In the seminary of my denomination, I studied Revelation in both Greek and English from the standpoint of the amillennialist. Lets keep in mind that this book is a revelation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, 666 indicates a condition of deep spiritual wickedness in the souls of those who have been bitten by the beast and whose thoughts and deeds are dictated by its deadly venom (compare Moses 6:49). We need to let John tell it like it is. Johns masterwork, however, tells the rest of the story. Dr. He has chosen things of little strength and of small repute, yes, and even things which have no real existence to explode the pretensions of the things that are, that no man may boast in the presence of God. The Church at Its Best In Revelation they met Jesus the vindicator, the one who would avenge them before their enemies. God's Grand Finale: Introduction to Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), s.v. The reason I know this is because I have been reading the Book of Revelation. Ye call Me Master and obey Me not. Is growing old, I know full well : Nelson Reference & Electronics, 1997). Brigham Young University The Lamb is the light, the glory, the life, the Lord of heaven and earth, from whose face all defilement must flee away, and in whose presence fullness of joy is known. [41] See History of the Church, 5:34344. Do you know the reason the contemporary church is in such a mess? 711). In Genesis the curse was pronounced; in Revelation the curse is removed. [9] The Greek word sphaz, though denoting murder, was also a technical term describing the Mosaic sacrifice of a lamb. The historical reality the images in chapter 8 depict is the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds (D&C 88:90). [49] This interpretation is strengthened by the layout of the text because in the very next vision, John sees the 144,000 who carry the seal of Christ on their foreheads (see Revelation 14:1). This needs to be kept in mind in a special way as we study the Book of Revelationeven more than in the Gospels. [37] The Lord instructed the prophet to put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel (Ezekiel 17:2). She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer 45). Then the doctrine of soteriology, or salvation, was developed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001), 907. See 1 Peter 2:23; Luke 18:37; 1 Enoch 46; 97:35; 104:3. He was living when many of the Saints were discouraged, even frightened. It is interesting to note that premillennialism was the belief of these very outstanding men of the early church. Download the booklet. It begins with the revelation of the glorified Christ. The Church at Its Best The most important theme that runs through Johns masterwork is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). Another house not made by hand, He has a strict regard to this temple, and observes how every thing is managed in it. Revelation: An Apostolic Commentary is a detailed journey through the Apostle John's vision as Some very helpful scriptures are 1 Nephi 13; 14; 22:1219; Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 17:2037; Joseph SmithMatthew; Doctrine and Covenants 29:1027; 43:1926; 45:6671; 63:3234; 64:4143; 90:911; 97:1828; 101:1735; 115:56; 121:2832; 133:14, 959. You need to have the background of a working knowledge of all the Bible that precedes it. [34] See Tacitus, Histories 3.6.8; Dio Cassius, 42.27; Ulpian, Digest 1.18.6.8; Suetonius, Galba, 11. I think that any person today who looks at the world situation and takes an optimistic view of it has something wrong with his thinking. PDF The Book Of Revelation - Bible Study Guide The church must bear part of the responsibility for making you feel as you do. [50], Consideration 5: Influences on and from Latter-day Scriptures. That is the Book of Revelation. 58: Revelation (Chs. [7] Joseph Smith taught that only those who were ordained as both king and priest held the fullness of the priesthood. It is composed of an introduction, written in paragraph form, and thirty-six outlined lessons. Who really controls the world? 4) The building of great armaments when the great enemy was within; the decay of individual responsibility. When the scene moves to heaven, we see Him there, too, controlling everything. As a result of this foreboding, there has been a growing interest in the Book of Revelation. Note the contrasts between the two books: In Genesis the earth was created; in Revelation the earth passes away. Pastor at Leyden to the Pilgrims when they sailed to America, Reach out to Him. On the visionary level, John records how he sees this angel descending and how a heavenly voice commands him to take the scroll out of the angels hand and eat it. He does this in his Gospel which opens with this: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). There is no other book quite like this. None of these groups or segments of our society have any solutions. God promised Israel five things, and God says in Revelation that He will fulfill them all. However, Im