... offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star (Ch.

1
Coming Agenda

• Week 11 (tonight)
• Contextualizing the Book of Revelation
• Week 12
• Resurrection of the Dead Ones (plural)
• Week 13
• Synthesis Solution to Four Competing Views

2
The Book of Revelation

• The mostmis-read, mis-understood, and
  mis-taught books of the Bible.
• The Historical Jesus
• The Contemporary Christ
• The exalted, glorified, transformed,
  transfigured, transcendent Christ of the
  Apocalypse.

3
The Book of Revelation

• A personal story . . .
• An Exegetical Basis for a Preterist-Idealist
  Understanding of the Book of Revelation, Journal
  of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 49,
  No. 4 (Dec. 2006).  

4
Contextualizing the Book of Revelation

• Location! Location! Location!
• Context! Context! Context!
• 1 Reason mis-read, mis-understand,
• mis- teach . . .
• Fail to place it in divinely determined context.
  
• Before they try to interpret and understand it.

5
Contextualizing the Book of Revelation

• Climax of prophecy.
• Pinnacle of Gods progressive revelation
• How much is based on your personal search of the
  Scriptures?
• Versus how much is based on what others have
  said?
• Seven simple contextualizing keys.

6
Contextualizing Key 1

• Revelations Purpose
• and Over-arching Theme

7
Contextualizing Key 1

• How do you picture Jesus in your minds eye?
• Just a closer walk with Thee,
• Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
• Daily, walking close to Thee,
• Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
• Warner Sallmans Head of Christ (1941).

8
Contextualizing Key 1

• a meek and mild Jesus eventually is a bore. He
  doesnt inspire us.
• the aspect of church that men find least
  appealing.
• Brandon OBrien, A Jesus for Real Men,
• Christianity Today, April 2008, 49-50.

9
Contextualizing Key 1

• Little Jesus, meek and mild,
• Look upon a little child.
• Christian children all must be
• Mild, obedient, good as He.
• Quoted in J.B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small
  
• (1952, 2004), 26-27.

10
Contextualizing Key 1

• the least appropriate.
• someone who is a bit of a nonentity, both
  uninspired and uninspiring.
• we can hardly be surprised if children feel
  fairly soon that they have outgrown the tender
  Shepherd and find their heroes elsewhere.
• Ibid., 27-28.

11
Contextualizing Key 1

• Other visual images.
• Jesus in The Passion of the Christ.
• Touchdown Jesus.
• Safe and sanitized manner.
• Who can object to a baby?
• Comely and sedentary Jesus?

12
Contextualizing Key 1

• The historical Jesus
• The most challenging and controversial figure of
  human history.
• Hes not like that anymore!
• Unveiling and revealing Jesus today.

13
Contextualizing Key 1

• First five words.
• Purpose and over-arching theme is . . .
• To unveil and reveal a greater Jesus as He now is
  . . .
• Contemporary Christ.

14
Contextualizing Key 1

• Revelation is apokalypsis.
• Means an unveiling or uncovering
• Of Jesus Christ.
• From or about.
• Satan, his cohorts, and the Antichrist.
• Search in vain to find any mention of an/the
  Antichrist in the Revelation.

15
Contextualizing Key 1

• Only source that unveils and reveals Jesus in his
  present-day, pertinent, and full reality.
• Jesus of the Apocalypse.
• Contemporary Christ.
• Much greater Jesus than most of us have been led
  to believe!
• To meet, know, and take seriously.

16
Contextualizing Key 1

• made a little lower than the angels (Heb. 27,
  9).
• made Himself nothing, taking the very nature
  form of a servant, being made in human
  likeness (Phil. 27).
• No longer confined in an earthly human body.
• Both the same and a greater Jesus.

17
Contextualizing Key 1

• God exalted him to the highest place and gave
  him the name that is above every name that at the
  name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
  and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
  Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
  (Phil. 28-11 also Eph. 120-23).
• So he became as much superior to the angels as
  the name he has inherited is superior to theirs
  (Heb. 14).

18
Contextualizing Key 1

• Same Jesus has changed.
• Before creation to cradle to cross to coronation.
• Much greater Jesus than has been or is generally
  being presented, preached, and perceived.
• Whole message of Christ must include Jesus as He
  is today.
• More blessings and power (Rev. 13 227).

19
Contextualizing Key 1

• The latest picture of Jesus (Rev. 112-16).
• Jesus as He is right now!
• No longer the historical Jesus of popular thought
  and tradition.
• Contemporary Christ!
• Well done, good and faithful servant (Matt.
  2521, 23).

20
Contextualizing Key 1

• Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
  forever (Heb. 138).
• Personhood and divinity.
• Preexistent form into a babe, into a boy, into a
  man, into a dead man, into a resurrected body,
  and then ascended and glorified.
• 12,000 literal yesterdays.

