REVELATION

LESSON ONE

(INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER ONE)

I have lifted the introduction from a lesson on God's plan. I believe it is appropriate for this discussion before we actually get into discussing Revelation.

GOD'S PLAN THROUGH THE AGES AND ITS COMPLETION, PERFECTION AND FULFILLMENT

INTRODUCTION

As I was reading a book defending the late date of Revelation and Babylon as Rome, a thought finally struck home about the dating of Revelation. It all depends on one's view of God's Plan and when it was completed. If one believes that Christ is yet to come in judgment to achieve a final victory, then Revelation is viewed with that understanding in mind. Christ's promise to come soon is easily swept away, because obviously it hasn't happened yet. If one believes that all, or at least most, references to the coming of Christ in Acts through Revelation are about Him yet to come, then that view is read into every passage, including the book of Revelation. If one believes that God's work of redemption was completed at the cross, and that man awaits a final judgment before entering into heaven, then the books of the New Testament are read with those glasses on. If one holds these views, then the dating of Revelation becomes academic rather than a correlation with other scriptures and scriptural considerations. With these views it is a matter of opinion and scholarship. Some well educated men may take the early date and Babylon as Jerusalem as a matter of their scholarly opinion. Not me!

Oh yes, I've done research. I try to correlate the time and place with facts of history. I believe I can make a scholarly defense for the early date and Babylon being Jerusalem. But that is not my defense. I find in my studies that Revelation shows the completion of God's plan, the final victory of Christ over Satan and the results which are now ours to receive or reject, to ignore or enjoy. I do not wait for Christ to come in judgment. I am in Him, in His body, His church. By walking in the light with him, I wait for the completion of my physical life here in His service and my existence after this life in His eternal presence. When I read Revelation, I read looking for the completion, perfection and fulfillment of God's plan. I read looking for what was then the anticipated coming of Christ in judgment against his people that is spoken of in the books of law, history, the prophets, the gospels, and the epistles of Peter, Paul, Jude, James and the writer of Hebrews. When I read Revelation with this view, I can only accept that it deals with the destruction of Jerusalem as foretold by Christ in Matthew 24 and other citations of his teaching. It is the revelation of his coming which was then to be very soon. I believe a correct understanding of God's plan and its fulfillment is vital to correctly understand the gospels, the epistles, and the Revelation. It is God's plan that dominates my thinking as I read every passage in the Bible. This is not just something that applies to understanding Revelation, it is the very root and foundation of who we are as citizens in the kingdom of God, our Savior.

1. Author

   It is assumed that the apostle John is the writer. Jesus is the author.

2. Language of Revelation
   1. It is partly written in easily understood language and partly written in symbolic language.
   2. Some of the symbolic language can be understood by a knowledge of God's word and some can be understood in the light of history. This becomes somewhat complicated because both content and historical setting have a lot to do with when it was written. Quite possibly for some of the book, you just had to be there.
3. Things to consider

1. History
2. Content
3. When it was written
4. Who wrote it?
5. Was it inspired?
6. Internal and external evidence of the above.

4. Meanings:
   1. Internal considerations -- statements and sayings from the Bible
   2. Pre 70 A.D. -- prior to the destruction of Jerusalem as foretold by Jesus in the Gospel records
   3. External considerations -- historical events, situations, and circumstances recorded in secular history but not detailed in the Bible.

5. External considerations
   1. Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D. -
      1. This is a well documented and accepted date
      2. It makes no difference to the internal arguments if this date is not correct; Jerusalem did fall in the lifetime of some of Jesus' hearers.
      3. Jews dwelt in most if not all the major cities, had synagogues in those cities and for the most part handled their own affairs.
      4. This is attested to by Philo, Josephus, Schürer, Ederstein and others.
      5. Asia is expressly mentioned.
      6. Jews lived in their own communities.
      7. Jews were left to take care of their own affairs including trials and punishments which sometimes had limitations and at other times did not.
      8. Christians were considered a sect of the Jews until the late first century.
   2. The generally accepted date, around 96 A.D., for the writing of Revelation is challengeable. An early date and fulfillment is supported by many noted writers now and by a number of eminent scholars dating back to the 17th century. These include such men as John Lightfoot, Moses Stuart, J.B. Lightfoot, B.F. Westcot, James Stuart Russell, Philip Schaff, John A.T. Robinson, Kenneth Gentry, and numerous, that is far more than have been named, others.

