Question: Is it necessary to fully understand the book of Revelation in order to benefit from reading it?
Of course not!
Much is similar to the explanation of Dan.12:4; and will not be known in detail until the events.
However; the more One knows the content; and the more the intensity of prayerful request prior to study, the more will be revealed when knowledge of the Bible grows!
It is not for nothing that verse 3 in Chapter One, promises a blessing to such readers!
V.3 (c)Happy is he that reads (a)and those that hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in, for the (b)time is near.
(a) Those that hear and see, this indicates that this writing is possibly pre. Acts 28:28. However, we feel strongly that it is pre. AD 70, as at no time is the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple mentioned. (The majority view of the dating of Revelation is one of the Christian persecution periods. Nero's persecution between AD 54 - 68. Vespasian's persecution between AD 69 -79. Domitian's persecution between AD 81- 96). The whole emphasis is the Lord's return, and the Judgement of God on the Nations, and the re-establishment of Israel to the original promises to Abraham and the Patriarchs. The majority view is that it was given to and written by John approx. AD 90; however not confirmed.
The fact of the final rejection of Jesus by Israel at Acts 28:28, means a later fulfilment. However, Christ came "at the end of the Ages", (Heb. 9:26, the translators show "end of the world", which is error again to suit their dogma. The Greek states "completion of the Ages" Interlinear, Strongs, Comp.), the length of which is too immense for our comprehension. So, whether 70 years as would have applied in the Acts period, if the Jews had accepted Christ, or 2,000 years or more, these times are infinitesimally small, by comparison with, "Age times", as defined by the Almighty which can be millions or even billions of years, as we understand time. (See: The Genesis 1:1 Enigma).
Science, with its own criterion (probably justified); states recently that the Earth and Universe are between 5.5 and 14 billion years old, (as measured in “Earth time”); this is an increase, as the earlier estimates were between 4.5 to 5.5 billion. These are huge, almost impossible to grasp time spans, and make the last 2,000 years the blink of an eye by comparison! See: Age of the Earth Controversy:
This also is a classic double fulfilment, or fill-full (completed), of which there are many in Scripture. Because of the miss-translation of the Bible by the Churches over hundreds of years (Roman, C of E, and others), see: Corruption of the Bible Text: to suit their dogmas, care must be taken by the reader to determine the original meaning. A common example is "end of the world". Almost every case in the New Testament should read "end of the Age". An example is Matt. 12:32,"neither in this world, or in the world to come". This should read "neither in this Age, or in the Age to come". The implications as to meaning are enormous, as our Lord majored on the Kingdom Age and at that time to Israel only! The current Churches talk about and teach a world ending calamity which clearly does not conform to Scripture as opposed to an “Age ending event”! See also Rev. 14:1(c).
(b) The time of the Second Advent i.e. CHRIST'S RETURN: Expectation was that the second coming was imminent i.e. end of Acts period. If the Jews had accepted Christ, He would have returned then, and John the Baptist would have "been as Elijah", (Mal. 4:5, Matt. 11:14, Matt. 17:10-13, Mk. 9:13 and Lk. 1:17).
Had the Jews accepted Christ as Messiah after Paul's visit to the Roman Synagogue at the end of Acts; Christ would have returned, as He had to be crucified to conform to O.T. prophecies, and to win Sacrificial Redemption, for the Jews and Gentiles and the Millennium Reign would have been instigated. (See: Acts 28, and especially the turning to the Gentiles at Acts 28:25-28).
(c) This is the promise of blessing for those that read and study Revelation.
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