CHAPTER 8. Revelation and Eschatology

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 8 Revelatin and Eschatlgy In this chapter, we will study: Authrship f Revelatin The early Christian wrldview Dates fr the writing f the bk f Revelatin Pssible utlines fr the cntents f Revelatin Varius theries f interpretatin f Revelatin Hw Revelatin shuld be understd in relatin t the rest f the New Testament Special prblems in Revelatin Traditin Authrship Early church traditin is strng that the authr is Jhn, the sn f Zebedee, the Apstle Arguments against Jhn s authrship The date f this writing is t late fr an Apstle Jhn wuld have been t ld The style f writing in Revelatin is unlike that f his gspel r letters Sme have prpsed that there may have been anther Jhn called The Elder Arguments in supprt f Jhn s authrship There is agreement frm many f the early reliable church leaders that Jhn was at Patms and did live lng enugh t write the bk The style f writing is a reflectin f the need t write carefully in times f persecutin

2 The Early Christian Wrldview Revelatin and Eschatlgy THE PROGRESS OF HISTORY Tw views f histry Cyclical Human histry mves within cycles Eastern religins (e.g. reincarnatin) Linear Histry mves frward and chrnlgically Originated with the Hebrew scriptures THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF HUMAN PROGRESS Tw cntrasts f the prgress f human histry (see Figure 43 Views f the Human Experience ver Time) Things are getting better (pst-millennial) Believes that the Church and the Gspel are making prgress in the wrld and that the result will be the cming f Gd s kingdm Things are getting wrse (pre-millennial) Believes that the prgress f the Gspel is slwer than the grwth f evil and gdlessness The Gspel is ffered nw t thse willing t accept Jesus will return befre the end f time and finally defeat the enemies f Gd 190

3 Christian Perspectives f Eschatlgy Revelatin and Eschatlgy Gd Bad Creatin End f Human Histry Dating the Bk f Revelatin Figure 43 Views f the Human Experience ver Time Dating the Bk f Revelatin EARLY DATE THEORY The events described relate t the reign f Ner (AD 54-68) Ner is knwn t have persecuted Christians vigrusly Speaks f seven kings They are als seven kings. Five have fallen, ne is, the ther has nt yet cme; but when he des cme, he must remain fr a little while. (Rev 17:10) Ner was fifth in line f Rman emperrs beginning with Augustus Caesar When Ner died peple thught he wuld cme back t life - this is called Ner redivivus Ner died f a mrtal wund Ner s name can be wrked ut t equal 666 (with a little effrt) 191

4 Revelatin and Eschatlgy LATE DATE THEORY The events described relate t the reign f Dmitian (AD 81-96) If Revelatin were written during Vespasian s reign (AD 69-79) the eighth culd be Dmitian The beast wh nce was, and nw is nt, is an eighth king. He belngs t the seven and is ging t his destructin. (Rev 17:11) The majrity f schlars tday accept that Revelatin was written during this perid Prblem - There is n histrical cnsensus fr direct persecutin f Christians by Dmitian (such as we saw in the writings f Tacitus see page 129) Varius Outlines 92 Series f Sevens Seven churches (Rv 2-3) Seven seals (Rv 6-7) Seven trumpets (Rv 8-11) Seven signs (Rv 12-15) Seven bwls (Rv 16-18) Seven last things (Rv 19-22) Fur Visins Organizatin f the Bk f Revelatin Visin f the Sn f Man amng the seven churches (Rv 1-3) Visin f the seven-sealed scrll, the seven trumpets, the seven signs, and the seven bwls (Rv 4:1-19:10) Visin f the return f Christ and the end f this age (Rv 19:11-20:15) Visin f the new heaven and the new earth (Rv 21-22) 92 Alan Jhnsn, Intrductin t Revelatin. In Expsitr s Bible Cmmentary. 192

5 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Split purpses Rv 1-3 is viewed by sme as letters f the authr t churches in his day Rv 4-22 is then viewed as apcalyptic prphecy, pinting t events future frm the perspective f the authr The prblem here is that what was future t the authr des nt require that it be future frm ur perspective in the 21 st century AD Future t the authr f Revelatin culd well be hundreds f years in the past t us Repeating patterns Sme see the series f seals, trumpets, signs, and bwls as repeating patterns all describing the same basic thing just tld in different metaphrs If s, this raises questins abut chrnlgy Are all events in Revelatin sequential (i.e. d they fllw ne anther)? Is there anything chrnlgical abut the bk? Is it arranged arund themes? Views Relating t the Interpretatin f Revelatin Eschatlgy - the study f last things Revelatin - (Latin) - t make knwn DEFINITION OF TERMS Apcalypse - (Greek) - t unveil, uncver, r reveal ap means frm calypt means cver r cnceal Genre - (French) - a categry f artistic, musical, r literary cmpsitin characterized by a particular style, frm, r cntent 93 Rapture - (Latin) - meaning t snatch up, r snatch away Tribulatin - a perid (thught t be 7 years) f intense persecutin f believers 93 Webster s Ninth New Cllegiate Dictinary 193

