the book of revelation - christians in...
TRANSCRIPT
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The Book of Revelation Class Notes
Daniel Rogers – [email protected]
Church Website: http://www.christiansinarcadia.org
Personal Website: http://www.labornotinvain.com
Introduction A: Understanding, Dating, Timing and
Structure
The book of Revelation is the last book of the New Testament canon. For many, it is a
source of confusion and much speculation. Some studies of the Revelation, due to the
seemingly difficult nature of the book, only focus on the letters to the seven churches of Asia
in the first three chapters, the throne room scenes in chapters four and five, and the vision of
the great white throne judgment and the New Jerusalem in chapters twenty, twenty-one, and
twenty-two. As for the remainder of the book, many see it as impossible to understand, and
some have suggested that any attempt to exegete the inner chapters is nothing more than an
educated guess. Due to this, the general attitude towards Revelation is that it is a great mystery;
however, the very title of the book disagrees with this assumption. The word ‘revelation’ is a
translation of the Greek word ἀποκάλυψις [G602 - apokalypsis]. This word apokalypsis is
defined as “disclosure”1, “uncovering”2, and “something that is made fully known; a full
disclosure”3. How then can a book that is about an uncovering and unveiling be a hidden
mystery that is near-impossible to understand? John said, “Blessed is he who reads and those
who hear the words of the prophecy…” (Revelation 1:3). The book was intended to be
understood, and we can understand it if we have the right tools.
Why the Revelation is Hard to Understand
The Revelation is not hard to understand by design as seen from the title of the book itself
and the encouragement from John to read the book. It is hard to understand because the eyes
through which many read the book are covered by a veil. The Book of Revelation contains no
less than 590 quotations, allusions, and echoes from the Old Testament.4 There are only 404
verses in the Apocalypse. This means that there are roughly one and a half references to the
Old Testament per each verse! When thinking of the average Christian’s familiarity with the
Old Testament – and, specifically, Old Testament prophecy – it is no wonder why there is mass
confusion concerning this work.
1 Strong, James: A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek New Testament and Hebrew
Bible (2009). Print. 2 Liddell, Henry George et al.: A Greek-English lexicon (1996). Print. 3 Mangum, Douglas et al.: Lexham Theological Wordbook (2014). Print. 4 Logos Bible Program tool: New Testament Use of the Old Testament
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Paul wrote to the church at Corinth some twenty-five years after Christ:
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old
covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to
this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a
person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
Through Jesus, it is possible to understand the Old Testament, but how can one understand it
if they never read and study it seriously? Yes, some study the stories about David and Goliath
and Daniel in the Lion’s Den, but an in-depth study of the prophets and how they used language
is rare in the modern church. To understand Revelation, one must look through the lens of Jesus
and read the Old Testament.
The imagery of the beasts, the heavens and earth passing away, and the stars falling from
the sky is all imagery found within the prophets. How can one expect to understand how John
– who was immersed in that language as a Jew – used that language if they have never become
immersed in it as well? Revelation is not hard to understand because it was intended to be so;
it is hard to understand because we as the twenty-first century church have neglected our Old
Testaments.
Another reason why Revelation is hard to understand is that many have different opinions
on when Revelation was written and when John said it would be fulfilled.
The Dating of Revelation
There are three major dates offered for the writing of the Revelation: (1) in the mid to late
nineties – the late date, (2) in the reign of Vespasian – the middle date, and (3) in the reign of
Nero – the early date. Determining which of these dates is correct is critical in trying to
understand the Book of Revelation. For example, those who hold to an early date, like me, see
the events leading up to and including the fall of Jerusalem as the focus of this prophecy;
however, if Revelation was written during the reign of Domitian, then it would be impossible
for that interpretation to be true. Thus, determining the correct date of the Revelation is
necessary.
There are two basic ways to determine the date of any book of the Bible: (1) external
evidence and (2) internal evidence. External evidence is evidence found in extra-biblical
(uninspired) sources such as the church fathers. Internal evidence is evidence found within
Scripture. Internal evidence can be divided into two categories as well: (1) contextual evidence
and (2) remote evidence. By contextual evidence, I mean evidence found within the book under
question – in this case, Revelation. By remote evidence, I mean evidence found within
Scripture that is not specifically within the book under question. For example, the book of Acts
is used to date many of Paul’s epistles such as 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
The late date/ mid date of Revelation is often backed up by the following evidence: (1) a
comment made by Irenaeus that Eusebius quoted5, (2) an alleged persecution of the Christians
5 This is evidence used for the late date. Late date commentaries often spiritualize the seven
kings while middle date commentaries use Revelation 17:10 as evidence for dating the book
during the reign of Vespasian.
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by Domitian, and (3) counting Augustus as the first king of Revelation 17:10 instead of Julius.
I’ll deal with each of these issues in order before providing evidence for the early date.
Irenaeus’ statement, which is found only in the writings of Eusebius, is incapable of
producing a reliable date of Revelation because of the ambiguity of the grammar. “…it would
have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision, for [it or he] was seen not
very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian’s’ reign.”6
Furthermore, if strong internal evidence supports an early dating of Revelation, it should be
preferred to uninspired comments.
Another source of evidence for both a late and middle dating of Revelation is the alleged
Domitian persecution. I say alleged because the evidence in support of an intense persecution
of the church by Domitian is lacking. Assuming that Irenaeus was speaking of the date of the
Revelation and not speaking of John being seen – and if he is right in making such a comment
– some sort of tribulation must be found during the reign of Domitian (Revelation 1:9). Thus,
Domitian has been charged with the mass slaughter of Christians. Artthur Ogden7, however,
points out:
Neither Tacitus, Suetonius, or nor Pliny, all of whom resided in Rome (Tacitus and
Pliny were members of the Roman Senate during Domitian’s reign), leave any record
of any kind of campaign against Christians. This appears strange considering that
Tacitus and Suetonius both left a record of Nero’s persecution against Christians. 8
Finally, advocates of the middle and late dates point to Revelation 17:10 as proof that a pre-
70 writing of Revelation is not possible. The argument is that Augustus is historically regarded
as the first Caesar, so the king must either be Vespasian, or the passage must be spiritualized
and thrown out as evidence altogether; however, there are several problems with this. First,
Josephus indicates that the Jews regarded Julius as the first emperor. He called Augustus the
second, Tiberius the third, and Caligula the fourth (Antiquities, 18.2.2; 16.6.2; 18.6.10). Thus,
John and his audience would have followed the same pattern, and the first of the kings in
Revelation 17:10 would be Julius. This means that the book of Revelation would have been
written in either the fifties or sixties during Nero’s reign. Second, not only can we look to
Jewish history, but Roman historians regarded Julius as the first Caesar. The name of a work
by Suetonius (AD 69 – after AD 121), published in AD 121, is entitled The Twelve Caesars.
Julius Caesar was the first Caesar he covered. So, both Romans and Jewish sources recognized
Julius as the first king.
The early date of Revelation has been suggested since the early days of Christianity. The
Syriac Version of the New Testament, for instance, places an early date on Revelation.9 There
6 Samuel G. Dawson: Revelation Realized: Martyr Vindication from Genesis to Revelation
(Bowie, TX: SGD Press, 2016), page 28. 7 For more information on the Domitian persecution – or lack thereof – I encourage you to go
to http://aogden.com and download the debate between Arthur Ogden and Ferrell Jenkins on
the Domitian persecution. 8 Arthur M. Ogden: The Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets: Commentary on Revelation
(Pinson, AL: 2006), page 415. 9 Op. cit. page 16.
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is other external evidence to show that the early date is a historically accepted position, but
these evidences are not preferred to internal evidence. To demonstrate the early date of
Revelation, I will focus on three major points: the vindication of the martyrs, Revelation 11,
and the time statements. The time statements will be covered in the following section
concerning the when of the fulfillment of the Apocalypse.
One of the more prominent themes of Revelation is that of the vindication of the martyrs.
