The Kingdom Road Map, Part 3: Reading the Time Signs—“Near,” “Quickly,” and “This Generation”
A road map helps us recognize our destination. But the signs along the road also tell us how close we are.
In Part 2, we considered the city and the Bride—the New Jerusalem. Now we turn to another important question: When did Jesus and His apostles expect the events they described to happen?
If we want to understand their message, we must pay attention to the time signs they gave their original listeners.
The Bible does not simply tell us what God promised. In many passages, it also tells us when those promises were drawing near.
The Kingdom Was “At Hand”
John the Baptist announced:
“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
—Matthew 3:2, KJV
Jesus proclaimed the same message:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
—Mark 1:15, KJV
Notice those words: “The time is fulfilled.”
Jesus was announcing that God’s promised work had reached a decisive moment. His hearers were being called to respond because the Kingdom was approaching them in their own day.
Jesus also connected the Kingdom’s presence with His works:
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
—Matthew 12:28, KJV
The Kingdom was already being revealed through its King. Understanding how its arrival relates to the judgment Jesus foretold requires following His words carefully.
“This Generation”
After Jesus spoke about the temple’s destruction, His disciples asked when these things would happen.
Jesus told them:
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
—Matthew 24:34, KJV
We should pause before moving that statement thousands of years beyond the people who first heard it.
Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had addressed the scribes and Pharisees about coming judgment:
“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”
—Matthew 23:36, KJV
He then lamented over Jerusalem and declared:
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”
—Matthew 23:38, KJV
These passages connect His warning to the people, city, and religious leadership He was addressing.
The destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70 is therefore central to the fulfilled-prophecy reading of these passages. It provides a historical setting for Jesus’ warning that judgment would come within that generation.
The Apostles Continued the Message
The language of nearness did not disappear after Jesus’ resurrection.
James wrote:
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
—James 5:8, KJV
He immediately added:
“Behold, the judge standeth before the door.”
—James 5:9, KJV
Peter likewise wrote:
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”
—1 Peter 4:7, KJV
What “the end of all things” encompasses must be understood from its context. But the time language deserves to be taken seriously: Peter told his readers that the end he described was near.
These were letters to real congregations. Their warnings and encouragement were meant to guide those believers through circumstances they faced.
Revelation’s Opening and Closing Signs
Revelation begins by describing:
“Things which must shortly come to pass.”
—Revelation 1:1, KJV
Just two verses later, John writes:
“For the time is at hand.”
—Revelation 1:3, KJV
The same message appears near the book’s conclusion:
“Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
—Revelation 22:10, KJV
That instruction offers a useful comparison with Daniel, who was told to seal his book until the time of the end in Daniel 12:4. John was told not to seal his prophecy because its time was near.
Christians disagree about how every vision fits these statements. Even so, any interpretation should explain why Revelation emphasizes nearness at both its beginning and its end.
Reading the Signs Together
The Kingdom Road Map invites us to read these time statements together:
The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom is at hand. This generation will not pass. The Judge stands at the door. These things must shortly take place.
From the fulfilled-prophecy perspective developed in this series, these signs point toward the first-century transition and judgment that culminated in Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70.
That does not make Scripture irrelevant today. Fulfilled promises give us a foundation for faith. We learn who our King is, how faithfully He keeps His word, and how we should live as His people.
As you read this week, ask three questions: Who was being addressed? What event was being described? What time words were used?
Recognizing the destination matters. Reading the time signs helps us understand the road that led there.
Nick Aschenbrenner
Kingdom of God Outreach