Revelation Intro

Revelation of Christ

Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. This book leads us into the last days and is prophecy of what is to come that shows Christians living in that time what is to be expected. This type of literature is call apocalyptic. We know it was written by a man close to Jesus Christ throughout His ministry while in exile on the Isle of Patmos. To understand the book Revelation we need to understand the time period, the style of literature and the way God is revealing Himself and His Son throughout the ages. This study will attempt to do that while also providing the most fair and balanced view of the material available!

Apocalyptic Literature

Revelation is written in an apocalyptic style literature, which is a uniquely Jewish genre and should be read accordingly. This means we should not take it literal but we should seek the writer’s intended meaning. It is used throughout the both Old and New Testaments along with some non-canonical works of the time. There are several characteristics to help us recognize this genre.

Hope in Hard Times—The Final Curtain: Revelation Introduction to Revelation

1. a strong sense of the universal sovereignty of God (monotheism and determinism)

2. a struggle between good and evil, this age and the age to come (dualism)

3. use of secret code words (usually from the OT or intertestamental Jewish apocalyptic literature)

4. use of colors, numbers, animals, sometimes animals/humans

5. use of angelic mediation by means of visions and dreams, but usually through angelic mediation

6. primarily focuses on the end-time (new age)

7. use of a fixed set of symbols, not reality, to communicate the end-time message

8. Some examples of this type of genre are:

a. Old Testament

(1) Isaiah 24–27, 56–66

(2) Ezekiel 37–48

(3) Daniel 7–12

(4) Joel 2:28–3:21

(5) Zechariah 1–6, 12–14

a. New Testament

(1) Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and 1 Corinthians 15 (in some ways)

(2) 2 Thessalonians 2 (in most ways)

(3) Revelation (chapters 4–22)

9. non-canonical (taken from D. S. Russell, The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic, pp. 37–38)

a. I Enoch, II Enoch (the Secrets of Enoch)

b. The Book of Jubilees

c. The Sibylline Oracles III, IV, V

d. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

e. The Psalms of Solomon

f. The Assumption of Moses

g. The Martyrdom of Isaiah

h. The Apocalypse of Moses (Life of Adam and Eve)

i. The Apocalypse of Abraham

j. The Testament of Abraham

k. II Esdras (IV Esdras)

l. Baruch II, III

Hope in Hard Times—The Final Curtain: Revelation Introduction to Revelation

1. a strong sense of the universal sovereignty of God (monotheism and determinism)

2. a struggle between good and evil, this age and the age to come (dualism)

3. use of secret code words (usually from the OT or intertestamental Jewish apocalyptic literature)

4. use of colors, numbers, animals, sometimes animals/humans

5. use of angelic mediation by means of visions and dreams, but usually through angelic mediation

6. primarily focuses on the end-time (new age)

7. use of a fixed set of symbols, not reality, to communicate the end-time message

8. Some examples of this type of genre are:

a. Old Testament

(1) Isaiah 24–27, 56–66

(2) Ezekiel 37–48

(3) Daniel 7–12

(4) Joel 2:28–3:21

(5) Zechariah 1–6, 12–14

a. New Testament

(1) Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and 1 Corinthians 15 (in some ways)

(2) 2 Thessalonians 2 (in most ways)

(3) Revelation (chapters 4–22)

9. non-canonical (taken from D. S. Russell, The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic, pp. 37–38)

a. I Enoch, II Enoch (the Secrets of Enoch)

b. The Book of Jubilees

c. The Sibylline Oracles III, IV, V

d. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

e. The Psalms of Solomon

f. The Assumption of Moses

g. The Martyrdom of Isaiah

h. The Apocalypse of Moses (Life of Adam and Eve)

i. The Apocalypse of Abraham

j. The Testament of Abraham

k. II Esdras (IV Esdras)

l. Baruch II, III

We know that St. John is the author of Revelation based on the following verses

1. a strong sense of the universal sovereignty of God (monotheism and determinism)

2. a struggle between good and evil, this age and the age to come (dualism)

3. use of secret code words (usually from the OT or intertestamental Jewish apocalyptic literature)

4. use of colors, numbers, animals, sometimes animals/humans

5. use of angelic mediation by means of visions and dreams, but usually through angelic mediation

6. primarily focuses on the end-time (new age)

7. use of a fixed set of symbols, not reality, to communicate the end-time message

8. Some examples of this type of genre are:

a. Old Testament

(1) ,

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5) ,

a. New Testament

(1) , , , and (in some ways)

(2) (in most ways)

(3) Revelation (chapters 4–22)

9. non-canonical (taken from D. S. Russell, The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic, pp. 37–38)

a. I Enoch, II Enoch (the Secrets of Enoch)

b. The Book of Jubilees

c. The Sibylline Oracles III, IV, V

d. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

e. The Psalms of Solomon

f. The Assumption of Moses

g. The Martyrdom of Isaiah

h. The Apocalypse of Moses (Life of Adam and Eve)

i. The Apocalypse of Abraham

j. The Testament of Abraham

k. II Esdras (IV Esdras)

l. ,

Utley, R. J. (2001). Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation (Vol. Volume 12, p. 9). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.

