Revelation Videos / Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey

Video Transcript - In the End, God Wins
Winston Churchill once famously described Russia as a riddle inside a mystery wrapped and enigma he could have been talking about the Book of Revelation to say that most find revelation difficult to understand is an understatement but while the packaging a revelation may be a bit complex the contents of the package are pretty clear the late David Allen Hubbard president of Fuller Theological Seminary told a story about his time as a seminary student he said that one day he and some classmates had gone to the gym to shoot some hoops when they arrive the custodian was sweeping the gym floor they ask if it would be OK for them to play now and for him to sweet later he said Sure give me a chance to catch up on my Bible reading he said there in the bleachers reading intently while the young theologians played basketball finally they took a break and Hubbard walked over to where the custodian was sitting and ask him what are you reading he said revelation a bird said difficult book maybe I can help you make sense of it you see I'm a seminary student the custodian looked at him and replied No need any help Hubbard said Really you need to tell me you have surely understand that book and the man said sure do and Hubbard said OK what's the book about and the custodian looked at Hubbard with a level gaze and said simple in the end God When Now that's not bad you see we can get so lost in the symbols and signs and imagery of the book that we can lose sight of what John is really trying to say both to his original audience and to us and that is no matter how triumphant evil may appear to be when the smoke clears and the dust settles there is only God He went. Because history is finally his story in the end he said God wins I don't understand everything in this book of riddles and enigmas but knowing how it ends gets me up in the morning you too till next time take care God bless.

