|
XII. Understanding the Apocalypse Don’t be afraid of the book of Revelation, for a blessing is promised to the reader. On the other hand, realize that the confusion and fear of this book that exists is not the fault of the book, for God is not the author of confusion (1Corinthians 14:33). The book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible for a reason – it is the capstone and can only be put in its proper place when the reader has the rest of the Bible well-placed in their thinking. Otherwise, the Biblically-ignorant reader finds that they are lost in a maze of strange symbols and creatures, of which a few might bear some slight similarity to something in current events. The first lesson is to interpret the book of Revelation on the basis of its own contents against the background of general Biblical teaching. Do not begin with some popular scenario (learned from a paperback book or TV preacher) and then try to make Revelation fit – read the book of Scripture itself and FIRST. Then, consult what you know from the rest of the inspired Biblical material. Let me offer some basic information that will help you to get started on making sense of the book of Revelation. The Genre of the Book of Revelation - It is an "apocalypse" (unveiling) of Christ, which includes "things to take place shortly" (1:1), but also of "past, present, & future" (1:19). It also contains “epistolary” (letter; 1:4,11; 2-3) material and also “prophecy” (22:7). “Apocalyptic” literature of that era employed imagery that required an understood “frame of reference” and some common background, but portrayed major events, institutions, and people in a way that could be understood by the writer and his intended audience. An apocalupsis (unveiling) was supposed to be “reveal/clarify/de-mystify” and I believe it had that impact on early Christian readers. However, in our day, we find the book of Revelation has become mystifying and even a book to be feared and avoided. So much of our modern “confusion” over this book lies in: (1) the failure of modern Gentile readers to understand the Biblical frame of reference and flow of ancient history behind the imagery of Revelation, especially the 1st century A.D. setting, and (2) the proliferation and over-dependence people have on popular paperback theology books (that tend toward – and I know these two words sounds repetitious - dispensational sensationalism. Hal Lindsey’s works in the 1970’s and LaHaye’s “Left Behind” series in the 1990’s and early 2000’s presented dispensational/premillennial (national Israel is central, the Church age ends with the “rapture”/a 7-year “tribulation period”/WWIII-Armageddon, and then Jesus returns must rule an earthly kingdom someday) notions as assumed Biblical truth. I read Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth” and had my eschatological concepts and beliefs in place before I ever read any of the Bible – something is seriously wrong with that picture (how can the Bible help us to discern true/false theology when we get our beliefs from sources outside the Bible and then use them to understand the Bible? I. Let Inspired Writers interpret the symbolism The inspired author is your first/best expositor of the symbols, then other inspired writers (the rest of Scripture). 1:12-18 is best understood in the light of 1:20 (Christ in the midst of these 7 churches). The fiery lamps around God’s throne is the seven-fold Spirit of God (4:5; Isaiah 11:2?). The 144,000 from Israelite tribes and later international multitude around the Lamb (7:4-12) are the Lamb’s blood-redeemed (5:9-10) folks who were continuing to “come out of great tribulation” as John wrote this (7:13-17). Whatever the “mystery” (10:7) is, it seems to be tied to the end of some kind of delay/waiting/expectation that is connected to the 7th Trumpet and what was proclaimed to the Prophets (10:6-7; see Acts 3:18-26; 1Peter 1:10-12; Revelation 19:10; and Paul’s discussions of “the mystery”). The Messiah is born from a woman clothed like Israel (12:1-2 & Genesis 37:9-10). The 7-headed/10-horned political beast (13:1) that persecutes the church (ch. 13) seems to be the 4th of Daniel’s beasts (13:2 & Daniel 7) and also seems to become indwelt and taken over by the 7-headed/10-horned dragon that sought to kill the Messiah (12:3-9) – Satan working through the Roman empire. The event proclaimed in context in 14:8 is amplified and further explained in chapters 17-18, while the destruction of the beast (16:10-11) is amplified in 19:11-21. The “Great City” (11:8) is also portrayed as a harlot drunk on the blood of the saints and prophets (17:1-6; 18:24; see Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:33-34) and her destruction is caused by God (17:17-18; 18:7-8; see Luke 21:20-24). She rides/manipulates the 7-headed/10-horned beast (17:3,7), but is eventually destroyed