1. REVELATIO 1 COMME TARY Written and edited by Glenn Pease I
TRODUCTIO MY OTES, Jesus is the author, but John is the writer.
Jesus is both the one revealed and the revealer of what is to be.
The goal of the book is not to see the future, but to see Him who
is Lord of the future and all time. It is more important to know
who holds the future than to know what the future holds. Jesus is
both the agent and the content of the Revelation. It has no
ultimate value if it does not lead you to focus on Him. The
revealing of Jesus or the unveiling enables us to see mysteries in
a light we could never know without revelation. We cannot discover
these things by study and research, but only by the revealed Word
of God. From the outset, we are given the most important truth
about the Book of Revelation: it does show us the Antichrist, it
does show us God's judgment, it does show us calamity on the earth,
it does show us Mystery Babylon and all it entails - but most of
all, it reveals Jesus Christ to us. If we catch everything else,
but miss Jesus in the book, we have missed the book must soon take
place.These are not probable things, but things that must take
place, and soon. The futurists point out that soon to God can be a
long time, for a day is like a thousand years to Him, and so they
see this as long range and not in the life time of the first
hearers of the revelation as the preterists feel. But the fact is
it is a simple statement, and does fit the view that the early
Christians had that the end would be soon. See Rom. 13:12 and 1Pet.
4:7 Dr. Ray Summers of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
writes, "I do not believe that any interpretation of Revelation can
be correct if it was meaningless and if it failed to bring
practical help and comfort to those who first received the book. To
start from any other viewpoint is to follow the road which leads
away from the truth of the book..." You can spot a lot of foolish
ideas easy when you have this perspective. Barclay writes, "As John
saw it, the events in it were working themselves out in the
immediate happenings and events which were coming upon the world."
This little word has been a big issue of debate. Is it God's soon
or man's soon? If it is soon for man, then the revelation is
primarily for the first century Christians. If it is soon for God,
then it can be for any generation, and probably for the last
generation of Christians. So the Preterists and the Futurists
debate the meaning of this word. It is likely that the books was
meant for all Christians. It has to mean something to those who
received it first, that is the Christians of the 7 churches. The
soon had to be relevant to them or it is meaningless. John is just
saying here what his fellow Apostles have already said. Paul writes
in Rom. 13:2, "The night is far
2. gone, the day is at hand." Peter in IPet. 4:7 writes, "The
end of all things is at hand." In the third verse here, John says
the time is near. So it is wise to see the Preterist viewpoint, for
something had to happen that fits this revelation to the original
readers of it would be false prophecy. This does not mean it has no
meaning to all other generations, however, for as George Eldon Ladd
says, "It is the nature of Biblical prophecy to make it possible
for every generation to live in expectancy of the end." Every
generation could be the last and so it is always relevant. THE SEVE
CHURCHES. This is the first of 54 sevens in the book. Seven is the
number of completeness and wholeness and so the 7 here refers to
all churches. The seven are symbolic of the total for all time. But
they are real and literal churches. But just as the letter to the
Galatians and Ephesians were to literal churches, the message was
for all churches for all time. We are reading others peoples mail
in reading the ew Testament, but God meant it that way. There were
other churches in Asia not mentioned, such as Troas in Acts
20:5-12, Colosse in Col. 1:2 and Hierapolis in Col. 4:13. But all
are included in the 7. Paul also wrote letters to just 7
churches:Rome,Corinth,Galatia,
Ephesus,Philippi,Colosse,Thessalonica EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM Has
there ever been an event in history that every eye has seen. Time
Magazine carried two references to Christ's "second coming" during
the epic summer of 1969. One was in the account of man's landing on
the moon. It asserted that the only event which could command
larger worldwide headlines would be "the second coming." " o man
will forsee it, and all men will see it." The second coming is not
hidden and obscure like the first coming, but open and public to
all the world. There is no secret coming in the Bible, but all
references to the second coming are public and universal. 1.
Apocalypse: Definitions and Related Terms Prof. Felix Just, S.J. -
Loyola Marymount University Preliminary Description of
"Apocalypse": In popular terminology today, an "apocalypse" is a
catastrophic event (e.g., nuclear holocaust). In biblical
teminology, an "apocalypse" is not an event, but a "revelation"
that is recorded in written form:
3. it is a piece of crisis literature that reveals truths about
the past, present, and/or future in highly symbolic terms; the
revelation often comes in dreams or visions, and usually needs to
be interpreted with the help of an angel; it is usually intended to
provide hope and encouragement for people in the midst of severe
trials and tribulations. Caution: "The Apocalypse" is an alternate
name (used esp. by Protestants) for "The Book of Revelation" in the
New Testament. Also, "The Little Apocalypse" or "The Apocalyptic
Discourse" are names sometimes given to Mark 13 (and the parallel
passages in Matt 24 and Luke 21), containing the teachings of Jesus
about the future of Jerusalem and the end of the world. 2.
Technical Definition of "Apocalypse" (from SBL "Apocalypse Group";
published in J. J. Collins, Semeia 14 [1979] 9): " Apocalypse is a
genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which
a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human
recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality with is both temporal,
insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial
insofar as it involves another, supernatural world." Definition
addition regarding the genres purpose, incorporating suggestions of
Hellholm (1982) & Aune (1986): "intended to interpret the
present, earthly circumstances in light of the supernatural world
and of the future, and to influence both the understanding and the
behavior of the audience by means of divine authority."
Subdivisions or Types of Apocalypses: Apocalypses can be classified
according to features in their CONTENT: Some apocalypses contain
"Otherworldly Journeys" (e.g., the seer is purportedly taken on a
tour of heaven) Others do not contain "Otherworldly Journeys"
(e.g., while seeing heavenly things, the seer stays on earth)
Apocalypses can also be classified according to their primary
REFERENTS: Some apocalypses deal with Personal Eschatology (the
death and after- life of individuals) Others focus more on Ethnic
or ational Eschatology (the end of a nation or empire) Many others
contain Cosmic Eschatology (the ultimate end of the whole world)
Related Terminology: Apocalyptic (adj.) - originally referred to
anything revelatory; now usually refers to catastrophic violence or
disasters. Apocalypticism - a world view with strong apocalyptic
expectations; social movements that expect the end of the world.
Eschatology / Eschatological - any teaching about the end times
and/or the future
4. world beyond the end of normal time. Prophecy - not
foretelling the future; but speaking & acting on behalf of God
about past, present or future truths. Revelation - an uncovering of
something which has always been true, but previously hidden or
unknown to humans. Day of the Lord / Judgment Day - a cosmic event
expected in the future, but the specific expectations vary.
Parousia - the coming or arrival of any important figure, esp. of
Jesus at the end of time, in early Christian expectations. Rapture
- a fairly new term for the expectation that faithful Christians
will be taken off the earth to live with Jesus, while all other
people are not; based on an overly literal misinterpretation of
1Thess 4:15-17. Tribulation - in fundamentalist expectations, a
7-year period of great suffering and turmoil before the Second
Coming of Christ; but exactly when the rapture is to occur in
relation to the tribulation is disputed among such believers:
Pre-Tribulation Rapture - non-believers have to endure the 7-year
tribulation, but believers are raptured first; Mid-Tribulation
Rapture - believers must endure 3 years of tribulation before they
are raptured; Post-Tribulation Rapture - believers must endure the
entire 7-year tribulation before they are raptured.
