There is a belief that the Book of Revelation starts around the time when a seven-year tribulation period starts. It’s at this time that the end days starts. We are going to look at Scripture on this subject and see what Scripture tells us about when the end days begins.
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase
(Daniel 12:4 NKJV)
Well, certainly many are running to and fro but knowledge is not increasing on this subject, it’s actually getting more muddled. Actually, God is not concerned with our carnal knowledge, He’s concern with our spiritual knowledge, which is Christ and righteousness. This term is a clue to the beginning of the end days. Also, let’s take a moment and look at the pattern of the words used here. God said, “until the time of the end” - He did not say, “until the end of time”. So, the question is, when is the time of the end? Contrary to popular teaching, we are told when the time of the end will be. Notice I did not say the end of time but the time of the end.
There are a couple more notes we must see in comparing Daniel with Revelation. Of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, in Daniel 2, he saw the feet of iron and clay that dropped off of the legs of iron, which is old Rome. In Daniels vision in chapter 7, Daniel saw a small kingdom rise out of the ten kingdoms that rose out of old Rome; and that kingdom would last until the end. The feet of iron and clay and the little horn are parallel with the beast of Revelation 13. Notice that Daniel does not talk about a head wound, nor does he talk about another that would rise up after the little horn.
And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand
(Revelation 22:10 NKJV)
Because of statements made, many believe that John thought it was the end days when he was alive. We see in verse 8 that it was an angel talking to John, so the angel tells John that the time is at hand. What was John’s understanding of what was being told him?
The books of 1, 2, and 3 John were written after his authorship of Revelation. In 1 John 2:18, he says “we are in the last hour”. John fully understood what was being told him. The problem is, we’ve fallen for a false “seven year tribulation period” that is supposed to be in the end and mark the end days.
Could this be true? The best person to the accuracy from would be those closest to the source. We hold the Gospels and letters in high regards because these are from those specifically taught by Christ; and those who founded the church. So, what was Peter’s understanding of the time? On the day of Pentecost, after Christ died and the Spirit of God was poured out on those in the upper room, Peter said:
This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
When we look at what God told Daniel and what the angel of God told John, and we see what Peter knew of the pouring out of the Spirit of God at Pentecost, we see that we entered into the time of the end around the time of Christ and the rising up of the church. This, all of a sudden, changes the way we look at “end day” prophecy. It’s by this, and by SEEING and HEARING what Daniel is saying compared to what is history to us now, we see that we have been in the end days for quite some time.
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