the book which it is our aim to understand. It may be sufficient here to say, that these things relate to the Church, or the religious states of mankind, as the Lord foresaw them, and as this book reveals them. The Apocalypse presents events which were then future. The decline of religion and the end of the Church, which rendered the Lord’s Second Coming necessary, and the restoration of religion and the establishment of a new Church, which the Lord’s coming was to effect, are the general subjects of the Revelation. The Revelation does not give a continuous history of the Church, from the time of the First to the time of the Second Advent. Glimpses are opened to the sight of the faithful, in some of the visions presented to the Lord’s servant, to whom the revelation was first made; but the book as a whole describes the states of the Church as it would be at the close of the Dispensation, immediately before the coming of the Lord and the descent of the New Jerusalem, as the Church which was to succeed that which would pass away. The Apocalypse is said to have been given to show the things that must shortly come to pass. Eighteen centuries have passed since the speedy accomplishment of this prophecy was promised; and all commentators are agreed that some things at least are still unfulfilled, while none can say with convincing certainty that any part has been accomplished. The shortly, which is emphasized by repetition, has in fact no relation to the time at which any or all of the events would come to pass. The periods of sacred prophecy are not measures of time, but of state. Attempts have been made to estimate historical periods from some of the prophetic times of Scripture, but with little success. A seeming coincidence has been discovered in one instance, in one of the prophecies of Daniel, by making a day stand for a year; but no general application of the law has resulted in any consistent interpretation. Events occur in time, but the events themselves are the results of states, and acquire all their significance from them. Times are therefore symbolical of states, time in the natural life of man being what state is in his spiritual life. And as the history of the states of the Church is a history of the religious states of those of whom the Church consists, times are employed in Scripture prophecy to describe its states. Prophetical numbers do not express measure of time, but the character of states. When the present prophecy has the promise of early fulfillment, the promise has therefore no relation to time. Shortly means certainly. The states therein described will certainly arise, for He who is omniscient has declared their coming. When, at the beginning of the book, it is said of the things predicted that they shall shortly come to pass, and at the end, that the Lord will come quickly, the falling away of the Church from its original purity, and the coming of the Lord to establish it anew upon an immovable foundation, are declared to be both equally certain. These events are predicted in other parts of the New Testament, and, though variously understood, are part of the common belief of Christendom. All believe in a falling away of the Church; all believe in a Second Coming of the Lord. The only difference is the manner in which these are to be understood.”    [from COMMENTARY ON THE REVELATION OF ST JOHN, by William Bruce, 1877]

This could be a reasonable explanation if Revelation was really about “[t]he decline of religion and the end of the Church, which rendered the Lord’s Second Coming necessary, and the restoration of religion and the establishment of a new Church, which the Lord’s coming was to effect.” As there is no mention of the Church after Chapter 3, it’s hard to see how Revelation is really about the Church. And, I do not believe that the New Jerusalem is the “new Church.”

In the middle of his argument that “time” really means “state,” he makes the unlikely statement: “Shortly means certainly.” As far as I can tell, this is patently false.  Here are a couple of quotes that will help clarify this issue from bereanadvocate.blogspot.com, written by Pastor James Gray:

“…the meaning of the Greek phrase en tachei, translated in our text [Revelation 1:1] is soon. This has caused much debate among Bible students between two meanings — soon and quickly. There is no question the Greek word is a neuter noun meaning swift, quick, or speed, and should be translated shortly, quickly, or speedily. The English word tachometer comes from this Greek word. The word also refers to a ‘very brief period of time, with focus on speed of an activity or event, speed, quickness, swiftness, haste.’ It can carry the idea of imminence. The question is, should this be taken in this context as immediate future, imminent, or quick succession?

“…Even if we take the word to mean soon, it does not mean in the immediate future or time. This is evidenced by looking at the Greek text of the Old Testament (LXX).  The Greek word tachos is found in Isaiah 13:22 speaking of Babylon’s fall to the Medes. Isaiah declares ‘Her fateful time also will soon come and her days will not be prolonged.’ Sounds like this would happen in the immediate future or at least in the next few years after the prediction. However, it was written [in] 700 BC, but the events happened almost 200 years later in 539 BC. Thus, there is prophecy to confirm that the phrase in a prophetic context does not mean the immediate future, but can span a period of time until it reaches fulfillment. Ice notes that the word is ‘more properly interpreted as qualitative indicators’ describing how Christ will return and the events that surround the event, i.e. in quick succession.”

