Things Easy To Understand About The Book Of Revelation
Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Many people are like myself to a degree, they find the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible, difficult to understand. I do to…especially some parts of it. But there are some things in it that are plain writing and not symbolic. If we give them enough attention, you can grasp the basics behind the book.
Let’s just look at the setting to begin with. This was during a period when the newly established church of Jesus Christ was undergoing severe persecutions. In fact the writer here, the apostle John, was banished to the isle of Patmos at the time he received this Revelation. Legend (not biblical scripture) tells us that the Roman emperor had ordered him to be cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, but when they did so, God protected him and the oil neither destroyed or harmed him, so he then was exiled on Patmos.
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? (John 21:20-23 KJV)
John is also the man, at the crucifixion, to whom Jesus said: “Behold, thy mother”, referring to his own mother, who then was taken home with John who cared for her.
Now with that information of the affection of Jesus for John, and the fact that he is now exiled on Patmos, let’s look at the very first three verses.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-- things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation1:1-3 NKJV)
Notice that I have underlined two phrases in those verses, and unless one pays attention to those, the book is mass confusion. This is the reason for the revelation from Jesus to John. To warn them of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. So when one begins to look for things yet to come, signs of Jesus coming, etc., You won’t find them here. The book is largely symbolic and some of the things written are meaningless to those of us who are alive today.
Yet the symbols used were familiar to the Jews of the day and presumably to the Gentile Christians.
There are prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming destruction of Jerusalem as well as those by the Lord, Jesus Christ in the New Testament in Matthew 24. And this destruction was often referred to as His day of coming. This destruction came for the specific reason that the Jews had rejected Jesus as the Son of God, for the most part. They continued to follow the Law of Moses even though Christ’s law had taken it’s place.
Now, back to the two underlined phrases above. “Things which must shortly come to pass” and, “For the time is near”. Those are the key phrases which tells what the revelation is all about. Folks, it has been approximately 2,000 years since John wrote this message down and to say that this book’s prophesies are not yet fulfilled is to accuse Jesus and John of telling lies, or to say they had no idea what a short time was, or the time is near, means.
There are lessons contained in the book of Revelation which are valuable for Christians today, but the symbolic warnings described throughout the book was for the first century church of Jesus Christ. Let’s just look at a few warnings of His return, taking vengeance on those who know not God and who obey not the gospel.
One bible scholar wisely said that to understand Revelation, one needs to look through first century glasses and I believe that is indeed the only way to understand about any of it. In fact, to fully understand the New Testament, one needs to look at it through first century glasses. The writings of today have distorted the entire New Testament writings to the point that they are confusing unless one simply pays no attention to the writings of men and begins to look at the scriptures as if he were in the first century A.D.
I suggest that the interested student read the 24th chapter of Matthew and give serious thoughts to what is being said. Most people firmly believe that Jesus is describing the end of time when he comes back to claim his own. Not so. Read and consider these verses.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (verses 2-3 KJV) Jesus is speaking of the magnificent temple built of giant stones, many as large as street car or bus. Notice that the disciples asked two separate questions. The last two sentences in the 3rd verse.
Jesus then begins to explain the answer to the first question, “When shall these things be?” And all the information beginning with verse four through verse 34 is his answer and refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. I realize some of it sounds as if it is the end of time, but he is symbolically likening it to the end of time, simply because of the magnitude of the implications of that tragic destruction. The destruction of that great Jewish city of David where their entire lives were dedicated to the temple, the worship there, and all of their records were stored in the temple. The coming of that destruction would once and for all, end the Jewish law. They would no longer be the nation which brought forth the Son of God, whom they then rejected. From henceforth, the Law of Jesus Christ would be for all mankind. There would be neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, all would be one in Christ. Their current effort to restore the great nation of Israel, is futile. It is no longer the chosen people of God, only the church (called out) of Jesus Christ will henceforth be considered His people.
Notice the following phrases from the description given by Jesus as to the time of his return to destroy that city.
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:16-21 KJV)
Now tell me, would Jesus (who is here speaking) advise people to flee to the mountains and all those other things IF, the end of time was taking place? Why would he? He certainly was not stupid. No, this was their warning to flee when they saw the Roman soldiers encircling the city to place it under siege. Plus the 34th verse puts the lid on the jar: “ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
The first and second verses of Revelation and these verses in Matthew 24, may not explain the meanings of much of the symbolic language, yet they do assure that those symbolic writings were concerning something which would happen soon, before at least some who were alive at the time, died.
This is an introductory article to the book of Revelation, more are planned to follow.
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