Surprising!
Remember back in 2020? One day it was normal, the next day everything everywhere was shut down… for two weeks, or so they said. That was pretty sudden huh? Not much warning?
In this penultimate church of Revelation, Jesus uses the Greek word tachy and basically tachy means fast, and Jesus uses it ALL over Revelation. In fact he uses this word three times in his very last speech in Revelation and also the very last words of the entire Bible.
The last thing Jesus wanted us to know was tachy, tachy, tachy. Fast, fast, fast.
But fast isn’t quite the right translation here, neither is swift, neither is soon, which is what most translators use here. They translate this as behold I am coming soon!
Yes, translators have a tough job, and it’s not cool to knock them, but this one here is a pretty major goof up. That’s because the Greek word tachy has other connotations that the translators really should have picked up on, because they match everything else Jesus said elsewhere throughout his entire ministry.
Tachy in addition to swift, soon, or fast can also mean shockingly sudden. Tachy can mean surprisingly sudden.
And it is in this sense that Jesus is using the word. He really can’t make it any clearer. He called it like a thief in the night… well, that’s a surprise isn’t it?
He called it like lightning across the heavens. That’s surprising and sudden too.
And the last words that Christ left for us he said it three times. Sudden, sudden, and SUDDEN.
He wanted us to know. He will come suddenly and it will be sudden.
That’s also why he also uses this term to the church of Philadelphia.
Because about seventy years before Jesus wrote to all these seven churches they were all impacted by one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded in the ancient world. It damaged all the seven cities but it completely flattened Philadelphia, and they had to rebuild it all basically from scratch.
And guess how that earthquake arrived?
Yes, you guessed it. It arrived SUDDENLY, surprisingly and shockingly.
This episode digs deeper into “tachy” (ταχύmeaning ‘Sudden’ or ‘Surprising’) in Revelation 3:11.
Revelation 3:11 - “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (NIV)
‘When Chaos Crumbles’ is by Rachael Watson
Rachael Watson is a multi-genre writer who follows a story wherever it takes her. Her debut middle grade novel, ELIZABRIE, will be published by Bandersnatch Books in 2027. Her longlisted story was published in CrimeBits With Lee Child. Rachael holds a Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford. Her work has appeared in Calla Press, Havok Publishing, and been converted into a short film.
Mentioned:
Parable of The Ten Virgins - Matthew 25
What is a Bammerhab?
“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)
The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.
Thanks to:
• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design
• Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques
• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources
