Featured Revelation

Although, I hope you agree that generally speaking there is one 'view' that the Book of Revelation defines for itself, as to how it is seven parallel Visions that each span the entire church-age.

If so, that precludes that to read the chapters of Revelation, one after the other, from beginning to end, as if there is one constant progression in time that builds to the final climax, can only result in one more unmitigated catastrophic train wreak of false interpretation.

That is the key.

Revelation unvals itself once we see there are seven times the end of the world is recorded, one for each Vision, hint, hint.

Then, to view the contents as symbolic or Apocalyptic in their messages recorded in reoccurring principles throughout the church-age it covers and not records referring to any specific historical events, gets us where God wants us.

Revelation is THE most practical book in the Bible, when interpreted correctly. It says right there, 1:3 "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."

Also, google Dean Davis and Kim Riddlebarger, both for mp3's, too, and Anthony Hoekema (The Bible and the Future).

The High King of Heaven (eBook) | Monergism

Search | Monergism Search at Monergism for these guys.

These are superb Amillennialism 101 - Academy Lectures Fall 2010 | Monergism

Hendriksen's .pdf is the place to start. Read his first six short chapters 50 times, or until you get the design God placed in Revelation and you're good to go from there.

"My favorite commentary on the book of Revelation, by William Hendriksen. I find it to be consistent with the rest of the Bible."

Hendricksen-W-More_Than_Conquerors_-1940.pdf (tn-biblecollege.edu)

 

I see Jesus returning in one Second Coming, any second, and that is it.

I get it from these 66 reference verses, because that is the only Second Coming I see recorded.

9.0.0 > NT Intro iv: SIXTY-SIX NEW TESTAMENT Verses Teach The SECOND COMING of JESUS CHRIST & THE END of TIME.

 

He doesn't return for resurrection, he returns in judgement!... Like Kentucky said on post #3... 98% of Revelation is fulfilled... I have been studying Revelation for years and its is historical/spiritual the future is 2%... A good source I highly recommend and I know many brethren have read it, is an eyewitness account at the time is The Works Of Josephus in his The War Of The Jews or The History Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem in 70 AD... The scriptures are two fold it is true that the scriptures are spiritual but they are historical too... Sometime we get confused when we get the two mixed up... Especially in Revelation... God answers the wicked Jews in the crucifixion of his Son... The finally resurrection where he raises us from the dead and takes us home to be with him, is yet to come... If one of you brethren have the link to The Works Of Josephus post it on here so Jason can check it out, if he doesn't have it... I have the book!... Brother Glen

 

No, I am not a dispensationalist. It is because the man of sin has not been revealed, who calls himself God.

 

No!... Its not the animation of desolation, it the abomination of desolation, Islam has a mosque, its a temple, its Jewish... The abomination of desolation that stands in the temple is The Roman Legion, which destroyed it, in the first century... The temple and all its vessels and practices and sacrifices pointed to Jesus Christ, since Christ came, he fulfilled it and it is no longer needed... Out with Old in with the New... Brother Glen

Hebrews 10: 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

 

having been confident of this very thing, that He who did begin in you a good work, will perform till of day of Jesus Christ, Phil 1:6
for your proving the things that differ, that ye may be pure and offenceless -- to day of Christ, Phil 1:10

When exactly is that, day? Past, present, future?

Could, day of Jesus Christ, Day of Christ be construed the same as the Lord's day of Rev 1:10 a day associated with trumpets?

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Is the following speaking of the same day as ? --- And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God those asleep through Jesus he will bring with him,
for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep, because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be; [He who did begin in you a good work, will perform till of day of Jesus Christ]

Did the spirit take John to the day of Christ [ Which I believe will be a thousand years. BTW] and with that being the present tell John; Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, [The day of the Lord, day of Christ, the kingdom of Christ compare to 1 Cor 15:23,24] and the things which shall be hereafter; [ After Christ hands up the kingdom to the Father Rev 21,22]

 

Yep. As John Gill wrote in his Bible commentary on Matthew 24:15:

"The Roman army is designed; see Luke 21:20 which was the משמם שקוצים כנף, "the wing", or "army of abominations making desolate", Daniel 9:27. Armies are called wings, Isaiah 8:8 and the Roman armies were desolating ones to the Jews, and to whom they were an abomination; not only because they consisted of Heathen men, and uncircumcised persons, but chiefly because of the images of their gods, which were upon their ensigns."

 

It is the day when Christ returns, does away with this present heavens and earth, and replaces them with the new heavens and earth wherein dwells righteousness.

2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

 

Thanks for the explanation, I know all that but wanted to keep it simple, its a lot to swallow... Brother Glen

 

This is a post from my WordPress, (it is mostly John Gill
modified for reading by a modern audience)
showing how the Bible explains its own imagery, like

"blood, fire, vapor and smoke”.

( 9.0. > N.T. TEACHING & PARABLES, etc. ) THE DIVINE INTERPRETATION of The GODHEAD’S PLAIN, NEW TESTAMENT TEACHINGS, about JESUS’ LORDSHIP, Now, & JESUS’ SOON RETURN. – Aware of The Godhead

Adapted from Matthew 24 and the Great Tribulation
by Brian Schwertley.
…

STUDYING THE BIBLE is FUN when we Know
that we are ENABLED by THE HOLY SPIRIT
to arrive at a correct reading of
WHAT GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND.

We can arrive at a correct understanding
of Matthew 24 and the Great Tribulation,
by Following The HOLY SPIRIT and READING GOD’S WORD,

It is in that WAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT SHOWS US
WHAT GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND.

IN THAT WAY: STUDYING THE BIBLE is FUN.

ONE WAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ENABLED to SHOW US
that STUDYING THE BIBLE is FUN
and WHAT GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND
is by Following The HOLY SPIRIT and READING GOD’S WORD,
employing Important common sense Interpretive Procedures:

If one is to arrive at a correct understanding of the Olivet discourse,
he must follow Biblical Principles of Interpretation
(i.e. one must adopt a genuine
grammatical-historical theological hermeneutic,
meaning:

grammatical = WHAT DO THE WORDS SAY?

historical = WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE?

theological = THE STUDY of GOD,

hermeneutic = THE SCIENCE of “Interpretation”)
…

Some basic principles of Biblical Interpretation are as follows.

(1) The section of Scripture in question
( Grammatically = WHAT DO THE WORDS SAY?)
must be Interpreted in light of the original audience.

( Historically = WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE? )

For example, would a first century Jewish audience regard a phrase such as
“blood, fire, vapor and smoke”?

THESE ARE BIBLE WORDS and GOD PUT THEM THERE.

THE BIBLE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD.

When The Bible Passage includes the Words
“blood, fire, vapor and smoke”
THEY WERE WRITTEN TO PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE,
FOR THEM TO HEAR and UNDERSTAND, at THAT TIME.

Acts 2:19, 20;
“And I will show wonders in heaven above,
and signs in the earth beneath
— blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

notice also this imagery that will be associated;

“20 The Sun will be turned into darkness,
and the Moon into blood
before that Great and Notable Day of the Lord Come.”
…

Revelation 6:12; cf.;
“And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair,
and the Moon became as blood;

"13 and the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth,
even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs
when she is shaken by a mighty wind.

“14 And the Heaven departed as a scroll
when it is rolled together,
and every mountain and island
were moved out of their places.”
…

Joel 2:28-32;
“And it shall come to pass afterward
that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters will Prophesy, your old men shall dream Dreams, your young men will see Visions;

“29 and also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out My Spirit.

30 “And I will show wonders in the Heavens
and in the Earth–
blood and fire and pillars of smoke.

“31 The sun will be turned into darkness
and the Moon into blood, before
The Great and The Terrible Day of The LORD Come.

“32 And it will Come to Pass,
that whosoever will call on The Name of The LORD will be delivered;
because in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
will be deliverance, as the LORD Has Said,
and in the remnant whom the LORD Will Call.”
…

So, by INCLUDING ALL BIBLE PASSAGES,
and READING GOD’S WORDS,
“GRAMMATICALLY” and “HISTORICALLY”,
as to, “WHAT DID THOSE WORDS MEAN
to THE PEOPLE WHO THEY WERE WRITTEN TO?
we would we ‘come up’ with
“blood and fire and vapor of smoke”,
as ‘referring’ to ‘nuclear war’ (??)
or
that, “blood and fire and vapor of smoke”
are OLD COVENANT PROPHETIC IMAGES
THAT GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED in THE OLD TESTAMENT
TO “PICTURE”: God’s Impending Judgment on Israel!

In A.D. 70, on the Temple and Jerusalem,
the Abomination of Desolation.

See How FUN that is?

And How IMPORTANT it is, SIMPLY to READ THE BIBLE?

That was with One common sense Principle of Bible Interpretation.
…
The "wonders in Heaven"
& "The sun will be turned into darkness
and the Moon into blood,"

are associated with A.D. 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem
and may be seen as imagery of Governmental powers
and those in authority being displaced.

Therefore, "before The Great and The Terrible Day of The LORD Come",
refers to A.D. 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem, also.

 

Thanks for your reply. A question or so.

And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead -- the first-fruit of those sleeping he became, for since through man is the death, also through man is a rising again of the dead, for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, 1 Cor 15:20-22

the first-fruit of those sleeping he became, < About 2000 years ago, correct?

V 23 and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, <About 2000 years ago, correct?]
afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence, < In his presence. Is this the day of Christ? When those who are his are raised out of the dead?]

