We continue focusing on the thought of the revelation of Christ at the center of the Book of Revelation, harnessing all the sub revelations of the unfolding scroll to the thought of Christ. The book is about Him, not the events. The events only track the operation of His unveiling. He is the first one seen in this book. And He is the last one speaking. He is as He said-- the first and the last. So staying centered on Him is crucial to accurately appreciating the mystery of the book.
In explaining the trans-generational unfolding of Christ's revelation within the meaning of "soon," we made the case last time that the Book of Revelation has been applicable to every generation along that continuum, meant for every generation to obey (not just to believe), without respect to consummating fulfilments. The internal prophecies of the Lamb's scroll were not just for the first generation, nor are they just for the last in time to come. Today, we continue pursuing this line as we look further into the matter of fulfilments of the internal prophecies.
Generational Nature of Forerunning Prophetic Fulfilment
Previously, we were introduced to the mystery of incipient ("beta") fulfilments of Revelation's prophecies within the larger overall development of consummating fulfilments. Within this mystery, we are dealing with different "spirit listenings" to the same prophecies across generations. Within those generational listenings, different generations draw differing conclusions as to the application of Revelation to their times.
A key instruction early on to all readers is this: "He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches." This is a present tense word to every hearer. Therefore, as each generation listens to what the Spirit is saying, each will hear Him speak to them for their season. Each will therefore make application to what Revelation is portraying in context of their times. This was and remains intentional on the part of the Holy Spirit throughout the trans-generational unveiling.
Now, because of this, men may and will assign differing proto fulfilments of the internal prophecies from their point of view in the time continuum. This is very important. For if there is not an understanding of the generationally unfolding nature of the prophecies, but an expectation only for consummating manifestations, then the believers of each generation prior to the last are going to naturally mistake "contracting" prototypes seen in their time for the grand age-ending "birthing" fulfilments, or else deny that anything is being fulfilled in their generation. And those just as ignorant of the Spirit's ways will mock them for their "error."
Let's go to a prominent example that opens up this matter for us.
Identifying the Man of Sin
In course of unveiling the Lamb to the world, John's revelation informs us of some major entities, empires and/or persons who are to arise during this process in consort with some rather cataclysmic wars. Among these entities include a "beast" with numerous "heads" and "horns," a "harlot," another "beast" promoting the worship of the first "beast," etc. Taking together other evidence from the writings of Paul and Daniel, we know that one of these beasts and/or horns is also identified as the "man of sin" (II Th. 2:3), often referred to more popularly as the "antichrist" (I Jn. 2:18).
So now, over the many generations since Revelation was first published, different generations have and continue to ascribe the role of this man to different people of their times. Let’s seize for a moment on the illustration from fairly recent modern times of Adolph Hitler, whom many in the mid 20th century were utterly persuaded was "the" antichrist prophesied to come. It is plain today in the 21st century that Adolf Hitler was not the consummate fulfilment of the man of sin. After all, we are still all here, right? And Jesus still has not arrived. And Hitler is long gone over 70 years now.
But back in the days of World War II, that was not so easy to perceive. There was in fact very good, solid reason to believe Hitler was that consummate man, though it is possible some might have found Joseph Stalin a more compelling fulfilment, or even Mao Tse-tung (Zedong). These are all men whose hands were stained with the blood of untold tens of millions of people in their quests for world domination, upheaving entire civilizations in the wake of their destruction!
Today’s earthlings have little feel for the apocalyptic intensity that absorbed most of the known world in those years. Similarly, they have little concept for the intensity of the imminent threat of all out nuclear warfare under which those of us older grew up—and which still lurks.
So, were all these people in World War II “wrong” about Hitler? The answer is, no, they were not essentially wrong. They may have been technically wrong as to the culminating assignment. But in spirit, they were entirely correct. Hitler absolutely fulfilled a contracting prototype role as the man of sin who was foretold to come.
But how does this work? How is it possible for Hitler to have been and not to have been the antichrist?
