I love eschatological studies and guessing. I am of the mind-set that many items raised in Revelation is a first century man trying to describe 21st-century technology. While as Christians this application to Scriptures subjective, I subjectively hold vehemently to this view. I think helicopters are described, modern travel, internet type technology, and the like. I will never set a date or say “such-and-such” is a sure sign of some Scripture in regards to this end-time time. There are some major events in my minds eye that have either happened or need to solidify more in the future: the Roman Empire in some form reunifying (something I think has happened but may need to happen more?); Israel coming back to its homeland; and the building of the third temple in order for sacrifices to begin after its forced stopping in 70 A.D. Other things I see are travel and the internet being fulfilled:

• But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Daniel 12:4 (Source)

Television and internet capabilities prophecied about seem to be close to fruition in regards to the world being able to watch the Two Witnesses and see their dead bodies:

• For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb… Revelation 11:9 (Source)

While TV was always in the back of my mind, this i-Phone app got me rekindled as to the possibilities of the entire world seeing and reacting to a single three day event. Here is a FoxNews report on it:

This type of stuff is exciting to me. While I am a believer in the rapture, I wouldn’t hedge my bets on my time-table but rather leave time and date to the Big Guy. Stocking up on food and preparing for a persecuted church is by no means crazy nor alarmist. For those who understand that God works in history, sometimes dealing corporately with man as a whole, and knowing there are persons persecuted and killed during this time (Rev 6:9-10 – These souls may be new converts to the faith, they may not be) – C’ingYA is not a stupid proposition. I also like to think that America plays an important roll in protecting Israel  (Rev 12:14). Thus, solidifying our lasting mostly intact through the hardest of times, however, I am one of the first to acknowledge there is very symbolic language used in Revelations and admit that I may again be wrong. Something my wife would say happens more than I like to admit! Here is the ending portion from a section in my book (pages 7-10) that comments on the liberality of the varying views in regards to eschatology:

You see, it was not until I heard true debate on the topic of whether or not history was guided by an ill intentioned cabal or not that I even considered revising my position.  This debate allowed me time to deliberate and meditate on the issue causing a healthier picture of history to immerge based on all — or at least more — of the historical information available.  Pride, selfishness, shoddy thinking, presuppositions, (in other words — our nature), will get in the way of us coming to conclusions in our life that could have saved us time, energy, feelings hurt, friends and family lost, as well as faith destroyed… ours – or others around us.  Another point worth mentioning is during this time of formulation, deliberation, and reformulation — I was still saved in the fullest sense of the word.  Jesus and His sacrificial covering of my sins were not affected by my peripheral eschatological viewpoints; no matter how disjointed it made my life.  My unhealthy view of history and my subsequent forcing of Biblical passages to fit that unhealthy view did not affect the person and deity of Christ.

“In the essentials, unity: in the non-essentials, liberty; but in all things, charity [love].” Of course microchip technology have been well discussed and researched — I am sure — by most Christians who hold to the premillennial view of Revelation. In the last few days  some interesting news stories about fish and birds have Revelations all the rage.

While I do not think this is on the scale Revelation’s hints at, not to mention that larger fish deaths have happened in the past, it is worthy to note that a small happening like this has gained a large audience. If these bowl judgments are what I think they are, Kirk Cameron will be the furthest thing from the un-believers mind. Another aspect i find connective is that most New Age cults have a belief that the earth will go through a cleansing period, some even going so far as to believe that those holding up the next stage of spiritual evolution will be removed. Again, this stuff is fun, but I wish to counsel the believer in being watchful. We have a model for this in story form from our Savior, The Watchful Servant.