Dispensationalism - the belief that world history is divided into a
certain number of eras or "dispensations," which usually also
implies the belief that one is living in the last (or next-to-last)
dispensation before the end of the world and/or the beginning of
God's Kingdom. Armageddon / Harmagedon - the place (Megiddo) where
the final battle is to occur, according to Rev 16:16 Millennium -
any one-thousand year period; or more specifically the thousand
year period of peace of Rev 20:1-6. Millennialist / -ism -
religious groups that expect Rev 20 to occur literally, and often
try to calculate exact times. Cautions: not every Apocalypse is
purely eschatological (they may also interpret past or present
events, not only the future) not all Eschatology is apocalyptic
(some show a future that is peaceful, not violent). 2B. EBC, THE
PROLOGUE The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show
unto His servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass:
and He sent and signified it through His angel unto His servant
John; who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of
Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the
things which are written therein: for the season is at hand
(Rev_1:1-3). THE first chapter of Revelation introduces us to the
whole book, and supplies in great measure the key by which we are
to interpret it. The book is not intended to be a mystery in the
sense in which we commonly understand that word. It deals indeed
with the
5. future, the details of which must always be dark to us; and
it does this by means of figures and symbols and modes of speech
far removed from the ordinary simplicity of language which marks
the New Testament writers. But it is not on that account designed
to be unintelligible. The figures and Symbols employed in it are
used with perfect regularity; its peculiar modes of speech are
supposed to be at least not unfamiliar to the reader; and it is
taken for granted that he under stands them. The writer obviously
expects that his meaning, so far from being obscured by his style,
will he thereby illustrated, enforced, and brought home to the
mind, with greater than ordinary power. The word Revelation by
which he describes to us the general character of his work is of
itself sufficient to show this. "Revelation" means the uncovering
of that which has hitherto been covered, the drawing back of a veil
which has hung over a person or thing, the laying bare what has
been hitherto concealed; and the book before us is a revelation
instead of a mystery. Again, the book is a revelation of Jesus
Christ; not so much a revelation of what Jesus Christ Himself is,
as one of which He is the Author and Source. He is the Head of His
Church, reigning supreme in His heavenly abode. He is the Eternal
Son, the Word without whom was not anything made that was made, and
who executes all the purposes of the Father, "the same yesterday,
and to-day, and forever."l He is at the same time "Head over all
things to the Church."2 He regulates her fortunes. He controls in
her behalf the events of history. He fills the cup which He puts
into her hand with prosperity or adversity, with joy or sorrow,
with victory or defeat. Who else can impart a revelation so true,
so weighty, and so precious? (1 Joh_5:19; Heb_13:8; 2 Eph_1:22) Yet
again, the revelation to be now given by Jesus Christ is one which
God gave Him, the revelation of the eternal and unchangeable plan
of One who turneth the hearts of kings as the rivers of water, who
saith and it is done, who commandeth and it stands fast. Finally,
the revelation relates to things that must shortly come to pass,
and thus has all the interest of the present, and not merely of a
far-distant future. Such is the general character of that
revelation which Jesus Christ sent and signified through His angel
unto His servant John. And that Apostle faithfully recorded it for
the instruction and comfort of the Church. Like his Divine Master,
with whom throughout all this book believers are so closely
identified, and who is Himself the Amen, the faithful and true
witness,* the disciple whom He loved stands forth to bear witness
of the word of God thus given him, of the testimony of Jesus thus
signified to him, even of all things that he saw. He places himself
in thought at the end of the visions he had witnessed, and retraces
for others the elevating pictures which had filled, as he beheld
them, his own soul with rapture. (* Rev_3:14.) Therefore may he
now, ere yet he enters upon his task, pronounce a blessing upon
those who shall pay due heed to what he is to say. Does he think of
the person by whom the apostolic writings were read aloud in the
midst of the Christian congregation? then, Blessed is he that
readeth. Does he think of those who listen? then, Blessed are they
that hear the words of the prophecy. Or, lastly, does he think not
merely of reading and hearing, but of that laying up in the heart
to which these were only preparatory? then, Blessed are they that
keep the things which are written therein, for the season, the
short season in which everything shall be accomplished, is at hand.
The Introduction to the book is over; and it may be well to mark
for a moment that tendency to divide his matter into three parts
which peculiarly distinguishes St. John, and to which, as supplying
an important rule of interpretation, we shall often have occasion
to refer. There are obviously three parts in the Introduction, -
the Source, the Contents, and the Importance of the revelation: and
each of these is again divided into three. Three persons are
mentioned when the Source is spoken of, - God, Jesus Christ,
6. and the servants of Jesus; three when the Contents are
referred to, - the Word of God, the Testimony of Jesus, and All
things that he saw; and three when the Importance of the book is
described, - He that readeth, They that hear, and They that keep
the things written therein. "John to the seven churches which are
in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was,
and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before
His throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the
firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins in His blood;
and He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto His God and
Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.
Amen. Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see
Him, and they which pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth
shall wail over Him. Even so, Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
saith the Lord, God, which is and which was and which is to come,
the Almighty (Rev_1:4-8)." From the Introduction we pass to the
Salutation, extending from ver. 4 to ver. 8 (Rev_1:4-8). Adopting a
method different from that of the fourth Gospel, which is also the
production of his pen, the writer of Revelation names himself. The
difference is easily explained. The fourth Gospel is original not
only in its contents but its form. The Apocalypse is moulded after
the fashion of the ancient prophets, and of the numerous
apocalyptic authors of the time; and it was the practice of both
these classes of writers to place their names at the head of what
they wrote. The fourth Gospel was also intended to set forth in a
purely objective manner the glory of the Eternal Word made flesh,
and that too in such a way that the glory exhibited in Him should
authenticate itself, independently of human testimony. The
Apocalypse needed a voucher from one known and trusted. It came
through the mind of a man, and we naturally ask, Who is the man
through whom it came? The enquiry is satisfied, and we are told
that it comes from John. In telling us this St. John speaks with
the authority which belongs to him. By-and-by we shall see him in
another light, occupying a position similar to ours, and standing
on the same level with us in the covenant of grace. But at this
moment he is the Apostle, the Evangelist, the Minister of God, a
consecrated priest in the Christian community who is about to
pronounce a priestly blessing on the Church Let the Church bow her
head and reverently receive it. The Salutation is addressed to the
seven churches which are in Asia. On this point it is enough to say
that by the Asia spoken of we are to understand neither the
continent of that name, nor its great western division Asia Minor,
but only a single district of the latter, of which Ephesus, where
St. John spent the later years of his life and ministry, was the
capital. There the aged Apostle tended all those portions of the
flock of Christ that he could reach, and all the churches of the
neighborhood were his peculiar care. We know that these were in
number more than seven. We know that to no church could the Apostle
be indifferent. The conclusion is irresistible, that here, as so
often in this book as well as in other parts of Scripture, the
number seven is not to be literally under stood. Seven churches are
selected, the condition of which appeared most suitable to the
purpose which the Apostle has in view; and these seven represent
the Church of Christ in every country of the world, down to the
very end of time. The universal Church spreads itself out beneath
his gaze; and before he instructs he blesses it. The blessing is,
Grace to you, and peace; grace first, the Divine grace, in its
enlightening, quickening, and beautifying power; and then peace,
peace with God and man, peace that in the deep recesses of the
heart remains undisturbed by outward trouble, the peace of which it
is said by Him who is the Prince of peace, "Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful."* (*
Joh_14:27). The source of the blessing is next indicated, the
Triune God, the three Persons of the
7. glorious Trinity, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son.
Probably we should have thought of a different order; but the truth
is that it is the Son, as the manifestation of the Godhead, who is
mainly in the Apostles mind. Hence the peculiarity of the first
designation, Him which is, and which was, and which is to come, a
designation specially applicable to our Lord. Hence also the
peculiarity of the second designation, The seven Spirits which are
before His throne; not so much the Spirit viewed in His individual
personality, in the eternal relations of the Divine existence, as
that Spirit in the manifoldness of His operation in the Church, the
Spirit of the glorified Redeemer, not one therefore, but seven.
Hence, again, the peculiar designation of Christ, Jesus Christ, who
is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler
of the kings of the earth; not so much the Son in His metaphysical
relation to the Godhead, as in attributes connected with His
redemptive work. And hence, finally, the fact that when these three
Persons have been named, the Seer fills up the remaining verses of
his Salutation with thoughts, not of the Trinity, but of Him who
has already redeemed us, and who will in due time come to perfect
our salvation. Now, therefore, the Church, reflecting upon all that
has been done, is done, and shall be done for her, is able to raise
the song of triumphant thanksgiving, Unto Him that loveth us, and
loosed us from our sins in His blood, and He made us to be a
kingdom, to be priests unto His God and Father; to Him be the glory
and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. In these words the
possession of complete redemption is implied. The true reading of
the original is not that of our Authorized Version, "Unto Him that
washed," but "Unto Him that loosed" us from our sins. We have
received not merely the pardon of sin, but deliverance from its
power. "Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the
fowler; the snare is broken, and we are escaped."* The chains in
which Satan held us captive have been snapped asunder and we are
free. Again, this loosing has taken place "in" rather than "by" the
blood of Christ, for the blood of Christ is living blood, and in
that life of His we are enfolded and enwrapped, so that it is not
we that live, but Christ that liveth in us. Once more they who are
thus spoken of are "a kingdom, priests unto His God and Father,"
the former being the lower stage, the latter the higher. The word
"kingdom" has reference, less to the splendour of royalty than to
victory over foes. Christians reign in conquering their spiritual
enemies; and then, in possession of the victory that overcometh the
world, they enter into the innermost sanctuary of the Most High and
dwell in the secret of His Tabernacle. There their great High
Priest is one with "His God and Father," and there they also dwell
with His Father and their Father, with His God and their God. (*
Psa_124:7) The statement of these verses, however, reveals not only
what the Christian Church is to which the Apocalypse is addressed;
it reveals also what the Lord is from whom the revelation comes. He
is indeed the Saviour who died for us, the witness faithful unto
death: but He is also the Saviour who rose again, who is the
firstborn of the dead, and who has ascended to the right hand of
God, where He lives and reigns in glory everlasting. It is the
glorified Redeemer from whom the book of His revelation comes; and
He has all power committed to Him both in heaven and on earth. More
particularly, He is "the ruler of the kings of the earth." This is
not a description of such honour as might be given by a crowd of
loyal nobles to a beloved prince. It rather gives expression to a
power by which "the kings of the earth," the potentates of a sinful
world, are subdued and crushed. Lastly, the Salutation includes the
thought that He who is now hidden in heaven from our view, will yet
appear in the glory that belongs to Him. He is the Lord who "is to
come"; or, as it is expanded in the words immediately following the
doxology, Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall
see Him, and they which pierced Him; and
8. all the tribes of the earth shall wail over Him. Even so,
Amen. It is of importance to ask what the glory is in which the
glorified Lord is thus spoken of as coming. Is it that of one who
shall be the object of admiration to every eye, and who, by the
revelation of Himself, shall win all who behold Him to godly
penitence and faith? The context forbids such an interpretation.
