Post by Admin-Pastor Deshon Juzang on Dec 30, 2018 11:13:30 GMT -6
This is a study for those who are seriously interested in understanding the book of Revelation better. With all that is going on in our world today -- NOW IS THE TIME.
For the bulk of its sixty-six books, the Bible portrays a world deep in the agony of suffering. Human beings have had a problem with sin since the fall in Genesis 3, and verse after verse has recorded our problem in painstaking detail. Along with recording our problem, verse after verse has also recorded the solution, that is Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation. The brilliance of Revelation is that it provides a final answer to the sin problem and shows how the plan of salvation will come to completion. Revelation presents a hope and reality that Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds wrought by sin (Revelation 19), reign in His kingdom (Revelation 20), and then re-create the world into a place that represents God’s original design (Revelation 21–22). The Bible’s narrative is a simple one: creation, fall, re-creation. Without the completion of the redeeming work of Jesus recorded in Revelation, we wouldn’t have the end of the story, leaving our hope for the future in serious doubt. But praise God our future is secure; there is a revelation of Jesus Christ and His plan to save us!
At the very beginning, the Revelation of Jesus Christ announces itself as an apocalypse, an unveiling of the mysteries of the future culminating in the triumph of Jesus Christ. The word “revelation” means the revealing of something previously unknown. The apocalyptic writer records the dreams and visions granted him while “in the Spirit”. He is often snatched away and carried to distant places, where he beholds scenes of majesty and grandeur that defy adequate description in human language, and where he converses with angels. The entire book is a vision that Christ gave to the apostle John. There is much encouragement and important instruction all through this prophetic book. The God-given disclosures contained in this book relate to both Christ and future events. Central to the message of Revelation is the theme of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, with particular focus upon the cataclysmic end of this world and the establishment of the new. The prophecy of Revelation is about Jesus Christ at work perfecting a people on earth so that they may reflect His holy character, and guiding His church through the instabilities of history toward the accomplishment of His eternal purpose. Here more completely than anywhere else in the Scriptures the curtain that separates the invisible from the visible is drawn aside in order to reveal, “behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will” (Education p.173).
This book records a series of visions which God gave to the apostle John about Jesus Christ---not His earthly ministry some sixty years earlier, but about the continuing work of Christ from heaven by means of the gospel and the church. John sees a magnificent vision of Jesus standing among His churches (Rev. 1:12). He then recorded the way in which Jesus analyzed the seven churches nearby in Asia (Rev. 2-3). He saw a vision of the throne of God (Rev. 4) and of Jesus as a lamb (Rev. 5). Then John described his visions of the lamb opening seven seals of a scroll (Rev. 6-8), seven angels blowing trumpets (Rev. 8-14), and seven angels emptying seven bowls of God’s wrath (Rev. 15-18). In Rev. 19-22 he described his visions of the ultimate destruction of evil and the emergence of God’s holy city from heaven. Highly symbolic, Revelation reminds Christians that Christ is active from heaven on the earth, and that the troubles experienced in history are God’s way of displaying His wrath against sin, and that the ultimate victory of Christ and His saints will bring our earthly struggles to a wonderful end.
Revelation consists of four major divisions, or lines of prophecy:
1. The Seven Churches (Ch. 1-3)
2. The Seven Seals (Ch. 4-8:1)
3. The Seven Trumpets (Ch. 8:2-11)
4. The Closing Events of the Great Controversy (Ch. 12-22)
As we tackle this most important book, there are some keys that will help us better understand it. They are as follows:
“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end. Here is the complement of the book of Daniel. One is a prophecy; the other a revelation.” {Acts of the Apostles p.585}
Much of what was sealed in the book of Daniel is unsealed in the book of Revelation, and the two books must be studied together. Here we are told that Revelation is a compliment of the book of Daniel. Daniel is a prophecy, the book of Revelation reveals Daniel’s prophecy. They are sister books that go hand in hand. Daniel helps to interpret the book of Revelation. The whole of the prophecy, both Daniel and Revelation are specifically for “the time of the end”.
*Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
This means that understanding the book of Daniel will help us to better understand the book of Revelation. These two books go hand in hand.
Another point to realize is that in determining the importance of the successive scenes that passed before John in vision, we must remember that the Revelation was given to guide, comfort, and strengthen the church, not only in his day, but throughout the Christian Era, to the very close of time.
