REVELATION
I. Introduction
II. Difficulty of Revelation
A. Struggles of theologians with this book
B. Major difficulties with Revelation
C. Why difficult: apocalyptic style
D. Advantages of apocalyptic style
1. cryptic message
necessary to avoid persecution
2. cryptic style
intellectually engaging
3. symbols capable of
multiple interpretation
4. imagery reinforces
message/easy to remember
E. Skills needed to understand Revelation
1. Historical
2. Critical/poetic
3. Spiritual
III. Beautiful aspects of Revelation
A. Beautifully constructed book
1. Repeated/modified
images: theme and variations
2. Strikingly appropriate
images
B. Message of hope
C. Depiction of majesty of God and heavenly
worship
IV. Difficult passages
A. Revelation 5-7 seven seals. A
difficult passage, but a comparison with Matthew 24 helps.
1. Many shall come in my name,
saying, I am
Christ and shall deceive many (vs. 5).
2. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of
wars (vs. 6)
3-4. There shall be famines and pestilences
(vs. 7-8).
5. Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted (vs. 9).
6. Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light
and the stars shall fall from heaven (vs. 29). And he shall send his
angel with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect form the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other (vs. 31).
B. Revelation 8-11 seven trumpets: textual
difficulties
C. Revelation 12-18: difficulties in
interpretation
V. Beautiful conclusion of revelation
1. Binding/destruction of Satan (Rev. 20)
2. New heaven/new temple (Rev. 21)--especially
important in contrast to destruction of Jerusalem temple.
3. Message of last chapters of Revelation