Video Transcript – Revelation
No New Testament document has been more misunderstood and more misused than the Book of Revelation, otherwise known as the apocalypse, from its Greek name, a polka ellipsis. That is partly because the document is composed in a literary genre relatively unknown today, but widely known in first-century Jewish Christian circles, namely, apocalyptic. Apocalyptic uses cryptic language, strange symbols, bizarre imagery, and exaggerated figures to make a point with its readers. And here's my late teacher George. Visually Marie aptly described apocalyptic as similar to today's political cartoon. Political cartoonists draw exaggerated and sometimes highly symbolic images of current political or popular figures, knowing that their readers familiar with the context of the political debate will get it. However, look at the same political cartoons a century later. And the reader will be mystified, being completely unaware of the historical context that gives the meaning. The same thing is true of the apocalypse. The first readers Got it. But if we are to get it today, we must negotiate distances that divide us from them. Add to that the fact that the Book of Revelation is not just about them, then, it is also about us now. And the interpretive issues intensive I, Revelation is about the future that is self-evident to anyone who reached the book, but whether it is a blueprint for the future is another matter. Moreover, cautionary tale to those who would use the Book of Revelation to predict the Second Coming of Christ is the fact that they thereby claim to know more than Jesus Himself knew who said. But of that day and hour, no one knows. Not even the angels in heaven or the sun, but only the father. And so emphasize the historical to the, to the exclusion of the prophetic. Can you make the Book of Revelation and interesting but holy useless period piece emphasize the prophetic to the exclusion of the historical. And you turn the book of Revelation into a callous and cruel crystal ball. As though the author writing to people in his own time experiencing horrible suffering and persecution and even martyrdom. Looks at them and says, Hey guys, just hang in there. I know it's tough right now, but two thousand two thousand years from now it's all going to work out. Isn't that great? The strategy for a proper interpretation of the Book of Revelation is to maintain the balance between then and now, between them and us. To recognize that it was both written to Christians in the first century and Christians in the 21st century. And what is the message of the book? Just this. In the end, God wins. If the purpose of Revelation is not merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future, then what is the purpose of the book? In a single word? Hope. John writes to encourage a dispirited and disheartened church then and now that things are not what they seem, that what good can do to evil is always in the end greater than what evil can do to good. That Satan cannot prevail, and in fact, is already defeated. Because in the end, God wins using the classic Joanna dualism, so characteristic of the fourth gospel, the Book of Revelation presents a picture of the struggle between God and Satan from two vantage point, the apparent and the real, the temporal and the eternal than now and the then. While it may appear that evil is winning, John tells us to look again, look more carefully. And when we do, We see that even God's most clearing, apparent defeat, the cross ultimately turns out to be Satan's moment of vanquished moment. From 1 of view, the cross was evils greatest triumph, the Son of God done in, on a Roman GIP it. But from another point of view, the cross turned out to be evils, undoing the very instrument through which God saves the world. Indeed, in the Book of Revelation, god doesn't just defeat evil. He transforms it into an instrument of good, presses it into the service of salvation. It is perhaps the most profound theology in the New Testament comparable to Joseph's statement, to his traitorous brothers who had sold him into slavery. When he says, Do not be distressed because you sold me here. It was not, you sent me here. But God. Perhaps the most powerful example of this message comes through and the vision of the lamb. In Chapter 5, John writing to a ravaged and persecuted church, receives a vision of God's ultimate triumph over Satan and evil, which is the central message of the book. But when John is told to look and describe what he sees, he describes a bloody beaten bludgeon, dying lamb. And John's response is predictable. Oh great. Thanks loads. That's just how I feel. But then the voice from the throne tells him to look again and then describe what he sees. And when he looks again, he's, he's a bloody beaten bludgeon, dying lamb seated on a throne. And the heavenly chorus breaks into song. Worthy is the lamb who was slain. While John was clearly writing to give comfort and hope to the church of his day. His vision of the inexorable and irrepressible triumph of God speaks to every generation of Christians on this side of Christ's return. The fact that Revelation was written in a literary genre unknown to most modern readers, makes them difficult to interpret. That said, there had been four Interpretive, interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation, chiefly. First is prestressed. This view sees Revelation is addressed exclusively to the first century readers with no prophetic meaning for today whatsoever. Like other apocalypses of the period, this view sees Revelation as offering hope to a suffering and persecuted people, as well as imminent judgment on their persecutors. Obviously, this approach takes the historical context of the original writers and readers seriously, which is its strength. But it fails to see in Revelation much of a word from God for the church today. The second approach is called historicist. This view sees the sequence of events in the apocalypse as something of a history of the church from its beginning to the present day. The sections of the book correspond to epochs or dispensation of world history, or more precisely, church history. The third view is called futurists. The most popular approach to Revelation is the futurist approach, in part because revelation presents itself as a prophecy, see Chapter 1, verse 3, and a revelation of what must take place soon. Chapter 1, verse 1. As with the other interpretive approaches, futurists, nuance approach depending on who they are. Some, for example, acknowledge that the letters to the seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3 were addressed to Christians in the first century. But they would assert that Chapters 4 through 2002 constitute prophecies related to the return of Christ, the final judgment, The End of History, and the advent of the Kingdom of God. The fourth approach is called the idealist approach. This approach denies any historical references in the book altogether and instead sees Revelation as purely symbolic. A grand parable of the ongoing struggle of good and evil. But which is correct. Given the character of the book of Revelation is both apocalyptic literature and prophecy, it is probably best not to lock in on any one of these interpretive methods, but rather to see the strengths and weaknesses in each. And therefore to employ a mix of meth methods which are not in and of themselves mutually exclusive. For example, menu approach the book from an idealists point of view also see much in the book has having historical significance both for first century and 21st century audience. It consequently, one need not lock coin self into it, a single interpretive camp. In most cases to a particular passage itself. We'll suggest an interpretive method to follow. Revelation Chapter 20, verses one through six has been perhaps the most interpreted passage in the entire book. It is, of course, the passage that relates to the millennial reign of Christ. Chiefly, the issue at stake is, this, is the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth mentioned in these verses, attended, intended to be taken literally or figuratively. The answers have been three chiefly. Though, even within those answers, there are nuances and variances of interpretation. Let's look at each. First, a premillennial point of view. This is the view that the return of Christ will occur before the Millennium begins. Even if interpreters agree on this, there are still subtle nuances that divide the premillennial camp. For example, dispensation or premillennialist believe the return of Christ will occur in two stages. First, the rapture in which Christ returns to rapture His church out of the world. And then second, the final return of Christ following the Tribulation but proceeding the millennium. However, historical premillennialist, which would include many evangelical British scholars, believe that the return of Christ will be a one stage event occurring at the close of the Tribulation. But prior to the millennium. The second view is called postmillennialism. These interpreters believe the return of Christ will take place following the millennium rather than before. The millennium. In this view, is not so much the work of the returning Christ as it is to transforming work of the church. Sort of the view that here on earth, God's work must truly be our own. Postmillennialism is often associated with progressive and evolutionary revisions of a better society brought on by human effort. Of course, two world wars and the atomic bomb have tended to discredit this view among modern interpreters. The third view is called a millennialism. This is the view that the 1000 year reign of Christ is not to be taken literally at all, but rather a symbol, a metaphor for the triumph of the rule and reign of God. So to summarize, while to be sure the position one takes on this issue will affect one's overall interpretation of the Book of Revelation. It is nonetheless important to remember that the Book of Revelation is more than just the millennium. And that reducing the entire book to just six verse, it runs the risk of missing John's larger purpose in writing.

Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey

Chapter twenty-four

Revelation

God Is in Control!

 

OUTLINE

• Author and Date

• Outline

• Theories of Interpretation

• The Teachings of Revelation

God

The Son of God

The People of God

Eschatology

OBJECTIVE

After reading this chapter, you should be able to

• Identify the author of Revelation and support this identification with specific facts

• Outline the content of the book of Revelation

• Compare the four theories used to interpret Revelation

• List the four major theological ideas developed in Revelation

• Illustrate how God is working between the supernatural world and the world of recorded time

• Enumerate the various names given to God in Revelation

 

For many people today, the book of Revelation is a closed book—literally. They never read it. They are either afraid of it or think they cannot possibly understand it. This is unfortunate because from the early days of the church this book was turned to in times of persecution as a source of strength and encouragement. Of all the books in the Bible, it has the most panoramic sweep of history and of God’s ultimate control over it. Things might be rough, but God knows what he is doing and is leading us to the new Jerusalem, where he will wipe away all tears and we will dwell with him forever. Still, the book is hard to understand. That should not stop us from trying to understand it, however. There are many things that are hard to understand at first, like T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets and some of Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poems. But we gain understanding after some effort. The book of Revelation falls into the same category. A few basic guidelines are helpful to start with. First, the book consists of a long and complicated series of visions—more than sixty of them. They blend into one another, overlap at times, go back and start over, pick out and expand details, give overviews of colossal events, and much more. They must be read for what they are: visionary accounts of reality that were given by God to portray profound spiritual and theological truths. We also need to remember that the images John used were familiar to the people of his day, even if they aren’t to us. Most of them are taken from the Old Testament—there are about 350 allusions or references to it—and the rest come from other books that were current in that day. We need to think ourselves back into the early Christians’ situation in order to make sense of what John is saying. Second, the style John used was familiar to his readers. It is called apocalyptic, and John’s readers were able to digest much of what he was saying because they were used to reading that sort of literature. As a literary style, apocalyptic is highly symbolic. The likes of Revelation’s beasts, dragons, and even dissolving universes are pictorial representations of deep historical and theological realities. They were familiar to John’s readers, coming as they did from well-known books in the Old Testament, such as Exodus, Psalms, Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, and Zechariah. Finally, we have to remember that basic Christian theology is woven throughout the book, which gives it an inner coherence and unity. Try not to become completely enthralled by the symbols; look for the theological truth being presented.

 