no pessimist because I have the Book of Revelation, and I can say to every person who has trusted Christ, Dont you worry. At the time John wrote Revelation, a power struggle raged within the Christian community. [4] Paul warned the Church for over three years that there would be such a rebellion (see Acts 20:31). They have been seduced by the ideological sophistry that the false lamb spews through all forms of mediathe image the inhabitants of the earth willingly created for it (see 13:14). And there is no reason to misunderstand it. It had to do with local references in Johns day and with the days of either Nero or Domitian. However, it is important not to commingle the two revelations. Richard D. Draper (richard_draper@byu.edu) was a professor emeritus of ancient scripture at BYU when this article was published. Since the latter is strictly spiritual, it seems likely the former is also. Please try again. This is a verse-by-verse composition of study notes through the Book of Revelation (a commentary in outline form). Being touched by nothing, they can be reached by nothing, and therefore saved by nothing, not even the terrible beating of the army of the horsemen, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone, who killed the third part of men (Revelation 9:1618). As one scholar noted, In such a society, morals decline to the lowest level; the family collapses, schools breed anarchy and rebellion, business ethics are forgotten, entertainment becomes base and sordid, and printing presses exude smut and filth, until the whole is strangled in its own death blood and suffocated by its own stench. [47]. So when anyone reaches in and pulls out a revelationsome vision about famine or wars or anything of that sortit just does not fit into the picture of our day. The subject of this book is very important to see. [16] The Savior and his people must have time to prepare the earth for celestial glory. The second is the books exposure of the great enemies of the last days and their objectives and work. And I hope that you are going to read it with me. We will have hearing aids for those who say the pastor speaks too softly and cotton for those who say he preaches too loudly. Revelation by Dr. Adrian G. Haymond - Ebook | Scribd I do not read much of Agatha Christie anymore for the very simple reason that I have read so many of hers that I can usually figure out who the killer is, who committed the murder. Joseph Smith changed the number to twelve, thus tying the image to the power of priesthood, the means by which the Lord does, indeed, operate in the world. Among commentaries on Revelation, Greg Beale's work in the NIGTC series is still unmatched in terms of its depth and comprehensivenessperhaps rivaled only by Koester (AYB) and Aune (WBC). [7] The most jarring aspect of the imagery found in this vision is the sharp two-edged sword that continually issues from the Saviors mouth (see v. 16). The valleys of the two rivers, Hermus and Caicos, stretch east and west, opening down from the edge of the great central plateau of Anatolia towards the Aegean Sea. But, since it is time for me to turn over and go to sleep, I slip over to the final page. [15]. Most apocalypses contain a vision or dream the writer had. The mark as a number stands for the beast. Thus, only God will be able to overcome the power of Satan and wickedness which exist in it. 15:5152). In whispers soft, "This is the way." Lewis Sperry Chafer on why Satan is loosed after God had put him in the abyss in chains, "Then I will just have to apologize and say that I must have misunderstood the Lord. Not until the professing Church lost her first love, and became the harlot resting on the world power, did she cease to be the Bride going forth to meet the Bridegroom, and seek to reign already on earth without waiting for His Advent., Dr. Elliott wrote: All primitive expositors, except Origen and the few who rejected Revelation, were premillennial., Gusslers work on church history says of this blessed hope that it was so distinctly and prominently mentioned that we do not hesitate in regarding it as the general belief of that age., Chillingworth declared: It was the doctrine believed and taught by the most eminent fathers of the age next to the apostles and by none of that age condemned., Dr. Adolf von Harnack wrote: The earlier fathersIrenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, etc.believed it because it was part of the tradition of the early church. This is chapter 13, where Satans assistants are introduced and their work defined. Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not. As with all prophecies the Revelation also is not easily understood. K. Chesterton, "The Antichrist will come disguised as the great humanitarian. Revelation 21:14 Commentaries: And the wall of the city had twelve That being the case, we can detect four levels in which the story communicates with the reader: the linguistic level, which is composed of the record of the text itself to be read and heard; a visionary level, which consist of Johns actual visionary experience; the referential level, which consists of the particular historical identification of the objects seen in the vision; and the symbolic level, which consists of what the symbols in the vision connote about their historical referents. [40], Let us use as an example the four living creatures met in chapter 4. Amid the wildest storm she stands undaunted. No other piece has the sweep, power, organization, and grandeur of this masterwork, to say nothing of authentic inspiration. I saw it all! Cited in Robert J. Matthews, A Plainer Translation: Joseph Smiths Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1985), 25. The literal interpretation is always preferred unless John makes it clear that it is otherwise. [30] See Pliny, Epistles 3.5.17; Lucian, Vitarum auctio 9; Ulpian, Digest 37.11.4; Beale, Revelation, 34446. Down the vale a stream flows south to join the Lycus (near whose left bank Thyatira was situated), one of the chief tributaries of the Hermus, while its northern end is divided by only a ridge of small elevation from the Caicos Valley. Well, I cant leave the hero and heroine at one oclock in the morning in that kind of position. And the Bible closes with another global and universal book. This is the first time he is pictured with these. [20] This foundation is composed of three elements. Most believe it to be Christian in origin while others like Josephine Massyngberde Ford, Revelation, The Anchor Bible 38 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975), 5056, believe it is a Christian adaptation of a Jewish apocalypse. Certain parts are not clear and are not understood by uswhich, however, does not mean that we could not understand them if we would grow in faith as we should. Their power was the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Listening to them for only a brief time reveals that they have nothing to say. There are 0 customer reviews and 5 customer ratings. To the faithful few, struggling against external pressure and growing persecutions and being buffeted by the alternate voices of the apostates, the message of Revelation, with its omnipotent and avenging, yet caring, God, must have brought comfort and hope with its promise of final victory. Perhaps its most important role is that it finishes the story that the Gospels and Acts begin and the Epistles further. We will see Christs ministry to the church in chapters 23. Top 3. The Lord expects us to seek wisdom, to ponder his revealed truths, and to gain a knowledge of them by the power of his Spirit. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt. The message of the fourth vision. Therefore, we need to be very sure that all new truth comes from a correct interpretation of the Word of God. Through their popularity? And again: For thus saith the LordI, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. The best way to teach the most important messages of Revelation in a short time is to highlight its two major themes. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, [{"displayPrice":"$23.95","priceAmount":23.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"23","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jlVoY6FYhl5GO3OYnz1OPF67UU5DkNmf9%2FuC%2FkBWCrl4aVOiz%2BXn1%2Br1vyaB%2BidzSI2d2oipxazEqVcWK97bNnita7foe0rrfRWF3GLgvgx2GNy395F7%2BryvzqpoHJ1mWuAoo394QKtfL55DWq8Tpw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0},{"displayPrice":"$23.95","priceAmount":23.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"23","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jlVoY6FYhl5GO3OYnz1OPF67UU5DkNmf9%2FuC%2FkBWCrl4aVOiz%2BXn1%2Br1vyaB%2BidzSI2d2oipxazEqVcWK97bNnita7foe0rrfRWF3GLgvgx2GNy395F7%2BryvzqpoHJ1mWuAoo394QKtfL55DWq8Tpw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"PICKUP","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]. We must fight against the current idea that mortality is so infallibly precious that, as G. B. Caird puts it, the death which robs us of it must be the ultimate tragedy. Such an idea, he says, is precisely the idolatry that John is trying here to combat. Ill admit that it has been fully developed, as have all these other interpretations, during the past few years. 2. Flaming eyes, feet burning as brass, or various colored stones are all means by which John catches and holds the minds eye. What if my eyesight's growing dim? After the church things. 