Last week I began this series of posts on So You Want To Read The Book of Revelation…and you should! You can read my introduction here. I do want to reiterate my purpose: “I would like to offer what I hope will be a few helpful tips for understanding this book. Let me hasten to add, I don't mean to come across as a "know it all", or an expert on everything Revelation, or even that I have mastered everything in the book. None of which is true. My hope is that I can offer something to help you as you read it.”
My last post took a look at the Purpose of Revelation and How to approach the book. Today we will consider the Outline of the Book and The End in Revelation.
Outline of Revelation
Why should we be concerned with the outline of the book? I am persuaded that two fundamental principles in understanding the Bible are: Knowing why the book was written (purpose), and Being able to follow the argument of the book - How the author accomplishes his purpose (outline).
The outline of the Book of Revelation is given by the Lord Jesus himself in 1:19, Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
In outline form that would look like this:
Write the things which thou hast seen, (chapter 1)
and the things which are, (chapters 2-3)
and the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4-22)
Something else which will prove very helpful in understanding this book is knowing that the book is made up of seven visions, which I will explain when we get to the significance of numbers.
The End in Revelation
By the end I mean the second coming of Jesus, the kingdom, the judgment. This is our hope. The book even opens with this declaration, Behold, he comes with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Amen, indeed!
Several times we are brought to the end and you expect the next verse to be the coming of Christ, but the narrative stops and backs up to supply more details. Let me illustrate:
6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
This is the end. The next scene should be the judgment. Instead chapter 7 tells us of the sealing of the servants of God; then in 8:1 we read, And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour followed by the angels with seven trumpets. This is recapitulation - the narrative backs up and fills in details. This means the seven trumpets are part of the seventh seal.
11:15-18 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is, and who was, and who is coming; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
The seventh trumpet once again brings us to the end, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged. The kingdom has come, and he shall reign forever and ever. Amen! But there is another interruption - seven signs in chapters 12-15. Once again the narrative backs up and provides more details about the events of these last days. The last of these seven signs is the seven angels with the seven bowls of wrath, which are poured out in chapter 16.
16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
This is the same point the seventh seal and seventh trumpet had brought us to – the next expected event is the second coming. I mean, It is done. This is shouting ground! Yet once more the narrative backs up and provides us with more details - the destruction of Babylon in 17 and 18.
19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Ah, here is the expected end. This is what the book has been pointing to, building toward, and we have been hoping and praying for! Yes, Jesus is coming; personally; in power and glory; to set up his kingdom on the earth! Maranatha!
Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment