Strauss-' Comments
BIBLE STUDY TEXTBOOK
THE SEER, THE SAVIOR,
AND THE SAVED
A NEW
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Commentary
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Workbook
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Teaching Manual
James D. Strauss
College Press, Joplin, Missouri
Copyright © 1963 James D. Strauss
All rights reserved
DEDICATION
I live daily by the vicarious efforts of others! I pray God's rich and abiding blessings upon my mother and father, who have graciously and ceaselessly sacrificed that I might continue to obtain an adequate education for the Glory of Christ.
Wayne and Janet Shaw have opened their home and hearts to me. They are stewards par excellence! They have supported me both spiritually and financially. My prayer is that I will be able to finish many literary projects which I have already started, and thus produce concrete results of their unending confidence in me.
There is no way that I can express, in mortal language, my gratefulness to my wife Jewel and our two little Godsends, Joye Lu and Jeaneen Kay. They have helped beyond all my capacity to repay or even express. There is only one vindication of the things they have never received, and the time which was theirs that I have taken from them, because of my prolonged schooling, and that is that it will bring much glory to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Oh, for a thousand tongues to declare that I live daily by the vicarious labors of others.
PREFACE
Emphasis in This Study
1.
Word and Phrase Study will be emphasized because it is most fruitful for an initial study.
2.
We will try to show O.T. source of imagery however, the O.T. does not always help in determining its significance in The Revelation.
3.
We shall often take a position which is exegetically possible but not necessary the only position, without going into the critical grounds.
4.
We shall take notice of various English translations but the basic text is the R.V. of 1901.
5.
Notes and appendices will be provided to make available bibliographical data for further study.
6.
Keep constantly in mind that many things cannot be settled about the message and often the imagery of the Book of Revelation even if we were writing a more technical work. We must have epistemological (source of knowledge) humility about many of the secrets of the book which have not yet been yielded up.
7.
The Basic Message of the Book is clear, so we will strive not to become lost in minute details.
8.
We shall provide an extended annotated bibliography on the Revelation in appendix of this study.
9.
To the advanced student of the Word it will be apparent that we have been dependent on the great works of Charles, Swete, Beckwith, et al.!
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE REVELATION
I.
The Title:
1.
The oldest, extant form of the title of this book was Apocalypse of John.
2.
The Greek word apocalypsis has the same meaning as the Latin root from which we get the word revelation.
3.
The title is singular (Revelation) not plural (Revelations).
4.
While the title of the book as it stands in our 1901 A.V. translation is The Revelation of John, it does not mean that the book is about John, or that origin of the revelation is John. Jesus Christ is both the revealer and the one revealed.
II.
The Revelation and Apocalyptic Literature:
1.
Apocalyptic Literature was a type of literature which contained secret, hidden teaching which was not to be disclosed to the uninitiated - (only those who belonged could know).
2.
Liberal scholarship tries to connect The Revelation with this very prevalent type of literature. A body of literature came into being and was called The Apocrypha. The book of Revelation is certainly in the lineage of this type of non-canonical literature. But the difference lies in the fact that The Revelation is in direct lineage with the inspired Apocalyptic Literature of The Old Testament, i.e., the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah respectively. One need not appeal to nonbiblical Apocalyptic Literature in order to account for its unique form and imagery. The Revelation is the book of this form in The New Testament. This accounts for the difficulties many find as they begin studying this inspired work for the first time.
III.
The Authorship and the Canon:
1.
The first to refer definitely to the book as from John was the Justin Martyr (c. 140 A.D.).
2.
Irenaeus (c. 180 A.D.) assigns the book to the Apostle John repeatedly and without question.Irenaeus was the disciple of Polycarp, who in turn was the disciple of the Apostle John.
3.
Papias (c. 130 A.D.) is quoted as referring the book to John.
4.
It was questioned by the sect of the Alogoi (about 190 A.D.) who assigned it to Cerinthus the Gnostic.
5.
Later, Dionysius of Alexandria (250 A.D.) made a study of the language and style and asserted that it could never have been written by the author of the fourth Gospel.
6.
Many have suggested that John the Presbyter wrote the book.
7.
The Reformers rejected it as not being apostolic.
8.
However, we can be sure that the ancient tradition is overwhelmingly in favor of John the Apostle as the Author.
9.
The modern negative critical view admits several possibilities of authorship:
(a)
If the Apostle John wrote the Gospel and Epistles of John, then John the Elder may have written the Apocalypse.
(b)
If the Elder wrote the Gospel and Epistles, then the Apostle may have written Revelation. Hunter, Interpreting the N.T., 1900-1950, p. 98, suggests that he was a Christian prophet of Asia Minor, (Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1951).
10.
The basis for the modern critical view:
(a)
The style and vocabulary of Revelation is very much like that of the Gospel and epistles.The Greek is barbarous and ungrammatical (See Charles Volume I, Introductory Section).
(b)
The ideas and thought of Revelation are different from those of the other Johannine writings.
11.
Arguments for John the Apostle as author:
(a)
Godet and Alford contend that the similarities of these writings far outweigh the differences.Consider Word, (Revelation 19:13); Lamb (Revelation 5:6); water of life (Revelation 22:1).
(b)
Many of the differences can be explained by the fact that the book is of a different character apocalyptic.
(c)
The so-called defects of style and grammar may well have been the advanced age of John, and the content of what John desired to say.
(d)
In addition, the claim of Revelation 1:9, that the author was exiled on Patmos, is referred to John the Apostle by Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Eusebius.
12.
Because of the style and grammar of the book, some have suggested an early date such as 68, 69 A.D.The pre-supposition is that by the time he wrote the Gospel he had learned better Greek.
13.
Others date it at the time of Trajan, 112 A.D.
14.
However, the traditional date places the writing of the book under Domitian (81-96 A.D.)
(a)
Eusebius says that John was sent to Patmos during the latter part of Domitian's reign.
(b)
Irenaeus also places the book at the same time as does Clement of Alexandria.
(c)
It is also declared that John was 90 years of age at the time of the exile. (Hunter, Interpreting the N.T., p. 98.)
15.
These facts give reason for us to date the Apocalypse at 95-96 A.D.:
(a)
It fits in with the decadence of the churches of that day.
(b)
It fits Domitians's policy of punishment by exile.
(c)
It fits the Domitianic type of persecution which grew out of the refusal of the Christians to engage in emperor worship.
IV.
Ways of Interpreting The Revelation:
(a)
Preteristpast - fulfilled largely in destruction of Jerusalem and fall of Roman Empire.
(b)
Continuous-Historicalsurvey of history of the church.
(c)
Spiritual symbolical, figurative; teaches triumph of good over wickedness.
(d)
Futurist Largely predictive of future events - See Thiessen, Introduction to the N.T. pp. 323-327; Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan - was a very capable Evangelical Scholar.
Also see the following Words on Interpretation: The only extant early commentary on The Revelation available in English was written by Victorinus, Bishop of Patavium, died 303 A.D. This commentary is found in volume seven of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, pp. 344-360.
Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of St. John, Studies in Introduction with a Critical and Exegetical Commentary, New York, 1919. This is the finest commentary produced by American scholarship.
E. E. Elliott, Horae Apocalypticae; or, a Commentary on the Apocalypse, Critical and Historical, four volumes - 5th rev. edition, London, 1862. He has a 400 page history of the interpretation of The Revelation - indispensable!
William Lee, The Revelation of St. John. In The Anglican Commentary - edited by F. C. Cook. N.T., volume 4, New York, 1890. Exhaustive survey of the different interpretations of chapter beginning or a disputed passage beginning with the Fathers.
Frederich Bleek, Lectures on The Apocalypse, ed. by T. Hossbach, 1875. Contains excellent 50 page History of the Use of the Apocalypse in The Church.
1.
Introduction, Revelation 1:1-8
2.
The Patmos vision of Christ, Revelation 1:9-20
3.
Christ and the churches, chaps. 2, 3
(a)
Letter to the church in Ephesus, Revelation 2:1-7
(b)
Letter to the church in Smyrna, Revelation 2:8-11
(c)
Letter to the church in Pergamos, Revelation 2:12-17
(d)
Letter to the church in Thyatira, Revelation 2:18-29
(e)
Letter to the church in Sardis, Revelation 3:1-6
(f)
Letter to the church in Philadelphia, Revelation 3:7-13
(g)
Letter to the church in Laodicea, Revelation 3:14-22
4.
Christ and the Great Tribulation, chaps. 4-19
(a)
The seven seals, Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 8:1
(b)
The seven trumpets, Revelation 8:2 to Revelation 11:18
(c)
The seven persons, Revelation 11:19 to Revelation 14:20
(d)
The seven bowls of wrath, chaps. 15, 16
(e)
The fall of Babylon, chaps. 17, 18
(f)
The second coming of Christ, chp. 19.
5.
Christ and the Millennium, chp. 20
(a)
The binding of Satan, Revelation 20:1-3
(b)
The millennial reign, Revelation 20:4-6
(c)
The loosing and final doom of Satan, Revelation 20:7-10
(d)
The Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15
6.
Christ and the Eternal State, Revelation 21:1 to Revelation 22:5
(a)
The new heaven and the new earth, Revelation 21:1-2
(b)
The new conditions, Revelation 21:2-8
(c)
The new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5
7.
Conclusion, Revelation 22:6-21.
V.
Peculiarities:
1.
This is the last book of the Biblethe consummation of God's revelation and of God's plan of the ages.
(a)
Genesis depicts:
(b)
Revelation depicts:
Paradise Lost
Paradise Regained
Creation of Heaven and earth
The new heaven and earth
Earthly Paradise of God
Heavenly paradise
Satan's appearance, sin's beginning
Satan punished, sin wiped out
The rise of Babylon
The doom of Babylon
Man estranged from God
Man re-united with God
2.
This is one of the most difficult books of the Bible to interpret, and yet it was written to be understood (an unveiling, a revelation).
3.
Its place among the apocalyptic books of the Bible
4.
The special blessing promised to those who read and obey the book, Revelation 1:3.
5.
The pattern of sevens which runs throughout the book.
6.
The unique letters to the seven churches.
IV.
The Basic Pattern of the Revelation:
1.
The book is mainly made up of 4 series of sevens generally with various parenthetical sections interspersed.
(a)
The seven churches
(b)
The seven seals
(c)
The seven trumpets
(d)
The seven bowls of wrath
2.
The pattern of the presentation of the last three sets of sevens is the same:
Seals
Trumpets
Bowls of Wrath
(a)
The first six units
Ch. 6
Revelation 8:2 to Revelation 9:21
Revelation 15:1 to Revelation 16:12
(b)
The parenthesis
Ch. 6
Revelation 10:1 to Revelation 11:14
(c)
The seventh unit
3.
The use of the O.T. in the Book of the Revelation.
(a)
Various reckonings of the number of O.T. references in Revelation have been given.
(1)
Hunter, Interpreting the N.T. op. cit. p. 97, says the Apocalypse has over 500 references to the O.T.
(2)
Swete is referred to by Toy, Quotations in the N.T. as saying that the 404 verses of the Apocalypse contain 278 O.T. references.
(3)
Merrill Tenney, Interpreting Revelation, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1957. See excellent chapter XI, The O.T. Background of Revelation, pp. 101-116.
(4)
Westcott and Hort-', Greek New Testament gives over 500 references and allusions to O.T. in The Revelation.
(5)
Wm. Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, Baker Book House, 1952, chap. 6, pp. 57-73.
VII.
The Nature of the Book:
1.
A book of symbols, Revelation 1:1
(a)
This is implied by the word signifiedto show by signs (Revelation 1:1).
(b)
These visions and symbols are given, not to show how these things look, but to teach certain truths concerning the person or event depicted.Not that we are to imagine Christ standing encircled by literal candlesticks, but we are to see the truth that He is in the midst of the churches.
(c)
Ezekiel and Zechariah likewise contain this apocalyptic characteristic.
2.
A book of prophecy, Revelation 1:3
(a)
John is a prophet following the tradition of the O.T.
(b)
We must go back to the O.T. prophetic books in order to fully understand the symbols of the book Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, Revelation.
Points of Contact in the Writings of Ezekiel, Daniel,
Zechariah, and Revelation
(E. Stands for Ezekiel; R. for Revelation; Z. for Zechariah; D. for Daniel)
I was amongthe captives
The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel
A whirlwind out of the north
Four winds strove upon the great sea
A fire infolding itself, & c.
Lamps of fire
Four Living creatures
Four great beasts
Four beasts
The likeness of a man
The first beast was made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
The third beast had a face as a man.
Every one had four faces and four wings
The third beast had four wings and four heads
The fourfold nature distributed severally to each individual.
Ezekiel 1:6; Ezekiel 10:14; Ezekiel 10:2
Four wings
Eagle's wings, four wings
Six wings
The appearance of lamps
Seven lamps
Wheels
Ezekiel 1:16; Ezekiel 10:9; Ezekiel 10:12-13; Ezekiel 10:16; Ezekiel 10:19
The colour of the terrible crystal
Glass like unto crystal
Like the noise of great waters
A throne
The colour of amber, as the appearance of fire
Like the beryl
The bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain
A rainbow
Revelation 4:3; Revelation 10:1
I fell upon my face
Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 44:4
Stand upon thy feet
A roll of a book
A flying roll
A little book
Revelation 10:2; Revelation 10:8-10
Eat this roll
The spirit took me up
I was in the spirit
Ezekiel 3:12, Ezekiel 8:3, Ezekiel 19:1, Ezekiel 37:1, Ezekiel 43:5
A man clothed with linen
Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 9:11; Ezekiel 44:17
Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:8; Revelation 19:14
A mark upon the foreheads
Come not near any one whom is the mark
Scatter the coals of fire over the city
Full of eyes
The living creature
Four living creatures
The glory of the Lord stood upon the mountain
The day of the Lord
Revelation 6:17; Revelation 16:14
Written in the writing of the house of Israel
The vine-tree
Ezekiel 15:2; Ezekiel 15:6; Ezekiel 17:6-9; Ezekiel 19:10-14
The whore
Ezekiel 16:15-34; Ezekiel 23:1-21
Punishment of the whore
Ezekiel 16:35-43; Ezekiel 23:22-49
A goodly cedar
Ezekiel 17:3; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18
Prophecy against the forest
Bring into the wilderness
Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14
Mine holy mountain
The sword
Ezekiel 21:3-5; Ezekiel 21:9-20; Ezekiel 21:28; Ezekiel 30:4; Ezekiel 30:24; Ezekiel 32:10
Revelation 1:16; Revelation 19:15
I will make the pile for fire great
The smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever
A merchant of the people
Ezekiel 27:3; Ezekiel 27:33; Ezekiel 28:5
Fine linen, blue and purple
Revelation 18:12; Revelation 18:16
Ivory
Precious stones and gold
Revelation 18:12; Revelation 18:16
Persons of men
Spices
Horses
Lambs and rams and goats
They shall fall into the midst of the seas
Revelation 18:2; Revelation 18:21
They shall cry bitterly
Revelation 18:9; Revelation 18:11; Revelation 18:15; Revelation 18:19
Thine heart is lifted up
There shall be no more any grieving thorn
The horn of Israel to bud
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean
Revelation 1:5; Revelation 7:13-14
The stony heart
The breath came into them
They shall be my people and I will be their God
My tabernacle shall be with them
Gog, the land of Magog
I will bring thee forth and all thine army
Ezekiel 38:4; Ezekiel 38:9; Ezekiel 38:16
Revelation 16:14; Revelation 20:8
A great shaking
Great hailstones
Fire and brimstone
I will give thee unto the ravenous birds
Ezekiel 39:4; Ezekiel 39:17-22
Revelation 19:17-18; Revelation 19:21
A very high mountain
A city
Like the appearance of brass
A line of flax and a measuring reed
Revelation 11:1; Revelation 21:15
The outward court
Pillars
They shall put on other garments
Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 19:8
He measured it by the four sides
The earth shined with His glory
Ezekiel 43:2, X:4
I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever
Most holy
Zechariah 8:3; Zechariah 14:20-21
Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:3; Revelation 22:14-15
They shall enter into my sanctuary
Revelation 21:22; Revelation 21:24; Revelation 22:3-4
The gate shall not be shut until the evening
The gates of it shall not be shut at all by days for there is no night there
The gate
Four corners
Four-square
Ezekiel 46:21-23; Ezekiel 48:16-17
Waters issued out of the house
A fountain opened
Water of life
Zechariah 13:1; Zechariah 14:8
Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:17
Very many trees
The tree of life
Go into the sea
The waters shall be healed
On either side of the river
New fruit according to his months
The fruit for meat
The leaf for medicine
Three gates
The name of the city shall be The Lord is there
Revelation 21:3; Revelation 22:3
Bibliography for Further Study on Background and Introductory Matters of The Book of Revelation
Cambridge Ancient History, 12 volumes; Cambridge University Press, 1923, 1939 - Indespensible bibliographies on every phase of background to the N.T. world. Though this is a must there have been many excellent, more recent, works produced since the last volume (1939) was printed. W.O.E. Oesterley, An Introduction to the Books of Apocrypha, SPEK, London, 1953 - see also more popular work by Bruce Metzger. For advanced students Charles-' 2 vol. Apocrypha and Pseudopigraphs, Oxford, is vital.
Dana, H. E., The New Testament World, Broadmans Press, Nashville, 7th printing 1951. Good, popular style. Excellent for church school teachers, and church libraries.
Danielou, Jean, Théologie du Judéo Christianisme. Paris and Rome and New York. Desclee and Co., 1957, volume I of background study to N.T. especially chapter 11. Le Millenarisme, pp. 341-366.
Danielou, Jean, Message Evangélique et Culture Hellénistique aux II and III siecles. Descell and Co., 1961. New York. See especially 436 - Origens use of The Revelation.
Grant, Frederick C., Roman Hellenism and the N.T., Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 1962. Good outline, excellent bibliography, but does not hold a high view of the scriptures.
Guthrie, Donald, N.T. Introduction - Hebrews to Revelation, Inter Varsity Press, (This is one volume of his 3 volume Introduction - The Pauline Epistles also available) 1519 North Astor. Chicago 10, Ill. Indispensible from a conservative perspective. Excellent bibliography.
Jones, Maurice, N.T. in the 20th Century, Macmilla, N. Y. 1924. Chap. 11 Apocalypse of John, pp. 435-455 - Gives excellent survey of critical treatment of the Apocalypse up to 1924, pub. date.
Pfeiffer, Robert H., History of N.T. Times with an introduction to the apocrypha, Harper, N.Y. 1949, classic by late Harvard Liberal besides the ones already suggested in the text.
Robertson, A. T., Syllabus for New Testament Study, Broadman Press, 1923, pp. 251-274 - good list of older works.
Rowley, H.H., The Relevance of Apocalyptic: A Study in Jewish and Christian Apocalypses from Daniel to the Revelation, Lutterworth Press, London, reprinted 1955. Paradigm survey and bib. but mediating with respect to the Word. Like W. F. Albright in this country - not liberal, but by no means conservative.
Zahn, Theodor, Introduction to the N.T., Vol. Ill, reprinted by Kregel Pub., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan, 1953. pp. 384-449. Classical work by great conservative scholar. The only contemporary work that even approaches this one is Donald Guthrie's - listed above.
Special Study
The Status of the Book of Revelation in the Western and Eastern Churches
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION:
The relationship of Early Christian Chiliasm (The belief in Christ's return to earth to reign during the millennium) (Montanism, etc.) and the general attitude toward the Apocalypse in Asia Minor.
SECTION ONE:
The General attitude in the West in about the year A.D. 200
The Muratorian Canon
Tertullian
The Alogoi
Hippolytus
SECTION TWO:
The General attitude in the East during the period of Origen
Clement of Alexandria
Origen
Dionysius
SECTION THREE:
Development of General attitude within the period of the early church fathers.
The East Beyond Alexandria
Alexandria
The West in General
CONCLUSION:
Conclusions concerning the attitude of the Church both East and West concerning the Apocalypse.
This essay is an elementary and cursory effort to trace what the early church Fathers have said concerning the status of the Book of Revelation. Many imperative issues can only be mentioned and passed over, because of the limited extent of this work.
We shall establish the general attitude of both the Eastern and Western Church. Inseparably involved in such a study is the history and development of the canon of the New Testament, the nature, function, and extent of authority involved in extra-biblical tradition.
Our purpose shall be confined to the tracing of the first explicit witness to the Apostolic origin and authoritative status through the number of voices raised in criticism of the tradition of the Apostolic origin of the Apocalypse and beyond to the more universal consensus.
What was the attitude of the early Church toward the Apocalypse? In order to give both the positive and negative positions we shall examine many of the positions extant only in Eusebius the historian and the titanic supply of Early (90-323 A.D.) Literature.
The enthusiasm latent in early Chiliasm is a vital aspect in our gaining a credible perspective to examine specific statements concerning the place of the Apocalypse in the ancient church.
I have no concern to give even a comprehensive survey of the history of chiliasm, but only to view it as it contributes to an understanding of the history of the canonical regard for the Apocalypse of John.
In the epistles of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp of Smyrna there is nothing that suggests the doctrine of Chiliasm. Nevertheless, in I Clement we read1 of a sudden coming of the Lord to judgment.
It is a striking fact that the earliest writer to use the Apocalypse with normative regard is also the first Christian Chiliast (Papias).2 It is also important to note that it is in Asia Minor where we note (to this I shall speak next) nearly all of the evidence for a use of and high regard for our work in the first half of the second century. It was in Asia Minor where this doctrine had taken its deepest roots, Here, there was a general interest in apocalyptic and eschatological literature.
Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, volume III, chp. 3a vs. 3) and Irenaeus (adv. Heresys 5, 33, 4) provides most of our extant information concerning Papias. Though the description of Eusebius is not adequate to warrant the conclusion that Papias was completely absorbed in Chiliasm, it is the only extant information we have that Papias-' millennial teaching was based on a misunderstanding of the message of John's Apocalypse. Yet, it points to his attitude toward the document under discussion.
Justin Martyr3 also appeals to the apocalypse to support his belief in the millennium. It is very apparent that he was strongly influenced not only by the prophetical passages which he quotes from the Old Testament, but also by his regard for the Apocalypse. It is not likely that in his early Christian years in Asia Minor Justin came under the influence of the bishop of Hierapolis who at that time was at the peak of his influence?
In as much as Papias and Justin were the only authors of whom it can be safely stated that they were Chiliasts, and the eschatological expressions of many others exclude the specific connotation of the assertion that Chiliasm was an essential aspect of the faith of early Christianity needs revision. Chiliastic belief is usually accompanied by a high regard for the Apocalypse, and indeed it may well have been a factor which tended to make the work popular.
We must raise a more fundamental question concerning its general acceptance as authoritative writingwhat was the real ground for its early use?
Did Papias and Justin accept its testimony because they with Christians generally regarded all prophetic utterances as divine and canonical, or was apostolic origin the prime criterion?
Though the Apostolic office held great influence in the Church there were other influences, and among these the Christian prophets4 held a very high place of significance.
Especially interesting for our present discussion of the comparative authority of the Apostles and the Christian Prophets before the rise of Montanism is the witness of the Didache.5 This volume furnishes irrefutable argument in support of the view that in the early Church Prophets were regarded as spokesmen of The Spirit in a way the Apostles were not, and their messages were received on a par with the Old Testament. This is also the basic attitude in the other volumes in the Apostolic Fathers.
From the perspective of the preceding testimony we will examine the testimony of those writers whom we have found either to accept or reject the Apocalypse as an authority. Space forbids that we compare other prophetic works, such as the Shepherd of Hermas, with the Apocalypse of John. The Shepherd was also received in the Church as divine, but this paper is only concerned with pointing out the general attitude toward the Apocalypse of John.
In Asia and Gaul a new prophecy arose in the form of Montanism.6 It is during this period that we note an intensification of attack upon the authority of the Johannine prophecy.
One of the difficulties facing the investigator of Montanism is that of distinguishing the source, which describe the movement in its original form from those which reflect later modification of it. In my study I have become convinced of the vital place the rise of Montanism played in the negative attitude toward the Apocalypse of John. This could become a thesis, but I will only mention it in passing.
According to the most credible data it was about the year 156 A.D. when Montanus first came forward with his prophetic message at Ardabau in Phrygia. The leader was soon joined by the prophetesses Priscilla and Maximilla. The center of the movement was soon changed to Pepuza and Tymion, two small Phrygian villages, but it spread rapidly throughout Asia Minor. There is extant a more complete body of sources concerning its movement into the West, but this was in a later period. The Montanists were finally driven out and excommunicated. It is possible that the Montanist use of the Apocalypse led some to reject the book altogether and ascribe it to Cerinthus.