V 24 - 26 then -- the end, when he may deliver up the reign to God, even the Father, when he may have made useless all rule, and all authority and power -- for it behoveth him to reign till he may have put all the enemies under his feet -- the last enemy is done away -- death;

Now does it not appear from V's 24-26 that at the beginning of in his presence V 23 there follows a reign of Christ with those who are his and he made alive in his presence which makes useless all rule and authority and power with the last thing being made useless/done away being the rest of what is dead, that is death.

Then V's 27,28 would follow just as chapters 21 and 22 of Revelation follow Chapter 20 which is the scenario of 1 Cor 15:24-26 above? The new heavens and new earth.

In Chapter 20 of Rev are those who reign with him in V's 4 and 6 the very same ones who are his of 1 Cor 15:23 and are raised out of the dead, in the order of, in his presence?

 

Away with all fleshly desire for a future physical kingdom:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

A present reality - seated with Christ:

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, ( by grace ye are saved ) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

A present reality - where Christ is seated:

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

 

I refer you William Hendriksen's commentary, beginning at the top of page 191:

Hendricksen-W-More_Than_Conquerors_-1940.pdf (tn-biblecollege.edu)

 

Non Catholics.
The rot started in the early 1800s when Edward Irving adopted Jesuit teaching and preached on dispensationalism on Christmas day 1825. He claimed in his Morning Watch magazine available on Google play.

Futurism was invented by the Jesuits beginning with Belarmine in the late 16th century. Preterism was invented by another Jesuit, Alcazar in the early 17th century. They were both intended to challenge the Christian teaching that the Pope is Antichrist, both of which were confined to the Roman church until Irving.

The early church church taught that the let and Hindrance in 2 Thess 2 were the Emperor and the Empire. The empire would be removed and the empire would be divided into 10. All that was fulfilled. After that the Antichrist would come and reign for 3½ years, then the end world would come. They couldn't know the long ages and that the man of sin and successor to to the emperors would be a continuing monarchy. They have been worshipped as gods just as the emperors have. They make even greater claims than the emperors as the wear a triple crown, claiming to reign over heaven, earth and hell. All Catholics are citizens of Rome first and their home country second.

 

Our pastor preached on the Revelation quoting Hendricksen. I will have to tell him that Hendiksen is a false teacher.

Years ago, a man called Barnes wrote that he had read Revelation many times but eventually thought that it was indecipherable. Then he read Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and saw that it was so accurate in describing the Revelation that he would have considered it to be based on Revelation if Gibbon had not been a scoffer of Cristianity.

There is a video on YouTube where a number of atheists were interviewed. One question they were asked was "Who do you think the leading atheist was. One woman said "Sir Isaac Newton's." Really? Sir Isaac Newton wrote a book on prophecy, following the traditional view. My sister has a first edition of that, passed down from my dad, I would like to read it.

Who in the past taught that the Pope is the man of sin?
The Waldensians from about AD1200 when the Pope got his full persecuting powers.
The Hussites. John Huss wrote many letters to the Lollards in England mentioning the Papacy as antichrist. The reformers independently, as they were not aware of the pre reformation church until after. The Hugenots, the Church of England, the Baptists, the Presbyterian, the Camisards. The SDA.

I have a book on Daniel by a British Israelite, who mostly follows the historic teaching but believes Antichrist was the Caliph who took Jerusalem. Well there is always one.

 

I think you are talking about American baptists, but they were influenced in the past when the scofield bible came out and was given to all bible Scools free of charge. Most Baptist churches in the UK would follow Hedricksen, those who try to follow scripture anyway, althoughsome follow the traditional historic teaching. I have no idea what general baptists teach.

 

4 Views of Revelation - Steve Gregg · Christianity Without the Religion/Plain Truth Ministries (ptm.org)

Revelation: Four Views, A Parallel Commentary, Revised & Updated Edition: Steve Gregg, Robert G. Clouse: 9781401676216: Amazon.com: Books

1. PRETERIST. MOST PROPHECIES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION WERE FULFILLED DURING THE TIME OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
A word of caution here. Not all preterists are created equal. The term preterism can describe two very different approaches: 1) A belief that the text is not inspired prophecy, but is rather a description of certain historical events amidst fanciful apocalyptic imagery. 2) A belief that the prophecies of the book are divinely inspired and were fulfilled mostly in the first centuries after Christ.

The first type of preterist, theologically liberal, advocates a later writing of the book (A.D. 95), and while accepting the historical reality of certain events in the text, believes John’s apocalyptic visions were never, and will never be, fulfilled.

The second type of preterist, theologically conservative, believes in an early writing of the book (before A.D. 70). Those who advocate this view point out the correspondence between Revelation and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. They point to Revelation 1:1, 19, which says that the predicted events must must “shortly come to pass.” They also point to Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) as primarily being fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in A.D. 70.

