02/2003             
A Prayer
of Jesus
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will

 
Exposing Revelation
 

A Study

By Edgar Jones

INTRODUCTION

Revelation, the last document of the Bible, begins with these words:

1   The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2   Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
(Rev. 1:1, KJV)
Therein lies both a major problem and the simple solution.  The major problem resides in the fact that the document describes itself as The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  It follows that the words of this document must be placed on a par with the utterances of Jesus from the gospels, perhaps above them, for these words constitute the revelation of the risen Christ.
True disciples must therefore attend to these words with the same or greater intensity as to the utterances of Jesus from the gospels.  

This constitutes a problem because, in fact, the words of Revelation are not the words of Jesus Christ, contrary to the claims of its author, and approaching them as such has led and is leading millions astray from the Truth.  This document is the source of endless discord, confusion, debate and deception.

The simple solution to the problem also lies there, in the very first sentence (and verse) of the document.  By recognizing this as the solution to the problem, one is immediately delivered from the grasp of a monstrous deception that has plagued Christendom from day one.  It is in the phrase,
. . . . things which must shortly come to pass . . . ,
and, most specifically, in the single word rendered in this translation as shortly.

The logic of this paper is very simple also.  If a prophecy from the Bible fails, it is a false prophecy.  If it is a false prophecy, the prophet was a false prophet.  Then it follows, of course, that the words of Revelation, containing false prophecies, are not the words of Jesus because he is not a false prophet.

 

The Word


To get at the simple solution
one must examine this word, shortly, as it stands in the Greek of the New Testament.  Its Greek form is tachei, and it appears here as en.tachei.  It is vital that we have a clear perception of its meaning.  To this end, we here examine the word in four ways.  First, by reference to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament; second by seeing how it has contributed to certain words from the English Dictionary;  third, by examining its other usages throughout the New Testament, and fourth, by considering how the author of Revelation used the word throughout that document..

1. From the Lexicon:
tachos, -ous, to', fr. Hom. down, quickness, speed: en tachei (often in Grk. writ. fro. Aeschyl. and Pind. down), quickly, shortly, speedily, soon.
There are several other forms of this word in the lexicon.  Let us list them:  
tachu', (neut of the adj, tachus), adv., [fr. Pind. down], quickly, shortly.

tachus, -eia, -u', [fr. Hom. down], quick, speedy.

tachista, (neut, plur. of the superl. tachistos, fr. tachus), very quickly.

tachion [WH tacheion; see their App. p. 154 and cf. ei,i], (neuter of the compar. tachion), more quickly, more speedily.

tachinos, -e, -on, [fr. Teorcr. down], swift, quick.

tacheos, (tachus), adv. , [fr. Homer down], quickly, shortly.  

tacha, (tachus), adv.; hastily, quickly, soon.
Surely you get the idea!  This word has to do with speed, swiftness, quickness, all those words and ideas that we understand to mean that there is to be no delay -- none whatsoever.


2. From the Dictionary

We go now to the dictionary to see how this Greek word,
tachos, has been incorporated into certain words in modern English.  
ta·chom·e·ter
Pronunciation: ta-'kä-m&-t&r, t&-
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek tachos speed + English -meter
Date: 1810
: a device for indicating speed of rotation.

tachy-
Function: combining form
Etymology: Greek, from tachys
: rapid : accelerated.

tachy·ar·rhyth·mia
Pronunciation: "ta-kE-A-'ri[th]-mE-&
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
Date: 1926
: arrhythmia characterized by a rapid irregular heartbeat.

tachy·car·dia

Pronunciation: "ta-ki-'kär-dE-&
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
Date: 1889
: relatively rapid heart action whether physiological (as after exercise) or pathological.

tachy·on

Pronunciation: 'ta-kE-"än
Function: noun
Etymology: tachy- + -on
Date: 1967
: a hypothetical particle held to travel only faster than light.
Faster than light?  If you failed to understand until now, surely you are catching on?  This Greek word stands for speed, speed, and more speed!  It stands for fast, faster, and fastest.  It means quick, quickly, quicker and quickest!


3. From the New Testament (except Revelation)

Here are the New Testament verses in which this word or one of its forms appears.

Matt.5

      [25]  Make friends quickly (tachu) with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;

Matt.28

    [7] Then go quickly [tachu] and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you.
    [8] So they departed quickly [tachu] from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Mark.9

[39] But Jesus said, Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon [tachu] after to speak evil of me.

Mark.16

    [8] They went out quickly [tachu] and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

Luke.14

    [21] So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, `Go out quickly [tacheos] to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.'

Luke.15

    [22] But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly [tachu] the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet;

Luke.16

    [6] He said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly [tacheos] and write fifty.

Luke.18

    [8] I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily [en.tachei]. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?

John.11

    [29] And when she heard it, she rose quickly [tachu] and went to him.
    [31] When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly [tacheos] and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

John.13

    [27] Then after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly [tachion].

John.20

    [4] They both ran, but the other disciple outran [tachion] Peter and reached the tomb first.

Acts.12

[7] and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly [tachei]." And the chains fell off his hands.

Acts.17

    [15] Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible [tachista], they departed.

Acts.22

    [18] and saw him saying to me, `Make haste and get quickly [tachei] out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

Acts.25

[4] Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesare'a, and that he himself intended to go there shortly [en.tachei].

Rom.16

    [20] then the God of peace will soon [tachei] crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1Cor.4

[19] But I will come to you soon [tacheos], if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.

Gal.1

[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly [tacheos] deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel --

Phil.2

[19] I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon [tacheos], so that I may be cheered by news of you.
[24] and I trust in the Lord that shortly [tacheos] I myself shall come also.

