About Marvin Howard Expertise I consider myself to be a "doctrine specialist" if there is such a thing. I offer scripture to support or refute (as needed) any doctrine practiced within what is commonly termed "Christianity" today. I am willing to try questions on prophecy and history, though they are weak points. I have learned a little, however. Also, as I am disabled, I have time to research many things. For example, I can find a congregation of the church within twenty miles of your ZIP Code if one exists. If traveling, I can locate a congregation for your visit.
I am accountable in this ministry to a group of Christians. I will share my answers with them for review. If a question is private, I will redact the names for privacy.
Experience I became a Christian on April 7, 1969. I have been a substitute, spur-of-the-moment preacher for thirty years. I am currently the minister for the congregation in Braswell, GA. My sermons have always contained at least fifty percent scripture. On occasion, I have preached in seven states, and four foreign nations. This is beside my online ministry.
I hope to never mislead anyone saying I'm a member of one group, when I'm really in another as one here does. By his own admission, he isn't a member of the church, but of the "Christian Church" (sic) denomination. If I can be honest, I don't know why others would want to lie.
Question Do you teach that the entire book of Revelation has been fulfilled? If not, which parts do you believe are not yet fulfilled?
Answer Hi!
James, this question is probably up for more debate than any other topic than the Bible. I am going to try giving you the short answer. I just want you to remember, there are going to be many who disagree, or make prophetic applications to different things.
Before an answer is possible, the introduction must be understood.
Revelation 1:1, "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..."
The first thing you should notice is the word, "signified." Revelation is a book of signs; a book of figurative language. None of the book should be interpreted as being literal. If people interpret this (or even parts of this) literally, all they do is prove how little they really know when nothing happens the way they demand. Each sign points to something else literal; it is not the thing itself. There will not be literal bowls, vials, lengths of time, falling stars, dragons, or anything resembling these literal things.
Several reasons for this have been postulated, but I feel one makes the most sense. John was in exile on Patmos. That much is revealed fact. He had things to say against Rome, and how Rome would corrupt the church. Rome would not take kindly to such, and would censor his mail. In order to get the message by the censors, he had to say it in such a way Rome would think him mad, but that the Jewish Brethren would understand and be able to explain. Thus, we have extensive examples of Jewish numerology woven into the fabric of this book.
The second thing you need to notice in the introduction specifies a time period for Revelation; the phrase, "shortly come to pass." In the Greek, this is interesting. We understand "shortly." The word does indicate a very quick span of time; not twenty or more centuries. For the rest of it, here is Thayer's definition of the single word:
γίνομαι
ginomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being
2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen
2a) of events
3) to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage
3a) of men appearing in public
4) to be made, finished
4a) of miracles, to be performed, wrought
5) to become, be made
Notice, the first definition speaks of a thing starting; not ending. In other words, the things herein described would begin soon, even if not finished soon.
Once this is understood, a theme emerges in a thorough study of Revelation. In short, I like to state it in the idea, "Victory in Jesus." No matter how much persecution arises, no matter how much apostasy, no matter how much trouble from within, the cause and church of Christ will be victorious over all the groups and doctrines that choose to leave us and follow Satan, even in disguise. There can only be one successful way to demonstrate this truth; compare things on this earth with things that will be in Heaven.
It is my estimation that the things in Heaven are yet future to our experience (obviously), while the things on earth at least began within a generation (the usual, Biblical definition of shortly) of the time of writing. In fact, the apostasy was already causing rifts as early as 1st Corinthians 1:12. The church of Peter still exists.
That apostasy is still ongoing, so it is not fulfilled or complete. However, it did begin; it is underway. So that the apostasy can be identified, certain portions of it have already happened. There have been times in history when people had to have religious approval, the approval mark of their leader, to conduct commerce. There has already been a religious leader who wore the Roman Numeral, "666," directly on his forehead. All of this comes from within groups that are supposedly Christian.
Daniel spoke of Babylon as the head of gold, Persia and the chest of silver, Greece as the belly of brass, and Rome as the legs of iron. It was in these days (Rome) that Christ would come. He did. All of these were successive empires. To remove the feet of iron and clay from that succession destroys the whole image and is ludicrous. Therefore, you must ask yourself, which world empire both succeeded Rome and will be destroyed by Christianity. It cannot be Christianity, it must be pseudo-Christianity, a false religion that inherited pagan traditions from Rome.
James, I apologize for the delay in answering this. I have a job interview upcoming, and have been too busy preparing to check my mail. I do thank you for the chance to answer this for you. I pray I have given sufficient answer without bogging in the details; many of which are the subject of much debate anyway.