Author Profile: John

Traditionally understood to be the apostle John, one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, who also wrote the Gospel of John

• The disciple whom Jesus loved (, )

• One of the two sons of Zebedee, the brother of James

• Along with James, nicknamed the Sons of Thunder ()

• Formerly a follower of John the Baptist

• Wrote the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John; wrote the Book of Revelation in his old age

• Known as the Apostle of Love, since the theme of love is so prominent in his writings

Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 3). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Location profile: patmos

Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation Location Profile: Patmos

LOCATION PROFILE: PATMOS

• A small (10 × 6 miles) island in the Aegean Sea

• Located about thirty-seven miles southwest of the coast of Asia

• Probably used as a Roman penal colony

• A beautiful island with a wonderful, temperate climate

• A small (10 × 6 miles) island in the Aegean Sea

• Located about thirty-seven miles southwest of the coast of Asia

• Probably used as a Roman penal colony

• A beautiful island with a wonderful, temperate climate

Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 3). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers

Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation B. Greetings and Praise to Jesus (1:4–8)

Figure 1.2—Contrasts between the Two Comings of Jesus

First Coming

Second Coming

lowly

glorious

private, few saw

public, all will see

some pierced/rejected him

those who reject him are judged

rejoicing over his defeat

mourning about his victory over them

Amillennialism

This evil age includes ongoing persecution for Christians, becoming more intense before Christ’s return (the Tribulation). The souls of believers go to heaven at death and reign with Christ in heaven (the Millennium) as they wait with him for the Second Coming. (Others see the the present church age including the spiritual condition of believers in this word as the Millennium. Still others see the new heavens and new earth as the Millennium.) When he returns gloriously and bodily to earth, Christians still living on earth will be raptured; those already dead will be resurrected. Next will be the last judgment, and all people will go to either heaven or hell. The eternal state will then go on forever.

Strengths:

• held to by nearly all Christians from the 400s to the 1500s and by many today

• simplest view

• unites the Testaments, with Old Testament Israel and Christians seen as one group

Weaknesses

• rejects chronological and literal nature of the Millennium

• may appear to reject the notion of Christ’s imminent return

• can be emotionally and psychologically difficult to believe that Christians will go through any final period of tribulation

First Coming

Second Coming

Rapture

Millennium (in heaven)

Tribulation

judgment, final state

Postmillennialism

• tribulation equals terrible events of Jewish war of a.d. 66–70

• gospel and Christian missions will become so powerful that most of human society will be brought voluntarily into Christ’s kingdom

• after Millennium Christ will return visibly to earth, welcomed by all

• last judgment will mean all people go to either heaven or hell

• eternal state will go on forever

Strengths:

• held by many—even most—North American Bible-believing Christians during the 1800s

• has most optimistic view of the success of Christian missions

• emotionally and psychologically very powerful and comforting

Weakness:

• World Wars I and II caused most Christians to abandon idea that the world is getting better and most of the world’s people will become Christians, but recent rapid spread of Christianity in many parts of the Third World has brought a significant resurgence of postmillennialism

First Coming

Second Coming

Rapture

Tribulation (on earth)

Millennium

judgment, final state

Historic Premillennialism

• this evil age will get worse and worse, ending with a final terrible persecution of Christians by “Antichrist” (tribulation)

• many Christians will become martyrs

• Christ will come to pour out God’s wrath and to bring victory for Christians; He will judge the Antichrist and establish a golden age in which Christians will be priests and kings on the earth for a thousand years (Millennium)

• one last terrible war will precede the last judgment (though some historical premillenialists do not believe in a literal interpretation of Armageddon)

• God will establish a new heaven and a new earth

• eternal state will go on forever

Strengths:

• held to strongly during the first four Christian centuries and by many today

• takes (and the entire book) literally

• sees final culmination of Christ’s kingdom as fulfilled by Christians

Weaknesses:

• a complicated view, not clearly presented in a single passage of Scripture

• not able to explain why a thousand years of peace will result in a last war against Christ

First Coming

Second Coming

Rapture

judgment

Tribulation

Millennium (Christians)

final state

Dispensational Premillennialism

• divides history into either seven or three dispensations with different revelation from God and different responsibilities of humanity

• before this age reaches its most wicked point, Christians (or most Christians) will be removed from earth by the Rapture

• during seven-year Great Tribulation, God will deal primarily with the Israelite nation

• Antichrist will persecute the Jewish people, but many will turn to Christ; God’s wrath will be poured out, and raptured Christians will return with Christ to the earth

• Christ will reestablish Israel as a glorified righteous nation and rule the world as the King of Israel, literally fulfilling Old Testament prophecies

• one last terrible war precedes the last judgment

• a new heaven and a new earth will introduce the eternal state forever

Strengths:

• extremely popular in the United States since World War I

• most literal approach to the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Israel

• most attractive view emotionally and psychologically

Weaknesses:

• by far most complicated view of prophecy

• not able to explain why a thousand years of peace will result in a last war against Christ

• most recent of the views (unknown before J. N. Darby in the early 1800s)

First Coming

Second Coming

Rapture

Armageddon

judgment

Tribulation

Millennium (Israel)

final state

Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, pp. 4–7). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.