From the Montanists and their certain use and acceptance of the Apocalypse we turn to examine the difficult question of whether there was a second century group in Asia Minor which rejected the work under investigation. The Alogoi7 of Asia Minor are very difficult to examine, but we know enough for our present study.
Irenaeus mentions a group who denies both the Gospel and the book of the prophetic spirit, but he does identify them as the Alogoi. There is no evidence that the western Alogoi were dependent for their criticism of the writings of John upon a second century source from Asia Minor.
The indirect reference in Irenaeus to certain anti-montanists is all of the specific details we have. A study of the relevant literature shows the diversity of opinion concerning this matter, but not even Zahn, Harnack, nor Bousset were certain in the efforts to make identification of Irenaeus-' statement as having reference to Alogoi of Asia Minor.
Since Irenaeus is an important link between the Churches of Asia Minor and those of Gaul we shall conclude this elementary introduction by pointing out Irenaeus's positive attitude toward the Apocalypse.
Eusebius tells us of the positive attitude of both Melito of Sardes and Apollonius. Apollonius quotes the Apocalypse readily.
The Churches of Lyon and Vienne were much interested in the rise of Montanism in Asia Minor, and perhaps the earliest extant reference to this movement is contained in a letter sent by the brethren of these Churches to the Roman bishop, Eleutheros, by the hand of Irenaeus, who was then presbyter of Lyon. At the same time (ca. 177) a letter was sent to the Churches of Phrygia and Asia.8 The high regard which these churches had for the Apocalypse is clearly shown in the long letter to the Churches in Phrygia and Asia concerning the severe persecution they had suffered under Marcus Aurelius. Besides a number of cases of the use of the language of this writing, Revelation 22:11 is the only direct quotation in the whole letter. And it is particularly noteworthy that here for the first time the Apocalypse is cited as a book of Scripture, the formula that the Scripture might be fulfilled being used.9 As we have already stated Irenaeus was an important link between Asia Minor and Gaul, but now we turn to the situation in Rome and Carthage.
Between these two western Churches, there was fought out a battle of great significance for the future of the status of the Apocalypse. In the West Tertullian, Gaius, and Hippolytus are representative of different tendencies and attitudes. Before discussing the testimony of these prominent scholars it is necessary to note the important witness of an anonymous fragment named after its discoverer, the Canon Muratori.
SECTION ONE: General Attitude in the West Circa Two Hundred A.D.
The fragment, Canon Muratori, purports to present a list of canonical books received in the Catholic Church through the world, and also calls attentions to certain books which were not given canonical status. The scholarly concensus concerning this document is that it originated in the West. The limits for the date of its origin are determined by its statement that Hermas wrote very recently in our times,10 and further identification of this with the times of Pius, bishop of Rome. This allows a choice in the period between 160 and 2??. Its attitude toward Montanism, which it regards as heretical, hardly allows a date much before the end of the century. The problem of dating the fragment is intensified by our ignorance as to whether the document was originally Latin or Greek. Wescott gives us the Latin text in his On the Canon of The New Testament. Without a word of comment or trace of a defense against expressions of hostility to the Apocalypse of John the author of the fragment states that the book is received. The author takes note of the opposition to the Apocalypse of Peter. It is an important factor that the author was not opposed to apocalyptic in general or he would have rejected the Apocalypse of John as he did the Apocalypse of Peter. Here we must note that, at least as far as the fragment was concerned the claim to apostolic origin was not an adequate defense nor reason for accepting documents as canonical. The Shepherd of Hermas was also rejected by the author of the fragment.
The whole attitude that at one time the Church possessed a canon of Apocalypses, which were accepted apart from any question as to their authorship and time of their origin is not grounded in fact, and particular the fragment under consideration goes against this position.
The Montanism of the West is not simply a later reproduction of the New Prophecy of Asia Minor. It made its way to Rome and Africa apparently after it became schismatic in the East. The modification of its belief and action enabled Montanism to enter into the Roman Church. Undoubtedly, the enthusiasm and rigorism as characteristics of western Montanism is due in no small measure to the fact that its history for two decades ran parallel with and often inseparable from the life of Tertullian.
In the writings which follow these stirring times Tertullian11 has come out on the side of the Montanist, but as a Montanist trying to reform the Church from within.
We see accordingly that the Montanist prophecy confirmed Tertullian in his Chiliasm, and gave him the assurance that the coming of the Lord was imminent. Gaius-' criticism of the Apocalypse seems to be based upon Montanist exegesis of it.12 In Tertullian's treatise On Modesty13 he discusses in chapter 12 to 19 the teaching of the Apostolic instrument on adultery, and in the final chapter refutes objections from the Apocalypse of John. The normative use of the work is apparent from the method of utilization. Tertullian never uses extra biblical Apocalypse as normative.
We may conclude that Tertullian agrees essentially with Irenaeus and the Canon Muratori with regard to the canonical significance of the Apocalypse.
We must now take into consideration the opposition to the Apocalypse. Gaius and the Alogoi were as was mentioned in the introduction, the brilliant opponents of the Apocalypse of John in the West during the second century A.D.
It was while Zephyrinus (199-217) was bishop of Rome that Gaius, a member of the Church of Rome, wrote a dialogue which recorded the arguments he had used in a dispute with a certain leader of the Montanists named Proclus.14 This work was at the disposal of Eusebius, for he quotes from it more than once. Dionysius of Alexandria was apparently excerpting it in his criticism of the Apocalypse Hippolytus15 (kephale
a kata Gaion) and the extant source of the fragments (Dionysius Bar Salibi) agree in reporting that these opponents of the Apocalypse ascribed it to Cerinthus, and there can be no doubt that the dogmatic motive back of this act was hostility to Montanism.
Gaius was also critical of the Gospel of John, but our meager extant sources do not permit use to examine the details of his criticism of the Gospel or the Apocalypse. The main thrust of Gaius-' criticism centers around the tension between the Eschatology of the Synoptics and Paul (these were his criterion) and the specific statement in the Apocalypse concerning the details of the Judgment and Coming of Christ.
The details of our knowledge with regard to the criticism of the Alogoi rest ultimately on the single work of Gaius and Hippolytus-' (of Rome) answer to it is confirmed in that all these sources reveal the work of a critic who is moved by dogmatic motives.
All of these sources attribute the Apocalypse to Cerinthus, a docetic Gnostic. None of these sources point out the Jewish elements in the Gnostic heresy of Cerinthus; therefore it would be very difficult for anyone to account for his writing the Apocalypse.
In the Alogoi we have the bold and unscrupulous attempt of certain extreme opponents of the Montanists to discredit certain writings of which the Montanists were particularly fond, even though these writings had long enjoyed a place of honor among the authoritative writings which were, at least, as early as the time of Irenaeus spoken of and used in normative manner.
The last witness to be mentioned concerning Western attitude toward the Apocalypse will be Hippolytus of Rome. His dependence upon Orenaeus is unmistakable, but he was not a mere repeater of anothers learning. The contact Hippolytus makes with the Apocalypse is again the indirect attack upon Montanism.
His use of and regard for the Apocalypse are easily discovered from his exegetical treatise On Christ and Anti-Christ and Commentary on Daniel. Hippolytus, when he was still a presbyter in the Church at Rome, took a very active part in the anti-Montanist struggle of the West.
We may conclude that as an exegete, apologist, and polemicist the great Hippolytus took his stand upon the canonical Scriptures among which, the Apocalypse was numbered.
SECTION TWO: The General Attitude in the East During the Period of Origen
In Alexandria and its area of influence, the Apocalypse experienced a somewhat different fortune. As early as the first decades of the third century its canonic position was very secure, it is equally clear, on the other hand, that the Alexandrian theology ultimately was a very weighty factor in lessening the regard for it in certain parts of the Church. The most important witness is Clement of Alexandria.
In a narrative recorded by Eusebius in a section devoted to the events of the reign of Trajan, Clement relates that after the death of the tyrant (Dometian), the apostle John as a very aged man passed from the island of Patmos to Ephesus; and this reference to his forced residence on Patmos suggests that he believed that the visions of the Apocalypse were received at this time.16 That Clement and the Church at Alexandria accepted the Apocalypse as Scripture is proved in a passage where he relates that certain women appealed to its description of the materials of the heavenly city in defense of their taste for precious stones, and he declares that they failed to understand the symbolism of the Scriptures.17
This survey of the evidence shows that circa 200 A.D. in Alexandria as in Rome and Carthage the Apocalypse was accepted as canonic. But this conclusion is somewhat premature, because Clement also utilizes the Epistle of Barnabus and the Apocalypse of Peter. The term paradosis applies to the witness of the Lord in the testimonies of the gospels, but also to the latter ecclesiastical explications of them.
The age of the Apostles is sharply separated from the succeeding period. The teaching of the Lord begins with Augustus - the preaching of His apostles at least to the end of Paul's ministry is completed under Nero. In contrast to this the heresiarchs like Basilides can trace their teaching only as far back as about the time of Hadrian.18 - Clement does call the Didache - Scripture, but this may merely point out his ambiguous language; because he knows of only four canonical gospels but uses other records of the life of Christ. Even though Clement's statements are less decisive than the western fathers, this can be accounted for by the looseness of his language concerning apostolic and post-apostolic tradition. If this general attitude is not accepted, then the extant literature of Clement plainly contradicts itself on the matter under consideration.
The successor of Clement as head of the catechetical school at Alexandria will be the next consideration. Origen19 (c. 185-254) literary activity extended over most of the first half of the third century.
Origen perpetrates the spiritualizing method of the school at Alexandria, but his testimony to the Canonic authority of the Apocalypse is distinguished both by the frequency of his appeal and the explicitness of his classification. That the Apocalypse had a secure place among the New Testament writings (as far as Origen is concerned) is confirmed by a passage preserved by Eusebius giving Origen's explicit expressions on the canon.20 (Our paper is too elementary and cursory to discuss the very apparent differences in Origen's private opinion and that which he published in his works generally concerning the Apocalypse.) This tension in no way points to an uncertain status for the Apocalypse at this time, because Origen uses it as normative and believes John to be a prophet.
Although certain books are still spoken of as disputed, the testimony of Origen shows that the Church was conscious of having received the New Testament from the tradition of the preceding generation.
Origen's eschatological viewpoint and his attitude toward Chiliasm are important for a proper evaluation of his testimony concerning the canonical status of the Apocalypse and the last witness (Dionysius) in this section of the paper.
Origen's allegorical hermeneutics plays an important part in his understanding of the Apocalypse. His viewpoint could be nothing but offensive to many of his contemporaries. His utter lack of sympathy with the Chiliastic expectations which were based primarily upon the Apocalypse, gives his unequivocal testimony to the canonical status of the Apocalypse.
The age of Origin was a time of tensions and persecutions under the policy of the Roman emperors and Egypt received its share of hostility.
Eusebius21 relates how the opponents of Origen's hermeneutics found a spokesman in an Egyptian bishop, Nepos of Arisinae. In a work entitled, Refutation of the Allegorists Nepos defends the literal exegesis of the Apocalypse against that of Origen.
Dionysius,22 bishop of Alexandria, who had been a pupil of Origen, settled this tension by a visit to the district where the difficulty was most intense and showed how the literalistic exegesis was untenable, and thus through his efforts restored peace.
The discussion is somewhat nebulous, but Dionysius has a pious regard for the work. Dionysius provides the framework of the critical analysis of the difference between the language, character, etc., of the Gospel and the Apocalypse. Dionysius did not believe John of tradition wrote the work, but he did not commit himself to another John as author.
There can be no doubt that Dionysius was first of all interested in destroying the influence of this writing which had given consolation to the Chiliasts.
He insists that the writer was holy, inspired, saw a revelation, etc., but at the same time his whole aim was to weaken the regard for it. In other words, no matter how much he affirms that his remarks have nothing to do with the canonicity of the Apocalypse, he shows that this is his first concern. Origen's canon included the Apocalypse, and his student Dionysius realized that if his opinion that the Apocalypse was less worthy of respect was to gain ground effectively against the peculiar love for it on the part of the Chiliasts, its position in the Canon would have to be shaken. How successful he was remains to be considered in the next section.
SECTION THREE: Development of the General Attitude Within the Patristic Period
In this concluding section I shall trace in a summary manner the history of the acceptance or rejection of the Apocalypse as having canonical status until circa the end of the fourth century, when the influence and authority of Athanasius in the east, and Augustine and the African councils in the west, the development of the canon came to a conclusion in the Catholic Church.
The fact that Eusebius championed the basic criticism of Dionysius caused certain eastern Churches to sustain their criticism concerning the Apocalypse.
Methodius23 was an opponent of Origens theology. His frequent use of it as Scripture shows that the criticism of Dionysius and Origen had made no impression upon him. The criticism of Dionysius therefore failed to take root in Asia Minor, and as we shall see in Alexandria, but we must look to Palestine as the soil where it first bore fruit.
Caesarea, in Palestine, had stood under the sway of the Origenist Theology. Here Eusebius came under the spell of this Theology. Of all the men who were in a position to carry to an effective conclusion the criticism which Dionysius had begun, none enjoyed greater advantage than Eusebius. Emperor Constantine commissioned him to prepare fifty Bibles for the Church. This points to the general esteem the Church had for Eusebius. It is also vital that we recall his place at Nicea.
The prominence which Eusebius gives the criticism of Dionysius upon the Apocalypse by devoting to it a whole chapter in his Ecclesiastical History is motivated by more than historical interest. Eusebius is strongly inclined to the view of Dionysius that the Apostle John did not write the Apocalypse and believes that the double mention of John by Papias makes up in part for the deficiency in historical foundation under which this hypothesis suffers.
We have already mentioned Eusebius-' three categories of literature recognized, disputed, and heretical. It is interesting to note that he lists the Apocalypse under both Recognized and Spurious.24 Now this hesitating attitude can only mean that Eusebius was at odds with the Church. Personally he is quite ready to classify it with spurious works, but in deference to its acceptance as canonic not only in the west, but also by the leading teachers of the east, including Origen, he places it among the undisputed books. Although it may not be overlooked that Eusebius does not fail to mention testimonies to the use of the Apocalypse as authoritative.
It is particularly in Cappadocia of Asia Minor and in Syria that in the course of the fourth century, we meet with expressions of a hesitating or wholly negative attitude toward the Apocalypse. Two of the Cappadocian theologians, Gregory of Nazianzum (c. 389) and Amphilocius of Iconium (after 394), in giving lists of the New Testament books do not list the Apocalypse.25 These witnesses make it apparent that among the influential theologians of Cappadocia the canonical position of the Apocalypse was insecure.
Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 386) held certain catechetical discourses as early as the middle of the century in Jerusalem, in the course of which he gave a list of the books of the Old and New Testaments which were read in the Churches should not be read in private either.26 He is no doubt following Dionysius and Origen in their attitudes toward the Apocalypse.
Already in the second century the Apocalypse was accepted as an authoritative book in the Church at Antioch, but at the end of the fourth century it was evidently absent from the Bible of this Church. We must notice that in Antioch the Apocalypse was accepted (c 2nd century), because Theophilus uses testimonies from it in his writings.27
How are we to evaluate this rejection of the Apocalypse as a New Testament book in these eastern Churches? There are so many factors involved which could never be satisfactorily answered we can but contrast the eastern attitude with the Western acceptance of the Apocalypse.
There was no more commanding figure in the Egyptian (Alexandrian) Church during the fourth century than Athanasius, who was bishop of Alexandria from 329 until his death in 373. In one of his annual Paschal Letters Athanasius included a list of the writings of the divine Scripture.28 In distinction from Eusebius, Athanasius no longer speaks of anti legomena - there are only canonical books and he has no hesitation in listing the Apocalypse with the other New Testament writings. Sharply distinguished from these canonical books are those which were appointed by the fathers to be read for instruction. This unhesitating acceptance of the canonicity of the Apocalypse is characteristic of the Alexandrian Church, also in its later history.
After Hippolytus-' refutation of Gaius there is no clear evidence of doubt as to either the Apostolicity or the authority of the Apocalypse. This seems to be the general attitude in the West, at least from the fourth century.
In the course of the fourth century the same high regard for the Apocalypse continues. With the reign of Constantine the Church entered upon a new period of development being no longer disturbed by persecutions.
Jerome (c. 419) was acquainted with doubts expressed with regard to the canonicity of the Apocalypse in the east, but is convinced that it has canonical and ecclesiastical authority. Jerome's translation of the Bible makes it apparent what his general attitude toward the canon was, because he included our present list including the Apocalypse.
Augustine (d.c. 430) cites the Apocalypse often in his City of God. In a passage in his work on Christian Doctrine he gives a list of the works in our present canon. The conformation of the Canon of the rest of the Church to that of Athanasius and Augustine was only a matter of time.
CONCLUSION
Conclusions concerning the attitude of the Church both East and West concerning the Apocalypse.
Our main concerns have been to point out some of the positive and negative attitudes towards the Apocalypse and the circumstances under which the attitudes arose.
The factor of the nature of the Apostolic, Prophetic Offices are vital for understanding Montanism and Chiliastic thought in general.
It is also imperative to note how the above influences affected the attitude of various national Churches. The political forces involved in persecution gave impetus to the use of the Apocalypse and the distorted use created much of the negative thought. Since it is impossible to discover empirically the process of canonization we can only compare attitudes and the national Churches and their major theological emphasis.
We also noted that general apocalyptic29 was not categorically compared with the biblical apocalypse.
But with all our historical investigation we cannot say that the development of the N.T. Canon and the history of the Apocalypse as a member of it, has been fully explained. For we cannot but recognize that behind and through this historical process there was a guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Note: The use of The Book of Revelation in the Apostolic Fathers. See The New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers: A Committee of Oxford Society of Historical Theology, Oxford Press, 1905. This book discusses the text of Revelation:
Revelation 1:7; Revelation 1:13
- p. 16
- p. 110
- p. 16
- p. 17
- p. 17, 58
A brief, broad outline might be helpful. Dr. Merrill Tenney has provided such an outline in his Interpreting Revelation.
The Prologue: (Revelation 1:1-8)
Vision I: The Seven Churches of Asia (Revelation 1:9 to Revelation 3:22)
Vision II: The Process of World Judgment (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 16:21)
Vision III: The Climax of Judgment (Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 21:8)
Vision IV: The Eternal City (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5)
Epilogue (Revelation 22:6-21)
This framework was used in dividing our more extended outline into four sections in order to make study easier by dealing with a broad section at a time.
FOOTNOTES
1. See Johannes Quasten's Patrology, Vol, I, The Beginnings of Patristic Literature, Newman Press: Westminster, Maryland, 1950, pp. 84-89-152-219-289-312; Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, Vol. III, Loeb Classics, Harvard University Press.
2. Ned B. Stonehouse, The Apocalypse in The Ancient, Oosterbaan, and Le Cointre Goes (Holland) 1929. This is the finest statement in English on this problem.
3. See Theron'S, Evidence of Tradition, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids 6, Michigan, p. 89; Wescott'S, On the Canon of the New Testament (Macmillan Co.: New York, 1889); F. W. Grosheide ed., Some Early Lists of the Books of The New Testament (Brill'S: Leiden, 1948) pp. 20-24; The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 12 (Abingdon Press, pp. 351-354).
4. See for a good basic discussion H. A. Guy's New Testament Prophecy, Epworth Press: London, 1947; pp. 90-118.
5. See K. Lakes, Apostolic Fathers, Volume I, Loeb Classics, Harvard University Press.
6. For a good survey of this movement and how it is related to our problem see Knox'S, Enthusiasm (Oxford University Press, 1950) pp. 25-49; and Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 15, article Montanism, pp. 750-751, 1957 edition.
7. For an excellent survey of the Alogoi and bibliographical literature see F. Cayre'S, Manuel of Patrology, Vol. I Society of St. John the Evangelist, Desclee and Co., Paris, and Rome, pp. 106 and 132f., 1927.
8. This information is found in Eusebius, Vol. V, chp. 8:4, ibid.
9. Ibid. Vol. 1:58.
10. Johannes Quasten'S, Patrology, Vol. II, The Ante Nicene Literature After Irenaeus (Newman Press: Westminster, Maryland, 1950) p. 208.
11. For this material see, Ante-Nicene Father'S, Vols. III and IV - gives English translation of writings of Tertullian. In all this paper I shall merely give sources in which I did research. The essay is so short that I do not give many quotations because that would take up too much of the paper.
12. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book III 28:2 (Loeb series: Harvard University Press).
13. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. III - Tertulliano Against Proxean.
14. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book II 25:6f; VI 20 (Loeb series, Harvard University Press).
15. See Quasten'S, Patrology, Vol. II, p. 197.
16. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, III 23:5f Loeb series, Harvard University Press.
17. See Anti-Nicene Fathers for Clement's statement - II 12, 119.
18. Ibid. Stramata VII 17, 106.
19. An adequate statement on Origen concerning our problem would require a volume, but the essence of the relation of his concept of tradition and the place the Apocalypse plays in this tradition see the Patrologias of Quasten and Cayre (directly mentioned) Hanson'S, Origen's Doctrine of Tradition, S.P.C.K., London, 1954; Danielou's Origen, Sheed and Ward, New York, 1955.
20. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History VI, 25, where he states that the New Testament books were divided into recognized and the disputed, and the Apocalypse is listed in the former group.
21. Eusebius VII 24:1f.
22. The information here given is found in Eusebius, ibid. 24:6f. As far as I know this discussion is only preserved in Eusebius.
23. H. E. W. Turner'S, The Pattern of Christian Truth (Mowbray'S: London, 1954) pp. 131, 143, 444, 450.
24. Eusebius-' Ecclesiastical History III, 25:2ff.
25. See Westcott's History, op. cit.
26. Ibid, and Anti-Nicene Fathers, extant works of Cyril of Jerusalem.
27. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History IV, 24.
28. See the Patrologies of Qausten and Cayre-', op. cit. for extant materials of Athanasius-' Paschal Letter.
29. See H. H. Rowley'S, The Relevance of the Apocalyptic (Lutterworth Press, 1955 reprint - for the literature involved.
OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION
Outline Follows the Division of Nestle's Greek Testbasically from Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (pp. 37-38)
(Two Basic Divisions Revelation 1:9 - Revelation 11:14, and Revelation 12:1 - Revelation 22:5.)
I. Prologue. Chp. Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 3:1.
1.
The writer's greeting to the Churches of Asia. Revelation 1:4-8.
II. Seven Churches of Asia
2-9.
Messages to the Angeles of the Seven Churches. Revelation 2:1 Revelation 3:22.
III. Process of World Judgment
10.
Vision of the Throne in Heaven, Revelation 4:1-11.
11.
The Sealed Book and the Lamb. Revelation 5:1-14.
12.
Opening of the first six Seals. Revelation 6:1-17.
13.
Sealing of the 144,000 from the Tribes of Israel. Revelation 7:1-8.
14.
Triumph of the Innumerable Multitude, Revelation 7:9-17.
15.
Opening of the seventh Seal; the half hour's silence in Heaven; the first tour Trumpet-blasts. Revelation 8:1-13.
16.
The fifth Trumpet-blast, or first Woe. Revelation 9:1-12.
17.
The sixth Trumpet-blast, or second Woe. Revelation 9:13-21.
18.
Preparations for the seventh Trumpet-blast: the vision of the Angel with the open booklet. Revelation 10:1-11.
19.
Further preparations; measuring the Temple; the testimony of Many Witnesses. Revelation 11:1-14.
20.
The seventh Trumpet-blast, or third Woe. Revelation 11:15-19.
21.
The Woman with child, and the Great blood-red Dragon. Revelation 12:1-17(18).
22.
The Wild Beast from the Sea. Revelation 13:1-10.
23.
The Wild Beast from the Earth. Revelation 13:11-18.
24.
Vision of the 144,000 on Mount Zion. Revelation 14:1-5 (c.f. Revelation 7:1-8).
25.
Three angelic proclamations, and a Voice from Heaven. Revelation 14:6-13.
26.
Vision of the Harvest and the Vintage of the Earth. Revelation 14:14-20.
27.
Preparation for the last Seven Plagues. Revelation 15:1-8.
28.
Pouring out of the Seven Bowls. Revelation 16:1-21.
IV. Climax of Judgment
29.
Vision of Babylon seated on the Beast. Revelation 17:1-8.
30.
Interpretation of the Vision of Babylon and the Beast. Revelation 17:9-18.
31.
Doom of Babylon. Revelation 18:1-24.
32.