“…on Patmos the disciple received a message, the influence of which was to continue to strengthen the church till the end of time.” {AA 581}
“In the revelation given to him there was unfolded scene after scene of thrilling interest in the experience of the people of God, and the history of the church foretold to the very close of time.”
{AA 583}
“This revelation was given for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation.” {AA 583)
“…the messages extend to the end of time…” {AA 585}
Herein the history of the church was foretold for the benefit of, and vital counsel was addressed to, believers of apostolic times, to Christians of future ages, and to those living in the last days of earth’s history, in order that all might have an intelligent understanding of the perils and conflicts before them.
“In figures and symbols, subjects of vast importance were presented to John, which he was to record, that the people of God living in his age and in future ages might have an intelligent understanding of the perils and conflicts before them.” {AA 583}
“The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in this book, and He designs that they shall be open to the study of all. Its truths are addressed to those living in the last days of this earth's history, as well as to those living in the days of John. Some of the scenes depicted in this prophecy are in the past, some are now taking place; some bring to view the close of the great conflict between the powers of darkness and the Prince of heaven, and some reveal the triumphs and joys of the redeemed in the earth made new.” {AA 584}
For example, the names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of history. The local church at Ephesus during the time of the apostles, particularly the apostle John, became a symbol of the entire Christian fellowship in apostolic times under the showers of the “early” or “former” rain, the outpouring of God’s Spirit at Pentecost. But the message addressed to it was placed on record for the encouragement of believers in every age, and has a final fulfillment with the church under the showers of the “latter rain”, the final outpouring of God’s Spirit under Pentecostal power just before Jesus comes.
[More On This Later]
“The zeal manifested at this time by the followers of Jesus has been recorded by the pen of inspiration for the encouragement of believers in every age. Of the church at Ephesus, which the Lord Jesus used as a symbol of the entire Christian church IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE, the faithful and true Witness declared:”
{AA 578}
“The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world.” {AA 585}
[More On This Later]
The point to be made clear is that God speaks on three levels. First, He speaks to the current audience in the historical context. Secondly, He speaks to the generations that come afterward. Third and lastly, He is speaking to the final generation that will live just before Jesus comes. Though instruction, encouragement, and hope have been drawn from this prophecy by category’s one and two, it is the third category that is the most important and needs the Revelation more vitally and clearly.
*1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
In this study we would like to cover all three levels. If we are to fully understand the book of Revelation (and any book of the Bible for that matter) we must study it on all three levels, since God is speaking to all three categories.
These three categories are named as follows:
1. The Initial Historical Application
2. The Historical Prophetic Application
3. The Final Prophetic Application
1. We understand the Initial Historical Application is addressed to the initial audience, those to whom the book was initially written to—the literal seven churches in Asia Minor at the time of John’s writing the Revelation. It would be well for us to place ourselves in the shoes of the church in John’s day to better understand its initial context.
2. We understand the Historical Prophetic Application to be fulfilled prophecy that is now history, specifically directed to the period of the church from apostolic times, to the early church in the first centuries, and through the Dark Ages (the middle ages and medieval times) up until 1844 where prophetic time ends. But for the most part, that is where our understanding generally ends. After the Dark Ages and 1844, with the rise of the Advent movement, we generally conclude the prophecies. But there is one more layer or level to prophecy that is generally unknown, ignored, or misunderstood. This is the layer and level we wish to discover more clearly. We know that there is no more “prophetic time” since 1844, which means there are no more TIME prophecies, that is, there are no more prophecies based on the “year-day principle” of interpreting prophecy as revealed in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 (7BC 971, 989-990; DA 632-633; Ev. 221; LS 89; EW 22, 75; 1T 72-73, 409; 4T 307-308; 1SM 191; 2SM 65, 73, 84, 113-114; TM 55, 60-61;). But as we will soon find out, prophecy is ever unfolding from the Word of God. It would only make sense that God would send the prophecy to the generation that would need it most---the generation that will face the final crisis and time of trouble that the Bible predicts---the generation that will face the Second Coming of Jesus! To be clear, any future understanding of the prophecies is not to be based upon time but on reoccurring principles set forth in the Word of God that set the stage for the final climax presented in the book of Revelation.
3. The Final Prophetic Application is where we will understand the FINAL REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST and how it applies to us as the final generation of believers that will see the final crisis and final battle in the long standing controversy of the ages between Christ and Satan, light and darkness, truth and error, good and evil. This battle we are already beginning to enter. The signs of the times let us know that it is time to study and understand the book of Revelation like never before. Now is the time.
