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VBVMI StaffIn Revelation 4 and 5 John sees the 24 elders. If the 12 Apostles are part of the 24 elders, does that mean that he saw himself in the future? What about the moment in 5:11-14 where all of creation worships Jesus. When does this event take place in relation to the Revelation timeline, as it doesn't seem to make sense to be before Tribulation?
The text never says John was actually present in the future. More likely, John was presented with visions of the future, and if so, we can safely assume the Lord didn't show John a vision of his future self. Regardless, John's memory of the scene would have been guided but the Holy Spirit so that he noted what was most important and necessary for his responsibility to record Scripture.
Regarding your second question...once again, John is experiencing a vision, so the timeline isn't concrete. That moment could be from any point in time, and most likely it is a vision of the same moment Paul describes:
This moment happens at the end of the Kingdom when the final judgment takes place for all humanity (Revelation 20), as Pastor Armstrong explains later in the Revelation course.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org