The tribes "of the earth" are like its kings in ver. 5 (Rev_1:5),
the tribes of an ungodly world, and the "wailing" is that of
Rev_18:9, where the same word is used, and where the kings of the
earth weep and wail over the fall of guilty Babylon, which they
behold burning before their eyes. The tones of that judgment which
is to re-echo throughout the book are already heard: "Give the king
Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the kings Son. He
shall judge the people with righteousness, and Thy poor with
judgment"; "Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily, He
is a God that judgeth in the earth."1 (1 Psa_72:1-2; Psa_58:11) And
now the glorified Redeemer Himself declares what He is: I am the
Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord, God, which is and which was
and which is to come, the Almighty. It will be observed that after
the word "Lord" we have interposed a comma not found in either the
Authorized or the Revised Version.1 On various other occasions we
shall have to do the same, and the call to do so arises partly from
the connection of the thought, partly from St. Johns love of that
tripartite division of an idea which has been already spoken of.
The former does not lead us to the Father; it leads us, on the
contrary, to the Son. He it is Who has been described immediately
before, and with Him the description which follows is to be
occupied. No doubt the thought of God, of the Father, lies
immediately behind the words. No doubt also "the Son can do nothing
of Himself, but what He seeth the Father doing"; yet "what things
soever He doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner."2 By the
Son the Father acts. In the Son the Father speaks. The Son is the
manifestation of the Father. The same Divine attributes, therefore,
which are to be seen in the Father, are to be seen in the Son. Let
us hear Him as He seals His intimations of coming judgment with the
assurance that He is God, who has come who is and who is to come,
the Almighty. (1 Compare the Greek text of Westcott and Hart; 2
Joh_5:19) "I John, your brother and partaker with you in the
tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the
isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony
of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord s day, and I heard behind
me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write
in a book, and send it to the seven churches; unto Ephesus, and
unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis,
and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the
voice which spake with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden
candlesticks; and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a
Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about
at the breasts with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were
white as white wool, white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of
fire; and His feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been
refined in a furnace; and His voice as the voice of many waters.
And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth
proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet
as one dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, Fear not;
I am the first and the last, and the living One; And I became dead,
and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death
and of Hades. Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the
things which are, and the things which shall come to pass
hereafter; the mystery of the stars which thou sawest upon My right
hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches; and the seven candle sticks are seven
churches (Rev_1:9-20)." After the Introduction and Salutation, the
visions of the book begin, the first being the
9. key to all that follow. The circumstances amidst which it
was given are described, not merely to satisfy curiosity, or to
afford information, but to establish such a connection between St.
John and his readers as shall authenticate and vivify its lessons.
I John, he begins, your brother and partaker with you in the
tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the
isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony
of Jesus. It is no longer only the Apostle, the authoritative
messenger of God, who speaks; it is one who occupies the same
ground as other members of the Church, and is bound to them by the
strong deep tie of common sorrow. The aged and honoured Evangelist,
"the disciple whom Jesus loved," is one with them, bears the same
burden, drinks the same cup, and has no higher consolation than
they may have. He is their "brother," a brother in adversity, for
he is a partaker with them of the "tribulation" that is in Jesus.
The reference is to outward suffering and persecution; for the
words of the Master were now literally fulfilled: "A servant is not
greater than his lord. If they persecuted Me they will also
persecute you;" "Yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you
shall think that he offereth service unto God."* The scorn, the
hatred, the persecution of the world! for such as were exposed to
these things was the Apocalypse written, by such was it understood;
and if, in later times, it has often failed to make its due
impression on the minds of men, it is because it is not intended
for those who are at ease in Zion. The more Christians are
compelled to feel that the world hates them, and that they cannot
be its friends, the greater to them will be the power and beauty of
this book. Its revelations, like the stars of the sky, shine most
brightly in the cold, dark night. (* Joh_15:20; Joh_16:2).
"Tribulation" is the chief thing spoken of, but the Apostle, with
his love of groups of three, accompanies it with other two marks of
the Christians condition in the world, the "kingdom" and "patience"
that are in Jesus. St. John therefore was in tribulation. He had
been driven from Ephesus, we know not why, and had been banished to
Patmos, a small rocky island of the gean Sea. He had been banished
for his faith, for his adherence to "the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus," the former expression leading our thoughts to
the revelation of the Old Testament, the latter to that of the New;
the former to those prophets, culminating in the Baptist, of whom
the same Apostle who now writes tells us in the beginning of his
Gospel, that they "came for witness, that they might bear witness
of the light;"1 the latter to "the true light, even the light which
lighteth every man coming into the world."2 Driven from the society
of his friends and "children," we cannot doubt that St. John would
be drawn even more closely than was his wont to the bosom of his
Lord; would feel that he was still protected by His care; would
remember the words uttered by Him in the most sublime and touching
moment of His life, "And I am no more in the world, and these are
in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy
name which Thou hast given Me";3 and would share the blessed
experience of knowing that, on every spot of earth however remote,
and amidst all trials however heavy, he was in the hands of One who
stills the tumults of the people as well as the waves of the sea
beating upon the rock-bound coast of Patmos. (1 Joh_1:7; 2 Joh_1:9;
3 Joh_17:11) Animated by feelings such as these, the Apostle knew
that, whatever appearances to the contrary might present
themselves, the time now passing over his head was the time of the
Lords rule, and not of mans. No thought could be more inspiring,
and it was the preparation in his soul for the scene which
followed. I was in the Spirit on the Lord s day, and I heard behind
me a great voice, as of a
10. trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write in a book, and send
it to the seven churches; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto
Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. The Lords day here referred to may
have been the Sunday, the first day of the Christian week, the day
commemorative of that morning when He who had been "crucified
through weakness, yet lived through the power of God."l If so,
there was a peculiar fitness in that vision, now to be granted, of
the risen and glorified Redeemer. But it seems doubtful if this is
the true interpretation, Proof is wanting that the first day of the
week had yet received the name of "The Lords Day," and it is more
in accordance with the prophetic tone of the book before us, to
think that by St. John the whole of that brief season which was to
pass before the Church should follow her Lord to glory was regarded
as "The Lords Day." Whichever interpretation we adopt, the fact
remains that, meditating in his lonely isle upon the glory of his
Lord in heaven and the contrasted fortunes of His Church on earth,
St. John passed into a state of spiritual ecstasy. Like St. Paul,
he was caught up into the third heavens; but, unlike him, he was
permitted, and even commanded, to record what he heard and saw.2 (1
2Co_13:4; 2Compare 2Co_12:4) And I heard behind me, he says, a
great voice as of a trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write in a
book, and send it to the seven churches; unto Ephesus, and unto
Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and
unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. We need not dwell now upon
these churches. We shall meet them again. They are "the seven
churches which are in Asia" already spoken of in ver. 4 (Rev_1:4);
and they are to be viewed as representative of the whole Christian
Church in all countries of the world, and throughout all time. In
their condition they represented to St. John what that Church is,
in her Divine origin and human frailty, in her graces and defects,
in her zeal and lukewarmness, in her joys and sorrows, in the
guardianship of her Lord, and in her final victory after many
struggles. Not to Christians in these cities alone is the
Apocalypse spoken, but to all Christians in all their
circumstances: "He that hath an ear, let him hear." The Apostle
heard. And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And
having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of
the candlesticks one like unto a Son of man. It was a splendid
vision which was thus presented to his eyes. The golden
candlestick, first of the Tabernacle and then of the Temple, was
one of the gorgeous articles of furniture in Gods holy house. It
was wrought, with its seven branches, after the fashion of an
almond tree, the earliest tree of spring to hasten (whence also it
was named) into blossom; and, as we learn from the elaborateness
and beauty of the workmanship, from the symbolical numbers largely
resorted to in its construction, and from the analogy of all the
furniture of the Tabernacle, it represented Israel when that
people, having offered themselves at the altar, and having been
cleansed in the laver of the court, entered as a nation of priests
into the special dwelling-place of their heavenly King. Here,
therefore, the seven golden candlesticks, or as in ver. 4 (Rev_1:4)
the one in seven, represent the Church, as she burns in the secret
place of the Most High. But we are not invited to dwell upon the
Church. Something greater attracts the eye, He who is "like unto a
Son of man." The expression of the original is remarkable. It
occurs only once in any of the other books of the New Testament, in
Joh_5:27, although there, both in the Authorized and Revised
versions, it is unhappily translated "the Son of man." It is the
humanness of our Lords Person more than the Person Himself, or
rather it is the Person in His humanness, to which the words of the
original direct us. Amidst all the glory that surrounds Him we arc
to think of Him as man; but what a man! Clothed with a garment down
to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
And His head and His hair were white as white wool, white as snow;
and His
11. eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto
burnished brass as if it had been refined in a furnace; and His
voice as the voice of many waters. And He had in His right hand
seven stars; and out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged
sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength.
