04/24/2021 – Day 342 – Revelation 1 – 6 // 2 of ?// Introduction
I previously posted earlier this week one of FAI’s documentary presentations amonst many in their series. I am hoping as we wrap up our one year read and pray through the Bible to download the FAI app, so that I can pour through Revelation in more detail.
The book begins in 1:3: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.” And at the end in 22:18 -19, a warning: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
For now, I am going to share with you verbatim from my Halley’s Bible Handbook for this important introduction. I think we are in good hands of the messenger Henry Halley. So, let’s get started:
Key Themes:
“Grand Finale of the Bible Story / A Paean of Victory / Ultimate Triumph of Christ / The New Heavens and New Earth//
The Book of Revelation is based on, or is a fuller explanation of , Christ’s Discourse on Things to Come (Matthew 24, Mark 11, and Luke 21). It abounds in expressions used by Jesus. Some of the imagery seems to be drawn from Ezekiel and Daniel.
Author
God Himself. That is the Book’s first statement. God Himself dictated it, and sent the completed book to the Seven Churches (1: 1,4). Certain modern rationalist critics see in the book no inspired prophecy at all, but only the “unbridled” play of religious phantasy, clothing itself in unreal visual form.” Such an opinion we abhor.
We believe absolutely that the book is Exactly What It Itself Says It Is: that it Bears the Stamp of its Author: that some of its passages are among the Most Superb and Most Precious in all the Bible: that its Climactic Grandeur makes it a fitting close to the Bible Story: and that its Glorious Visions of the Completed Work of Christ make it a veritable roadway of God into the Human Soul.
Human Author
By well-established tradition, from the days of the Apostolic Fathers, and in the judgment of the great body of Christian Believers, the Apostle John, the “Beloved Disciple” most intimate Friend of Jesus, writer of the Gospel of John, was the writer of this book (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8; John 21:20, 24). The suggestion, evidently born of a desire to discredit the book, that it was some other John, is without foundation.
Date
John had been banished to the Isle of Patmos (1:9) This according to Apostolic tradition, was in the Persecution of Domitian, about A.D. 95. The next year , A.D. 96, John was released, and permitted to return to Ephesus. ….. (Jimmy note – dating the writing of the book post Ephesus – A.D. 96)
Books about Revelation
A thing that strikes one who browses around in the vast literature that has grown up about the book of Revelation is the UTTER DOGMATISM with which so many have put forth their opinions, not as opinions, but in categorical statements, as to the meaning of even the most mysterious passages, as if they know all about it, and their say so settles the matter. We think a spirit of reverent humility, and openness of mind, would be more becoming in those seeking to interperet a book line this.
Interpretations
There are many interpretations of the Book of Revelation. And , every one has its difficulties. Whatever interpretation is accepted, some details require straining to fit.
Roughly speaking, there are four kinds of interpretation, each varying greatly within itself: commonly spoken of as “Preterist”, “Historical”, “Futurist”, and “Spiritualist”.
Preterist interpretation regards the book as referring to its own day: Christianity Struggle with the Roman Empire.
Historical interpretation is that the book was designed to Forecast a General View 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, delinating the Successive Steps and Outstanding Features of the Church’s Struggle to Final Victory: “A Vision of the Ages: “Pictures of the Great Epochs and Crises of the Church.”
Futurist Interpretation centers the book largely around the time of the Lord’s coming and the End of the World.
Spiritualist Interpretation separates the imagery of the book entirely from any reference to Historical Events – those of John’s day, or those at the time of the End, or those intervening – and deems it to be a Pictoral Representation in highly Figurative language, of the Great Principles of Divine Government applicable to all times.
To us, it seems, taking the language at it most apparent meaning, that the simplest, most obvious, most natural, most evident, and most reasonable interpretations,: some of the Visions picturing Epochal Events and Features of Church History; some Forecasting the Momentous Upheavels of the Last Days; and some, possibly, referring to Both, the Earlier, perhaps, being Typical and Predictive of the Later.
There is such an Amazing Parallel between some of the Imagery of the book and the Course of Church History that it seems that one of the objects of the book must have been to Foretell it.
And there is much in the book that so evidently refers to the Time of the End that it must be taken into account , whatever our interpretation of the book.”
