SIX METHODS OF INTERPRETING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

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SIX METHODS OF INTERPRETING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

• Futurist Method
• Continuous Historical Method
• Philosophy of History Method
• Preterist Method
• Destruction of Jerusalem Method
• Historical-Background Method

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FUTURIST METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition Revelation is predicting the future
events when God will establish and earthly
kingdom for a 1000 years.
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FUTURIST METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Only chapter two and three are about the church
  on earth
• Literal interpretation of prophecy
• The rapture
• The seven years of tribulation
• The 1000 years earthly reign of Christ
• The salvation of literal Israel

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CONTINUOUS HISTORICAL METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition Prediction of major events of
history-political religious-between Christs
first and second comings
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CONTINUOUS HISTORICAL METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Held by non-Catholic scholars from just before
  the reformation movement
• Details the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church
• Description of the history the impact of Roman
  Catholic Church
• Chapter 10, little book is Bible Reformation
• First Beast is papal ecclesiastical power
• Great harlot is the papacy
• Destruction of Babylon is fall of the papacy

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PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition Philosophical principle of a
conflict between good and evil that applies in
every age divorced from the historical background.
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PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Principles on the basis of which God deals with
  all men in all ages
• Symbols are understood as forces and tendency in
  human history
• Seals represent the entire history of humanity
• Trumpets represent the same thing as seals but
  from a different view points.

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PRETERIST METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition Preterist method holds that all the
book was fulfilled in the days of the Roman
Empire and has little application today.
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PRETERIST METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Two groups right wing left wing
• Left wing rejects inspiration of Revelation
• Right wing accepts inspiration of Revelation
• Both think applies to Roman Empire under Domitian
• See no real application for church today
• Perfect state is in the future

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DISTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition This method see Revelation as
applying to the persecution of Christians by Jews
and the destruction of Jerusalem.
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DISTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Take Jude 3 as indicating the last of the books
  written
• Persecution mentioned is during the time of Nero
• Jew persecuted Christians before the Romans

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HISTORICAL-BACKGROUND METHOD OF INTERPRETAION
Definition The Historical-background method
holds that Revelation was for the encouragement
of the early church under the Roman Empires
persecution with a message of victory in Christ
for every age.
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HISTORICAL-BACKGROUND METHOD OF INTERPRETAION

• Primary Teachings
• Written primarily to encourage first century
  Christians
• Written largely in symbolical language
• Uses O.T. terminology with N.T. meaning
• Must understand the visions as a whole without
  pressing the details
• Principle applicable to Christians today

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SEVEN KEYS TO REVELATION

• Written in symbols
• Primarily about events which will shortly come
  to pass
• Given to comfort persecuted Christians
• Identifies the Dragon, 1st Beast and 2nd Beast
• Identifies the Harlot whose name is Babylon
• Identifies the period of 1260 days
• Tells of a spiritual, not a physical kingdom

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FIRST KEY
Written in Symbols

• Revelation uses symbols to express what John saw
• Unexplained symbols
• White stone (217)
• The elders (44)
• Two witnesses (113)

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FIRST KEY
Written in Symbols

• Revelation uses symbols to express what John saw
• Explained symbols
• Seven stars seven angels (120)
• Seven lampstands churches (120)
• Incense bowls saints prayers (58)
• Waters peoples, nations(1715)
• The women great city (1718)

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FIRST KEY
Written in Symbols

• Revelation uses symbols to express what John saw
• Numbers
• One - Unity
• Two - Strength
• Three - Deity
• Four - World
• Five - Human Completeness (Multiples)

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FIRST KEY
Written in Symbols

• Revelation uses symbols to express what John saw
• Numbers
• Six - carnal nature of humanity
• Seven - Gods number of perfection
• Twelve - Organized religion or body of believers
  (Multiples)
• Three and one-half - incompleteness

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SECOND KEY
Shortly Come to Pass

• Events in Revelation are to occur soon
• Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to
  show unto his servants ...must shortly come to
  pass. (11)
• the time is at hand (13)
• I come quickly (311)
• the things which must shortly come to pass
  (226)

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SECOND KEY
Shortly Come to Pass

• Events in Revelation are to occur soon
• I come quickly (227)
• Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this
  book the time is at hand (2210)
• Behold, I come quickly (2212)
• I come quickly (2220)

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THIRD KEY
Comfort Persecuted Christians

• Scriptures point to the persecution of
  Christians
• John was a partaker in their tribulations (19)
• Six of the seven letters mention persecution
• Souls of those beheaded (69)

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THIRD KEY
Comfort Persecuted Christians

• Scriptures point to the persecution of
  Christians
• Those in heaven who came out of the great
  tribulation (714)
• Death of two witnesses (117)
• War on those who testify to Jesus (1217)
• Second beast to kill those who refuse to worship
  the first beast (1315)

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THIRD KEY
Comfort Persecuted Christians

• Scriptures point to the persecution of
  Christians
• blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
  (1413)
• Harlot spills blood of the saints (176 192)
• Blood of the saints in Babylon (1824)
• Souls of beheaded for testimony of Jesus (204)

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FOURTH KEY
Identifies Dragon Beasts

• Dragon is Satan
• (Rev. 129 202)
• Dragon described (123)
• Dragon and his angels waged war with Michael
  his angels (127)
• Dragon persecuted the woman and her offspring
  (1213, 17)
• Dragon gave authority to the beast the beast
  was worshipped (134)
• Satan cast into the Lake of Fire (2010)

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FOURTH KEY
Dragon Beasts Continued

• First Beast
• Roman Empire which persecuted early Christians
  (Daniels fourth beast)
• Beast described (131-2)
• Seven heads seven hills (179)
• Harlot sits on seven hills -Rome
• Seven headsseven kings (1710)
• Authority from dragon (132)
• Make war with the saints (137)
• The beast is worshipped (138)

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FOURTH KEY
Dragon Beasts Continued

• Second Beast
• Those who enforced worship of first
  beast/emperor - Rev. 1312
• Second beast described (1311)
• Spoke as a dragon
• Exercised all the authority of the first beast
• Caused those who did not worship the first beast
  to be killed (1315)
• Caused people not to be able to buy or sell
  unless they had the mark of the beast, 666
  (1316-18)

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FIFTH KEY
Identifies the Harlot, Babylon

• The harlot is the city of Rome
• Harlot
• Great city ruling over the kings of the world
  (1718)
• Kings of the earth commit immorality with her
  (171, 2)
• Sits on the Beast (173)

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FIFTH KEY
Identifies the Harlot, Babylon

• The harlot is the city of Rome
• Harlot
• Her name is Babylon (175)
• Drunk on blood of the saints (176)
• Water she sits on are peoples and nations (1715,
  16)
• Corrupting the earth (192)

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SIXTH KEY
Identifies the 1260 Days

• Always a time of persecution of Gods people
• 1260 days 42 months
• 1260 days 3 1/2 years
• Five occurrences in Revelation
• Time and time in a half (1214)
• 1260 days (113 126) or 42 months (112 135)
• Two occurrences of 3 1/2 days
• 3 1/2 days (119, 11)

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SEVENTH KEY
Spiritual, not Physical Kingdom

• Kingdom currently exists as a spiritual kingdom
  of priests
• Kingdom of priests (16 510)
• John, fellow partaker of the tribulation the
  kingdom (19)
• Kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of
  our Lord (1115)
• Kingdom of our God has come (1210)