“When the time shall come, in the providence of God, for the world to be tested upon the truth for that time, minds will be exercised by His Spirit to search the Scriptures, even with fasting and with prayer, until link after link is searched out and united in a perfect chain. Every fact which immediately concerns the salvation of souls will be made so clear that none need err or walk in darkness. As we have followed down the chain of prophecy, revealed truth for our time has been clearly seen and explained. We are accountable for the privileges that we enjoy and for the light that shines upon our pathway. Those who lived in past generations were accountable for the light which was permitted to shine upon them. Their minds were exercised in regard to different points of Scripture which tested them. But they did not understand the truths which we do. They were not responsible for the light which they did not have. They had the Bible, as we have; but the time for the unfolding of special truth in relation to the closing scenes of this earth’s history IS DURING THE LAST GENERATIONS THAT SHALL LIVE UPON THE EARTH.” {2T 692}
“The Bible has accumulated and bound up together its treasures FOR THIS LAST GENERATION. All the great events and solemn transactions of Old Testament history HAVE BEEN, AND ARE, REPEATING THEMSELVES IN THE CHURCH IN THESE LAST DAYS. . . the whole accumulated truths are presented in force to us that we may profit by their teachings. WE ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE WHOLE. What manner of persons ought we to be to whom all this rich light of inheritance has been given. Concentrating all the influence of the past with new and increased light of the present, accrued power is given to all who will follow the light.” {3SM 339}
“We are sounding to the world the last message of warning. We are laborers together with God, living and working amid the closing scenes of this earth’s history. From God’s watchmen the world must hear the truth for this time. He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has issued the command to us, Let your light shine before me. Go forth as a lamp that burneth. Diffuse light. Each period of the fulfillment of prophetic history is a preparation for the advanced light which will succeed each period. As the prophecy comes to an end, there is to be a perfect whole.” {13MR 15.3}
“Increased light will shine upon all the grand truths of prophecy, and they will be seen in freshness and brilliancy, because the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will illuminate the whole.” {Ev 198.3}
God wants to give this final generation increased light on the prophecies, specifically the revelation of Jesus Christ, and this He will do! Yea, it has begun even now. God is moving His hand to pull back the curtain so that we can see Him in all of His glory and stand in His presence receiving everything we need right from the throne of God! This must be done now and it will be done by those who come to Christ by faith to sit at His blessed feet!
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a prophecy of the character of Christ being revealed to the world and the effects that it will have on the church and the world. The Revelation is also a prophecy about end time events that will "shortly come to pass" right before the Lord returns in the clouds. Today there is much teaching on Revelation (and Daniel) relegated to past events. However, history is not prophecy and prophecy is not history. It is true that history is fulfilled prophecy, but the book of Revelation is a prophecy of end time events concerning the prophetic “Day of the Lord”, which is the final judgment. This means that the current teaching of "prophetic history" is not the FINAL FULFILLMENT of the prophecy of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. As we are told in the prophetic writings of Ellen White, there is a lot “more light to be revealed to the people of God” {CW 32-43}. The prophecy then is multi-layered. We then need to understand all “applications" of the book of Revelation. We must conclude that the historical view is truth, but it is "informative truth". It brings us down to the end of time. But the Revelation of Jesus Christ opens to view more clearly the ISSUES of the End of Time to show us things which must SHORTLY COME TO PASS. As Ellen White tells us over and over again, "History will repeat itself"(TM 116; 3MR 332; 9MR 275; 12MR 67, 413; 13MR 15; 19MR 105, 358; PC 123; 3SM 339; SpTEd 212; TMK 54). Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the One who was, is and is to come. Then the Revelation of Jesus is also Alpha and Omega, having an application that was, is, and is to come.
The Bible is clear:
*Ecclesiastes 1:9, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
*Ecclesiastes 3:15, "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."
*1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
How then can we understand Revelation?
“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end.” {AA 585}
This means that Revelation can only be understood as we have a fine grasp on the rest of the Bible. The book of Revelation is the final book of the Bible which means it is the final test of study for the student of the Bible. Revelation is full of symbols, terminology and quotes from the Old Testament writers, especially the Old Testament prophets. Daniel and Zechariah are the Old Testament counterparts of the Revelation in the New Testament. The Revelation contains citations from, or allusions to, 28 of the 39 books of the OT. According to one authority there are 505 such citations and allusions, some 325 of which are to the prophetic books of the OT---Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel in particular. Of the Minor Prophets, references to Zechariah, Joel, Amos, and Hosea are most common. Of the books of the Pentateuch, greatest use is made of Genesis and Exodus, and of the poetic section, the book of Psalms stands out. There are reflections from the NT books of Matthew, Luke, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. It is clear that “all the books of the Bible meet and end” in the Revelation.
