Book of Revelation

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Book of Revelation

• Introduction

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Traditional View Apostle John

• Dominant church tradition
• Supported by the internal evidence
• Not strongly challenged by any alternate theory

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Apostle John

• One of the original 12 Apostles
• Son of Zebedee and brother of Apostle James
  (Matthew 421 102 171 Mark 119 1035 Luke
  510)
• Fisherman by trade, on the Sea of Galilee
  (Matthew 413
• The beloved disciple (John 1323 1926 202
  217, 20-24)

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Ministry with the church at Ephesus
Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who
also had leaned upon His breast, did himself
publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus
in Asia.
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Eusebius
At that time the apostle and evangelist John, the
one whom Jesus loved, was still living in Asia,
and governing the churches of that region
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Ephesus
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Basilica of St John
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Church traditions and legends

• Long life (John 2120-23)
• Survived shipwreck
• Survived being stoned by enemies
• Survived execution attempts by Domitian
• Survived a murder attempt from poison in his
  drink

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Memling, Hans (1430?-94)
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Burgkmair, Hans the Elder (1473-1531)
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CANO, Alonso Spanish painter (1601, Granada, d.
1667, Granada)
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Greco, El (1541-1614). Cretan-born painter,
sculptor, and architect who settled in Spain and
is regarded as the first great genius of the
Spanish School
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El GrecoSt. John the Evangelistc. 1600Oil on
canvas90 x 77 cmMuseo del Prado, Madrid
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Bassano, Jacopo
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Internal Evidence

• Rev. 11, 3, 9 228
• Jesus as the Lamb (John 129, 36)
• Jesus as the Word of God (John 11, 14 1 John
  11) and Rev. 1913
• Jesus pierced on the cross (John 1934 Rev.
  17) both quoting Zech. 1210

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External Evidence

• Justin Martyr (c.110-165 AD)
• Irenaeus (about 180)
• Clement of Alexandria (d. 215 AD)
• Tertullian (c.160-c.230 AD)

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Island of Patmos
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Date of Composition

• Most likely date mid 90s
• Irenaeus
• Hipoolytus
• Eusebius
• A recent proposal mid 60s

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Historical Background

• Domitian
• What do you know about this emperor?

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Domitian

• Took the power of censor perpetuus
• Insisted on being called dominus et deus (lord
  and god)
• Required his subjects to offer sacrifices to him
• Suetonius records that he wanted people to call
  him our Master and our God

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Domitian

• Wrote Care of the Hair
• In A.D. 85 he made himself censor perpetuus,
  censor for life, with a general supervision of
  conduct and morals
• Outlawed making eunuchs and lower price of slave
  market to discourage the practice
• Put an end to the ritual sacrifice of oxen and
  outlawed indecent pantomime

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Domitian

• He was a passionate supporter of traditional
  Roman religion
• Had the traditional games every four years and
  often had elaborate public shows
• No Christian, once brought before the tribunal,
  should be exempt from punishment without
  renouncing his religion.
• When he died the senators hated him so much they
  voted for damnatio memoriae (condemnation of
  memory)

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Why would the Empire persecute Christians?
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Reasons for Persecution

• Rome feared any widespread series of meetings by
  its citizens might be seditious
• Ancient religions were provincial and tied
  directly to political and cultural survival
• Christians did not mingle freely with the pagans
  in their activities at the theaters, games,
  taverns, and temples.

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Reasons for Persecution

• Wild rumors
• Many Christians refused to serve in the Roman
  army
• Many Christians were from the poor an salve
  population
• Political trouble with the Jews
• Christians Monotheistic Evangelistic Push

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Reasons for Persecution

• Conversions cost the government money
• Christians refused to worship the emperor
• Why is all of this important to know?

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Literary Style

• Revelatory Nature of the Book
• An Apocalyptic Writing
• In Old Testament Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah
• Among non-Biblical writings
• Dozens of examples, mostly 210 BC AD200
• Prize Example Book of Enoch
• Other examples

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Clear Pattern
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Series of Visions

• Story line typically involves the author
  reporting a series of visions he says he has
  received from God
• The seer (author) usually has an angel guide to
  lead him through the visions and provide some
  commentary
• The seer is often drawn in as a minor participant

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Tribulation and Hope

• Story line normally follows a thematic pattern
• The present is a time of tribulation for Gods
  people
• Even greater tribulation and oppression is yet to
  come
• But God will eventually lead his people in a
  messianic triumph over their oppressors at the
  end of this age of tribulation

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Drama and Symbols

• Each vision is the series of vision is like a
  strange drama on a grand scale
• Normally has highly imaginative symbols
• Example Zechariah 4

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Mysteries to be solved

• As a general rule, apocalyptic writings should be
  interpreted figuratively rather than literally
• Apocalyptic imagery does not describe literal
  realities, but rather, it symbolizes literal
  realities (as well as theological concepts)

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Key Texts

• Daniel 2
• Daniel 924-27
• Matthew 24 and 25
• 2 Thessalonians 2
• Revelation 201-10

