A STUDY OF REVELATION

The book of Revelation is also known as the Apocalypse. Both words mean the same: an uncovering ( Revelation comes from Latin, Apocalypse from Greek). The book is an “ uncovering” of the age facing the church, of the final victory of God and the Lamb, Jesus. The book of Revelation seems stranger to us than it did to John's first (Jewish) readers. In the period from about 200 b.c. to a.d. 100, many writings like the book of Revelation were written. They are known as “ apocalyptic literature” or simply “ apocalyptic.”

It is a book of visions. As with the parables of Jesus, we must be careful not to miss the main point of John's visions by trying to explain every last detail. We must also recognize that John is attempting to describe images from the future— images of events, places, and things to which he had absolutely no frame of reference.

It is impossible to rightly interpret the Book of Revelation unless we recognize it to be symbolic apocalyptic prophesy and steer clear of interpreting the symbols literally. If we have studied the Old Testament, we will recognize many symbols related to ancient Hebrew symbolic imagery in Revelation. Some of these are found in Daniel, Ezekiel, Zecchariah, and others. If we will but take time to read these Old Testament truths, we can see more clearly the use of symbols in Revelation which are related, in many cases, to ancient Hebrew examples. (The late W.T. Russel)

There are many interpretations of the book of Revelation. The four most common are usually called the preterist, historical, futurist, and idealist interpretations. (Rev 1:1-3) The historical interpretation sees in Revelation a prediction of the whole period of church history, from John's time to the end of the world—a sort of panorama, a series of pictures, revealing the steps and of the church's struggle to final victory. Revelation in not written in chronological order.

Derived from the Greek word “eschatos” meaning last or farthest. A study of the last things or end times.

1. Premillennialism – Literal 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth after His return 2. Amillennialism – No literal reign of Christ on earth. Symbolic of His present reign over His kingdom. 3. Postmillennialism - sees Christ's second coming as occurring after the "Millennium", a Golden Age or era of Christian prosperity and dominance.

I.The first revelation - what John saw (1: 12-16). Or a revelation of the glorified Lord himself, now shining as the Sun of Righteousness, source of all spiritual life, in his relation to the churches and pastors on earth, the lower lights, commissioned to reflect the heavenly light and so illuminate the whole world.

The state of the churches and pastors, not as they see themselves, nor as the world sees them, but as they really are in God's sight. This is an earth scene of "the things that are," and, on account of the imperfections of these agencies for world illumination, tends to discouragement.

This is a heaven scene of "the things that are." It is a revelation of the throne of grace with all its agencies and activities employed to help the imperfect churches and pastors illumine the world. This scene tends to encouragement. It is the sure promise of ultimate triumph.

This section begins the prophetic element which continues to the end of the book. Its design is to foreshow the various effects of the gospel as preached. It is a complete view from this angle of vision from John's day to the end of things, suppressing only the final climax for the time being (see 8:1: which properly is the last verse of chapter 7), with the temporary silence on the opening of the seventh seal, which silence will be broken when at the end of the book the climax is supplied.

The sounding of the trumpets, or the gospel as prayed. The key passage of this section (8:3-6), that every trumpet sounded is a response to prayer, and not to a sermon. This also is a complete view from that day to the end of time, hinting at but suppressing the final climax, as did the seals.

The true church as an institution, symbolized as a glorious woman (12:1), and the later apostate church as an opposing institution symbolized as a harlot (17:1-6). This also is a complete view from John's day to the end of time, only from a new angle of vision, and is parallel with the preceding synchronous views of the seals and the trumpets, and, like the others, lacks only the final climax.

The holy war between the saints and the emissaries of Satan (19:11 to 20:10). This is also a complete view from John's day to the end of time, and, like the three preceding, needs only the climax. It, like the rest, has its own angle of vision. As Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John present the life of our Lord in four parallel views, each complete from its angle of vision, so here are four complete synchronous views of his kingdom, each from its,own angle of vision, to wit: (1) The seals, or the gospel as preached. (2) The trumpets, or the gospel as prayed. (3) The true church as an institution, opposed by the apostate church as an institution. (4) The holy war, and the salvation of all Spiritual Jews.

The final advent of our Lord, the resurrection of all the dead and the one general, final judgment fixing the eternal destiny of saint and sinner. This climax caps all the four synchronous views.

Paradise regained.

The divine and human authentication of the book, with assurance, promises, threats, invitations, and the author's closing salutation.