The particulars of the description indicate the official position
of the Person spoken of, and the character in which He appears, (1)
He is a priest, clothed with the long white garment reaching to the
feet that was a distinguishing part of the priestly dress, but at
the same time so wearing the girdle at the breasts, not at the
waist, as to show that He was a priest engaged in the active
service of the sanctuary. (2) He is a king, for, with the exception
of the last mentioned particular, all the other features of the
description given of Him point to kingly rather than to priestly
power, while the prophetic language of Isaiah, as he looks forward
to Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, language which we may well suppose
to have been now in the Seers thoughts, leads to the same
conclusion: "And I will clothe him with thy robe and strengthen him
with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand."*
The "Son of man," in short, here brought before us in His heavenly
glory, is both Priest and King. (* Isa_22:21; comp. also Isa_22:22
with Rev_3:7) Not only so. It is even of peculiar importance to
observe that the attributes with which the Priest-King is clothed
are not so much those of tenderness and mercy as those of power and
majesty, inspiring the beholder with a sense of awe and with the
fear of judgment. Already we have had some traces of this in
considering ver. 7 (Rev_1:7): now it comes out in all its force.
That hair of a glistering whiteness which, like snow on which the
sun is shining, it almost pains the eye to look upon; those eyes
penetrating like a flame of fire into the inmost recesses of the
heart; those feet which like metal raised to a white heat in a
furnace consume in an instant whatever they tread upon in anger;
that voice loud and continuous, like the sound of the mighty tea as
it booms along the shore; that sword sharp, two-edged, issuing from
the mouth, so that no one can escape it when it is drawn to slay;
and lastly, that countenance like the sun in the height of a
tropical sky, when man and beast cower from the irresistible
scorching of his beams, all are symbolical of judgment. Eager to
save, the exalted High Priest is yet also mighty to destroy. "Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potters vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye Kings; be
instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye
perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him."* (* Psa_2:9-12).
The Apostle felt all this; and, believer as he was in Jesus,
convinced of his Masters love, and one who returned that love with
the warmest affections of his heart, he was yet overwhelmed with
terror. And when I saw Him, he tells us, I fell at His feet as one
dead. In circumstances somewhat similar to the present, a somewhat
similar effect had been produced upon other saints of God. When
Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord he cried, "Woe is me! for I am
undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts."1 When Ezekiel beheld a vision of the same
kind, he tells us that he "fell upon his face."2 When the angel
Gabriel appeared to Daniel in order to explain the vision which had
been shown him, the prophet says, "I was afraid, and fell upon my
face."3 Here the effect was greater than in any of these instances,
corresponding to the greater glory shown; and the Apostle fell at
the feet of the glorified Lord as one "dead." But there is mercy
with the Lord that He may be feared; and He laid His right hand
upon me, adds St. John, saying, Fear not: and then follows in three
parts that full and gracious declaration of what He is, in His
eternal pre-existence, in that work on behalf of man which embraced
not only His being lifted on high upon the cross, but His
Resurrection and Ascension to His Fathers
12. throne, and in the consummation of His victory over all the
enemies of our salvation, - 1. I am the First and the Last, and the
Living One; 2. And I became dead, and behold, I am alive for
evermore; 3. And I have the keys of death and of Hades. (1 Isa_6:5;
2 Eze_1:28; 3 Dan_8:17) A few more words are spoken by the
glorified Person who thus appeared to St. John, but at this point
we may pause for a moment, for the vision is complete. It is the
first vision of the book, and it contains the key-note of the
whole. As distinguished from the fourth Gospel, in which Jesus
clothed as He is with His humanity is yet pre-eminently the Son of
God, the Saviour while here retaining His Divinity is yet
pre-eminently a Son of man. In other words, He is not merely the
Only Begotten who was from eternity in the bosom of the Father: He
is also Head over all things to His Church. And He is this as the
glorified Redeemer who has finished His work on earth, and now
carries it on in heaven. This work too He carries on, not only as a
High Priest "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," but as
One clothed with judgment. He is a man of war, and to Him the words
of the Psalmist may be applied: "Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O
Mighty One, Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride
prosperously, Because of truth and meekness and righteousness: And
Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Thine arrows are
sharp; The peoples fall under Thee; They are in the heart of the
Kings enemies."* (* Psa_45:3-5) Yet we cannot separate the body of
Christ from the head, who is Son of man as well as Son of God. With
the Head the members are one, and they too therefore are here
contemplated as engaged in a work of judgment. With their Lord they
are opposed by an ungodly world. In it they also struggle, and war,
and overcome. The tribulation, and the kingdom and patience "in
Jesus,"1 are their lot; but living a resurrection life and escaped
from the power of death and Hades, salvation has been in principle
made theirs, and they have only to wait for the full manifestation
of that Lord with whom, when He is manifested, they also shall be
manifested in glory.2 (1 Rev_1:9; 2 Col_3:4) Thus we are taught
what to expect in the book of Revelation. It will record the
conflict of Christ and His people with the evil that is in the
world, and their victory over it. It will tell of struggle with sin
and Satan, but of sin vanquished and Satan bruised beneath their
feet. It will be the story of the Church as she journeys through
the wilderness to the land of promise, encountering many foes, but
more than conqueror through Him that loved her, and often raising
to heaven her song of praise, "Sing unto the Lord, for He hath
triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider He hath cast into the
sea."* (* Exo_15:1) Now then we are prepared to listen to the
closing words of the glorious Person who had revealed Himself to
St. John, as He repeats His injunction to him to write, and gives
him some explanation of what he had seen: Write, therefore, the
things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things
which shall come to pass hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars
which thou sawest upon My right hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches;
and the seven candlesticks are seven churches. The golden
candlesticks and the stars, the churches and the angels of the
churches, will immediately meet us when we proceed to the next two
chapters of the book. Meanwhile it is enough to know that we are
about to enter upon the fortunes of that Church of the Lord Jesus
Christ in the world which embraces within it the execution of the
final purposes of the Almighty, and the accomplishment of His
plans
13. for the perfection and happiness of His whole creation. R A
Taylor, The interpretation of Revelation. Goldsworthy clarifies the
principles of interpretation that pertain when we come to obscure
passages in Revelation. i. We must allow the clearer texts to take
precedence over the more obscure. ii. We cannot allow a point of
doctrine to be established on an apocalyptic vision against clear
statements to the contrary in the epistolary material of the NT
(i.e. the letters). iii. He also insists that the gospel of Jesus
Christ is the key to the interpretation of the whole Bible. In some
ways interpreting Revelation is like a jig-saw, we must first find
the corner pieces, an obvious example is the Lamb and the rider on
the white horse in chapter 19 who is the exalted Christ, then there
are other symbols which are defined in the book such as the
lampstands and the dragon. From these we go on to more obscure
symbols but which are clearly based on parts of the OT such as the
seven trumpets and bowls which are modelled on the plagues on the
Egyptians and the beast out of the earth which is based on Daniels
visions. It is clear then that it is possible to make a framework
from the less obscure within which we can fit the more obscure. It
is unlikely that we can complete the whole jig-saw but if the
framework is correct we should at least grasp a portion of the
whole picture. This commentary assumes that the keys to its
interpretation lie in the OT and NT scripture, but that an NT
interpretation is required. It assumes that it is symbolic unless
clearly meant to be literal. It assumes that the books author is
God and that it is written to the church throughout the ages from
the writing of the letter to the Second Coming. The content
primarily concerns the fate of the church and of her enemies. The
symbology allows it to be interpreted in the light of the current
historical situation throughout church history without being
specific to a particular event, although there are specific events
recorded such as the birth of Christ and the second coming. Many of
the events recorded in the book are parallel with other events in
the book. The book can be viewed from the point of view of events
in the past, current events and future events, all are meaningful.
