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If the prophecies of the book of Revelations have already come to pass, and if Jesus second coming has already occured, would it not be that a couple of things would be evident in this day and age.
1st, the kingdom of God, both spiritual and physical would be fully manifested before us.
2nd, satan would be bound and cast away, no longer free to seek the souls of man.
3rd, would we not be living in the resurrection fully, not just spiritually, which means, there is no marriage, no family connections as we know them.
4th, if we are living in the resurrection, why do we still experience sufferings, illnesses and death.
In other words, I do believe that through the death and resurrection of Christ we experience the spiritual resurrection here and now. Meaning that if I am in Christ, therefore it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives within me, the old passes away and all things are made new. But tells us that we will be resurrected as Christ, this is body and spirit, the full manifestation of this has yet to come in that while we have a spiritual ressurection, the physical ressurection has not occured.
It is obvious in this day and age that satan is not bound as he is still seeking to devour the souls of God's creation. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in an earth where family connections exist and marriages occur. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in a world where suffering, illness and death occur. Therefore, if we believe that ALL has already come to pass, where is the differences in the lives we live today, with those facts I just mentioned, still so evident in our lives. Would this imply that Christ second coming made no impact on our lives, in this world? Would it then claim God to be a liar?
Jesus spoke of both, the kingdom that was there present in that moment with His presence, and He also spoke of the kingdom that was to come, He stated the time of which no man knows the day, the hour but that when it occurs all would know. Scripture warns us that if we have to know of this coming through someone telling us, it has not occured, for when it occurs all would see it, all would know.
2 Peter 3 tells us (and I'm paraphrasing a lot) of how scoffers will come asking where is this promise of His coming since our father's died but that God is not slow in keeping His promises in terms of what we understand slow to be. Rather He is patient with His children as it is His desire that not a one would perish. However, He is clear that He will come like a thief and that the old will be done away with and we will behold a new Heaven and a new Earth, and this shall be a home of righteousness.
I do understand (to an extent) the "confusion" because of the claims made with the terminology of "the time is near". However, God is not the author of confusion and it would be prudent for us to remember that scripture warns us against measuring God's timing by way of man's understanding of time. It tells us clearly that to the Lord one day could be as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. So while it is stated the time is near, what is near to man's mind, or what man may understand to be near, may in fact be a day for the Lord yet a thousand years for man, two days days for the Lord, while appearing as two thousand years to man, and so on.
The essence is we are to be watchful for this 2nd coming of Christ. We are to be filled with expectation of it and be mindful in our efforts to be found spotless and without blemish. If we remove all this saying that it has already occured, which I do not believe it has, where then does that leave the children of God today if none of this blessed hope and expectation is of things yet to come.
My belief is that the book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, not of history. It is the blessed hope and promises for those who standfast in their faith and watch for the Lord's return. To try to change that, is to not heed the warnings that was clearly given in 2 Timothy 2:15-18.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some".
I'm glad to here that you believe that Jesus came to die for you sins, that you are saved by grace.
The difference still comes down to the fact that Jesus physically rose from the dead. He is the first fruits and we are going to be like him. The physical resurrection is the proof of Gods acceptance of Christs victory over death. We share in his victory, now. Just like those who deny him, stand condemned already.
I do clearly understand where others are coming from. That is why I'm neither a futurist or a preterist.
twin.spin: We must be careful concerning Christ's physical resurrection. His body was never to see corruption--ours are! Those who rose from the dead following Christ's resurrection are not properly referred to as resurrections but rather resuscitations. They died again and their bodies decayed.
This entire issue of resurrection divides not only preterists from futurists but also preterists from preterists! But all in all, I do not think that any of the views qualifies one as an heretic. Let's (I say this to all and to myself as well) try to understand one another's perspective as disagreements among brothers and not be so quick to throw around the "h" word. I am not sure whether you have done so, but I know of others on this board who have. You are right to cite Christ's resurrection as the first-fruits and it is only natural to attempt to make a close association between His resurrection and the resurrection of the saints. I believe, however, that that association can be pressed too far since we are dealing with perfect man versus fallen man.
