Revelation’s OT Revisions

Revelation’s Mirror

How many recognize this picture?

Here is how Jesus’ appearing takes place:

“Tens of thousands fell dead, simply dropping where they stood, their bodies ripped open, blood pooling in great masses… Tens of thousands grabbed their heads or their chest, fell to their knees, and writhed as they were invisibly sliced asunder. Their innards and entrails gushed to the desert floor, their blood pooling and rising in the unforgiving brightness of the glory of Christ… Their flesh dissolved, their eyes melted, and their tongues disintegrated.” LaHaye and Jenkins, Glorious Reappearing (2004), p. 204, 226, 273.

Is it any wonder why non-believers shrink from the Bible?

Nietzsche called Revelation “that most obscene of all the written outbursts, which has revenge on its conscience.” Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals (1918), p. 36.

“A veritable orgy of hatred, wrath, vindictiveness, and blind destructive fury that revels in fantastic images of terror breaks out and with blood and fire overwhelms a world which Christ had just endeavored to restore to the original state of innocence and loving communion with God.” Carl Jung, Answer to Job (2002), p. 97.

Even loyal Christians have had a hard time with Revelation.

I miss more than one thing in this book, and it makes me consider it to be neither apostolic nor prophetic… For me this is reason enough not to think highly of it: Christ is neither taught nor known in it.” Quoted in Hoffman, Luther und die Johannes-Apokalypse (1982), vol. 35, p. 398.

Zwingli and Calvin likewise rejected Revelation

Why do these people see such violence in Revelation?

Because it appears like it is there.

John ingeniously takes violent, Old Testament imagery and flips it on its head.

One of the main themes in Revelation is…

Holy War

Theme of Holy War permeates Revelation (11:7; 12:7-8, 17; 13:7; 16:14; 17:14; 19:11, 19)

How Satan’s Armies Make War

Revelation 11:7 (AV 1873)

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Revelation 18:24 (AV 1873)

24 And in her [Babylon] was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, And of all that were slain upon the earth.

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (σφάζω)

σφάζω (sphazō), slaughter; kill by violence

The first method used by Satan’s kingdom is violence

How else does Satan make war?

The other method used is deception and misrepresentation.

How Christ’s Armies Make War

Context of Revelation

Revelation 1:3 (AV 1873)

3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelation was meant to be read orally to the early home churches of John’s day.

Symbols in Revelation would bring to the audiences mind different mental pictures from the OT or Jewish thought.

One tool used by John was the Juxtaposition of what is heard with what is seen.

Revelation 5:5 (AV 1873)

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Here the audience hears “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.”

What does this bring to mind?

What would it bring to mind to John’s original audience? —military/nationalistic Messiah… But then John sees…

Revelation 5:6 (AV 1873)

6 And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

“He hears that ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered’. The two messianic titles evoke a strongly militaristic and nationalistic image of the Messiah of David as conqueror of the nations, destroying the enemies of God’s people.

“But this image is reinterpreted by what John sees: the Lamb whose sacrificial death (5:6) has redeemed people from all nations (5:9-10).

“By juxtaposing the two contrasting images, John has forged a new symbol of conquest by sacrificial death… The Messiah has certainly won a victory, but he has done so by sacrifice and for the benefit of people from all nations (5:9).” Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), p. 74 (cf. p. 67-68).

Heaven’s End Time Army

Revelation 7:4 (AV 1873)

4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

144,000 is described in military terms

Military census (Rev. 7:5–8)

Numbers 31:3–4 (AV 1873)

3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian. 4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

Military census (Rev. 7:5–8)

Abstain from sexual relations (Rev. 14:4; 1 Sam. 21:4-5)

Ritual purification after battle (Rev. 7:14)

Numbers 31:19–20 (AV 1873)

19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person… 20 purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.

When John’s audience hears of the 144,000, they have a mental picture of an army to fight against the evil nations with violence.

How does John flip this imagery on its head?

Revelation 7:9–10 (AV 1873)

9 After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

John had heard of 144,000 Hebrew soldiers, then he sees a countless, ethnically diverse multitude of people.

How does this group wage war?

By worshipping the Lamb!

If we worship the Lamb we will be conformed into His image, and won’t be conformed into the Image of the Beast.

How would seeing this innumerable multitude encourage the early church that met at homes.

There are countless true children of God out there on our side.

Revelation 7:13–14 (AV 1873)

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

In OT, soldiers had their garments made white and purified by removing blood—here garments are made white and purified by bathing in blood!

We don’t kill our enemies to win the battle, but win the battle by allowing ourselves to be killed like the Lamb!

Imagine the encouragement the early church got from this idea!

“Crucify, torture, condemn, grind us all to powder if you can; your injustice is an illustrious proof of our innocence, and for the proof of this it is that God permits us to suffer… But do your worst, and rack your inventions for tortures for Christians — it is all to no purpose; you do but attract the world, and make it fall the more in love with our religion; the more you mow us down, the thicker we rise; the Christian blood you spill is like the seed you sow, it springs from the earth again, and fructifies the more.” Tertullian, Apology, ch. 50.

Revelation 12:11 AV 1873

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Satan’s army wages war through deception and violently persecuting others.

Christ’s army wages war with truth and being violently persecuted.

The Captain of Heaven’s Armies

How do many view Christ as Captain of Heaven’s armies?

“[Jesus] is an Ultimate Fighter warrior king with a tattoo down his leg who rides into battle against Satan, sin, and death on a trusty horse, just like every decent Western from Pecos Bill to the Rifleman, the Cisco Kid, the Lone Ranger, Buffalo Bill, and Wild Bill Hickok.

“If we were to see Jesus today, we would see him in glory, not in humility. We would see a Jesus who will never take a beating again, but is coming again to open a can on the unrepentant until their blood flows upon the earth like grapes crushed in the violence of a winepress.” Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers to Timely Questions (2007), p. 150.

Revelation 19:11–15 (AV 1873)

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Robe Dipped in Blood

Whose blood is on Christ’s robes?

Revelation 17:14 (AV 1873)

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Christ’s robes are dipped in His own blood, for the One who wages war is the slain Lamb, and He is covered with blood before the war even begins!

His army is clothed in white because they have washed them in the blood of their Leader, not their enemies.

Christ does not win the war with violence, but by being the victim of violence!

Cross Reveals God’s character and exposes lies of Satan.

Sword from His Mouth

Is this literal? What is this sword?

Revelation 13:10 (AV 1873)

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Matthew 26:52 (AV 1873)

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Did Jesus disobey His own command?

The sword from Christ’s mouth is His testimony—His words.

Christ’s testimony is His sword which He used to fight against the sword (lies) of the Devil.

Mouth symbolism all throughout Revelation:

The power of fallen angels as being “in their mouth” (Rev. 9:19).

The Serpent tries to destroy the Church by what comes from his mouth (Rev. 12:15).

The beast from the sea has “a mouth” which speaks slanders against God (Rev. 13:5-6).

Unclean spirits come from the mouths of the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet to deceive the world (Rev. 16:13-14).

How does the Sword Slay?

John 12:48 (AV 1873)

48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

John 3:19 (GNT)

19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light…

Psalm 9:16 AV 1873

16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

Babylon

Media

Persia

Greece

Rome

Papal Rome