Posted by Jerry Higdon on October 17, 2003 at 22:46:35:
In Reply to: The Book of Revelation posted by John Dixon on October 15, 2003 at 20:22:49:
Hi John,
Revelation and the Book of Daniel have much in common, especially that they both impart important end-time prophecy in cryptic language. Daniel 12:8-9 makes it clear that some end-time prophecies were sealed until the "time of the end." It's a far stretch to conclude that the end times began 2000 years ago. A new era or age began then, but Jesus referred to the end times as the end of that age. And to give you one example of a crucial identifying end-time prophecy in Revelation that couldn't have been understood until July 20, 1969 when Neal Armstrong representing the United States had the moon under her (his) feet," sealing for all time her fate as the Israel spoken of in Ezekiel 38.
When Revelation was written nearly 2000 years ago, the angel (or Jesus, as it was called the “revelation of Jesus Christ" in Rev. 1:1) told John in verse 19 "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Some of what was written could not be understood until the seals were removed (or the keys provided), as what the seven thunders (prophecies from God) spoke to John. Rev. 10:4 "And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."
Some of it was open in the past, but not all. Let's be open-minded so new revelation won't be unavailable to us. Watch current events in light of Biblical prophecy. You might be surprised at what you will see on international news that will be images of what John saw in his visions. Read his words and try to see those things through his eyes. Many end-time Biblical prophecies were hidden until this generation. The Lamb was to return at the end of the age for the great war (Rev. 12:12) and that's when the seals would be removed.
Jerry Higdon
www.jdhigdon.net/moonunder.html