The question is: are we raised with a reconstituted body consisting of physical elements of this world? Another related question becomes evident: is such a physical resurrection necessary to do justice to Christ's resurrection as the first-fruits? The answer to these questions determines whether one is cast into the heretic corner!
Is there a distinction between being resurrected and raised from the dead? We would all agree that Jesus was not the first person to be raised from the dead but He was the first person to be resurrected who never died again! The stone was rolled away from His tomb not so that He could get out (He could pass through walls) but so that the disciples could get in! That is not true of Lazarus. The stone was rolled away because he came forth in the same physical body he had before his death--it could not pass through walls. His was a resuscitation--a restoring to his former life--and not a resurrection.
Notice also that Jesus did not need to have His wrappings removed; Lazarus did. Jesus said "Unbind him, and let him go." What was it about the wrappings of Jesus that caused His disciples to believe? According to burial customs of that day, the wrappings around a body would become stiffened so that even if a body disappeared from within them, they would retain the shape of the body. Is it possible that the disciples saw a body cast with the face cloth removed instead of a pile of neatly folded up material as is often pictured in portrayals of the empty tomb? Did Jesus, in His resurrection body, simply pass through this body cast instead of having it removed as was done in Lazarus' case? Jesus passed through the wrappings just as He did later through the walls of the room in which the disciples hid.
Was Christ's resurrection in His physical body an exact demonstration of the nature of all resurrection bodies. It is supposed by many that the physical takes on a spiritual nature in the resurrection. But is it not also credible to believe that the spiritual (that eternal nature we acquire in the new birth) takes on a physical nature? In other words, does the physical have the ability to manifest itself spiritually, or does the spiritual have the ability to manifest itself physically (such as Jesus did or as the angels have done--the angels that appeared to Abraham in Genesis 19, for example)?
How did Jesus appear to others during the days following His resurrection? Was not Jesus so much more than the "physical" body in which He manifested Himself? In His incarnation He was made lower than the angels (taking on a body of flesh); in His resurrection, He was exalted again to His former glory far above that of any angel. Yet, following His resurrection, He appeared in ways similar to how angels were manifested. It is my belief that what we saw of Jesus following His resurrection is but a shadow of what He truly was. To equate our resurrection bodies to His as it revealed in those forty days that He walked upon the earth before His ascension is to limit what we ourselves will be like when we shed these earthen vessels and are given resurrection bodies fitted for heaven.
Will we not also be unshackled spiritual beings capable of manifesting ourselves physically? Will we continue to be bound by the physical even though in perfection? Will we not ourselves become greater than the angels? I believe we cannot even envision the great glory and capabilities our resurrection bodies will have--glory and capabilities not possible in glorified "earthen" vessels. When we leave this world behind, we will have no need of the chemical elements that bind us to this world! Why do we cling to it so? I can leave my body completely behind and yet not leave myself behind! I am NOT my body!
What did John mean when he said that we would be like Him [Christ]--1 John 3:2? Notice also that John, writing after Jesus' manifestation during the forty days following His resurrection, states that he and his readers had not yet been shown (it had not be revealed to them) what they were to be! If it had not been revealed to them then the nature of Christ's resurrection body was not clearly portrayed in how he appeared during those forty days! We must look beyond that! It is not the manifestation of his true "first-fruits" nature! Furthermore, John clearly states that they had not yet seen Him as He is! Did they not see Him following His resurrection? Clearly, then, that was not what He is and that is not what we are to be! There is so much more!
What about the glorious manner in which Christ appears in Revelation 1? Why is that not depicted as His "first-fruits" nature? He says of Himself, "I . . . was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore." Notice that John does not even recognize Him--Jesus had to tell him who He was. Also, what type of manifestation did Saul see while on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3)? Was this not a further revealing to them of Christ's resurrection nature? We are to be like Him--not in all of His glory, of course, but "like" Him. Is not the prevailing idea that the resurrection bodies of the saints will be physical far too limiting? Should we not expect to be higher than the angels since it was not to angels that Christ brought salvation? Do we rightly expect to have physical bodies with the capabilities of manifesting themselves spiritually or should we look for spiritual bodies capable of manifesting themselves spiritually?
