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The Great Week of Time Part 8 Tarrying Time
If the Great Week of Time is a precise system of reckoning, how does one reconcile the numerous “tarrying” allusions in the Scriptures? Wouldn’t they lengthen or alter the “sacred seven” millenniums? What is a “delay” relative to? Does this force God to move to plan “B?” Is it related simply to man’s perceptions? Or – is it a “delay” in some other timed matter? The “poster-child delay” parable is recorded in the end-time chapter of Matthew 24. “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming ...” (vs 48). The setting of this verse surrounds the little word ean, which means “if.” Jesus has just been describing a good servant and suddenly describes an evil servant: That servant is head of other servants: He abuses them. He still calls his master “My Lord.” But, it says, “if in his heart ...” In the context, it is a warning to anyone who chooses to believe that Jesus’ coming is in the distant future. His actions, described in subsequent verses, betray that conviction. He lives carelessly. Is this a statement of spiritual truth? Yes. Any thought or action that leads to a lifestyle that suggests a delay is fatal. When the Master returns judgment comes to this servant. The subliminal warning is to not function as though the coming of Jesus is postponed. Does that mean it could be postponed? We are to live as though it is imminent. A delay in Jesus’ return is not the message portrayed. Peter, reflecting on truth that had already been “spoken before by the holy prophets, and ... of us the apostles” said: “Knowing this first [the foundational principle], that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” II Peter 3:3-4. The imagery states that those who declare that the Lord delays His coming are sinners. Then God makes the point that He operates in His own timing sphere: “A day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day” (vs 8). For the godly, Paul provides the context of how the timing will occur. “For yet a little while [a small space of time] and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37. In a couple of days – in God’s time – He’ll return. There is more specific information that Jesus has given to us found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 or Luke 21. He has outlined two distinct end of times that we are to focus on – one for the Jewish people within the apostles’ day and one for the end of the world at the second advent. They are spelled out with great detail. For the end of time the “rest of the story” is found in Daniel (Matthew 24:15). Jesus stipulates that those end-time prophecies would each be fulfilled within one generation – or – 40 years. When Jesus told the inquiring disciples that “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath in his own power” (Acts 1:7), He never said it was going to be delayed, nor did He say it would come with mystical suddenness. Jesus already gave detailed signs for when it could be declared that “the season” has arrived, “it is even at the door.” The “beginning of sorrows” is the beginning of the end! What then did Jesus allude to in Acts 1:7? This is vital to grasp! Looking forward in time, one cannot predict when the consummation of events will begin – that was in the Father’s hand. But – when the predicted developments begin to occur, it’s going to happen within one generation. When looking at Daniel, there will be even further refinements in the three-and-a-half-year appointed-time setting!
Appointed |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------| |------------------------------ One Generation ------------------------| * Jesus’ Coming
Within the timing structure of God’s end-time prophecy there are built-in delays.
1. Between the two end times of destruction/desolation 2. Within the timing of one generation to the three-and-a-half-year appointed-time 3. Prophetic times of waiting
It is vital to note that in God’s predictive time periods there is no delay. He does recognize the tarrying time between prophecies or specific time periods. A notable example of this was recorded by Habakkuk: “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:2-3. The vision is tarrying – the prophecy has an apparent delay to its fulfillment. But wait for it, it will come to pass, and then it won’t tarry any longer. Thus a specific prophecy can tarry within the greater framework of God’s time. The parable of the ten virgins is instructive. The bridegroom tarried (chronizei or chronizo) (Matthew 25:5). What was the delay or lingering in reference to? The people who were waiting. The bridegroom is Jesus. It does not say God’s plans were delayed. It does say in the perspective of the virgins that they waited so long that they “slumbered and slept” (vs 5). While the foolish virgins tried to play catchup, the appointed time had already come and they were barred from the marriage. Imminent Return in Revelation In the book of Revelation there is this repetitive theme:
• Revelation 1:1 – The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly (en-tachos) come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: • Revelation 1:3 – Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand. • Revelation • Revelation • Revelation • Revelation • Revelation 22:6 – And he said unto me, These sayings [are] faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. • Revelation • Revelation • Revelation
On the surface it appears as though the message to John decrees a rapid return of Jesus in his day. He did appear to him in
• Revelation • Revelation