2Thes.2

    [2] not to be quickly [tacheos] shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

1Tim.3

    [14] I hope to come to you soon [tachion], but I am writing these instructions to you so that . . ..

1Tim.5

    [22] Do not be hasty [tacheos] in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man's sins, keep yourself pure.

2Tim.4

[9] Do your best to come to me soon [tacheos].

2Pet.1

[14] since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon [tachinos], as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

2Pet.2

[1] But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift [tachinos] destruction.

Heb.13
[19] I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner [tachion].
[23] You should understand that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon [tachion].

Jas.1

    [19] Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick [tachus] to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
This list is exhaustive.  By carefully searching the Greek NT, one might find some incident that we have omitted here, but I doubt it.  Of course there are other incidents in Revelation, but we are saving them for last.  It is essential to our purpose that the reader clearly understand the significance of this Greek prefix, tachy -, in all its occurrences.  You can readily see from the above it calls for immediate action or action without delay, soon or swift.  One of the best examples is John 11:29 above, where, on hearing that Jesus was calling for her, she rose quickly.  This is typical of the kind of action the prefix, tach-,  calls for in the New Testament.
 

4. From Revelation

The first instance is the one from the first verse, that we have already seen, and which has occasioned the need for this study.  I repeat it here once more to keep it before us, as it is crucial to evaluating Revelation:
1   The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly [en.tachei] come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2   Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
(Rev. 1:1, KJV)
Now, before we draw our final conclusions, we must see how this writer used the word throughout Revelation.  There are eight instances, as follows:

Rev.2

    [5] Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you quickly [tachei] and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Rev.2

    [16] Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon [tachu] and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev.3

    [11] I am coming soon [tachu]; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Rev.11

    [14] The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon [tachu] to come.

Rev.22

[6] And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon [en tachei] take place.
[
7] And behold, I am coming soon [tachu]." Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

Rev.22

    [12] "Behold, I am coming soon [tachu], bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done.

Rev.22

    [20] He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon [tachu]." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

    Conclusion

    There was a time, some 1900 years past, when a man who called himself "John" sat down and penned the document that we call The Revelation.  He maintained from the first verse that God had sent his angel to him to reveal all the things written in the book.  This angel spoke for Jesus Christ, bearing witness to "the testimony of Jesus Christ." Throughout the document we find Jesus speaking to him through the angel, and it is as though he is quoting Jesus directly.  He began the book by asserting that the angel showed him what must soon take place
    .  

    John maintains throughout that it is the words of Jesus that are being relayed to him.  Chapter 22, verses 6 & 7 above have Jesus saying to John (and to us),
These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon [en tachei] take place. And behold, I am coming soon [tachu]."
Then, in vs. 12 and 20 he repeats the promise, having assured us that "these words are trustworthy and true."

But we know better, unless the Lord's promised return was long past and the whole world missed it!  Indeed, everything in the book was promised to be soon, or without delay, or quick, or shortly, or whatever urgency one gives to tachu.  After examining it in all its usages in the New Testament, and also in the Revelation, we must conclude that it does not allow for 1900 years!  An hour, perhaps; at most, a year but certainly not a generation or a lifetime.

The words are not trustworthy and true.  The unavoidable fact, to anyone with brain in gear, is that the mysterious prophecies of the book have either all been fulfilled long ago, which does not seem likely, and the Lord Jesus fulfilled his promised return to earth long ago, which also does not seem likely -- or the whole book is a deception.

The Lord Jesus did not promise to come quickly and then fail to come!  In that he has not come, even after 1900 years, there is only one conclusion that a rational person can draw, which is that this book is not inspired by the Lord, is not the Word of the Lord and should be ignored as a source of truth by all true disciples of Jesus.  Its sole function, through the centuries, has been to confuse and disappoint Christians one generation after another.

How did this happen?

At the time Revelation was written near the end of the First Century, the early disciples were suffering persecution under the Roman emperor, Domition, and they were in great distress.  John himself claimed to be on the Isle of Patmos "for the testimony of Jesus." This probably means that he had been sentenced to slave labor in the salt mines of that island as a result of his testimony.  It was a hard time for disciples throughout the world and they desperately needed encouragement.

The author of this document gave them that encouragement.  Nothing would do except the assurance that the Lord himself would soon come to punish the transgressors and receive his saints into his eternal Glory.  John gave them that assurance and it worked.  Taking courage, they renewed their faith and waited for the Lord . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . and are waiting still.

Did John deliberately falsify this document?  I doubt it.  He surely saw visions and had dreams generated by his deep distress and despair.  He thought the Lord had spoken to him, but it was not so.

Ever since John, throughout the 1900 years, every ego - driven priest, theologian, Bible scholar, teacher and preacher has taken it upon himself to sort out the obscure prophecies of Revelation and to make a name for himself thereby, graciously teaching his students or parishioners the meaning of the book and when each prophecy is to be fulfilled.  Every one of them were or are false prophets because, if they listened to the Lord Jesus, they would know better than to trust this document, not only for the reason given herein, but because they would have heard the Lord Jesus when he said,

Mark.13 

    [22] False Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
    [23] But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand.
Can't you hear him?  He has, in the gospels, told all things beforehand!  Surely, many false christs and false prophets have arisen, and they continue to this day to do their dirty work. They are themselves deceived and deceivers of others by mistaking  the Revelation as the Word of Jesus and the Word of God.  But, in that Jesus has told you all things beforehand there was never any need of them.  All one need do is to listen to Jesus as he speaks from the gospels -- and then believe him.  
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