[Darris McNeely] One of the fascinations people have with the Book of Revelation is the prophecy and the events that are foretold, and the question, when will this happen? When will Jesus return? When will the signs such as the mark of the beast take place? Questions that have fascinated people for as ever since the Book of Revelation was written, which takes us back to when it was written.

In the end of the 1st century AD, as the Apostle John received that vision on the island of Patmos, and the Book of Revelation opens in Chapter 1, therein may lie a clue for us to understand the timing of all these events, and at least how to approach it. Looking at what is said in the opening words of the Book of Revelation 1:1, it says "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to show to His servants, the things that must soon take place." Or other translations say must shortly come to pass. "He made it known to by sending His angel to His servant, John who bore witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw."

So, as we know, John receives this island while he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor, as it was called at that time, Modern Turkey today.

The things which must shortly come to pass. Now let's notice one other statement that is made here in these opening lines. In verse 3, "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it for the time is near."

Now when this was written at the end of the 1st century, John writing this, members of the church hearing this, what would they have thought? The time is near. Would have been a logical conclusion things that must soon take place right away, and yet 2,000 years have taken place and the events of the Book of Revelation are still future.

What might we learn from this? One point, Jesus Christ is giving the revelation. And as we read further in the first chapter, we see the glorified Christ, the resurrected Christ in eternity standing among the seven golden candlesticks we're told later on. It is the eternal, glorified, resurrected Jesus Christ who is speaking, and He is speaking the words which God gave Him to show His servants. It says in verse 1, look at all of this from the perspective of Jesus Christ from God the Father. They don't dwell in time, they dwell in eternity. And yet they are telling us things that are going to shortly come to pass.

From their perspective, they will shortly come to pass because in their timeframe there is no time. Think about it this way, as Peter writes a day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years is as a day, could we possibly consider that Jesus Christ has only been at the throne of the Father after His death and resurrection for two days if we look at it that way? Very short time.

As God looks at all of these events, they are in the process of happening and they will happen, and they can happen very quickly as we look at what we are dealing with today. Keeping a watchful eye, being spiritually awake, being understanding, look at all this from Christ's perspective. And then it helps us to frame the perspective that we should have as it impacts our lives in being ready and being blessed by the words of this prophecy.

That's "BT Daily." Join us next time.