The persecution and tribulation that the church was undergoing in Revelation is evident from
the first chapter (Revelation 1:9). Not only are the contemporaries of John under consideration
in this vindication, but every faithful individual who was martyred under the Old Testament is
included as well (Revelation 6:9-11; 11:18). In fact, the harlot pictured in Revelation 17 was
guilty of the blood of (1) the saints (Revelation 17:6, 18:24), (2) the witnesses of Jesus
(Revelation 17:6), (3) the apostles (Revelation 18:20), (4) the prophets (Revelation 18:20, 24),
(5) all who have been slain on the earth (Revelation 18:24), and (6) even Jesus (Revelation
11:8).Using remote, internal evidence, the identity of this harlot is made clear:
Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it
cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often
I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under
her wings, and you would not have it! 35 Behold, your house is left to you desolate;
and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say,
‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ (Luke 13:33-
35)
Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of
them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt
of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the
blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the
temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this
generation. (Matthew 23:34-36)
Jesus said that it was Jerusalem, not Rome or any other entity, that was guilty of all the
blood of the martyrs all the way back to Abel. If that is true, how could the identity of the harlot
city be anyone but Jerusalem? The martyrs, including Abel, would be vindicated within that
generation. This fits perfectly with the theme of Revelation. Notice Revelation 6:
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those
who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony
which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How
long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our
blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And there was given to each of them
a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer,
until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed
even as they had been, would be completed also. (Revelation 6:9-11)
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These martyrs were crying out from under the altar. What altar is this? When Abel – the
first person we have on record of dying physically (not Adam) – was slain, what did the Lord
say? “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).
The Hebrews writer said that Abel was still speaking (Hebrews 11:4). In fact, all these Old
Testament worthies who had suffered “the reproach of Christ” (Hebrews 11:26) were awaiting
their perfection (Hebrews 11:39-40). Going back to the martyrs under the alter in Revelation,
if Abel spoke from the place he was slain, is this not also true for the martyrs? Jesus said that
“it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). Is this then
not a clear reference to the source of their persecution – the Jews? All these martyrs – including
Abel – would be vindicated in a “little while”. This “little while”, as Jesus said, would be within
that generation (Matthew 23:36). It is therefore impossible for the book of Revelation to be
written outside of – or even fulfilled outside of – the generation that existed leading up to the
fall of the temple in AD 70 (Matthew 24:34).
The second piece of evidence I will survey for the early date of Revelation is chapter 11. In
verses one and two, John sees this vision
Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up
and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 Leave
out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been
given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two
months.” (Revelation 11:1-2)
Several distinguishing points about this passage are (1) the temple of God and the altar, (2)
the forty-two-month destruction, and (3) the holy city. As noted in my comments on Revelation
6 earlier, the temple and the altar are stationed in the city of Jerusalem. John later explains that
the city under consideration is the one where Jesus was crucified (Revelation 11:8).
Second, the forty-two-month destruction is also discussed by Jesus in Luke 21:
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her
desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains,
and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the
country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that
all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and
to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon
the land and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword,
and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under
foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)
All these things, as Jesus says later, would happen within that generation (Luke 21:32). This
would be the time when the temple would be destroyed and when “all things which are written”
would be fulfilled (Luke 21:22).
Finally, there are only two cities called the holy city in Scripture, the Jerusalem below
(Matthew 4:5, 27:53) and the Jerusalem above (Revelation 21:2). With the clear connections
to the forty-two-month trampling of the city that Jesus discussed and applied to physical
Jerusalem, the city under consideration must be no different. Furthermore, the Hebrews writer
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declared that the Christians of the first century were still looking for the city to come (Hebrews
13:14; cf. 12:18-29). The city to come would only come after the defeat of the harlot – which
we’ve seen to be Jerusalem – so the holy city of Revelation 11 must be the Jerusalem below
that was in bondage with her children (Galatians 4:25).
When Would the Revelation Be Fulfilled?
As seen from the evidence found within the Book of Revelation, the time for its fulfillment
is connected to the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25. Thus, it is limited to what Jesus called
‘this generation’ (Matthew 24:34). While this is sufficient to show when Revelation was
written and fulfilled, there is internal evidence that is helpful as well. In Revelation 1 and
Revelation 22, there are several statements made to indicate that the Apocalypse would be
fulfilled shortly after it was received.
Explicit Time Statements in Revelation 1 and 22
Revelation 1:1 “the things which must soon take place”
Revelation 1:3 “for the time is near”
Revelation 22:6 “the things which must soon take place”
Revelation 22:7 “I am coming quickly”
Revelation 22:10 “for the time is near”
Revelation 22:12 “I am coming quickly”
Revelation 22:20 “I am coming quickly” Figure 1
The time statements above demonstrate that whatever Revelation is talking about cannot be
far off in the future from the time when John wrote this book. Someone may argue that time
must be looked at from the standpoint of God (2 Peter 3:8); however, one must keep in mind
that God is not communicating to the seven churches of Asia in a foreign tongue, but He spoke
to them in their language that had a very specific meaning. If these statements of time should
be disregarded, why should one trust anything within the Bible at all?
While there are questions among some about how one should view the time statements, the
Bible does give us insight as to how they should be viewed. For instance, in Daniel 8, Daniel
was told, “The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep
the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future.” (Daniel 8:26). On the other
hand, John was commanded, “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy
of this book, for the time is near’” (Revelation 22:10). It is apparent, therefore, that God
wanted to communicate to His audience the nearness of the events in Revelation. Again,
Revelation means to unveil, so why would God communicate clear statements of time when
He meant something different than that?
In Ezekiel 12, God warned the people for their abuse of the prophecies. They had been told
by the prophets that the time of their destruction was near, but they refused to accept it. Like
the scoffers leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem, they asked “where is the promise of His
coming?” (2 Peter 3:4). Read what God told Ezekiel:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this
proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long
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and every vision fails’? 23 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “I
will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in
Israel.” But tell them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every
vision. 24 “For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination
within the house of Israel. 25 “For I the LORD will speak, and whatever word I
speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O
rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord GOD.’ ” 26 Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, behold,
the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now,
and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord
GOD, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will
be performed,” ’ ” declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 12:21-28)
They did not recognize that any delay that they may have perceived was the longsuffering
of God (2 Peter 3:9). Those in the first century perceived a delay, and because of this many
would be caught unaware. They mistook God giving them space to repent as a failure to fulfill
His promises. The faithful, however, knew that He would return within that generation, so they
would not be overtaken as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4).
As one last piece of evidence for the literal reading of the time statements, notice these two
passages:
“Behold, I am coming
quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to render to every
man according to what he has
done” (Revelation 22:12).
“For the Son of Man is
going to come in the glory of
His Father with His angels,
and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY
MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. 28 “Truly I say to you, there
are some of those who are
standing here who will not
taste death until they see the
Son of Man coming in His
kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28)
Figure 2
What John recorded would happen quickly, Jesus had said in His ministry that it would
happen before some of them would die. He would return to repay everyman according to His
deeds within the lifetime (i.e. within the generation) of some of His disciples. Thus, the time
statements should be understood as written. With all of this in mind, it is impossible to have a
late dating of Revelation and to stay consistent with the text.
The Structure of the Apocalypse
The following are various outlines provided by scholars who hold to an early date:
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1. J Stuart Russell proposed the following outline in his book The Parousia:
a. Prologue (Revelation 1:1-8)
b. The Vision of the Seven Churches (Revelation 1-3)
c. The Vision of the Seven Seals (Revelation 4-7)
d. The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8-11)
e. The Vision of the Sun-clad Woman (Revelation 12-14)
f. The Vision of the Seven Vials (Revelation 15-16)
g. The Vision of the Great Harlot (Revelation 17-20)
h. The Vision of the Bride (Revelation 21-22:5)
i. Epilogue (22:5-21)
2. Foy E Wallace in his commentary on Revelation suggests three major divisions:
a. The Visional Prologue (Revelation 1-3)
b. The Apocalypse of the Conquering Christ (Revelation 4-11)
c. The Apocalypse of the Victorious Church (Revelation 12-22)
3. Arthur M Ogden divided the book in similar fashion but with different labels.
a. The Seven Churches of Asia (Revelation 1-3)
b. The Heavenly Apocalypse (Revelation 4-11)
c. The Earthly Apocalypse (Revelation 12-20)
d. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22)
Each of the sections outlined by Russell have a “minor climax” while each of the sections
outline by Wallace and Ogden have a “major climax”.