Triumph in Heaven; two Hallelujah Psalms; an angelic message. Revelation 19:1-10.
33.
Vision of the Crowned Warrior. Revelation 19:11-16.
34.
Overthrow and end of the Beast and the False Prophet. Revelation 19:17-21.
35.
The Thousand Years of Satan's captivity and the Martyr's Reign. Revelation 20:1-6.
36.
After the Thousand Years: release of Satan; war of Gog and Magog. Revelation 20:7-10.
37.
Vision of the General Resurrection and the Last Judgment. Revelation 20:11-15.
38.
Vision of a New Heaven and a New Earth. Revelation 21:1-8.
39.
Vision of the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:9-27.
40.
Epilogue: Last words of the Angel, the Seer, and the Lord. Revelation 22:1-21.
41.
Final Benediction.
SERIES OF SPECIAL STUDIES
Special Study
N.T. Archaeology and The Book of Revelation
(Compare Sir W. M. Ramsay'S, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia listed in the bibliography below with W. Barclay's Letters to the Seven Churches, London, 1957).
The only area where extensive archaeological excavation has been carried on with regards to The Revelation is the seven cities of Asia Minor.
1. Ephesus. The city was the center for the worship of the great diana (Acts 19:23 ff). Emperor worship and all kinds of magical arts were also involved in the religious activity of the citizens of this city.
2. Smyrna. This city was a Greek colony over a thousand years before the birth of our Lord. The modern city of Smyrna lies almost directly over the ancient site. This made extensive excavation impossible. We are dependent on ancient written materials for our archaeological information.
3. Pergamum. Here, several religious cults made their home. The god of healing, Asklepios was chief among the many gods worshipped by the people. Probably, the most important single discovery made here was the giant altar to the god Zeus. This altar has been reconstructed and is presently in a Russian Museum.
4. Thyatira. Here Apollo and the female diviner, Sibyl were worshipped. The very serious error of Montanism had a great following in this city at least as early as 150 A.D. (Keep in mind that archaeology provides wirtten materials as well as cities, temples, and other artifacts, etc.
5. Sardis. The most important single archaeological find here was the bilingual text in Lydian and Aramaic. It dates from the 10th year of the Persian king Artazerxes.
6. Philadelphia. It was strategically located for the defense of the entire Phrygian territory. There is almost nothing from this city but coins and inscriptions.
7. Laodicea. There is no new information about this city available. Ramsay's work is the best to which we have access.
There has been extensive excavation in only three of the seven citiesEphesus, Sardis, and Pergamum.
Bibliography for Further Study
For excellent, non-technical reports on contemporary excavation see:
The Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Drawer 93A, Yale Station, New Haven, Connecticut. See also The Biblical Archaeologist - same address as above.
Near Eastern Archaeology, Bulletin of Near East Archaeological Society - edited by Joseph P. Free, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois (student membership, $5,00).
Books
W. M. Ramsay, The Letters to The Seven Churches, N.Y., 1905. This is still an excellent work. Before more recent excavations in the geographical area covered by The Revelation, this work was indispensable. The bulletins listed above will give information of contemporary work which has been and is still being done - which is vital for the archaeology of The Revelation.
J. A. Thompson, Archaeology, O.T. Pre-Christian Centuries, N. T., Eerdmans, Grand Rapids - second edition, 1959. This text is a popularly written well informed statement by an alert Evangelical O.T. scholar. It is an excellent guide for Bible Study groups, and should be in the Church Library.
Merrill F. Unger, Archaeology and The New Testament, Zondervan Pub. House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1962. Chp. 15, pp. 274. This is a very alert work by an Evangelical (a Dispensationalist) of Dallas Theological Seminary. This is the best intermediate text for the study of N.T. archaeology that is presently available.
Wright, G. Ernest, Biblical Archaeology, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1957. Get the newer edition, if possible.
Note: W. G. Kummel, Promise and Fulfillment: The Escatological Message of Jesus, SCM Press, London, 1961, English edition.
Dr. Kümmel now occupies the chair formerly held by the leading European theologian, R. Bultmann (with the sole exception of Karl Barth). Because of its highly specialized character, we shall only raise the problem involved in Dr. Kümmel's work, and then direct you to the great work by the Dutch Calvinist, Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom, Presb. and Reformed Pub. Co., Box 185 Nutley, New Jersey. Dr. Ridderbos-' work is a much greater one than is Dr. Kümmel's and we have the extra advantage of his absolute committment to the Word of God as special revelation.
Dr. Kümmel's thesis is that Jesus asserted that He would return within the span of the apostolic period. This coming again was not realized; therefore, Jesus was mistaken about His eschatological message. Dr. Kümmel claims that the biblical use of the terms eggus and eggizein necessitate that we hold to the doctrine of an immediate coming of Christ. Since there has been an almost 2000 year gap and still Jesus-' words have not been fulfilled, He must have been mistaken. If He was mistaken, then He certainly could never be our Lord and Savior. Conscientiously study the two works listed in this note and you will see that our Lord was not mistaken, and we still anxiously await His appearance!
Earlier in this commentary we referred to the problem of Time and Eternity in Biblical Theology. Instead of writing a brief separate study we chose to include that problem in our Special Study of a Theology of History See that Special Study and the appropriate section on time and eternity.
Special Study
Some Major Doctrines in The Revelation
We aspire to give, in brief scope, of the major doctrines in the works of John, but our specific point of departure will always be
The Doctrine of God
The doctrine of God which we encounter in The Revelation stands firmly on the O.T. foundation by claiming that God is one. The monotheistic emphasis is clearly revealed in John's cry that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the creator, as John assertsfor thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created (Revelation 4:11). The whole earth is admonished to worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters (Revelation 14:7). He alone is holy, and the four living creatures sing the praises of God - night and day saying Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God(Revelation 4:8). He alone is true. The martyrs cryHow long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:10). He will also call the dead into account. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea give up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades give up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every men according to their works. (Revelation 20:12-13). It is imperative that we keep in mind that these characteristics, and others we have not mentioned are also attributed to Jesus Christ.
The Doctrine of Angels
One need not read too extensively into contemporary literature on the biblical doctrine of angels until it is painfully apparent - that this doctrine is a stumbling block to our scientific age. Again and again we have read how this doctrine is dismissed as first century Rabbinical superstition, which the biblical authors (and our Lord also - John 1:51) unfortunately shared. Though we cannot critically discuss this matter here, we must note that the contemporary non-Christian mind has rejected every form of the traditional proofs of God's existence from Augustine, Aquinas, Newman, and all contemporary efforts to reconstruct these proofs in order to make them logically and psychologically compelling. They are not logically compelling to the intellectual of our day! When these arguments for a supernatural Being are repudiated, then it should come as no surprise to us that the biblical doctrine of angels, demons, etc. (the entire spirit world) is also rejected, because of the claim that the church is unable to provide defensiable reasons for believing in angels as actually existing beings. Anyone can believe anything he choose, but if we are to attempt to communicate to the contemporary educated world, then we must provide reasons for believing a given doctrine if the belief in angels is to be elevated to a rational belief!
For our brief purpose here, we can do no better than to point out that the deity of our Lord is at stake. He affirmed that there are such beings as angels, and if He is mistaken, then He could hardly be the person who He claimed He was - God in human flesh.
Angels are referred to at least 73 times in The Revelation (though I do not thereby claim that the word always means the same thing in The Revelation). Each of the seven churches have an angel which is specifically referred to in Chapter s 2-3. In the series of judgments, angels often revealed to John the content of his vision such asand he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth(Revelation 10:3). (Check Young's concordance for the 73 occurences of angels and study the full doctrine).
The Doctrines of Heaven and Hell
(Hades is not equivalent to Hell)
It is common knowledge that the world view of The Bible has been under attack from the earliest negative critical period to Bultmann. Biblical cosmology does not present the universe as a three layered phenomenon - the heaven above, the earth as center (this is Aristotelianism but not the Biblical view) and hell below, as has been repeatedly claimed.
The Seer's doctrine of heaven includes instructions for all who would be inhabitants of the city of God. Only those who are faithful to the end - the same shall be saved! Only those who hear and heed the call of the Spirit and the Bride shall enter the new Jerusalem. Those who are victorious because of the victory of the Lamb will populate God's heaven. In The Revelation, heaven is the region from which God judges the world. Heaven is also the dwelling of the blessed. John saidI saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away.(Revelation 21:1). Heaven will not be a utopia (etymology means - no place) created by applied technology and social engineering, but will be a reality when God's will and purpose is fulfilled.
Hell is a very unpopular doctrine in our day. How relevant to daily living is the biblical doctrine of Hell? How does the Bible harmonize God's righteousness, justice, mercy, and love with its teaching about final and irrevocable judgment upon those who are not found in safety of the everlasting arms of Christ? John tells us who will not enter the heavenly JerusalemBut for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death(Revelation 21:8). (Also see the brief appendix on Yes, There Is a Hell!)
The Doctrine of Hades
HADES (hades), the region of departed spirits of the lost (but including the blessed dead in periods preceding the Ascension of Christ). It has been thought by some that the word etymologically meant the unseen (from a, negative, and eidô, to see), but this derivation is questionable; a more probably derivation is from hado, signifying all-receiving. It corresponds to Sheol in the O.T. In the A.V. of the O.T. and N.T., it has been unhappily rendered Hell, e.g., Psalms 16:10; or the grave, e.g., Genesis 37:35; or the pit, Numbers 16:30; Numbers 16:33; in the N.T. the Revisers have always used the rendering Hades; in the O.T. they have not been uniform in the translation, e.g., in Isaiah 14:15, hell (marg., Sheol); usually they have Sheol in the text and the grave in the margin. It never denotes the grave, nor is it the permanent region of the lost; in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. For the condition, see Luke 16:23-31.
The word is used four times in the Gospels, and always by the Lord, Matthew 11:23; Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:15; Luke 16:23; it is used with reference to the soul of Christ, Acts 2:27; Acts 2:31; Christ declares that He has the keys of it, Revelation 1:18; in Revelation 6:8 it is personified, with the signification of the temporary destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are therein, Revelation 20:13, and is to be cast into the lake of fire, ver. 14.
The above quotation has been taken from An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, with their Precise Meanings for English readers, W. E. Vine, M. A., Fleming H. Reveil Co., Westwood, N. Y., p. 187-188, fifth impression, 1952.
The Doctrine of The Devil
The high strategy of Hell is to convince us that Satan does not exist! Paul said that Satan fashions himself into an angel of light. John presents Satan as the great dragon; and he is unmistakenly the prince of this world. The great trinity of evil is very explicitly declared in the book of the visions of victory. The first Epistle of John also has a strong doctrine of the anti-Christ. John speaks of a synagogue of Satan in the city of Smyrna. This phrase clearly speaks of a gathering of people who enthralled by Satan, and the power of darkness. Chapter s 12 and 13 present us with the most extensive discussion of Satan in the book of the Seer of Patmos. The fall of Satan is mentioned in Revelation 12:7 ff, and is in complete harmony with the O.T. teaching about Satan, his fall and his angels of darkness. This doctrine is not a late Rabbinic tale full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
John also gives expression to the doctrine of Satan in the Gospel record John 8:44 (see also 1 John 3:10) compare the doctrine of evil, the personal forces of darkness in the Gospel, the Epistles, and The Revelation. How relevant is this teaching to our contemporary world situation?
The Doctrine of Christ
The grammatical structure of the title of The Revelation shows that the book intends to reveal the person and work of Christ. Dr. Merrill Tenny's work on The Revelation (pp. 117) already mentioned in the commentary) contains a chapter just loaded with excellent preaching materials on the doctrine of Christ in the last book of the Bible. (See also the materials on John's Christology in Charles, Swete and Gebhardt listed below in the bibliographical note. (Advanced students will need Holtz, Christologie der Apokolypse des Johannes.)
John's first vision shows Christ as Lord of the Church 1): Revelation 1:12-17). The second vision reveals the Lamb, into whose power and wisdom has been committed the judgment of the non-Christian world (Revelation 5:1-14). In the third vision He is the Word of God leading the redeemed in their march of victory (Revelation 19:11-16). The last vision places Christ in the midst of the new city of God.
The prologue introduces Christ communicating to the entire universe (Revelation 1:1-8). The first vision presents Christ in the Church (Revelation 1:9 to Revelation 3:22). The second vision reveals Christ in the Cosmos (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 16:21). John's third vision shows the Christ in Conquest (Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 21:8). The last great portrait John provided of Jesus is the Christ in Consummation (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5). This excellent outline could be used as one sermon on the Christ of The Revelation or as a series of portraits of Christ from the pen of the prophet from Patmos. (See Special Study on the great themes of The Revelation which provide great preaching materials from this sadly neglected book. The book is difficult, but as apart of God's final revelation it should receive more attention in the pulpit than it does.
The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit
There is nothing new added in The Revelation about the Holy Spirit, which is not already available in the other N.T. literature. We might expect to find an extensive presentation of the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the only N.T. book of prophecy, but, as a matter of fact, we find very little specific teaching about the Holy Spirit. Yet, it is John that gave us some of the most extensive discussions on the Holy Spirit in the entire N.T. (see John chps. John 14:16 f, John 15:26 f, John 16:1-14).
John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day (see Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:2 - for the phrase in the Spirit). He also speaks of spirit of error and the spirit of truth (1 John 4:6). He also warns Christians not to believe every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God:.. In The Revelation, John clearly speaks of the personality of the Spirit as independent of the Father and the Son (Revelation 1:5; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 22:17; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 14:13). The activity of the Spirit is delineated in Revelation 5:6 (... which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.) The Spirit speaks to the churches in Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:17) and gives the last invitation to Come in Revelation 22:17.
We have been invited to the great banquet hall of Christ through the proclamation of the word of God - impowered by the Holy Spirit!
The Doctrine of The Eternal Gospel
John does not employ the word evangelize (or any form of it) in any of his writings, but he does give us an amazing picture of an angel flying in the meridian with the eternal Gospel. All can hear this messenger of God! (For an excellent, brief study of the word Gospel - euaggelion see Swete's great work, The Gospel According to Mark, Eerdman'S, reprint, p. 1). The Greek words aiônian euaggelioai should not be translated the everlasting Gospel as is found in A.V. The content of this good news is the announcement of the coming again of Jesus Christ and the final results which this coming will bring to the whole of mankind. John reveals the audience of the angel in these words unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people. God's message of judgment is not the message of an angry God, who demands that man placate His wrath. God's will has been and remains the same, only those in Christ can escape God's judgment of condemnation. Study the entire section of scripture - Revelation 14:6-7, where this angel and the Eternal Gospel is mentioned.
The Doctrine of Christian Life
All of John's writings speak eloquently of the Christian Life. His First Epistle is preoccupied with The Tests of Life. What is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian life? John answers to this question. The First Epistle asserts that we walk in the light when we love in the Christian sense, when we believe the truth, and when we behave in accordance with that belief - see Robert Law's classic work on the First Epistle - The Tests of Life. The Christian life is a pilgrimage to the heavenly city. Only those who persist unto the end shall wear the victor's crown. Only those who thirst for the fountain of the water of life (Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:17) have yielded themselves to the master.
We note a great emphasis on the prayer of life of the saints in The Revelation (see Revelation 4:10-11; Revelation 5:8-10, Rev 5:16-18; Revelation 7:10; Revelation 15:3-4; Revelation 12:10-11; Revelation 19:1-7). The same book calls sinning Christians and entire congregations to repentance (chps 2-3). Only the persistent pilgrim will walk in the streets of the new Jerusalem (also see Special Study on Victory in this commentary). See the brief discussion and bibliography for further study in the special Study on The Anti-Christ in this commentary.
The Doctrine of The Consolation of The Christian
What possible consolation can there be for Christians who are passing through the fires of persecution? What can words do to comfort? Often it seems to be the Christian's ultimate blessing to hope against hope! John claims that Eternal Life is the Christian's present possession. The ultimate consummation of Eternal Life will come when God's purpose is fulfilled and the curtain comes down on the great drama of The Revelation. Our consolation comes through the forward look of hope. Christian hope is not an effort to escape from reality or to avoid this world, but we look forward to that hour when Jesus comes again. In that hour we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). Thanks be to God that There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1). This is our sole source of consolation whether during first century persecutions or present burdens.
The Doctrine of The Judgment
John dramatically pictures the great judgment morning in Revelation 20:11-15.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, the great; and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. And if any was not found written in the book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
John clearly states that there will be a day of reckoning for all men. Education, wealth, social status will not avail any thing on that day! Even those who have died in the past will not escape, because God shall call them to life again and will judge according to their works whether bad or good. There is no possible way to escape God's judgmental condemnation, except one be found in Christ.
The Doctrine of Works
At least since Luther's interpretation that redemption involved Faith Alone (ganz allein) from the human side, the tension between Faith and Works has generally permitted protestant thought. Paul and James are very clearly not making contradictory claims about Faith as Luther claimed. One of John's central concerns in the Gospel and First Epistle is to show that belief and behavior are inseparably related. (Note that the golden text - John 3:16 - contains not the noun faith, but rather a present tense form of the verb - God so loved., that whosoever keeps on believing (present tense verb) on him should not perish, but have eternal life. It is one of the purposes of verbs in any language to show the type of action being performed by the subject of a sentence. One should be amazed, even upon a first reading to note the doctrine of works in The Revelation. Exegetically, we can easily establish that the works which John speaks of as essential for the ultimate victory of the Christian are absolutely necessary for our redemption. Psychologically it is not difficult for us to understand how Luther could revolt against the Roman Catholic system of works, which dominated the practical life of the medieval church, but it does not follow from Roman Catholic perversion, that the Bible claims that a sinner need have only faith if he would be saved. (Note the often quoted passage in Acts 16:31Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.. The form of believe is very clearly a verb and not the noun form, faith.
John claims that men will be judged according to their works (Revelation 20:1-15). John is not speaking of legalistic works, as if we were still under Old Testament authority, but of works which flows out of the committed life. Protestants in general will acknowledge that a true believer produces good fruit, but John is going far beyond this claim; he is claiming that we cannot be saved without these works. The faith that John is speaking about (like Paul and all other N.T. authors) produces the endurance of the saints Revelation 2:19; faithfulness in persecution Revelation 2:13; Revelation 13:10 (see Charles pp. cxv-cxvi).
The Doctrine of The Church
John uses both the plural and singular form of the word Church in The Revelation. John moves from seven actually existing congregations in Asia to the imagery of The Bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). The imagery of the marriage of the Lamb is clearly a metaphor for the Church (Revelation 19:7 ff). The Spirit and the Bride say, come. (Revelation 22:17).
The Church's ministry is not discussed in this last book of the New Testament, but Swete is certainly mistaken in asserting that Johnspeaks of the itinerant, charismatic, ministry of Apostles and Prophets, but not of the bishops or presbyters and deacons who were doubtless to be found in the Christian communities of Asia (Swete, p. CLxvii). The New Testament is too clear on the matter of the nature of the ministry, and government of the Church for us to spend much time refuting Swete's assumptions based on later ecclesiastical development.
The Church is the fellowship of the redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The Church is ultimately victorious, because of the victory of the Lamb. John speaks of individual congregations, Christians and The Church Triumphant in the City of God. The Church alone will be ready when the Lord of Glory appears a second time to render judgment. Only the persistent pilgrim can shout with JohnCome, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).
Note: The following works will be helpful in further study of the great doctrines available in John's works.
R. H. Charles, The Revelation of St. John, volume I, section 12, pp. cix to cxvii. Some Doctrines of our author. He discusses - The Doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, Works, the first Resurrection, the Millennium, and the second Resurrection.
Hermann Gebhardt, The Doctrine of The Apocalypse and its relation to the Doctrine of the Gospel and Epistles of John, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 38 George Street, 1878. This is a great, old work, but is still quite readily available as a used book, though sometimes quite expensive. There is a vital need for a new work of this subject in view of the vast contemporary critical literature on The Gospel, The Epistles, and The Revelation of John. This work is filled with running debate with the leading 19th century theologians therefore much of the content is irrelevant except for considerations in Historical Theology. The same is also true of the great theological commentary on the First Epistle of John, Robert Law, Tests of Life, Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark. This is an excellent examination of the First Epistle of John and should be reprinted.
Gebhardt considers the doctrines of God, Angels, Heaven, The Devil, Perdition, the Earth and Mankind, Christ, The Spirit, The Gospel, Christian Life, Christendom, Antichrist, The Last Things, The Call to the World to repent, the consolation of the Christians, The Future of Israel, The World in Wickedness, The End of the World, The Coming of the Lord, The Resurrection of Believers, The Judgment, and the Final State. Gebhardt provides an excellent analysis of the major doctrines of The Revelation in pages 1 through 303 from 304 to 424 he compares the theology of the Gospel, Epistles and The Revelation. Gebhardt also shares some of the negative German attitudes of his day toward the Bible and its doctrines. We shall consider only some of the doctrines discussed in the last section of Gebhard's work.
G. B. Stevens, Johannine Theology. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895. This is still a valuable work to consult, but like Dr. Steven's other works, it clearly reveals that he does not have an adequate view of The Scriptures as the Word of God.
Henry B. Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John. op cit., chp. 14, Doctrine, pp. clix to clxxiii. There is much valuable material in this excellent reprint. Dr. Swete discusses the doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, the Church, Salvation, Angels, the Last Things, and Christian hope.
Special Study
Titles For Christ in The Revelation!
(These titles and their significance can provide excellent preaching materials for a series of sermons).
This appendix does not pretend to give an exhaustive list of the titles applied to Christ in The Revelation. Neither does it claim anything resembling an adequate discussion of these great names and phrases which describe the nature of the person of Christ, and the function of His work as redeemer.
We shall use Warfield's two general categories for the names of Christ in The Revelation (see his work listed below in note pp. 287): (1) Simple Designations; (2) Descriptive Designations. We will not discuss the distinction which must be made between the terms as proper name and as Messianic titles.
Simple Designations
(1) Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:5). This compound title is a combination of Jesus, which is transcribed from the Greek name and was sued to translate the Hebrew Jeshua. The root of this Hebrew name means He whose salvation is Yahweh. Jesus was a very common name in the first century A.D. Josephus gives over twenty persons with this name. Many of these were contemporaries of Jesus Christ, our Lord. (See Acts 13:6 - a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus. Bar is Aramaic for son; therefore this man was the son of a Jesus).
The other title of the combination, Christ, is used in The Septuagint for the Hebrew word translated anointed. (Kings, Priests, Prophets and the Messianic Son of David were anointed.) Jesus Christ summed up all the implications of these two great names in the combination Jesus Christ.
(2) Jesus is used in Revelation 1:9; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 17:6; Revelation 19:10; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:16. See brief discussion above on the compound - Jesus Christ.
(3) Christ used in Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:6. The Christ is used Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10 (compounds used Revelation 1:1-2; Revelation 1:5).
(4) The Lord Jesus is used Revelation 22:20-21. The name Jesus has already been mentioned. The other part of this compound title is one of the most important applied to Jesus, so we will give a more extended consideration.
(5) The Lord is used in Revelation 14:13 (probably); Revelation 1:10; and part of title in Revelation 19:16 and Revelation 17:14. To the infant Christian community in Jerusalem, the ascended Jesus was their God, whom they addressed in prayer and from whom they sought in prayer the activities which specifically belong to God. Quite naturally in these circumstances the chief narrative name for Jesus in Acts becomes the honorific the Lord, which is employed about twice as frequently as the simple Jesus (thirty one times), and which is occasionally given more precision by taking the form the Lord Jesus or even the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is equally clear that in the use of this term the meaning primarily expressed is the profoundest reverence on the part of the community before the highest conceivable exaltation and authority on the part of Jesus himself. It is often extremely difficult to determine whether, by Lord, Jesus or God the Father is intended. Some scholars maintain that the word Lord, appearing alone, always is God the Father in the New Testament.
We would have no problem concerning this title, had it not been for the publication of Wilhelm Boussett's Kyrios Christos, and the literature resulting therefrom. Dr. Vincent Taylor suggests an interval after Christ's ministry before the term was applied to Jesus.
What does the term Lord imply? What is its source - Hellenistic or Judaistic? How does the New Testament employ the term? Was the deific implication latent in the term before Pauline terminology became the dominant language of Christianity? Conflicting answers are given in Rudolf Butlmann's New Testament Theology and Adolf Deissmann's Light From the Ancient East. The problem is more than apologetic. It raises the question as to how the believing community regarded Jesus, and the grounds on which their regard rested.
In classical usage, lord describes a person who has control over another person or thing, either by right of divinity or by right of ownership. In the case of Christ, these two propositions are inseparable.
In the Septuagint translation, kurios (lord) is used as the translation of some twenty different Hebrew words and phrases, some of which apply to God specifically, and a few of which apply to man.
The New Testament use of the term involves at least three aspects: (1) ownership; (2) right of service; and (3) right of obedience. Paul uses this title for God almost exclusively in quoting from the Old Testament.
Elsewhere the term is employed of rulers, Roman deities, both male and female, and as a title of respect. It is used in Acts to show the subjection of the believer to Christ, thus manifesting two of the aforementioned three basic ideas in the term: ownership and right of obedience. Christ is designated in a discourse of Peter as Lord of all (Acts 10:36); the Greek for all is neuter, meaning Lord of all things - that is to say, universal sovereign. The phrase recalls the great declaration of Romans 9:5 to the effect that He is God over all. This use might also contain a theocratic suggestion of authority over all things. The sense of majestic exaltation is so clearly implied we shall not labor its defense. To the early Christians, Jesus was Lord, as Jehovah God was Lord. They were neither led to that declaration nor deterred from it by Gentile applications of the term to their gods and great men.
(6) The Lord's Christ (also God's Christ) Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10. Here the term Lord is plainly applied to Yahweh. Note also that this term is applied without qualification to Jesus Christ.
(7) The Son of God is used in Revelation 2:18(Note Jesus-' words - My Father Revelation 2:27; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 3:21). This title categorically asserts the Deity of Jesus Christ. Neither the O.T. nor the Hellenistic usage can possibly account for the biblical significance of this term as applied to Jesus by inspired writers. The title claims that Jesus Christ is unequivocally the Son of God (via His divine nature and not by way of adoption, as sinners become sons of God through Christ).
(8) Son of Man is used in Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14. This is a title which finds its origin in the Book of Daniel. This is the title which Jesus used - himself. It emphasized His human nature, just as other titles emphasized His divine nature.
(9) The Word of God is used in Revelation 19:13. (Hebrews 4:12-13; John 1:1-18). For our brief remarks see Special Study on The Biblical Doctrine of The Word of God after Chapter 19.
(10) King of Kings and Lord of Lords is used in Revelation 19:16 and in varied form in Revelation 1:5; Revelation 2:1; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 3:7; Revelation 5:5; Revelation 17:14. The entire biblical teaching concerning the Kingdom of God in both O.T. and N.T. is summed up when the Seer of Patmos called Jesus Christ - King of Kings. As Lord of the universe, He will reign over heaven and earth. The O.T. Messiah was to set on the throne of His Father David. Jesus fulfilled the prophetic declarations of the O.T. as He reigns eternally from the throne in the hearts of believers. But even the lost, unbeliever will one day need to acknowledge that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no greater ruler in the universe!
Descriptive Designations
(See B. B. Warfield, pp. 290)
(1) Him that loved us and loosed us from our sins by His blood - is used only in Revelation 1:5. This descriptive title has been basically considered in the text of the commentary. Every Christian must be grateful to Christ for redeeming us by His blood. This is our only hope of escaping the deadly power and guilt of our sins. (Also see note on Blood in this commentary.)
(2) The Lamb that hath been slain - used in Revelation 5:12, Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 13:8. The title Lamb has already been discussed in the commentary. This is the imagery of the sacrificial lamb. Here is a clear and categorical claim for the vicarious atonement by God's Lamb, our Lord! (See The Hebrew Epistle for further marvelous claims about Christ's redemptive sacrifice.)
(3) The Lamb is used in Revelation 5:8; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 6:1; Revelation 6:16; Revelation 7:9-10; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:4; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 15:3; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:9; Revelation 21:14; Revelation 21:22; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3. The entire imagery of Isaiah 53:7 (see Acts 8:32 f) is brought into play in this symbol. John the Baptist also came heralding - Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world! John 1:29; John 1:36. This is also our unchanging message to the contemporary world which is filled with lost men!
(4) The First born of the Dead is used only in Revelation 1:5. The Greek word prototokos - firstborn is derived from the O.T. - Exodus 4:22, where it is used of Israel; Jeremiah 31:9 where it is used of Ephriam and Psalms 89:27, where it is used of the Messianic King. The implication of the term derives from the fact that God required the firstborn of the flocks, and the firstborn male inherited a double portion of the inheritance and the birthright. This background necessary to understand; John's use of the title. (See also Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:6.)
The Arians, both ancient and their contemporary counterpart, the Jehovah's witnesses, attempted to use this term to show that Jesus Christ was a created being. This is a far cry from the scriptural assertions that Jesus Christ is God come in human flesh.
(5) The Faithful Witness - used only in Revelation 1:5. This title describes Jesus as faithfully bearing testimony concerning His heavenly Father. Their will or purpose for and message too - us are identical. Nevertheless, thy will be done - Matthew 26:39.
(6) The Faithful and True - used only Revelation 19:11. Again, Christ is described as faithful to His Messianic vocation. He is said to be true. The Greek noun form means truth as distinct from the false, and it also has the connotation of being real or genuine in contrast to the unreal and counterfeit.
Note: For an excellent, but strange source for further study on the implications of the Greek vocabulary for truth, etc., see Martin Heidegger'S, Introduction to Metaphysics, New Haven, Yale University Press. It contains a brilliant analysis. The Manual of Discipline (Dead Sea Scrolls) also contains some interesting information on the general Hebrew attitude toward the truth, the real, etc.
(7) The Amen is used in Revelation 5:14(?); Revelation 18:4. The English form is the transliteration of a Hebrew adverbial form of a verb meaning to support, or to confirm. These implications fit neatly into the picture of our Lord given in The Revelation.
(8) The beginning of the creation - of God - is used only in Revelation 3:14. The word translated beginning is hç archç. From the period of Homer forward it has the significance of beginning, first cause, government, as in Ephesians 6:12. This title declares that Christ is the source and origin of the creation of God (See also John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-4.)
(9) He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the keys of David, He that openeth and none shall shut and that shutteth and none shall openRevelation 3:7.
(10) The Lion that is of the tribe of Judah is used only in Revelation 5:4. This title is found only in The Revelation (in the N.T.). Jesus is connected with the Davidic throne and the people of Israel. A lion would never be attacked by any animal its size, particularly when it is in its den. When John saw in the midst of the throne, he saw not a lion, but a lamb standing as though it had been slain. Note the paradox - The Lion and the Lamb!
(11) The ruler of the kings of the earth is used only Revelation 1:5. Its meaning is clear and is also asserted in other titles.
(12) The Root of David in Revelation 5:6 only. This title is also found only in The Revelation (in the N.T.).
(13) The Root and the Offspring of David, the bright, the morning Star. Only in Revelation 22:16. The Bright, the Morning Star is found only here in the N.T. (See Numbers 24:15-19.)
(14) The Son of God who hath eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like unto burnished brass - Revelation 2:18.
(15) He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks - Revelation 2:1.
(16) He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars - Revelation 3:1.
(17) He that hath the sharp two-edged sword - only in Revelation 2:12. The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword in Hebrews 4:12-13. Here the living word personally wields a sword of judgment, which is also the Word of God! The sword is for the battle with evil.
(18) The First and Last, which was dead and lived again - only in Revelation 2:8. See the commentary for brief explanation of the verse. The words First and Last are clear claims for the deity of Christ. These titles are taken from Isaiah 44:6 - I am the first and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. (See also Isaiah 48:12).
(19) The Living One - only Revelation 1:18. This participle asserts that Christ is eternally alive. He has forever abolished death!
(20) Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End - only in Revelation 22:13. R. H. Charles shows that this title was used by the Greeks, Romans and the Jewish Rabbis to denote the entirety of all things.
The term God (Theos) is not directly applied to Christ in The Revelation but His deity is asserted with the most unequivocal language. Swete (op. cit.) has an excellent, brief statement, pp. c 1 XII (p. 162).
1.
He has the prerogatives of God.
2. He searches men's hearts, Revelation 2:23.
3. He can kill or restore life, Revelation 11:18; Revelation 2:23.
4. Receives worship - Revelation 5:13.
5. His priests are also priests of God - Revelation 20:6.
6. He occupies one throne with God - Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3.
7. Shares one sovereignty with God, Revelation 11:15.
8. Christ receives the titles of God- He is the Living One Revelation 1:18; Holy and True, Revelation 3:7; Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, Revelation 22:13.
9. Passages which in O.T. relate to God are without hesitation applied to Christ, e.g., Deuteronomy 10:17; Deuteronomy 17:14; Proverbs 3:12; Proverbs 3:19, Daniel 7:9; Daniel 11:14; Zechariah 4:10; Zechariah 5:6.
There is some great biblical preaching to be done on the great names of Christ. They describe His person and function of His work. The imagery is not hard to communicate in preaching and teaching.
Note: The following works will be valuable for further study on the titles for Christ used in the N.T. in general, as well as The Revelation.
William Barclay, Jesus as They Saw Him, Harper and Row, New York, 1962. Very good preaching material.
O. Cullmann, The Christology of The New Testament, Westminster Press, Phil. English translation, 1959. Very fine examination of the titles, and their implication for the person and work of Christ. Cullmann is an excellent mediating, European Lutheran scholar. He has control of the vast range of literature, and he also provides excellent bibliographical information, both of which are imperative in any critical, scholarly work.
Dr. Paul Heiniscli, Christ in Prophecy, The Liturgical Press, College-ville, Minnesota, 1956. This contains a very valuable study of the messianic concepts of non-biblical religious as well as the O.T. doctrine of The Messiah. Dr. Heinisch discusses the great messianic titles used throughout the O.T. The discussions are excellent, but the beginner must be warned that he accepts the negative critical results concerning some of the O.T. books. He also includes a chapter on the supposed biblical foundations for the Catholic doctrine of Mary- pp. 237.
S. Mowinckel, He That Cometh, Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1956. The work considers the great Messianic titles. He is the father of Scandinavian O.T. scholars. His scholarship is of the highest order, but he works with the presuppositions of Scandinavian scholarships, and must be used only by those aware of this. There is a great reward here for those able to discriminate.
Vincent Taylor, The Names of Jesus, MacMillan and Co., N.Y. reprinted, 1954. Good brief study by a capable, mediating scholar.
B. B. Warfield, The Lord of Glory: A Study of the Designations of our Lord in the N.T. with especial reference to His Deity. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, chapter, The Witness of The Apocalypse, pp. 286-297. Warfield was the greatest conservative mind in his field. He was a brilliant Calvinist. This work is still excellent because of his biblical exegesis; but the work is dated regarding the works cited, and general critical attitudes then prevalent. Still excellent for Bible Study and personal study!
Special Study
Introduction
No one could seriously deny that The Revelation is a neglected source of biblical preaching today. The present author has been engaged in studying the text of the seer's book since he had a N.T. Seminar in the Greek Text of The Revelation during the spring semester of 1960 with Professor S. M. Smith of Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana.
I have enjoyed countless hours of creative discussion with my dear and beloved friend, Wayne Shaw, minister, Ellettsville Church, Indiana. He and his wonderful wife, Janet, opened their home to me while I was finishing residence requirements for Ph.D. in Philosophy at Indiana University. Wayne is working on a Ph.D. in the Speech Department at Indiana University. He also has the B.D. and M.S. degrees. He plans to teach in the Graduate School of Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln, Illinois, upon completion of his work at I.U. His special concerns are Homiletics and to help restore great preaching in the Restoration Movement. He graciously consented to prepare this following brief challenge to all preachers of the WordYou Can Preach intelligently from the great themes of The Revelation. Some of the great themes listed below come from the seminar on The Revelation mentioned above; but the rest of this special study is his generous contribution to this study commentary. May it challenge every preacher to give serious study to the relevant N.T. book of our ages of crises.
A SERIES WITH THE SEER: PREACHING VALUES IN THE REVELATION
by Wayne Shaw
In the opening lines of his book, As Seeing the Invisible, D. T. Niles gives an apologetic for studying Revelation, which, at the same time, states its demand to be preached: The book of Revelation is part of Scripture, so that an adequate understanding of it is essential for a right appreciation of the biblical message as a whole. This is all the more true during times such as these when the sin of men and of nations is yielding such rich harvest, and the common man is asking what the meaning of life's tragedy may be.1 Quite apart from his liberal attitude toward the Bible, Dr. Niles reminds us that we dare not ignore the ministry of the Word of God in Revelation for two reasons: it is a part of Scripture, and it has a vital message for us in our twentieth century.
For various reasons most preachers slight the Writing of the Revelator in their pulpits today. To some the message is too difficult to decipher and too mystical to proclaim with certainty. To others it is simply not worth the effort to explain the apocalyptic imagery and attempt a vigorous application to present-day man. To still others it seems a winding path far removed from the thoroughfare of first principles recorded in the book of Acts. The Lord's messengers are not so much guilty of adding to or taking away from the words of its prophecy as obscuring its important message by neglect.
Even the brave who plunge in have too often blunted the Revelator's cutting edge by becoming so preoccupied with intricate details that they entangle themselves in an exhausting yoke of bondage. Instead of the book's penetrating relevancy, they lose themselves in points that can never be settled for certain; but worse, they lose the book's vision of Christ centered in the dramatic description of His church and His creation. Lord, deliver Thy church from both its de-emphasis and its wrong emphasis of the book of Revelation that has stifled preaching from its pages.
The purpose here is not to provide sermon outlines but to suggest homiletical sources, preaching approaches, and sermon themes from the Revelation; in other words, to help the preacher translate the matter of the commentary into the method of the pulpit.
Homiletical Sources for Preaching from the Revelation
Recent books that offer helpful suggestions include:
1. Clovis Chappell, Sermons from Revelation (Abingdon, $2.00).
2. C. H. Spurgeon, Volume XX of the new series of his sermons published by Zondervan at $2.95. (Helmet Thielicke, the German theologian, has sparked renewed interest in Spurgeon with his Encounter with Spurgeon, Fortress, $4.75.)
3. R. C. McCan, A Vision of Victory (Broadman, $3.00), combines both exposition and application by first presenting the meaning for the original readers in their day and then probing the problems of today.
4. D. T. Niles, As Seeing the Invisible, (Harper, $3.50), has a section on Theological Meditations in which he works the apocalyptic language of Revelation into brief meditations on relevant doctrinal themes for our time.
5. William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches, (Abingdon, $2.00), provides resource material for a series of sermons on the seven churches of Asia. Devoting two Chapter s to each locality, he first describes the situation in each of the seven cities and then explains each letter verse-by-verse.
6. Merrill C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Eerdmans, $3.50), treats Revelation from a permillenarian and moderate futurist standpoint; he attempts to state all views fairly and offers a variety of perspectives for approaching the book homiletically. Not the least of his contributions is his chapter on The Christology of Revelation, which emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the four visions.
7. Although he takes a liberal approach to some passages, Dwight E. Stevenson, Preaching on the Books of the New Testament, opens up an important area for exposition when he explores the possibility of preaching entire Bible books. His chapter on Revelation, entitled Fire on the Earth, gives the background of the book and suggests five different approaches to a book sermon. He does not intend the volume to replace New Testament study; but rather to serve as a homiletical manual for those who have done their Bible homework.
In no wise do these seven books signify bibliographical completeness; they do illustrate how others have struggled to preach powerfully and relevantly Revelation's message to the church.
Illustrated Approaches for Preaching from Revelation
For several months this writer has studied with special interest the preaching of James S. Stewart, Professor of New Testament, New College, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. This outstanding Scottish preacher has used a variety of approaches to the Scripture texts from Revelation that he treats in his two volumes of sermons, The Gates of New Life2 and The Strong Name3 A glance at these will show homiletical possibilities for other passages in the book.
His approach in Clouds and Darkness and the Morning Star4 is to contrast man's doubt of the final purpose of God which means to doubt the rationality of the universe, and the significance of human experience, and the worth of moral values 5 with the certainty revealed in Christ. He dramatizes this doubt with the words of Isaiah 5:30, If one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof; and then sets Revelation 22:16 over against it, I am the bright and morning star, stressing the power of Christ's light to scatter the darkness of doubt.
His sermon from Revelation 19:6, entitled The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth,6 amplifies three consequences of the topic-text: the liberation of life, the doom of sin, and the comfort of sorrow.
In The Final Doxology he offers Revelation 1:5-6 as the one single sentence that summarizes all that religion means to him. His treatment is clearly textual, and he is careful to restate his points as he goes: Unto Him that loved us; Unto Him that loved us, and loosed us from our sins by His blood; Unto Him that made us Kings unto God; Loved usloosed us made us Kingsand made us priests to God; and Unto Him who has done all thatloved us and loosed us and made us Kings and Priestsunto Him be glory and dominion for ever.
When he preached on Jerusalem as The Mother of Us All,7 he chose three texts from the Psalms to capture the meaning of Jerusalem for the Jew; it symbolized his history, his religion, and his home. For his application he used Revelation 21:2, I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, to tie together symbolically three deep elements of our naturethe hunger for God, the craving for the fellowship of a beloved community, and the instinct of immortality.
The text for his sermon, The Cry of the Martyrs, comes from Revelation 6:9-10, and raises the problem of evil in the world. The passage means, says Stewart, that the tragic element in life, as represented by their sufferings, cries out insistently to be interpreted, lays on God Himself the terrible onus of vindicating and justifying the way in which His world is run.8 He then offers the divine answer in three wordsthe patience of Christ, the victory of God, and the communion of saints.
Stewart admirably illustrated the relevance of Revelation in a message entitled What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches when he gave the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary in April, 1962, on the general theme, Preaching to This Generation. This writer attended the lecture curious to discover Stewart's theological view of the seven churches and his method of applying this section of Scripture to contemporary needs. As he finished, at least one person in the audience had the feeling, not that he had attended a lecture on Bible history and exegesis, but that the Word of God had been speaking through the preacher to his heart and to his involvement in Christ's Church today. Taking only one point from each of the seven churches, asserting it in the present tense, and making careful transitions between Asia in the first century and America in the twentieth, he led the congregation in Princeton Chapel to participate in the message as they listened. There was no need to tack on an application. Relevance had been there throughout. It had been woven into the fabric. The preacher who can do this with the rest of Revelation will grip his hearers and will bless them as they listen.
Themes for Preaching from Revelation
The plan here is to offer three series of sermon themes from Revelation as connected preaching units around which one can build a course of sermons or Bible study lessons. But employ caution here. Be selective. Better to have several series at spaced intervals than to run on indefinitely. Here, as elsewhere in preaching, length seems to attract boredom. Dr. Andrew W. Blackwood suggests three months as the duration for a course of teaching sermons from a Bible book. Thirteen sermons, then, are maximum; sometimes ten or less make a better unit. The idea is to select carefully from the suggested themes as they speak to your heart and the needs of your congregation.
The first group of themes utilizes the material in the appendix on major doctrines in Revelation. With the topic restated attractively and in the present tense, the preacher can take advantage of the usual curiosity about the contents of Revelation to proclaim the great doctrinal teachings of the book. With his Bible and this commentary before him, the earnest preacher should be able to plan three months of worthwhile preaching from the following topics:
1. What the Book of Revelation tells us about God
2. What the Book of Revelation tells us about Angels
3. What the Book of Revelation tells us about Heaven
4. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Devil
5. What the Book of Revelation tells us about Hell (Perdition)
6. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Earth and Mankind
7. What the Book of Revelation tells us about Christ
8. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Holy Spirit
9. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Gospel
10. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Christian Life
11. What the Book of Revelation tells us about Christendom
12. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Antichrist
13. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Last Time
14. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Call to the World to Repent
15. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Consolation of the Christian
16. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Future of Israel
17. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the World in Wickedness
18. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the End of the World
19. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Coming of the Lord
20. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Resurrection of Believers
21. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Judgment
22. What the Book of Revelation tells us about the Final State
The second series of themes comes from D. T. Nile's Theological Meditations.12 The subjects, Scriptures, and topics are included to make the list as helpful as possible; however, the reader should consult Dr. Nile's book to profit from his brief, Scripture-packed, devotional treatment.
1. Title (Revelation 1:1-2) The Subject of Revelation
2. Address (Revelation 1:3) The Nature of Time
3. Greeting (Revelation 1:4-6) The Situation of the Christian
4. Preface (Revelation 1:7-9) The Being of God
5. Contents (Revelation 1:10-11; Revelation 1:19) The Necessity of Decision
6. The Opening Vision (Revelation 1:12-18) The Object of Faith
7. The Letters of the Churches (Revelation 2:1 to Revelation 3:22) The Verdict of Love
8. The Throne in Heaven (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 5:14) The Ruler of the Universe
9. The Four Horsemen (Revelation 6:1-8) The Dissolution of History
10. The Cry of the Martyrs (Revelation 6:9-17) The Wrath of the Lamb
11. The Sealed Multitude (Revelation 7:1-17) The Tribulation of Life
12. The Unsealed Scroll (Revelation 8:1) The Redemption of Sons
13. The Altar in Heaven (Revelation 8:2-5) The Hope of the Gospel
14. The Four Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-12) The Fall of Nature
15. The Shout of the Eagle (Revelation 8:13 to Revelation 9:21) The Wages of Sin
16. The Gospel of Redemption (Revelation 10:1 to Revelation 11:11) The Mystery of Mercy
17. The Last Trumpet (Revelation 11:12-19) The Reversal of Man
18. The Dragon Against the Child (Revelation 12:1-17) The Motherhood of Grace
19. The Four Monsters (Revelation 13:1-10; Revelation 17:1-18) The Manifoldness of Evil
20. The Mark of the Beast and of the Lamb (Revelation 13:11 to Revelation 14:5) The Assurance of Heaven
21. Four Harvest Cries (Revelation 14:6-13) The Certainty of Judgment
22. The Harvest Is Reaped (Revelation 14:14-20) The Fulfillment of the End
23. The Bowls of Wrath and Song of Deliverance (Revelation 15:1-8) The Persistence of Pity
24. The Four Plagues (Revelation 16:1-9) The Death of the Soul
25. The End of Evil (Revelation 16:10-21) The Suicide of Wrong
26. The Judgment of Rome (Revelation 18:1-8; Revelation 18:21-24) The Punishment of Power
27. Lamentation (Revelation 18:9-20; Revelation 19:1-4) The Waste of Wealth
28. The Great Hallelujah (Revelation 19:5-16) The Consolation of the Saints
29. The Four Powers (Revelation 19:17 to Revelation 20:6) The Foretaste of the Kingdom
30. Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-10) The Close of the Ages
31. The Opening of the Books (Revelation 20:11 to Revelation 21:1, Revelation 21:5-8) The Promise of the New
32. The Eternal City (Revelation 21:2-4, Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5) The Coming of the Lord
33. Seven Last Words (Revelation 22:6-21) The Seven Beatitudes
The third series of themes is more general. It contains random comments on vital contemporary issues without reference to specific Scriptures which may kindle sermonic fires that burn to the depths of human need. The suggested topics are set off by quotation marks followed by the comments.
1. The Christian View of Tragedysuffering, persecution, and our Christian commitment.
2. Temptation: Individual and Corporatethe temptation for the individual or the church to compromise in times of trouble.
3. The Reality of A God Who CaresThe transcendence of our Creator God and the emmanence of our Redeemer God. God really cares about our needs.
4. The Lordship of Christin the church, in the Christian life, and in the world.
5. The Recovery of the Churchsuffering churches in need of repentance are not hopeless, but their recovery depends on their willingness to repent.
6. Christ's Concern for a Pure ChurchHis message to the seven churches.
7. The Christian View of Progressnever dependent upon evolution but on God. There is a difference between change and progress. Man is depersonalized in our age of technological advancement.
8. The Spiritual Struggle Beyond Our VisionSatan and the World Powers: there is more to our world situation than meets the eye!
9. The Victory Which Only God Can Givevictory comes through God's power, not man'S. Our salvation is available only in Christ because of the blood of the Lamb.
10. Being the Church in Times of CrisisRevelation was written against the backdrop of crisis. We are to live in but not of the world. (The opportunity and the danger.)
11. The Purpose of God in HistoryGod's ultimate goal for the world as He makes even the wrath of men to praise Him. What does all that goes on in the world mean to the committed Christian in light of God's power?
12. The All-inclusive Judgmentindividual, nation, and international; no individual or nation is exempt.
13. Living in Two Worldsthis one and the next; it takes both of them to make sense in light of the Bible's teaching on the healing of the nations.
14. The Victory of Faith-faith in God and the victory of the righteous. The nature of the Christian victory compared with non-Christian concepts of victory: barbaric victory via brute force contrasted with victory via the righteousness of Christ.
15. The Humiliation of Manthe hopelessness of unaided man, the failure of humanism, naturalism, and rationalism. The tension between the pessimism of God's judgment and the Christian optimism based on the ultimate victory of Christ.
16. Jerusalem the Golden (title of a hymn written by Bernard of Cluny in the twelfth century)Jerusalem in history and symbol; Jerusalem of the Jews and the New Jerusalem, the Mother of us all.
17. The Dark Line in God's Face-the wrath of God demonstrated by pouring out the seven bowls of wrath. How does a righteous God treat man with both justice and mercy?
18. The Happiest Moment in Heaventhe marriage of the Lamb as the church realizes its eternal destiny.
19. You Cannot Hide From Godthere is no hiding place; God's judgment is complete.
20. The Promise of Christ's Returnlooking, longing, living. Christ's coming: sudden, serious, certain. (I come quickly is used three times in chapter 22).
Homiletical Hints for Preaching from Revelation
Andrew W. Blackwood has given abiding counsel on how to preach teaching sermons on Bible books. Clarity, mingled with simple beauty, is not the least among his homiletical virtues. He has packed so much practical advice into one sentence that it could almost be called Blackwood's preaching theory in a nutshell: In making ready for a sermon with -teachingpreaching,-' the practical aim guides in choosing a text both relevant and clear, in phrasing a topic both appealing and clear, in collecting materials both Biblical and current, in making a plan both sturdy and clear, in selecting a few examples both luminous and clear, and last of all, before the actual writing, in deciding on a way of introduction both interesting and clear, as well as brief and terse.13
With its dramatic style, the book of Revelation has always gripped the church's heart and imagination more than her understanding; a course of sermons ought to clarify and make relevant the message without milking it of its grandeur and majesty. The following homiletical hints are offered to guard against dull and boring sermons from a Bible book packed with breathless excitement.
1. Preach, do not lecture. Whenever possible, without doing violence to the text, preach in the present tense to men in need of a word from the Lord today. Far too many messages leave application out entirely or tack it on to the end. It is much better to choose a relevant topic and text, and treat them in a way that builds application into the structure of the sermon. But if the Lord's messenger declares the whole counsel of God, he cannot always do this, for ancient imagery sometimes obscures the Scripture's timeless relevancethat principle of penetration which makes Bible-based preaching possible and vital. However, the three series suggested above help to clear this homiletical hurdle in two ways: first, enough topics are suggested in each series to allow the preacher to select only those that cause an echoing response in his soul or that speak vitally to the specific needs of his congregation; second, they are worded in such a way that their relevance is apparent, and one can then unveil the hidden light that a difficult passage throws on the topic.
2. Vary the structure and treatment within the series from sermon to sermon. Basic, but often ignored, is the homiletical rule of iron that the headings (points) flow naturally out of the topic as important and related parts of a unit; however, from that starting place, a sermon may vary in many ways. You might begin the introduction with an illustration, start another time with a question that goes to the heart of the theme, an interesting narrative, or a life-situation with which the hearers can identify. Vary the sermon structure by merely changing the number of points. Three headings do not guarantee either holiness or success. F. W. Robertson was a master of the two-point sermon. As a working principle, two to five are best; over five, except in rare cases with memorable material, are dangerous, if not impossible, for the congregation. Or preach with a telescope one Sunday and with a microscope the next; use a longer passage, than a shorter one. Partition a text that captures the topic imaginatively; or begin with a major problem confronting the human situation and proceed to the Biblical answer. A notebook kept on the different types of sermon outlines used by able preachers will supply an endless source of tested outline plans.
3. State the headings in complete, parallel sentences, as memorably as possible. One-word-pegs are excellent memory aids, but they should be expanded to complete sentences in order to avoid ambiguity. Rhetorical devices (such as alliterations, analogies, and epigrams) should be used with caution lest they appear clever, strained, or trite; however, used with taste and not too often, they aid the memory and lend clarity and force.
4. Arrange the sermon headings climactically, heeding especially Dr. Blackwood's admonition to follow the Biblical order (evident in the Epistles) of putting doctrine first because it is the most important and duty second because it is the most interesting. This order is theologically sound because Christian action flows out of Christian belief. In Revelation, John's vision is given by the living Christ to stabilize the faith of Christians who will be tempted to act in unchristian ways because of impending persecution.
5. Be sure to raise the relevancy of the topic in the sermon introduction. Dr. Blackwood warns that unless one puts God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit in the introduction or under the first heading, it becomes increasingly more difficult as the sermon proceeds.
6. Conclude your sermon by leaving the congregation aware that you have preached the Word of God to men in the twentieth century. Remember that the conclusion is your last opportunity to plant the sermon topic in your hearers-' hearts. If the introduction and conclusion are relevant, it is easier to make relevant the Biblical truth treated under the sermon headings.
7. Plan to preach at least one book sermon on Revelation. Better still, plan a survey sermon on the message of the book to open the course and a summary sermon at the close to restate the major topics under one majestic theme. This writer utilized Dr. Merrill C. Tenney's excellent chapter on The Christology of Revelation14 to preach a book sermon emphasizing the Centrality of Christ in the drama. Tenney offers the following outline of Revelation: The Prologue: Christ Communicating (Revelation 1:1-8), Vision I: Christ in the Church (Revelation 1:9 to Revelation 3:22), Vision II: Christ in the Cosmos (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 16:21), Vision III: Christ in Conquest (Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 21:8), Vision IV: Christ in Consummation (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5), The Epilogue: Christ Challenging (Revelation 22:6-21). For the sermon, the title was changed to Pictures of Christ in Revelation. The introduction attempted to explain the nature of apocalyptic literature, the value of its hidden message in a time of persecution, and the theme of its dramatic form centering in the leading figureChrist. The four visions present four pictures of Christ. Vision I: Christ is the Head of the Church, 1-3 (with a brief explanation of His seven descriptions to the churches of Asia). Vision II: Christ is the King of Nations, 4-16 (with a brief explanation of the imagery used in His three titles: Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Root of David, and the Lamb Slain). Vision III: Christ is the Conqueror of the World, Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 21:8 (with judgment as the key theme, His three names are: Faithful and True, Word of God, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords). Vision IV: Christ is the Center of the City of God, Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:7 (with the following pointing to Him: the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, the Foundations are His Apostles, the Center of Worship is the New Temple, Christ is the Light of the City, the Citizens are Christ's Redeemed, their Occupation is to serve Christ). Conclusion: the entire message is set in the promise of the second coming of Christ (for the church as a whole, Revelation 22:7; for humanity, Revelation 22:12; for the individual Christian, Revelation 22:20). The sermon outline is offered not as a model for imitation but to illustrate that valid theological language and insight can be put into homiletical form that presents the living Christ as real today as in days long ago when He walked among men by Galilee's sea. Admittedly, there is too much here for one sermon, but at least it offers a perspective and opens doors for a sermon course.
James S. Stewart expressed eloquently the possibilities of Biblical preaching such as we have discussed when he closed a lecture entitled Exposition and Encounter with these words: It is tremendous, this issue which is bound up with our Biblical exposition, this issue of encounter with that living Christ. It is not a moving thought that there may be some who will confess in after years that they owe their soul to some divine encounter during your expounding of the Word and will say, -I met God there; it was there Christ led me captive?-' 15
FOOTNOTES
1. D. T. Niles, As Seeing the Invisible (New York: Harper & Brothers, Pub., 1961), p. 15.
2. James S. Stewart, The Gates of New Life (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937).
3. Stewart, The Strong Name (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1940).
4. The Gates of New Life, pp. 1-10.
5. Ibid., p. 1.
6. Ibid., p. 11-20.
7. Ibid., pp. 241-251.
8. The Strong Name, pp. 179-186.
9. Ibid., pp. 218-228.
10. Ibid., p. 223.
11. Planning A Year's Pulpit Work (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1942). Recently available in paperback.
12. As Seeing the Invisible, pp. 117-183.
13. From his introduction as editor of Evangelical Sermons of Our Day (New York: Channel Press, 1959), p. 28.
14. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), pp. 117-134.
15. Notes from taped lectures taken by the writer at Reigner Film and Tape Library, Union Theological Seminary of Virginia, Richmond, Va.
Special Study
The Biblical View of History
This Statement precludes any attempt at being creative while discussing the crucial problem of the Old Testament attitude toward history. Neither of the terms - history nor philosophy, were utilized by the Hebrews.
In any adequate statement it would be imperative that we askwhat constitutes history? The designed task in the following pages is to point out the correlative factors of the Hebrew concept of God, Exodus, Election, Covenant, the Servant of Yehweh as the focii of Israel's theology of History.
No attempt shall be made in this statement to discuss the supposed variety of concepts of history involved in the motives of the early narratives, The Prophets, The Deuteronomic Historians, The Post exilic Prophets and Apocalyptic interpretation of history. (Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. - this is adequately stated in a chapter by Millar Burrows, Ancient Israel in a composite volume edited by Dr. Dentan - The Idea of History in The Ancient Near East; and in The Old Testament Interpretation of History, by C. R. North. The theses of these works can be answered by elementary knowledge of the Logic of Science involved in a supposed scientific view of history.)
I shall not labor a defense of the major presupposition of this paper which is the uniqueness of Israel's Faith. This thesis is maintained by Albright, Rowley, Wright, et al., and I have basic security following scholars of their repute. But the Word of God asserted the uniqueness of Israel's Faith long before any of these internationally famous scholars were born.
No basic advance could be made in a discussion concerning a theology of History until we obtained common agreement as to the nature of historical knowledge and the problem of objectivity. The question isIs History a Science?
The question of Historical Relativism and the quest for an absolute standard is settled in this paper by affirming the absoluteness of Israel's Faith. What is the origin and ground of perpetration of this Faith? The Old Testament unmistakenly declares that the people of Israel were in possession of revelation from God! This historical revelation is the origin and them in Events as well as verbally (i.e., the events were interpreted in The Scriptures). The word of God (I use this phrase in a generic sense. There are several Hebrew words for the word - but dabar carries this implication and means both word and event!) The Events in which Israel's salvation history rested are to be discussed in this paper. Israel was committed to Yahweh; for he was the sovereign God of the universe and His will was being worked out in spite of their freedom to rebel against Him.
The monotheism of Israel is the foundational element in their understanding of history. God manifested Himself in Nature via the great creative events. That the events occurred no one would seriously challenge but the explication of them are beyond any scientific scrutiny. In Israel's thought these were never merely datum; they were datum plus the interpretation of Faith in Yahweh as their God.
The uniqueness of Israel's understanding of God has been and still is challenged by competent scholarship.
A thorough consideration of this subject would take us far beyond the total bounds of this essay, but we shall enumerate some of the hypotheses regarding the source of Old Testament monotheism.
The various elements involved in our cursory considerations all hinge upon Israel's belief in Yahweh as sovereign of all the universe. To know (Yadah) God does not signify knowledge obtained via discursive reasoning, but rather an experimental knowledge.
The Wellhausen school maintains that pre-mosaic religion in Israel had been polydemonism. Archaeological investigation repudiate the affirmation that Near Eastern religions sank to such levels. They were polytheistic in character. A study of pre-history and Ethnology would be imperative in an adequate study; because the concepts of so-called primitive peoples are purer than those of their neighbors already engaged in agriculture and cattle raising.
Albrecth Alt's position is that Polytheism is the foundation of worship in ancient Canaan (his most famous pupil, Martin Noth's History of Israel is imperative for this school of study.) The loca numina were amalgamated with Yahweh in the process of time. This thesis does not consider the crucial point how was the gap bridged from Polytheism to Monotheism. (Journal of Biblical Literature, January, 1958, Part I, Volume LXXVII.)
This monotheism cannot be the result of a peculiar Semitic racial genius. Israel could not have received Monotheism from neighboring nations simply because those nations did not have it themselves.
A consideration of the age of the documents and the stage of development of the concept of God can never eliminate monotheism from the Old Testament documents or from the Faith of Israel. The contemporary attitude is based upon the most recent archaeological and Linguistic research and from this datum the historical aspect is reconstructed and the theological articulation is explicated.
There were many monotheistic currents in the ancient orient, but these can never explain Israel's early monotheism.
The Babylonians had many gods with Marduk at the apex after the time of Hammurabi. The thought that Marduk could be god exclusively was wholly foreign to the Babylonian manner of thinking. (For fuller treatment see Theology of the Old Testament, P. Heinisch, The Liturgical Press, 1950, England, translated by Heidt, p. 61-64; also From the Stone Age to Christianity, W. F. Albright, 1957, p. 178-9.)
The Canaanites, the Egyptians, and The Persians all show progressive deterioration in relationship to a full monotheism as seen in Israel.
The issue is succinctly stated by G. E. Wrightthe nature of deity worshipped is the basic consideration upon which all other considerations rest. (The Old Testament against Its Environment, G. E. Wright, Alec R. Allenson Inc., Pub. Studies in Biblical Theology, 1954, p. 16). In polytheistic theology a new god in the pantheon meant a new helper; in the theology of Israel any inclination to a different god implied apostasy from the true faith. The history of Israel from Moses till the end of the Babylonian exile, and even after the exile, is the history of monotheisms-' struggle to win acceptance.
The strength of Yahweh was known by Israel because He had chosen them to be His people. At this juncture it became apparent that the three aspects of Exodus, Election, and Covenant are inseparably bound. These are independent yet, intrinsically bound together. These factors are different perspectives of the great event which made Yahweh Israel's Godand Israel Yahweh's people. In these factors Israel's unique Philosophy of History becomes apparent only by Faith. This fundamental notion could never be subjected to empirical scrutiny. Therefore, the attitude of Israel toward history must be approached with this in mind.
Israelite tradition universally connected the Exodus with the work of Moses. During this period - Israel - by faith, accepted God's call - The Election, The Exodus, and The Covenant became the whole fabric of their existence. (The multiple implications of these aspects of Israel's Faith are discussed in Pederson's Israel, p. 19ff, Wright, Biblical Archaeology, p. 58f, Ricciotti, The History of Israel, pp. 167-229, and Jacobs, Old Testament Theology, pp. 183-226 and Köhler, Old Testament Theology, pp. 59-82.
The former sceptical attitude toward the Exodus narrative can no longer be maintained. Now it is the fundamental issue in Old Testament Theology. Yahweh became the God of Israel and the issue is not which god, but as Wright so aptly saysThe issue is not the careful weighing of the various merits of the god. It is rather, who is God? Decide on the evidence and act accordingly! What is evidence? It is the evidence of history. What God has the power to do what he wills, and to fulfill what he promises? (Old Testament Against Its Environment, G. E. Wright, p. 43.)
The confidence of Israel's Faith in Yahweh could have its origin only in the Exodus events themselves. (The contrast of attitudes toward the place of the Exodus in Old Testament studies can be appreciated by examining the History of Israel, Oesterly and Robinson, Vol. I, pp. 69-96 (now seriously dated work); Lod's Israel, part II, The Hebrews Before Their Settlement in Palestine, pp. 151-209, and Albright'S, From the Stone Age to Christianity, pp. 13-15.)
The nature of this brief statement forbids discussion of the validity of the Patriarchal narratives. (Since the work of R. de Vaux, these scriptures are accepted as historically accurate-even by negative critics. See the profound chapter, Recent Discovery and the Patriarchal Age, a lecture delivered by H. H. Rowley in 1949 in the John Rylands Library found in the volume the Servant of the Lord by H. H. Rowley, Lutterworth Press, 1952; and The Journal of Semitic Studies, Manchester University Press, Spring, 1962, J. C. L. Gibson, Light from Mari on The Patriarchs, pp. 44-62; C. H. Gordon, Introduction to Old Testament Times, Ventnor, New Jersey, chp. 8 - The Patriarchal Age, pp. 100.) But they play a vital part in the background understanding of Election in the history of Israel. Israel became a chosen people in Abraham - if the patriarchal narratives are correct; the covenant became a reality at Sinai during the time of Moses.
The reign of God over Israel began in Election and the response of the people to the grace of the covenant.
The Election was grounded in hesed. The chosen people were so because of God's purpose not for priority. Wright calls Election the clue to an understanding of the Old Testament. Many of Israel's confessions were grounded in this fact (Amos 2:9-11; Micah 6:2-5; Ezekiel 20:5-7).
Israel's concept of her mission finds its origin in the purpose of God for all mankind! In the Election, God chooses Israel. Freedom is granted only in the acceptance or rejection of The Covenant. God's election is not like the arbitrary caprice of despot; it is always directed toward a precise end and this end is the salvation of man. The obligation of election is service, and this involves faithfulness to the covenant which shall be discussed later. Israel distorted her election by a feeling of superiority and by forgetting her mission. God's righteousness and justice demands that they comply to the stipulations of the agreement, or swift punishment will ensue (exile, etc.). It is for this reason the doctrine of the remnant appears in the prophetic literature.
The very possibility of punishment for rejecting the covenant implies the sovereign power of Yahweh. This sovereign reign of God is of vital importance in later prophetic literature for the purpose of showing God's purpose will always be done in the universe - ultimately. This doctrine is of crucial importance for the Old Testament philosophy of history. H. H. Rowley's statement strikes at the central problem of the relation of response to election
The Servant of Yahweh is a single figure without parallel in the Old Testament. He is chosen for his service, and his response to his election is complete. Others at whom we have looked sometimes responded and sometimes did not respond to their election. But always election and response in service and loyalty belong together, and the final repudiation of the service is equally the renunciation of the election. He who responds feels that he can do no other than respond, for he feels the constraint of the Divine call. Yet they who fail to respond are the evidence that election odes not really turn man into a puppet and sweep away his will. Many are called, but few are finally chosen, because few there are who finally respond to the choice. (H. H. Rowley, The Biblical Doctrine of Election, Lutterworth Press, London, 1952, page 120; this is by far the most adequate statement concerning the election in English that I know anything about. Jacob Jocz's work on The Theology of Election is also a must. For a brief statement regarding New Testament doctrine see Scottish Journal of Theology. December, 1958, p. 406. The calvinistic conception of Predestination is an attempt to speak to this problem. The resurgence of the heresy of universal ism is an attempt to speak to the problems involved. Neither Calvinistic exclusivism nor Universalisms inclusivism represent the Biblical doctrines involved).
This paves the way for the covenant in relation to election. These concepts are really very similar, at least historically, but in reality to keep the covenant is to acknowledge election. Rowley's fine chapter on Election without covenant points this out clearly. For this reason Israel's election is not founded on blind favoritism but conditioned by their faithfulness to the covenant. The History of Israel shows that election was not for preferential treatment but service. God's providential control of the nations manifest that election without covenant was a living reality in the history of Israel. (This distinction is met in the two words hesed and hen. The first was covenant love and the second was love outside of the covenant, cf. book of Ruth for both uses.)
The Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians, etc., all performed the purposes of Yahweh in punishing Israel for her apostasy. In the individual sphere there was great variety of election outside of covenant, cf. Nebuchadrezzar, Jeremiah 25:9, Cyrus, Isaiah 40:1 ff, and Pharaoh, Exodus 4:21; Exodus 9:12. These references point to a distinction of election and covenant in the nations over against Israel.
Wright affirms that Israel's election found expression in the Sinatic covenant. This pointed to the unique relationship that Israel had with Yahweh. This unique relationship was the perspective from which they viewed the purpose of God to the ends of the earth. This relation was conditioned and the prophets repeatedly claimed that the conditions were unfulfilled, therefore, the place of the remnant is vital!
The significance of the covenant idea cannot be exaggerated. Yahweh, the creator of heaven and earth had elected Israel to service and the foundation of this service was conditioned by the covenant.
Only the idea of covenant (for a popular presentation see Wright's The Challenge of Israel's Faith, Chicago University Press, 1944, pp. 72-81. Köhler's Old Testament Theology, pp. 60-74; The greatest document in English covering this idea is Pedersen'S, Israel, pp. 263-335; Mendenhall's Idea of Law and Covenant in the Ancient Near East; Bright's The Kingdom of God, first part; Eichrodt developes three great volumes of Old Testament Theology around the concept of covenant, Theology of the Old Testament, German original 1933, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1961. J. Barton Payne's recent work on The Theology of The Older Testament, Zondervan, 1962 - builds the entire work around The Covenant Concept. Also George A. F. Knight, A Christian Theology of The O., T., John Knox Press, 1959; and T. C. Vriezen, An Outline of O. T. Theology, Massachusetts, Charles T. Brandford Co., 1958. These will do to show the emphasis on the Covenants in contemporary theological discussions. Does it not seem strange that almost no one is aware of The Restoration Movement and its biblical emphasis on the Covenant distinction)? The Covenant concept makes it possible to understand that love of God, His righteousness, His grace, and His salvation; it alone makes comprehensible the character of sin. This explains the central place which it occupies in the Theology of the Old Testament.
Köhler's work is a mixture of both old and new wine. In his section on covenant his beginning paragraph states that the covenant was given in a polytheistic framework because Yahweh is a proper name distinguishes him from all other gods. This point cannot be established technically.
God is always responsible for this agreement. Israel is free to accept or reject the covenant but they have no part to play in determining its content.
The covenant is with The People and not an amalgamation of individuals. Köhler's emphasis on the collective needs the qualifications given by Wright. The individual was not completely absorbed in the collective whole. The fundamental passages dealing with covenant in Exodus and deuteronomy speak in the singular. The Decalogue is written in the singular, and if it is the basic content, that Köhler, at least, needs to rephrase his emphasis. The people is not a limited community as a quantitative community it includes the children of the promise. Every obedient individual could come under covenanted relationship with Yahweh.
This point provides entrance into the last phase of our brief studyThe Servant of Yahweh. Who is the Servant of Yahweh? What place does he play in the history of the Covenanted people? How does he fit into the Old Testament Philosophy of History? What part does he play in the purpose of Yahweh?
We must pass by the eschatological factors involved in the Old Testament Philosophy of History. If space permitted we would need to explicate The Day of Yahweh, time and eternity in the Old Testament vocabulary, Judgment, etc.
The question of the identity of The Suffering Servant has received extensive treatment. (See H. H. Rowley's three Chapter s 1, 2, and 3, in The Servant of The Lord, pp. 3-88; Klausner's The Messianic Idea in Israel, pp. 153, 157, 162-168; Mowinckel'S, He That Cometh, trans. Anderson, pp. 187-257; The finest statement in English is North'S, The Suffering Servant in Deutero - Isaiahthe entire book is a historical survey of Theories of The Servant. These negative critics refuse the inspired New Testament identification of The Servant in Acts 8:32-35. See Karl-Heinz Bernhardt, Das Problem der alterient alischen Königs Ideologie im Alten Testament, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1961. See also publishers E. J. Brill, Leiden for the definitive work on Sacral Kingship.) We must face the question - Was Israel in any sensethe suffering servant? This is the apex of Hebrew thought in regard to her philosophy of history. If Israel is the servant (in any sense of the phrase), then the issues discussed in this paper fit neatly together. God elected Israel and she became a covenanted people, and Israel's part of the covenant was an obedient life or one of service. This service involved the purpose of Yahweh for all mankind. The throne of the King became the point of perspective for Israel's view point of history. Her purpose was God's purpose and God's purpose was the salvation of fallen man. God's loving kindness Hesed was foundation for the demand for righteousness. Righteousness made peace possible, and Yahweh became victor over the powers of darknessnot by sword or armies, but via Israel doing His will which was for the purpose and not privilege. In a profound sense Israel's entire obedience to Yahweh's will was involved in her faith that God had chosen, called and covenanted them for a universal purpose. If this be not so, then Israel's faith is inexplicable. This faith is beyond the grasp of empirical methodology and her interpretation of each phrase involved in her historyExodus, Election, Covenant and Suffering Servant, etc., cannot be subjected to scientific examination. These events were actual historical phenomena, but their significance (their biblical interpretation) could have come only by Revelation!
Some Basic Problems of The New Testament View of History
The ground of correlation between the Old and New Testament datum concerning history is that one must stand within the faith (or be a non-Christian) in order to accept the Christian meaning of God's redemptive events centering in the person of Christ.
The central problem of a Christian Philosophy of History is - how can God be revealed through temporal events? How can the relative disclose the absolute? How can time be a vehicle for eternity? How can Jesus be the bringer of the reign of God? How can a process universe sustain the Christian affirmation that God did something in a divine event which is once for all? This paradoxical situation must find correlation, but where and how? Is our attitude toward history summed up in Kierkegaard's Absolute Paradox? We must give a categorical - No! Before and since Anselm's Cur Deus Homo men of keen insight sought an answer, but few have attained even a comprehension of the magnitude of the problems involved.
The noun history does not occur in the New Testament. The verb historein occurs only one time in Galatians 1:18, but here in it is used with its Hellenistic meaning - (to visit in order to get acquainted with) and does not imply what historiography signifies by the term. (For a history of Historiography see Fitzsimmons-Pundt-Nowell'S, The Development of Historiography, The Stackpole Co., 1954. For an excellent discussion concerning the problem of historical relativism see Mandelbaum's Problem of Historical Knowledge and J. V. L. Casserley, The Christian in Philosophy, pp. 120-138-200-211, 214-215.)
The form-criticism (see the works of Martin Dibelius, From Tradition to Gospel; and R. Bultmann's Geschichte der Synoptischen Tradition; B. Easton's The Gospel Before the Gospels; V. Taylor's The Formation of the Gospel Tradition are indispensible in studying Form-Geschichte analysis. This is the leading European and American negative theory of analysis.) approach was a necessary development in the problem of the Gospel records. Historical relativism progressed to a historical scepticism. The presupposition that the faithful community had interpreted the Christ event and that these interpretations are found in the records is avital aspect of the general problem. From this general attitude scholarship moved to one of denying that the historical Jesus could be ascertained. Now we can see the perspective of the contemporary Heilsgeschichte (see Albert Schweitzer's classic, The Quest for the Historical Jesus, and C. C. McCown'S, The Search for The Real Jesus; see the recent work of Eric Rust, Salvation History, John Knox Press, Richmond, Virginia, 1963; his Toward a Theological Understanding of History is due from the Oxford University Press later this fall. Dr. Rust is a mediating Southern Baptist Scholar), method which recognizes that the records were written by those within the Faith, therefore, the records are articulations from the perspective of the faith bringing Gospel.
The Exchatological Message of the New Testament and Its Relation to a Christian Theology of History
The New Testament is unified by the affirmation that Christ is the bringer of The Kingdom of God and that He came in the fulness of time. (Galatians 4:4 - hote de çlthen to plçrôma tou chronou exapesteilen ho theos ton huion autou genomenon ek gunaikos genomenon hupo nomon. But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth his son, becoming of woman, becoming under law,... Also for a survey of concepts of time see W. Lewis's Time and Western Man and Callahan's Four Views of Time in Ancient Philosophy Note also the unique development by all existential and process interpreters, especially P. Tillich's Systematic Theology, Vol. I.
The Greek New Testament contains two words for time, chronos and kairos, in the Galatians passage the term chronos appears. A problem arises from the Biblical language concerning time and eternity. This particular issue is part of the broader problem which we shall examine in this paperthat of a comprehensive doctrine of Eschatology. A thorough study of this area would provide us with the datum of a Theology of History from the Biblical perspective. (I found the most penetrating volumes to be Danielou'S, The Lord of History, Regnary Press, Chicago, 1958; E. Rust, The Christian Understanding of History; and Cullmann, The Early Church, Westminster Press - this is not the volume mentioned previously under Eric Rust's name.)
Several New Testament words are involved in the vocabulary of a theology of History. Hour is a vital word in Johannine terminology and it is set over against the infrequent use of time, kairos. (For a complete examination of Old and New Testament words for time see F. H. Brabant, Time and Eternity in Christian Thought, Bampton Lectures, 1937; O. Cullmann's Christ and Time; J. Marsh, The Fulness of Time; and James Barr, A Biblical Theology Document on the Biblical Vocabulary of Time.
The kairoi falls into two basic areas. One speaks of the last (eschatos), and the other speaks of the end (sunteleion). The New Testament shows that the last time of God's decisive action began and ends in the coming again of Jesus Christ. End implies three basic meanings of the Christian scripturescessation, final period, and outcome. These all carry great significance for a Christian understanding of history. The Greek words for everlasting and eternal (aion - aionios) imply Christ-filled time not uncharacterized duration.
Plato taught Western Philosophy to contrast time with eternity. Such an antithesis is alien to biblical thought in so far as the contrast rests on a philosophical conception of either term. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world has marked the close of one age (for development of the concept of the two ages from Daniel forward see H. H. Rowley's The Relevance of Apocalyptic, Lutterworth Press, 1955.) and the beginning of another. That Jesus is the event which is the center of history and its source of a significance is the point of contemporary discussion.
What is God's relation to history and how is He related to history? This is the contemporary problem of the relationship of the immanence to the transcendence of God. If the relation is percentible only through faith, then we can see the continuity of the Old Israel's faith, and the New Israel's faith via the Lordship of God in Christ. What is involved in the reign of God which judges the past and present by the future? God's reign came in a manner which cannot develop, or be in process, or be a product of this world. The kingdom is both present and future in the same manner that the Pauline doctrine of salvation is past, present, and future.
The Kingdom of God has been interpreted in three basic ways. It has been interpreted as exclusively future, and that the sole function of Jesus was to announce its coming. In the second instance the Reign of God is exclusively present and men are invited to join it, and realize its reality in their own Christian experience. The third position affirms that the Kingdom is already present, but hidden, and its ultimate realization is still to be consumed in a future act of God. From this basic analysis we see four vital questions. Did Jesus believe that the end of the world was imminent? (For affirmative answer and contemporary bibliography see W. Kümmel's Verheissung und Erfüllung; and R. H. Fuller'S, The Mission and Achievement of Jesus, particularly the first three Chapter s, pp. 9-77). Most scholars of the present generation would hold this view, but it is contrary to the biblical data. Did Jesus really believe that his death would usher in the end of the world? This was Schweitzer's position, but even negative critical scholars reject this today. Did the early disciple believe that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Kingdom had dawned? This position finds its chief advocate in C. H. Dodd. (C. H. Dodd, The Apostolic Preaching and its development; The Parables of the Kingdom, make use of Dodd's new edition - not 1936 edition. But note basic change concerning his Realized Eschatological view in his commentary on John; see also The Festscrift to C. H. Dodd, Eschatology and Background to New Testament Thought, Cambridge University Press, 1956.) Like most other emphasis there is a basic element which is true, but it distorts clear and textually credible passages, or precludes them from discussion altogether. Did Jesus himself believe that with his activity and his person the Kingdom had already come? Most recent New Testament scholars would admit this contention against Schweitzer.
The variety of theological methods produce differing interpretations concerning biblical eschatology. The apocalyptic interpretation separates the future hope from the past acts of God in history as recorded in scriptures. The ecclesiological-sacramental interpretation affirms that the Church is regarded as the place where time is eliminated by the sacraments.
The individualistic eschatology is extensively formed in Protestantism, and confines the Last Things to individual survival after death. The cosmic eschatology of the scripture is either left in background or abandoned.
The rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of The Kingdom of God aided in the movement from individualism to interest in spreading the Kingdom. Eschatology is an expressing of the urgency of missions.
The dialectical tension between (telos) and (eschaton) is brilliantly expounded by Niebuhr. (For Niebuhr's views see Faith and History, Nature and Destiny of Man and Robert E. Fitch's article on philosophy of history in R. Niebuhr, His Religious, Social and Political Thought ed. by Charles W. Kegley and R. W. Bretail. Niebuhr cannot correlate time and eternity because he rejects the incarnation as an historical or temporal event; see also Emil Brunner, The Christian Doctrine of The Church, Faith and the Consummation, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1962.) Reinhold Niebuhr has contributed more than anyone else in America to a Christian understanding of the historical order. Niebuhr discusses the Biblical doctrine of history as rooted in two ideas. First, the idea of universal history over which God is sovereign and through which his purpose is attained. Secondly, history testifies to man's misuse of his freedom and his consequent denial of the Lordship of Christ by becoming a god. He repudiates all progressivism which envisages man inherent ability to eradicate all the negative factors of his environment. Niebuhr affirms one of the three general areas of eschatology already mentioned, that of the presence, yet future aspects of the kingdom of God.
The Christological eschatology is represented by Karl Barth. God has revealed his nature through a series of mighty acts, the greatest of which is Jesus Christ as the mediator of God. He repudiates all secular and philosophical attempts to understand the course of history. His concept of Revelation is vital to his teaching about history - only God can define his purpose, and this is done via the Christ event. We know God and history only when God breaks through in Christ according to Barth.
Barth accepts the New Testament Eschatology as valid for our day. This he was able to do by interpreting eschatology or eternity as the absolute transcendent which stands in radical antithesis to time. Here there is no end of history and no future advent of the Kingdom of God for the end is always equally at hand. Today Barth shows dissatisfaction with his older approach in his Römerbrief. Dr. West shows brilliant insight into Barth's concept of Biblical History.
The anthropological-existential exposition of eschatology comes from R. Bultmann. The eschatological message of the New Testament needs to be demythologized according to Bultmann. Bultmann utilizes Heidegger's Sein und Seit as the basis of his existential analysis of man. This anthropological position is the foundation of his hermeneutics! Bultmann's ultimate conclusion is that man is history. (See R. Bultmann's Gifford Lectures, The Presence of Eternity or History and Eschatology for a clear statement of his redefinition of history; also Kerygma and Myth, ed. Bartsch.) The real significance for Bultmann is the existential choice which decides man's destiny in the present. This decision to accept this new life is eschatological. His position is one of the approaches to the New Testament around which a great controversy now rages the Heilsgeschichte and of Existence.
Negative Scholars affirm contradictory variety of New Testament teaching, but if they would attempt correlation of the factors, as they stand, without rejecting other biblical features merely because they do not fit into their apriori-framework, then they supposed contradictory character of the data would be dissolved. (Danielou, Lord of History, Lowith, Meaning in History, Cullmann's Christ and Time, see also his Immortality of The Soul or Resurrection of The Dead, p. 17, where he affirms that he wrote Christ and Time intending to propagate Heilsgeschichte and instead scholars thought he wrote about time and eternity. See also F. V. Filson, Jesus Christ the Risen Lord; Wilder, New Testament Faith for Today; and Dawson'S, Dynamics of World History, Sheed and Ward, New York.) The apriori of the New Testament framework is Faith or commitment to the Lord of History. This does not reduce history to anthropology as Bultmann does a la Heidegger.
The Pauline doctrine of eschatology contains most of the factors which are isolated by the various articulations mentioned. The two major points not discussed elsewhere are the two ages (1 Corinthians 10:11, tele tôn aiônôn katentçken) and the idea that history is a battlefield between satanic powers, (see particularly the Colossian Epistle) and the redemptive activity of God. We shall conclude this survey by deliniating the view of history implicitly and explicitly maintained in The Revelation.)
The Theology of History in The Revelation
Jesus Christ has own final victory over Satandom! The Lord of Glory appeared to John on the Lord's Day (chp. Revelation 1:10). This was the day of His victory over sin and the grave. The entire book is intended to make the eschatological character of the resurrected Christ stand out in all its glory. (See the excellent insights in Dr. Merrill C. Tenny'S, Interpreting Revelation, chp 12. The Christology of Revelation, pp. 117. The Prologue: Christ Communicating (Revelation 1:1-8); Christ in The Church (Revelation 1:9 to Revelation 3:22); Christin the Cosmos (Revelation 4:1 to Revelation 16:21); Christ in Conquest (Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 21:8); Christ in Consummation (Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5); The Epilogue: Christ Challenging (Revelation 22:6-21).
The basic division of the book which relates the things that thou sawest, the things which are, and the things which are about to occur (Revelation 1:19) provide us with the framework for a Christian view of history which asserts the fulfillment of the will and purpose of God for His entire creation.
The Lamb of God is the executor of the will of God. The Revelation moves from the first century (or period of Roman Persecution) to the consummation. The Slain Lamb is standing presiding over the unfolding of history. At no time, even when evil intensifies, does The Lamb of God fail to be sovereign over the entire creation (note the passive form was given throughout the Revelation).
The coming again of Christ, the final resurrection, the judgment, the subjection of the powers, are all involved ina Christian view of history. The pleroma (fulness) of Christ's victory is vividly asserted in John's imperative - come (erchon - present imperative form) Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20). Even a banned prophet (John on Patmos) knew that the victory had been already gained and he could endure the suffering knowing full well that ultimate victory was his through Jesus Christ - The Lord of History! (See the excellent, suggestive study by Stanislas Giet, L-'Apocalypse et l-'histoire; e-'tude historique seer l-'Apocalypse johannique. Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1957).
Come, Lord Jesus!
Note: History and Dialectical Materialism
The Leading Contemporary contender with the Christian View of History is Dialectical Materialism (communism). This view maintains that man will eliminate all negative social factors when private property (the cause of all social evil - so asserts Marxism) becomes state or community owned.
The best single volume interpreting the Marxist view of history is still M. M. Bober, Karl Marx's Interpretation of History, second revised edition, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1948.
For an excellent survey of Russian views of history see, Anatole G. Mazour, Modern Russian Historiography, second revised, D. Von Nostrand Co., Inc. Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Mazour discusses views of history from the 18th century through the Marxist view of History, good bibliography - p. 252.
The present author is preparing a 150 page Annotated Bibliography on Communism for Christian Students. The subject of history will receive more extensive treatment there.
For further study on the philosophy of History and the Challenge this area brings to our historically grounded Faith, see
F. P. Gooch, History and the Historians in the 19th Century, Longman Green and Co., 1913. General background of the Marxian era.
Patrick Gardiner, editor, Theories of History, Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959. This is a book of readings in historiography and critical studies. Excellent - raises the question which historians have pontificated about, but have produced no adequate argument. Is History a Science?
Karl Popper, The Poverty of Historicism, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1957. A brilliant criticism of the totalitarian doctrine of historical inevitability (a la Marxism, Evolutionism, etc.)
Marxist Philosophy of History stands in irreconcilable tension with the Christian view of History (specifically the view delimated in The Revelation).
Note: Dr. John McIntyre-', The Christian Doctrine of History, Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1957. This is a fine outline study of some of the central issues for a Christian Theology of History.
Any view of History must clarify and defend its attitude toward historical explanation, causation and fact. This has not been done by Dr. McIntyre or anyone else committed to the unique phenomenon of Biblical history. What are the problems of the logic of historical explanation (see following notes and bibliographical data for direction in reading material).
Christians must maintain that there have been unique events which have occurred in space and time, i.e., incarnation, etc. What does the most behavioristic logician say about unique historical phenomenon? We can not here consider probability theories of explanation and prediction, but we can know that many things in the scientific world approach the probability of (0 based on classical probability theory the scope runs from 0 to 1), yet are actually true; therefore, no necessary and sufficient attack can be made on the biblical claims just because they are highly improbable. The contemporary rejection of the validity of Induction is also a must area for serious Christian Apologetics. Karl Popper's Logic of Discovery, and his Conjectures and Refutation are imperative works for advanced study in this area. The present author has just finished attending Dr. Karl Popper's seminar: Special Problems in the Logic of Science at Indiana University (the spring semester 1963). Since the collapse of Newtonian Physics and the falsification of the claim that water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H O), the Logic of Induction has been under the most severe criticism. Both of the above claims (Newtonian Physics and water as compound, and other similar claims) had vast inductive evidence to support their assertions, but they are now known to be false, inspite of the mass of inductive evidence. There is no known escape from this Dilemma of Induction. Among top flight Logicians of Science the problem of Induction is presently receiving intense scrutiny. The problem of Induction is a central problem of the Logic of historical explanation, prediction, and postdiction (and also retrodiction). The outline of Dr. McIntyre's work might be helpful in providing directions for further thought and study.
Note: The Biblical View of History and Scientific Historiography
It is imperative that those of us committed to Biblical Christianity come to grips with the claims of so-called Scientific-Historiography with respect to the biblical records. This is one of the three areas of Christian Apologetics which call for immediate attention in The Bible Colleges.
For the best single introductory volume in the English Language - see Ernest Nagel, of Columbia University, The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation, Harcourt, Brace, and World, New York, Inc., 1961, chp. 15 - Problems in the Logic of Historical Inquiry, pp. 547.
William Dray, Laws and Explanation in History, New York, 1957 - excellent, indispensable! Editor M. F. Ashley Montague, Toynbee and History, Boston, 1956. This work is made up of critical studies of Tonybee's attempt to establish Laws of History.
An understanding of the problems of historical causation, historical fact, historical explanation (necessary and sufficient condition as vital issue in the logic of history), the genetic fallacy (i.e., if one knows the origin of a concept, then one can therefore explain it.) This particular problem needs examination in view of the negative critical attitudes toward the biblical records. The issues of history and the biblical records can by no means be reduced to the fact that liberal theologians reject many biblical claims, and that conservative theologians accept the Bible as the very word of God. The Bible makes claims that are either true or false. If the Biblical claims are in harmony with the actual state of affairs, then actually they are true, if not they are false. (We are not here implying that the Bible contains false assertions). We cannot permit ourselves to side step the ultimate problem by taking up the escape position of Heilsgesichte-geschichte. The biblical records are either right or wrong! An understanding of The Logic of Historical Inquiry is imperative, if those of us how love the Word of God, as life itself, wish to give defensible answers to the negative critical reconstructions of Old and New Testament Literature by von Rad, Bright, Albright, Martin Noth, et al., and the New Testament by Bultmann, et al.
We are vitally concerned with the problem of History and The Revelation! Does the apocalyptic form of this work preclude it from historical accuracy, and valid assertions about the culmination of human history? We thank God that we can give a categorical - No! to this question.
Note: Handel's Use of Texts from The Revelation in The Messiah
G. F. Handel's oratorio was composed in 1741 in 24 days (from August 22 - September 14). It was first performed in Dublin, Ireland, April 13, 1741.
Handel's Messiah was written on the basis of the prophecy, promise and presence of the Messiah. The first part covers The Advent on Christmas season; the second part covers The Passion or the accomplishment of salvation through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ; the third part instructs us in the most moving manner about the Resurrection. Handel employs four pages from The Revelation - Chorus 44 - Revelation 19:6; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:16; Chorus 53 - Revelation 5:12-13. The beautiful Hallelujah (this word is composed of two Hebrew terms meaning praise Yahweh) Chorus contains phrases and message from chapter Revelation 19:6; Revelation 19:16, and Revelation 11:15.
See number 44 Chorus page 193 in Schirmer, Inc., New York edition of G. F. Handel's The Messiah for use of the following passages from The Revelation.
Revelation 19:6 Halleluia because our Lord God the almighty reigned (ebasileusen - 1st aor. indicative).
Revelation 19:16 King of Kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 11:15 The kingdom of the World became the kingdom (not in Greek text but implied) of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign unto the ages of the ages.
Revelation 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive the power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory; and blessing.
Revelation 5:13 the blessing and the honor, and the glory, and the might unto the ages of the ages.
Special Study
The Theme of Conflict and Victory in The Revelation and The Dead Sea Scrolls
The best single source which examines the theme of Conflict and Victory in The New Testament is Ragnar Leivestad, Christ The Conqueror, Macmillan Co., New York, 1954. This excellent study is controlled by the Scandanavian hermeneutical principle of Motif Research, and therefore must be used with care by the uninitiated in technical theological issues. For the critical and discerning mind it will open up vistas of New Testament research which will produce great preaching materials.
One of the key theological words in The Revelation is nikaô - victory. The term is used twenty-seven times in the entire New Testament, and seventeen times it appears in The Revelation (Moulton-Geden - Greek Concordance of New Testament, pp. 665-666). The victory attained by The Lamb of God is available to all obedient, faithful followers. The Bible can, of course, speak of victory and conflict without using either term directly. The victory of Christ stands in irreconcilable contrast with the Greek concept of victory by brute force. The Greek idea of nikaô was the superior power overcoming the inferior power. Greek victory was available only to the person who had the power to take what he wanted. The new conception of victory and power which we find in Christ, is that a holy, righteous, justice person has the power to give what the receiver cannot give to himself. This is what Paul meant when he spoke to former barbarians - the Romans - The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation. Romans 1:16 f).
The one who is victorious over sin and death, and the principalities and powers becomes the recipient of eternal life through Christ. Our victory is a derived one! John speaks of the martyr's victory, and this certainly is paradoxical. This thesis is parallel with Christ's victory over deaththrough death on the cross! Victory becomes a synonym for Eternal Life for the Christian believer.
The following list contains the use of the various forms of nikaô in The Revelation.
John's record of Christ's words to those who have gained victory through him are most important to every Christian.
Revelation 2:7 to nikônti doso autô phagein ek tou xulon tos zones ho estin en to paradeiso ton theou.
To the victorious one I will give to him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:11 ho nikôn on me adikethç ek tou thanaton tou deuterou.
The victorious one will by no means be hurt by the second death.
Revelation 2:17 Ta nikônti doso autô ton manna ton kekrummenou To the victorious one I will give to him of the manna having been hidden.
Revelation 2:26 kai ho nikôn kai ho tçrçn achri telous ta erga mou And the victorious one and the one keeping my words unto the end.
Revelation 3:5 ho nikôn houtôs peribaleitai en himatiois leukois
The victorious one thus shall be clothed in white garments.
Revelation 3:12 ho nikon, poiçsô auton stulon en tô naô ton theou mou
The victorious one, I will make him a pillar in the tabernacle of my God.
Revelation 3:21 ho nikôn, dôsô autô kathisai met emou en tô thronô mou hos kago enikesa
The victorious one I will give him to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcome (or was victorious).
Revelation 5:5 mç klaie idou enikesen ho leôn ho ek tçs phules Iouda.
Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Judah overcame (was victorious).
Revelation 6:2 kai exçlthen nikôn kai hina nikçsç.
And he went forth overcoming (victoriously), and in order (or for the purpose of) that he might be victorious (he might over-being victorious) come).
Revelation 11:7 kai nikesei autous kai apoktenei autous.
And will overcome (be victorious over) them and will kill them.
Revelation 12:11 kai autoi enikçsan auton dia to haima tou arniou
And they overcame (were victorious over) him because of the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 13:7 kei nikçsai autous
and to overcome (be victorious over) them.
Revelation 15:2 kai tous nikôntas ek tou thçriou
And the victorious ones (overcoming ones) over (of) the beast.
Revelation 17:14 kai to arniou nikçsei autous
and the Lamb will overcome (be victorious over) them.
Revelation 21:7 ho nikôn kleronomesei tauta
The victorious one shall inherit these things.
John also declares in his first Epistle (1 John 5:4) that because everything (one) having been begotten of God overcomes (nika - is victorious over) the world; and this is the victory (hç nikç) that keeps on overcoming (hç nikçsasa) the world Thanks be to our Lord for our Victory!
Note: The theme of Conflict and Victory is also a leading doctrine in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The best single work on The Scroll of Wars is Yigael Yadin, The Scroll of The Wars of Sons of Light Against The Sons of Darkness, edited, plus introduction and commentary by Yadin, Oxford University Press, 1962. This theme follows from the Old Testament and Intertestamental Literature.
Special Study - Persecution
How is The Church to Relate to the State?
The Revelation was written to a generation of Christians who were facing the hideous realities of persecution. Because of the great persecutions many Christians felt that evil dominated the human situation, and that the God of righteousness and peace had abdicated His heavenly throne. Many things in The Revelation are still inegmatic to the finest of dedicated scholarship, but one thing is crystal clear, that God chose the medium of apocalyptic symbolism to announce to the redeemed that He was still sovereign over heaven and earth. Victory had been gained; hold out to the end and every faithful follower will participate in His victory!
Why did the cultural environment of biblical Christianity persecute the Christians? What had they done, either individually or collectively, to merit the animosity of the world?
This particular problem raises the fundamental issue of how The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ shall relate to the world - either in the first or twentieth centuries.
Christ has said - My Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). This same Lord also said - Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God'S. (Matthew 22:21). Peter continues this same line of thought as he declares - Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the king as excelling or to governors as sent by himHonor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (1 Peter 2:13 f.) Paul desires the same attitude toward kings. He declares, pray for kings, and for all that are in high station- (1 Timothy 2:2; see also Romans 13:3 f). If the early Church carried out these biblical stipulations, then why persecutions? I believe that the problem of being the body of Christ, and at the same time encountering the world in order to witness is the largest single issue facing The Restoration Movement in our time.
How many ways can biblical Christians possibly relate to the world? I believe that they ultimately reduce to four possibilities. (1) Ghetto-Christianity or a monastic withdrawal of the Church - is an option which is actually chosen by many. (2) Pious Parallelism is a possibility, which finds its modern historical roots in the Lutheran-Pietistic controversies. (3) Immersion in the World generates the problem of being unable to distinguish between the Church and the World. (4) Critical Inter-action seems to this author to be the only serious attempt to fulfill our Lord's request to be in but not of the world. This position is the most difficult one because it requires informed, committed Christians, and that they also know the intellectual and cultural grounds given by others for their rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord. (Note the New Testament metaphors for the Christians relationship to the world - pilgrim, alien, sojourner, etc.) What is the relationship of human efforts to the purpose of The coming of The Kingdom? Contrary to the attitude of the Liberals - man cannot create The Kingdom of God, but what is the function of human efforts to witness to Christ's redemption in the purpose of God on earth?
