Yet another study of the Apocalypse, the Revelation of Jesus Christ given the John the Apostle. It seems everybody has their own idea what it's all about, and most of them contradictory. Like other preachers, I've taught it at least once. Sadly, most of them seem to be aimed at passing some unique intellectual view. It gets tiresome, because most of them aren't all that unique.
What makes my version different? Certainly not brilliance; mine is a pastoral purpose. That is, I'm not interested in distinguishing myself. If all I do is present this as intellectual understanding, then it's about me. This isn't some golden opportunity to distinguish myself, and I really don't care what you remember about me or my intellect. I want my readers to walk away with something they can use today, tomorrow, and for the rest of their lives on this earth. This will be an applied study of John's Revelation.
There is an abundance of material hashing over the academic details. So much is there I see no need to rehash it yet again. I've read more of it than I want to admit, and you can, too. Call that an excuse if you will, but the wealth of reference material means I don't have to plow that ground yet one more time. My interest is in passing to you, my readers, something you can use. I'm not going to footnote all my assumptions; scholars who need such things will figure it out for themselves. I would prefer to keep to the purpose John himself seemed to have -- to pastor his flock.
Thus, a primary element of what follows is holding forth the idea this was all written to the Church. That is, it is not about some far future events the Church will never see, but about events which began after John's death, rooted in events which he saw with his own eyes. He wrote this to the churches of Asia, to reveal to them something of Jesus Christ as He is, was and would be. That is, it's about the Eternal Christ, not some Christ which might show up later. This is to the Church and for the Church, and specifically for those churches John pastored at that time. It was not to increase their knowledge of things which would not affect them, but to improve their understanding of how things work from the eternal standpoint of Christ, as He views the fallen world.
By no means do I deny there can be a futuristic application to our reading of this Apocalypse, but to make that the whole of it's importance is to render it useless to the Body of Christ. Any interpretation which denies or contradicts the plain meaning this book had for John and his flock is a lie from the start. This is a message to her, and includes instructions on how to face very difficult times. Those times have returned.
Chapter 1 -- The Risen Savior revealed, and John's time is short.
Chapters 2-3 -- The Seven Churches represent typical churches of every age.
Chapter 4 -- God on His Throne, and His viewpoint.
Chapter 5 -- The Lamb of God, His victory and authority.
Chapter 6 -- Revealing God's wrath in the opening of the Seven Seals.
Chapter 7 -- John calls us to look beyond the experiences of the flesh to things of the Spirit.
Chapter 8 -- The series of judgments in the Seven Trumpets begins. Human politics are doomed to instability and short lives for nations and states.
Chapter 9 -- The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets reveal Satan's grand plans for dragging Lost souls slowly, inexorably into the chasm of hopelessness.
Chapter 10 -- The vision of John's commission to testify to the world, implying a commission to all the Body of Christ.
Chapter 11 -- During the Last Days, the Lord's witness will be expressed in the authority of His Law of Justice in the Covenant of Noah, and His Law of Faith, in the Covenant of Christ.
Chapter 12 -- John takes the time to explain the major characters in the eternal drama of redemption. In the process, he reminds his flock they must grasp the other-worldly view of Heaven when facing persecution.
Chapter 13 -- The trinity of Evil is revealed.
Chapter 14 -- John paints the End from the viewpoint of Heaven. The horrific scenes of destruction and death are aimed at reminding us to keep our eyes on our home in Heaven.
Chapter 15 -- The rising pitch of conflict between sin and redemption crescendos in this final revelation of God, as seen as the preparation for His final judgments against sin.
Chapter 16 -- John describes the nature of spiritual conflict in terms of a great final battle, guided along by plagues of the Seven Bowls.
Chapter 17 -- We are allowed to more closely examine the Harlot, Babylon, and what she represents.
Chapter 18 -- John describes how the Harlot is destroyed.
Chapter 19 -- The end of the Harlot is the revelation of the Bride, and the call to the Wedding Feast.
Chapter 20 -- John reveals the story of Satan beginning with the Cross, until his final end in the Lake of Fire. We also see the White Throne Judgment.
Chapter 21 -- The vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from God.
Chapter 22 -- John takes us on a tour of that New Jerusalem, not to see the sights, but to absorb the ultimate commission from God to go there.
Ed Hurst
17 October 2007
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