Bible Overview: Revelation

Revelation was not just given for our information, but for our transformation! (Just like all of Scripture)

“The Bible was not written to satisfy the hunger of the human mind for knowledge of future events.” - Joel Beeke

Acts 1:6–8 BSB

6 So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Title of the Book

Not “Revelations” but Revelation; Also called “The Apocalypse”

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

The Author

Who wrote Revelation?

God’s “servant John”

-John the Elder or John the Apostle or some other John, or someone writing in John’s name

The Purpose of the Book

Why was Revelation written? “Revelation of Jesus Christ” ; “To show His servants what must soon come to pass”

The Book of Revelation The Situation of the Churches and the Purpose and Theme of the Book

the focus of the book is exhortation to the church community to witness to Christ in the midst of a compromising, idolatrous church and world.

“The book of Revelation is first of all a book about Christ.” - Joel Beeke

“The book of Revelation is about Jesus Christ and His victory over the powers of evil. It was written to offer hope to Christians in times of difficulty and darkness, and to warn others of judgment to come because of their persistent unbelief and impenitence.”

“3 personal themes of Revelation”

“Christ’s revelations of His glorious victory over evil”

“hope for believers in the midst of persecution”

“warnings to unbelievers who are fast approaching judgment day”

“If studying Revelation doesn’t make you bow before the Lord Jesus Christ in wonder, adoration, and joy, then you have missed the point of the whole book.”

-Joel Beeke

The Date of the Book

There are good arguments to be made both for an early and late date of Revelation. This will greatly affect our interpretation of the book, so it’s an area that deserves more study. I have not come to a solid conclusion on this matter yet.

Early Date (before 70 AD) - views the book as prediction of destruction of Jerusalem

Late Date (after 70 AD) - most likely, attested by early Church

The Genre (Kind of Literature)

apocalyptic, prophetic, and epistolary

The Structure is similar to many of the NT Epistles

The content is similar to many of the OT Prophets

The Two-fold Blessing

Revelation 1:3 BSB

3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

Symbols in Revelation

‌Similar to many other prophecies and visions in Scripture, this message was communicated from Jesus through an angel (messenger)

The word “signified” (KJV) or “made it known” (BSB) is very important. It’s a common word in John’s writings. This word indicates communication through symbols or signs. This word helps us understand what our method of interpretation should be for the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation is truth from Jesus Christ revealed to John through symbols. This means that our regular way of interpreting the text of Revelation is to seek to understand through the context and in relation to other Scriptures what the different symbols mean.

So our general method of interpretation should be symbolic, not literal.

For example, we’ll come across some of the following visions:

Jesus as a Lion and a Lamb

7 Churches as 7 Lampstands

Golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints

A bright red horse

All believers wearing white robes and holding palm branches

John eating a scroll

Witnesses who are olive trees and lampstands

A woman clothed in the sun

A dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns

Hopefully it’s obvious that these are not things to be taken literally, but signs or symbols of truths that God wants to communicate to us. They symbolize or point to realities.

The Book of Revelation The Symbolic Significance of Numbers

The probability is that the numbers are to be comprehended symbolically for the same reason that the pictorial images of the book are so to be viewed

What are important numbers in Revelation?

7

4

12

10

each of these numbers represents completeness or fullness and 7 & 4 especially represent God’s sovereignty and rule over the universe

Methods of Interpretation

Futurist - chapters 1-3 refer to the first century church, but chapters 4-22 are all about the future, events associated with the end of the world and the future creation of a new heavens and new earth. Probably the most popular view among evangelicals in America today. This view fits with both classical or historical premillennialism as well as the more recent Dispensational premillennialism (which began in the 1800s and is a popular view in evangelicalism today).

Preterist - this approach says that most (or all) of Revelation is in the past rather than future. Full preterism says it’s all in the past, while partial preterism says chapters 1-19 or 1-20 are past, but the last couple of chapters are still future. This argument sees Revelation as a prophecy of the Fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 or a historical account of that event.

Historicist - the symbols in Revelation refer to specific people or events in church history (the Roman Catholic papacy is the antichrist/beast?)

Idealist - the events or people described in the visions are things repeated multiple times throughout church history, not referring to one specific event or person, but something that finds application in every age.

Eclectic - takes strengths and avoids weaknesses of each approach

Millennial and Tribulational Views

(See charts in other PPT)

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Second Edition) D. All Evangelicals Agree on the Final Results of Christ’s Return

all Christians who take the Bible as their final authority agree that the final and ultimate result of Christ’s return will be the judgment of unbelievers and the final reward of believers, and believers will live with Christ in a new heaven and a new earth for all eternity. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will reign and will be worshiped in a never-ending kingdom with no more sin or sorrow or suffering.

Revelation 22:20 BSB

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!