None of the above considerations could or would have prevented persecutions; but this does not preclude that our generation of the Church grapple seriously with the above mentioned issues. Because redeemed man is a citizen of The City of God and The City of This World!
In the Book of Acts we read of the first persecution of The Church - by the Jews. Stephen had been stoned by the Jews (Acts 7;) and immediately following this event we readthere arose on that day a great persecution against the Church which was in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the Word (Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4). Saul of Tarsus was persecuting the disciples of the Lord. (Acts 9 :). The Herodian persecution took the life of James by the sword (Acts 12:1-5). The tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians would require attention, if we were giving comprehensive analysis of our subject. There were many oppositions and stumbling blocks before the young church, but none of these reached the white hot animosity of the great persecutions. The Epistle of James speaks of the dispersion (diaspora) of the twelve tribes (See James H. Ropes, The Epistle of James, International Critical Commentary, for a discussion of the scattering of the Jewish Christians).
Christians were severely persecuted until the Roman Empire was (forcefully) baptized, then for all practical purposes, persecutions ceased. We would be mistaken if we took the relative date of The Edict of Milan as the end of persecution. Its publication merely brought an official end, but certainly not an actual end to persecution. The Edict was only the beginning of the end of the Empires-' hostility to the body of Christ.
The first major persecution was during the reign of Nero. In this brief statement we shall deal with only two persecutions - Nero and Domition, because these cover the possible range for The Revelation background. Much of the New Testament literature comes during and after this general conflagration. The persecution during the month of July 64 A.D. resulted in the destruction of the entire quarter lying between Palestine and the Aventine. (See the descriptions given by Tacitus, Annals 15, sections 38-44; Suetonius, Nero; 31, 38, 39; Dion Cassius, 62, sections 16-18). Seneca, Nero's teacher, praised the martyred Christians when he mentions these men who died with joy, with serenity, amid such sufferings and torment. (See Seneca, History 5, section 55). Roman Catholic tradition places the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in the period of Nero's persecution. This assertion cannot possibly be sustained except by the most far-fetched inferences from early Patristic literature.
Soon the populace demanded lighter sentences for the crime of being a Christian. It was during Nero's reign that many great public works were started and Christians served as laborers. The Neronian persecution ended in 69 A.D. and for over twenty years afterwards the Christians lived in comparative peace throughout the Roman Empire. During this period of peace Balba, Otho Vitellius, Vespasion and Titus were on the Roman throne - successively. From Nero's persecution onward there was a complete distinction between Judaism and Christianity. Up to this period the distinction was not always apparent to the non-Christians. (See The Book of Acts, chp. 1-12 - Peter and Jewish emphasis, chp. 13-28 - Paul and Gentile emphasis).
The period of tranquility was broken when Domitian (81-95 A.D.) renewed what Tertullian called the institutum Neronianum (see Tertullian, Ad Nationes - to The Heathens I,7). The Revelation was written against this background.
After much persecution and annoymous accusations of Christians, Domitian became convinced that Christianity could not seriously harm his reign, and he suspended further persecutions.
There were other great persecutions of the Church in the second and third centuries. The persecutions of Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus, Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximums, Decius, Valerian, Claudius and Aurelius, Diocletian, and the last extensive persecution by Julian the Apostate, all contributed to the flow of martyrs blood, but Christianity finally triumphed because the power of God shall prevail over all forms of evil. Jesus Christ said I will build my Church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. No human effort, not even persecutions for the crime of being a Chrsitian, will ever prevail against it. The Lord has spoken and His Word shall not return unto Him void!
Bibliography for Further Study
Allard, Histoire des persecution, Paris, 1885-1890; the indispensable, technical work. See also any of the first rate Bible Dictionaries - Jewish Encyclopedia, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Hastings, Catholic Encyclopedia, New Interpretors Bible Encyclopedia (by Mediating and Neo-Orthodox scholarship).
Cadous, C. J., The Early Church and The World; T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, reprinted, 1955.
Cambridge Ancient History for incomparable background materials, Cambridge University Press.
Eusebius, Loeb Classical Library - Harvard University Press; The Ecclesiastical History 2 volumes.
Tacitus, Annals, 15-44, pp. 380, Modern Library edition, New York, 1942, Random House.
Westcott, B. F., The Epistles of John, The Two Empires: The Church and The World; Eerdman, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprinted 1950, pp. 250-282.
Workman, Herberts B., Persecution in The Early Church, London, 1906. Best in English! There is an excellent new edition of this great work for Church School teachers and Church Libraries. The Epworth Press, London, I960 (new shortened, simplified edition for less than one dollar. For bibliography and references the 1906 edition is imperative.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following list is to aid those concerned with further study of this great closing book of our New Testament. We have tried not to list books again which have been referred to in the body of the commentary, notes, or appendices. This list will be too large for some, useless to others, but it is given to provide a vast range of study in The Revelation and its theology. This list by no means exhausts all that the present author has examined in his study of this marvelous book of promises and victory. The advanced scholar, or student will not find any (or many) things that he has not already critically examined, but this work has been written for the beginner, and the intermediate student of the word of God. We have made a conscious effort to provide materials in the notes, appendices and bibliography for advanced study of The Book of Visions.
I.
English Translations, Original Texts, Concordances and Lexicons
A.
English Translations:
American Standard. 1881, 1900 - the text used in the commentary at the head of each section.
Revised Standard Version, 1946. The more recent controversial translation produced by American scholars.
New English Bible. This translation was produced by English scholars.
King James Bible. Compare this text with the 1900 American Standard for good view of sound differences and similarities.
The Roman Catholic Confraternity Translation - 1948 - translated from the Latin Vulgate. (This is a revision of the Challoner-Rheims Version)
The New Testament Octapla - Eight English versions of The New Testament. Luther A. Weigle, Thomas Nelson and Sons, (reprinted with addition of more recent translations from 1873 edition). The text contains the following eight English translations.
Tyndale (1525)
Rheims (1582)
Great Bible (1539)
King James (1611)
Geneva Bible (1560)
American Standard Version (1881) 1901
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Revised Standard Version (1946)
Compare the eight translations of The Revelation.
B.
Original Texts:
Kittel, Rudolf, editor, Biblia Hebraica, critical edition of Massoretic text plus Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. American Bible Society, New York. Necessary to check Old Testament quotation in The Revelation and compare Hebrew text with Septuagint when it is quoted.
Nestle, Ed. Eberhard, and D. Erwin; Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, For the American Bible Society, New York; contains brief critical apparatus for both Greek and Latin texts.
Rahlfs, Alfred, editor, two volumes, Septuaginta: Stuttgart, Privilegieate Württembergische Bibelanstalf. Rahlfs-' text is a composite, and is therefore not a critical Greek text for advanced students.
C.
Concordances:
Hatch, E., and Redpath, H.A., A Concordance to the Septuagint (reprinted - 2 volumes) Graz. The radical advances in critical textual analysis necessitates that this be used with care. (It was first published in 1897.) But until replaced it is indispensable.
Lisowsky, G., Konkordanz zum hebräischen Alten Testament, Stuttgart, 1958. This work is an excellent concordance for general use, but is not to be compared with Mandelkern'S.
Mandelkern, S., Veteris Testamenti concordantiae Hebraicae atque chaldaicae, 2 volumes reprinted. Graz, 1955. Absolutely indespensible for advanced work! Any technical examination of the O.T. text would necessitate recourse to this work.
Moulton, W. F., and Geden, A. S., A Concordance to the Greek Testament according to the Texts of Westcott and Hort, Tischendorf and the English Revisers. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, reprinted 1950.
English Concordance:
Young, Robert, Analytical Concordance to The Bible (O.T. and N.T., New York. Available at any Bible Book Store. Contains Hebrew and Greek words with English translations. This part of the work must be used with hesitation.
D.
Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon - Old Testament:
Brown, F. and Driver, S. R. and Briggs, C. A.; A Hebrew and English Lexicon of The Old Testament, corrected and reprinted in 1952.
E.
Greek Lexicon - New Testament:
Arndt, W. F. and Gingrich, F. W.; A Greek English Lexicon of The New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. This is English translation (1957) of W. Bauer's German-Greek Lexicon. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1957.
II.
Old Testament Commentaries for Study of the Materials Quoted in The Revelation.
(Limited to Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah) For critical examination of the Old Testament quotations in The Revelation it would be necessary to examine the original Hebrew (or Aramaic of Daniel) and compare with the Septuagint translation, then note the specific quotation or imagery. Often this background is necessary if we are to do anything more constructive than guess at the meaning of John's symbolism, etc. The excellent set of Soncino Commentaries will be very helpful to the intermediate student. It contains both the Hebrew Text and an English translation with a basically conservative commentary.
The Soncino Press, 5 Museum House, Museum St. London, W.C. I.; volume VI, The Twelve Prophets contains, of course, Joel and Zechariah. These are vital for quotations and imagery in The Revelation.
Volume VII
Isaiah
Volume X
Ezekiel
Volume XIII
Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah
(Check the appropriate commentaries in the old, but still very valuable studies of Keil and Delitzsch).
Joseph A. Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (Zondervan reprint in single volume of the original 2 volumes - vol. I The Earlier Prophecies, Vol. II, The Later Prophecies of Isaiah) Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Charles, R. H., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Book of Daniel, 1929. (Learned and Liberal. By the greatest scholar in the field a generation ago). Scribner, New York.
Leupold, H. C., Daniel, Wartburg Press, Columbus, Ohio - Excellent commentary by conservative Lutheran,
Unger, Dr. M., Commentary on Zechariah, Zondervan, Grand Rapids. Dr. Unger did his PhD under Dr. F. W. Albright. He has the technical equipment to write a good commentary, but much of it is vitiated by his Dispensational Theology.
Young, Dr. Edward J., The Prophecy of Daniel, Eerdman Press, 1949, excellent, conservative! Not too technical. Most could read this with considerable profit. Dr. Young is a conservative Calvinist and teaches at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Young, Dr. Edward J., Studies in Isaiah, Eerdmans Press, Grand Rapids; Here we have an excellent survey of the critical attitudes towards the book of Isaiah - pp. 9-101.
Wilson, Robert Dick, Studies in The Book of Daniel, New York, vol. I, 1917, vol. II, 1938. He was a conservative Calvinist. He was also the greatest Semitic Scholar in America in his day - conservative or liberal.
III.
Essays on The Revelation in composite works, journals, theses, and valuable annotated bibliographies. (These are only examples of materials, by no means complete).
Check all relevant articles in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by James Orr - There is a new edition of this encyclopedia being prepared in order to eliminate much material in the old edition which was not completely biblically grounded.
Hosford, B. F., Martyrdom in The Apocalypse, in Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 23, pp. 309-333. Excellent, popularly written article. This Journal is produced by men of Dallas Theological Seminarythat is committed to a very serious errorDispensationalism!
Whitson, Samuel Montgomery, Jr., Campbell's Concept of the Millennium, M. A. Thesis, Butler University, Indianapolis, 1951.
Smith, W. M., The Prophetic Literature of Colonial America. Bibliotheca Sacra, vol.100, January - March, 1943. pp. 67-82, Dallas Theological Seminary.
Oepke, Dr., Apokalypsis, Kittel Wörterbuch, volume III, pp. 565-597.
Piper, Dr. Otto A., Festscrift, S.C.M.P., London, Current Issues in New Testament Interpretation ed. by W. Klassen and G. F. Snyder - see essay, The Cosmology of the Apocalypse.
Ehlert, Arnold D., A Bibliography of Dispensationalism, Bibliotheca Sacra, 102: 95-101, Jan., 1944; 199-209, April, 1944; 319-28, July, 1944; 447-60; October, 1944; 103: 84-92, Jan. 1945; 207-219, April, 1945; 322-34, July, 1945; 455-67, Oct. 1945; 104: 57-67, Jan. 1946.
New Testament Abstracts, Weston College, Weston, Massachusetts. Contains abstracts of every area of N.T. research, i.e., The Revelation.
Salvatore Maxia, Biblos Press, via Tor de-' Schiavi 151, Roma, Italy, $3.00 per year; Bulletin of bibliographical information - complete index 400 magazines received by Biblical Pontifical Institute and books being placed in its Library. Bro. Maxia is a Church of Christ convert from Catholicism.
Smith, Wilbur M., A Preliminary Bibliography - for The Study of Biblical Prophecy, W. A. Wilde Co., Boston, Massachusetts, 1952. Excellent bibliography! Many works listed are seriously dated, others are vitiated by their untenable Millennialism. Mr. Smith is professor English Bible, Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California. He is the best informed Evangelical in the world on bibliographical materials relating to the Bible. He expouses the Premillennial position.
Wyngaarden, Martin J., The Thousand Years of Revelation Twenty, pp. 104 - from papers - read at 7th Annual Meeting of Evangelical Theological Society, December 29-30, 1954.
Warfield, B. B., Biblical Doctrines, chapter 16 - The Millennium and The Apocalypse, 1929 (there is a new edition of Warfield's Biblical Doctrines which does not contain this article).
IV.
Books on Vital Themes and Commentaries. We shall note by each work whether it is Liberal, basically conservative, or Roman Catholic (which could be either one). Contemporary Roman Catholic Biblical Scholarship is rapidly and predominately taking up the negative critical attitudes toward the scripture. After all, did not The Church create the Scriptures! This has been the Roman Catholic position, and is now the contemporary Protestant positionin general.
Allo, E. B., L-'Apocalypse de Saint Jean, 3rd edition, Paris, 1933. Very good! Probably best Roman Catholic Commentary.
Brandon, S. G. F., The Fall of Jerusalem and The Christian Church (Discusses the relationship of the Fall of Jerusalem and the Jew to The Church) London, 1951.
Bousset, Wilhelm, Die Offenbarung Johannes (in Meyer's Kommentar Series) 6th edition, Gottingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 1906. This is a great commentary by a negative critic of past generation.
Brown, David, Christ's Second Coming: Will it be Premillennial? reproduced by The Old Paths Book Club - Box 4, Rosemead, California, 1953. We are thankful to the editor of Old Paths, John Allen Hudson for reprinting this old, but still valuable study of this subject.
Case, S. J., The Millennial Hope, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1918; Excellent outline of subject, but is thoroughly naturalistic.
Cerfaux, L. - Cambier, J.; L-'Apocalypse, Paris: Cerf, 1955. Good brief commentary by Roman Catholic scholars.
Campenhausen, H. von, Die Idee des Martyriums in der Alten Kirche. Gottingen, 1936. Best there is! Excellent for background to Revelation and this doctrine. (Note also Roman Catholic development on the supposed evidence in The Revelation.)
Charles, R.H., Studies in The Apocalypse, T.&T. Clark, Edinburgh - dated, but still useful if used with care.
Froom, Leroy Edwin, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers: The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation. (The four volumes were published from 1946-1954.) Review and Hearold, Washington, D.C. This is a brilliant and vital work by a Seventh Day Adventist scholar. Excellent historical perspective and bibliography. There are almost 5000 pages in this work.
Giet, Stanislas, L-'Apocalypse et l-'Historie, Presses Universitaires de France, 108, Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris, 1957. Excellent data on historical situation in which the persecution of the Church raged, and the Book of Revelation.
Gregoire, H., Les persecutions dans l-'Empire romain, Bruxelles, 1951. Excellent study. See also our brief appendix on Persecution in commentary.
Hoskier, Herman Charles, Concerning the Text of The Apocalypse, two volumes - London, 1929. Schmid's more recent examination of the text is already mentioned in the text of the commentary. Both are imperative for critical study!
Hort, F. J. A., Revelation, Chapter s 1-3. MacMillan, New York, 1908 (contains forty-four pages of introduction plus 48 pages of commentary.) This was the beginnings of a commentary, but he died before finishing it.
Ladd, George E., The Blessed Hope, Eerdmans, 1956. Premillennial presentation by the professor of Biblical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, (Conservative scholar).
Ladd, George E., Crucial Questions About the Kingdom of God, Eerdmans, 1952.
Langton, Edward, Essentials of Demonology, A Study of Jewish and Christian Doctrine, Its Origin and Development, London. The Epworth Press, 1949. Does not show a high regard for the Scriptures and its teaching.
Lenski, R. C. H., Interpretation of St. John's Revelation, Wartburg, Press, Columbus, Ohio, 1935. An excellent commentary, which is strong on grammatical analysis, by a conservative Lutheran of past generation.
Leonard, W., St. John, A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scriptures, London: Nelson, 1953, p. 1014.
Lohmeyer, Ernst, Die Offenbarung des Johannes (from the series Hanbuch zum Neuen Testament Tubingen: J. C. Mohr, 1926. Very good for advanced students. Lohmeyer is German born negative critic of the Scriptures.
Martindale, C., The Apocalypse: A Catholic Commentary on the Holy Scripture; London: Nelson and Sons, 1953.
Beasley-Murray, G. R., Jesus and The Future, MacMillan and Co., New York, 1954; an examination of the criticism of the Eschatological Discourse, Mark 13 with Special Reference to the Little Apocalypse Theory. Essential for advanced students in understanding the relationship of Matthew 24; Mark 13 and the great prophetic sections of The Revelation. Only for students conversant with contemporary From Criticism or Analysis. Murray is basically conservative, but not thoroughly so.
Parrot, A., Le Temple de Jerusalem, Paris, 1954; Excellent brief account of recent archaeology of The Temple - See appendix on Jerusalem in History and Symbolism for other works.
Dwight, J., Pentecost, Things to Come, Dunham Press, Findlay, Ohio, 1968. A Study in Biblical Eschatology. Best single volume presentation of Dispensationalism's Eschatology.
Pieters, A., Studies in Revelation, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan; some very good studies by a conservative Calvinist.
Rigoux, P. Bedz, L-'AnteChrist et l-' opposition au royaume Messianique dans l-' ancien et le Nouveau Testament, Gemblous - Paris, 1932, Excellent of the doctrine of the Anti Christ.
Rost, Dr. Hans, Die Bibel in Mittelalter, Beitrage zur Geschichte und Bibliographie der Bibel, Augsburg Kommissions Verlag M. Seitz, chp 24, Die Apokalypse, pp. 247-249. This is an excellent work. Roman Catholic.
Summers, Ray, The Life Beyond, Nashville, The Broadman Press, 1959, $3.25, see his three graphs on essence of three Millennial views!
Stevens, G. B., The Theology of The New Testament, Charles Scribners-' Sons, New York, 1947, part VI, The Theology of The Apocalypse, pp. 532. There is much valuable material in this now seriously dated study. Dr. Stevens held a modified Liberal position, though there is much that is sound in the work. We heed a single volume New Testament Theology work which grapples with contemporary scholarshipfrom a biblical perspective. Dr. Richardson's work, Introduction to New Testament Theology, Harpers, does fill the gap in a limited sense, but has a number of serious deficiencies.
Zalm, Theodor, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, Erste bei dritte Auflage. Zivei Bonde. 1924, 1926, Dr. Tenny is certainly correct when he judges that this is still the best commentary in German - by a great conservative.
SPECIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
I wish to thank Mr. Enos Dowling, Dean of the Graduate School of Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln, Illinois, for the following list of works on The Revelation which have been written by men committed to the Restoration Movement. This is not an exhaustive list, but for a complete list it would be necessary to examine the records in the Disciples Historical Society, Claude Spencer, Curator. (Nashville Tennessee).
Ainslie, Peter. Studies in the Epistles and Apocalypse. Christian Publishing Company.
Encell, J. G. Condensed Lectures on the Apocalypse. Clarence, New York, 1897.
________. The Exiled Prophet. St. Louis, Christian Publishing Company, 1898.
Haggard, A. N. The World's Tomorrow. St. Louis, Christian Publishing Company, 1915.
Hughes, J. S. Mystery of the Golden Cloth. Chicago, White Star, 1898.
_________. Introduction to the Apocalypse.
_________. Key to the Revelation, Author, 1906.
_________. The King's Trumpet. Holland, Michigan, Author, 1921.
_________. The Revelation. Holland, Michigan, Author, 1911.
_________. The Seer of Patmos. Indianapolis, E. B. Scofield, 1899.
Hurte, W. A Catechetical Commentary on the New Testament. (Includes Revelation) St. Louis, John Burns, 1888.
Johnson, B. W. Vision of the Ages. Chicago, Central Book Concern, 1881. (Reprinted a number of times).
_________. People's New Testament with Notes (includes Revelation) St. Louis, Christian Publishing Company, 1889-1891.
Martin, J. L. Voice of Seven Thunders. Bedford, Indiana, J.M. Mathes, 1870.
Martin, Peter J. The Mystery Finished. (Copy in CTS Library).
Overstreet, A. M. Revelation Read. St. Louis, John Burns, 1884.
Taylor, W. B. Studies in the Epistles and Revelation. Cincinnati, Ohio, Standard Publishing Company, 1910.
Tyndall, John W. Revelation Revealed. Charlotte, North Carolina. 1926. Four Volumes.
White, S. J. Revelation Made Easy. Detroit, Author, 1924.
Wight, F. A. The Rapture. Harrisburg, Pa.
_________. Revelation-Christ's Return, Harrisburg, Pa., 1931.
_________. Babylon, The Harlot, 1924.
_________. The Beast, Modernism, and the Evangelical Faith. Boston, 1924.
Battenfield, J. A. The Great Demonstration. Cincinnati, Standard Publishing Company, 1914.
Williams, H. C. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Cincinnati, Standard Publishing Company, 1917.
Tomlinson's Comments
THE WONDER BOOK OF THE BIBLE
A Commentary On The Book Of Revelation
Lee G. Tomlinson
A Servant Of The Lord Jesus Christ
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
COLLEGE PRESS, Joplin, Missouri
Copyright 1963
Mrs. L. G. Tomlinson
All Rights Reserved
DEDICATION
Dedicated to the Truth
as it is in Christ Jesus
INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION
AUTHORSHIP
There is no book of the New Testament to whose authorship the testimony of history is more definite, Within the space of a few, years after the death of John, the Apostle, it was being quoted and ascribed to John bywriters who either knew him in person or who obtained their information from those who sat at his feet.
Papias
Our first witness is Papias. He was overseer of the church at Hierapolis, a city near Laodicea and Colosse. It was the last home and burial place of the Apostle Philip and two of his three daughters. Eusebius quotes Polycrates, elder in the church at Ephesus, saying, Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two virgin daughters. Another of his daughters, who lived in the Holy Spirit, rests at Ephesus. Eccles. Hist. 111 C. 31, V. 24.
He was the author of a work of five books entitled, An Exposition of Oracles of the Lord. The whole work has perished, except a few quotations from it by early writers, chiefly Eusebius. Eusebius says that Papias talked with the daughters of Philip. But we must now show how Papias, coming to them received a wonderful account from the daughters of Philip.Eccles. Hist. 111 39.
Irenaeus says that Papias was a companion of Polycarp and a hearer of John.
These things are borne witness to in writing by Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book, for their are five books compiled by him.Heresies V. 33.
Papias conversed with various persons who had been followers of the apostle and inquired of them what the apostle taught. He says: But if I meet with one who has been a follower of the elders anywhere, I made it a point to inquire what were the declarations of the elders. What was said by Andrew, Peter, or Philip. What by Thomas, James, John or Matthew, or any other of the disciples of the Lord; for I do not think I derive so much benefit from books as from the living voice of those that are still surviving.Eccles. Hist. 111 39.
Papias, as best we know, was born about A. D. 70 and Eusebius says Papias bore testimony to a number of the New Testament books.
Andrew of Caesarea, a Greek writer of the fifth century declares Papias bore testimony to the inspiration of the book of Revelation. The words of Andrew are as follows: With regard to the inspiration of the Book (Revelation) we deem it superfluous to add another word; for the blessed Gregory, Cyril, and Theologus, and even some of still older date, Papias, Irenaeus, Methodius and Hippolytus, bore entirely satisfactory testimony to it.Fragments of Papias VIII Anti-Nicene Library, Vol. 1.
Papias was a companion of Polycarp, who died February 23, A.D. 155. Polycarp declared at his martyrdom that he had served the Lord Jesus eighty-six years. The account reads: Then the proconsul urging him and saying, -Swear and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ;-' Polycarp declared, -Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never did me an injury, how then can I blaspheme my King, and my Savior?-' Martyrdom of Polycarp C. IX Anti-Nicene Library, Vol. 1.
