 |  |
Kairos in Revelation
"The time is at hand" (1: 3).
"The time of the dead" (11: 18).
"He hath but a short time" (12: 12).
"A time, and times, and half a time" (12: 14).
"The time is at hand" (20: 10).
Two references stand out for consideration here.
"Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a SHORT TIME" (12: 12).
In this chapter Satan is given his full title:
"The great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the
whole world, was cast out into the earth" (Rev. 12: 9).
"The dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan" shall be loosed out of
prison when the thousand years are finished, and shall "go out to deceive the nations",
"for a little season". He knew that he had "a short time", he is let loose for "a little
season". The word used in Rev. 20: 3 is chronos.
"I gave here SPACE to repent" (Rev. 2: 21).
"They should rest yet for a LITTLE SEASON" (6: 11).
"There should be TIME no longer" (10: 6).
"He must be loosed a LITTLE SEASON" (20: 3).
These occurrences seem to explain one another. Thus, the word of the mighty angel,
immediately preceding the voice of the seventh angel when the mystery of God should be
finished, and the kingdom set up (Rev. 10: 7; 11: 15), instead of declaring that time
should cease, which is contradicted by the references to time, days, night, months and
years that are found later in the book, to say nothing of the explicit statement that there
will be "space to repent" no longer, and chapter 10: is immediately preceded by the
words:
"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication,
nor of their thefts" (Rev. 9: 21).
Under the fifth seal, where the martyrs are told to rest for a little season, we find
similar words to those used in Rev. 20: 4. These were slain for the Word of God, and
for the testimony which they held. The white robes given to them link them with those
that come out of "The Tribulation, the great one" (Rev. 6: 11-17). "He that sitteth on the
throne shall dwell among them . . . . . and the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
shall feed them" (Rev. 7: 14-17). This tribulation is the same as that of Matt. 24: 21,
29 which is followed immediately by the Coming of the Son of Man with power and
great glory. This Coming must be the same as that of Rev. 19: The reference to the
throne shows that these overcomers are linked with the heavenly Jerusalem: