Tag: tribulation

478. Decoding Revelation: The Transition from Old to New Covenant

Mike Parsons

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Historical Context of Revelation

The book of Revelation was written to support those who found themselves in challenging times leading up to the end of the temple system—the old “heavens and earth,” or old covenant. As Jesus foretold, the end of the age (completion of that era) would take place within a generation, and indeed, it occurred between AD66 and AD70, when the temple was destroyed. Despite claims that Revelation was written much later, the evidence points to its composition while the temple still stood, specifically to help those who would soon experience the events described. The entire book addresses things “shortly to take place,” in the words of its opening chapter.

Symbolism and the End of the Old Covenant

Revelation is highly symbolic and apocalyptic in style, drawing heavily on imagery from Old Testament sources such as Daniel and Ezekiel. Without an understanding of this symbolism and Jewish apocalyptic language, it is easy to misconstrue its meaning—leading some to interpret its symbols, such as “666” or the “mark of the beast,” as predictions of future global events, tribulation, and so forth. However, this “great tribulation” was a unique event, as Jesus stated. It was fulfilled in that generation, and never to be repeated in the same way. Both Matthew 24 and Luke 21 detail the armies surrounding Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, marking the end of the old covenant.

The text’s references to the heavens and the earth passing away signal the temple’s destruction—the ultimate fulfilment of that age. The period described was truly “the end of days,” a time when resurrection and judgment marked the transition from the old covenant to the new. It was not about individual resurrection, but the spiritual shift described also in Daniel 12, moving from the end of the old to the birth of something new, as Jesus called it “birth pangs”—the end was the beginning.

Misinterpretations and the True Message

Revelation includes figurative language; concepts like a “thousand years’ reign” or millennium do not appear elsewhere in the Bible and were intended as rich symbols, not literal predictions of future historical events. Arguments claiming that Revelation predicts future disasters often rely on literal readings or contemporary events, but the book itself insists its prophecies would happen soon. Much modern speculation—such as equating trumpets and judgments in Revelation with ballistic missiles or helicopters—is nothing more than popular fiction.

At heart, Revelation is about the ending of the old covenant and the temple’s destruction, written for those suffering persecution at the time—particularly under Nero Caesar. The infamous “666” is the numerical value for Nero Caesar in Hebrew, while some early Latin versions read “616” (the Latin equivalent). Early Christians wrote in code since openly denouncing Nero was dangerously subversive. The persecution by Nero included the dreadful burning of Christians as Roman candles, highlighting the harsh circumstances faced by those to whom Revelation was addressed.

Ultimately, Revelation was not written as a roadmap for the distant future, but for events soon to take place and as a comfort for its original audience. It is a book filled with encoded references, rich Jewish symbolism, and apocalyptic promise.

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295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)

296. A New Perspective on the Millennium (2)

318. Not the End of the World

266. A Happy Eschatology

60. The Abomination of Desolation

Mike Parsons
with Jeremy Westcott –

‘Has not… until now, nor ever will’

Can we put aside everything we may have been taught and read afresh what Jesus actually said?

For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will (Matt 24:21).

Until when? Until ‘now’. That is to say, until the generation to whom Jesus was speaking. The Great Tribulation was about to begin right then. So if you are looking for a Great Tribulation still to come, you are going to be disappointed. At least, ‘disappointed’ is not really the right word; in fact you are going to be blessed, because it is not going to happen. Jesus was quite categorical about that: ‘nor ever will’. The Great Tribulation culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem, and its like will never occur again. It is history.

For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather (Matt 24:27-28). Again, this is covenant language. These things are not literal: corpses and vultures are the language of judgment. It is Jerusalem being described as a corpse where the vultures gathered for the pickings. Flashes of lightning are also covenant language, speaking of the Son of Man coming in judgment.

Desolation

Luke 21:20-22 is the parallel passage to this:

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.

"Siege of JerusalemfiMap" by User:Barosaurus Lentus - self-made based on[1]. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siege_of_JerusalemfiMap.PNG#mediaviewer/File:Siege_of_JerusalemfiMap.PNG
“Siege of JerusalemfiMap” by User:Barosaurus Lentus – self-made based on[1]. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Armies, desolation (the house being left desolate, Matt 23:38). When believers saw these things, they were to flee to the mountains. Christians actually did do this. If you read Josephus, the Jewish historian, and his account of the Roman-Jewish wars, he says that all the Christians left Jerusalem when they saw the ‘abomination of desolation’ come.  That was because they understood exactly what Jesus was talking about in these warnings, and they did what He said to do. These were days of vengeance that God was bringing on those who rejected Jesus, on those who rejected the Stone. It was not intended to fall upon those who believed in Him, so they were warned to get out of Jerusalem, and stay out. It was good advice. The ‘things which are written’ (Luke 21:22) about God’s vengeance were all to be fulfilled at that time.

Abomination

Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains (Matt 24:15-16).

That refers to a passage in Daniel which said, ‘and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate…’ (Dan 9:27). That took place in AD 68, when the Idumeans (Edomites) broke into Jerusalem and cut the throats of 7000 priests in the Temple. Blood ran out of the Temple in rivers. This is when the Christians fled, because Jesus had warned them to expect to witness an abomination in the holy place, and to run when they saw it.

I know I am laying out lots of scripture here. Firstly I know we might have lots of questions so I want to give a really firm scriptural basis for seeing things this way. And secondly, believe me, we will need to know the scriptures because if we talk to other Christians about this it will be a challenge for many of them. We will need to be really clear in explaining what we believe and why we believe it, not only so that they can be persuaded, but so that we cannot be led astray.

Times of the Gentiles

So finally for today, let’s go back to Luke 21:23-24 (the parallel passage again). Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Are we living in the times of the Gentiles now? Yes we are. So Jerusalem is still being trampled underfoot by Gentiles? Yes. That may be a bit of a theological struggle for some. Romans chapter 11 is where we can read about what will happen when the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled, but it is not yet.

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