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What about “every eye” seeing Him?” The words “all” or “every” are often used in Scripture as hyperbole for emphasis rather than in a literal sense. (Examples include: Matthew 2:3; 8:34; 10:22; Mark 1:5; 9:23; Luke 2:1). Should we really understand from this text that the aborigines in Indonesia would see Jesus standing in Jerusalem? I don’t really think so. The interpretive principle of audience relevance helps us understand that the prophecies of Revelation applied to those in the first century in the region of Judea.

Yet, in a more literal sense, consider an amazing event related by Josephus of seeing chariots in the clouds in about AD 66, near the start of the Jewish-Roman War:

“Besides these signs, a few days after that feast, on the one-and-twentieth day of the month Artemisius, a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, CHARIOTS and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the CLOUDS, and surrounding of cities. "

In addition to Josephus—Tacitus, Eusebius, and the Jewish Talmud mentioned this phenomenon! The sight of the soldiers and chariots in the clouds surrounding cities could be interpreted as the Second Coming. This satisfies the visibility requirement.

IN SUM, THERE IS A STRONG CASE THAT REVELATION 1:7 WAS FULFILLED AT JESUS’ COMING IN JUDGMENT AGAINST OLD-COVENANT ISRAEL, WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE IN AD 66-70.

I agree completely - ignoring what Jesus says (”this generation” “very soon”) is not the path to truth.

It is better to start with believing Jesus, then looking to see how this is so.

It worked for me.

Thanks!

In understanding this passage, we must grasp the context, where we find several qualifiers. We first note that Revelation is filled with critical time-statements that limit the time of fulfillment of the events therein. There are some 30 passages at the beginning, middle, and end of Revelation that demand an imminent fulfillment soon after the book was written in the 60’s AD. The opening sentence in the book tells us that it is about events that MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE. We also see that the time was NEAR, Jesus would come QUICKLY/SOON, and these things were ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

You are correct, except for one minor detail...IT DIDN'T HAPPEN...

It could have happened...The conditions were right for it to happen...But for it to happen the Jews would have had to accept Jesus as their Messiah...The Great Tribulation would have taken place...Jesus would have returned where every eye will see him...Jesus would have set up shop in Jerusalem for a thousand years...BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN...

But what did happen was that while Jesus did not eliminate the Jews he put them on hold...And he gave an unbelievable offer to the Gentiles, to make the Jews jealous...And then he blinded their minds so that they could understand what Jesus was doing with the Gentiles...

So when Jesus is done with the Gentiles he will again turn to the Jews...The Great Tribulation will take place and finally ALL eyes will see Jesus return to earth and THEN he will set up his Kingdom in Israel, for a thousand years...

But the time is short...People must put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour before Jesus takes his Gentile church out of here...