3.1. The four schools of interpretation: There are four schools of
interpretation. i. The preterist: that it describes in veiled
language events of John's own time, and until the end of the Roman
Empire or at least the conversion of Constantine. This has the
disadvantage in that it is only meaningful then but to us it is not
as relevant. The beast is seen as only the Roman empire and Babylon
is Rome, however there are clear references to the Rome of Johns
time and it is helpful to know the circumstances of John's time in
interpreting the book. In Rev 1: 11 John is told "Write on a scroll
what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." hence in
some ways it is similar to Paul's letters to the Romans,
Corinthians, Colossians, Ephesians and Thessalonians. In both Johns
and Paul's letters God has chosen these to be preserved for His
church throughout the centuries. Just as the letter to the
Corinthians addresses specific problems they had then it also deals
with these problems for future centuries. In the same way
Revelation deals with the problems faced by the seven churches in
Asia, but it also has a great deal to say to future generations.
Because John uses symbolic imagery Revelation is not tied down to
only the Roman Empire but may also be used to describe successive
persecuting tyrannies down through the centuries. Examples of the
preterist view are Morris, Hailey and Barclay. Chilton identifies
the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 as the main focus of
Revelation.
14. The next three methods of interpretation deal with the
value of Revelation to future generations in different ways. ii.
The historicist: that it is a chart of the whole of history from
Christ's first coming to his second, and beyond. In this method
people will try to make sections of Revelation fit in with specific
historical events. The beast is seen as the current manifestation
of the beast such as the papacy in the time of the reformation.
This position is untenable because there will be a wide variation
of interpretations through the ages. But because the principles are
valid to all generations, as the idealist would suggest, each
generation should be able to identify the characters portrayed by
Revelation. Therefore the historicist's view should not be
disparaged, it has provided comfort in times of persecution
throughout church history. The most important of the historical
interpretation from the 12th century to reformation times makes the
papacy the beast and Rome or the Roman church is Babylon. However
to make Revelation a chart of the whole of human history and
therefore to use it to predict when the end will come is wrong and
is not how John intended Revelation to be read, but to use it to
strengthen Gods people undergoing particular trials is a valid use.
iii. The idealist: that between messages for the first century and
prophecies of the far future it deals chiefly with principles that
are always valid in Christian experience. The beast is the Roman
Empire of Johns day but also a succession of ungodly empires
leading to the last empire from which the antichrist will come.
Because Christians have been persecuted throughout the generations,
each generation should be able to identify who their beast is. The
main example is Hendriksen, see also Beale and Wilcock. iv. The
futurist: that it is largely a prophecy of events still to come,
especially just prior to the return of Christ. This is the normal
interpretation of someone reading the book for the first time
because its imagery looks so fantastic. It means that the book will
be especially relevant for those in the last generation. The beast
is seen as the antichrist who emerges from a revived Roman empire.
It is clear that the Second Coming features prominently throughout
the book and therefore there is truth in the futurist view, but
this view tends to overlook spiritual truth that is of value today.
However note that John is told not to seal up the book (Rev 22:10)
because the time is near, although Daniel was told to seal up the
vision until the end times (Dan 12:4), this means that the book is
about to start its fulfilment. The book of Revelation was written
initially to the seven churches in Asia, and hence the preterist
view. However the book will reach it final fulfilment when the last
antichrist appears and Christ returns this is the futurist view.
Ladd divides the futurist views into two kinds, the moderate and
the extreme view known as dispensationalism. The latter makes a
sharp distinction between Israel and the church. The letters to the
seven churches deal with seven ages of church history. Chapter 7
onwards concerns Israel because the church has been raptured by
this point so that it does not suffer in the great tribulation,
which occurs during the last 3 and a half years of history. This
view is widely held in America, the best exponent of this view is
Walvoord. The futurist will argue that the preterist interpretation
is wrong because Revelation concerns the end times, but during the
time of the Roman Empire the preterist interpretation was the end
time. A similar comment could be made of the historicist
interpretation during the Reformation. The idealist interpretation
is probably the most relevant today, to meet todays needs during
hard times when Christians are under pressure and it certainly does
not discount a future fulfilment either. I would strongly question
the idea that Revelation only has a future fulfilment. The problem
for anyone trying to interpret the book is that on reading the text
one can find support for all these views, which is why there is
such a wide variety of interpretations and indeed disagreements. In
a sense they are all correct, the futurist sees the beast as the
future antichrist, the historicist sees the beast of history,
the
15. preterist sees the beast in Roman times and the idealist
sees a succession of beasts leading up to the antichrist. The
futurist writes from the point of view of a church not undergoing
persecution now but expects it in the future particularly from the
antichrist. The historicist writes from the point of view of
current persecution or recent persecution as historical events and
finds these in Revelation. The idealist looks to past periods of
persecution and sees general principles within Revelation that can
explain these. The preterist writes about how Revelation explains
the persecution under the Roman Empire. They are all correct, but
they all see truth from a different perspective. This commentary is
written mainly from a futurist and idealist viewpoint because this
interpretation will be most useful to the church in this generation
in the West. While the church in the West is not undergoing
persecution, war is still being waged against it in the form of
false doctrine and the seduction of worldly values. Mounce points
out that 'John himself could without contradiction be preterist,
historicist, futurist and idealist. He wrote out of his own
immediate situation, his prophecies would have historical
fulfilment, he anticipated a future consummation, and he revealed
principles, which operated beneath the course of history. The
interpretive problem grows out of the fact that the End did not
arrive on schedule.' If the author of the Revelation is the author
of the fourth gospel, then he certainly expected to be alive when
Christ returned, John 21:21-24. If we read Johns first letter, 2:18
indicates that he considered himself to be living in the last hour.
Rev 1:3 tells us that there is a blessing for the one who reads the
words of this prophecy and takes to heart its message because the
time is near (see also 22:10). From this we are assured that the
contents are relevant now, just as our Lords Second Coming is
relevant now just as much as it was 1,900 years ago. To the writers
of the NT the time of the Lords coming is always near, Phil 4:5,
Jam 5:8, 1 Pet 4:7. Jesus warns us to be ready for His return
because He is coming at an hour we do not expect (Mat 24:44).
Therefore Revelation warns us to be ready now because the events it
depicts can occur at any time. Therefore any interpretation that
puts the events either in the distant past or future is misleading
because its purpose is to prepare our hearts now for what is coming
soon. Just as there is a blessing for those who take to heart the
message of this book at the start of Revelation, so at the end
(22:7) there is a blessing on those who keep the words of the
prophecy of Revelation together with a reminder that Jesus is
coming soon. Part of the message of Revelation is to prepare His
people for His second coming and the events preceding it. Ladd
talks at some length about the two fold nature of prophecy which
has an immediate fulfilment as well as a distant fulfilment, an
example of this being the Olivet discourse which concerned the
historical judgement of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans in AD
70 (Luke 21:20 ff.) and the eschatological appearance of the
antichrist (Mat 24:15 ff.). In the same way Revelation had its
immediate fulfilment with the series of Roman persecutions on the
Christians until Constantine in AD 313 as well as the appearance of
the antichrist in the distant future. Therefore the correct
interpretation is a blend of both the preterist and futurist views
and including any tribulation that the church experiences between
these two periods. While much of it can be interpreted to describe
events at the end of the age, this follows a succession of events
that leads to the climax of history. It is a fact of history that
throughout the gospel age there have been political and religious
empires that have persecuted the church, the book of Revelation is
written to those saints as well as those in the reign of the
antichrist. The idea that the church will not be on earth when the
antichrist is revealed is not to be found within Revelation and
this idea does a great disservice to believers today. This
commentary uses a combination of
16. approaches, much of the book incorporates the circumstances
of Johns time which must form the basis of any interpretation,
because it was written for the seven churches in Asia. It describes
what is going to happen soon, in the near future, but it also looks
into the distant future, it describes the end times as well so a
combination of preterist, futurist and idealist are used. The
approach used will depend on the text. To the preterist the beast
is the Roman Empire and its emperor, but to the idealist a
succession of tyrannical empires throughout history who persecute
the saints, but to the futurist these all find their greatest
fulfilment in the kingdom of the antichrist, there is truth in all
these views. The fact that the book does leave sufficient ambiguity
for all these views to be true is probably deliberate so that each
generation can benefit from the book. Its symbolism also means that
Revelation cannot be used to predict the future, which is always
veiled from man (cf. seven thunders 10:3-4). Its purpose is to
prepare us for the future, especially for the consummation of all
things when Christ is revealed. 3. ARGUME TS FOR THE SYMBOLIC I
TERPRETATIO Verse 1 of the first chapter of Revelation tells us
that it is "SIG IFIED". All of the Greek reference works that I
have been able to obtain describe the word which is translated
"signified" as meaning to put forth in "sign" form. Since a "sign"
is an indication of something and not the thing itself, then
Revelation is written in "sign" language or prophetic imagery which
depicts events in the spiritual realm by using descriptions of
things which are literal or physical. For example, a SIG which says
"GROCERY STORE" is not where you buy the groceries. It is not the
store itself, but rather an indicator pointing to the place where
the groceries are for sale. Also, a STOP sign "signifies" that you
should STOP, but it is not the act of stopping. It does not
actually stop as it was not moving in the first place. It only
indicates that a "stop" should take place. Even so, the "pictures"
painted by John in writing down the Revelation are not the actual
events portrayed, but rather symbolic indicators of the actual
events (signs). (A) If Jesus starts us out in this book of
Revelation by SHOWI G US that some of these things are symbolic, is
it possible that he is giving us a key to the interpretation of the
entirety of the book? (B) If: "seven stars" symbolize "angels"
(Greek = messengers or Pastors), "seven golden candlesticks"
symbolize the seven churches,
17. the "sun" symbolizes Jesus' light or TRUTH (John 1:9,
Malachi 4:2), "sharp two-edged sword" symbolizes the WORD OF
GOD...Hebrews 4:12, "kings and priests" symbolize SPIRITUAL
positions (1 Peter 2:5), then is it not possible that the other
things that we have underlined in the text are also symbolic, and
the Bible provides the scriptural keys that will help us to find
out WHAT those symbols represent I TRUTH? (a) Revelation 17:1,
"waters" symbolize "peoples, multitudes, nations,
tongues"...Revelation 17:15. (b) Revelation 17:9, "seven heads"
symbolize "seven mountains" and "seven kings"...Revelation 17:9-10.