What possible purpose is there for physical bodies in a spiritual realm? Jesus clearly stated that His kingdom is not of this world--why do we expect to take this world with us to it?
What about Christ's empty tomb? Should we assume that His empty tomb teaches that we also should some day have empty tombs? Did not God say of man's body in Genesis 3:19--"In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
What about the distinction Paul taught to those at Antioch between David's body and Christ's in Acts 13:36-37--"For David, . . . fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption." There are two bodies--one is natural and one is spiritual. Paul, under inspiration, taught that "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:44). He further taught in 2 Cor. 5:1 that "we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house, not built by human hands."
My point here is this--there are good CHRISTIAN people on both sides of this issue. There is no justification for calling those who believe in a resurrection that does not involve physical bodies rising up out of their graves Hymenaens or Sadducees or Heretics. I believe that some press the concept of resurrection as the issue of physical bodies rising from their graves too far and set it as a false standard upon which to judge the spiritual condition of others.
I further believe that most people who detest preterism and attach to it such labels as those mentioned above do not really understand it. If one is to give such horrendous titles to someone, he should first make certain that his accusations are justified!
We must be careful concerning Christ's physical resurrection. His body was never to see corruption--ours are! Those who rose from the dead following Christ's resurrection are not properly referred to as resurrections but rather resuscitations. They died again and their bodies decayed.
Can you please explain what you mean by this a bit. Do you believe this ressurection of the dead as written in the bible has already occured, however, it was not truly a resurrection but a resuscitation of sorts because only Christ was truly resurrected and the difference which may exist to you is that being raised is different from being resurrected in as much as it may be a resuscitation instead of a resurrection.
Sorry, just want to make sure I understand what you are trying to say with this part before I give a comment.
I can see where you are coming from when you say that the resurrection is not a rebuilding of the physical bodies that have decayed that it is clothing the spirit with a type of new body. I do believe that after physcial death the bodies decays and is not rebuilt. However where I have problems is the preterist belief that this physical world will continue in sin and death eternally and then upon death people then go on to resurrection to "heaven" with new physical bodies and eternal "hell" with new physcial bodies.
When reading Revelation when it says that the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of God, that has not happened - the kingdoms of earth are not governed by God. If you read 1 Cor 15 :28 where God is all in all - while this earth continues in sin and death God is not all in all.
In 1 Cor 15:24 when it says that Jesus Christ must put down all power, all rule, all authority does that not mean all? meaning that there will not be human earthly governements.
If the prophecies of the book of Revelations have already come to pass, and if Jesus second coming has already occured, would it not be that a couple of things would be evident in this day and age.
1st, the kingdom of God, both spiritual and physical would be fully manifested before us.
2nd, satan would be bound and cast away, no longer free to seek the souls of man.
3rd, would we not be living in the resurrection fully, not just spiritually, which means, there is no marriage, no family connections as we know them.
4th, if we are living in the resurrection, why do we still experience sufferings, illnesses and death.
In other words, I do believe that through the death and resurrection of Christ we experience the spiritual resurrection here and now. Meaning that if I am in Christ, therefore it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives within me, the old passes away and all things are made new. But tells us that we will be resurrected as Christ, this is body and spirit, the full manifestation of this has yet to come in that while we have a spiritual ressurection, the physical ressurection has not occured.
It is obvious in this day and age that satan is not bound as he is still seeking to devour the souls of God's creation. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in an earth where family connections exist and marriages occur. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in a world where suffering, illness and death occur. Therefore, if we believe that ALL has already come to pass, where is the differences in the lives we live today, with those facts I just mentioned, still so evident in our lives. Would this imply that Christ second coming made no impact on our lives, in this world? Would it then claim God to be a liar?
