Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
Adapted from the free .pdf download:
The Bible and the Future by Anthony A. Hoekema, with my comments in bold blue.
"The System of Interpretation of the book of Revelation which seems most satisfactory to me is that known as Progressive Parallelism", where each of the Seven Visions in Revelation gives a complete picture of the same Time Period, between the First and Second Coming of Jesus, which is our Present Age of Churches.
It's like Each Vision is stacked on top of each other AND WE CAN SEE THROUGH EACH ONE, TO COMPARE IT TO THE OTHERS, while they each are covering that same Time Period. We can see all of them that way, the way they were written, in the manner they are related to one another.
So, Each Vision is to be understood as being Parallel with all the other Visions, again, with Each Vision covering the entire New Testament Era, between the First and Second Coming of Jesus, that we are Presently living in,
also while each of the Seven Visions Parallel each other in the Time Period they Reveal, then as we go from the First to the last Vision, they all get Progressively more detailed as they Reveal God's Reality in our lives and in the World that He would have us to understand. This Progressive Parallelism Method of Interpretation is shown to be embedded and laced into the OVERALL STRUCTURE of HOW THE BOOK OF REVELATION WAS WRITTEN, and "is ably defended by William Hendriksen in More Than Conquerors, his commentary on Revelation.
"According to this view, the book of Revelation consists of Seven Sections which run Parallel to each other, each of which depicts the church and the World from the time of Christ’s First Coming to the Time of His Second Coming.
"This is a brief explanation of the First Vision
of the Seven Parallel Visions in the book of Revelation.
"The First of these Seven Sections where each 'Section' is one 'Vision' is found in chapters 1 thru 3. John sees the Risen and Glorified Christ Walking in the Midst of seven Golden Lamp-stands. In obedience to Christ’s Command, John now proceeds to write letters to each of those seven churches of Asia Minor. That Vision of the Glorified Christ together with the letters to the seven churches obviously form a unit.
"As we read these letters we are impressed with two things."
These are two enormous 'nuggets' we need to learn about the Interpretation of Revelation.
"First, there are references to Events, People, and Places of the Time when the book of Revelation was written.
"Second, the Principles, Commendations, and Warnings contained in these letters have value for the churches of all time.
"These two observations, in fact, provide the biggest clue for the Interpretation of the entire book", beside Revelation being Structured in a Progressively Revealed Revelation, where Each Vision has a depiction of JESUS' FIRST COMING AND HIS SECOND COMING, at the End of Time, which tells us they cover that same Time Period and, therefore, are Structured to be Studied knowing Each Vision runs Parallel with each of the others.
"Since the book of Revelation was addressed to the church of the first century A.D., its message had reference to Events occurring at that Time, it was therefore meaningful for the Christians of that day.
"But since the book was also intended for the Lord's churches throughout the Ages, from the time it was written until Jesus Returns, its Message is still relevant for us today."
I have heard and I believe Revelation is the Most Relevant and Most Practical book in the Bible.
In fact, when we read, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand", in verse 3 of chapter 1, the Lord is saying that those people of the First Century could be Blessed by reading it, so they had to have a handle on the understanding of its Message.
We too are made that same Promise that we will be Spiritual Blessed by reading and hearing and keeping those things that are written in it. Doesn't that imply that we are able to discern and derive a clear working knowledge of its contents?
In other words, I don't see God popping off with some willy-nilly proclamation like, "THERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO VIEW THE BOOK OF REVELATION"! Where does God say that?
God Promises we can be Blessed by it and that's not going to happen WITH CONFUSION.
And, as we remember, "God is not the Author of confusion", so man is.
I'm saying skip 'man' and let God Reveal His Divine Plan for the Structure of how He would have us study it and, therefore, be Blessed with His Revelation!
The Bible and the Future by Anthony A. Hoekema, with my comments in bold blue.
"The System of Interpretation of the book of Revelation which seems most satisfactory to me is that known as Progressive Parallelism", where each of the Seven Visions in Revelation gives a complete picture of the same Time Period, between the First and Second Coming of Jesus, which is our Present Age of Churches.
It's like Each Vision is stacked on top of each other AND WE CAN SEE THROUGH EACH ONE, TO COMPARE IT TO THE OTHERS, while they each are covering that same Time Period. We can see all of them that way, the way they were written, in the manner they are related to one another.
So, Each Vision is to be understood as being Parallel with all the other Visions, again, with Each Vision covering the entire New Testament Era, between the First and Second Coming of Jesus, that we are Presently living in,
also while each of the Seven Visions Parallel each other in the Time Period they Reveal, then as we go from the First to the last Vision, they all get Progressively more detailed as they Reveal God's Reality in our lives and in the World that He would have us to understand. This Progressive Parallelism Method of Interpretation is shown to be embedded and laced into the OVERALL STRUCTURE of HOW THE BOOK OF REVELATION WAS WRITTEN, and "is ably defended by William Hendriksen in More Than Conquerors, his commentary on Revelation.
"According to this view, the book of Revelation consists of Seven Sections which run Parallel to each other, each of which depicts the church and the World from the time of Christ’s First Coming to the Time of His Second Coming.
"This is a brief explanation of the First Vision
of the Seven Parallel Visions in the book of Revelation.
"The First of these Seven Sections where each 'Section' is one 'Vision' is found in chapters 1 thru 3. John sees the Risen and Glorified Christ Walking in the Midst of seven Golden Lamp-stands. In obedience to Christ’s Command, John now proceeds to write letters to each of those seven churches of Asia Minor. That Vision of the Glorified Christ together with the letters to the seven churches obviously form a unit.
"As we read these letters we are impressed with two things."
These are two enormous 'nuggets' we need to learn about the Interpretation of Revelation.
"First, there are references to Events, People, and Places of the Time when the book of Revelation was written.
"Second, the Principles, Commendations, and Warnings contained in these letters have value for the churches of all time.
"These two observations, in fact, provide the biggest clue for the Interpretation of the entire book", beside Revelation being Structured in a Progressively Revealed Revelation, where Each Vision has a depiction of JESUS' FIRST COMING AND HIS SECOND COMING, at the End of Time, which tells us they cover that same Time Period and, therefore, are Structured to be Studied knowing Each Vision runs Parallel with each of the others.
"Since the book of Revelation was addressed to the church of the first century A.D., its message had reference to Events occurring at that Time, it was therefore meaningful for the Christians of that day.
"But since the book was also intended for the Lord's churches throughout the Ages, from the time it was written until Jesus Returns, its Message is still relevant for us today."
I have heard and I believe Revelation is the Most Relevant and Most Practical book in the Bible.
In fact, when we read, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand", in verse 3 of chapter 1, the Lord is saying that those people of the First Century could be Blessed by reading it, so they had to have a handle on the understanding of its Message.
We too are made that same Promise that we will be Spiritual Blessed by reading and hearing and keeping those things that are written in it. Doesn't that imply that we are able to discern and derive a clear working knowledge of its contents?
In other words, I don't see God popping off with some willy-nilly proclamation like, "THERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO VIEW THE BOOK OF REVELATION"! Where does God say that?
God Promises we can be Blessed by it and that's not going to happen WITH CONFUSION.
And, as we remember, "God is not the Author of confusion", so man is.
I'm saying skip 'man' and let God Reveal His Divine Plan for the Structure of how He would have us study it and, therefore, be Blessed with His Revelation!
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