6. Interpretations
   1. Hendrickson progressive parallelism 7 sections
   2. Homer Hailey, Kenneth Gentry, Arthur Ogden, Foy Wallace and others have written well accepted commentaries on this book.

7. A LOT OF "SEVENS" IN THE BOOK
   1. The 7 churches are represented by 7 candlesticks. Rev. 1:20
   2. John wrote to 7 churches sending grace and peace from 7 spirits. Rev. 1:4
   3. In the midst of the 7 candlesticks Jesus is holding 7 stars which represent 7 angels of the 7 churches. Rev. 1:20
   4. In the throne scene in chapter 4 there are 7 lamps of fire which represent 7 spirits.
   5. In chapter 5 there is a book with 7 seals which can only be opened by the lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes which again represent the 7 spirits of God and, in this case, which are sent into all the earth.
   6. In chapter 8, there are 7 angels with 7 trumpets.
   7. In chapter 10, John hears the utterances of 7 thunders which must be sealed up.
   8. In chapter 11, 7 thousand were slain by an earth quake.
   9. In chapter 12, the great red serpent, the devil, is depicted as having 7 heads and 7 crowns.
   10. In chapter 13, there is a beast with 7 heads with the name blasphemy.
   11. In chapter 15, there are 7 angels with 7 last plagues.
   12. In chapter 16, seven angels are told to pour out their 7 vials of wrath.
   13. In chapter 17, one of the 7 angels with the 7 vials comes to show John more about the beast with 7 heads which represent 7 mountains and there are 7 kings. The 8 is said to be of the 7th and goes into perdition.
   14. In Chapter 21, one of the 7 angels which had the 7 vials of the 7 last plagues shows John the Holy city.

8. Outline of the book - the sections
   1. Introduction -- Who? What? Where? Why? -- Chapter 1
   2. 7 letters to the 7 churches -- Chapters 2-3
   3. The throne scene -- Chapter 4
   4. The opening of the seals 5:1 - 8:1
   5. The seven trumpets 8:2 - 11:15
   6. The woman with child and her protection -- Chapter 12
   7. The Beasts are revealed -- Chapter 13
   8. The redeemed, the preaching of the Gospel and the condemnation -- Chapter 14
   9. The 7 last plagues -- Chapters 15 & 16
   10. The Judgment against Babylon -- 17:1-19:10
   11. The Coming of the king for judgment, the marriage, and the result of judgment-- 19:11 -21:8
   12. John sees the beautiful heavenly city -- 21:9-22:5
   13. Conclusion and final warning -- 22:6- 21

9. Seven visions
   1. In the above outline if we began counting after the initial throne scene, we can count 7 scenes. This I believe combines 6, 7, and 8 above. So then we count from Rev. 4:1, the throne scene, C, through K, the coming of the king and combining F, G, and H we get 7 visions. No big deal and perhaps Revelation 13 and 14 are separate sections. At any rate the book seems to have parallel sections, and of course as we study, trying to figure them out, our overall understanding is aided.

10. Come Lord Jesus
    1. The fulfillment was near.
       1. Shortly come to pass -- Rev. 1:1
       2. The time is at hand -- Rev. 1:3, 22:10
       3. I come quickly - Rev. 3:11, 22:7, 22:12, 22:20
       4. "Which must shortly come to pass" limits the time of fulfillment to the immediate future and great caution must be used when considering any reference as applying to a historical event hundreds of years down the road.
    2. When John said "Come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20) was he expecting a long wait?
    3. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ of things which must shortly take place. Revelation 1:1. Jesus spoke of things that were to take place in that generation - Matthew 24:34. He associated these things with His coming in the clouds - 24:30. Now the same expression is found in Revelation 1:7 which says: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him"

       If Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ and if it dealt with things which at that time were to shortly take place and if Jesus speaks of coming in the clouds in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem in that generation and if John refers to that statement by Jesus in his address to the recipients of Revelation, then Revelation deals with the destruction of Jerusalem. Anyone who does not see this, in my mind, must be blind. Jesus came on the clouds, just as He talked about, at the destruction of Jerusalem and that destruction is the only one which falls into the category of shortly taking place when John wrote.

       Where was I at all those years when I thought Revelation 1:7 spoke of Jesus coming yet?