Chapters 4-11 The sixth seal brings about the day of the wrath of God, the passing away of Heaven and
Earth, and the rewarding of the followers of God (chapter 7). This leads into the seven trumpets
The seven trumpets retell the story of the seals, and it ends with the day of the wrath of
God, the destruction of the city where the Lord was slain (Revelation 11:8 – Jerusalem), the
coming of the kingdom with power, and the judgement of all men (Revelation 11:18).
Chapters 12-20 The vision of the sun-clad woman retells many of the same events from the first half of the
Apocalypse, and it ends with Babylon (i.e. Jerusalem) falling (Revelation 14:8).
Following that vision, the vision of the bowls of wrath is seen. It ends much like the others:
the great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14). Babylon falls during the seventh bowl
(Revelation 16:19).
Finally, the vision of the harlot is seen. This vision is included here to compare her to the
bride of Revelation 19, 21-22. This vision ends with Babylon falling, the coming of Christ, the
marriage of the lamb, the defeat of Satan, and the great white throne judgement.
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Revelation 20 serves as a recap, so to speak, of the events leading up to the fall of the harlot
city and the triumph of the bride.
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Introduction B: Revelation’s Use of the Old Testament
The Book of Revelation contains 590 quotations, allusions, and echoes to the Old
Testament.10 If John was so dependent upon the Hebrew Scriptures for the imagery and
language of the Apocalypse, then the individual who wishes to understand this book must
become immersed in this language as well. One of the most referenced chapters in Revelation
is Deuteronomy 32. In this lesson, I’ll give an overview of Deuteronomy 32 and point out the
connections to Revelation. It will serve as a taste of how the Book of Revelation depends upon
the Old Testament. The references I’ll notice are below:
Connection Between Revelation and Deuteronomy
Revelation 6:10 Deuteronomy 32:43
Revelation 9:20 Deuteronomy 32:17
Revelation 10:5-6 Deuteronomy 32:40
Revelation 15:3 Deuteronomy 32:4
Revelation 19:2 Deuteronomy 32:43 Figure 3
Deuteronomy 32 Notes
Introduction Deuteronomy 32 is called the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30). It is Moses’ final
warning to the people before his death. Moses told Israel that after his death, he knew they
would act corruptly. Because of their corruption, evil would befall them in the latter days
(Deuteronomy 31:28). The latter days were the latter days of their nation, their covenant, and
their heavens and earth. It would be at the end of the latter days that the resurrection would
take place (Daniel 10:14; Daniel 12:2). During this time their power would be shattered, and
they would be scattered among the nations forever (Daniel 12:7; Galatians 3:21-31:). The day
of the Lord would happen at the end of the last days, and she would be finally judged for
shedding the blood of the righteous (Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 23:34-36). Peter said that the last
days had finally come (Acts 2:16-17). He even warned saying, “Be saved from this perverse
generation” (Acts 2:40). This comes directly from Deuteronomy 32:5. Peter was
acknowledging that the last days of Israel’s nation had finally come.
Deuteronomy 32:1-5 In verse four of Deuteronomy thirty-two, Moses begins his song by praising God for His
greatness, His just ways, His faithfulness, and His righteousness. In Revelation 15:3, John
directly echoes this: “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the
Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!” This echo solidifies
the original assumption of this section of the introduction that Revelation is connected to the
curses that Moses said would come upon Israel in her last days. This is further evidence that
Revelation is about the fall of Jerusalem and not the fall of a pagan nation outside of the first
century.
10 Logos Bible Program tool: New Testament Use of the Old Testament
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In verse five, Moses calls this “latter days” generation a perverse and crooked generation.
Not only does Peter apply this to His audience, but Jesus lamented in Matthew 17:17, “You
unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put
up with you? Bring him here to Me.” Paul even told the church at Philippi,
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves
to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to
glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)
Paul’s reference to grumbling in verse fourteen above is a reference to the Exodus (1 Corinthians
10:10-11; cf. Numbers 16:41; 17:5, 10; 21:4-6). Just like Joshua and Caleb stayed faithful amid a
crooked and perverse generation, they would have to remain steadfast until the end of their Exodus
as well. Their glory would be revealed, and the reproach of Egypt would be rolled away at the day
of Christ (see Joshua 5:9; Revelation 11:8).
The point is that that perverse generation that Moses had foreseen long ago had arrived in the
first century. She would be judged for her transgression at the day of the Lord at the end of that
generation. The connection between Deuteronomy 32 and Revelation demonstrates that Revelation
would also be fulfilled during that time as well. It is a book about the judgment of Israel in her last
days.
Deuteronomy 32:6-18 Moses retells all God had done for Israel in verses 6-14. In Deuteronomy 32:15-16, Moses
tells them that they scorned the Rock of salvation. They had been given everything that they
needed to survive, but they rejected God again and again. They sacrificed to strange gods and
committed all kinds of abominations in His sight. It is as if they forgot where they came from.
In Revelation 9:18, God judged “a third of mankind” by three plagues: fire, smoke, and
brimstone. This served as a warning to the rest of mankind, but they were unwilling to repent.
“The rest of mankind” is a reference to the remainder of Israel. Notice what caused their guilt:
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works
of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of
brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk” (Revelation
9:20). This is exactly what Moses said they would be judged for in the latter days
(Deuteronomy 32:17)
Deuteronomy 32:19-22 In Deuteronomy 32:20, God punished Israel and brings her to an end. This is what Daniel
foresaw in Daniel 12:4, 7. This, again, would be a punishment that would come upon the
perverse generation. The latter days would also be the time when God would provoke the
people to jealousy by introducing the Gentiles into a covenant relationship with God (Romans
10:19).
Here is also where God discusses burning the earth in punishment of Israel’s transgression
(Deuteronomy 32:22). The earth would burn, and the mountains would be set on fire. This
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language serves as the foundation for what can be found all throughout the prophets. It is
language to describe the fall of a nation. Introduction D covers that extensively.
Deuteronomy 32:23-27 While there is no direct allusion to Revelation in this passage, the description of the
judgement of Israel is identical to that of Babylon in Revelation.
When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying,
“Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was
granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and
a great sword was given to him. 5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third
living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who
sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in
the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,
and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the
wine.” 7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he
who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority
was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine
and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:3-8)
Deuteronomy 32:28-33 Israel would not understand what all they missed out on until it was too late. Jeremiah said
that they would realize what happened it in the latter days (Jeremiah 30:24). The Rock, which
as been referenced several times already (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18), is a reference to the role
of Jesus nurturing them in the Exodus (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Israel had gone the way of Sodom, and they would receive punishment like them in the
latter days. No wonder John makes a direct reference to Sodom in Revelation 11:8. Jude
likened the judgement that was looming on the horizon to the judgement that came upon Sodom
(Jude 5-7; cf. 2 Peter 2:1-9). Moses also likened that generation to a brood of vipers
(Deuteronomy 32:33). John, as seen in Matthew 3:7, applies this theme to that first century
generation. The truly were of their father – the Devil (John 8:44).
Deuteronomy 32:34-43 Once the last days came, the day of calamity would be near (Deuteronomy 32:35). Some
teach that the last days have been going on for two thousand years, but they day of calamity is
still sometime in our future. Those who teach such things miss the meaning of the word
“generation”, and they miss the significance of the fall of Jerusalem. Paul references this verse
in Romans 12:19, and he follows it up by saying, “The day is near” (Romans 13:12).
It would be during this day of vengeance that God would vindicate His people (see notes
on Deuteronomy 32:43). The day was hastening upon them just as Peter promised it would in
2 Peter 3:12 (see Luke 21:20-22). At this day, God would put some to death and give life to
others (Hosea 6:1-3). Jesus said it like this, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming,
in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who
–13–
did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a
resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29)
Deuteronomy 32:40 speaks of a time when God would lift His hand and render vengeance
to His enemies. John alludes to this in Revelation 10:5-7:
Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right
hand to heaven, 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED
HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA
AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the
voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is
finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets
In verse 43, Moses tells the nations to rejoice with His people (Romans 15:10). Again, this
would be time when the Gentiles would enjoy the spiritual things of Israel (Romans 15:27). The
Deliverer would come out of Zion and render vengeance to His adversaries (Romans 11:25-26).
