Above: Alpha and Omega
Image in the Public Domain
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READING REVELATION, PART XVI
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Revelation 22:6-21
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How soon is soon? We read that, in a text from the 90s C.E., that Christ will return “soon.” We may safely assume that John of Patmos understood “soon” be within the lifetimes of many members of the original audience.
The passage of time has handed down a verdict on that expectation, as well as many other expectations regarding the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus.
If we assume Amillennialism to be true (see Revelation 20), we accept that the “millennium” has been in progress for thousands of years. Given that numbers are symbolic in Revelation (except in the case of the seven churches in the first three chapters), why not interpret “millennium” is a non-literal way?
Details of the Second Coming reside with God. I am content to leave them there. In the meantime, I have faithful living in which to engage. Trying to understand how to live faithfully in concrete terms, can prove challenging sometimes. I suspect that God cares about how I live faithfully, within circumstances, than about how I understand any detail of an ancient apocalyptic text.
I do focus on broad strokes, though. Serve only God, who is sovereign. Reject the bad value systems (exploitation, militarism, slavery, et cetera) of “Roman Empires.” Stick close to Jesus. Resist evil. Trust in the faithfulness of God.
God will handle the rest.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through Revelation. May something you read along the way have benefited you spiritually.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 21, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF GEORGE MCGOVERN, U.S. SENATOR AND STATESMAN; AND HIS WIFE, ELEANOR MCGOVERN, HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF DAVID MORITZ MICHAEL, GERMAN-AMERICAN MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF EMILY GARDINER NEAL, EPISCOPAL DEACON, RELIGIOUS WRITER, AND LEADER OF THE HEALING MOVEMENT IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE FEAST OF SAINT LAURA OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, FOUNDER OF THE WORKS OF THE INDIANS AND THE CONGREGATION OF MISSIONARY SISTERS OF IMMACULATE MARY AND OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
THE FEAST OF WALTER SISULU AND ALBERINA SISULU, ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVISTS AND POLITICAL PRISONERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
When I first decided to read the Bible, I began with Revelation. What I learned along the way: you’ll read the entire rest of the Bible in attempting to understand Revelation. I am no always patient in waiting for “soon”, but I know today is closer than we were yesterday and that today may be my last, so soon will be soon enough.