21
Contextualizing Key 1

• When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though
  dead (Rev. 117a).
• He just did.
• But we know that when he appears is made known
  / is manifested . . . we shall see him as he
  is (1 John 32).
• Spiritual reading.
• Apocalyptic, heavenly light (see 2 Cor. 516).

22
Contextualizing Key 1

• Though seeing, they do not see
• though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
• In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah
• You will be ever hearing but never
  understanding
• you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
• For this peoples heart has become calloused
• they hardly hear with their ears,
• and they have closed their eyes.
• Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
• hear with their ears,
• understand with their hearts
• and turn, and I would heal them.
• (Matt. 1313-15, from Isa. 69-10
• also see Ezek. 404 John 1239-41 Acts
  2825-27)

23
Contextualizing Key 1

• Can you see Jesus now?
• Slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes (Ch.
  5).
• Mighty angel holding a little scroll (Ch. 10).
• Male child Who was to rule all nations with a rod
  of iron (Ch. 12).

24
Contextualizing Key 1

• Sitting on a white cloud wearing a golden crown
  and holding a sharp sickle (Ch. 14).
• Rider on a white horse with the armies of Heaven
  following Him (Ch. 19).
• On a great white throne from whose face the earth
  and the heaven fled (Ch. 20).
• Alpha and Omega, the root and offspring of David,
  and the bright Morning Star (Ch. 22).

25
Contextualizing Key 1

• Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is
  now and what will take place later (Rev. 119).
• Sets the stage.
• Much more to be unveiled and revealed.
• Much greater Jesus than we have been led to
  believe.

26
Contextualizing Key 2

• The Revelation Uses Figurative Language and
  Symbols to Reveal Spiritual/Physical Events and
  Realities

27
Contextualizing Key 2

• Behind-the-scenes peek at the reality behind the
  reality.
• The unseen world behind the seen natural world.
• Spiritual reality can only be grasped by faith,
  through spiritual ears (see 1 Cor. 118-25 319
  Rev. 27 211 217 229 36 313 322)
• and eyes (Matt.1313-15, from Isaiah 69-10).

28
Contextualizing Key 2

• Physical/material mindset.
• I have spoken to you of earthly things and you
  do not believe how then will you believe if I
  speak of heavenly things? (see John 31-13).
• and he God sent and signified it by his angel
  unto his servant John (Rev. 11 KJV).
• Greek word, semaino means sign ified.

29
Contextualizing Key 2

• Visual parables of spiritual/physical reality.
• Denies or ignores the dimension of the spirit.
• Blinds us to the spirit-world realities of the
  Revelation.
• Never understand the physical world
• until we better understand the world of the
  spirit.

30
Contextualizing Key 3

• The Revelation Most Likely Was
• Written Prior to Jerusalems Destruction in A.D.
  70

31
Contextualizing Key 3

• A.D. 95 or 96the late date.
• Prior to A.D. 70early date.
• on two points I have changed my opinion the
  second Roman captivity of Paul . . . and the date
  of the Apocalypse (which I now assign, with the
  majority of modern critics, to the year 68 or 69
  instead of 95, as before).
• Philip Schaff, History of the Christian
  Church, Vol. 1,
• 1910 third revision) vi, also 420, 834n.

32
Contextualizing Key 3

• Major evidence for late datean ambiguous and
  questionable passage written by Irenaeus.
• Internal and external evidence.
• Major internal evidence favoring the early date
  is the identity of Babylon in Rev. 18.
• Who is the Babylon? Session 5.
• Four simple syllogisms.

33
Contextualizing Key 3

• AD 65 or early 66 would seem most suitable.
• if Revelation was written before A.D. 70, then a
  case could be made that it describes chiefly
  those events leading up to Jerusalems fall.
• R.C. Sproul,
• The Last Days According to Jesus, 1998),
  132.

34
Contextualizing Key 4

• The Revelation Is Time Restricted

35
Contextualizing Key 4? the whole prophecy?

• Rev. Ch. 22
• 226 (soon)
• 227 (obey)
• 2210 (at hand)
• 2210 (do not seal up)
• 227, 12, 20 (coming soon)
• BACK
• BOOKEND

• Rev. Ch. 1
• 11 (soon)
• 13 (obey)
• 13 (at hand)
• FRONT
• BOOKEND

36
Contextualizing Key 4

• Other tactics
• Figuratively.
• Just ignore and jump in.
• But do not forget this one thing, dear friends
  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and
  a thousand years are like a day (2 Pet. 38).
• to serve as signs to mark seasons and days and
  years (Gen. 114).

37
Contextualizing Key 4

• Refer to the speed.
• Merely convey certainty.
• Always viewed as being near.
• Meaningless.
• A pretext fulfillment created.
• Did not understand these words and phrases in the
  way these theorists are suggesting.