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Nebuchadnezzars Dream
Daniel 2
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Daniel 924-27
"Seventy weeks are determined For your people
and for your holy city, To finish the
transgression, To make an end of sins, To make
reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in
everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and
prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. "Know
therefore and understand, That from the going
forth of the command To restore and build
Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall
be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks The street
shall be built again, and the wall, Even in
troublesome times. "And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself
And the people of the prince who is to come Shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it
shall be with a flood, And till the end of the
war desolations are determined. Then he shall
confirm a covenant with many for one week But in
the middle of the week He shall bring an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate."
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Daniel 924-27

• 70 weeks 70 times 7, or 490 years
• 69 weeks the coming of Christ
• 490 years later a end to the sin offerings to
  make reconciliation for iniquity or to make
  atonement
• to seal up the vision and prophecy means that
  the things seen in visions and the things
  prophesied by the OT prophets would be fulfilled,
  490 years later.

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Daniel 924-27

• 7 weeks (49 years) to rebuild Jerusalem
• In 457 BC (Ezra 720), Artaxerxes gave Ezra an
  order to draw on the royal treasury to rebuild
  Jerusalem. 49 years later in 408 BC the last act
  of Nehemiah is told in the 15th year of Darius
  Nothus

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Daniel 924-27

• Vs. 25 says that the Messiah would appear 69
  weeks after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. 457
  BC 483 years later puts us at AD 26, the date of
  Jesus baptism and beginning of his public
  ministry
• Vs. 27 tells us that it will happen in the middle
  of the 70th week.
• 3 ½ years after the beginning of Jesus ministry
  in AD 26 would bring us to AD 30, the date of his
  crucifixion.

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Daniel 924-27

• Vs. 26 also talks of another prince who comes
  after Messiah the prince has been cut off. The
  second prince will destroy the city of Jerusalem
  and the Temple. Matthew 2415 and Luke 2120
  tell us that this part of Daniels prophecy has
  reference to the destruction of Jerusalem under
  Titus and the Romans in AD 70 after a long siege.

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Daniel 924-27

• The first part of verse 27 appears to speak of
  Messiah who causes Gods covenant with Israel to
  prevail for one week. Gods covenant with
  Israel, his covenant to send a Messiah, a part of
  the eternal covenant with Israel, would prevail
  with the hearts of many of Israel during one
  week. It was about 7 years from Jesus
  beginning ministry to the conversion of Paul.
  After that time more Gentiles came into the
  church than Jews.

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Matthew 24 and 25

• Two main questions
• Jesus answers
• Matthew 244-28 speaks of the destruction of
  Jerusalem
• Matthew 2429-2530 speaks of the second coming

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Destruction of Jerusalem

• False Christs 242, 5
• Wars and rumors of wars 246, 7a
• Great natural disturbances 247b and Luke 2111
• Persecution against the Church 249, Mark
  139-11, and Luke 2414, 15, 18, 19
• False prophets arising in the church 2411-13
• World-wide proclamation of the gospel 2414 (Col.
  123 says it was done)
• Abomination of desolation standing in a holy
  place 2415ff, Luke 2120

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Second Coming (Note 2434)

• Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by
  no means pass away till all these things take
  place
• No one knows 2436
• Like the days of Noah 2437-39
• Rapture 2440-42
• It will be unexpected 2443-2513

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2 Thessalonians 2

• The man of lawlessness
• 2 Thess. 21-4 Now, brethren, concerning the
  coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
  together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon
  shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or
  by word or by letter, as if from us, as though
  the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive
  you by any means for that Day will not come
  unless the falling away comes first, and the man
  of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who
  opposes and exalts himself above all that is
  called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits
  as God in the temple of God, showing himself that
  he is God.

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Two things will happen

• A great falling away
• Coming of the man of lawlessness
• 1 John 118 Little children, it is the last hour
  and as you have heard that the Antichrist is
  coming, even now many antichrists have come, by
  which we know that it is the last hour.

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Significance of Numbers

• In apocalyptic writings numbers are normally used
  to symbolize ideas rather than to actually
  indicate a literal count
• Note A significant number not used is 8
• 8 was often used during that period for Sunday or
  for Jesus Christ

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Number 4

• Typically used to refer to activities on earth
  verses activities in heaven
• Reason
• Four directions of compass
• Four corners of the earth (Isa. 1112 Ezek. 72
  Rev. 72)
• Four winds of earth (Jer. 4936 Ezek. 79 Zech.
  65 Dan. 72 Matt. 2431 Rev. 71)

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Number 7

• Typically used to denote a full and complete set,
  not lacking in any way
• Can be used for good or evil
• Reason
• Perhaps drawn from the Old Testament use of 7 as
  the first number to mark a complete unit of time
• Seven days of creation and 7 days of week

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Number 10

• Typically used to denote a full and complete set,
  not lacking in any way (very similar to 7)
• Reason
• Perhaps drawn from the common usage of 10 to mark
  a complete unit
• 10 digits in Arabic (Roman) math
• 10 fingers and 10 toes

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Number 6

• Typically used to denote mans failure to attain
  a divine completeness or perfection on his own
• Reason
• Perhaps drawn from the idea that 6 is the most
  natural number to represent being close to
  perfection (7) and yet falling short
• A good symbol to use for mans best efforts to
  accomplish things without relying upon God

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Number 12

• Typically used to refer to the saints of God as a
  group
• Reason
• Perhaps drawn from the 12 tribes of the Old
  Testament
• The 12 apostles of the New Testament

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Combinations of numbers

• Multiples of key symbolic numbers have added
  significance
• Some larger numbers in apocalyptic literature
  appear to be intended to convey symbolic meaning
• Notably when they are obvious multiples of the
  basic number symbols 1,000101010 or
  144,0001212101010

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The Preterist Interpretation

• Typical Outline
• Revelation 1-3 records messages to 7 literal
  churches of the 1st century
• Revelation 4-20 symbolizes the 1st century
  churchs immediate past, present, and immediate
  future
• Revelation 21-22 symbolizes the church and/or
  heaven

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Observations

• It is recent in origin
• It is a minority view

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Why we will not take this view

• It does not seem to work well with passages
  throughout the book that present end of the age
  imagery
• The extreme version that denies a future second
  coming of Christ is an unnatural reading
• A reasonable interpretative method will listen to
  the preterist emphasis upon the 1st century
  context, but will not limit the book

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Futurist Interpretation

• Typical outline
• 1-3 records messages to 7 literal churches of the
  1st century and symbolizes 7 successive periods
  of church history
• 4-19 depicts a 7 year period of Great
  Tribulation
• 20 depicts a 1,000 year millennial reign for
  Christ and the nation of Israel
• 21-22 depicts heaven

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Observations

• Not popular until recently
• Used by some Protestant Reformers

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Why we will not be using it

• Dose not work well with the emphasis in the
  opening chapter that the message of Revelation is
  relevant to its 1st century readers
• Conclusions constantly being revised
• Strong liberal hermeneutic of this view does not
  fit apocalyptic literature
• Too elaborate unless you take the dispensational
  premillennial view

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Historical Interpretation

• Typical Outline
• 1-3 records messages to 7 literal churches of the
  1st century
• 4-19 depicts key historical events and periods
  from the 1st century to Christs return
• 20 depicts a 1,000 year millennial reign on earth
  from Christ and the nation of Israel (or
  spiritual Israel)
• 21-22 depicts heaven

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General Observations

• Goes back to the Middle Ages

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Why we will not use this method

• Conclusions drawn form this methodology are
  constantly being revised as history continues
• Does not work well with passages that introduce
  events out of chronological order
• Minimal relevance to the original 1st century
  readers
• If you are not a dispensational premillenialist
  it does not work well

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Spiritual or Idealist Interpretation

• This approach emphasizes the symbolism of
  Revelation as teaching spiritual lessons rather
  than expecting literal fulfillment.
• The prevailing lesson pertains to the constant
  warfare between good and evil, both in Heaven and
  on earth.

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General Observations

• Very popular with some throughout history
• What is the problem with this?
• Does not see the future aspects or the historical
  aspects that are evident

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Cyclical Interpretation

• Typical Outline
• 1-3 messages to 7 literal churches of 1st century
• 4-20 symbolizes the conditions in which the
  church must always live and minister (done is six
  different ways)
• 21-22 symbolizes the ultimate destiny of the
  church (heaven)

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General Observations

• Apparent in the early Church
• Augustine made it very popular (354-430 AD)

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Why we will take this view

• Best accounts for the apparent repetition of
  events throughout the book
• Follows precedent of the other prophetic passages
  in which God uses repeated visions with different
  story lines to tell the same basic idea
• Seems best to fulfill the intent of the book that
  it is relevant to the 1st century reader and to
  the all subsequent readers

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Bottom Line

• Purpose of the book
• The emphasis of the book is to encourage
  Christians to persevere in their commitment to
  Christ even in the midst of suffering
• Key text is Rev. 19

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Revelation 201-10

• Pre-millennial
• Historic
• Dispensational
• Post-millennial
• A-millennial
• I will explain in detail when we get there, but
  worth bringing up because some use it as the
  basis for the interpretation of the whole book

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What Not To Expect

• First, one ought not to expect to receive here a
  guaranteed, valid interpretation of all figures.
  God cannot tell us of the future with such a
  certainty that takes away the freedom of mans
  will as he lives out his period of probation

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What Not To Expect

• Second, one should not to expect to put the
  figurative on a literal screen.
• Finally, one should not expect for everyone to
  agree

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What To Expect

• First, a focus on the main point of Gods purpose
  in revealing the truths recorded in Revelation.
• Second, one should expect to think and imagine.
• Third, one should be encouraged to be alert to
  the signs of the time.
• Last, one should expect to apply the principles
  urged in the book of Revelation to ones own life