(c) Revelation 17:12, "ten horns" symbolize "ten kings" (verse 12).
(d) Revelation 5:8, "golden vials full of odours (incense)"
symbolize the prayers of "saints" (God's children). (e) Revelation
4:6-10, the "four beasts" and "four and twenty elders" symbolize
the children of God who have been redeemed by the blood of
Jesus...Revelation 5:9-10. (f) Revelation 12:14, the "time, and
times, and half a time" symbolize the same period as the "thousand
two hundred and threescore days"...Revelation 12:6 (same events
described). (g) Revelation 19:8, the "fine white linen" symbolizes
the "righteousness of saints". (h) Revelation 21:10 the "heavenly
Jerusalem" symbolizes the "bride" of Jesus Christ, the TRUE CHURCH
(Ephesians 5:22- 33)...Revelation 21:2 and 9. As a final means of
showing the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation, I would ask
the reader to prayerfully consider the POSSIBILITY of the following
uses of symbols. I am not going to take the time to expound I DEPTH
the proof texts, but only ask you to CO SIDER the POSSIBILITY of
the following: (A) "Winds" such as we see described in Revelation
7:1 symbolize doctrines (religious teachings) of which O LY O E WI
D is the TRUTH (the O E narrow way mentioned in Matthew 7:13-14)
and the
18. others are FALSE (blowing from and towards the wrong
directions) as we see described in Ephesians 4:14; 4:14 That we
[henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and]
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (B) The
"woman" in Revelation 12 pictures the TRUE CHURCH as the SPIRITUAL
MOTHER of those who have the "testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev.
12:17)". otice the following scriptures found in Galatians 4:26;
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the MOTHER of us
all. (caps mine) In the context Paul is contrasting the people of
God under the OLD COVE A T (LITERAL Israel and Jerusalem) with the
people of God under the EW COVE A T (SPIRITUAL Israel and SPIRITUAL
Jerusalem). Whereas LITERAL Jerusalem was the center of the worship
and the administration of the Word of God under the Old Testament
(i.e. covenant...same meaning), SPIRITUAL JERUSALEM or the TRUE
CHURCH was the center for the worship of God and the administration
of the Word of God under the ew Testament (covenant). Every true
CHILD OF GOD is conceived (begotten) by God (James 1:13), and is
"brought to birth" by the SPIRITUAL MOTHER, the church (even as we
see typified or symbolized in the LITERAL HUMA process which God
"created"). Matthew 12:50; For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
MOTHER. (caps mine) For a more complete study of this "type",
please study our booklet called "THE CHALLE GE", which teaches the
symbolism pictured by the literal VIRGI BIRTH of Jesus Christ, and
the symbolic picture of the "MOTHER" position of the church. (C)
The "EARTH" mentioned in Revelation 12 which helps the "woman" is
also symbolic, and represents something which we shall cover in
detail in a chapter of this book. (D) If the "earth" is symbolic,
then it is possible that the term "heaven" (which in the Greek from
which this is translated means a HIGH PLACE) is also used in a
symbolic sense in this context. (E) If the "earth" and "heaven" are
symbolic here, then the
19. "sun" which would shine in this "heaven" (Jesus...Malachi
4:2), and the "stars" which shine as lesser lights in this "heaven"
(God's messengers or MI ISTRY...Revelation 1:20, Matthew 5:14,
Daniel 12:3, 1 Corinthians 15:41, Galatians 4:14, etc.) would ALSO
be symbolic. (F) If the things mentioned in "C", "D", and "E" are
symbolic, (and we will deal with them more in this booklet), then
is it possible that the "GREAT RED DRAGO " mentioned in Revelation
12, and spoken of as being "called" the "devil" and "satan", IS
ALSO a symbolic picture? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE DEVIL (BEELZEBUB),
THE "GOD OF THIS WORLD" A D "PRI CE OF DARK ESS" IS OT LITERALLY A
BEAST WITH SEVE HEADS A D TE HOR S A D SEVE CROW S UPO HIS HEADS? A
chapter in this booklet will cover the TRUTH of this subject.
Please OTICE that even after he is cast "to the earth", he is STILL
able to persecute the "woman" who is in "heaven". Revelation 12:13,
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. The context
shows that the "woman" WAS OT cast out of "heaven", but rather
provided for by God. (G) The "blood...unto the horse bridles" in
Revelation 14:20 is shown in the context to be GRAPE JUICE if you
literalize the text. Obviously, to literalize the text is to teach
error. 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on
the earth; and the earth was reaped. 14:17 And another angel came
out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp
sickle. 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had
power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the
sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great
winepress of the wrath of God. 14:20 And the winepress was trodden
without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto
the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred
furlongs. Other scriptures in the Bible refer to the "BLOOD of the
GRAPE":
20. Genesis 49:11 "BLOOD of grapes" Deuteronomy 32:14 "BLOOD of
the grape" In order to understand what the "blood" represents, we
must consult the context for more information. This shows us that
the grapesare produced by the "vine of the earth". We must
determine from the scriptures WHAT this vine symbolizes before we
can know more about the "blood of the grapes" which come from the
vine. Jesus used a very simple parable or symbolic "type" in John
15:1 when he said that he was the "TRUE VI E". This statement
implies that there is also a FALSE VI E. In order to determine
which of these is shown in Revelation 14, we need only to notice
two things: (a) Jesus is the vine from heaven and not of this
earth. (b) In Revelation 14, the "vine of the earth" is cast into
the "great winepress of the wrath of God". Although some people
might want us to believe that this pictures when Jesus went to the
cross and bore our sins, the entire context of Revelation 14 shows
events which can be proven to take place AFTER CALVARY. Therefore,
the vine of the "earth" cannot be a picture of Jesus as he will
never again experience the "wrath of God". Since we can rightly and
Biblically symbolize Jesus as the VI E of heaven, and TRUE CHILDRE
OF GOD ARE THE "BRA CHES" OF THE VI E, then we must surely see that
the "vine of the earth" is just the opposite. The "vine of the
earth" is the FALSE "JESUS" that Paul the apostle spoke of in 2
Corinthians 11: 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:
for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as]
a chaste virgin to Christ. 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 11:4 For if he
that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or
[if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with
[him]. 11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
21. angel of light. 11:15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. Even as
the TRUE VI E and its branches produce "grapes" of the TRUE WORD OF
GOD, even so the "vine of the earth" produces "EARTH" gospel or
fleshly religion which is designed for the "natural man" since he
cannot understand the things that are SPIRITUAL which are the TRUE
"BLOOD" of the "TRUE VI E". 1 Corinthians 2:14 says: "But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned." If you are enjoying this study, you may
access the next chapter (filename =REVSTUDY.TXT or .ZIP in Library
"A") using the password: "PURE". This helps us to present the
studies in a manner so they will be less confusing. You need
thefoundations laid in the earlier chapters to understand the
latter ones. Since the "natural man" or non-spiritual (lost) person
cannot understand the TRUTH, the devil produces his own "grapes",
and God WA TS them to be "pressed" so the "blood" can go forth from
false churches and false preachers in order to deceive those who do
not LOVE the TRUTH. otice 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2:9 [Even him],
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, 2:10 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the
love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2:11 And for this
cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie: 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. For this reason WE DO
OT BELIEVE I TRYI G TO PREVE T THE WORK OF FALSE CHURCHES, but
rather we strive to warn HO EST HEARTS (GOD'S TRUE ELECT) so they
will not be deceived. "Wine" (grape juice or "blood") is used to
symbolize the word of God in Isaiah 55:1-2. Jesus referred to the
grape juice which he and the disciples drank
22. at the "LAST SUPPER" (passover; Luke 22:15) as "the new
testament in my blood". He was therefore speaking of the blood of
the grape as representative of his blood which he taught in John
6:53-63 was symbolic of his "WORDS", or in other words, THE WORD OF
GOD. Obviously, if the "blood" of the grapes produced by the "vine
of the earth" is symbolic in Revelation 14, then the horses and
their "bridles" are ALSO symbolic. Therefore, this helps us to see
that symbolic consistency requires that the four horses in
Revelation 6 also be symbolic. We will deal with those symbols in
another study. Everyone who professes to be a Christian today
believes that they are getting the TRUTH preached to them in their
churches and that they are therefore "drinking" of the "blood" of
the "vine" from heaven; Jesus Christ. However, as the scriptures
have shown us, the devil (Beelzebub) "transforms (the Greek word
means "disguises") himself and his "ministers" do the same. They
PRETE D to be preachers of "righteousness" (see text already quoted
from 2 Cor. 11:13-15). They do not go around trying to get people
to take drugs, to drink liquor, to commit adultery, to murder, to
steal, etc. They stand in the pulpits of the churches of the land
and PREACH RIGHTEOUS ESS. You might ask, "but how can we know who
are true preachers of the TRUE WORD OF GOD"? There are several
characteristics that the Bible pictures which can help us to know
for certain if we are hearing the TRUE WORD OF GOD. I will only
list them for now, as there is not enough room in this booklet to
detail and prove them all. However, we do have other study booklets
which cover each of these subjects in detail. (a) True God sent
preaching will be centered on the study of the scriptures and OT
just some well presented "good words and fair speeches" which
tickle the "ears" and entice the natural mind, but do not "feed"
and bring spiritual understanding to the spirit. Such false
preaching will USE the Bible to "read from", yet will not expound
its depths. Romans 16:18 says: 16:17 ow I beseech you, brethren,
mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the
doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 16:18 For they that
are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and
by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple.
