Revelation: The Returning King Rob Sheldon Westminster Theological Seminary ‘11

Table of Contents Introduction – Can we understand it? – 4 Schools of Interpretation – Content & Style – Author & Date – Occasion & Purpose – Structure Commentary – 1: A Heavenly vision – 2-3: The 7 Churches – 4-5: God’s Throne Room Commentary – 6-7: The 7 Seals – 8-11: The 7 Trumpets – 12-14: The 7 Histories – 15-16: The 7 Bowls – 17-19: Babylon the Prostitute – 19-21: Jesus’ Return & Battle – 20: The Final Judgments – 21: The New Jerusalem

Review: The Series of Sevens Many people try to make Revelation a single time-line: – Seals Trumpets Bowls Babylon Dr Poythress argues that it is better to see it as a flash- back, or zoom: Seals Trumpets Bowls Babylon 7 seals: 4 corners of earth, 3 corners of heaven

Review: The 7 cycles of 7 Commission – 7 Seals Prosecution of War – 7 Trumpets – 7 symbolic histories – 7 bowls Elimination – 7 messages of judgment-- eliminating Babylon – White horse judgment -- eliminating evil power – White throne judgment – eliminating all evil

Cycle 3: The 7 symbolic histories Introduction to main characters – woman, dragon, child 6 histories – Dragon – Woman – Beast – False Prophet – 144,000 – 3 angel proclaimers Interlude, promises Last history: angel of death

Chiastic Structure: Aristotle 1-5 Guarantee of Victory 6-11 Judgments on men and nature 12 Victors in strife Villain 14 Victors in strife Judgments on men and nature Guarantee of Victory

Introduction: Woman, Dragon, Son Woman – Wisdom – Eve – Israel – Mary – Church Manchild – Adam – Seth – Messiah – Jesus – Us Dragon – Chaos, serpent, Satan

Symbolic History: The Dragon Eve Cain Flood Moses Israel Mary Church

Intro: War in Heaven to Earth Dragon 1/3 stars Pursues woman Engulfing flood War on offspring Michael Angels Refuge in Desert Earth swallows Keep commandments Hold the testimony

The Beast from the sea 7 heads (Dragon) with blasphemous names – Manifestations claiming divinity 10 horns with 10 diadems – Rulers and wealth Bear paw + leopard body + lion mouth – Nature of rule Dragon power, throne & authority – Stalin, Hitler & Hussein The wound that was healed The haughty speech, the people’s worship

The False Prophet from the earth 2 horns like a lamb – Reassuring, innocuous Spoke like a dragon Exercises authority on behalf of the beast Forces worship of the beast Signs & wonders deception Economic and Violent enforcement The mark of the beast on hand or forehead: 666

The Counterfeiters The Dragon counterfeits God – Claims authority The Beast counterfeits Jesus – reigns with Dragon authority – claims worship – resurrected The False prophet counterfeits the Holy Spirit – Signs and wonders – Fire from heaven – Mark of salvation POWER

The Beast & False Prophet Rome Mongols Catholic Church (Protestants) 3 rd Reich Soviet Union European Union Moslem Threat Nero? Genghis Pope (Luther) Hitler Putin / Stalin Anti-christ Bin Laden? Decadent Paganism Idolatry (Rebellion) Racism Atheism Diversity Islam

The 144,000 oppose the Beast Holy name on their heads Heavenly authority and song Purity and holiness Mouths are blameless

Aspects of Opposition

Destruction of Idols

Intensification

The Locust

The angel