(Jimmy note – Towards the end of a great friday night couples class , we studied revelation over many weekly visits. It seems to me we went about six months. During this period , I purchased a neat book that had four parallel interpretations, verse by verse, of the entire book of Revelation. I think I have it storage and I plan on pulling it out soon. I checked on Amazon and to my surprise, I couldn’t search it out. Indeed , there are a plethora of books written on Revelation.)
“The Book is in Two Parts
Chapters 1 – 3: “Things Which Are. (1) that is, Things which were in John’s day: Seven Letters to Seven Churches, dealing with the situation as it then was. This, in a sense , is Introductory to the main body of the book which follows:
(Jimmy note – but here to I have a chart that with regard to the seven churches, takes the view that the churches run through history from AD 30 to present day. For example, we are in the Church age of Laodicea – “The Church of Apostasy” that began around 1900 A.D. In the Old Testament it would equate to the period of Judah’s Kings (2 Chronicles) I might add, it could be multiple dimension chess. For example, the churches could represent both the churches in John’s time and they could at the same time, be analogous to periods throughout church history.)
“Chapters 4 – 22: Things Which Shall be Hereafter (1:19; 4:1); covering the time from Then on to the End.
Chapters 1: 1-3. A “Revelation” of Things to Come
That is what the book calls itself: A Revealing, Unveiling , Explaining, Making Known, of Things to Come (1:1, 19; 4:1) Thus , in its first word, the book is avowedly Predictive. That is what it was written for: to Unfold the Future: to Chart the Course and Destiny of the Church.
It is a Very Practical Book
Even though it is a book of Mystery with many things we do not understand, it also has Many Things we Do Understand. Imbedded in its Mysterious Imagery are some of the most Salutary Warnings and most Precious Promises of all Scripture. Very likely John himself did not understand some of the things he saw and wrote. No doubt, God had meaning in some of the Visions that were to be revealed only with the unfolding story of the passing ages. Nevertheless John’s soul thrilled with exultation, as his mind dwelt on what he saw.
Alternating simplest truth with mystical symbolism, it is a book of undiluted Optimism for God’s people, assuring us again and again that we are under God’s protection, with, come what may, a Life Everlasting Blessedness ahead.
And alarming scenes between earth and heaven, it is also a book of the “Wrath of God” ever and anon contrasting the Joys of the Redeemed with the Agonies of the Lost. And O how we need to be reminded of that in this careless and godless generation!
….. The book should neither be neglected nor over exalted above other Bible books. But surely it is entitled to, and will greatly reward a reasonable share of a Christian’s study and devotion.
Background of the Book
These visions were given, and the book written , in the lurid light of burning martyrs. The church was 66 years old It had made enormous growth. It had suffered, and was suffering, terrific persecutions.
The First Imperial Persecution of Christians, 30 years before this book was written, was that of Nero, AD. 64-67. In that Persecution, multitude of Christians were crucified, or throwon to wild beasts, or wrapped in combustible garments and burned to death while Nero laughed at the pitiful shrieks of burning men and women. In Nero’s persecution, Paul and Peter suffered martyrdom.
The Second Imperial Persecution was instituted by Emperor Domitian (A.D. 85-86). It was short, but extremely severe. Over 40,000 Christians were tortured and slain. This was the Persecution in which John was banished to the isle of Patmos (1:9).
The Third Imperial Persecution, that of Trajan, was soon to begin (A.D. 98). John had lived through the first two, and was now about to enter the third, of Rome’s Imperial efforts to blot out the Christian Faith. Those were the Dark Days for the Church. And still darker days were coming. (see pages 761, 762).
And not only Persecution from Without, but the Church itself, from Within, was beginnning to show signs of Corruption and Apostasy.. God gave these visions , evidently, to help steady the Church for the awful days ahead.
….”
We will see the number seven repeatedly. Halley notes: “Seven is a favoite leter in God’s alphabet. There are Seven Days in a week. Seven notes in Music, Seven colors in the rainbow.
Used as often as it is, in the way it is, must have some significance over and above its numerical value. Symbolically, it is thought to stand for Completeness, A Unit, Fulness, Totality.”
Soli Deo Gloria!
Love,
Jimmy