Jesus spoke of both, the kingdom that was there present in that moment with His presence, and He also spoke of the kingdom that was to come, He stated the time of which no man knows the day, the hour but that when it occurs all would know. Scripture warns us that if we have to know of this coming through someone telling us, it has not occured, for when it occurs all would see it, all would know.
2 Peter 3 tells us (and I'm paraphrasing a lot) of how scoffers will come asking where is this promise of His coming since our father's died but that God is not slow in keeping His promises in terms of what we understand slow to be. Rather He is patient with His children as it is His desire that not a one would perish. However, He is clear that He will come like a thief and that the old will be done away with and we will behold a new Heaven and a new Earth, and this shall be a home of righteousness.
I do understand (to an extent) the "confusion" because of the claims made with the terminology of "the time is near". However, God is not the author of confusion and it would be prudent for us to remember that scripture warns us against measuring God's timing by way of man's understanding of time. It tells us clearly that to the Lord one day could be as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. So while it is stated the time is near, what is near to man's mind, or what man may understand to be near, may in fact be a day for the Lord yet a thousand years for man, two days days for the Lord, while appearing as two thousand years to man, and so on.
The essence is we are to be watchful for this 2nd coming of Christ. We are to be filled with expectation of it and be mindful in our efforts to be found spotless and without blemish. If we remove all this saying that it has already occured, which I do not believe it has, where then does that leave the children of God today if none of this blessed hope and expectation is of things yet to come.
My belief is that the book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, not of history. It is the blessed hope and promises for those who standfast in their faith and watch for the Lord's return. To try to change that, is to not heed the warnings that was clearly given in 2 Timothy 2:15-18.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some".
Man, what an awesome post, Mari!! Very well thought out and spoken from a true child of God's heart!! Thank you!
Can you please explain what you mean by this a bit. Do you believe this ressurection of the dead as written in the bible has already occured, however, it was not truly a resurrection but a resuscitation of sorts because only Christ was truly resurrected and the difference which may exist to you is that being raised is different from being resurrected in as much as it may be a resuscitation instead of a resurrection.
Sorry, just want to make sure I understand what you are trying to say with this part before I give a comment.
I can't answer for preterist however what I think preterists mean is that Jewish religion was the old heaven and earth that passed, Jesus is the first fruits of the new heaven which upon death people are resurrected to spiritually and given a new body go to if they are saved, and then there is a hell that people go to if they are not saved, and then where we are at the moment is I guess some kind of limbo, maybe even the new "earth".
If the prophecies of the book of Revelations have already come to pass, and if Jesus second coming has already occured, would it not be that a couple of things would be evident in this day and age.
1st, the kingdom of God, both spiritual and physical would be fully manifested before us.
2nd, satan would be bound and cast away, no longer free to seek the souls of man.
3rd, would we not be living in the resurrection fully, not just spiritually, which means, there is no marriage, no family connections as we know them.
4th, if we are living in the resurrection, why do we still experience sufferings, illnesses and death.
In other words, I do believe that through the death and resurrection of Christ we experience the spiritual resurrection here and now. Meaning that if I am in Christ, therefore it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives within me, the old passes away and all things are made new. But tells us that we will be resurrected as Christ, this is body and spirit, the full manifestation of this has yet to come in that while we have a spiritual ressurection, the physical ressurection has not occured.
It is obvious in this day and age that satan is not bound as he is still seeking to devour the souls of God's creation. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in an earth where family connections exist and marriages occur. It is obvious that in this day and age, we still live in a world where suffering, illness and death occur. Therefore, if we believe that ALL has already come to pass, where is the differences in the lives we live today, with those facts I just mentioned, still so evident in our lives. Would this imply that Christ second coming made no impact on our lives, in this world? Would it then claim God to be a liar?
Jesus spoke of both, the kingdom that was there present in that moment with His presence, and He also spoke of the kingdom that was to come, He stated the time of which no man knows the day, the hour but that when it occurs all would know. Scripture warns us that if we have to know of this coming through someone telling us, it has not occured, for when it occurs all would see it, all would know.