6 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Millennium - (Latin) a perid f 1,000 years during which Jesus will reign n the earth (Greek is chiliasm ) (see Rv 20:5-6) Antichrist - the leader f the rebellin against Christ and Kingdm f Gd Gematria - t derive a numeric value fr a name by adding the sum f the values f the letters FOUR MAJOR VIEWS OF HOW TO INTERPRET REVELATION Idealist This is nt an eschatlgical view. It sees the stry f the bk f Revelatin nly as a depictin f the cntinuing struggle between gd and evil. Preterist The events f Revelatin are histrically past, relating t the early church (i.e. nt eschatlgical, all events are histrically past) The bk f Revelatin is relevant nly t the first century The symbls pint t Ner and the Rman Empire Histricist The events and judgments relate t the church age (i.e. useful fr predicting current events) The bk f Revelatin is a frecast f human histry The fcus is primarily n western human histry The predminant view f date setters Futurist The events f Revelatin are predictive f future events (i.e. irrelevant t current events) All but the first three chapter f Revelatin are irrelevant t the cntemprary church 194

7 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Dispensatinalism A futurist apprach t the bk f Revelatin It lks frward, insisting that the events in Revelatin will happen beynd the current age Thus, prphecies d nt need t be fulfilled befre Christ s return (this wuld be a lking back) Terms GEMATRIA IN REVELATION Gematria - (Hebrew) - t derive a numeric value f a name by adding the sum f the values f the letters Example: The Hebrew name David has a gematria value f Ancient, nn-biblical Gematria Gematria abut Ner It was strange hw amazingly tlerant Ner seemed t be f the insults that everyne cast at him, in the frm f jkes and lampns. Here are a few example f verses, in Greek r Latin, psted n city walls r current rally 95 Cunt the numerical values Of the letters in Ner s name, And in murdered his wn mther : Yu will find their sum is the same. 96 On the walls f Pmpeii, there are sme graffiti, dated n later than AD 79, that illuminate the practice 97 One reads: Amerimnus thught upn his lady Harmnia fr gd. The number f her hnrable name is 45. The key t the puzzle seems t be in the wrd Harmnia, which was prbably nt the girls actual name but refers t the nine Muses (the gddess f sng and petry); and 45 is the sum f all the digits frm 1 t This is what makes Matthew s genealgy f Jesus f 3 sets f 14 generatins each s intriguing. 95 Suetnius, The Twelve Caesars, (Ner, 39) 96 Nte: Ner and the phrase murdered his wn mther equals 1005 in Greek 97 Frm Expsitr s Bible Cmmentary n Rv 13:18 98 E.M. Blaiklck. The Archaelgy f the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zndervan, 1970, p

8 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Anther reads: I lve her whse number is 545. In this case the number cnceals a name, and the mystery is perhaps knwn fr certain nly by the tw lvers themselves. 99 Gematria in ther Hebrew writing Similarly, the Jews (especially the Hasidim) used Hebrew alphabetical numbers t indicate cncealed names and mysterius cnnectins with ther wrds f the same numerical value. Fr example, the Hebrew wrd nahas ( serpent ) has the same numerical value as the Hebrew wrd masiah ( Messiah ). Frm this, it was argued that ne f the names f the Messiah was serpent. Sme suggest that this may relate t Mses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness (cf. Num 21: Jhn 3:14) 100 The mysterius 666 This calls fr wisdm: let anyne with understanding calculate the number f the beast, fr it is the number f a persn. Its number is six hundred sixty-six. (Rv 13:18) Irenaeus (2 nd century) said that many in his day were speculating wh this might be. Hwever, he argued that the name is deliberately cncealed and that Christians shuld nt speculate If Jhn referred t a cntemprary and needed t cnceal the name, he prbably meant Ner Since Jhn uses symblic language and nt gematria t identify any ther entities in Revelatin, sme suggest that 666 refers t smething mre abstract The threefld use f 6 (the number f man) might suggest the aggregatin f human evil (i.e. mankind as bad as mankind can be) Nte: threefld repetitins are used in Greek t express the superlative The threefld use f 6 (666) might be used t cntrast with the perfectin f the Trinity r the threefld use f 7 (777) OTHER NUMBERS IN REVELATION 1,260 days, 42 mnths, and 3 ½ years All refer t the same apprximate number f days Symblically similar in Rv 12:14 and Daniel 7:25; 12:7 a time, times, and half a time Rv 11:2; 13:5 42 mnths 99 Ibid. 100 Frm Expsitr s Bible Cmmentary n Rv 13:18 196

