Last Things 3 - The Book of Revelation - Part 1

Psalm 38:12–16 (ESV)

12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!

Revelation 1:1–3 (ESV)

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near

Revelation 22:6–21 (ESV)

6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Introduction

No study of the doctrine of the last things can ignore the Book of Revelation. But sadly it is often ignored because so many think it is too difficult to understand. This is not surprising as there are so many fanciful and complicated views put forward by so many.

I want to present an analysis of the book that will help us to understand and experience the blessing this book has for us.

The title of the book is ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’. It is a revelation or unveiling of the plan of God for the history of the world, especially of the Church. It is, therefore, a direct communication from God and is not derived from any human source. It is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ showed it to John and through him to the Church. Hendriksen, W. (1967). More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 51). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

It is a book that draws much from the other Scriptures, over 500 allusions to and quotations from the Old Testament and many from the New Testament.

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I want to consider the following

The Immediate Context and Purpose

The Use of Symbols and Numbers

Schools of Interpretation

Basic Analysis

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1 - The Immediate Context and Purpose

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Revelation 1:3 ESV

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

A sound interpretation of the Apocalypse [Revelation] must take as its starting-point the position that the book was intended for believers living in John’s day and age. The book owes its origin, at least in part, to contemporary conditions. It is God’s answer to the prayers and tears of severely persecuted Christians scattered about in the cities of Asia Minor. Hendriksen, W. (1967). More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 10). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

In the main, the purpose of the book of Revelation is to comfort the militant Church in its struggle against the forces of evil. It is full of help and comfort for persecuted and suffering Christians. To them is given the assurance that God sees their tears (7:17; 21:4); their prayers are influential in world affairs (8:3, 4) and their death is precious in His sight. Their final victory is assured (15:2); their blood will be avenged (19:2); their Christ lives and reigns for ever and for ever. He governs the world in the interest of His Church (5:7, 8). He is coming again to take His people to Himself in ‘the marriage supper of the Lamb’ and to live with them for ever in a rejuvenated universe (21:22). Hendriksen, W. (1967). More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 7). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

a. God Sees Their Tears

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Revelation 7:17 (ESV)

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

b. Influential Prayer

Revelation 8:3–4 ESV

3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

c. Final Victory

Revelation 15:2 ESV

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.

d. Jesus Coming Again

Revelation 22:17 ESV

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

As we think of the glorious hope of the second coming, our hearts are filled with joy; our souls are consumed with a breathless impatience; our eyes attempt to pierce the dark p 8 clouds which veil the future, hoping that the glorious descent of the Son of man may burst upon the view. It is a longing which gushes into words: ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that hears, let him say, Come’ (22:17). Hendriksen, W. (1967). More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (pp. 7–8). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

2 - The Use of Symbols and Numbers

One of the first features of Revelation a reader notices is the use of numbers and their significance. To an amazing degree, the number seven is predominant both explicitly and implicitly. This number should not be taken literally but must be understood as an idea that expresses totality or completeness. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, p. 4). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Seven churches; golden lampstands; stars; seals; trumpets; plagues; bowls; kings.

Seven = perfection

Three = Trinity

Four = complete

Often fairly obvious

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3 - Schools of Interpretation

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a. Preterist

The Church and the Last Things (14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction)

The three main schools, then, are first, the preterist view or interpretation of the book of Revelation. This is a teaching which tells us that everything that is prophesied in the book of Revelation has already happened, that, indeed, it had all happened by the beginning of the fourth century of the Christian era. The view is that the book is a prophecy of what the Church was going to endure, first from the Jews and then from the pagan Roman Empire, that it describes all that was going to happen to the Church until Constantine, an emperor of Rome, became a Christian and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Therefore, there is, in a sense, no contemporary or future message for us in the book of Revelation. It simply encourages us by telling us what once happened and how it all led to a glorious period when the Roman Empire became Christian.

The Church and the Last Things (14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction)

The preterist view was first propounded round about 1614 by a Jesuit priest whose name was Alcazar.

b. Futurist

The Church and the Last Things (14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction)

The second view is called the futurist view. This is the exact opposite to the preterist teaching, pointing not to the past, but to the future. Here again it is interesting to note that this teaching was started by another Jesuit priest, a man called Ribera, who propounded it somewhere round about 1603. Again, it is not at all difficult to see what it was that prompted Ribera to put forth this theory because this also takes the thrust of the book away from the papacy and the Church of Rome and puts it, as I shall show you, right way in the future. According to this view, the events described here will happen after the Church has been taken out of the world and, therefore of course, the book of Revelation has nothing to do with the papacy.

The Church and the Last Things (14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction)

No, the futurist view was not taken up until 1830 when it was taught by certain members of the prophetic conferences, especially J. N. Darby. In the same way as other teachings we have already considered, it was popularised as the result of those conferences, and has recently been popularised still more by the Schofield Bible notes.

Chapter 1 - Account of the vision given to John

Chapters 2 & 3 - Moral history of the Church from 1st Century to end of Church Era

Chapters 4 & 5 Scenes in heaven

Remainder still to come

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c. Historist or Historical View

The Church and the Last Things 14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction

The historicist view does neither, but teaches that the book of Revelation is a prophecy of the history of the kingdom of God from the first to the second advent

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i. Church Historical View

Luther and The Reformers

The Church and the Last Things 14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction

They said that the main purpose of the book of Revelation is to give us some account of the chief phases in the history of the Church. A better way, perhaps, of putting it is to say that the book of Revelation is not detailed history but a kind of précis of the phases of church history between the first coming of our Lord and His second coming.

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ii. Continuous Historical View

The Church and the Last Things 14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction

A second, and more popular, sub–division of historicist teaching is the continuous historical view, which teaches that the book of Revelation is a book of history without a break. It is a prophecy of the detailed history of the Christian Church and there is no overlapping between its various visions. The visions which are given here deal with the history of the Church in chronological order, each one following the previous one

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iii. Spiritual Historicist View

Principles

The Church and the Last Things 14. The Book of Revelation – Introduction

But the third view teaches that Revelation is a book which puts forward principles. Because the book prepares us in principle for whatever may actually be happening, we are able to understand it and to be encouraged and comforted.

4 - Basic Analysis

The Church and the Last Things (16. The Spiritual Historicist View)

The first impression is that Revelation is a book about the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. It starts off with the revelation that God gave to John and which he passes on:

Revelation 1:1–2 ESV

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

The Church and the Last Things (16. The Spiritual Historicist View)

Then, second, let us look at the outline of the book. As we read through, we cannot fail to be struck by the fact that it has certain natural divisions – natural, and not artificial, divisions.

1. Christ in the Midst of the Lampstands – Chapters 1-3

2. The Vision of Heaven and the Seals – Chapters 4-7

3. The Seven Trumpets - Chapters – 8-12

4. The Persecuting Dragon – Chapters 12-14

5. The Seven Bowls – Chapters 15-16

6. The Fall of Babylon – Chapters 17-19

7. The Great Consummation – Chapters 20-22

Each of these sections cover the same period of time from the first Advent to the second Advent of Christ

Conclusion

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Revelation 1:4–6 (ESV)

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.