This would be the time when God would take vengeance on those who shed innocent blood (Isaiah
59:6). Jesus would put on the garments of vengeance and render recompense to His enemies (Isaiah
59:17-20; Matthew 16:27-28).
This is the time when God would avenge the blood of His servants. This passage is referenced
twice in Revelation: Revelation 6:10; Revelation 19:2. It would be at the fall of Babylon that this
judgement would come to pass. Thus, the fall of Babylon cannot be found outside of the last days
of Old Covenant Israel. It cannot be found outside of the time of her end.
Finally, this is the time when God would atone for the land and for the people. He would atone
for the land through punishing the people for persecuting the saints (Isaiah 26:21). This would be
fulfilled when the temple was turned to chalkstone (Isaiah 27:9). As seen in the context, the defeat
of Satan and the defeat of death are tied up in this same discussion (Isaiah 25:8; 27:1). Thus, the
salvation of Israel, the resurrection, the vindication of the martyrs, and the defeat of Satan are all
tied up into one end times package. To have one is to have the other. To exclude one is to have an
incomplete eschatology. Revelation contains all these themes (Revelation 7:1-8; Revelation 20:13;
Revelation 19:1-2; Revelation 20:10).
Conclusion The Revelation’s dependence upon the Old Testament is a major key to understanding the
signs within. If one can see how the imagery is used in the context of the Old Testament, all
the questions about the nature of the events in Revelation will slowly vanish away. This is just
a taste of Revelations’ use of the Old Testament, but hopefully it demonstrates just how
important the connection is.
–14–
Introduction C: Matthew’s Gospel and Revelation
It is both natural and expedient in a discussion of Revelation to consider the Olivet
Discourse; however, focusing on the Olivet Discourse can sometimes make us forget that the
imagery present in Revelation is found throughout the gospel of Matthew – not to mention the
other New Testament books. Certainly, a full comparison between these two books would fill
up an entire volume on their own, so these few references will suffice.
Matthew and Revelation
The Restoration of Israel Matthew 2:18; Revelation 7
The Wrath to Come Matthew 3:1-12; Revelation 14
Blessings in the Kingdom Matthew 5:3-12; Revelation 21-22
The Fulfillment of Prophecy Matthew 5:17-18; Revelation 10:7
The Judgement and the Kingdom Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 11
The Bondwoman Being Cast Out Matthew 8:10-12; Revelation 17-18
The Coming of the Son of Man Matthew 10:23; Revelation 19
The Harvest and the End of the Age Matthew 13:36-43; Revelation 14
Prevailing Against Hades Matthew 16:18; Revelation 20
Disciples on Thrones Matthew 19:28; Revelation 20
The Vindication of the Martyrs Matthew 21-23; Revelation 6, 17-19
Wars, Earthquakes, and Blood Moons Matthew 24; Revelation 6
Great Tribulation Matthew 24:21; Revelation 1:9
Judgement of the Nations Matthew 25:31ff; Revelation 20
Eating Bread in the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 26:26-29 (22); Revelation 2-3, 19 Figure 4
I said it is only a few because this only touches the hem of the garment. In the following
pages, I will not visit every one of these themes, but a short overview of some of the major
ones will demonstrate the strong literary and thematic connection between these New
Testament books.
The Wrath to Come and the Harvest
There is one verse citation that every gospel account begins with when it describes the days
leading up to the ministry of Jesus: Isaiah 40:3. This chapter contains the themes of the removal
of Israel’s guilt, the revelation of the glory of the Lord that all flesh would see, God rewarding
every man according to His work, and God tending the to Israel like a shepherd. An entire
lesson series could be done on the connections between this chapter and Revelation alone. So,
when each gospel account begins with this passage, that tells the reader a lot about the force
and focus of John’s ministry?
Included in that ministry, and, therefore in Jesus’ ministry, is the promise of the coming
wrath of God and the salvation of the remnant. Matthew 3:1-12 catalogs the preaching of John
as he foretold this coming wrath that would accompany the arrival of the kingdom. This wrath
is described with harvest imagery that is later used by Jesus in Matthew 13 to describe the same
wrath that would come at the end of the Old Covenant age. See Introduction D for more
information regarding the ministry of John the Baptist as Elijah.
–15–
In Matthew 13, Jesus delivers several parables about the kingdom of God. One of these
parables, the parable of the wheat and the tares, tell about the struggle between good and evil,
and it ends with the final victory of the landowner over his enemies. The interpretation of this
parable is below:
Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him
and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The
one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as
for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of
the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the
end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 “So just as the tares are gathered up
and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 “The Son of Man will
send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling
blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace
of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 “Then THE
RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who
has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:36-43)
The correlation between this parable and the passage from Matthew 3 is striking. In the
original telling of the parable, Jesus mentioned the gathering of the wheat into the barn which he
equates with entering the kingdom (Matthew 13:30). This lines up with John’s teaching perfectly.
Considering the “at hand” nature of the kingdom, it makes sense that this harvest and judgement
would be at hand as well.
It is interesting to note that Jesus also connects the gathering into the Father’s barn with a
quotation from Daniel 12:3. The context of that passage is as follows:
“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of
your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred
since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone
who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “Many of those who sleep in
the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to
disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 “Those who have insight will shine brightly
like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to
righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 “But as for you, Daniel, conceal
these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and
forth, and knowledge will increase.” (Daniel 12:1-4)
So, the themes of the tribulation, the resurrection, the entrance into the kingdom, the end of the
age, and the judgement all go hand in hand, and they were all “at hand” according to God’s
prophet John. Of course, all these themes are present in Revelation as well: Revelation 1:9 and
Revelation 20. Even the harvest illustration is reused in Revelation to depict the fall of Babylon
– Old Covenant Israel:
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a
son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15
And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him
who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come,
–16–
because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung
His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came
out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then
another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he
called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your
sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes
are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters
from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath
of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out
from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
(Revelation 14:14-20)
Just from this, the connection between the ministry of Jesus as told in Matthew’s gospel is
more than evident. The timing, imagery, focus, and nature of this judgement is identical in
every way.
Blessings in the Kingdom
Most Christians are familiar with the Beatitudes – the list of blessings in Matthew 5:3-12.
Many sermons have been delivered concerning these various blessings, and, unfortunately, the
last days – or eschatological11 – meaning of them are sometimes missed. The context of the
Beatitudes is extraordinarily important. Jesus had been traveling through Galilee teaching the
gospel of the kingdom and healing those that He met (Matthew 4:23-25). The gospel of the
kingdom was that the kingdom was at hand (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 24:14). His disciples
gathered around Him, and it is in this setting and in these circumstances that He presented the
following Beatitudes:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are
those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they
shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those
who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets
who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)
These Beatitudes are full of life and meaning. Undoubtedly, many great lessons could be
drawn from them, but in view of the context, it is the eschatological blessings that jump off the
11 The word eschatological means of or relating to the eschaton (the last things). This word
comes from the Greek word eschatos – the word translated “last” in the New Testament. It is
a helpful word to know because it condenses what usually takes one sentence to explain into
one word that sums it all up. From here on out, I’ll be using words with the root word
eschaton to convey this idea of last things.