23. (b) True God sent preaching will not be short "sermonettes"
of 20 or 30 minutes intended for the comfort and benefit of the
"FLESH", but will consume however much time is necessary in order
to detail the meaning of the scriptures that God desires to be
brought with understanding for that particular time. Such spiritual
"feeding" will often seem rather short to honest hearts (time
passes quickly when you are enjoying yourself), yet will usually
require an hour of more (sometimes several) in order to fully study
into the depths of the subject which the Lord is leading the
preacher to teach. (c) True preachers will not concern themselves
with their "style" of delivery, but will only desire to bring the
word in a manner so as to make it very clear and understandable to
those who are spiritually capable of receiving it. They do not
strive to appeal to those who have "itching ears", but only desire
to "feed with knowledge and understanding" (Jeremiah 3:15). They
have a God given task to expound the deep and hidden things of God
so the people of God may receive SPIRITUAL nourishment from them.
THEY ARE OT CALLED BY GOD TO SIMPLY PLAY O ME A D WOME 'S EMOTIO S
TO MAKE THEM "FEEL" RELIGIOUS OR "SAVED". (d) Contrary to many
people's beliefs or understanding, TRUE GOD CALLED A D SE T
preachers ARE OT to preach so-called "evangelistic" sermonettes"
that basically just admonish men and women to turn to God (i.e.
"get saved"). Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 4:11-16, and other texts show
us that a true preacher must FEED the people of GOD; not just try
to make them to become such. Since the "word of God" is the means
of spiritual life (through "conception" spiritually...James 1:13),
anyone who is honest hearted and comes into contact (spiritually)
with the preaching of the "word" may be conceived without the
preacher trying to "pry them toward Jesus" through some special
"call" or "pull". However, for saved people to hear over and over
these "calls to come to Christ", there is no benefit. They need
"feeding" with SPIRITUAL U DERSTA DI G. (e) TRUE preaching of the
word is just expounding the meaning of the text, but must also show
the application of the meaning to our lives today. I do not just
refer to the teaching of "DO" and "DO 'TS". I realize that we must
have some teaching along the lines of how we should live and what
we should and should not do. HOWEVER, the preacher must remember
that I STRUCTIO is not FOOD no matter how true that it is. God's
people need SPIRITUAL FOOD as well as instruction on Christian
living. This should give the reader a basic idea as to the proper
method of
24. interpreting the Book of Revelation. In the next chapter,
we will study how that using this method enables us to "rightly
divide" some of the commonly misunderstood and erroneously taught
portions of the book. PULPIT COMME TARY Introduction: the purport
of the book. In commencing a series of sketches which shall furnish
in outline a homiletic exposition of such a book as this, the
writer may well feel borne down with a sense of the responsibility
of the task he has undertaken. And yet such responsibility, great
as it is, is prevented from being overwhelming through the infinite
joy and comfort he has himself derived from a repeated study of ita
study extending over some fifteen or twenty years, and now renewed
for the special purpose of giving utterance to convictions of its
value and glory, which deepen with each succeeding examination of
its contents. Into the detailed opinions of the varied expositors
as to whether the preterist, futurist, or historical
interpretations are the most correct, it will neither be in his
province nor to his taste to enter. There is another order of
expositionthe spiritualwhich, accepting whatever can be verified in
the other three, sees rather throughout the Apocalypse an unfolding
of the principles on which the great Head of the Church will carry
forward his own work, and a parabolic setting of the fortunes of
his Church as she moves forward to the final consummation of all
things. As Dr. Lee remarks, "the historical system assumes that
single events, as they come to pass in succession, exhibit the full
accomplishment of the different predictions of the Apocalypse,"
while "the 'spiritual' application is never exhausted, but merely
receives additional illustrations as time rolls on." Hengstenberg's
remarks are worthy of being remembered: "That the Christian may
remain steadfast and fearless where he is, even though it should be
in the midst of a falling world, this book is fitted to render for
such a purpose a most important service. It has thus proved a
blessing even to many who have very imperfectly understood it. For
it is wonderful how the edifying power that resides in the book
forces its way even through the most imperfect understanding of its
contents, if only the soul that applies to it is hungry and
thirsty, weary and heavy laden, if it only stands in living faith
on the Divinity of Scripture and the glorious consummation of the
kingdom of Christ." In full accord with the convictions of the
value of the Apocalypse, thus admirably expressed by the great
evangelical German divine, do we now commence for homiletic
purposes to unfold its plan. Our first sketch must needs be like
the first three verses introductory. Introductory, however, though
the verses are, they are amazingly full of holy and blessed
teaching. We have here I. THE NAME GIVEN TO THE BOOK. "The
Revelation ( )" (verse 1). At the forefront of the book this is its
avowal. It declares itself to be nothing less than the disclosure
of what was behind a veil, and so invisible to mortal sight, until
the veil was drawn aside and unseen things were thereby disclosed.
That there are other realms than our globe, peopled with moral and
spiritual beings, is again and again declared in Scripture; that
there are mysterious forces of good and of evil in the distant
places of creation is also told us. That there is many a contest
over man in these far-off realms; that there is a Divine Being who
watches over the conflict, and who will "bring forth judgment unto
victory;" that the theatre on which the issue is to be fought out
is this globe; and that at the consummation the direst enemies of
the world and of man will be put to an utter shame;all this could
no philosophy forecast, nor any science teach; all this lies behind
an impenetrable veil. If we are to know these things, they must be
revealed to us, and this can be done only by our God! Note: As this
is declared at the outset concerning this book, as such it must be
regarded; until its claims be disproved, they should be reverently
accepted. II. THE METHOD OF THE REVELATION. The several steps are
shown usthe terminus a quo and theterminus ad quem. We have: 1. Its
origin. "God"God the Father. If God be the Father of all men, that
he should let them know something about himself is most reasonable.
To suppose that he cannot, is to suppose that a father would build
a house for his children, of such a kind that they could never find
out where their father was!
25. 2. Its channel. "Jesus Christ." God gave it to him. HE is
the Medium, the Mediator between God and man; and the clearest
disclosures of God and his purposes come to us through the
everlasting Son. 3. Its agents. 4. Its mode. "He signified it." The
word means "to signify by symbols." 5. For whom? "To show unto his
servants," etc. The Word of God is committed as a trust to those
who love and serve him. The faith was "once [for all] delivered to
the saints." Why to these? (cf. Matthew 13:10Matthew 13:10 ,Matthew
13:11Matthew 13:11 ). Note: Here in outline is a wondrous sketch of
how God reveals his truth. III. THE CONTENTS OF THE REVELATION. 1.