11. Revelation's content is about things Jesus talked about.
    1. Marriage
    2. Marriage supper
    3. Harvest
    4. Judgment
    5. Destruction
    6. Punishment of the wicked
    7. These and other things will be noted in detail in this study.

    Chapter 1

Revelation 1:1

The revelation was "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -- things which must shortly take place."

1. There is nothing in this statement to indicate that this is a revelation concerning things to happen historically throughout the remainder of time.
2. As a revelation of Jesus unto his servants; it would necessarily involve things centered around Him and His servants.
3. The revelation of Jesus was eagerly awaited by the first century Christians.
   1. Paul, referring to the testimony of Christ confirmed in those at Corinth says, "so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ"
      1. Now obviously, they were not waiting for the writing of the book of Revelation, but these scriptures do indicate something was about to take place that would answer their hope and show the value of their faith. The event itself would be a revelation. Some commentators have suggested that the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1) was prophecy concerning that revelation of Jesus Christ that was anticipated by the early church. We must ask if there were two great events about to take place that could be considered a history making event.
   2. I Peter 1:7 and 13 also speaks of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

     "Must"

1. Translated from dei' dei; a form of devw - it is necessary :-- due(1), had to(3), had to be(4), have to(3), must(56), necessary(4), needed(1), ought(17), ought to make(1), should(9).
2. (Note - the words and numbers after the definitions refer to the number of times the word was translated as such. This is taken from NASB translation.)
3. - devw a prim. vb.; to tie, bind :-- bind(7), binding(1), binds(2), bound(23), imprisoned(4), prisoners(m)(1), put in chains(m)(1), tied(4).
4. This indicates a necessity -- Not a choice, not a chance happening, not something in the distant futures as the history of man continues to develop but something that is planned and the time has arrived for fruition.
5. See verse 3 - "the time is near"

Verse 7

1. "Coming with the clouds" This is the genitive case ("with" is understood) same as Matthew 24:30 and other places.
   1. Indicates a heavenly coming.
   2. As a quotation of Jesus which draws on the original statement in Daniel 7:13 the language may be symbolic rather than literal.
   3. Compare also:
      1. Jesus statement to the high priest in Mark 14:61-62; "Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
      2. Acts 1:9-11
2. "They who pierced Him" - Jesus promise noted above
3. "Tribes of the earth"
   1. fulhv, h'" - a clan or tribe :-- tribe(23), tribes(8)
   2. This was as in the tribes of Israel and indicates that the book may deal with something that "must" happen to Israel "shortly."
   3. gh', gh'" gê; a prim. word; the earth, land :-- country(2), earth(164), Earth(1), earthly(1), ground(20), land(46), soil(16).
   4. This does not refer to the globe we live on, the readers then would have had little, if any, comprehension of that. Earth as a globe is a more recent expression.
   5. Fact -- The nation (Israel) which occupied a designated land was attacked and the tribes of that nation suffered.

Verse 13

• Son Of Man clothed --

  Compare Rev. 1:13-16 with Daniel 10:5-6

The keys of Hades and Death

1. Hades was the grave, a place of separation from the living, something like a storage place.
2. The Jewish hope, for those who believed in a resurrection, was to be raised out of the grave in Israel and it did not signify absolute death.
3. Jesus example, when asked about the resurrection, was that God was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that He was not the God of the dead but the living. (Matt. 12:26-27).
4. In Acts 2:31 Peter says the soul of Jesus was not left in Hades. In Revelation 22:10 the lake of fire is called the second death. Death was/is the penalty for sin and every man is in danger of that death because all have sinned, but that death was/is overcome by Christ through the forgiveness of sins. Paul excitedly tells about this in I Corinthians 15:55-57:
   "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"

   Revelation

   Lesson 1 Questions & Discussions

   1. If a study of history will help to understand Revelation, what history would you study and why?

   2. What number comes to mind when you think about Revelation? Why?

   List the verses where this number appears in chapter 1.

   3. To whom was the book written? Why was it written? What was it about?

   4. In chapter one what thing/things are mentioned that Jesus talked about in the Gospels? What is the significance of these things?

   5. Explain who the tribes of the earth were.

   6. Explain about Jesus being the "First and the Last."

   What is the significance of this description?

   7. What was the two edged sword?

   8. Compare the description of Jesus that John saw to Daniel 7:9-10

   9. What did Jesus have?

   10. Explain the initial vision which John saw.