“The time (kairos – last opportunity) is at hand.” “Behold I come quickly (tacho – soon) – without delay.” At the end of the Bible in this apocalyptic book, the message is “no delay!” There has been a forward movement of prophetic thought from Daniel through the gospels to this final unveiling of the end. Is this prophecy a declaration that Jesus was coming in John’s day? Clearly not. There was an expectancy by the disciples. But their timing prophecies related to the “end” of time for the Jewish nation. The eschaton is defined as distinct and separate by the books of Daniel and Revelation. Revelation 1:4-6 is a commentary insert. There is a break in the introductory thought to extend greetings from the Trinity to the seven churches. When verses 1-3 and 7 are combined, which they should be, the “shortly come to pass” (vs 1) and “time is at hand” (vs 3) refer to Jesus’ coming in the clouds when every eye will see Him (vs 7). The apostles had the privilege of knowing that there would be a delay – just as Daniel did! Daniel 8:14 makes it clear that the final restoration of God’s people would not occur until after the 2300 evenings and mornings – distinctly 2300 years. (That is in atonement–sacred–legal language). Daniel did not understand at first. Several years later he did (Daniel 10:1). That was part of the mareh vision that was not sealed. For the apostles there was an imminent end within one generation. But for the great eschaton, when all will be made new, that was far into the future. The “end” of Jerusalem had already occurred in 70 A.D. The Revelation was penned approximately 96 A.D. The time when Jesus would come was John’s focus. The angel made that clear in verse 7: “Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.” As consummation-event prophecy unfolded as revealed in the prophetic books, He would come quickly. That is the exact concept outlined in Daniel and Matthew 24. Daniel’s Appointed Time Few have paid attention to the amazing information that Gabriel opened to Daniel. He said: “At the time of the end (es qes) shall be the vision.” Daniel 8:17. The chazown vision within Daniel 8–12 revealed how the Mystery of Iniquity would work right at the end of time. “I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation (zaam – God’s wrath): for at the time appointed, the end shall be.” Daniel 8:19. At the time appointed is the end of time – at the time of God’s wrath. Habakkuk said the tarrying time or waiting period would end at the appointed time (mowed). Therefore, we can see the following outline emerge:
• The finale’ of the Mystery of Iniquity of Daniel 8–12 is at the end of time. • The appointed time is at the end of time. • The appointed time is when the tarrying time ends. • The end of time is when God’s wrath finishes.
The information continues to pour in. Daniel asked Jesus in chapter 12, “How long to the end of these wonders?” (vs 6), referring to Michael standing up, the time of trouble, deliverance of God’s people and the special resurrection (Daniel 12:1-2). When will all this occur? Jesus said simply: “[It shall be] for a time, times, and an half {mowed, moweds and half mowed – 1260 days}; and when he {king of the north (Daniel The chazown vision with all the oppression of God’s people and church will come to an end at the end of 1260 days – at the deliverance of God’s people. From Habakkuk to here it is now clear that:
Appointed Time ----//-------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------- One Generation -----------------------------------------| * Jesus’ Coming
This coincides exactly with Jesus’ message to John in Revelation 10:6. There will no longer be a delay. Both times Jesus gives end-time timing messages – first to Daniel and secondly to John, He swears by heaven with the hand uplifted. Those timing messages are so vital, so sacred, so important that Jesus didn’t leave them to that mighty angel, Gabriel. He personally came to present them. The honor and reputation of heaven itself stands against the truth of those time prophecies. When the appointed time comes, it is a prophetic, literal-time countdown to the deliverance of God’s people. There is no prophecy that sets a time/date for the second coming of Jesus. Everything ends at the deliverance! “The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days. The Scripture says, ‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased’ (Dan. 12:4). When the book was opened, the proclamation was made, ‘Time shall be no longer.’ (See Revelation 10:6.) The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth. By the increase of knowledge a people is to be prepared to stand in the latter days.”1 “As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living. With them should be linked the teachings of the last book of the New Testament Scriptures. Satan has led many to believe that the prophetic portions of the writings of Daniel and of John the revelator cannot be understood. But the promise is plain that special blessing will accompany the study of these prophecies. ‘The wise shall understand’ (verse 10), was spoken of the visions of Daniel that were to be unsealed in the latter days; and of the revelation that Christ gave to His servant John for the guidance of God’s people all through the centuries, the promise is, ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.’ Revelation 1:3.”2 “Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days. John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel’s prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third angels’ messages to be given to the world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time[!]”3 Summary The Great Week of Time is not marred or impinged by the tarrying-time message. The apparent “delay” is between the two great end-time prophecies of Matthew 24. It represents a waiting time within the Great Week of Time concept. The prophetic tarrying time comes when, within one generation, after the beginning of sorrows, God’s people must wait until the three-and-a-half-year appointed time. Then time is no longer delayed and His coming is expectant. An analogy can be seen from Noah’s day. God delayed from the fall of man to Noah to deal with violence and rebellion. Once the preaching began, there was a distinct tarrying time that God had foretold. There was a 120-year wait before the wrath of God while Noah built and preached. When the animals and Noah were in the ark, the door was shut. That began the appointed time of seven days. They were safe in the ark, sealed from harm. When God’s wrath was poured out, they had His protecting care within the ark. In the next issue we will explore the issues of E. G. White’s repetitive thoughts that we could have been in the kingdom “err long this.”
References: 1Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 105. 2Prophets and Kings, pp. 547-548. 3Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, p. 320 (emphasis added).
Christian Heritage Foundation, CS © 2004-2005 – Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D., Director
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