02.01. An Introduction to Revelation
REVELATION (Introduction) Revelation 1:1-3 Introduction Four Vital Things to Remember *** 1.It is a Revelation; Revelation 1:1 The Apocalypse (apokalupsis) "The Revelation" = "an uncovering, or unveiling." The word is used about a dozen times in the NT and related words about another 30 times.
a.The Revelation is an uncovering, or unveiling of impending events; b.The book, by the very definition of its title, is something that is being made know. Many people think the book cannot be understood, but if it is a revelation, that means it is something that has been made known.
2.It is a revelation to seven churches in Asia, Revelation 1:11 John was to write what is revealed to these seven churches. Revelation 1:11 3.A revelation in "signs." Revelation 1:1
Revelation 1:1 "signified" thus these things are not "literal" but revealed in symbolic language. (We should not expect the devil to look like a real dragon. Illustration: My wedding ring stands for something else, my marriage.) 4.A revelation of things "which must shortly happen."
Revelation 1:1 "things which must shortly come to pass."
Revelation 1:3 "for the time is at hand." Revelation 22:6 "the things which must shortly be done" Revelation 22:10 "for the time is at hand." (The time element is emphasized at the beginning of the book, and lest the reader has forgotten during the course of the book, it is emphasized again at the end of the book, as well as several reminders along the way, i.e. ,Revelation 6:10-11 "a little season," or "a little while.") *** Any interpretation of Revelation that ignores these vital points is a wrong interpretation.
METHODS OF INTERPRETATION
1. The Futurist View. This method pictures the book as yet unfulfilled. Those holding this view believe all of it is yet future. Some say it deals with the last 7 years before the end. They place a "literal" interpretations upon the language.
This interpretation would have no significance whatsoever for the people of John’s day. This views overlooks that the stated purpose of the book was to reveal "things which must shortly come to pass" (Revelation 1:1).
2. The Preterist View. This views holds that the book deals with things that were relevant to the people of John’s day, and thus that most of the events prophesied have already come to pass. The events "shortly to come to pass" are described as happening in the immediate future of the people then living, with little left to be fulfilled.
According to the extremists who hold to this method, the book has nothing left to be fulfilled and is worthless to us because it is all past, and has no significance to Christians today.
3. The Continuous Historical View. This method views the book as picturing the history of the church from the first century till the return of the Lord in dramatic historical panels. It pictures the book as a history of rise of the papacy, of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, Islam, etc.
Each generation has to redefine the meaning of the symbols so as to stretch the book’s contents on down to their day and to their enemies. This was followed by Martin Luther, and many of the older commentaries around today.
4. Cycle of History View. This method is somewhat similar to #3 above but instead of applying the symbols to specific instances it says that they represent the continuous battle of good and evil in every age and generation in cycles.
* The method we will take is sometimes called The Early Historical View. It is a Preterist view in that we believe the book to have been written in a definite historical time frame to specific people and dealing with events fulfilled for the most part in the first two centuries. But we also believe there are appropriate benefits and messages that are applicable for Christians of all times.
To those who object that the book of Revelation would not be of any benefit for us today need to look more closely. For instance, the gospels also deal with past events, but they certainly have a relevance for us. The epistles were written in a definite time frame to specific people facing specific problems, but we believe their message has relevancy for us today as well.
AUTHOR:
The author’s name is John (Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:4. Revelation 1:9; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:8). He is a servant of Jesus Christ (1;1), "a brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9). Most of the early church fathers who wrote concerning the book attribute it to the apostle John. Evidence from within the book indicate that it was written by the same author as that of the Gospel and Epistles which bear John’s name. From the nature of the book no other John can measure up to what is demanded by the essence of the book.
DATE:
The book of Revelation is unique in that the date of its composition affects the interpretation placed upon its message. There are two general views, called "The Late Date" (c. AD 96) and "The Early Date" (c. AD 68). Some think the book was written about AD 96 during the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96) and that he had banished John to Patmos. The tradition for this however is unreliable and there no internal support. Those who take the Late Date hold to various views. For those who understand the book is dealing with the destruction of the Temple, Jerusalem, and Judaism, a date before AD 70 is essential, and therefore a date from about AD 66 - 68 seems valid. Reasons for Holding to the Early Date: 1. The parallel between passages in the Gospel and in Revelation that deal with the destruction of Jerusalem would call for a date before the destruction of the city which occurred in AD 70. 2. Allusions to other apostles still alive besides John at the time of the writing. This would not be true if written about AD 96. 3. The state of Israel and the temple still existed at the time of the writing. These were destroyed in AD 70 and thus the necessity for a date prior to this event. 4. The use of Hebrew phrases and idioms that would be appropriate before the destruction of the nation, but came into disuse after AD 70. 5. The fact that a Jewish persecution of Christians in Asian cities existed at the time of the writing give strong evidence that the Revelation was written before AD 70. There was no Jewish persecution of foreign Christians following the destruction of the national order and Jerusalem and the temple. 6. In the most ancient version or translation made of the Bible into another language (The Peshitta in the second century into Aramaic) the superinscription says the letter was written by the Apostle John during the reign of Nero. 7. John expected to leave Patmos (Revelation 1:9 , Revelation 10:11 ) and go and preach among the churches to whom he addressed this letter. That could be expected of a man who was 60 years old, but it could hardly be expected of a man who was 96 years old. 8. One of the problems that John faced as he wrote these letters to the seven churches of Asia were those Judiazers who were attempting to turn Christians back to the Temple worship at Jerusalem. That would not have been true after the destruction of the Temple which brought an end to institutional Judaism in AD 70. 9. The Temple of Herod was still standing, and John makes reference to the temple, when he writes this book, that would not have been true if this were written at a later date. 10. The twelve tribes still existed as the twelve tribes when John wrote this letter. That was not true after AD 70. 11. John says that the visions occurred in the reign of the sixth Roman Emperor. That within itself nails down the date without any doubt. Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caliguia, Claudius, and Nero. Nero reigned from AD 54 to 68. 12. The code name in chapter 13, the mystical number of 666 is a clear reference to Nero, the then reigning ruler over the empire.