1618). The text also tells of another great star that fell from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood (vv. Please note, our website requires JavaScript to be supported. Each image can have multiple points of comparison and therefore meanings. [29] Joseph Smith would be a latter-day example. Slowly, genuine humility and brotherliness have been suppressed under a vast and complex coercion of sophisticated and bewitching propaganda and the brutality of pragmatism and unrestrained egotism. Faith cannot be unanswered. Also, there is a warning given at the end of the book issued to those who tamper with its contents: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Rev. We are led to think that if you don't have the leverage of stardom or a big position in the business world, you might as well keep your mouth shut. The truth is that Latter-day Saints are in an excellent position to understand the Apocalypse. Grant Building The ten great subjects of prophecy which find their consummation here are these: 1. As with the images found in Ezekiel, the depictions are riddles demanding to be solved. The title emphasizes one important point: Jesus rules history and governs its outcome. The Lamb had seven eyes and seven horns, which symbolize his omniscience and omnipotence (see v. 6). This is the reason that a knowledge of the rest of the Bible is imperative to an understanding of the Book of Revelation. The message of the second vision. Actually, it is the most orderly book in the Bible. It is seeing beyond the symbols to those realities that presents the biggest challenge to both teacher and student. For comparison, the general epistles contain 432 verses and contain about 1,100 variants with considerably more manuscript sources and, therefore, the potential for an even greater number of discrepancies. Revelation - AuthorHouse This implies the rapture of the church before the time of trouble referred to as the great tribulation. . (We will see this in the outline of the book.) But suppose we get over there and find that it is true? Thou cam'st, a little baby thing It is no longer in touch with the Head of the church. It has long been my practice, when I need a time of relaxation, to read a mystery story, a detective story. The Person of Jesus ChristChrist in glory, chapter 1. The revelation of Jesus in the second vision (Revelation 5). Here He is in absolute control. That is, apocalyptic reality consists of two irreducible elements or opposing principles: good and evil. Even some of our premillennialists are trying to demonstrate that it is weird and wild. Revelation - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org While I'm alive and here today, In fact, I have visited some of them on four occasions, and I would love to go back tomorrow. Then we will find that the book further divides itself in series of sevens, and each division is as orderly as it possibly can be. In short, the imagery in chapter 8 is but a representation of the earthquakes, hailstorms, famines, and pestilences that will plague the earth in the last days (see D&C 43:25). 3) The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, more immoral. It came to connote money. rev. It was one of the themes on which the Lord had dwelt during his forty-day ministry after his Resurrection (see Acts 1:3). Authorship NEXT 9.2. 56). Terms apply. The message is that God saves not only humans but also animals that fulfill the measure of their creation. This book contained the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God dealing with earths history and which must be executed in order for the planet to be saved (see D&C 77:6). Also it will be symbolic of reality, and the reality will be more real than the symbol for the simple reason that John uses symbols to describe reality. What a wonderful, comfortable scene that is! The symbols point to a desolating scourge [that] shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, which, as the Lord has said, shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming (D&C 5:19). 1 (2013): 83107. The sea beast represents unspecified nations, institutions, and powers that Satan uses to his ends. You need to have a feel of the Scriptures as well as have the facts of the Scriptures in your mind. Bill Anderson, when asked, "Suppose we get over there and find out that what you preach about hell is not true at all? Then, when John writes the Book of Revelation, he reaches farther on into eternity future and the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To emphasize and reemphasize it, let me direct your attention to chapter 1, verse 1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass (italics mine). And wander 'round this earth no more, [46] What is the result? At least ten great subjects of prophecy find their fulfillment in Revelation. Download the audio series. The church does not begin in the Old Testament. The historical reality is that, by the mouth of [his] servant John, God cursed the waters. [23], Though Johns Revelation shares these elements with other Jewish and Christian apocalypses, it is unique. As far back as 1958 the late David Lawrence wrote an editorial which he entitled The Mess in the World. He described it very accurately, but even he did not have a solution for it. [21] John R. May, The Judaeo-Christian Apocalypse, in The Revelation of St. John the Divine, ed. On the referential level, we learn that these beasts are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John to reveal the happiness of those beings who become part of the celestial realm (D&C 77:2). [17] The Greek word denotes a revelation or disclosure. Ophelia Guyon Browning, "The Beast, who was dominated by