The Spirits of Kings, Empires and Prophets
When the Spirit is prophesying of the rise of kings, He is prophesying of the spirits of kings behind the human personages we identify as kings. Are we not already aware from Paul that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, ...against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"?
Men and empires are ultimately energized by spiritual forces that know no bounds of human lifespan. These rulers of the netherworld take up and discard their human hosts from generation to generation. And so when the prophecies speak of kings and empires to come, they are speaking ultimately to the spirits behind them, spirits which will find various successive iterations of expression across generations and nations, yielding foretypical fulfilments ahead of the consummate fulfilment.
In Daniel 7, we read for instance where Daniel sees four beast powers which will span centuries to follow. Yet the angel showing him their meaning identifies each of them as a "king":
17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.
So we see that the Spirit sees "kings" as trans-generational beings behind any of the limited human personalities through whom they may manifest themselves who we call "kings." (Keep this in mind when John gives his opening greeting from Jesus who is "the ruler of the kings of the earth." 1:5)
- The Spirit of Elijah
Now consider also please how we similarly already accept the forerunner concept in regard to the spirit of the prophets. Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come before the great and notable day of the Lord. Yet Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was the fulfilment of Elijah, not Elijah the Tishbite himself, which everyone of course expected.
Today, we call John the Baptist a "forerunner" fulfilment of what Malachi prophesied, and we continue to speak of the forerunner spirit of Elijah now ahead of the Lord’s return, through whomever the Spirit of Elijah may ultimately show Himself. The important point is that the Spirit of Elijah that was upon Elijah the Tishbite was always beyond Elijah and never confined to him. The Spirit was not identified by Elijah. Elijah was identified by the Spirit.
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Put all together, what is true of the prophesied trans-generational kings and of Elijah's predicted return is also true of the prophesied man of sin. The Spirit is not just foretelling the rise of a single man to come, but is prophesying of the world ruler of darkness who has, who does and who will inhabit men across time unto the consummate man to be slain by the Lord's breath at His Arrival. In every generation, the spirit of the man of sin seeks whom he may inhabit toward His goal of world conquest. And it just so happens that in the mid 20th century he found a very good candidate in Adolf Hitler. But such was not the time of the consummation according to the Father.
Until such time then as the final consummating manifestation occurs regarding any of the prophesied personages or events revealed in the Lamb's unfolding scroll, we must understand that the spirits behind what will be those final personages are seeking to set themselves up in every and any generation they can. And even they may not know if and when they have found the consummating host for their evil designs! (If Jesus doesn’t even know the hour of His own return, should we think that satan can be so sure of when he has found his final perfect host for the man of sin?)
Maintaining a Forerunner Perspective on Prophetic Fulfilment
So it is that between the fact that prophetic truth assumes its form through spirits behind different actors, and seeing that the fulfilments associated with the Lord's coming must all pass through a developmental process across generations, we should remain open and alert to what and through whom the powers behind the prophecies are working in our day. Every generation is accountable for what the Spirit is saying in identifying the manifestations of these powers in their times.
In this mind, we should not be surprised or perplexed to encounter “forerunner” iterations of prophesied kings, empires and prophets who have not or do not turn out to be the final consummation, though in their time, it appears certain that they must be. And if we should not be so surprised, neither should we scoff at those who have mistaken prototype fulfilments for the consummation in feeling after what "the Spirit is saying to the churches" in their generation. It is not those who take the prophecies to heart and err in perception that are condemned. It is those who do not take them to heart and scoff at those who do that are condemned.
In the end, it is not about being correct regarding the consummating manifestation of the prophecies. It is about being correct in perceiving the spirit operating through the events and personages of our generation, regardless of whether we are dealing with one more foretype, or the final consummating actor(s).
To be continued......
Chris Anderson
New Meadow Neck, Rhode Island
First Love Ministry
- a ministry of Anglemar Fellowship
http://www.firstloveministry.org5/16
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Page updated January 24, 2018
