In the book of Revelation it mentions 'a little season' twice.

[Zao is life]

Hey David, in Revelation 6:11 KJV says “rest yet for a little season” while other versions such as NKJV has “rest a little while longer”.

When I do a search for the phrase “little while” there are quite a few verses that contain that phrase versus only two verses that contain “little season”. The word “little” is <3398> mikros and the word “season” is <5550> chronos.

Those same two words are also used in John 7:33 and John 12:35. Maybe those two verses should also be looked at when comparing how long or short a little season is.



John 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little <3398> while <5550> am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little <3398> while <5550> is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

The same word is linked to a period of time in Hebrews 10:37:

Hebrews 10:37:
For yet a little [mikros] while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Hebrews 10:37 is very telling because it's not a short period of time being spoken about, though it's using the same word.

The same word is linked to a period of time in all these verses:-

John 12:35:
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

John 14:19:
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Matthew 26:73:
And after a while [mikros] came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

It's also the same word used for "little" and "least":-

Matthew 10:42:
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Matthew 11:11:
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 13:32:
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

It's used in reference to distance here:

Matthew 26:39:
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

In Hebrews Hebrews 10:37 it's speaking figuratively of the fact that between the time that the author penned his letter and the return of Christ is but a little [mikros] while - and it's reminiscent of "the last days" the same author calls the age we live in:

Hebrews 1:1-3
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

In other words, we cannot read "just anything we want to" into the fact that the word mikros is found in both Revelation 6:11 and Revelation 20:3, and then just link Revelation 6:11 to Revelation 20:9 just because it suits our theology. The "argument from silence" argument that @Spiritual Israelite has used simply does not hold, as the answer from ChatGPT that @Davidpt posted shows. The context is indeed important and the silence with regard to the lack of mention of tribulation or anguish for those inside the camp of the saints is part of the context.

 

[Spiritual Israelite]

Ah, but "literally small" to us? Sometimes yes... Or "literally small" to God but not "literally small" to us? Sometimes yes... <smile> So, it depends on the context...

Yes, and you're missing the context and I will explain why I'm saying that below...

Disagree, but okay, fair enough... What I would say, SI, is that "a short amount of time" is understood very differently from God's perspective as opposed to ours. In other words, what may actually be a long, long time to you and me is even but a moment to God, which is exactly what Peter, quoting David from Psalm 90...

"...do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day... (t)he Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness..." (2 Peter 3:8-9)​

There is no indication at all that Revelation 6:11 is talking about a short amount of time only from God's perspective. His people are being told to wait and rest easy for a short amount of time for their deaths to be avenged, so it's talking about time from their perspective. You are missing the context of the verse.

Do a wordsearch on "little while" and see what you come up with. <smile> You might be surprised. Click here...

I did and I see nothing that changes what I said about this. What a surprise that you would see things that I don't see and vice versa.

Consider the following sampling:

"Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right" (Isaiah 29:17-21).​

Why are you referencing this passage to make your point?

Isaiah 29:17 In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest?

This is talking about the amount of time that it will take to turn Lebanon into a fertile field once the time comes for that to happen. It's not saying it would a little while from the moment that was written that Lebanon would be turned into a fruitful or fertile field.

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, 'Yet a little while, and the coming One will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." (Hebrews 10:35-39).

Once again, you are misapplying a verse. That verse is not saying He would come in a little while from the time that was written. It's saying that once it's time for Him to come it will not take long and He will not delay in coming. Scripture says when He comes, He will come quickly (Revelation 22:12) like lightning flashes from the east to the west (Matthew 24:27).

Hebrews 10:37 is referencing this verse...

Isaiah 26:20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.

The "little while" refers to the amount of time that His wrath comes down, not the amount of time until He comes. Preterists try to use verses like that to prove that His coming was literally near at the time the verse was written, but it's not even talking about the amount of time that would pass until He comes.

I say again, that in the Bible, in various places, "a little while" means a literally short amount of our time, but in other places it means what seems to us a long period of time, even very long..

No, it doesn't. Again, the Greek word "mikros" always means a literally small amount or small number. I understand that a passage like 2 Peter 3:8-9 is talking about the timing until His return from the Lord's perspective, but that passage does not reference "a little while" and instead contrasts how long it can seem like it is taking from man's perspective (a long time), but it's not a long time at all from the Lord's eternal perspective. But, verses like Revelation 6:11 are not speaking from God's perspective, but rather from the perspective of those who are being told to rest a little while longer.

It seems that your understanding of the seals (and maybe the trumpets and vials as well) is not that they occur in order chronologically? I'm trying to understand how you apparently conclude that what is described in the fifth seal already happened long ago.

. And in some places it means both, because it has ~ again, to us, with regard to time ~ both short-range and long-range implications, which is what we sometimes call layered prophecy, meaning multiple interations, where the final iteration is the ultimate, um, Iteration (with a capital I).

No, it doesn't.

With regard to this both thing, I would submit that this is what Jesus was saying to the disciples ~ and to us, by extension ~ in John 16. Even the disciples there said, "What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about" (John 16:18).