2 Peter 3 tells us (and I'm paraphrasing a lot) of how scoffers will come asking where is this promise of His coming since our father's died but that God is not slow in keeping His promises in terms of what we understand slow to be. Rather He is patient with His children as it is His desire that not a one would perish. However, He is clear that He will come like a thief and that the old will be done away with and we will behold a new Heaven and a new Earth, and this shall be a home of righteousness.
I do understand (to an extent) the "confusion" because of the claims made with the terminology of "the time is near". However, God is not the author of confusion and it would be prudent for us to remember that scripture warns us against measuring God's timing by way of man's understanding of time. It tells us clearly that to the Lord one day could be as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. So while it is stated the time is near, what is near to man's mind, or what man may understand to be near, may in fact be a day for the Lord yet a thousand years for man, two days days for the Lord, while appearing as two thousand years to man, and so on.
The essence is we are to be watchful for this 2nd coming of Christ. We are to be filled with expectation of it and be mindful in our efforts to be found spotless and without blemish. If we remove all this saying that it has already occured, which I do not believe it has, where then does that leave the children of God today if none of this blessed hope and expectation is of things yet to come.
My belief is that the book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, not of history. It is the blessed hope and promises for those who standfast in their faith and watch for the Lord's return. To try to change that, is to not heed the warnings that was clearly given in 2 Timothy 2:15-18.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some".
mari4him: Thank you for your thoughtful post. My question to you, however, as it has been to other futurists, concerns the meaning of terms such as "shortly" and "at hand" which when found elsewhere in the NT always deal with soonness and nearness! IF the Scriptures clearly indicate that something took place at a certain point in history, then we should accept that. If we cannot see the fulfillment, then, perhaps we should re-evaluate the nature of how it was to be fulfilled.
What physical kingdom needs to be manifested, mari4him? Jesus Himself said that His kingdom was not of this world. As for Satan--why does man whose heart is totally wicked, totally opposed to the will of God, and totally corrupt in all of its parts need the influence of Satan to works his evil? Did not Paul say to those of his day--"the God of peace will crush Satan under YOUR feet SHORTLY" (Romans 16:20)? Here we see the same time word found in Revelation 1:1--tachos! What had Satan's purpose been before the Gospel was given to the Gentiles in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham (Gen. 12). Was it not to deceive the nations. It was BEFORE he was crushed that Satan roamed around seeking those whom he could devour. The thoughts and intents of the heart of man is wickedness always! He needs no scapegoat or perpetrator other than his own wicked, corrupt heart to work his evil.
IF the resurrection was to be these flesh and blood bodies rising out of their graves, then, of course, that could not have already happened. But are you certain that such is the nature of the resurrection? Paul, before Felix, the governor, said "There is ABOUT TO BE a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust" (Acts 24:14). Later, Felix trembled as Paul "reasoned of righteousness, self-control, and judgment ABOUT TO COME" (Acts 24:25). Earlier Paul had told the Athenians that God had "appointed a day, in which He was ABOUT TO JUDGE the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31). There was a time coming--a time SHORTLY coming (Rev. 1:1) when He would put a final end to that Old Covenant system of Mosaic law and fully established His church, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them (OT saints and unbelievers who waited in Hades for this time) and death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. At that time all the world was judged in the sense that the final destination of all, both righteous and unrighteous, was determined! Based upon that past judgment and determination, all who die in Christ enter His presence; all who die without Christ, are separated from Him eternally!
Words mean things, mari4him. We cannot redefine words such as "shortly" or "at hand" to fit our preconceived ideas of how things were to unfold! 2 Peter 3 does not in any way negate the full impact of the NT time statements. God uses language, which He invented, to communicate with us. He does not use words in a way contrary to how we understand them. He exists outside of and apart from time; we do not. Furthermore, no one who denies the true impact of these time statements in eschatological contexts has any problem understanding them in their normal meanings outside of eschatological contexts. The time statements mean consistently what they mean. They do not change meaning simply because they are found in the Revelation or other prophetic contexts! Shortly means shortly; near means near!
