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>>>I assume that far into the future means prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled.<<<

All the old testament has been fulfilled. When prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke, Jesus said:

"For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." (Luke 21:22 KJV)

Only a part of the Revelation has not been fulfilled.

>>>When you see patterns in scripture you can be sure they are not coincidence. <<<

You are correct. For example, I see all sorts of patterns in old testament prophecy pointing to the Church, which is described in the Hebrews as follows:

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant..." (Hebrews 12:22-24)

Therefore, mount Sion is a heavenly place where we find the city of the living God: the heavenly Jerusalem. The heavenly Jerusalem is also referred to in the Revelation as the "holy city, New Jerusalem;" the "beloved city;" and "the bride, the Lamb's wife." It is also referred to in Hebrews 12:23 as the Church, the term used by many Christians, including me.

Note Paul used the words, “ye are come unto mount Sion” rather than “ye will come unto mount Sion.” Therefore, mount Sion and the heavenly Jerusalem--the Church--existed at the time Paul wrote the epistle, which was about mid-first century.

With that context in mind, the following passages further identify the heavenly mount Sion:

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” (1 Peter 2:5-9 )

"But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 9:31-33)

"For through him we [Jews and Gentiles] both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:18-22)

We see in these epistles the heavenly mount Sion is also the location of the holy temple, which was built upon the foundation of the holy apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone of the holy temple, and with Christians forming part of the building and framework.

To dispel the bizarre notion that the Church was an afterthought--created only because the Jews rejected Christ--the chief cornerstone of the Holy Temple at heavenly Sion (aka, Zion) was also prophesied by Isaiah, which was one of the references used earlier by Peter and Paul:

"Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it." (Isaiah 28:14-18)

That passage was also a warning to the leadership at Jerusalem to accept Christ, and not reject Him.

In Matthew 21:42 Jesus quoted David (below) who also prophesied that Jesus would become the chief cornerstone:

"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:22-23 )

And Isaiah wrote of the stumblingstone in another chapter:

"And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Isaiah 8:14)

Notice the “stumblingstone” serves both as a sanctuary for the just, and a snare for the wicked.

Anyway, the prophets described the Church in the same manner as the apostles referenced above.

>>>Sometimes the meaning is taken directly from scripture but more often we must use reasoning and logic to find it.<<<

You mean that you must, at times, spiritualize the scripture, don't you?

>>>Scripture is not always juxtaposed to its interpretation. <<<

Then maybe you know why dispensationalists insist the old testament prophecies be taken literally, except when it contradicts their preconceived notions about the future. Why so much inconsistency if literalism is the way to go? Why not simply admit that the OT prophecies cannot be taken literally because they are metaphorical imagery? Maybe you know the answer to that.

>>>God’s consistent use of his metaphors also allows us to determine the meaning when it is not given directly.<<<

LOL! What you are saying is, "as long as you (me) interpret the scripture the way I, and other futurists do, then you are interpreting correctly." Isn't that what you are saying?

>>>I am not arguing the meaning of the symbols here but rather the method for interpreting scripture. <<<

That is exactly what I am arguing. Only I used an entirely different method. I let the scripture interpret the scripture. For example, when I read "the seven churches in Asia," I don't make up a bunch of nonsense about them. They are "THE seven churches in Asia" that existed at the time the Revelation was written, and nothing else. Anyone who adds words to the prophecy, like Scofield did, is a deceiver.

>>>I can show you several passages where history is prophecy.<<<

So can I. I am not sure what your point is. For example, take this verse from the Revelation as an example of historical fulfillment:

"And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." (Revelation 16:21)

Now read this historical fulfillment from the Wars of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, in reference to the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, where he writes:

"The [catapult] engines, that all the [Roman] legions had ready prepared for them, were admirably contrived; but still more extraordinary ones belonged to the tenth legion: those that threw darts and those that threw stones were more forcible and larger than the rest, by which they not only repelled the excursions of the Jews, but drove those away that were upon the walls also. Now the stones that were cast were of the weight of a talent, and were carried two furlongs [1/4 mile] and further. The blow they gave was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first in the way, but by those that were beyond them for a great space." [Wars of the Jews, V.6.3]

How is that for historical fulfillment of a metaphorical prophecy in the Revelation? BTW, Josephus had no dog in the fight. He was an orthodox Jewish Priest.

Philip