That is a common liberal cop-out.
First, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, not of John.
Nothing from chapter 4 on has in any way been fulfilled. - To say that it has is to assert that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete failure, since we then would have to be living in the millenial kingdom.
I pray for you Valerie. Your belief system is called Preterism.
Preterism was started by a Jesuit during the Counter-Reformation.
"Preterism" was first founded by a Jesuit priest back in 1554 to 1613AD,
to counter argue the problem the Church was having over the scripture on Babylon, but the
priest,"Luis De Alcazar", after writing the 900 page study, died at the young age of 49
I believe, and the work was dropped.Google search produced
http://www.calacreek.com/religious/lrkhfp.html
Synopsis of Preterism. Since the Antichrist had been fulfilled in the past, it could not be the
Papacy.
Summary of the Fallacies of Preterism.
Preterism is an expedient designed to shield Rome.
Preterism violates the principle of consistent symbolism.
Preterism glorifies the Papacy by ignoring the actualities.
Preterism denies the elemental principle of Bible prophecy.
Preterism, like futurism, leaves an explained gap.
Preterism offers no adequate fulfillments.
Preterism cannot be correct if Futurism is correct.
or from http://www.e-historicist.com/DefiningTerms/preterist.html
Preterists are committed to the view that the majority of the prophecies
of the book of Daniel have already been fulfilled and therefore no
significance for the present day. (Shea 25.) The Preterist view of
prophetic interpretation was developed by Luis de Alcazar
(1554-1613), also as part of the Counter Reformation. It was
developed to take the heat off the Pope, who was feeling some
discomfort from the Reformers' talk that the Papacy was the Antichrist.
The preterist view of apocalyptic prophecies and their time elements
essentially leaves the whole Christian era, with the exception of a very
small initial fraction, without any direct historical or prophetic evaluation
by God upon the course of that history. (Shea 56.) Preterism claims
that the apocalyptic prophecies, especially those dealing with the
Antichrist, were fulfilled before the Papacy ever ruled Rome. Since they
were already fulfilled, the prophecies could not apply to the Papacy.
The Preterist view ignores the fact that within the Old Testament itself is
the foundation of prophetic interpretation and this foundation produces
a broader view of God's interaction with human history.
The Counter-Reformation developed a new system of prophetic
interpretation that came to be known as preterism. This method was
developed by a Spanish Jesuit named Luis de Alcazar (died 1613).
According to him, the prophecies of Revelation were fulfilled during the
first six centuries of the Christian Era. He identified Nero with the
antichrist (ibid., vol. 2, pp. 506–508). Preterism was later adopted by
many Protestants and has become today the prevailing method of
prophetic interpretation among religious scholars in general. According
to them, Daniel deals with events that took place during the time of the
Maccabbeans, and Revelation deals with the situation of the church
during the time of John.
or The Early Church Was Futurist In Its Prophetic Outlook
Tehillim (Psalm) 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
XeniaSt truth@YeshuaHaMashiach
Yes but history repeats itself. Whether it is good or evil, surviving and living the day in the end becomes the motto. Conflict is inevitable because good has to constantly coexist with the demagoguery of evil, which, ironicaly, obtains most of its political capital through a democratic "live the day" order instead of sacrifice for sake of righting the wrong done to killed victims, children or the elderly - who cannot vote nor do much to help good gain proper political capital.
THe only way for good not to bleed political capital indefinitely is through "revenge" against evil - destroying evil's existence and assets in a bloody war so that evil cannot exist to impose its reckless but popular utopia of covet. Hence good is chained also to existence, but only when evil forces good to fight back because evil has democraticaly obtained good's political capital completely away - enslaved.
In the end good often turns deadlier than evil. Indeed, good must destroy evil but has little covet for all the assets of evil - even if to continue the work of righting the wrongs. In fact evil is most preserving of present implements as it would rather keep slaves alive. While good would rather abolish evil altogether. So good is a 'utopia' of justice for the dead, always victimized by the utopia of evil's realistic demagoguery, ultimately doing much more than revenge but taking over completely.
Again, this does not prevent evil's demagoguery of covet of the rich's assets in the name of the children and the handicaped. After all, taking assets is not the main goal of good, seeking political clout for justice is. Being good, rich and prosperous is not evil, they only are assets that would undermine evil in the future if evil failed to acquire them.
My conclusion is that Revelation is most valid indeed because it is not progressist prophecy but repenting regression analysing prophecy. It is history and a rough plan of history's repeat. Whether the case concerned are a single child or a whole nation, Revelation is about God's grand and necessary revenge for His vindication of political capital earned through righteousness and justice, and not obsene democratic demagoguery.
If one considers Daniel 9-10 or so; Ezekiel; the "minor" prophets; Mat 24? and Rev . . . and several 100 data points, perhaps more than 1,000? . . . a rather SMALL percentage has happened before ever--and even LESS have happened in the same generation.
Of course, people will persist in believing whatever is more comfortable, in many cases. . . regardless of the facts. . . . and one of the most comforting ideas--ironically and illogically given all the givens--is the notion that the world will go on more or less as it has indefinitely if not forever.
Science was supposed to be the new savior once--as one of the Huxley's put it--'we killed God off so we could [screw] like bunnies'--close paraphrase. . .
But then science gave us THE BOMB, and lots of other complications which seem to increasingly conspire together toward snuffing out life on our planet for good. The 1962 Seattle World's fair hailed such a wonderfully positive 21st century. . . .
And now the globalists have decided in their ancient arrogance that THEY are uniquely gifted and empowered to bring a forced order and 'peace' upon the globe--all to the tune of greatly enlarged power and bank accounts accruing to THEM, of course. . . . a kind of reverse undivine right, as it were.
and many are quick to say--oh, it's no big deal. . . an ID here, a loss of a few guns there; some more erosion of some archaic Bill of Rights .
And the populace says . . . more circuses and bread, please. . . more songs and dance, please . . . more drugs, comfort, blindness and mindlessness, please. . . . we don't want to be awake on our march into hell. . . denial and blame, that's the name of the game. . . it's not us, it's them. . . Pogo notwithstanding.
God . . . God . . . heard that Name once . . . He was canned wasn't he? way back when . . . when was it . . ah yes . . . when we thought we could have freedom AND irresponsibility. . . what arrogant farts we were/are. . .
But we're smarter now, just ask us . . . we even chose a president 8 or so years ago who was so sweet, just ask him. . . arrogant, power hungry, irresponsible, blaming . . . hmmmm, like us! What a surprise.
And he wasn't near as slick as the slick wiley coming. . .
Brace yourselves.