(HP 2003) Relating to Revelation
Relating to Revelation
July 27, 2003
Uncle Sam
· Take a look at this political cartoon.
Q: Who is this guy?
Q: Where is he?
Now imagine someone a 1000 years from now, who knows nothing of the context, trying to understand this bizarre picture.
Q: Is he supposed to be a giant? Is he turning into stone?
You know why his legs are steel, his feet are buildings, he’s surrounded by smoke, and he’s staring resolutely to the East. You can easily understand the artist’s intent, because:
· When we know the context, we can identify the symbols.
A very strange book
The Book of Revelation has got to be the scariest and most bizarre book in the NT.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. Revelation 9:7-9 NIV
And because it is so strange and filled with bizarre, abstract images, the book of Revelation invites extremes.
· Some people just love this book...for all the wrong reasons!
· They scour it for clues to create theories about the end times.
As a teenager, I read through Revelation more times than I could count, trying to discover how the world was going to end. I was especially interested in the “Number of Beast,” 666.
· Taking the other extreme, many people avoid it altogether, finding it both scary and irrelevant to daily life.
exhortation, not speculation
After spending countless hours reading Revelation, I realized that I wasn’t any closer to God or a stronger in my faith. In frustration, I put the book down and avoided it for a long time.
· I wondered why God put such a useless book in the Bible.
· It only seems to encourage unproductive speculations.
I knew better; if God put in the Bible, it was for our benefit. After 10 years, I was ready to give it another try, from a new perspective.
· For the first time ever, I was able to enjoy reading Revelation.
· I learned that it’s a book of exhortation, not speculation.
I can’t tell you if there will be a “pre-trib” or “post-trib” rapture or who the Antichrist is … but I can show you what I have learned and how you can relate to Revelation, and grow closer to God.
Principles for reading Revelation
There are three principles essential for relating to Revelation:
1) We must approach the book of Revelation with humility.
· The may be Bible infallible, but our interpretation of it is not.
Revelation is hard to understand and there are many things impossible to nail down. If we lack the humility to confess our ignorance, we will make the mistake of claiming certainty where there isn’t any.
I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul.... Psalm 131:1-2 NIV
People have been struggling to understand Revelation for 1900 years. They have fallen into one of four groups:
· Futurists: The majority of the events will occur in the end times.
This is most common view among evangelical Christians and it’s the view of the “Left Behind” series. It’s only been popular since 1850.
· Idealists: The majority of the events are strictly symbolic, describing timeless truths.
The idealist looks for themes, such as God triumphing over evil. For 1500 years, this was how almost all Christians and theologians understood Revelation.
· Historicists: The events cover the span of history, not the end times.
And so, the Antichrist may have been Hitler or Napoleon or Caesar.
· Preterists: The majority of the events occurred in lifetime of John’s original audience.
The preterist believe John was writing about “current” events and events soon to come.
· Incidentally, this is what I lean towards.
Some alternate explanations
Remember the Number of the Beast? In John’s day, it was common for names to have a numerical value based on its letters. In Pompeii they found some graffiti that said “I love her whose number is 545!”
· The number of the deranged emperor Nero was 666.
· John had to be discreet or he’d be executed for sedition.
And the Mark of the Beast? It may be no more than a highly imaginative way of referring to money with Nero’s name and face. In John’s day, it was very difficult for Christians to be involved in commerce without participating in pagan worship.
· Some scholars believe this is the infamous Mark of the Beast.
And Babylon who rides on the beast with seven heads? The Bible tells us the seven heads are seven hills; Rome sat on seven hills.
Regardless of what interpretation you follow, knowing that godly men and women have legitimately approached Revelation in such different ways should foster humility and caution in our approach.
2) We must attempt to understand the context.
Just like the political cartoon of Uncle Sam, when we know the context, it is much easier to identify the symbols. John was using common symbols of his day, understood by his readers. [Handouts]
He also uses a writing style that was very common in his day, called Apocalyptic, which is known for using wild images and rich symbols.
· Apocalyptic writings were the Picassos of literature:
· Bold images that are confusing in detail, clearer as a whole.
· We also use confusing expressions: “All hell broke loose.”