the harlot system (Revelation 17:3) rises against her and destroys her and her system completely. The revelation of Jesus Christ in the fourth vision (19:1116). The general message is that God is in control of all that goes on; he has foreseen everything that will happen and has prepared a way of escape for his people. Revelation 1 - Bible Study Tools Best Commentaries on Revelation | Best Commentaries It reassured the Saints of his day that, no matter how bad conditions looked, Jesus was still in charge, history was playing out according to Gods will, and the Christians would, in the end, triumph. I see a lovely cottage encircled by a white picket fence. This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. (Revelation 2:1-5) This was the church at Ephesus, because it had an intense, enthusiastic devotion to the person of Jesus Christ. [24] For collections, see Edgar Hennecke, New Testament Apocrypha, Volume One: Gospels and Related Writings, ed. John did not choose the form of the vision; God did. 2. Is it the political institutions, the powers of evil, or God? Such a promise of deliverance to them would seemingly have been impossible if the rapture of the church were delayed until the end of the tribulation prior to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom." [16] George Eldon Ladd, Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1972), 263. He first says, I am he that liveth. And He instructs John, Write the things which thou hast seen. That is past tense, referring to the vision of the Son of Man in heaven, the glorified Christ in chapter 1. 1. Richard D. Draper, "Teaching the Book of Revelation: Five Considerations,"Religious Educator14, no. [1] This perception is unfortunate because the book plays a number of important roles as one of the twenty-seven texts that form the primary witness of Jesus as the Christ. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability . She is in a desperate situation. Unfortunately, the most popular prophetic teachers in our day are those who have gone out on a limb. Not only in Revelation but in the entire Bible Jesus Christ is the major theme. It is interesting to note that the subject of prophecy is being developed in our day. Rather, those antichrists, who would replace Christs gospel with the doctrines of men, mingled with scripture, would assume control. Many works on Revelation are merely carbon copies of other works. The first is a beast from the sea (vv. But, God cannot allow such self-destruction to act as an impersonal nemesis; an independent, self-operating moral law sweeping away all in its path, reports Caird. There was a phenomenal growth in church membership, especially after World War II, but that took place for only a few years. New light has fallen upon this phase of Scripture. Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock. Fitzgerald, Jerusalem, the golden, with milk and honey blest! The Lord Jesus Christ. 1011). The historical interpretation is that the fulfillment of Revelation is going on continuously in the history of the church, from Johns day to the present time. Note chapter 18, verses 1213, which shows all she has to sell. At the time John wrote Revelation, a power struggled raged within the Christian community. [33] That changed during the Imperial period. And don't go and buy a large bouquet To slay their foes and lift them high; Unfortunately, Apple's iOS doesn't support home screen shortcuts in the Chrome browser. And the only reason that the beasts have gained ascendancy is the fallen and spiritually degenerate state of modern society. One recent book of criticism, written by a layman, quotes me as being unable to answer his argument. When I was a young man and a new Christian, I was introduced to the theory known as postmillennialism. When He speaks in wrath, His judgment begins upon the earth. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. The form is now called apocalyptic. This genre of literature received its name from the first word in the Greek text of the Book of Revelation, apocalypsis, and from this the English word apocalypse is derived. Well, that viewpoint is almost dead today. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. The revelation of Jesus Christ in the third vision (Revelation 14). The result is that evil has been able to impose itself on the earth dwellers because of their growing indifference and ambivalence toward the good. In short, they understand that he saves the earth by destroying those who would destroy it. As a result, Gods will and humankinds salvation were in jeopardy (see Revelation 5:3). Great for teaching and studying. The last section deals with the consummation of all things on this earth. 78). On the referential level, the scroll was actually a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel (D&C 77:14). He has told us further that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the nightTherefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief (D&C 106:45).
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