Matthew 24 is also an important passage that parallels the book of Revelation.
We are told,
“Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is presented to me again and again as something that is to be brought to the attention of all. We are today living in the time when the predictions of this chapter are fulfilling. Let our ministers and teachers explain these prophecies to those whom they instruct. Let them leave out of their discourses matters of minor consequence, and present the truths that will decide the destiny of souls.” — {Gospel Workers p. 148}
So as we understand the major themes in all the other books of the Bible (Genesis to Jude), especially the OT prophets and the prophetic key that Jesus the Great Master Teacher gives us in Matthew 24, then we can better understand the book of Revelation.
We must also note that the book of Revelation primarily concerns the Second Coming of Christ. The book also deals with the nature of His coming. His Second Coming will be as judge of the world right before He comes as conquering King, unlike the first time when He came as a babe to be a spotless lamb to die a cruel death for mankind's sin. Several hundred years before the Lord came to earth to die on the cross, He communicated through an angelic messenger to Daniel, the prophet, essential information about the end times. The Lord, Himself, as recorded in the Olivet Discourse in the New Testament, taught His disciples more truth about the sequence of events that would lead to the end times and His return. Fifty plus years after the teaching of the Olivet Discourse, Christ, through an angelic messenger, revealed yet more end-time truth to John, information vital for the understanding of the last days. Ultimately, the prophetic truths contained in the book of Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and the Revelation can be traced to our Lord. It is the Revelation about Jesus Christ as ultimate Judge, which gives us a synthetic view of both Daniel and the Olivet Discourse. To be clear the name Daniel means "God Is [my] Judge" and Matthew 24 presents God's final judgment upon a doomed nation, pointing to the final judgment upon a doomed world. The overall context is clear; it is one of judgment. As we look through the Bible at the scenes of judgment in the past, it will help us to better understand the book of Revelation as it presents the "final judgment".
Another point to consider as we endeavor to understand the book of Revelation is that we need a clear understanding of the citations and allusions in their historical setting in the OT. This is the first step toward understanding the passages where these OT citations and allusions occur in the Revelation. Study may then be given to the context in which John uses them, to ascertain their adapted meaning. In particular, this applies to the names of persons and places, and to things, incidents, and events. Many of the symbols of the book of Revelation were already known in existing Jewish apocalyptic literature. This literature is sometimes helpful in clarifying some of the symbols. Familiarity with contemporary Roman history will also be helpful in clarifying some of John’s language as he descriptively describes the Roman Empire and the experiences of the church under its rule. Some attention should also be given to contemporary modes of thought and expression, in light of the cultural background of the time. And as we have touched on earlier, the book of Daniel must be used as a companion book in order to understand the Revelation. This is because the prophecies that Daniel presents are further revealed in Revelation.
Finally, the book of Revelation and its symbols are immersed in Sanctuary terminology from the OT tabernacle and its services. A thorough understanding of the sanctuary is required to understand the book of Revelation. This is because the OT sanctuary and its services is the OT "revelation of Jesus Christ" (Heb. 4:2) that will help us to understand the NT "revelation of Jesus Christ", which is the last book of the Bible.
*Psalms 73:17, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."
*Psalms 77:13, "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?"
*Psalms 96:6, "Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary."
"As a people, we should be earnest students of prophecy; WE SHOULD NOT REST UNTIL WE BECOME INTELLIGENT IN REGARD TO THE SUBJECT OF THE SANCTUARY, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John."{Evangelism 223}
"The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith."—Letter 208, 1906 {EV 221}
"The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days. All who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them." {GC 488}
Most of all, a Bible question needs a Bible answer. Let the Bible interpret itself. Biblical symbols must be defined by other Biblical passages. As we study “precept upon precept;…line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Is. 28:10) comparing “spiritual things with spiritual” (2 Cor. 2:13) God will shine His light upon our pathway (Prov. 4:18).