Author and Date

The author calls himself John (1:1) and says he is on the island of Patmos as a result of being a “companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance” that are common to those who are in Jesus (1:9). Patmos is a small island off the coast of Asia Minor in the Aegean Sea. It was a barren, rocky place. John was exiled there, no doubt to die. There is very strong early testimony (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Hippolytus) that this John was John the apostle, who also wrote the Gospel and three letters. There is some ancient dissent about this, but it was usually for dogmatic reasons. Dionysius of Alexandria, for example, later followed by Eusebius, disliked the book’s teaching on the millennium (a view he did not share), so he argued against its apostolic origin. Much contemporary scholarship also rejects the apostolic origin of Revelation. But this negative position rests on internal grounds; its adherents claim that the theology of the book and the Greek used are so different from the Gospel’s that the same person could not have written both. Since most of these modern scholars do not accept the Johannine authorship of the Gospel, it is hard to see the force of their argument, but even granting the differences, they are not as great as some contemporary scholars contend. Those far closer to the situation historically, and who spoke Greek as their native language, had no problem with acknowledging John the apostle as the author of both the Gospel and the book of Revelation. The date usually assigned to Revelation is during the persecutions of the emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), Irenaeus saying “towards the end of Domitian’s reign” (Adv. haer. 5.30.3). But some scholars today suggest an earlier date, most likely during Nero’s reign (ca. AD 68). Of the two, the later date seems most likely, primarily because Revelation seems to imply that Nero was already dead. This would, of course, put its origin later than Nero but during a time of persecution, and Domitian’s reign suits those circumstances.

 

John’s Mysticism These things does Isaiah prophesy. Let us see now whether John has spoken to the same effect. For he sees, when in the isle Patmos, a revelation of awful mysteries, which he recounts freely, and makes known to others. Tell me, blessed John, apostle and disciple of the Lord, what didst thou see and hear concerning Babylon? Arise, and speak; for it sent thee also into banishment. “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials.” —Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist 35–36 (ANF 5:211); ca. AD 170–236

 

