Revealing Revelation - What Time is It? Part 3

Before proceeding to the four interpretive methods we will first here have one final discussion on the time indicators in the book of Revelation. This post will consider one parable Jesus told that deals both with a prophetic pronouncement regarding a coming judgment and the speed at which this judgment will be carried out.

Luke 18:2-8 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. [3] And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ [4] For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” [6] And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. [7] And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? [8] I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

The above passage speaks directly to two specific issues. The first is that Jesus promises that He will give justice to His elect by judging those who cause them to cry out day and night. The second demonstrates that the delay is short and they should expect the justice to arrive speedily.

To the futurist, the first century Christian martyr who this would be directed toward has yet to receive his justice. In their view the Lord has delayed, and for a great long while, the retribution He has promised. This call for retribution is very similar to what we see in the book of Revelation in regards to the martyrs.

Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Here a similar request is made for retribution and there is a cry made by those who desire justice.

But note how the Lord responds in His parable. He mentions that if a unrighteous judge would grant justice how would the Heavenly Father respond? Not only will He promise this justice He will do so in a speedily manner.

Also note that the woman received justice within her lifetime. The justice delivered by the unrighteous judge is handed out within the life span of the woman, yet the futurist demands that the retribution promised by the Heavenly Judge is postponed by some two thousand plus years!

This cry of the first century saint who was persecuted was not delayed! Remember who the recipients of the letter of revelation were and note how historically God did judge their persecutors. There was no delay!

Finally, like the terms soon, near and at hand, just what does the term speedily mean? Remember the woman received from the unrighteous judge justice within her lifetime. How then can we claim that God would work speedily and it’s now been two thousand years. Just what does speedily mean? It means exactly what it means. It means the same thing as near, soon and at hand, any other interpretation does no justice to the text nor to the one who inspired it!