–17–
page at the reader. Promises such as the inheritance of the land, becoming the sons of God, and
seeing God would have jumped out at the original audience of this lesson. What a way to start
a sermon. Jesus said. “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and here are the blessings associated
with it.” The following chart draws out some of the similarities between the Beatitudes, the
story of the last days, and the book of Revelation:
The Beatitudes and Eschatology
Beatitude Significance Revelation
Matthew 5:3 Possession of the kingdom (Daniel 7:22) Revelation 11:17
Matthew 5:4 No more tears (Isaiah 25:8) Revelation 21:4
Matthew 5:5 Possession of the Land (Ezekiel 37:14) Revelation 21:3
Matthew 5:6 Messianic Banquet (Isaiah 55:1) Revelation 19:7-10
Matthew 5:7 Shown Mercy at Judgement (Isaiah 26:20) Revelation 20:12
Matthew 5:8 Full Fellowship with God (Ezekiel 37:27) Revelation 21:3
Matthew 5:9 Adoption of Sons (Hosea 2:23) Revelation 21:3
Matthew 5:10 Possession of the kingdom (Daniel 7:27) Revelation 19:6
Matthew 5:11-12 Reception of the Reward (Isaiah 40:10) Revelation 20:13; 22:12 Figure 5
The Judgement and the Kingdom
One of the things that has been lost in the traditional church of Christ view of the kingdom
is the connection between the Day of Judgement and the arrival of the kingdom. This is
overlooked because of the assumption that the kingdom was fully established on the Day of
Pentecost. Preachers within the church of Christ, and other groups, tend to equate the “power”
of Mark 9:1 with the “power” of Acts 1:8. Even though they chide those of us who believe in
fulfilled prophecy12 for depending upon similarity of language, they fall into the same trap
when they try to equate the power and glory of the kingdom with the miraculous manifestations
of the Holy Spirit that were a sign that the kingdom was at hand (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:7;
Matthew 24:14). While the kingdom existed in seed form in the ministry of Jesus and at a
foundational level after the Resurrection, the coming of the kingdom in glory and power would
be at a time of judgement. The Book of Revelation affirms this very thing:
Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His
Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who
sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because
You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 “And the nations
were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged,
and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those
who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy
the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18)
12 Do you see how bulky that sentence was? It could be solved by just using the word
preterist which comes from a Latin word meaning “past”.
–18–
This connection between judgement and the kingdom is seen in the preaching of John in
Matthew 3, but Jesus also teaches the same thing in Matthew. The following passages shed
light on this fact:
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us
this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours
is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ (Matthew 6:9-13)
Are we to believe that they were only to pray this prayer for less than three and a half years?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will
say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in
Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And
then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO
PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
When would they be judged? On “that day”. When was “that day”? When they either entered
or not entered the kingdom of Heaven.13 Remembering back to the Beatitudes, this would be
when they would see their reward at the coming of the Lord.
“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels,
and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. 28 “Truly I say to you,
there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they
see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28)
Jesus would return within that generation at the coming of the kingdom (2 Timothy 4:1). Notice
that this passage, like at the beginning of every gospel, quotes from Isaiah 40. There is also the
strong connection to the Millennium in Revelation 20:13 and the coming of the Lord in
Revelation 22:12.14
Wars, Earthquakes, and Blood Moons
Finally, the apocalyptic language used in both Revelation and Matthew demonstrate a
strong connection between the two books. The apocalyptic language alone does not establish
the connection, but the subject matter and timeframe of the fulfillment does. Thus, it is
appropriate to point out the use of this language by both Jesus in the book of Matthew and John
in Revelation.15
13 By the way, weren’t they supposed to keep the Law until this time? (Matthew 5:17-20) 14 If the coming of the Lord would be during that generation and the rewarding of every man
according to his work was after the millennium, doesn’t that mean that the end of the
millennium would be within that generation? 15 For a full study of apocalyptic language, see Introduction E.
–19–
For the sake of space and time, we will only look at the six seals of Revelation chapter six
in comparison to the Olivet Discourse.16
The Six Seals and the Olivet Discourse
Seal 1: Conquering Christ (6:1-2) Matthew 24:2-3
Seal 2: War (6:3-4) Matthew 24:6-7
Seal 3: Famine (6:5-6) Matthew 24:7
Seal 4: Death (6:7-8) Matthew 24:21
Seal 5: Martyrs (6:9-11) Matthew 24:9
Seal 6: Terror (6:12-17) Matthew 24:29 Figure 6
Notice especially the comparison between Seal 6 and Matthew 24:29:
I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the
sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like
blood; (Revelation 6:12)
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED,
AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29)
Both Matthew and Revelation use the same imagery to depict the same events that would
transpire in the same timeframe. They are parallel in every way, and to interpret one is to
interpret the other. While there are many questions and confusion about some the symbols in
Revelation, connections show when they would all be fulfilled. If at the end of the day the
precise meaning of a particular sign cannot be established, the timing of it will be certain.
16 The Olivet Discourse is the name for the speech that Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives
that is recorded in Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; and Luke 21.
–20–
Introduction D: John the Baptist as Elijah
John the Baptist is one of the first major characters of the New Testament. Many preachers
and teachers refer to him as the “forerunner” of Jesus. Growing up in the church, I heard many
references to John and lessons concerning his life, but his role as a character associated with
the last days was something that wasn’t really talked about. Generally, the Christians that I
listened to talked about how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ earthly ministry, and
I never really considered him much more than a warm-up for Jesus. It was not until several
years ago when I decided to reread the Bible that I began to see how critical John the Baptist
is in any study of the last things. In this introduction, I’ll discuss the prophecies concerning
John the Baptist and I’ll show the relationship between John and the restoration of Israel.
John and the Old Testament
There are three major prophecies in two different books concerning John the Baptist in the
Old Testament, but the message and themes of John’s teaching and preaching can be found in
almost every prophetic book that concerns the Messiah and the Great Day of God’s wrath. The
New Testament identifies these prophecies in Matthew 3:3, Matthew 11:10, and Luke 1:17.
These passages quote from Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, and Malachi 4:6 respectively. The
contexts of these passages, as has been referenced several times throughout this study, is eye-
opening in terms of Biblical prophecy. An examination of each of these passages and highlights
from their contexts will assist greatly in this study of Revelation.
Isaiah 40:3-4 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in
the desert a highway for our God. 4 “Let every valley be lifted up, And every
mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And
the rugged terrain a broad valley; (Isaiah 40:3)
This passage is quoted from at the beginning of every gospel account (Matthew 3:3; Mark
1:3; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:23). It sets the framework for John’s ministry and the subject of the
entire New Testament: the restoration of Israel under her Messiah. A reading of this passage
brings to mind Exodus themes of salvation in the wilderness. The context of this text is even
more revealing. The chart below highlights the impact of Isaiah 40 on the New Testament.
While it is not exhaustive, it will paint a picture of the importance of this chapter in the New
Testament.
–21–
Isaiah 40 and the New Testament17
Isaiah 40:2 Romans 11:26; Revelation 1:5; Revelation
18:6
Isaiah 40:3 Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:76; Luke
3:4; John 1:23
Isaiah 40:4 Luke 3:5
Isaiah 40:5 Luke 2:30-31; Luke 3:6; Acts 28:28;
Revelation 1:7
Isaiah 40:6-7 James 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:24
Isaiah 40:8 1 Peter 1:25; Matthew 24:35
Isaiah 40:10 Matthew 16:27-28; Revelation 20:13;
Revelation 22:12
Isaiah 40:11 John 10:11
Isaiah 40:13 1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 11:34
Isaiah 40:18-20 Acts 17:29 Figure 7
Malachi 3:1-2 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the
messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the
LORD of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand
when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. (Malachi
3:1)
From this verse it is apparent that John came onto the scene to bring in, not just the earthly
ministry of Jesus, but what is called the Second Coming as well. The imagery of the refining
fire, a theme picked up by John in Matthew 3, is present in this chapter. It would be through
the fires of judgement that Israel would be made pure. The sons of Levi would be purified, and
pure offerings would be made to the Lord (Malachi 3:3). This is a prophecy of the
establishment of the New Covenant priesthood that would offer up spiritual sacrifices to the
Lord (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:5). Like with Isaiah 40, this passage is quoted often in the New
Testament:
17 Many of these verses were found using the Logos tool “The New Testament’s Use of the
Old Testament”. For a scholarly study of Isaiah 40’s use in the New Testament, see Beale
and Carson’s book Commentary on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament (Baker
Academic, 2007). The Scripture index in the back of the book will point one to every page
that discusses Isaiah 40. They reference it around 289 times according to my count.
