The phrase in English are usually translated as either must soon take place (NIV, ESV and others) or something similar along the lines of must happen quickly. As we read the sentence in plain English we automatically put upon the text our understanding of what the phrase means. If I were to use it in another context most of you would assume that what I am about to do will take place in the next few months if not weeks or hours.
So in the context of revelation do we take it that all that is to follow will take place in the same manner that I am about to play football soon. You may see where I am going with this, revelation was written nearly 2000 years ago so if these things must soon take place, why have we not seen them occur.
To be honest I don't have the exact answer, I can offer some thoughts on what may be meant here but we may never know exactly.
One thing to note first is that the Greek word used here is en tachei, this is one of only two uses of the word in revelation and it is interesting to note that as well as here in the first chapter its only other use is in the final chapter. In other places the writer of revelation chooses to use tachu which is a more common word in Greek to mean quickly or soon.
I could only offer mere speculation to why the different words are being used here but there could be a good reason for it or it could just be the writer deciding to change his mind.
As I have looked around I have seen some who have used this word to reject revelation as heretical (what is said to happen soon has not happened so its a lie and should be thrown out). I have seen some who have reinterpreted the word in light of scriptures such as 2 Peter 3:8 to show that what we think of as soon is very different in God's eyes. There is probably numerous other interpretations out there as well that try to make sense of how soon soon is.
All I can say now is that maybe we need to explore the rest of the book to see what is being shared with the reader. Maybe we need to here what has happened, is happening and will happen to understand when soon is.
To be honest I don't have the exact answer, I can offer some thoughts on what may be meant here but we may never know exactly.
One thing to note first is that the Greek word used here is en tachei, this is one of only two uses of the word in revelation and it is interesting to note that as well as here in the first chapter its only other use is in the final chapter. In other places the writer of revelation chooses to use tachu which is a more common word in Greek to mean quickly or soon.
I could only offer mere speculation to why the different words are being used here but there could be a good reason for it or it could just be the writer deciding to change his mind.
As I have looked around I have seen some who have used this word to reject revelation as heretical (what is said to happen soon has not happened so its a lie and should be thrown out). I have seen some who have reinterpreted the word in light of scriptures such as 2 Peter 3:8 to show that what we think of as soon is very different in God's eyes. There is probably numerous other interpretations out there as well that try to make sense of how soon soon is.
All I can say now is that maybe we need to explore the rest of the book to see what is being shared with the reader. Maybe we need to here what has happened, is happening and will happen to understand when soon is.
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