9 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Rv 11:3; 12:6 1,260 days VIEWS RELATING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND A RAPTURE OF BELIEVERS Pre-tribulatin rapture After this I lked, and there befre me was a dr standing pen in heaven. And the vice I had first heard speaking t me like a trumpet said, "Cme up here, and I will shw yu what must take place after this." (Rv 4:1) Mid-tribulatin rapture I lked, and there befre me was a white clud, and seated n the clud was ne "like a sn f man" with a crwn f gld n his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then anther angel came ut f the temple and called in a lud vice t him wh was sitting n the clud, "Take yur sickle and reap, because the time t reap has cme, fr the harvest f the earth is ripe. S he wh was seated n the clud swung his sickle ver the earth, and the earth was harvested. Anther angel came ut f the temple in heaven, and he t had a sharp sickle. Still anther angel, wh had charge f the fire, came frm the altar and called in a lud vice t him wh had the sharp sickle, "Take yur sharp sickle and gather the clusters f grapes frm the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." The angel swung his sickle n the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them int the great winepress f Gd's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress utside the city, and bld flwed ut f the press, rising as high as the hrses' bridles fr a distance f 1,600 stadia. (Rv 14:14-20) Pst-tribulatin rapture - Rv 18:4 (r Rv 14:14-20; Mt 24:29-31); 1 Cr 15:51-52 (last trumpet) Then I heard anther vice frm heaven say: "Cme ut f her, my peple, s that yu will nt share in her sins, s that yu will nt receive any f her plagues; fr her sins are piled up t heaven, and Gd has remembered her crimes. (Rv 18:4-5) Views f a Rapture Pre-tribulatin Rapture Mid-tribulatin Rapture Pst-tribulatin Rapture Figure 44 Views f a Rapture Tribulatin (7 years) 5/20/2008-8/13/2008 VIEWS RELATING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND A MILLENNIAL REIGN ON EARTH 197

10 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Pre-millennial - Jesus returns befre the millennium Histrical premillennialism Fcuses n millennial arithmetic and tends t set dates Everything is seen t be wrking ut in human histry The next cming f Jesus will be a public event - all the wrld will see Dispensatinal premillennialism Dispensatinalism divides Gd s dealings with humanity int great perids r divisins f time (Scfield used 7 dispensatins). Cnsiders that the church age is a great parentheses in human histry Jesus will make an additinal appearance (while nt cming dwn t the earth) t rapture ut the church and leave the tribulatin and millennium fr Israel. The next cming f Jesus will be a private event (fr the church nly) Pst-millennial - Jesus return after the millennium Amillennial - Denies that there will be a literal perid f 1,000 years. We are in a time f blessedness nw. 198

11 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Millennial Views Pre-millennial Return Pst-millennial Return 1,000 Years (Millennium) Tribulatin (7 years) 4/14/2008-4/28/2008 Amillenial View Amillennialism denies that there will be a literal 1,000 year perid Tribulatin (7 years) 4/11/2008-4/25/2008 Figure 45 Views f the Millennial Reign f Christ 199

12 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Relatinship f Revelatin with the Rest f the New Testament RECENT VIEWS OF THE EVENTS OF REVELATION Uncertainty abut the timing f the return f Jesus Uncertainty abut whether Christians will experience any part f the Tribulatin Uncertainty abut the rle f the Antichrist Uncertainty abut the crrelatin between Salvatin by grace thrugh faith fr Christians (Eph 2:8-9) Any plan fr salvatin utside f the crss f Jesus fr Jews Mt 24:1-51 (see als Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36) THE OLIVET DISCOURSE As Jesus was sitting n the Munt f Olives, the disciples came t him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign f yur cming and f the end f the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch ut that n ne deceives yu. Fr many will cme in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. Yu will hear f wars and rumrs f wars, but see t it that yu are nt alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still t cme. Natin will rise against natin, and kingdm against kingdm. There will be famines and earthquakes in varius places. All these are the beginning f birth pains. "Then yu will be handed ver t be persecuted and put t death, and yu will be hated by all natins because f me. At that time many will turn away frm the faith and will betray and hate each ther, and many false prphets will appear and deceive many peple. Because f the increase f wickedness, the lve f mst will grw cld, but he wh stands firm t the end will be saved. And this gspel f the kingdm will be preached in the whle wrld as a testimny t all natins, and then the end will cme. (Mt 24:3-14) Jesus answers questins abut his return withut the ambiguity f symbls r mysterius images Apcalyptic events are discussed by Jesus (Mt 24:6-13) but these are nt the end Jesus says that glbal evangelizatin is the sign f the end f time (Mt 24:14) Interpreting the Olivet Discurse Schlars disagree if Revelatin describes events that are Past Present (the Church Age) Future 200