–22–
Malachi 3 and the New Testament
Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:3, 10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:17, 76;
Luke 7:19, 27; John 3:28
Malachi 3:2 Revelation 6:17
Malachi 3:3 1 Peter 1:7
Malachi 3:5 Luke 3:11-15
Malachi 3:7 Luke 3:10; James 4:8
Malachi 3:17 1 Peter 2:9 Figure 8
Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great
and terrible day of the LORD. 6 “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their
children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and
smite the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6)
Again, the context of John’s ministry is not just the preaching and teaching of Jesus; instead,
it is the entire last days of Israel which end in a fiery day of destruction and judgement. Imagery
from this chapter and the previous one is picked up by John the Baptist, Jesus, and John the
Revelator in the New Testament. John’s purpose was to restore the children of Israel so that
the remnant of them would be spared. While not as extensive, this chapter is utilized in the
New Testament as well:
Malachi 4 and the New Testament
Malachi 4:2 Luke 1:78
Malachi 4:5 Matthew 11:14
Malachi 4:5-6 Matthew 17:10-11; Mark 9:11-12; Luke 1:17 Figure 9
This passage does carry with it a minor difficulty: how could John the Baptist be considered
Elijah? The answer to this is quite simple: much like Jesus is often called David in prophecy,
John the Baptist is referred to Elijah. This simply means that John came in the spirit of Elijah
like Jesus came in the spirit or manner of David. According to several Jewish scholars, Elijah
may have been from the tribe of Levi.18 The evidence for this is that Elijah offered up sacrifices
to God in opposition the prophets of Baal. This would mean that John the Baptist came from
the same tribe (Luke 1:5). Thus, John, like Jesus, came from the same tribe of their shadow.
The difficulty, however, does not come from the question of type and shadow, but it arises
from an answer that John gave to a perplexing question in the gospel of John:
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but
confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you
Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered,
“No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to
those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am A VOICE OF
18 http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5634-elijah
–23–
ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as
Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:19-23)
John here claims to say that he is both Elijah and not Elijah. The answer to this difficulty comes
through understanding the background of these Jews who approached John. Some believed,
for instance, that Jesus may have been a resurrected prophet:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His
disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some
say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the
prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14)
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his
servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why
miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Matthew 14:1-2)
Thus, in John 1, John the Baptist is clarifying that he is not literally Elijah, but he is the
fulfillment of the type of Elijah and the prophecies concerning the messenger. The apostles
were even confused about this issue, but Jesus clears up all confusion:
And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come
first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but
did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their
hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John
the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13)
John the Baptist and Restoration of Israel While a study on the comparisons between John’s ministry and the teachings after him
would be profitable, much of that has been covered in the preceding introductions. I’ll turn my
attention now to the relationship between John and the Restoration of Israel. At the end of the
previous section, Jesus is asked a question about Elijah. In his response, he says that the scribes
said that Elijah would come first to restore all things. The Greek word for restore is
apokathistēmi. It is the verb form of the Greek word apokatastasis that is used in Acts 3:21:
“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did
also. 18 “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the
prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 “Therefore repent
and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing
may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the
Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of
restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets
from ancient time. 22 “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A
PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to
everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that
prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 “And likewise, all
the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also
announced these days. 25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the
–24–
covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR
SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ 26 “For you first, God
raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from
your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:17-26)
As already pointed out, the relationship between the day of the Lord and the ministry of John
the Baptist is crucial to understanding the last things. This passage demonstrates that from a
different perspective. This “period of restoration of all things” was initiated by John the Baptist
according to Jesus. In fact, the restoration had reference to the restoration of the kingdom of
God (Acts 1:6).
John the Baptist’s role in the restoration of Israel, is seen in Malachi 4:5-6:
Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great
and terrible day of the LORD. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their
children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and
smite the land with a curse.
In the LXX, the word for restore is apokathistēmi, so Jesus is drawing from this text when He
refers to the restoration of all things.
Here’s a question: if Jesus would come at the end of the restoration of all things and the
Jews were to turn back to the Law during this time, would the Law continue until the coming
of the Lord? The answer is given in Hebrews 9:8-10:
The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been
disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the
present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make
the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and
various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
(Hebrews 9:8-9)
The word reformation here comes from the Greek word diorthōsis – a synonym of
apokatastasis.19 Thus, the Old Covenant system would be intact until (1) the temple would fall
and (2) the time of reformation was complete at the coming of Christ (Hebrews 10:9). The
restoration of Israel is bound up in the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the establishment
of the New Covenant as seen in earlier introductions.20
The ministry of John the Baptist, therefore, is important for multiple reasons: (1) it helps
establish when the day of the Lord would be, (2) it sets a precedent for language used to
describe that judgement, (3) it sets the stage for the restoration of Israel, and (4) it gives one a
better overall understanding of the last days.
19 See Don K. Preston’s article here for more information:
https://donkpreston.com/responding-to-the-critics-a-response-to-william-vincents-until-
article-1/ 20 The passing away of the Old Cogenant is also related to resurrection (see 2 Corinthians 3).
–25–
Revelation Chapter 1
The Book of Revelation is often seen as one of the most complicated books of the Bible,
but the difficulty can be minimized if the concepts found within the introduction can be
understood. There are times within this study that full answers to some of the symbols will not
be given, but if one understands the timing of the book, then the specific identity of some of
the symbolism is not going to change the overall theme of the book. An example of this is
given in verse 4 of this chapter.
Introduction (Revelation 1:1-3)
Revelation 1:1-2
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”
The Book of Revelation is about a single revealing. While some view the book as shrouded
in mystery, its original purpose was to reveal – not to conceal. The object of this revealing is
Jesus. He is revealed in the book as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This revealing is
something that takes place at what is popularly called His Second Coming when “every eye”
would see Him and “all flesh” would see His glory (Revelation 1:7; Isaiah 40:5), and when the
“former things” would pass away and He would make “all things new”(Revelation 21:4-5;
Isaiah 42:9).
The word Revelation is a translation of the Greek word apokalypsis. It is the background
for the English word Apocalypse much like baptizō is translated baptize. The word apokalypsis
is a noun, and it is used eighteen times in the New Testament.21 Apokalyptō is the verb form of
this same word. It is used twenty-six times in the New Testament.22
“…which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take
place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who
testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he
saw.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is something that was given to Him by God. He, in turn,
gave to John through an angel. John’s mention of God is not to be taken lightly. He is affirming
that His message comes from the highest authority. The antichrists could not say that the
message was meaningless because it concerned Jesus because they John cited God the Father.
The word soon comes from the Greek word τάχος. Although it is only used eight times in
the Scripture, its meaning is clear: it always means quickly or shortly.23 The word quickly does
not have reference to the velocity of the events but to the time in which they would be
21 Luke 2:23; Romans 2:5, 8:19, 16:25; 1 Corinthians 1:7, 14:6, 26; 2 Corinthians 12:1, 7;
Galatians 1:12, 2:2; Ephesians 1:17, 3:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7, 13, 4:13;
Revelation 1:1 | the bold references are specifically about the revealing at the Second
Coming of Jesus. 22 Luke 17:30; Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 1:5, 5:1 are the only relevant verses that use the verb
apokalyptō. 23 Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7, 22:18, 25:4; Romans 16:20; 1 Timothy 3:14; Revelation 1:1, 22:16
–26–
completed. 2 Timothy 3:15 renders the phrase before long. Thus, the things in the Book of
Revelation would take place soon after the book was written. Any interpretation that does not
respect these clear statements, will not be in line with the rest of the Bible.
John the Apostle is the accepted author of this book. He affirms here that the message within
the book is true, and it is one that is from God Himself. It is an accurate representation of the
things that He saw. It is interesting to note that the Book of Revelation was originally seen. It
is a good idea, before one tries to understand the book, to allow the imagery to fill one’s mind.
Then, the hyperbole will be better understood.
Revelation 1:3
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the
things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
Typically, commentators will point out one time-statement within this passage, but there
are, in fact, two. The first is the command for the original audience to take in the information
from the book, heed its message, and apply its principles. This was said because the contents
of the book had a direct application to the original audience (i.e. the seven churches of Asia).
This verse gives one an insight into how the letters were generally received. One individual
would read aloud the contents of the letter to all in the congregation. It is one who reads and
those who hear. Unlike today, not everyone had a copy of these letters. Instead, they relied
upon the public reading of the Scripture. It is, therefore, a good idea to listen to the Book of
Revelation, and any book of the Bible, to be read aloud.
The second time statement is more obvious, and it is the phrase for the time is near.
