Here are those thoughts I promised to share from your post.   

From what I understand from Scripture, The entire book of the Revelation is about the things which must happen in the process of unveiling the book of life.
The OT is filled with specific citations of those events spoken of in the Revelation. The NT letters had been penned as well if I recall correctly which gave many citations and expositions of those mentions in the OT regarding the events spoken in the Revelation.  We also have Peter's instruction given here.

 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

So while the Revelation had yet to be penned when those words were written with Peter's hand, I haven't found a reason why the book of Revelation should be an exception. I think I recalled once hearing from a modern day preacher that the locusts mentioned in the Revelation were Apache helicopters in a war to come.  HA! Why not seek Psalm 135:34 and Nahum 3:15 instead for a biblical definition? 

Mike wrote:
Good with us agreeing to disagree, James. No axe!

The Quiet Christian wrote:
How ancient Israel was supposed to operate after Joshua but didn't, couldn't due to their need for a Redeemer and Savior.

I agree with the didn't but not sure that the couldn't is applicable.

Jer 1:16 I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

In order to forsake, one must have had a relationship to forsake. In addition to that, why the bill of divorcement unless there was a marriage?

Mike wrote:
Hi James, I'm sure we won't agree, but I offer this

Apart from other Scripture, the words filled with imagery we read would remain left to the imagination to define. Thankfully we do have these same events we are discussing found elsewhere to give meaning to the imagery.

For example, What is being revealed or being unveiled?

That which was veiled right?

So what’s the veil? 

Is 25:6-8  And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the **vail **that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 

Christopher000 wrote:
"According to Director Rita Katz of the SITE Intelligence Group, the child militant in the video is approximately 8 years old."
So sad to read about things like this, and the children of this fallen world being harmed, indoctrinated, damaged, and confused, by the very people who are tasked to protect and defend them; the adults. In these particular cases, the innocents are being raised to hate anyone who isn't them, and to murder, on-demand, without any remorse, regret, or empathy, because they are murdering mere infidels, in the name of their capricious, blood-thirsty, confusing, and highly contradictory god of Islam; the Allah of the Koran.
Woe to the adults who use the children as tools/pawns to breed confusion, hatred, and death, to further their own dark and nefarious, personal, political, and/or, religious agendas.
Matthew 18:10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Mike wrote:
Perhaps no longer hidden, sealed up in misty figures? Funny name, revelation, uncooperative outside its meaning.

Matt. 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Matt.13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, **but to them it is not given**.

They were kept from the mysteries. The "they" are identified by the Cf from Isaiah mentioned in Matt. 13:14,15

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.....

when Compared to

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:

So the question becomes....what’s the book?
There is The little book which is opened in Rev 10 which is The book of life.
But what’s the book of life?

The gospel aka the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

B. McCausland wrote:
thousand years as the epoch of grace preceeding the finalising of the day of the Lord.

A thousand in this case points to a determined epoch, say a particular period of time in history.

Perhaps Peter is saying not to be ignorant that during the thousand year reign of Christ(light) is the same as the day of the Lord(darkness) from the perspective of who reigns. He reigns during both the thousand year and the day of the Lord but Between both of those periods there is a short period of time during the 70th week of Daniel when Satan is loosed(darkness). While God is sovereign and rules and has ruled throughout eternity, there is a time God ordained which consists of tribulation and great tribulation in which those that are His(of the light) are warned of and also prepped to not be led away with error(of the darkness).

2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know *these things before*, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked,

1 John 1:6 and 7 spoke of those who walked in light and those who remained in darkness even after the true light shined 1 John 2:8.

B. McCausland wrote:
There are literal narratives in Scriptures, but poetical books, the book of Revelation, some passages in Ezequiel, or Daniel are not extrictly narratives and this is because they can not figure into a literal interpretation.
Besides much of the prophecy writings can often incorporate figures of speech.
E. G. If revelation 20 is meant to be literal, how a literal physical chain can be used to bind a wicked spirit? And how long or strong does the chain need to be?
If you take the text as literal this makes no sense. But if you understand that the passage is talking about God holding Satan in restrain, as a dog on a lead, for him to fulfill his purposes, it does.
Or how is it that the first resurrection mention in the same chapter grants those experiencing it reigning with Christ?
Because the first resurrection speaks of the new birth.
"We are risen with Christ unto new life"
"I assign unto you a kingdom"
So if such parts cannot stand when taken literally, how a mere number can in a book full of symbolism?
Of necessity a literal understanding only obscures sense and obliterates its true meaning.

Matt. 13:34-35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and ***without a parable spake he not unto them***

Everything Jesus said was cloaked as a parable to the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. Yet, the same exact words were clearly understood by His disciples.

I'd think your fine with parables being of a figurative nature and not to be understood as literal, but understand those parables resonate through the rest of Scripture and were spoken of many times in many ways in the prophets since the beginning.

Another example

Paul, in 1 Cor 9 taught us what Deut. 25:4 meant. He said it was not about literal Oxen at all but was about those(Oxen) who preach(treadeth) the Word of God(corn\seed) should not be silenced(muzzled).

Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed G4703 is the word of God.

2 Cor 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, G4703 and increase the fruits...

Exact same Greek word Sporos G4703

So you see the parables are explained to us so that we can see what the picture language (figurative) is.

Unprofitable Servant wrote:
Hey James great thoughts thank you. However at no time does context indicate that the thousand years that is referenced is not thought to be an actual thousand years.

We should consider that in 2 Peter 3, Peter is describing the events leading up to the day of the Lord which all of the context is pointing toward. The thousand years happens to be part of that context. The same topic is spoken of in Psalm 90 as well and all within the same context of the day of the Lord and the events involved thereof.

Did you notice that the flood(2 Peter, 3:6,Psalm 90:5)repentence(2 Peter 3:9,Psalm 90:3)and the thousand years as a day(2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4) are all mentioned within the same context of the thousand years?

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as *a watch in the night*.

What would be the purpose of a watch in the night?

A thief.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a *thief in the night;*

1 Thess 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as *a thief in the night.*

  A watch in the night{darkness} appears to be the same as the darkness of the day of the Lord(Amos 5:18). The darkness{night} is due to the absence of the light of God’s grace and mercy which darkness passes when judgment on God’s enemies has been fully executed; which is why Paul said in Rom 13:12

Unprofitable Servant wrote:
Excellent verses James and Joel!!!
But alas I am going to say in both cases the thousand years is literal

Unprofitable Servant wrote:
Question. What precedent found anywhere in Scripture shows a thousand years when mentioned is not to be taken literally? Or maybe another use of the term thousand in the Bible where it doesn’t literally mean a thousand? Thanks for your insights.

Neil wrote:
Since Dispy Premillers like Ryrie like to argue they're Biblical Literalists and their opponents are guilty of "spiritualizing" prophecy, consider that the Gk. word for "mark" used in Rev. 13 is "cháragma," which according to Strong's G5480 means a stamp or engraving.
To claim that a microchip under the skin answers to this definition, instead of a simple brand or tattoo as the Romans used on slaves and soldiers, violates their Literalism principle.

God said he would write on hearts His law per Jer 31:33 so why wouldn't the counterfeit gospel which Paul spoke of the Galatians where being bewitched with be done in the same manner? That is having the counterfeit gospel written stamped or engraved on their heart by those who were the deceivers.