Dr. Dave Mathewson Gordon College/Denver Seminary REVELATION SPECIAL LECTURE #3

REVELATION SECTIONS: REV. 11 Revelation 11 2 Witnesses: prophecy for a time, same beast (Roman empire) emerges from the pit, puts witnesses to death, they are raised vindicating them Background: Why 2? OT stipulation for testimony to stick =2 witnesses Who are they and what are they doing? Is this Moses and Elijah brought back?

REVELATION 11 Not actual individuals but symbolic of the church What is the church’s primary role? A witness in the face of suffering The church will not be totally exterminated Rev. 11:1-2: temple and altar=God’s people, church; God will keep them and preserve them For Christians in Roman empire they are to be faithful witnesses – they will be vindicated in the end, so no compromise—resist Rome

REVELATION 20 The Millennium—1000 year reign of Christ 3 Approaches to the Millennium (Rev. 20) When does the 1000 years occur in relation to the coming of Christ (the Not Yet)?

3 MILLENNIAL APPROACHES Pre-millennial position: Christ comes back before the millennium (pre-millennial) and inaugurates a 1000 year rule, millennium kingdom is an in-between time between this age and the eternal state (some say literal 1000 years/others symbol period of time) Post-millennialism: Coming of Christ comes after the millennium. The millennium will be established as a result of preaching of Gospel and work of Spirit. Golden age will be inaugurated and finally Christ will return

3 MILLENNIAL APPROACHES The A-millennial view: A = no millennium (not really accurate). They just interpret it differently. There is no physical millennium. It is symbolic of the entire period of Church history. We have been seated with Christ (as Paul would say). The millennium is how John says the same thing. The millennium is Christ’s spiritual reign from heaven and we rule with him right now [Already].

APPROACH TO THE MILLENNIUM Only place it occurs in the NT Doesn’t say where they reign from Laconic nature of this passage (Is there procreation? Is this the time for promises to Israel to be fulfilled?) Rev is very detailed when Christ returns Millennium is a symbolic way of describing the complete vindication and judgment from God, not a specific period of time, another way of describing Christ’s return

REVELATION 21-22: THE GRAND FINALE Rev is the Tale of Two Cities Chs John describes a woman on a beast, seducing the world, riding a hideous beast, woman = Roman empire (city on 7 hills) Ch. 18: she is destroyed because… God’s judgment just as he judged previous empires Ch. 18:4 readers told to come out of her, don’t compromise, don’t do emperor worship

REVELATION Where do they go? -- Rev tell the place they have to go Rev almost every verse is rooted in OT Identification of New Jerusalem: read this symbolically, not literal physical city; The city symbolizes the perfected people of God dwelling on a new earth

REVELATION Measurements 144 cubits are multiples of 12 (the number symbolic of the people of God) 12 gates = 12 tribes of Israel 12 foundations = 12 apostles (church) One perfected consummated people of God

REVELATION Function of the New Jerusalem vision Counter part to the description of Babylon (Rome; cf. 1 Peter) If they will leave Rome (not physically; no compromise, maintain their faithful witness, not associate with the corrupt ideology and emperor worship they have somewhere to go beyond Rome)

REVELATION Ultimate final destiny is not heaven but earth Ephemeral heavenly vision of destiny is more gnostic We end up where we began: Parallels Gen. 1-2 and Rev Eden and New Jerusalem God’s intention: he dwells in their midst, they are his people without sin and death

CREATION AND NEW CREATION EXCURSUS New creation has its background in the OT Humanity was placed in the garden to rule it to enjoy God’s presence on earth Sin  humanity is expelled Land is promised to Abraham (part of the covenant blessing) Land part of the fulfillment of Gen. 1-2 where God would bless his people and dwell with them

CREATION AND NEW CREATION EXCURSUS Israel failed (as Adam/Eve did in the garden) Prophets have the expectation that God would return the people to the land where God would dwell with them contra the exile Some prophetic texts it moves beyond just getting back to the land of Palestine Isa. 65:17ff return of Israel to the land gets expanded to cosmic proportions John giving fulfillment in Rev of Isa 65:17ff where God will live with his people in the new creation

CREATION AND NEW CREATION EXCURSUS In the NT the promise of the land gets inaugurated in two stages (already but not yet) 1 Cor. 5 Paul alludes to Isa. 65: new creation in Christ (Already) “Not yet” dimension in Rev New heaven and new earth with Jerusalem God’s intention of the land as a gift, a place of blessing which is fulfilled in Rev

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF REVELATION? Not just eschatology (end times) It unmasks and unveils the pretensions, arrogance of world systems wherever that is found. It’s a call to live holy lives, not to compromise but to resist it in the face of that no matter what it costs. Only Jesus and God are worthy of our worship and allegiance