Literally, this could be rendered for the appointed time is near. In fact, Peter, writing possibly
after the Book of Revelation was completed, said “For it is the appointed time for judgement
to being…” (1 Peter 4:17; cf. 1 Peter 4:5-7).24 This appointed time was near when Revelation
was written. Engys is the word translated is near in Revelation 1:3. It is used thirty-one times
in the New Testament.25 It can mean near in time or space. Just as Jesus was near His death at
the time of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:18), the events foretold in the Book of Revelation
were near to being fulfilled. Thus, the audience of the book would need to take heed to it
warnings so that they would not face the judgement.
Message to the Seven Churches (Revelation 1:4-8)
Revelation 1:4
“John to the seven churches that are in Asia…”
The primary audience of the Book of Revelation is a group of congregations in Asia. The
number seven is not a coincidence. It is a number found throughout the Scripture, and it calls
24 Peter makes a reference to Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13. Either (1) Peter had read the
Revelation or (2) the term Babylon was already a common reference to Jerusalem among the
church. Peter was an elder at the church in Jerusalem (1 Peter 5:1; cf. Acts 15) 25 Matthew 24:32-33, 26:18; Philippians 4:5; Hebrews 8:13.
–27–
back to the original seven days of Creation.26 So, while the seven churches of Asia are the
named audience, they also stand for the whole church. In fact, there is a chiastic layout to the
seven churches that will be explored later, and this layout reveals information about the themes
within the Revelation. In other words, there is more to the seven churches of Asia than meets
the eye.
“…Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come…”
John offers a typical greeting found among the other authors of the Bible and one that was
characteristic of the day. The description of God could be a reference to the soon-to-come
judgement, or it simply could be a reference to the eternal nature of God such as in the I AM
statements in the Exodus account. I lean towards the latter.
“…and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne…”
The reference to the seven Spirits is the first part of Revelation that causes deserved speculation.
Up to this point, the book has been relatively straight forward. The number seven, as it is used
throughout the Revelation, refers to the completeness of these Spirits, but it may also be a reference
to seven specific spirits. Isaiah 11 contains the following list: The Spirit of the Lord, spirit of
wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear (Isaiah 11:2-3). While Revelation
1:4 may not be a reference to this passage, it is worthy of consideration. The symbol of seven Spirits
is used throughout the Revelation in the following verses: Revelation 3:1, 4:5, 5:6.
If this is a reference to Isaiah 11:2-3, it would not be surprising because (1) Revelation heavily
depends upon the Old Testament and (2) Isaiah 11 is a Second Exodus passage – a theme that
Revelation draws from consistently.
Revelation 1:5
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of
the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His
blood—”
The phrases Jesus Christ, firstborn of the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth, and released
us from our sins by His blood are all rooted in the Second Exodus. This is the third time that
John calls Jesus the Messiah in chapter 1. This repetition is intentional, and it reminds the
audience that Jesus is the Son of David – the anointed one. Jesus is the faithful witness in that
He (1) served as a witness to the things of the age to come and (2) served as a witness in the
case against the Harlot Babylon. Jesus being the firstborn carries a lot of weight. In saying this,
John was pointing out the relationship that Jesus has to the Binding of Isaac and to the Passover.
It is He that dies to save His nation. He is firstborn out from among the dead ones in that He
secured even their salvation through His sacrifice (Romans 11:15-16). Jesus, as David, is the
ruler of the kings of the earth – not the emperor. It is He who reigns supreme by virtue of His
resurrection (Ephesians 1:20-23). Finally, it was Jesus, as the firstborn, who served as the
perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Believers have been released – another Exodus term
– from the bondage of sin. This word lyō is used in the LXX in Isaiah 40:2:
26 There are seven days of creation (Genesis 1), seven feast days (Leviticus 23), seven signs
before Jesus’ death (John), and several sets of sevens in Revelation.
–28–
Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem; comfort her, because her humiliation has
been satisfied; her sin has been forgiven, because she has received from the hand
of the Lord double for her sins. (Isaiah 40.2)
This loosing of sins, therefore, is also related to the coming judgement of Babylon (Revelation
18:6). Of course, it is the Cross that made the forgiveness of sins possible, and it is through the
merit of the Cross even that forgiveness is obtained.
Revelation 1:6
“and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the
glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
This action of becoming citizens of the kingdom and priests to God is not one that the
Christians earned for themselves. Instead, they were made to be a kingdom and priests. It was
through the priestly action of Jesus on the Cross that made them worthy to serve in this manner.
All within the kingdom have right to the tree of life within the New Jerusalem (Revelation
22:14). This reference to being made a kingdom of priests is a reference to the Exodus account.
It was a special title that would be given to Israel if they would be faithful to God. It would
have its ultimate fulfillment in the church. Notice the following passages:
‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall
be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you
shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that
you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” (Exodus 19:5-6)
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR
God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
First, notice that the statement is conditional: “If you will indeed obey My voice and keep
My covenant…”. It was not enough to simply be born into the lineage of Abraham, but one
would have to be fully immersed in service to God in order to fully reap the benefits of the
covenant.
Second, there is mention of Israel being God’s own possession. In the first Exodus, it was
the blood of the Passover lamb that secured their redemption and allowed them to leave Egypt.
In the New Testament, Jesus is the Passover lamb, and it is through the merit of the Cross that
salvation is secured for all that call upon His name. It is His blood that purchased the church
(Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:13-14).
Third, they had the potential to be a royal priesthood. Paul, in the letter to the Hebrews,
expounds upon this idea by comparing the New Covenant priesthood to that of Melchizedek
(Hebrews 7). Under the Law, only the sons of Levi served as priests officially, but under the
New Covenant, everyone in the covenant community has the privilege of serving as priests
(Romans 12:1-2).
Finally, Israel was a holy nation. Though the whole earth belonged to God, the covenant
community stands apart has holy and sanctified. This is not to remove them from among the
–29–
nations, but instead they serve in a evangelistic role of spreading the good news concerning the
kingdom of God and the excellencies of Him.
Revelation 1:7
“BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS…”
Before I continue, notice the correlation between Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:3027:
Revelation 1:7 Matthew 24:30
Behold, He is coming with the clouds the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the
sky
And every eye will see Him, even those
who pierced Him
And they will see
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn
over Him
And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn
Figure 10
Both passages speak of the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds, all the tribes of the
earth seeing Him come, and then all the tribes of the earth wailing because of Him. Revelation
1:7 and Matthew 24:30, therefore, refer to the same coming at the same judgement. While
Revelation contains several time statements about things being at hand, Matthew 24 adds to
the discussion in verse 34: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all
these things take place.” Regardless, then, of what we may say about Revelation 1:7, it must
fit within the timeframe established by Jesus and John.
Now, it must be first noticed that the NASB capitalizes the first part of this verse. This indicates
that it is a citation of an Old Testament passage. The center column reference of the NASB, as well
as multiple commentaries and resources, point to Daniel 7:13 as the quoted text:
“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One
like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was
presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom
is one Which will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)
This reference, then, to Jesus coming on the clouds has to do with Him receiving the eternal
kingdom. In Daniel, another chapter with a similar layout to Daniel 7 gives a full discussion of
this as well. Daniel 2, like 7, outlines four major world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persian,
Greece, and Rome. It also depicts a relationship between Rome and a clay empire: Jerusalem.
In chapter 7, this relationship is represented by a little horn. Without going into the details, the
coming of the Son of Man on the clouds is limited to the time when Rome and Jerusalem had
27 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the
earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with
power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30)
–30–
some sort of relationship. In the Book of Revelation, this relationship is symbolized by a harlot
riding a beast.
Combined with the time statements in Revelation and the generation passage in Matthew
24, this additional evidence demonstrates that the Revelation was about to be fulfilled in the
first century.
All this information is worthwhile, but it mainly deals with the timing of fulfillment and
not the nature of its fulfillment. The imagery of Jesus coming on the clouds is often taken
literally. Christians picture a time looming in our future when trumpets will sound, bodies rise
from their graves, and Jesus can be seen floating among the clouds in a physical body.28 Is this
what the author intended?
First, the book is titled The Revelation of Jesus Christ. When one thinks about what these
words mean, then the meaning behind verse seven is unveiled. The entire book is about who
Jesus really is and how He would be revealed in judgement. In John 17, just before His death,
Jesus prayed, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had
with You before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus was instrumental in the creation (John
1:1ff). It was by Him and through Him that all that was made. Jesus is asking in John 17 to
take on that form once more: not the form of a servant, but the form of God. Jesus said in John
8, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true,
for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come
from or where I am going” (John 8:14). So, the Revelation is about offering a final proof about
who Jesus truly is.