Outline

 I. Introductory Vision (1:1–20)

A. Thematic Introduction and Greeting (1:1–8)

B. Vision of Christ as Divine (1:9–16)

C. An Abbreviated Explanation of the Vision (1:17–20)

 II. Letters to the Seven Asian Churches (2:1–3:22)

A. Letter to the Church at Ephesus (2:1–7)

B. Letter to the Church at Smyrna (2:8–11)

C. Letter to the Church at Pergamum (2:12–17)

D. Letter to the Church at Thyatira (2:18–29)

E. Letter to the Church at Sardis (3:1–6)

F. Letter to the Church at Philadelphia (3:7–13)

G. Letter to the Church at Laodicea (3:14–22)

 III. Vision of God on His Throne (4:1–5:14)

A. Vision of God (4:1–6a)

B. Four Living Creatures (4:6b–11)

C. Scroll of Destiny (5:1–5)

D. Christ as Triumphant Lamb (5:6–10)

E. Universal Adoration of God (5:11–14)

 IV. Opening of the Seals on Destiny’s Scroll (6:1–17)

A. First Seal Opened (6:1–2)

B. Second Seal Opened (6:3–4)

C. Third Seal Opened (6:5–6)

D. Fourth Seal Opened (6:7–8)

E. Fifth Seal Opened (6:9–11)

F. Sixth Seal Opened (6:12–17)

 V. Interlude before the Seventh Seal (7:1–17)

A. Sealing of the 144,000 of Israel (7:1–8)

B. Vision of the Redeemed Multitude of the Earth (7:9–11)

C. Explanation of the Multitude (7:12–17)

 VI. The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets (8:1–9:21)

A. Opening the Seventh Seal and the Vision of the Censer (8:1–5)

B. Blowing of the First Four Trumpets (8:6–13)

C. Blowing of the Fifth Trumpet (9:1–12)

D. Blowing of the Sixth Trumpet (9:13–21)

 VII. Interlude and the Seventh Trumpet (10:1–11:19)

A. Vision of the Mighty Angel and the Scroll (10:1–11)

B. Vision of the Two Witnesses (11:1–14)

C. Blowing of the Seventh Trumpet (11:15–19)

 VIII. The Cosmic Conflict of Good and Evil (12:1–13:1a)

A. The Woman Clothed with the Sun (12:1–6)

B. War in Heaven (12:7–12)

C. Spiritual Warfare on Earth (12:13–13:1a)

 IX. The Beasts, the Believers, and the Judgment of Earth (13:1b–14:20)

A. The Beast from the Sea (13:1b–10)

B. The Beast from the Earth (13:11–18)

C. The Lamb and the 144,000 (14:1–5)

D. The Announcements of the Three Flying Angels (14:6–13)

E. The Reaping of the Earth in Judgment (14:14–20)

 X. The Seven Last Bowls of the Wrath of God (15:1–16:21)

A. The Song of Moses and the Lamb (15:1–4)

B. The Seven Angels with the Seven Last Plagues (15:5–8)

C. Pouring Out of the Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God (16:1–21)

 XI. The Fall of Rome Predicted (17:1–18:24)

A. Destruction of the Woman on the Beast (17:1–18)

B. Fall of Babylon the Great (18:1–24)

 XII. The Return of Christ in Glory (19:1–21)

A. The Multitude of Heaven Rejoices (19:1–10)

B. Destruction of Evil by the Rider on the White Horse (19:11–21)

 XIII. The Millennial Reign of Christ (20:1–15)

A. The Thousand-Year Reign (20:1–6)

B. Satan’s Doom (20:7–10)

C. The Judgment at the Great White Throne (20:11–15)

 XIV. The Eternal New Order (21:1–22:6)

A. The New Heaven and the New Earth (21:1–8)

B. The New Jerusalem, the Wife of the Lamb (21:9–27)

C. The River and the Tree of Life (22:1–6)

 XV. The Promise of Jesus’s Return (22:7–21)

 

As can be seen from the outline, the content of Revelation is complex and somewhat confusing. However, it can be broken into three basic sections: the introduction and letters (chaps. 1–3), the unfolding of history up to the return of Christ (chaps. 4–19), and the millennial reign of Christ and the eternal new order (chaps. 20–22). The middle section begins with a magnificent vision of God triumphant on his throne (chaps. 4–5), followed by three sets of seven visions (seals, trumpets, bowls) interspersed with various interludes, backtrackings, and overlappings. Many commentators see these three series of visions running parallel to one another, with each ending in a vision of the second coming (the seals ending in 6:12–17; the trumpets ending in 11:15–18; the bowls ending in 16:17–21).

 

Theories of Interpretation

Throughout the history of the church there have been numerous theories of how to interpret Revelation. Donald Guthrie lists nine basic theories, but for our purposes, four stand out as most significant: the historic premillennial view, the amillennial view, the dispensational premillennial view, and the postmillennial view. The historic premillennial view, dating back to Papias, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Hippolytus, holds that the book relates to the life of the church. The various persecutions are to be experienced by the believers up to the time of the end, when they will be delivered from the power of the antichrist by the return of Christ (described in chap. 19). There will be a resurrection of believers at the time of Christ’s coming, followed by a millennium, a lengthy period during which Christ reigns on this earth. Then comes a final judgment of unbelievers at the “great white throne” (depicted in 20:11–15). After that, a new heaven and a new earth are instituted, and the eternal day dawns. The amillennial view also dates back to the early days of the church and was vigorously defended by Origen and Augustine. It was held by Luther and Calvin and has probably been the majority view throughout church history. It rejects the idea of a literal thousand-year reign of Christ after his return at the end of the age (hence its name, a-millennialism, i.e., no millennium). It sees the millennium as being fulfilled in a spiritual fashion in the ministry of the church during this present age. The book of Revelation is considered a description of the historical course of the persecuted church that will end with Christ’s second coming, at which time a general resurrection of everyone, the saved and lost alike, will occur. The last judgment takes place, and a new heaven and a new earth are inaugurated as the home of the believers. The lost are cast into the lake of fire. The dispensational premillennial view is of relatively recent origin and is a bit more complicated than the former two views. In this view, typically, the first three chapters of Revelation deal with the church (or church age), after which the saints are raptured (removed) from the earth. This is usually placed at 4:1, 2—“come up here” is taken to refer to the rapture. The middle section of the book (chaps. 4–19) deals with Israel on earth during a seven-year period of great tribulation that does not affect the church because it is in heaven with Christ. At the battle of Armageddon in chapter 19, Christ brings with him the raptured Christians and establishes a Jewish millennium in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. The Christian saints rule with Christ during this thousand-year period. At the end of this time, Satan is released from his confinement for a final rebellion, and at the great white throne, he, his angels, and all the lost are cast into the lake of fire. A new heaven and a new earth are created, and we enter into our eternal state. This view is sometimes called the pretribulation rapture theory because the church is removed from the earth before the great tribulation, or the any-moment rapture theory because it postulates that the rapture of the saints may take place at any moment and without warning. There are variations to this view, postulating a mid-tribulation or even a post-tribulation rapture of the church. Postmillennialism, a view dating back to the eighteenth century, postulates that through the preaching of the gospel the world will gradually be won to Christ. In this way the idea of the millennium is fulfilled. The age of the church is the millennium, where righteousness and justice reign and good prevails throughout the earth. The Great Commission is fulfilled, and the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth like the waters cover the sea. After the world has thus been made worthy of Christ, he returns in glory to the world he has saved—hence the name “postmillennialism,” Christ returns after the millennium. This view is similar to amillennialism in that a general resurrection, general judgment, and inauguration of the eternal state accompany Christ’s second coming. The book of Revelation is interpreted in a preterist fashion, that is, understood as referring to events of John’s day, not as prophesying the future. Devout Christians have held all these views (and several more), and it is tragic when the return of Christ becomes a point of controversy. The important thing is that Jesus is coming back, not when or exactly how he will do so. Martin Luther said we ought to live as though Christ were crucified yesterday, risen today, and coming tomorrow. If we follow that wise counsel, we will be ready when Christ does return.