As we embark on this momentous journey, it is of utmost importance that we seek the Holy Spirit's wisdom, help, and guidance as we approach God's Holy Word. The Holy Spirit has promised to lead and guide us “into all truth” (Jn. 16:13) as we seek His help in understanding the grand book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
[NEXT POST -- The Final Revelation of Jesus: "The Introduction"]
For the bulk of its sixty-six books, the Bible portrays a world deep in the agony of suffering. Human beings have had a problem with sin since the fall in Genesis 3, and verse after verse has recorded our problem in painstaking detail. Along with recording our problem, verse after verse has also recorded the solution, that is Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation. The brilliance of Revelation is that it provides a final answer to the sin problem and shows how the plan of salvation will come to completion. Revelation presents a hope and reality that Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds wrought by sin (Revelation 19), reign in His kingdom (Revelation 20), and then re-create the world into a place that represents God’s original design (Revelation 21–22). The Bible’s narrative is a simple one: creation, fall, re-creation. Without the completion of the redeeming work of Jesus recorded in Revelation, we wouldn’t have the end of the story, leaving our hope for the future in serious doubt. But praise God our future is secure; there is a revelation of Jesus Christ and His plan to save us!
At the very beginning, the Revelation of Jesus Christ announces itself as an apocalypse, an unveiling of the mysteries of the future culminating in the triumph of Jesus Christ. The word “revelation” means the revealing of something previously unknown. The apocalyptic writer records the dreams and visions granted him while “in the Spirit”. He is often snatched away and carried to distant places, where he beholds scenes of majesty and grandeur that defy adequate description in human language, and where he converses with angels. The entire book is a vision that Christ gave to the apostle John. There is much encouragement and important instruction all through this prophetic book. The God-given disclosures contained in this book relate to both Christ and future events. Central to the message of Revelation is the theme of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, with particular focus upon the cataclysmic end of this world and the establishment of the new. The prophecy of Revelation is about Jesus Christ at work perfecting a people on earth so that they may reflect His holy character, and guiding His church through the instabilities of history toward the accomplishment of His eternal purpose. Here more completely than anywhere else in the Scriptures the curtain that separates the invisible from the visible is drawn aside in order to reveal, “behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will” (Education p.173).
This book records a series of visions which God gave to the apostle John about Jesus Christ---not His earthly ministry some sixty years earlier, but about the continuing work of Christ from heaven by means of the gospel and the church. John sees a magnificent vision of Jesus standing among His churches (Rev. 1:12). He then recorded the way in which Jesus analyzed the seven churches nearby in Asia (Rev. 2-3). He saw a vision of the throne of God (Rev. 4) and of Jesus as a lamb (Rev. 5). Then John described his visions of the lamb opening seven seals of a scroll (Rev. 6-8), seven angels blowing trumpets (Rev. 8-14), and seven angels emptying seven bowls of God’s wrath (Rev. 15-18). In Rev. 19-22 he described his visions of the ultimate destruction of evil and the emergence of God’s holy city from heaven. Highly symbolic, Revelation reminds Christians that Christ is active from heaven on the earth, and that the troubles experienced in history are God’s way of displaying His wrath against sin, and that the ultimate victory of Christ and His saints will bring our earthly struggles to a wonderful end.
Revelation consists of four major divisions, or lines of prophecy:
1. The Seven Churches (Ch. 1-3)
2. The Seven Seals (Ch. 4-8:1)
3. The Seven Trumpets (Ch. 8:2-11)
4. The Closing Events of the Great Controversy (Ch. 12-22)
As we tackle this most important book, there are some keys that will help us better understand it. They are as follows:
“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end. Here is the complement of the book of Daniel. One is a prophecy; the other a revelation.” {Acts of the Apostles p.585}
Much of what was sealed in the book of Daniel is unsealed in the book of Revelation, and the two books must be studied together. Here we are told that Revelation is a compliment of the book of Daniel. Daniel is a prophecy, the book of Revelation reveals Daniel’s prophecy. They are sister books that go hand in hand. Daniel helps to interpret the book of Revelation. The whole of the prophecy, both Daniel and Revelation are specifically for “the time of the end”.
*Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
This means that understanding the book of Daniel will help us to better understand the book of Revelation. These two books go hand in hand.
Another point to realize is that in determining the importance of the successive scenes that passed before John in vision, we must remember that the Revelation was given to guide, comfort, and strengthen the church, not only in his day, but throughout the Christian Era, to the very close of time.
“…on Patmos the disciple received a message, the influence of which was to continue to strengthen the church till the end of time.” {AA 581}
“In the revelation given to him there was unfolded scene after scene of thrilling interest in the experience of the people of God, and the history of the church foretold to the very close of time.”
