Revelation

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Revelation

• Coastland University
• Pastor Brett Peterson

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO REVELATION

• THE AUTHOR
• Four times in Revelation the writer calls himself
  John (11, 4, 9 228)
• Ways John refers to himself
• Servant of Jesus Christ (11)
• Brother of the Christians in Asia Minor and a
  fellow sufferer in the tribulation (19)
• Exiled to the isle of Patmos (19)
• Saw and heard the things record in this book
  (228)

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Uniqueness of Revelation

• The canonical Revelation is unique in being
  ascribed not to a figure of the distant past, but
  to a contemporary member of the first-century
  church named John. The work is also unique in
  being the only surviving document by a Christian
  prophet, which was a common function or office in
  the early church. (340)

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Introduction to theBook of Revelation

• Date of Writing
• Between 95-100 AD
• During the persecution of Domitian
• Author
• John, a prophet and servant of Jesus Christ
• Most agree this is the Apostle John. Evidence
• Writer assumes audience will know he is an
  Apostle
• Identification of Jesus as the word

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Introduction to Revelation(continued)

• Place of Writing
• From the Island of Patmos
• Rugged island in the Aegean Sea 20 miles from
  Ephesus
• Rome use it as a place of exile for
  offenders/criminals
• Destination of the Letter
• Written to the seven churches in Asian Province
• Each city mentioned a center of communication
• Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
  Philadelphia, Laodicea

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Purpose of Revelation

• Present Broad/Sweeping Portrait of Future Events
• Goal is to
• Strengthen the church
• Promote endurance in the face of trials
• Encourage suffering believers
• It is a clarification of all end time prophecy
• Desires to Instill Moral Earnestness
• Urges Readers to Obey the Words of the Prophecy

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Genre of Revelation

• 3 Different Types of Literature
• Apocalyptic
• Usually appeared in times of crisis
• Claim by the author to be passing on mysteries
• Mysterious, rapturous visions
• Use of symbols, parables, and allegories
• Concludes with the entrance of Gods kingdom
• Prophecywritten to change moral actions and here
  to reveal Christ as King
• Epistle/Letter
• Circulated to 7 churches in Asia Minor
• Opening address and closing salutation
• This book is written for the Church

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4 Schools of Interpretation

• Preterist
• Revelation relates to the time it was written
• Describes struggle between Church and Rome
• StrengthRevelation relevant to the early church
• Limitationno significant message beyond 1st
  century
• Historicist
• A continuous chronicle of church history
• Symbols represent different events in history
• Strengthstrong emphasis on sovereignty of God
• Limitationleaves room for multiple
  interpretations

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4 Schools of Interpretation(continued)

• Futurist
• Bulk of Revelation deals with the future action
  of God in history
• Its focus is on events leading to Christs
  return, kingdom, final judgment, eternal state
• Strengthemphasis on Gods progressive activity
• LimitationNone
• Idealist/Spiritual
• Revelation paints picture of struggle between
  good/evil
• God is strengthening the church with hope of
  victory
• Strengthsome appropriate uses of symbols in
  Revelation
• Limitationskeptical attitude toward predictive
  prophecy

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Millennial Perspectiveson Revelation

• Premillenial
• Christ will return before the millennium
• Pre-tribulation/Pre-millennial
• Christ will rapture the church before 7 year
  tribulation
• After the tribulation, Christ begins 1,000 year
  reign
• Before reign begins, Satan is defeated at
  Armageddon
• Christ established his earthly kingdom/rules for
  1,000 years
• Christ and His people then enter eternity
• Mid-Tribulation/Pre-millennial
• Christ raptures the church at mid-point of
  tribulation
• -Pre-Wrath
• Church ruptured prior to the wrath
• Post-Tribulation/Pre-millennial
• Christ will meet the church in the air after the
  tribulation
• Millennium begins with Christs churchs descent

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Millennial Perspectives on Revelation (continued)

• Post-Millennial
• The return of Christ will occur at the conclusion
  of the millennium
• Return occurs at the close of a lengthy period of
  human progress
• Amillennial
• 1,000 year is a symbol of Christs present
  spiritual kingship at the right hand of God
• Millennium is this present period
• Gospel can spread freely
• Church can influence history by bringing people
  to faith

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• 1. Preterist - limit the historical references to
  the 1st century the struggle b/t the church and
  the Roman govt.
• A. Strength Rev. is relevant to life of early
  church.
• B. Weakness Unable to find significant message
  beyond 1st century. Not substantiated with
  scripture.

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• 2. Historicist - a continuous chronicle of church
  history from apostolic times until Christs
  return. Seals, trumpets and bowls are different
  events in history.
• A. Strength Sovereignty of God.
• B. Weakness Widespread interpretations linking
  Rev. to world events. All of these views leaves
  Revelation up to mans own interpretation.

2Pe 120 But know this first of all, that no
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own
interpretation,
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• 3. Futurist - bulk of Rev. (4-22) content refers
  to the future action of God in history Christs
  return, establishment of kingdom, final judgment
  eternal state.
• A. Strength progressive activity of God in
  world history.
• B. Weakness None

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• 4. Idealist - (spiritual) omits reference to
  time since the reference is to a continuous
  struggle b/t good and evil in the church and the
  history of the world. God is strengthening the
  church with a promise of ultimate victory.
• A. Strength recognizes symbols.
• B. Weakness skepticism toward predictive
  prophecy, failed perspective of the actions of
  God in history.