13 Revelatin and Eschatlgy Schlars disagree abut whether the Olivet Discurse Referred t the destructin f Jerusalem Referred t the end f time Lessns t be learned here Metzger says that they keys t understanding the images f Revelatin are lst. If s, we cannt knw with certainty what the images meant. Views f events in Revelatin cannt be interpreted in such a way t disagree with the plain statements f Jesus in the Olivet Discurse REVELATION, THE OLIVET DISCOURSE, AND THE GREAT COMMISSION The Olivet Discurse States that the last event befre the end is glbal evangelizatin The Great Cmmissin Is a cmmand fr glbal evangelizatin Revelatin 22 The Spirit and the bride say, "Cme." And let the ne wh hears say, "Cme." And let the ne wh is thirsty cme; let the ne wh wishes take the water f life withut cst. (Rv 22:17) The nly clear cnclusin (i.e. a cnclusin that des nt rely upn symbls r apcalyptic language) is that believers are t fcus n evangelizatin until the Lrd returns. 201

14 Special Prblems in Revelatin Revelatin and Eschatlgy The 144,000 (Rv 7:4-8) THE 144,000 And I heard the number f thse wh were sealed, ne hundred and frty-fur thusand sealed frm every tribe f the sns f Israel: frm the tribe f Judah, twelve thusand were sealed, frm the tribe f Reuben twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Gad twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Asher twelve thusand, Nte: frm the tribe f Naphtali twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Manasseh twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Simen twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Levi twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Issachar twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Zebulun twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Jseph twelve thusand, frm the tribe f Benjamin, twelve thusand were sealed. The tribe f Dan is nt listed. Manasseh is mentined, but nt Ephraim. Numbers such as 12,000 are prbably runded and symblic Since this list f twelve tribes f Israel is nt identical t thse fund in the Old Testament, the writer is prbably trying t cnvey a message that Jewish readers wuld clearly understand. 144,000 in Rv 14:1-5 Then I lked, and behld, the Lamb was standing n Munt Zin, and with Him ne hundred and frty-fur thusand, having His name and the name f His Father written n their freheads. And I heard a vice frm heaven, like the sund f many waters and like the sund f lud thunder, and the vice which I heard was like the sund f harpists playing n their harps. And they sang a new sng befre the thrne and befre the fur living creatures and the elders; and n ne culd learn the sng except the ne hundred and frty-fur thusand wh had been purchased frm the earth. These are the nes wh have nt been defiled with wmen, fr they have kept themselves chaste. These are the nes wh fllw the Lamb wherever He ges. These have been purchased frm amng men as first fruits t Gd and t the Lamb. And n lie was fund in their muth; they are blameless. 202

15 Revelatin and Eschatlgy The innumerable multitude Is this a different grup than in Rv 7? After these things I lked, and behld, a great multitude which n ne culd cunt, frm every natin and all tribes and peples and tngues, standing befre the thrne and befre the Lamb, clthed in white rbes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry ut with a lud vice, saying, "Salvatin t ur Gd wh sits n the thrne, and t the Lamb." And all the angels were standing arund the thrne and arund the elders and the fur living creatures; and they fell n their faces befre the thrne and wrshiped Gd, saying, "Amen, blessing and glry and wisdm and thanksgiving and hnr and pwer and might, be t ur Gd frever and ever. Amen." Then ne f the elders answered, saying t me, "These wh are clthed in the white rbes, wh are they, and where have they cme frm?" I said t him, "My lrd, yu knw. And he said t me, "These are the nes wh cme ut f the great tribulatin, and they have washed their rbes and made them white in the bld f the Lamb. "Fr this reasn, they are befre the thrne f Gd; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He wh sits n the thrne will spread His tabernacle ver them. "They will hunger n lnger, nr thirst anymre; nr will the sun beat dwn n them, nr any heat; fr the Lamb in the center f the thrne will be their shepherd, and will guide them t springs f the water f life; and Gd will wipe every tear frm their eyes." (Rv 7:9-17) This multitude is nt identified with Israel Their numbers are much greater than the 144,000 They are all clearly in Heaven because f their faith Rv 22:18-19 ADDING TO THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE I testify t everyne wh hears the wrds f the prphecy f this bk: if anyne adds t them, Gd will add t him the plagues which are written in this bk; and if anyne takes away frm the wrds f the bk f this prphecy, Gd will take away his part frm the tree f life and frm the hly city, which are written in this bk. (Rv 22:18-19) Refers nly t the bk f Revelatin At the time f this writing, there was limited knwledge f writings by ther New Testament authrs This warning is the bkend t what is said in the pening verses f Revelatin Blessed is he wh reads and thse wh hear the wrds f the prphecy, and heed the things which are written in it; fr the time is near. (Rv 1:3) 203