Most conservative preterists allow, however, that the last chapters of Revelation describe the Second Coming of Christ.

2. HISTORICIST. THE PROPHECIES HAVE BEEN FULFILLED THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND ARE STILL BEING FULFILLED TODAY.
While this interpretation is not widely in use today, those who have been steeped in popular futurist views are often surprised to learn that most of the classic commentaries from a century or more ago are written from a historicist viewpoint. Many of the great leaders of the Reformation and later also held to this view: Wycliffe, Knox, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Melanchthon, Newton, Huss, Foxe, Wesley, Edwards, Whitfield and Finney.

According to historicists, Revelation is a kind of survey of church history, with historical events symbolically portrayed. Historicists believe that exact time periods are specified, assuming that each day specified in the text equals a year in real time.

The challenge for historicists has been to align actual events with the details in the text (an approach shared by preterists and futurists). This requires large amounts of conjecture, and the flexibility to revise interpretations in light of ongoing world events.

Another prominent feature of Protestant historicism is its belief that the Antichrist of Revelation refers to the Papacy. For this reason, some die-hard historicists assert that all other interpretations of Revelation are Satanically inspired attempts to obscure the Antichrist’s true identity.

In any case, historicism has fallen out of vogue. Critics point out that it has not kept up with history much past the 14th century and that it is Eurocentric — not recognizing more recent and significant developments in the church in other parts of the world.

3. FUTURIST. MOST PROPHECIES BEYOND REVELATION 3 ARE YET TO BE FULFILLED.
This is the view held by most contemporary North American evangelical writers and teachers. Somewhat ironically, futurism was originated in 1585 by Francisco Ribeira, a Spanish Jesuit priest, for the purpose of refuting the historicist views of the Protestant reformers.

The most popular version of futurism today is dispensationalism, which has only been around since 1830, when J.N. Darby began teaching his ideas of a secret Rapture of the church (Revelation 4:1) followed by a tribulation period, and a 1,000-year rule of Christ.

Futurists tend to take a literal view of the book of Revelation. Since futurists believe that few, if any, of the events from chapters 4-22 of Revelation have taken place, it is easy for them to assert that most of these prophecies are to be taken literally (whereas preterists, historicists and spiritualists must wrestle with symbolic interpretations of passages about the two witnesses and the four horsemen, for example).

This literal interpretation of the highly symbolic book of Revelation ignores the style of writing God inspired John to use. The first key in understanding literature of any type is to determine the kind (genre) of literature it is.

Revelation is prophecy, letter and apocalyptic — with the apocalyptic style predominating. Apocalyptic style was well known at the time John wrote, using cryptic meanings and symbolic images. Above all, apocalyptic literature is born of immediate persecution and oppression and anticipates the final triumph of good over evil.

Disregarding the language God inspires to convey his message, futurists conveniently avoid having their “this is going to happen in the near future” approach tested by historical events.

Dispensationalists, in particular, can prognosticate freely with the confidence that they will be raptured before the bulk of Revelation is fulfilled and will not be around on earth to be embarrassed by any inaccuracies in their predictions.

On further thought, this approach renders the book irrelevant and of little practical use for most Christians, as they either will have died or will have been raptured before its fulfillment.

4. SPIRITUAL (OR SYMBOLIC OR IDEALIST). MOST PROPHECIES PORTRAY THE ONGOING COSMIC CONFLICT OF SPIRITUAL REALITIES AND MAY HAVE MANY FULFILLMENTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
This actually represents a variety of approaches that look for lessons or principles — often recurrent in history — symbolically depicted in Revelation. Noting the apocalyptic style in which the book is written, this interpretation sees the central theme as the triumph of good over evil, of Christ over Satan. Passages that other approaches regard as depicting chronological events (such as the seals, trumpets and emergence of the beast) are regarded allegorically by spiritualists as recurring realities in history as part of God’s sovereign plan for humankind.

The obvious advantage of this view is that there is no need to match events described in the book to real events. The disadvantage is that the book of Revelation itself claims to predict certain specific events (1:1).

 

The book of Revelation is an apocalyptic writing that has been interpreted in different ways by different scholars. Four views on the book of Revelation are123:

• The historicist view, which sees Revelation as a record of the course of history from the time of the apostles to the end of the world.
• The preterist view, which sees Revelation as a prophecy of events that were fulfilled in the first century AD.
• The futurist view, which sees Revelation as a prophecy of events that are still to come in the future.
• The idealist view, which sees Revelation as a symbolic representation of the spiritual conflict between good and evil.

 

The popes do, they say they can do almost all that God can do.They are worshipped as gods,see crowds worshipping them when they are out. When they are seated on the high altar they are above all that is called god, the consecrated wafer. The wafer when held up is worshipped as god .

 

Amazon.com : four views of revelation