We can see that “certainly” is not even considered as a meaning for tachos. I really like how Gray points to another prophecy and then expounds on how that other prophecy reveals an element of the prophecy at hand. And, it’s an interesting idea to call a word like tachos a “qualitative indicator,” which is a much more precise designation than “state.”

“…God, by this revelation, would show unto his servants ‘things which must shortly come to pass.’ This does not mean that he would reveal all things that were to come to pass, but only the main events in the history of the church, which it was important for the members of his church to be acquainted with. Nor does this declaration, of necessity, mean that all the things revealed would soon come to pass. It means that their fulfillment would shortly begin, though the complete fulfillment of all the things predicted might not be for ages in the future. It indicates a train of consecutive events whose beginning was at hand, but whose end might be very remote.”     [from LECTURES ON THE REVELATION, by William J. Reid, 1878]

Instead of interpreting the phrase using other Scriptural passages, Reid interprets it with how he perceives things have happened in history. And, of course, I don’t agree that Revelation is about the Church.

“The things to be shown are things which must quickly come to pass. And the word of the original, which can only be rendered in English by ‘come to pass,’ shows that it is not a beginning that is thought of but a full accomplishment. Nor can we fail to notice that they ‘must’ come to pass. They are the purposes of no fallible or mortal creature, but of the infallible and the words of the prophecy. The visions, indeed, are the main foundation and purport of the whole book. They reveal that future upon the knowledge of which the practical exhortations rest. Finally, the blessedness of thus ‘keeping’ the revelation is enforced by the thought that the times, the distinct and definite season, when all shall be accomplished, is at hand…And it was at hand, though 1800 years have passed since the words were spoken. We shall see, as we proceed, that the book deals with principles which have been exhibiting themselves throughout the whole period of the Church’s history. Thus the things written in it were ‘at hand’ in the days of the Apostle; they have always been ‘at hand’ to cheer the saints of God in the midst of their pilgrimage and warfare; they are ‘at hand’ now; for the words have ceased to be fulfilled, ‘Lo, I am with you always;’ ‘In the world ye have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’”    [from THE INTERNATIONAL ILLUSTRATED COMMENTARY ON THE NEW TESTAMENT IN FOUR VOLUMES, VOL 4: THE CATHOLIC EPISTLES AND REVELATION, by Philip Schaff, 1887]

An interesting point: “the book deals with principles which have been exhibiting themselves throughout the whole period of the Church’s history.” I like this better than the idea that Revelation is about the Church’s history. We’ll see how this plays out, it could be good, or not.

I don’t understand: “for the words have ceased to be fulfilled, ‘Lo, I am with you always.’” Which words “have ceased to be fulfilled”?  “Lo, I am with you always.”?  Why would a Christian say this? To me, those words are clearly being fulfilled every day. Or, are the words that  “have ceased to be fulfilled” the words of Revelation? If they had appeared to cease fulfillment by 1887, they have certainly been taken up again in the present age.

“shortly] …Compare on the one hand Matt. xxiv. 29, 34, and on the other Hab. ii.3; Luke xviii. 8; 2 Pet. iii. 8, 9. 

²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken…³⁴Verily I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  (Matthew 24:29,34; KJV)

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.   (Habakkuk 2:3; KJV)

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?   (Luke 18:8; KJV)

⁸But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.    (2 Peter 3:8,9; KJV)

“These last passages suggest, that the object of these words is to assure us of God’s practical readiness to fulfill His promises, rather than to define any limit of time for their actual fulfillment. Slackness in fulfilling a promise is a moral fault (Prov. iii. 28) not to be ascribed to God: forbearance in executing a threat is not so. 

Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.    (Proverbs 3:28; KJV)

“But we are not to press what St. Peter says about the nothingness of time before God, so as to argue that these words mean nothing at all to human apprehensions: our Lord’s words in St Matthew 1. c. are so strong and definite as almost to necessitate the view that a fulfillment (if not necessarily the final and complete one) was really to come immediately.”       [from THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: THE REVELATION OF S. JOHN THE DIVINE WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION, by William Henry Simcox, 1891]

I really appreciated that Simcox uses Scripture to help him interpret the current passage of Revelation, though they seem to provide ‘suggestions’ rather than a deeper understanding. And, we seem to be back to “[s]oon means certain” through the phrase “the object of these words is to assure us of God’s practical readiness to fulfill His promises, rather than to define any limit of time for their actual fulfillment.”

Lastly, I sure wish I knew what words of our Lord the author was referring to in Matthew. Maybe I’m just ignorant but I don’t understand his Scriptural reference at all. 

That’s enough for today. Next time we will make it the 20th century.