This dates his baptism as early as A. D. 70 the date of the destruction of Jerusalem. After his baptism he lived thirty years contemporary with the apostle John. And as John spent the later part of his life at Ephesus, only fifty miles from Smyrna, where Polycarp was appointed overseer of the church by the apostles (so declared by Irenaeus) he must have seen and heard John.
Thus we see that Papias, being a companion of Polycarp, who was instructed by the apostle was in a position to know the facts when he declared the book of Revelation was written by inspiration by the Apostle, John.
Irenaeus
To Papias may be added Iranaeus born between A. D. 115 and A.D. 125, who tells us he was long a pupil of Polycarp. But Polycarp was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also by apostles in Asia appointed bishop of the church in Smyrna, whom I saw in my early youth, for he tarried a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having taught things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the church had handed down, and which alone are true.Irenaeus, against Heresies 262, 263.
Of course, with such opportunities he certainly was not ignorant of what John had written, yet he declares explicitly that John is the author of the book of Revelation. He makes many quotations from the Apocalypse. He also states its approximate date, saying: We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the names of the Anti-christ; for if it were necessary that his name should be revealed at the present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision, For that was seen not very long since, but almost in our day, toward the end of Domitian's reign.Against Heresies Vol. 30, 3.
Justin Martyr
He was a native of the ancient city of Shechem in Palestine, which was called Flavia Neapolis by the Romans, and is now called Nablus by the Arabs. His name, and that of his father, Priscus, and his grandfather, Bacchius, are Roman, indicating possible Roman lineage. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he wrote about 150 years after Christ. He wrote two apologies, in the first of which he says, Lest some should, without reason and for the perversion of what we teach, maintain that we say that Christ was born one-hundred and fifty years ago under Cyrenius, and subsequently, in the time of Pontius Pilate, taught what we say He taught; and should cry out against us as though all men who were born before him were irresponsible, let us anticipate and solve the difficulty.First apology C. 46.
Justin Martyr quotes by name the apocalypse, or the book of Revelation and cites the name of the author. There was a certain man with us whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied by a revelation that was made to him that those who believed in our Christ should dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem and that thereafter the general and in short the eternal revelation and judgment of all men would likewise take place.Dialogue 1 6.C.61.
Tertullian
The next witness is Tertullian, a famous Latin writer of Africa who was born in Carthage about A. D. 160 and died about A, D. 240. His knowledge of the New Testament books extended through the last quarter of the second century. He frequently quotes from Revelation, ascribing it to John.
John in his apocalypse is commanded to chastise those who eat things sacrificed to idols and commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)Prescriptions against Heresies XXXIII 40.
Eusebius
Eusebius, called the father of Ecclesiastical History, because he wrote the first church history that has come down to our day, lived from A. D. 270 to A. D. 340. He was bishop of the church in Caesarea in Palestine. He lived through the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian which continued from A. D. 303 to 313 A. D. which he describes. He lived to see Christianity established by law throughout the Roman Empire. He was commissioned by Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, to have transcribed fifty copies of the Bible for the use of the churches in Constantinople. He declares that John wrote the Apocalypse. What shall we say of Him who reclined upon the breast of Jesus? I mean John, who has left one gospel, in which he confesses that he could write so many that the whole world could not contain them. He also wrote the apocalypse, commanded as he was to conceal and not write the voices of the seven thunders.Eccles. Hist. VI, XXV, P. 246.
Muratorian Canon
We turn now from the evidence of the authorship of Revelation as given by the early church fathers, to the catalogues of the New Testament books.
The earliest formal catalogue of the New Testament books now extant, is a document called the Muratorian Canon. The manuscript of this document was found in 1740 A. D. in an old library in Milan, by an Italian named Muratori, whence the title Muratorian Canon. The manuscript belongs to the seventh or eighth century and is a Latin translation from a Greek original.
It claims to have been composed by a contemporary of Pius, bishop of Rome, who died in the year 157. It could not be of a later date than A. D. 170. The existing manuscript is fragmentary having lost some lines from both the beginning and the end. It contains in the canon the book of Revelation.
Catalogue of Council of Carthage
Some of these catalogues are found in the acts of various ecclesiastical assemblies, which set forth the books of the Old and New Testaments.
The catalogue of the Council of Carthage names all of the canonical books of the Old Testament, included in our present Bible and then gives the New Testament books in the following order: Four books of the gospels, one book of the acts of the apostles, thirteen of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, one of the same to the Hebrews, two Epistles of the apostle Peter, three of John, one of James, one of Judas, one book of the apocalypse of John. It concludes: We have received from our fathers that these are to be read in the churches.
This will conclude the evidence on the authorship of the apocalypse, or the book of Revelation.
DATE OF COMPOSITION
The ancient church assigned the date of writing the book of Revelation, near the end of the reign of Domitian, the Emperor of Rome. In our study of evidence of the authorship of the apocalypse as presented by Irenaeus, we found he said that John beheld the apocalyptic vision. For that was seen not very long since, but almost in our day, toward the end of Domitian's reign. This was in A, D. 96.
With this plain statement agree all the church fathers who speak of the subject, for the first three centuries. Beginning with the positive and definite statement of Irenaeus there is an unbroken agreement for nearly four centuries that the date of the writing of the book of Revelation belongs to the persecution of the reign of Domitian, some writers placing the exile in the fourteenth year of his reign, which extended from A. D. 81 to A.D. 96.
Clement of Rome
There is no book from an uninspired pen so highly prized by the early church as the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Only three manuscripts of this Epistle are now extant. One of these, long believed to be the only one, is attached to the Alexandrian Manuscript of the New Testament, as if it were a part of the sacred volume. One was discovered in Constantinople in 1875. The third in Syriac Manuscript of the New Testament immediately following the catholic epistles viz. James, first and second Peter, first, second and third John and Jude.
In 1875 critics and students were startled by the appearance of a careful and complete edition published in Constantinople from a manuscript discovered in the library of the Holy Sepulchre, in that city. Its editor is Philotheos Bryennios, Metropolitan of Serrae.
Scarcely was this discovery realized when a Syrian Manuscript of the Two Epistles was also found in 1876 in Paris.Charteris, Canonicity Int. VIII, IX.
The epistle does not bear the name of Clement, but is written in the name of the church of God which sojourns at Rome, to the Church of God sojourning at Corinth.
While Clement's name is not attached to the Epistle, Eusebius accredited it to him. Of this Clement there is one epistle extant, acknowledged as genuine, of considerable length and of great merit, which he wrote in the name of the Church at Rome to that at Corinth, at the time when there was a discussion in the latter. This we know to have been publically read for the common benefit in most of the churches, both in former times and in our own; and that at the time mentioned an edition did take place at Corinth, is abundantly attested by Hegesippus.Eusebius Eccles. Hist. 111, 16.
The epistle was written, according to the opening statement of this epistle by Clement, after some sudden and calamitous events had just happened at Corinth. Such persecutions frequently occurred under the reign of Domitian, and the most probable date assigned to the epistle is A. D. 96 or 97.
Clement was old enough in the year 93 to be appointed bishop of a large church like Rome and thus it would seem he lived through all the period of the apostolic writings. The earliest of the New Testament books was I Thessalonians, which was written A. D. 52, just 41 years before Clements appointment to office. He had knowledge, then, of what writings had come from the pens of the apostles up to the date of his own epistle, seeing that his epistle was written before the death of John.
While he quotes from Matthew, Luke, Mark, Ephesians, Romans, Titus, Hebrews I and II Peter, he quotes nothing from John, for none of Johns-' writings had gone into circulation, and perhaps none of them had been written at the date of Clement's epistle, Then, this puts the date of the composition of Revelation close to the close of the first century.
INTERNAL EVIDENCE
The evidence necessary to confirm a document may be either external or internal. External evidence is that derived from other sources than the book itself, which has been the nature of the evidence we have already presented. Internal evidence is that found in the contents of the book itself. The proper method of procedure in this discussion is to first assume that the Book of Revelation is genuine, and then search its pages for evidence and reach our decision after this internal evidence is considered in connection with the external. We will consider only a few brief items.
First: An ecclesiastical organization reveals itself in the seven churches of the apocalypse which did not reveal itself until the very end of the first and the beginning of the second century. Note: Each church had an angel or man of the church through which the church is addressed. There is no evidence of an individual enjoying such a distinction before the last part of the first century.
Second: The expression The Lord's Day does not occur in the earlier apostolic writings. Rather, they always use the expression, The first day of the week. (1 Corinthians 16:2) (Acts 20:7)
But the writers of the second century, even from its beginning use the phrase, The Lord's Day.
This term then points to a period near the beginning of the second century.
Third: The expressions in Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9 indicate a complete separation between the church and the synagogue. Such a separation did not finally take place until the time of the destruction of Jerusalem's down fall and the close of the first century.
Fourth: On the other hand, there is no internal evidence within the apocalypse against, either the genuineness of the book or the time of its writing at the end of the second century.
THE PLACE
The place where John received the apocalypse of future events is declared by the author himself. It is the universal testimony of the early church that John survived the destruction of Jerusalem, that when the holocaust of war fell upon that city, John in obedience to the Lord's warning (Matthew 24:16) fled from the approaching desolation and took up his residence in Ephesus. There he labored among the churches established by the apostle Paul.
This region was known as Asia. This constituted the peninsula lying between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and bounded on the west by the Aegean.
In the latter part of the reign of Domitian he was banished to a rocky isle, about 20 miles from the coast of Asia. In the southern part of the Greek Archipelago is a tiny island called Patmo, or Patmos. John declares he was banished to this small island for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is only about a mile in diameter, by six or seven miles long.
CIRCUMSTANCES
A period of about sixty years had passed since the first church was founded in Jerusalem. All the other apostles had passed to their reward, receiving the crown of martyrdom, except John, concerning whom the Master had said, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? (John 21:15-24).
Churches had been established in the principle cities of Asia and Europe, so much so that it aroused the fears and hatred of paganism.
Beginning with Nero, the church had undergone one persecution after another. The present persecution was that of Domitian. At this period, and for many generations after this, when the church is persecuted, the persecutor is always pagan Rome.
With this understanding, we need not wonder that the last of the apostles, fore-casting the future fortunes of the church should record the fortunes and misfortunes of the last great world empire, persecutor both of the Jews and the Church of Christ.
SYSTEMS OF INTERPRETATION
Before we begin the actual study of this wonderful book, it would be profitable to consider some of the systems of interpretation followed by men.
There is probably no other portion of the Scriptures concerning the meaning of which the interpreters have so widely differed. The differences are due to the different systems of interpretation employed. Of these are three principle ones, all containing some truth, Shall we consider the three principle systems.
The Preterisi: According to the interpreters following this system, the apocalyptic visions of the book apply to events, chiefly in the history of the Jewish nation and of pagan Rome. They hold that these events have already occurred. They declare that the events took place before the visions were given and that there is no such thing as prediction in the book. Hence these interpreters are called Preterists. Most Catholic commentators hold this view.
The Futurists: Those who take this view hold that the predictions in the book apply to events still in the future and will be fulfilled in the future history of literal Israel. They assert that Israel will again occupy Palestine, that the temple will actually be rebuilt and that the Holy City will be trodden down for 1260 days by the Gentiles.
The Historical: This system holds that a succession of historical events, future when John penned of them, but now in part in the past, are portrayed by a series of visions. This system seems more nearly correct, BUT THE ERROR MUST BE AVOIDED of supposing that the book is continuously historical from beginning to end.
It must be born in mind that there is more than one series of visions; that when one series ends another follows which is synchronous, at least in part. By this we mean both series may describe events happening at the same time. These events have coincident periods.
It must ever be kept in mind that this book is definitely a book of prophecy. In the Old Testament we have a succession of prophets appearing and making their predictions. In Revelation, we have one prophet, John, proclaiming a succession of prophecies. He was shown the things which were shortly to come to pass. John recorded what he saw. The future was revealed to him in a series of visions. The pictures that appeared, in panoramic form before his eyes represents future events.
Thus we see that each is a symbolical representation of what was then future, but now may be past history. Symbolical pictures follow each other in rapid succession as the seals are opened and the trumpets sounded. A careful study of the scriptural meaning of these symbols is a necessary exercise to the proper interpretation of this mysterious book.
Divisions
We must ever keep in mind that there is more than one series of visions, and that these overlap each other, revealing different aspects and features of the same period.
There are two major divisions of the book.
First: The first division covers the first eleven Chapter s and is divided in turn into three parts.
1.
The first covers Chapter s one through the third. This part deals with the introduction, the vision of the Son of Man and the letters to the seven churches.
2.
The second part covers Chapter s four through the eleventh chapter and the eighteenth verse. This part opens with a vision of the throne, followed by a vision of a book sealed with seven seals in the hand of Him who sits on the throne and continues through the seals and trumpets.
The lamb of God prevails to open the seals. As each seal is opened a vision appears which presents a symbol representing a period of human history.
Six seals are opened in succession, followed by a pause before the opening of the seventh seal. When the seventh seal is opened it is discovered to embrace seven thunders and seven trumpets. The trumpets are blown in succession, each followed by great stirring events. When the last trumpet is blown the end comes when Christ is triumphant.
The seven seals, with the seven trumpets contained under the last seal, reach to the end of time.
Second: The second division covers the last eleven Chapter s of the book, and is divided in turn into three parts.
1.
The first part Chapter s 12 to 18 opens with the vision of a woman, a symbol of the church, confronted by an enemy which appears as a seven-headed and ten-horned beast, Later a false church, in contradistinction to the first womanthe true church, appears sitting on the seven-headed Beast. These opposing powers, under the symbolism of Babylon are finally overthrown.
2.
The second part, Chapter s 19 and 20, describe the great victory over the Devil and his secular and religious organizations, the Millennial period and the final uprising and defeat of Satan.
3.
The third part, Chapter s 21 and 22 describe the heavenly home of the Redeemed saints and ends with closing exhortations.
THE SCOPE OF REVELATION
The scope of Revelation is limited. It does not attempt to reveal all the ever-changing history of all nations, races and kingdoms throughout the Gospel age. The question then arises: To what countries and accompanying events do the predictions and symbols apply?
If we turn to God's dealings with the Israel of God in the Old Testament as he spoke through a succession of prophets we will find a correct answer. There, we find, the central thought in all their predictions is the future history of the Old Testament People of God.
With this great divine purpose in mind, they predict the fate of the great gentile nations with whom the Jews come in contact, who affected their fortunes by aiding them or by becoming their conquerors. Hence Assyria, Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, Rome and Greece are made burdens of their prophecy.
Exactly, and by the same token, the same is true of the New Testament prophecies contained in the Book of Revelation. The prophecies deal with the future of the New Testament Israel of God, the church, and of necessity reveal much concerning the opposing powers and persecuting nations.
It was not Christ's purpose to give in Revelation the outline of all history, hence many nations are not mentioned, but to outline the fortunes, tribulations and triumphs of the church.
The church was, in the earlier centuries, almost wholly within the confines of the vast, persecuting empire of Pagan Rome, hence this opposing power presents itself often in the prophetic visions of Patmos.
Since later the mantle of the pagan empire, fell upon Papal Rome, we find that this new religious power plays a prominent part in the unfolding symbolic visions of Revelation. So we shall see that Revelation primarily outlines the history of the church, and in subordination of this primary purpose, it portrays the history of two great persecuting powers, Pagan and Papal Rome. Finally, it portrays the triumphant church and the glories of the New Jerusalem to be enjoyed by the overcoming saints.
Author's Foreword to the Reader
To write a book upon any subject is a task that calls forth the best that in a man lieth. To write a compendium on the Book of Revelation is the challenge supreme.
The writing of any book necessarily must be predicated upon some sound reason for such an engagement. The primus mobile of writing a dissertation upon the Apocalypse must be nothing short of a burning desire to magnify the sacredness, the authenticity and the inerrant accuracy of Divine prophecy.
To pen a text-book upon a secular subject enjoins a comprehensive knowledge of the best authorities on that subject, besides added individual research. To write a commentary on Revelation requires no less than the blessed guidance of the Holy Spirit whom Christ commissioned to show the things to come.
One must be impelled by the loftiest motivation in order to even begin such an effort so confronted with mountainous difficulties.
The interpretation of any book of the Bible is a challenging endeavor. To unfold the mysteries of a book written entirely in signs and symbols, such as characterize the Apocalypse, is an Herculean task to be assumed only under the directive of the inspired Word of God.
In the anticipation of such a project, the author must confess that he found himself in a strait betwixt two. There was a great hesitancy to take up the pen to write when remembrance called to mind the fearful plagues promised as a wrathful visitation from God upon those who became guilty of adding to the things contained within the Apocalypse.
Again, the prospect of having his part in the book of life and of the holy city, taken away by taking from the words of the book of prophecy, also served as a strong deterrent for many years.
After a quarter of a century and more of contemplation of such a labor, the writer, by the grace of God, the love of Christ and the energizing of the Holy Spirit, began this work. I say began. Such a work can never be said to be finished.
The first determination to be made was, on the very face of things, that of method of interpretation. Three systems presented themselves.
First, there was the futuristic system. The proponents of this method of interpretation hold that everything described in the visions of this book is yet future to be fulfilled after the rapture of the saints. Obviously, the very first verse of this book of Revelation eliminates such a system. It reads:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto
Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
Second, there was the system, which for lack of better designation, I call the Spiritualistic. This is that method of interpretation which spiritualizes every thing away to where every symbol takes the meaning of each individual interpreter.
One verse of the Sacred Scriptures annihilates such an approach to the study of this great book:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20)
With the elimination of these two systems only one remainedthe Historical. This system is based upon the primal declaration of the book itself, namely, that John was to write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Revelation 1:19)
But not only is the Historical view harmonious with the book's own declaration of its purpose, but history amply substantiates this viewpoint in that the events symbolized therein have either happened or are now coming to pass, So closely have the happenings of history paralleled the prophetic pronouncements of the Apocalypse that they cannot honestly be dismissed and rejected on the ground of coincidences.
When throughout the book one beholds the events of history fitting hand-in-glove with the succession of prophecies presented therein he must, like Thomas, come to believe with a like firmness of conviction.
This historical approach becomes all the more realistic when it is understood that the various visions given do not chronologically follow one another in point of time, although the events predicted in the vision itself are chronologically arranged. This leads logically to the second determination to be madethe starting point of each separate vision.
Like a surveyor cannot run his line without beginning at the Bench Mark, so each vision has an historical Bench Mark, or time and place of beginning. Having scripturally determined the true beginning the Spiritual surveyor is able to survey a true line of prophetic interpretation.
The visions may have the same starting point and take us over a segment of time already covered by a former vision, but this is in order to present things from a different angle, or events of a different sphere, yet all related to the life of the church throughout the gospel dispensation.
The third determination was an accurate interpretation of the meaning of the rich symbolism of the book. There has been a golden rule of interpretation, followed by lovers of God's Word, which declares:
When the plain sense of the Scriptures makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, literal meaning unless the facts of the context indicate clearly otherwise.
When one enters into the realm of Revelation, certainly the concluding clause of this Golden Rule of Interpretation becomes operative. The facts of the context indicate clearly otherwise.
Revelation is pre-eminently a book of symbols, signs, wonders. The book is written not in common speech, like other books of the New Testament, but in sign language. He sent and sign-i-fied it by His angel unto His servant John.
The interpretation of these symbols has proved to be a pitfall to many readers of the Apocalypse, although it should never have been.
If, as Peter says, no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, neither are the prophetic symbols to be privately interpreted.
Therefore, the author made, at the very outset, a fourth determination, namely, that every sign, symbol or figure is explained somewhere within the Bible itself, The Bible is its own, only and best interpreter, One may have to run the gamut of the entire Bible, but he will be richly repaid when in some hidden corner of God's Divine Library he discovers the meaning of some baffling symbol.
Added to the joy of a new discovery is the deep-down satisfaction of knowing God's mind in the matter.
The fifth and final determination was the naming of the book to be penned. At first no name presented itself with sufficient force to elicit lasting attention, but gradually and almost unconsciously an appropriate and scriptural title crossed and recrossed this stage of prophetic drama.
Since it was the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it seemed altogether apropos to incorporate the name Revelation in whatever title was finally settled upon.
Again, since the Apocalypse was penned in a style nowhere universally characteristic of any other book of the Sacred Volume, that fact demanded consideration. Written, as it was, in the language of sign, symbol and wonder, why not call the book, Revelationthe Wonder Book of the Bible? And so the title was chosen.
John said, Blessed -is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. (Revelation 1:3)
The author's fervent prayer is that this book, launched upon a vast sea of books, may have so carefully charted its course by the Scriptural compass of Divine Interpretation, that its readers may land safely on that enchanted Isle of the Treasure Trove of Truth.
If it shall have afforded safe passage to one soul in reaching Heaven's Harbor of the Holy City, the labor shall not have been in vain.
Prayer
Oh Master of Wind and Wave we thank Thee gratefully that Thou hast enabled us to walk upon the waters of symbolic wonders.
THE SEVENS OF REVELATION
1.
The Seven Churches Revelation 1:4
2.
The Seven Eternalities
1.
Which is and which was and which is to come. Revelation 1:4
2.
Which is and which was and is to come Revelation 1:8
3.
-I am He that liveth, and was dead, and I am alive Revelation 1:18
4.
The first and the last, which was dead and is alive Revelation 2:8
5.
Which was and is, and is to come Revelation 4:8
6.
Which art, and wast, and art to come Revelation 11:17
7.
Which art, and wast, and shalt be Revelation 16:5
3.
The Seven Golden Candlesticks Revelation 1:12
4.
The Seven Beatitudes
1.
Blessed is he that readeth Revelation 1:3
2.
Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth Revelation 14:13
3.
Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments Revelation 16:15
4.
Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb Revelation 19:9
5.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection Revelation 20:6
6.
Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book Revelation 22:7
7.
Blessed are they that do His commandments Revelation 22:15
5.
The Seven-fold description of Christ Revelation 1:14-16
6.
The Seven Stars Revelation 1:20
7.
The Seven Angels of the Churches Revelation 1:20
8.
The Seven Letters to the Churches Revelation 2:1 to Revelation 3:22
9.
The Seven-fold Arrangement of the Seven Letters Revelation 2:1 to Revelation 3:22
1.
Salutation
2.
Declaration of works
3.
Commendation, or censure
4.
Reproof
5.
Exhortation
6.
Admonition
7.
Promise
10.
The Seven Declarations I know thy works Revelation 2:1 to Revelation 3:22
11.
The Seven Admonitions He that hath an ear, let him hear Revelation 2:1 to Revelation 3:22
12.
The Seven Lamps of fire Revelation 4:5
13.
The Seven Seals of the Book Revelation 5:1
14.
The Seven Horns of the Lamb Revelation 5:6
15.
The Seven Eyes of Christ Revelation 5:6
16.
The Seven things which Christ is worthy to receive Revelation 5:12
17.
The Seven Seals Revelation 6:1 to Revelation 8:1
18.
The Seven-fold Doxology Revelation 7:2
19.
The Seven Trumpets Revelation 8:2 to Revelation 11:19
20.
The Seven Angels which stand before God Revelation 8:2
21.
The Seven Thunders Revelation 10:3
22.
The Seven Heads of the Dragon Revelation 12:3
23.
The Seven Crowns on the Seven Heads of the Dragon Revelation 12:3
24.
The Seven Personages Revelation 12:1 to Revelation 13:11
1.
Woman
2.
Satan
3.
Man-child
4.
Archangel
5.
Remnant of woman's seed
6.
The beast coming up out of the sea
7.
The beast coming up out of the earth.
25.
The Seven Angels having the Seven Last Plagues Revelation 15:6
26.
The Seven Plagues Revelation 15:6
27.
The Seven Golden Vials Revelation 15:7
28.
The Seven Heads of the Scarlet Colored Beast Revelation 17:3
29.
The Seven Mountains Revelation 17:9
30.
The Seven Kings Revelation 17:10
31.
The Seven DoomsThe Doom of:
1.
Babylon
2.
The beast
3.
The false prophet
4.
The kings
5.
Gog and Magog
6.
Satan
7.
The unbelieving dead.
32.
The twenty-eight items of merchandise of Babylon, or seven multiplied by four Revelation 18:12-13
33.
The Seven New things Revelation 21:1 to Revelation 22:1
1.
New Heaven
2.
New earth
3.
New creation
4.
New Jerusalem
5.
New temple
6.
New light
7.
New garden
34.
The Seven Visions of Revelation
35.
The Seven calls to come out of Babylon
36.
Seven mentions of the Book of Life