“These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful” Revelation 17:14

 Preterist view  Events of Revelation were fulfilled in the 1 st century.  Armageddon is God’s judgment on Jews  Nero is the “666 Beast”

 View Revelation as a prophecy taking place from the time of writing till the second coming of Christ.  Spans the fall of Rome to the rise of Europe and Arabian Empires. These alliances will seek to recreate the Roman Empire  Christ comes again and destroys European alliance

 Events of Revelation to occur just before Christ comes again.  Foretell of a rapture of true Christians  A period of seven years of “Great Tribulation”  Christ will then return to the earth… reign for a thousand years on the earth (a physical kingdom) – “Premillennialism”

 Revelation is seen as a warning to be spiritually and morally ready for the end of times (whenever that may come).  Eastern Orthodox read from the book of Revelation only once per year (i.e., Apocalypse night or bright Saturday.. The eve of the resurrection)

 Held primarily by Catholic and Protestant theologians  Revelation, in form, is structured after creation, fall, judgment and redemption.  Revelation provides insight into the early Eucharist, saying that it is the new Temple worship in the New Heaven and Earth… a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.

 View the book as delivering both a series of warnings for humanity and a detailed account of internal, spiritual processes of the individual soul.  Revelation is symbolic of the body and that each emblem, emotion and condition relate to self. For example, the 24 elders of Rev. 4:4 relate to the 12 pairs (24) of cranial nerves…”

 Revelation is best understood as a handbook for radical discipleship; i.e., how to remain faithful to the spirit and teachings of Jesus and avoid simply assimilating to surrounding society.  The primary agenda of the book is to expose the worldly powers as impostors which seek to oppose the ways of God.

 Revelation is a work of art and imagination  The imagery is a symbolic depiction of victory of good over evil.

 Robert G. Ingersoll – “The insanest of all books”  Thomas Jefferson omitted revelation out of his “Jefferson Bible” – ravings of a maniac no more worthy of explanation than the incoherencies of our nightly dreams.  Does not belong in the cannon of inspired scriptures.

 Revelation (Deut. 29:29; Jn. 8:32; I Cor. 14:33)  A respect for God’s authority  Approach no different than any other book in Bible  Takes time and extreme effort to understand  Why does God reveal His mind in veiled language?  Those who truly desire truth will seek it out (see Matt. 13:11)  God reveals His message in diverse manners (Heb. 1:1)

 Early date – Days of Nero AD  Late Date – Days of Domitian AD  Proclaimed Christianity was a crime against Rome  Persecuted Christians in and out of Rome  Christians were exiled, put to death, tortured into confessions of Domitian’s deity, and had their property confiscated.  Internal evidences: Paul’s Ephesian Letter (all is well with Eph. Yet not so in Rev. 2:4)  All seems well with church in Col. Yet not so in Rev. 3:14ff.

 John: see 1:4, 9-12 etc.

 Revelation 17:14 “These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful”  Note that the word “overcome” (Greek nikao) is found 17 times in the book of Revelation.  The Christian can be victorious over the most formidable difficulties faced in life (Rev. 12:11; 21:7).

 Next week: Read Revelation Chapter one and be prepared to study.