by that same beast (17:16-18). The “many waters” she sits on (17:1) are people and nations (17:15). The central, animating “spirit/breath” of prophecy is focused on the testimony concerning the Messiah (19:10). II. There is progression in the book A. "openings" do progress (4:1; 11:19; 19:11) B. "judgments" spread to larger proportions of humanity (1/4 in the Seals, 1/3 in the Trumpets, and all in the Bowls), suggesting that there is progressive revelation and increasing accountability as you move through these structural units of the vision (6:8; 8:7-12; 16:3). C. "Seals" lead to "Trumpets" and then to "Bowls" (6-16) III. Outline of the Book of Revelation A. Introduction and call to write (1) B. Letters to seven Asia Minor churches (2,3) C. The Heavenly Throne room - God as Creator (4:11) and Redeemer (5:6,9) is worshipped by the creation (5:11-14) D. The Vision: - Seals (6:1-8:1) - Trumpets (8:2-14:20) - Bowls (15,16) - Expansion of 14:8 (17:1-19:6) - Destruction of the Beast (19:11-21) - the "1,000 years" (20:1-9) - the Great Day of Judgment (20:11-15) - the New Heaven & Earth (21:1-22:5) - Epilogue (22:6-21) IV. Points of fact A. Jesus is NOW the ruler of the earth and its kings (1:5) B. The church is the blood-bought "priestly kingdom" (1:6; 5:9,10; 20:4-6; cf. 1Peter 2:5-10) C. "The Tribulation/kingdom" were first-century realities, for John clearly said (in Greek) that he and his readers were participating in "the tribulation" as he wrote (1:9; cf. John 16:33) D. Jesus has already been "enthroned" in heaven (3:21; cf. Ephesians 1:18-23; 1Peter 3:22) E. All mankind is "sealed/marked" (7; 13:16-17) by their owner (cf. Exodus 13:9,16; Deuteronomy 6:8) F. The "Great City" (11:8) and "Babylon/harlot" (17:18) are the same city, famous for killing the Lord, saints, and the Prophets (11:8; 17:6; 18:24; compare with OT prophetic use of “harlot” in describing a city and Jesus’ comments in Matthew 23:29-39; Luke 13:33-34) G. The first coming of Christ appears to occur, contextually, in the middle of the vision (12:1-10) H. "Prophecy" is centered on Christ, not Israel (19:10; cf. Acts 3:18-26; 1Peter 1:10-12) I. Satan's binding (see Matthew 12:22-29; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1John 3:8) is "conditional" (subjunctive - 20:3), so that "he might/should not deceive the nations (or Gentiles?) any longer" – while still possible, the nations/Gentiles no longer need to be spiritually deceived. The subjunctive variable concerning Satan’s power over people is rooted in whether or not people hear and believe the Gospel, for if they do, then their spiritual citizenship changes (Acts 26:16-18; Colossians 1:13-14), they can successfully resist the Devil (James 4:7), and have overcome him because of the freeing power of the message and the presence of the Spirit (1John 2:13; 3:8; 4:4). J. Only the "souls" (not the bodies) of the Saints participate in the "first resurrection" (20:4-6) – see John 5:24-29 and the “dead, but made alive” discussions in Paul (Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 2:13) K. Eternal life is for those who "wash their robes" (7:14; 22:14) and take of the "water of life" (22:17) V. My opinion (educated guess) Having been interested in this book for a long time, studied it at the graduate level, taught it numerous times at the under-graduate level, I have come to some conclusions about what is going on in this book and what its underlying scenario is. I believe that, of the several directions that apocalyptic literature could take, the Apocalypse written by John is a divine overview of the Biblical story. This overview is conveyed by means of "flurries of images" that are designed to help the reader identify times and eras. The "essential background" for understanding this book is not having the right number code for understanding "666," but a broad knowledge of the rest of the Bible - the flow of Bible history, the imagery of the Old Testament Prophets, and the teachings of the New Testament. With this in mind, what follows is a very sketchy tour of what I believe the book of Revelation is presenting - a fitting capstone on the Biblical Revelation in the form of an apocalyptic vision surveying God's program through the ages. A. 1:19/ means that John writes of God's plan, overviewed from the Creation to the End – past, present, and future from his first century A.D. perspective. B. 2-3/ the letters to seven first century A.D. congregations in Western Asia Minor C. 4-5/ we begin the vision with a reminder that it is God the Creator (ch. 4) and Redeemer (ch. 5) that is at the center of all things. D. 6:1-17/ The first major structural unit of the vision is the “7 Seals” (), which affect ¼ of mankind and present a group of images that remind us of elements that entered and have been apart of this creation since the first sin: conquest, death, famine, death, martyrs (beginning with Abel), and the judgment of God - (i.e. Patriarchal age onward) E. 7/ offers an interlude in which we are shown that, as all of this is going on, God’s people are all marked, known to Him, and headed for a great finale with Christ, whether from the OT period (12 Israelite tribes – vv. 4-8) or the NT era (an international body of redeemed – v. 9). F. 8:6 – 14:20/ The second major structural unit is the “7 Trumpets” and these influence 1/3 of mankind and present a flurry of images that remind us of the Mosaic Era - institution of the beginning of the Mosaic dispensation (plagues, Mt. Sinai, bitter water, etc. – 8:7-12), the mighty Assyrian & Babylonian armies that swept across the Euphrates (723-586 B.C.) to end Israel's “national kingdom” era (9:13-21), and the culmination of the OT hope in the first-century events surrounding the first coming of Jesus (10:6 – 12:17) and beginning of the Church (13-14): - the prophetic mystery was finished and kingdom was established in Christ's 1st coming (10:7; 11:15; compare 10:7 with Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Matthew 13:11; Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:1-12; Colossians 1:25-27) - the Apostle John enters the flow of events (10:8-11) - the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.? (11:1,2) - the embodiment of the Law and Prophets killed, raised 3 1/2 days later, and ascended to heaven (11:3-13) - Satan ejected from heaven at Christ's 1st coming (12:1-10; see: Luke 10:17-18; Matthew 12:28-29) - persecution of the early saints, along with the Gospel being spread and judgment upon the harlot (12:11 – 14:20). The spiritual "dragon" (12:9) that tried to kill the Messiah (12:1-5) then becomes the "Beast" of the Roman Empire (ch. 13), through which Satan tried to wipe out the early Church (65-313 A.D.). G. 15-16/ The third major structural unit is the “7 Bowls of God’s wrath” . Immediately following the establishment of the Kingdom of God/Christ (11:15), comes judgments and God’s wrath. While our tendency is to take this in the most literal sense (final judgment), I think that is reserved for the end of the third era, the Church Age (20:10-15). According to NT teaching, judgment (determination of guilt/innocence) commenced with the first coming of the Messiah (John 3:16-21; 12:31-33; 16:7-11) and begins with the “household of God” (1Peter 4:17). Thus, stored-up wrath was poured out upon disobedient national Israel in 70 A.D. (Matthew 3:5-10; 21:33 – 22:14; 23:1-38; Romans 1:18; 1Thessalonians 2:14-16), while mercy and pardon is extended to all who acknowledge and obey Jesus the Messiah (John 5:24-25; Romans 5:1; 8:1). When this “Church Age” ends, then all of humanity will stand before the Great White throne to receive their eternal “sentence” (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:10-15). H. 11:8; 17; 18/ the "Great City" & "Harlot" refers to unfaithful Israel and Jerusalem and their national downfall in 70,132-135 A.D. - "where the Lord was crucified" (11:8) - Known as a "harlot" (OT prophets often used this image for unfaithful Judaism/Jerusalem several dozen times - See: Isaiah 1:1,10ff) - Guilty of the blood of saints/prophets (17:6; cf. Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 13:33; Acts 7:51-53) - rode on and directed the beast which later destroyed her, fulfilling God's purposes (17:3,16-17; possibly Jews pressuring Pilate to execute Jesus in 30 AD, but Rome later destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.) I. 19/ speaks of the end of the Beast's kingdom (Roman Empire), defeated by the sword that comes out of Christ’s mouth (the Word/the Gospel, 19:15; cf. Hosea 6:5). The persecuting Roman Beast was defeated by the Word of God (19:15) and the perseverance of the saints (12:11; 20:4-6). J. 20:1-15/ the "1,000 years" represents the church age, beginning with Christ's "binding" power over Satan (vv. 1-3; cf. Matthew 12:29; Hebrews 2:14, 15; 1John 3:8), the spiritual life & priesthood of saints during this age (vv. 4-6; cf. 1:5,6,9; 5:9,10), the final attempt to gather the world against God's people ending with Christ's return in fire to destroy the wicked (vv. 7-9; cf. 2Thessalonians 1:7,8) and the great judgment (vv. 10-15). *There are some critical passages in the NT which assert that this present age (the Church Age) is the LAST age for this earth, excluding the possibility of a "millennial" age to follow this one (see: Acts 2:16,17; 1Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:1-2; 9:26; 1John 2:18; 1Peter 1:20). Thus, the earthly age described in Revelation 20:1-9 must be this one (see handout on Revelation 20 & the Church Age). K. 21:1 – 22:6/ The New Heaven & Earth to follow the final judgment Charles E. McCoy 03/16/2006 Scripture citations are from NASB.
Email Chuck at: chuck@severnchristian.org
|