{AA 583}
“This revelation was given for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation.” {AA 583)
“…the messages extend to the end of time…” {AA 585}
Herein the history of the church was foretold for the benefit of, and vital counsel was addressed to, believers of apostolic times, to Christians of future ages, and to those living in the last days of earth’s history, in order that all might have an intelligent understanding of the perils and conflicts before them.
“In figures and symbols, subjects of vast importance were presented to John, which he was to record, that the people of God living in his age and in future ages might have an intelligent understanding of the perils and conflicts before them.” {AA 583}
“The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in this book, and He designs that they shall be open to the study of all. Its truths are addressed to those living in the last days of this earth's history, as well as to those living in the days of John. Some of the scenes depicted in this prophecy are in the past, some are now taking place; some bring to view the close of the great conflict between the powers of darkness and the Prince of heaven, and some reveal the triumphs and joys of the redeemed in the earth made new.” {AA 584}
For example, the names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of history. The local church at Ephesus during the time of the apostles, particularly the apostle John, became a symbol of the entire Christian fellowship in apostolic times under the showers of the “early” or “former” rain, the outpouring of God’s Spirit at Pentecost. But the message addressed to it was placed on record for the encouragement of believers in every age, and has a final fulfillment with the church under the showers of the “latter rain”, the final outpouring of God’s Spirit under Pentecostal power just before Jesus comes.
“The zeal manifested at this time by the followers of Jesus has been recorded by the pen of inspiration for the encouragement of believers in every age. Of the church at Ephesus, which the Lord Jesus used as a symbol of the entire Christian church IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE, the faithful and true Witness declared:”
{AA 578}
“The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world.” {AA 585}
The point to be made clear is that God speaks on three levels. First, He speaks to the current audience in the historical context. Secondly, He speaks to the generations that come afterward. Third and lastly, He is speaking to the final generation that will live just before Jesus comes. Though instruction, encouragement, and hope have been drawn from this prophecy by category’s one and two, it is the third category that is the most important and needs the Revelation more vitally and clearly.
*1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
In this study we would like to cover all three levels. If we are to fully understand the book of Revelation (and any book of the Bible for that matter) we must study it on all three levels, since God is speaking to all three categories.
These three categories are named as follows:
1. The Initial Historical Application
2. The Historical Prophetic Application
3. The Final Prophetic Application
1. We understand the Initial Historical Application is addressed to the initial audience, those to whom the book was initially written to—the literal seven churches in Asia Minor at the time of John’s writing the Revelation. It would be well for us to place ourselves in the shoes of the church in John’s day to better understand its initial context.
2. We understand the Historical Prophetic Application to be fulfilled prophecy that is now history, specifically directed to the period of the church from apostolic times, to the early church in the first centuries, and through the Dark Ages (the middle ages and medieval times) up until 1844 where prophetic time ends. But for the most part, that is where our understanding generally ends. After the Dark Ages and 1844, with the rise of the Advent movement, we generally conclude the prophecies. But there is one more layer or level to prophecy that is generally unknown, ignored, or misunderstood. This is the layer and level we wish to discover more clearly. We know that there is no more “prophetic time” since 1844, which means there are no more TIME prophecies, that is, there are no more prophecies based on the “year-day principle” of interpreting prophecy as revealed in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 (7BC 971, 989-990; DA 632-633; Ev. 221; LS 89; EW 22, 75; 1T 72-73, 409; 4T 307-308; 1SM 191; 2SM 65, 73, 84, 113-114; TM 55, 60-61;). But as we will soon find out, prophecy is ever unfolding from the Word of God. It would only make sense that God would send the prophecy to the generation that would need it most---the generation that will face the final crisis and time of trouble that the Bible predicts---the generation that will face the Second Coming of Jesus! To be clear, any future understanding of the prophecies is not to be based upon time but on reoccurring principles set forth in the Word of God that set the stage for the final climax presented in the book of Revelation.
3. The Final Prophetic Application is where we will understand the FINAL REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST and how it applies to us as the final generation of believers that will see the final crisis and final battle in the long standing controversy of the ages between Christ and Satan, light and darkness, truth and error, good and evil. This battle we are already beginning to enter. The signs of the times let us know that it is time to study and understand the book of Revelation like never before. Now is the time.