We will never understand the imagery as well as the first century readers, but we can learn the same lessons.
3) Prophecy is given to encourage action, not speculation.
Throughout the Bible, God always intends prophecy to benefit us. Nineveh was warned of impending doom so they could repent.
Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. Revelation 22:7 NIV
· How do we “keep” prophecy? I want to be blessed!
· Is it by outlining the events and labeling the figures?
· We keep prophecy by responding to it; by learning its lessons and applying them.
Lessons from Revelation
Revelation teaches us three main lessons: It is a book that unveils, warns, and encourages.
1) It unveils Jesus in his glory.
This is one and only time we see Jesus since he ascended to heaven. In the Gospels he was the suffering servant, the lamb led to slaughter. In Revelation he is the glorious conquering King.
· Then, he veiled his divine majesty, now he appears unveiled.
As I read this, remember this is written by Jesus’ closest friend:
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters…. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Revelation 1:14-15; 17 NIV
· What a revelation!
This book calls us to have a revelation about Christ; He is the sovereign Lord who is worthy of our praise, honor, and obedience.
2) It warns us not to get entangled in this world.
Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues… Revelation 18:4 NIV
Some Christians in other nations have figured out who the infamous beast is...America! They have a point; in many ways the U.S. fits John’s description of a nation exports its corruption to the world.
This book calls us to have a revelation about ourselves; we must not be home in this world that opposes God and his ways.
3) It encourages us that God is in control.
The Christians of John’s day faced discouragement as they suffered and waited for Jesus to return.
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.... Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Revelation 3:8; 12 NIV
“Overcoming” is a major theme in Revelation. Like John’s readers, we may feel that this world is spinning out of control. Revelation encourages us that God is in control; he has and will overcome.
This book calls us to have a revelation about God; he is directing all events and circumstances to his good purposes.
· I encourage you to start reading Revelation: You’ll find it quite a revelation of Jesus Christ!
Leftovers:
Each of these views have value. (cut this?)
Be encouraged! We are on the winning team. Temporary trials. God is in control. (666, Christians unable to buy or sell. As we despair of our moral decline, John would remind us that God is in control, he is going somewhere. History is going somewhere.
Be careful! Do not get wrapped up in this world. (This world is passing away)
(America as the Beast)
And now I hope Revelation
We are not going to be able to understand all of the imagry, but it is still a great read and encouraging.
Last time I was up here I told you about my baby daughter’s blow-out diaper. I was surprise by the number of people who wanted to share their diaper stories.
We worship a glorious risen Lord. This it the only time we see Jesus since his ascension. Now a glorious king. Was lamb led to slaughter, now conquering. Rev 1:12-17a (and this was Jesus’ best friend – what a revelation!). That is why it is called “Rev.” (less threatening “The revelation of Jesus Christ”
Q: How many of you are “Pre-Mil”? How many “A-Mil”? How many don’t know or have no idea what I am talking about?
If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. Revelation 13:18 NIV
It was a common for names to have a number. In Pompeii they found
Much prophecy is only understandable in hindsight, if it were meant for preparation, it would be more specific.
Note that OT prophecy is also very sweeping in languages.
(couple of examples: Repeating theme: America as the beast
Historical setting to bring out:
· Why did John have to write this way?
· Are there other pieces of literature that use numbers for names? (Note Pompeii grafitti)
· Emperors: unlimited power without moral restraint (cf. Saddam’s sons).
Revelation would have been mostly understood by its readers, but we are so separated that we largely misunderstood by us until we can view it in its historical and cultural setting.
Comic book of each book of the Bible, Revelation would be the most interesting.
Many antichrist…
You will not see us as a church putting on Revelation seminars, they are worse than a waste of time, they are a distraction from the purpose of revelation.
The fall of Babylon scene shows there is more to history than politics, there is a cosmic struggle.
Meant to be a blessing: Rev. 1:3
“This calls for patient endurance…” 13:10b and 14:12: We suffer along with the rest of the world in as God’s redemptive anger comes.
Show how Nero works as 666. Where there other ancient documents giving leaders
John’s imagry is limited to his experience, largely based in nature. Hence he describes Jesus’ voice as rushing waters; we might use space shuttle.