38
Contextualizing Key 4

• this is surprising since this line of argument
  is most often put forth by those who insist on a
  literal interpretation of Scripture.
• calls into question the reliability of the Bible
  and makes nonsense of clear statements of
  Scripture.
• Gary DeMar,
• Last Days Madness, 214-215.

39
Contextualizing Key 4

• If written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem
  in A.D. 70 . . .
• Time statements make perfect sense.
• Make a distant fulfillment untenable.

40
Contextualizing Key 4

• If this relevancy was not trueask yourself . . .
  
• Why werent the original recipients ever informed
  of this fact? (Amos 37 ???)
• This non-mention omission, if true, would give
  the Revelation the character of deception rather
  than of revelation.

41
Contextualizing Key 4? the whole prophecy?

• Rev. Ch. 22
• 226 (soon)
• 227 (obey)
• 2210 (at hand)
• 2210 (do not seal up)
• 227, 12, 20 (coming soon)
• BACK
• BOOKEND

• Rev. Ch. 1
• 11 (soon)
• 13 (obey)
• 13 (at hand)
• FRONT
• BOOKEND

42
Contextualizing Key 5

• The Revelation Is Fulfilled

43
Contextualizing Key 5

• In perfect harmony with
• Daniels time of the end.
• 4th version of the Olivet Discourse.
• Jesus this generation.
• For its own time and original audience.
• Occurred soon and shortly
• Within two to seven years.

44
Contextualizing Key 5

• These events ended, forever, biblical Judaism.
• Its age and the old covenant system (Heb. 813
  910).
• there must be an element of truth in this
  approach for surely the Revelation was intended
  to speak to its own generation.
• George Eldon Ladd,
• A Theology of the New Testament, 1974), 672.

45
Contextualizing Key 5

• Meaningless to modern-day Christians.
• Past fulfillment does not exhaust its meaning,
  relevance, and symbolism.
• Revelation itself shows us . . .
• It is more than a tract for its own time !!!
• The major weakness of the preterist view.

46
Contextualizing Key 6

• The Revelation Is Also Timeless
• and Universal in Its Relevance

47
Contextualizing Key 6

• Eat the scroll (Rev. 109b).
• Eating always transforms something.
• Not exhausted in its A.D. 70 fulfillment.

48
Contextualizing Key 6

• Six additional insights.
• Universal application and timeless relevance.
• Sensus Pleniori.e. a fuller sense . . . . the
  possibility of more significance to . . . a
  passage than was consciously apparent to the
  original author . . . .
• Henry A. Virkler,
• Hermeneutics, 1981, 25.

49
Contextualizing Key 6

• First and foremost
• The whole from first to last.
• Primary focusin one, immediate, specific, and
  real coming of Jesus Christ in judgment and
  consummation in A.D. 70.
• One and only fulfillment.
• Controlling role in a sensus plenior.

50
Contextualizing Key 6

• Secondly
• Different and broader group of recipients.
• Than Johns original area and audience of the
  seven churches (Rev 14, 11).
• Minimize the meaning of this dramatic symbolism.
• Personal application for John.

51
Contextualizing Key 6

• Thirdly
• Similar expressions are found five other times .
  . .
• In Revelation 59 79 137 146 and 1715
  (also see Rev. 229 and Dan. 41 714).
• Universalizes the application of Jesus
  sacrifice.

52
Contextualizing Key 6

• Fourthly
• If use in Rev. 1011 is consistent with this
  books other five uses . . .
• Scripture interpret Scripture . . .
• Same universalized and timeless meaning here, as
  well.
• Textual rationale for applying the whole prophecy
  beyond its A.D. 70 fulfillment.
• Whole of humankind from both a corporate and an
  individual sense.

53
Contextualizing Key 6

• Fifthly
• Relevance cannot be limited to a one-time,
  historic, and static eschatological fulfillment.
• Serves in a typological and controlling manner.
• Type for repeating patterns.
• Of Christs ongoing involvement and activity
• In history and in individual lives.
• Timeless and multifacetedrelevancy.

54
Contextualizing Key 6

• Fifthly
• If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to
  him the plagues described in this book. And if
  anyone takes away from this book of prophecy, God
  will take away from him his share in the tree of
  life and in the holy city, which are described in
  this book (Rev. 2218-19).

55
Contextualizing the Book of Revelation

• Key 1Purpose and Over-arching Theme.
• Key 2Uses Figurative Language and Symbols to
  Reveal Spiritual/Physical Events and Realities.
• Key 3Most Likely Written Prior to
  Jerusalems Destruction in A.D. 70.
• Key 4Is Time Restricted.
• Key 5Is Fulfilled.
• Key 6Is Also Timeless and Universal in Its
  Relevance.
• Key 7

56
Coming Agenda

• Week 12
• The Many Comings of Jesus in Revelation
• Resurrection of the Dead Ones (plural)
• Week 13
• Synthesis Solution to Four Competing Views