You are correct that the Revelation is a book of prophecy and history. It just isn't our history and it is not prophecy concerning our day. The time frame is clearly given in the book itself in the words shortly and at hand.
IF the resurrection was to occur in the way you believe (physical bodies rising out of their graves), why would Hymenaeus and Philetus stupidly teach that the resurrection had already occurred? How could such a thing have happened without it being noticed? Paul did NOT address their understanding of the nature of the resurrection (which obviously was not bodies rising up out of their graves) but their understanding of the timing of it. And just because Paul taught that at that time it had not yet happened, does not mean that he taught it was to happen thousands of years later! On the contrary, he taught in 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Thessalonians 4 that the resurrection was to involve him and those of his lifetime! Both passages contain the personal pronouns "we" and "you" and refer to those of that day and not of our day.
As I told twin.spin, there are many good Christian people on opposite sides of this debate. I think we must be very careful before we begin throwing around the "h" word (heretic) lest we bring unjust condemnation on those who are truly our brothers and sisters in Christ. I think much of the problem futurists have with the preterist teachings on the resurrection, the judgment, and the parousia is that they do not really understand them. We do not deny the resurrection; we disagree with the futurist understanding of its nature. There is a big difference.
You are correct that the Revelation is a book of prophecy and history. It just isn't our history and it is not prophecy concerning our day. The time frame is clearly given in the book itself in the words shortly and at hand.
for Biblical examples showing that we cannot use these words "shortly" "near" "at hand" etc. to make such a statement. We must have proof some other way. We cannot make any conclusions of when or if prophecy has been fulfilled based on such words. They tell us nothing.
I am really troubled by this preterism thing. It's really bizarre thinking and it appears to me to be completely manmade. I just don't know where people come up with this stuff. Well, I take that back. It comes from the master of confusion.
But what's the most disturbing to me is that they claim to be Christians.
These are the kinds of comments that we, who question the validity of futurism, take offense to.
We do not question your salvation or Christianity... never have.
You admit in your post you know nothing of the preterist position and yet you judge it as invalid, manmade confusion. You speak from ignorance, not from knowledge and wisdom. Until you have thoughtfully and prayerfully studied the issue in depth on all sides, how can you possibly comment with any degree of validity?
Just because you were never exposed to this position in any church that you've ever attended does not mean it is invalid, new, or blasphemous.
I suggest you get out more, broaden the scope of your perspective, and study each book of the canon with an eye on who it was written by, who it was written to, the cultural and historical setting of the time, the language it was written in, and the literary style (parable, poetic, apocalyptic, literal/spiritual, literal/physical).
Man, what an awesome post, Mari!! Very well thought out and spoken from a true child of God's heart!! Thank you!
Yes it had many good points. Many things such as the very first prophecy of the Bible have yet to be completely fulfilled.
Genesis 3:15 - (New King James Version) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
The individual being spoken against here is no other than Satan who used the serpent as a deception. Here is where he is identified.
Revelation 12:7-9 - (New American Standard) "And there was war in Heaven, Michael and his Angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in Heaven."
"And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called devil and Satan, who decieves the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."
We know that the promised seed was Jesus Christ whom Satan bruised in the foot when he was executed by the Romans and of course later resurrected. However , Satan has yet to be bruised in the head and crushed out of existance, although this is foretold in Revelation 20:1-3 & 7-10 where Satan is first chained and thrown into an abyss for a thousand years, let loose to mislead for a short time and then destroyed finally into the symbolic Lake of Fire. Many things in Revelation have yet to be fulfilled completely to a finality.
One of the main things Jesus pounded on was for his followers to keep awake. Yet today there are those who would advocate slothfullness. Christian watchfulness was always throughout the ages a mark of true Christianity. If some choose not to believe that, then for the time that is left, they certainly are free to do so.
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