In Matthew 16:27, Jesus explained, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of
His Father with His angels…” This glory that Jesus was asking to be restored to the glory of
His Father – the glory that He had in the beginning as the Creator. It was this glory that was
about to be revealed. In the Old Testament, clouds were used to represent the glory and majesty
of God. In the Exodus account, a cloud led them throughout the day. When the tabernacle and
both temples were consecrated, a cloud filled the sanctuary. References to the clouds are made
in judgement passages such as Isaiah 19:1. Thus, when the Scripture says that the Son of Man
would come in the clouds, it is not speaking of actual clouds, but it is saying that Jesus would
come in full manifestation of His glory. It says more about who Jesus is instead of His mode
of transportation. To put it shortly, to say that Jesus would come on the clouds is to say that Jesus
is coming as God in judgement.
“…and every eye will see Him…”
In Matthew 24:30, all the tribes of the earth would mourn, and all these same tribes would
see the Son of Man coming on the clouds. Whatever one may wish to say about Revelation
1:7, must be applied to Matthew 24:30. Again, Matthew 24:30 is swiftly followed by the
assurance that those things would come to pass within that generation (Matthew 24:34). John
the Baptist, who is covered fully in Introduction D, is known in Old Testament prophecy as the
28 As a side note, if “every eye will see Him” physically as it is often taught, and the earth is
round, as has been scientifically proven, then how will literally every single person see Jesus
when He comes? The biblical answer to this question will be seen in the following sections.
–31–
voice crying in the wilderness and as Elijah. John the Baptist came preaching that the axe was
already laid to the root of the tree and the winnowing fork (the tool used in the last stage of the
harvest) was in the Lord’s hand. In other words, the one whom he came before was coming
swiftly in judgement. In Isaiah 40, a passage about John and the days following him, the
scripture says that it would be the time that all flesh would see the glory of the Lord (Isaiah
40:5). In the fall of Jerusalem, Christ’s glory would be manifested, and those that rejected Him
would be destroyed.
“…even those who pierced Him…”
It is commonly asserted that it was the Roman soldiers of John 19 that pierced Jesus, but
there are several problems with this interpretation: (1) Revelation 1:7 indicates that there were
multiple people who pierced Jesus, but John 19:34 says “one of the soldiers”, (2) the context
of Zechariah 12:10 shows that it was the Jews who were guilty of the piercing of Jesus, and (3)
Peter charged the Jews with the murder of Jesus several times in the Book of Acts.
This part of Revelation 1:7 is a reference to Zechariah 12:10:
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have
pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they
will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
The pronoun ‘they’ refers to those who inhabited Jerusalem. It was the Jews who pierced Jesus
in this passage – not one Roman soldier.
Furthermore, in the Book of Acts, Peter says that the Jews used the hands of lawless men
to put Jesus on the Cross:
Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by
God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in
your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the
predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands
of godless men and put Him to death. (Acts 2:22-23)
Though it was the Romans who physically put Jesus on the Cross, they were simply a tool in
the hands of the Jews. It was Jesus’ own people who rejected Him and had Him put on the
Cross. It was their actions that caused Him to be pierced. Thus, the reference in Revelation 1:7
is not to the lawless Roman soldiers, but to the people who shouted, “His blood shall be on us
and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).
“…and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”
The phrase ‘and all the tribes of the earth will mourn’ is identical to the one found in
Matthew 24:30. This is further evidence of the correlation between Revelation and the Olivet
Discourse. In fact, as has been suggested, the Book of Revelation serves as John’s Olivet
Discourse. These tribes have been identified in the previous verse as the tribes of Israel. The
word ‘earth’, as is the case throughout the Revelation, could be better translated ‘land’ as in
the promised land.
–32–
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is
to come, the Almighty.”
Alpha and Omega serve as the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. This would be
comparable to saying, “I am the A and the Z.” Jesus calls Himself the “first and the last”
elsewhere in Revelation (e.g. Revelation 1:17). In speaking of the providence of God, Isaiah
called Him the first and the last in Isaiah 41:3. This reference, and the one that follows it, prove
that Jesus thought Himself to be more than man: He is to be recognized as God in the flesh.
As was pointed out in Revelation 1:4, Jesus is identifying Himself as the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. It is comparable to the I AM statements of Jesus in the Exodus account. Jesus
was not just a good man or a prophet. He was the manifestation of the Godhead in human form.
The First Vision (Revelation 1:9-20)
Revelation 1:9
“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation…”
This is the third time that John identifies himself in this book despite never identifying
himself in the gospel or in the general epistles. This has led to some discussion as to which
John authored this book and who authored the other four books ascribed to John. I’ll simply
focus on meaning and not authorship in this lesson.
John identifies himself as their brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation. He is their
brother due to their shared relationship with Jesus. While it is true that the term brother can be
used to refer to fellow countryman, such as in Acts 22:1, it is used in the New Testament to
refer to fellow Christians (Acts 1:15).
The reference to the tribulation is particularly interesting. For John, the eschatological
suffering of the saints has already begun. This is coupled with two other end-times themes: the
kingdom and perseverance. Thus, this is not everyday suffering, but it refers to the specific
period of tribulation prophesied about by Jesus and other apostles (Matthew 24:9, 21, 29; 1
Peter 1:6). Thus, John’s promise that the events that are in Revelation were about to be fulfilled
is proven by the existence of the very tribulation that they would be saved from at the coming
of Christ.
“…and kingdom…”
The kingdom of God is spoken of in three ways in the New Testament: past, present, and
future. In verses, such as this one, the kingdom is spoken of as if it is already being occupied
by the saints. In Hebrews 12:28, the saints are said to be in the process of receiving the
kingdom. Paul affirms in Acts 14:22 that the saints had yet to enter the kingdom. There is no
contradiction in these passages. Instead, they speak to the infancy and growth of the kingdom
of God in the first century. This is modeled after the first exodus in which the Old Covenant
community were freed from Egypt as they passed through the Red Sea but did not inhabit their
land for forty years. This way of speaking of New Covenant blessings, which is commonly
referred to as the already but not yet, is used about almost every blessing under the kingdom.
–33–
“…and perseverance which are in Jesus…”
The word perseverance is used 32 times in the New Testament. In most times, it is used
within an eschatological context. In the King James Version, it is translated patient waiting (1
Thessalonians 3:5). The word, therefore, carries with it the idea of waiting patiently, especially
in difficult times, for the coming of the Lord. If the coming of the Lord was expected to be a
far-off event, then there would be no reason for steadfastness or perseverance.
This word is used in the Olivet Discourse to encourage the disciples to endure the tribulation
(Luke 21:19). Paul uses it six times in Romans to comment on the present tribulation in view
of the coming life and glory (Romans 2:7; 5:3, 4; 8:25; 15:4, 5). It is used in his letters to the
Corinthians concerning the soon-to-come Christ (2 Corinthians 1:6). It’s used elsewhere in his
epistles to speak of hope and patience (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; Hebrews
10:36). Patient-waiting is also considered one of the virtues of mature Christians (2 Timothy
3:10; 2 Peter 1:6).
“…was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus.”
John was on the island called Patmos. No indication was made that this is where he was
when he recorded the events of the Revelation. He simply saw the vision there and then wrote
it later. It could be that he wrote these things write after seeing the vision, or it could be that it
was several years. One thing is for sure, he was no longer on the island at the time this book
was written.
The scripture says that he was there because (dia) the word of God. The Greek word dia is
used in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 to discuss the saints that had been martyred because of their faith
in Christ, so the possibility of John being exiled to Patmos as a form of punishment is entirely
possible. The truth is that the Scripture does not give us any information on the subject than
what is found in this verse. All one can tell is that John was on the island for an undefined
amount of time for an undisclosed reason.
It is interesting to note that John was outside of Judea. Patmos is a small island just
Southwest of Ephesus. This demonstrates that other apostles besides Paul were not bound to
Jerusalem, but they took the liberty of spreading the gospel and watering churches around the
known world.