“When the time shall come, in the providence of God, for the world to be tested upon the truth for that time, minds will be exercised by His Spirit to search the Scriptures, even with fasting and with prayer, until link after link is searched out and united in a perfect chain. Every fact which immediately concerns the salvation of souls will be made so clear that none need err or walk in darkness. As we have followed down the chain of prophecy, revealed truth for our time has been clearly seen and explained. We are accountable for the privileges that we enjoy and for the light that shines upon our pathway. Those who lived in past generations were accountable for the light which was permitted to shine upon them. Their minds were exercised in regard to different points of Scripture which tested them. But they did not understand the truths which we do. They were not responsible for the light which they did not have. They had the Bible, as we have; but the time for the unfolding of special truth in relation to the closing scenes of this earth’s history IS DURING THE LAST GENERATIONS THAT SHALL LIVE UPON THE EARTH.” {2T 692}
“The Bible has accumulated and bound up together its treasures FOR THIS LAST GENERATION. All the great events and solemn transactions of Old Testament history HAVE BEEN, AND ARE, REPEATING THEMSELVES IN THE CHURCH IN THESE LAST DAYS. . . the whole accumulated truths are presented in force to us that we may profit by their teachings. WE ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE WHOLE. What manner of persons ought we to be to whom all this rich light of inheritance has been given. Concentrating all the influence of the past with new and increased light of the present, accrued power is given to all who will follow the light.” {3SM 339}
“We are sounding to the world the last message of warning. We are laborers together with God, living and working amid the closing scenes of this earth’s history. From God’s watchmen the world must hear the truth for this time. He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has issued the command to us, Let your light shine before me. Go forth as a lamp that burneth. Diffuse light. Each period of the fulfillment of prophetic history is a preparation for the advanced light which will succeed each period. As the prophecy comes to an end, there is to be a perfect whole.” {13MR 15.3}
“Increased light will shine upon all the grand truths of prophecy, and they will be seen in freshness and brilliancy, because the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will illuminate the whole.” {Ev 198.3}
God wants to give this final generation increased light on the prophecies, specifically the revelation of Jesus Christ, and this He will do! Yea, it has begun even now. God is moving His hand to pull back the curtain so that we can see Him in all of His glory and stand in His presence receiving everything we need right from the throne of God! This must be done now and it will be done by those who come to Christ by faith to sit at His blessed feet!
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a prophecy of the character of Christ being revealed to the world and the effects that it will have on the church and the world. The Revelation is also a prophecy about end time events that will "shortly come to pass" right before the Lord returns in the clouds. Today there is much teaching on Revelation (and Daniel) relegated to past events. However, history is not prophecy and prophecy is not history. It is true that history is fulfilled prophecy, but the book of Revelation is a prophecy of end time events concerning the prophetic “Day of the Lord”, which is the final judgment. This means that the current teaching of "prophetic history" is not the FINAL FULFILLMENT of the prophecy of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. As we are told in the prophetic writings of Ellen White, there is a lot “more light to be revealed to the people of God” {CW 32-43}. The prophecy then is multi-layered. We then need to understand all “applications" of the book of Revelation. We must conclude that the historical view is truth, but it is "informative truth". It brings us down to the end of time. But the Revelation of Jesus Christ opens to view more clearly the ISSUES of the End of Time to show us things which must SHORTLY COME TO PASS. As Ellen White tells us over and over again, "History will repeat itself"(TM 116; 3MR 332; 9MR 275; 12MR 67, 413; 13MR 15; 19MR 105, 358; PC 123; 3SM 339; SpTEd 212; TMK 54). Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the One who was, is and is to come. Then the Revelation of Jesus is also Alpha and Omega, having an application that was, is, and is to come.
The Bible is clear:
*Ecclesiastes 1:9, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
*Ecclesiastes 3:15, "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."
*1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
How then can we understand Revelation?
“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end.” {AA 585}
This means that Revelation can only be understood as we have a fine grasp on the rest of the Bible. The book of Revelation is the final book of the Bible which means it is the final test of study for the student of the Bible. Revelation is full of symbols, terminology and quotes from the Old Testament writers, especially the Old Testament prophets. Daniel and Zechariah are the Old Testament counterparts of the Revelation in the New Testament. The Revelation contains citations from, or allusions to, 28 of the 39 books of the OT. According to one authority there are 505 such citations and allusions, some 325 of which are to the prophetic books of the OT---Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel in particular. Of the Minor Prophets, references to Zechariah, Joel, Amos, and Hosea are most common. Of the books of the Pentateuch, greatest use is made of Genesis and Exodus, and of the poetic section, the book of Psalms stands out. There are reflections from the NT books of Matthew, Luke, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. It is clear that “all the books of the Bible meet and end” in the Revelation.