Events. "Things which must shortly come to pass." 2. Such events as
are necessarily involved in the bringing about of the Divine
purposes. "Must" (verse 1). 3. Events which, in the prophetic
forecast, are near at hand. "Shortly," i.e. in the reckoning of
Heaven (cf.2 Peter 3:82 Peter 3:8 ). The next great crisis of the
world is the second coming of the Son of God. He is on the way. But
at what point of time the Son of man will be revealed it is not
given to man to know. The series of events that prepare the way for
the second coming began immediately after the first and are going
on now.Not a moment is lost. Heaven's great harvest day is coming
on. IV. THE USE TO BE MADE OF THIS REVELATION. (Verse 3.) Reading,
hearing, doing. 1. It was to be read in the Churches. "He that
readeth," equivalent to "he that reads it in the assemblies of the
saints." The Word of God is not to be hid in a corner, but publicly
read. It is not the preserve of the few, but the charter for the
many. 2. The people are to hear. God's truth was to be set before
men through the ear. The doctrine that it is more effective when
set before the eye, finds in such a passage as this no support. 3.
The hearers must keep the things written therein. Note: If the book
is so obscure that no one can understand it, it is hard to say how
men can keep the things that are herein written. The blessing
pronounced on those who do keep them implies that they are
sufficiently plain for that purpose. How, then, are we to "keep"
these things? V. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THOSE WHO RIGHTLY USE THIS
REVELATION. "Blessed is he," etc. (verse 3). It is not difficult to
see in what this blessedness consists. 1. Such will have a good
understanding; for they will know the meaning and plan of the
world's course and destiny. 2. They will have a sure resting place
in the absolute certainty of the final triumph of truth and
righteousness. 3. They will have a good hope. "Looking for the
mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." 1 The revelation
of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must
soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his
servant John, 1. Revelation is the word apokalupsis which is used
18 times in the ew Testament.
26. Paul uses it 13 times as the main user. It means to uncover
what is hidden. If you uncover a painting, that is an apokalypse.
It is an exposure of what before could not be seen. When you come
into the kitchen and smell something good and to see what it is you
lift the cover on the pan and see what it is, that is a revelation.
Jesus is the author, but John is the writer. Jesus is both the one
revealed and the revealer of what is to be. The goal of the book is
not to see the future, but to see Him who is Lord of the future and
all time. It is more important to know who holds the future than to
know what the future holds. Jesus is both the agent and the content
of the Revelation. It has no ultimate value if it does not lead you
to focus on Him. The revealing of Jesus or the unvailing enables us
to see mysteries in a light we could never know without revelation.
We cannot discover these things by study and research, but only by
the revealed Word of God. 1B. WILLIAM BARCLAY, This is the
revelation revealed by Jesus Christ, the revelation which God gave
to him to show to his servants, the revelation which tells of the
things which must soon happen. This revelation Jesus Christ sent
and explained through his angel to his servant John, who testified
to the word sent to him by God and attested by the witness borne by
Jesus Christ everything which he saw. This book is called sometimes
the Revelation and sometimes the Apocalypse. It begins with the
words "The revelation of Jesus Christ," which mean not the
revelation about Jesus Christ but the revelation given by Jesus
Christ. The Greek word for revelation is apokalupsis (GSN0602)
which is a word with a history. (i) Apokalupsis (GSN0602) is
composed of two parts. Apo (GSN0575) means "away from" and kalupsis
(compare GSN2572) "a veiling." Apokalupsis (GSN0602), therefore,
means an unveiling, a revealing. It was not originally a specially
religious word; it meant simply the disclosure of any fact. There
is an interesting use of it in Plutarch (How to tell a Flatterer
from a Friend, 32). Plutarch tells how once Pythagoras severely
rebuked a devoted disciple of his in public and the young man went
out and hanged himself. "From that time on Pythagoras never
admonished anyone when anyone else was present. For error should be
treated as a foul disease, and all admonition and disclosure
(apokalupsis, GSN0602) should be in secret." But apokalupsis
(GSN0602) became specially a Christian word. (ii) It is used for
the revealing of God's will to us for our actions. Paul says that
he went up to Jerusalem by apokalupsis (GSN0602). He went because
God told him he wanted him to go (Gal.2:2). (iii) It is used of the
revelation of God's truth to men. Paul received his gospel, not
from men, but by apokalupsis (GSN0602) from Jesus Christ
(Gal.1:12). In the Christian assembly the message of the preacher
is an apokalupsis (GSN0602) (1Cor.14:6). (iv) It is used of God's
revealing to men of his own mysteries, especially in the
incarnation of Jesus Christ (Rom.16:25; Eph.3:3). (v) It is
specially used of the revelation of the power and the holiness of
God which is to come at the last days. That will be an unveiling of
judgment (Rom.2:5); but for the Christian it will be an unveiling
of praise and glory (1Pet.1:7); of grace (1Pet.1:13); of joy
(1Pet.4:13). Before we remind ourselves of the more technical use
of apokalupsis (GSN0602), we may note
27. two things. (i) This revelation is connected specially with
the work of the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:17). (ii) We are bound to see
that here we have a picture of the whole of the Christian life.
There is no part of it which is not lit by the revelation of God.
God reveals to us what we must do and say; in Jesus Christ he
reveals himself to us, for he who has seen Jesus has seen the
Father (Jn.14:9); and life moves on to the great and final
revelation in which there is judgment for those who have not
submitted to God but grace and glory and joy for those who are in
Jesus Christ. Revelation is no technical theological idea; it is
what God is offering to all who will listen. Now we look at the
technical meaning of apokalupsis (GSN0602), for that meaning is
specially connected with this book. The Jews had long since ceased
to hope that they would be vindicated as the chosen people by human
means. They hoped now for nothing less than the direct intervention
of God. To that end they divided all time into two ages--this
present age, wholly given over to evil; and the age to come, the
age of God. Between the two there was to be a time of terrible
trial. Between the Old and the New Testaments the Jews wrote many
books which were visions of the dreadful time before the end and of
the blessedness to come. These books were called Apokalypses; and
that is what the Revelation is. Although there is nothing like it
in the New Testament, it belongs to a class of literature which was
common between the Testaments. All these books are wild and
unintelligible, for they are trying to describe the indescribable.
The very subject with which the Revelation deals is the reason why
it is so difficult to understand. THE MEANS OF GOD'S REVELATION
Rev. 1:1-3 (continued) This short section gives us a concise
account of how revelation comes to men. (i) Revelation begins with
God, the fountain of all truth. Every truth which men discover is
two things--a discovery of the human mind and a gift of God. But it
must always be remembered that men never create the truth; they
receive it from God. We must also remember that that reception
comes in two ways. It comes from earnest seeking. God gave men
minds and it is often through our minds that he speaks to us.
Certainly he does not grant his truth to the man who is too lazy to
think. It comes from reverent waiting. God sends his truth to the
man who not only thinks strenuously, but waits quietly in prayer
and in devotion. But it must be remembered that prayer and devotion
are not simply passive things. They are the dedicated listening for
the voice of God. (ii) God gives this revelation to Jesus Christ.
The Bible never, as it were, makes a second God of Jesus; rather it
stresses his utter dependence on God. "My teaching," said Jesus,
"is not mine, but his who sent me" (Jn.7:16). "I do nothing on my
own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me" (Jn.8:28). "I
have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has
himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak"
(Jn.12:49). It is God's truth that Jesus brings to men; and that is
precisely why his teaching is unique and final. (iii) Jesus sends
that truth to John through his angel (Rev. 1:1). Here the writer of
the Revelation was a child of his day. At this time in history men
were specially conscious of the transcendence of God. That is to
say, they were impressed above all things with the difference
between God and man. So much so that they felt direct communication
between God and man was impossible and that there must always be
some intermediary. In the Old Testament story Moses received the
Law directly from the hands of God (Exo.19-20); but twice in the
New Testament it is said that the Law was given by angels (Ac.7:53;
Gal.3:19).
28. (iv) Finally, the revelation is given to John. It is most
uplifting to remember the part men play in the coming of God's
revelation. God must find a man to whom he can entrust his truth
and whom he can use as his mouthpiece. (v) Let us note the content
of the revelation which comes to John. It is the revelation of "the
things which must quickly happen" (Rev. 1:1). There are two
important words here. There is must. History is not haphazard; it
has purpose. There is quickly. Here is the proof that it is quite
wrong to use the Revelation as a kind of mysterious timetable of
what is going to happen thousands of years from now. As John sees
it, the things it deals with are working themselves out
immediately. The Revelation must be interpreted against the
background of its own time. SERVANTS OF GOD Rev. 1:1-3 (continued)
Twice the word servant appears in this passage. God's revelation
was sent to his servants and it was sent through his servant John.
In Greek the word is doulos (GSN1401) and in Hebrew `ebed
(HSN5650). Both are difficult fully to translate. The normal
translation of doulos (GSN1401) is slave. The real servant of God
is, in fact, his slave. A servant can leave his service when he
likes; he has stated hours of work and stated hours of freedom; he
works for a wage; he h