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Revelation An Introduction

• Interpretation the four views

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Review

• Interpretation the four views
• Idealism no historical or predictive value
  symbolic struggle between good and evil

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Revelation An Introduction

• Interpretation the four views
• Idealism no historical or predictive value
  symbolic struggle between good and evil
• Preterism No predictive value. Depiction of
  the struggle of Christianity against Roman
  persecution

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Revelation An Introduction

• Interpretation the four views
• Idealism no historical or predictive value
  symbolic struggle between good and evil
• Preterism No predictive value. Depiction of
  the struggle of Christianity against Roman
  persecution
• Historicism symbolic pre-narration of church
  history. Antichrist Pope locusts Islamic
  invaders, etc. No value now

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Revelation An Introduction

• Interpretation the four views
• Idealism no historical or predictive value
  symbolic struggle between good and evil
• Preterism No predictive value. Depiction of
  the struggle of Christianity against Roman
  persecution
• Historicism symbolic pre-narration of church
  history. Antichrist Pope locusts Islamic
  invaders, etc.
• Futurism describes a future and chaotic time
  called the Tribulation - in scripture it is
  only referred to as the 70th week of Daniel

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Revelation An Introduction

• Interpretation the four views
• Idealism no historical or predictive value
  symbolic struggle between good and evil
• Preterism No predictive value. Depiction of
  the struggle of Christianity against Roman
  persecution
• Historicism symbolic pre-narration of church
  history. Antichrist Pope locusts Islamic
  invaders, etc.
• Futurism describes a future and chaotic time
  called the Tribulation
• And a fifth Historical

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Revelation An Introduction

• And a fifth Historical
• Combines preterist and futurist
• Like much of Old Testament prophecy, Revelation
  then has a dual meaning
• This is known as double fulfillment

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question

Millennium 1000 years. Reference in Revelation
20 to the future time when Christ will rule on
earth.
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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question

Millennium 1000 years. Reference in Revelation
20 to the future time when Christ will rule on
earth. The various views deal with the
interpretation of the term millennium
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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question
• Pre-Millennial View Christ will return before
  the millennium and will reign 1,000 years. A
  literal interpretation of the term.
• This includes all Bible based Eschatologies,
  including pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, and
  post-trib.

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Revelation An Introduction

• Pre-millennial Events include
• Rapture of the church
• Judgment seat for believers
• Israel rebuilding their temple under the
  antichrists rule

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Revelation An Introduction

• Pre-millennial Events include
• Rapture of the church
• Judgment seat for believers
• Israel rebuilds the temple under antichrists
  rule
• The 70th week of Daniel
• Open return of Christ
• Battle of Armageddon
• 1000 year reign of Christ
• Final judgment
• New Jerusalem

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question
• Pre-Millennial View Christ will return before
  the millennium and will reign 1,000 years. A
  literal interpretation of the term.
• The Dispensational Pre-Millennial View (started
  pre-trib)
• More rigid view originated by J.N. Darby around
  1860. Divides history into seven dispensations.

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham
• 5 Age of law covenant with Moses

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham
• 5 Age of law covenant with Moses
• 6 Age of grace the church age

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham
• 5 Age of law covenant with Moses
• 6 Age of grace the church age
• 7 Millennial reign of Christ

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham
• 5 Age of law covenant with Moses
• 6 Age of grace the church age
• 7 Millennial reign of Christ

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Revelation An Introduction
Dispensationalists believe we are in the last
part of the age of grace. It is broken into
seven sub-periods, each represented by one of the
seven churches in Revelation 2-3. We are in the
Laodicean age the last of the seven churches.

• The Dispensations
• 1 Age of innocence Garden of Eden
• 2 Age of conscience after expulsion
• 3 Age of human government covenant with Noah
• 4 Age of promise covenant with Abraham
• 5 Age of law covenant with Moses
• 6 Age of grace the church age
• 7 Millennial reign of Christ

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question
• Pre-Millennial View
• Christ will return before the millennium and will
  reign 1,000 years. A literal interpretation of
  the term.
• The Dispensational Pre-Millennial View
• More rigid view originated by J.N. Darby around
  1860. Divides history into seven dispensations.
• The Amillennial View
• There is no literal or figurative millennium. A
  more accurate concept would be that we are
  experiencing the millennium now the period
  between the 1st and 2nd advents of Christ.
  Things would get better and better, much like the
  next view

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Revelation An Introduction

• The Millennial Question
• Pre-Millennial View
• The Dispensational Pre-Millennial View
• The Amillennial View
• The Post-Millennial View
• The now obsolete view that the world is getting
  better and better the figurative millennium
  were presently living in. When it reaches a
  certain point, Christ will return.
• A view popular from the industrial revolution to
  the world wars of the 20th century

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• Preterist View
• The preterist view regards Revelation as a
  symbolic picture of early church conflicts which
  have already been fulfilled. This view denies the
  future predictive quality of most of the Book of
  Revelation.

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Our Stance

• We will let the text speak for itself.
• This is an interactive class I encourage
  questions, comments, and interaction.