 

The Teachings of Revelation

Although there are strong differences of opinion about the end-time drama depicted in Revelation, there is virtual unanimity about its essential theological teachings. Revelation is a profound theological document. Many ideas are developed in it. Let us examine four of the most important.

 

God

The central fact of the book is that God exists, has created the universe, is guiding the course of its history, has overcome evil, and will bring everything to a triumphant conclusion in his own good time. Numerous Old Testament images are woven together to give a rich depiction of God. The commanding vision of chapters 4 and 5 shows God on his throne, ruling over the universe, with all the heavenly hosts and the redeemed of earth bowing down before him. It is significant that as the book begins to unfold the course of future history, “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them” join in the concluding doxology to God who created all things and to the Lamb (4:11; 5:13). This depiction prepares the reader for what is to come. The descriptions that follow hardly look like a creation that is praising God, but we would be totally wrong to see it that way. In reality, all creation, in its own way, is praising God, even those beings (supernatural and human) that are fighting against the will of God. This notion is reminiscent of a profound Old Testament theme: God does his will in heaven and earth, and no one can hinder him. God is introduced in trinitarian fashion in 1:4–5: first, as the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come”; second, as the “seven spirits before his throne” (symbolically representing the Holy Spirit’s sevenfold ministry as seen in Isa. 11:2–3); and third, as “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Emphasis on the Spirit and his ministry is somewhat limited in Revelation (2:7; 3:1; 4:2, 5; 14:13; 17:3; 21:10; 22:17), with the heaviest emphasis being placed on the divine glory of the Son. One of the keys to understanding the book is to grasp the idea of God’s relation to the world. We live in two realities: the supernatural order, where God is all in all, and the world of recorded time, where God is working out his earthly purposes. Revelation constantly shifts back and forth between these two dimensions, challenging us to see the hand of God at work in the world around us, even though that world is hostile to God. God is the supreme reality, and this world is subordinate to him and passing away. It is moving toward its appointed end, regardless of how things look now.

 

 

 

The Son of God

No book in the New Testament speaks in such exalted fashion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. From the overpowering vision of 1:12–18 to the return of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16), he is seen as nothing less than the Divine Being himself (1:18; 3:7; 22:13). The doxologies of the book are directed to both, and the Father and the Son have the same divine qualities (4:11; 5:12–13; 7:12). God calls himself “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (1:8; 21:5–6), and Jesus refers to himself in the same way (22:12–13).

 

John’s favorite expression (twenty-eight times) to describe Jesus is “the Lamb,” recalling from his Gospel the redemptive work of God in Christ (John 1:29). Jesus is supremely the Savior of the world. The Lamb receives worship from the saints (5:8) and glory and honor for ever and ever (5:13); he brings the salvation of God (7:9–10); the saints conquer through the blood of the Lamb; and the Lamb is the glory of God in the eternal city of heaven (21:23). This Lamb is the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has come to crush the nations and rule with a rod of iron (5:5; 19:15).