So... I say we should be very careful with this. <smile>

I think you should be more careful at looking at the context of scripture. You completely missed the context of the passages you referenced earlier, for example (Isa 29:17-21, Heb 10:35-39).

And I'm not really singling you out; you're not the only one I'm actually saying this to here. <smile>

I'm not singling you out, either, when I point out how you're missing the context of those scriptures.

 

[PinSeeker]

Yes, and you're missing the context...

No, you were ignoring the context, and now you're misstating it. And, if you want to call that my opinion, that's fine with me.

Grace and peace to you.

 

[Spiritual Israelite]

No, you were ignoring the context, and now you're misstating it. And, if you want to call that my opinion, that's fine with me.

How about you back that opinion up by addressing what I said in my post?

 

[grafted branch]

The same word is linked to a period of time in Hebrews 10:37:

Hebrews 10:37:
For yet a little [mikros] while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Hebrews 10:37 is very telling because it's not a short period of time being spoken about, though it's using the same word.

The same word is linked to a period of time in all these verses:-

John 12:35:
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

John 14:19:
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Matthew 26:73:
And after a while [mikros] came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

It's also the same word used for "little" and "least":-

Matthew 10:42:
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Matthew 11:11:
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 13:32:
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

It's used in reference to distance here:

Matthew 26:39:
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

In Hebrews Hebrews 10:37 it's speaking figuratively of the fact that between the time that the author penned his letter and the return of Christ is but a little [mikros] while - and it's reminiscent of "the last days" the same author calls the age we live in:

Hebrews 1:1-3
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

In other words, we cannot read "just anything we want to" into the fact that the word mikros is found in both Revelation 6:11 and Revelation 20:3, and then just link Revelation 6:11 to Revelation 20:9 just because it suits our theology. The "argument from silence" argument that @Spiritual Israelite has used simply does not hold, as the answer from ChatGPT that @Davidpt posted shows. The context is indeed important and the silence with regard to the lack of mention of tribulation or anguish for those inside the camp of the saints is part of the context.

I agree we can’t just simply come to the conclusion that Revelation 6:11 and Revelation 20:3 are speaking of the same “little while” because the same two Greek words are used in both those verses.

I personally don’t think they are the same “little while”, but if we come to the conclusion that a “little while” can be as long as 2,000 years or more based on other verses where those two words are used, then how long is Satan’s little while (season) in Revelation 20? I think we all would agree it’s not more than 3.5 or 7 years but if it can be longer than that then some unusual eschatology is possible.

For example someone could say the millennium already happened, Jesus already physically ruled for a 1,000 years on earth and we have been in Satan’s little season for about 1,000 years now, and Satan has deceived everyone except my cult that believes Jesus already reigned on earth. See what I mean?

How long do you think the Revelation 20:3 little while is? Is there anything in the Premil view that shows that time period can’t last for more than a few years?

 

[Zao is life]

I agree we can’t just simply come to the conclusion that Revelation 6:11 and Revelation 20:3 are speaking of the same “little while” because the same two Greek words are used in both those verses.

I personally don’t think they are the same “little while”, but if we come to the conclusion that a “little while” can be as long as 2,000 years or more based on other verses where those two words are used, then how long is Satan’s little while (season) in Revelation 20? I think we all would agree it’s not more than 3.5 or 7 years but if it can be longer than that then some unusual eschatology is possible.

For example someone could say the millennium already happened, Jesus already physically ruled for a 1,000 years on earth and we have been in Satan’s little season for about 1,000 years now, and Satan has deceived everyone except my cult that believes Jesus already reigned on earth. See what I mean?

How long do you think the Revelation 20:3 little while is? Is there anything in the Premil view that shows that time period can’t last for more than a few years?

When the time comes we will know how long Revelation 20:3's little while will be. The text does not tell us.

 

[grafted branch]

When the time comes we will know how long Revelation 20:3's little while will be. The text does not tell us.

Ok, that’s fair, I guess I have always just assumed that everyone thought Satan’s little season had to be a short period of time.

 

[Zao is life]

Ok, that’s fair, I guess I have always just assumed that everyone thought Satan’s little season had to be a short period of time.

I guess everyone understands what the Greek word mikros implies in the context of Revelation 20:1-3.

 

[grafted branch]

I guess everyone understands what the Greek word mikros implies in the context of Revelation 20:1-3.

Well I’m not an expert on Greek but if I asked how long until I retire and someone said a little while, it could mean a few years. If I asked how long until the hamburgers are done and someone said a little while, that means a few minutes.

So based on the millennium being a thousand years, a little while would suggest 10% or less possibly? I really don’t know if the Greek language allows for that way of thinking to be expressed in the “little while” phrase. If it does and you can show how the Revelation 6:11 “little while” has to be a different length than the Revelation 20:3 “little while” then you may have something.

If the seals are seven years then a little while based on seven years would imply a different length of time than a little while based on a thousand years.