Matthew 24 is also an important passage that parallels the book of Revelation.
We are told,
“Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is presented to me again and again as something that is to be brought to the attention of all. We are today living in the time when the predictions of this chapter are fulfilling. Let our ministers and teachers explain these prophecies to those whom they instruct. Let them leave out of their discourses matters of minor consequence, and present the truths that will decide the destiny of souls.” — {Gospel Workers p. 148}
So as we understand the major themes in all the other books of the Bible (Genesis to Jude), especially the OT prophets and the prophetic key that Jesus the Great Master Teacher gives us in Matthew 24, then we can better understand the book of Revelation.
We must also note that the book of Revelation primarily concerns the Second Coming of Christ. The book also deals with the nature of His coming. His Second Coming will be as judge of the world right before He comes as conquering King, unlike the first time when He came as a babe to be a spotless lamb to die a cruel death for mankind's sin. Several hundred years before the Lord came to earth to die on the cross, He communicated through an angelic messenger to Daniel, the prophet, essential information about the end times. The Lord, Himself, as recorded in the Olivet Discourse in the New Testament, taught His disciples more truth about the sequence of events that would lead to the end times and His return. Fifty plus years after the teaching of the Olivet Discourse, Christ, through an angelic messenger, revealed yet more end-time truth to John, information vital for the understanding of the last days. Ultimately, the prophetic truths contained in the book of Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and the Revelation can be traced to our Lord. It is the Revelation about Jesus Christ as ultimate Judge, which gives us a synthetic view of both Daniel and the Olivet Discourse. To be clear the name Daniel means "God Is [my] Judge" and Matthew 24 presents God's final judgment upon a doomed nation, pointing to the final judgment upon a doomed world. The overall context is clear; it is one of judgment. As we look through the Bible at the scenes of judgment in the past, it will help us to better understand the book of Revelation as it presents the "final judgment".
Another point to consider as we endeavor to understand the book of Revelation is that we need a clear understanding of the citations and allusions in their historical setting in the OT. This is the first step toward understanding the passages where these OT citations and allusions occur in the Revelation. Study may then be given to the context in which John uses them, to ascertain their adapted meaning. In particular, this applies to the names of persons and places, and to things, incidents, and events. Many of the symbols of the book of Revelation were already known in existing Jewish apocalyptic literature. This literature is sometimes helpful in clarifying some of the symbols. Familiarity with contemporary Roman history will also be helpful in clarifying some of John’s language as he descriptively describes the Roman Empire and the experiences of the church under its rule. Some attention should also be given to contemporary modes of thought and expression, in light of the cultural background of the time. And as we have touched on earlier, the book of Daniel must be used as a companion book in order to understand the Revelation. This is because the prophecies that Daniel presents are further revealed in Revelation.
Finally, the book of Revelation and its symbols are immersed in Sanctuary terminology from the OT tabernacle and its services. A thorough understanding of the sanctuary is required to understand the book of Revelation. This is because the OT sanctuary and its services is the OT "revelation of Jesus Christ" (Heb. 4:2) that will help us to understand the NT "revelation of Jesus Christ", which is the last book of the Bible.
*Psalms 73:17, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."
*Psalms 77:13, "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?"
*Psalms 96:6, "Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary."
"As a people, we should be earnest students of prophecy; WE SHOULD NOT REST UNTIL WE BECOME INTELLIGENT IN REGARD TO THE SUBJECT OF THE SANCTUARY, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John."{Evangelism 223}
"The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith."—Letter 208, 1906 {EV 221}
"The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days. All who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them." {GC 488}
Most of all, a Bible question needs a Bible answer. Let the Bible interpret itself. Biblical symbols must be defined by other Biblical passages. As we study “precept upon precept;…line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Is. 28:10) comparing “spiritual things with spiritual” (2 Cor. 2:13) God will shine His light upon our pathway (Prov. 4:18).
As we embark on this momentous journey, it is of utmost importance that we seek the Holy Spirit's wisdom, help, and guidance as we approach God's Holy Word. The Holy Spirit has promised to lead and guide us “into all truth” (Jn. 16:13) as we seek His help in understanding the grand book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
[NEXT POST -- The Final Revelation of Jesus: "The Introduction"]