 

The People of God

The redeemed people of God play a prominent role in the book of Revelation. As individual churches, they have their strengths and weaknesses (see chaps. 2–3 for the seven churches), but as the redeemed of God, over against Satan and the world, they are those who are “victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name” (15:2), even if it costs them their lives. The believers are variously described in Revelation as servants of God (7:3), a kingdom (1:6; 5:10), priests (1:6; 5:10; 20:6), saints/people of God (18:20), the blameless (14:5), the called and chosen (17:14), the wife of the Lamb (19:7; 21:9), and those who are redeemed as a firstfruit to God and the Lamb and who follow the Lamb wherever he goes (14:4). The believers’ task is to hold fast to the testimony of Jesus and to the Word of God (6:9; 11:7; 12:11, 17; 19:10; 20:4). They do this by watching (16:15), keeping God’s commands (3:8, 10; 12:17; 14:12), keeping themselves pure (14:4), and doing the work that God has assigned to them (2:2, 13, 19; 3:1, 8; 14:13). This is all summarized as the “patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people” (13:10).

 

Eschatology

Theologians speak of personal eschatology (what happens at the end of our lives) and cosmic eschatology (what happens at the end of the world). Both are to be found in abundance in Revelation. Elements of things to come include the certainty of life after death (6:9–11), the comfort of the believer in the presence of God and Christ (7:9–17), the resurrection and reward of the saints (20:4–6) and their glorious eternal state (21:6–8), the second coming of Christ (6:12–17; 19:11–21), the assignment of all to their eternal place (20:1–15), the creation of a new heaven and a new earth (21:1–17), and the promise that we will see God personally face-to-face and reign with him forevermore (22:1–6). The book ends with the prayer of every sincere Christian heart: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (22:20). It is with good reason that the New Testament ends with the book of Revelation. In it a philosophy of history is developed that shows God as supreme over all the universe and, in particular, over the course of human events. It also shows in a marvelous, symbolic way the two elements of Christ’s messianic ministry: that of Suffering Servant (the Lamb) and that of ruling Sovereign (the Lion). The Old Testament had spoken of the coming Messiah in both these ways. Jesus was rejected by his own people at his first coming because they wanted him to be their king so that they could rule the world with him. They did not realize that the cross must precede the crown and that only after sinners accept their role of servant will glory follow. Jesus showed this to be true and commanded followers to take up their cross and live for him (Mark 8:34). Revelation shows us that our life here will be one of service and great trial. But just as Jesus triumphed, so too his faithful followers of all times and places will triumph with him.

 

Focus 24: The New Heaven and the New Earth

In Revelation 21:1 we read that the apostle John, in his vision on Patmos, “saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” His description of this new universe is rich in symbolism, speaking of the streets of the new Jerusalem as being “of gold, as pure as transparent glass” (21:21) and of the “river of the water of life, as clear as crystal” (22:1). It is a marvelous picture of what awaits the believer when Christ returns for his church and brings history to a dramatic close.

The Christian apologist and scholar C. S. Lewis wrote a famous series of children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia. But as any adult who has ever read them knows, they are not just stories for children; they also relate the story of God’s creation and redemption of the earth and humankind, symbolized in the books by the country of Narnia and its inhabitants. In the following passage from the final book in the series, The Last Battle, Lewis draws this picture of the new heaven and the new earth at the end of recorded time:

It is hard to explain how this sunlit land was different from the old Narnia, as it would be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some idea of it, if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window there may have been a looking glass. And as you turned away from the window you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the looking glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were somehow different—deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know. The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can’t describe it any better than that: if you ever get there, you will know what I mean.

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed and then cried:

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!”

—C. S. Lewis, The Complete Chronicles of Narnia (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 520.

 

 

Further Reading

Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

A methodical examination of central themes.

Beale, G. K. Revelation: A Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.

A careful study stressing Old Testament and Jewish backgrounds and historical setting. Opens Revelation’s literary flow, spiritual logic, and eschatological message

Beckwith, Isbon T. The Apocalypse of John. New York: Macmillan, 1919.

This older work can be found free online. Good discussion of the Greek text. The history of interpretation (pp. 318–36) retains value today.

Blackwell, Ben C., John K. Goodrich, and Jason Maston, eds. Reading Revelation in Context: John’s Apocalypse and Second Temple Judaism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2019.

Shows ties between passages in every chapter of Revelation and various Jewish writings of that era.

 

 

Summary

 1. The book of Revelation was most likely written by John the apostle.

 2. Four prominent theories of interpretation of Revelation are historic premillennialism, amillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, and postmillennialism.

 3. The central themes of Revelation are that God exists and is guiding the course of history, that he has overcome evil, and that he will bring everything to a triumphant conclusion in his time.

 4. One key to understanding Revelation is to grasp God’s relation to the world.

 5. The major theological teaching of Revelation focuses on God, the Son of God, the people of God, and eschatology.

 6. Symbolism is used throughout the book of Revelation; Christ’s messianic ministry is one example, the lamb representing the Suffering Servant and the lion representing the ruling Sovereign.

 

Blomberg, Craig L., and Sung Wook Chung. A Case for Historic Premillennialism. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.

A collection of scholarly essays defending historic premillennialism.

Clouse, Robert G., ed. The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1977.

Airs views regarding an important teaching in Revelation. Somewhat technical for beginners.

Guthrie, Donald. The Relevance of John’s Apocalypse. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Four essays on how the teaching of Revelation relates to today.

Hemer, Colin J. The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

A scholarly study of the seven churches, but still easy enough to read and very enlightening.

Johnson, Alan F. “Revelation.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 13. Rev. ed. Edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 571–789. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

A solid and respected evangelical interpretation.

Keener, Craig S. Revelation. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

A midlevel examination of Revelation from a historic premillennial perspective with important application starters. Deals fairly with other perspectives.

Koester, Craig R. Revelation. The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014.

A scholarly treatment that interacts with other major views and offers fresh alternatives.

Martin, Ralph P., and Peter H. Davids, eds. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997.

Helpful and concise articles on Revelation and related topics.

Mounce, Robert H. Revelation. Rev. ed. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

A comprehensive commentary from a historic premillennial point of view.

Osborne, Grant. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.

A thorough treatment interacting extensively with recent scholarship. Historic premillennial outlook.

 

Study Questions

 1. What are some possible reasons why Revelation is sometimes avoided?

 2. Give one distinguishing feature of each of the four major theories of interpretation of Revelation.

 3. What does Revelation teach about God?

 4. What does Revelation teach about the Son of God?

 5. What does the subject of eschatology have to say to us today as we live our daily lives?

 6. Look up the references to Jesus as lion and lamb. Describe in detail what each image signifies.

 

Pate, C. M., ed. Four Views of Revelation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Helpfully gives voice to authors holding contrasting views, then allows them to interact constructively with one another’s presentations.

Rainbow, Paul A. Johannine Theology: The Gospel, the Epistles and the Apocalypse. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014.

Helps see the message of Revelation in its larger New Testament context.

Schnabel, Eckhard. 40 Questions about the End Times. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011.

Uses the Bible and historical evidence to speak to many of the popular (and technical) questions that Revelation raises.

Wainwright, A. W. Mysterious Apocalypse: Interpreting the Book of Revelation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993.

A look at the history of interpretation, cultural context, themes, and content of Revelation.

Walls, Jerry L., ed. The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Scholarly articles on dozens of topics related to the interpretation of Revelation and the Bible’s teaching on last things.

 

Key Terms

Amen, antichrist, Armageddon, doxology, great white throne, millennium

 

Key People/Places

Aegean Sea, Asia Minor, Dionysius of Alexandria, Domitian, Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Nero, Origen, Patmos, Tertullian

 

Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey, ed. Walter A. Elwell, Fourth Edition, Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022), 363-373.