Paul Gibson Hardinsburg Baptist Church Revelation Bible Study 1 Bible Study Rules No question is too dumb to ask Please engage you will get out of this class what you put into it Please do not expect me to know everything ID: 525986
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Interpreting Apocalyptic Texts" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Interpreting Apocalyptic Texts
Paul GibsonHardinsburg Baptist ChurchRevelation Bible Study #1Slide2
Bible Study Rules
No question is too dumb to askPlease engage (you will get out of this class what you put into it)Please do not expect me to know everythingRevelation (N.T. Wright Bible Study for Everyone Guide)Slide3
BIG QUESTIONS
How will the world end?What really is going on in the book of Revelation? Who is the antichrist? Slide4
Making an effort to answer these questions first requires that we understand what is and how to interpret
apocalyptic textsSlide5
What is an apocalyptic text? Slide6
http://www.puzzles-to-print.com/word-scrambles/fall-word-scramble.shtmlSlide7
What is an Apocalyptic Text?
A group of writings that include divine revelation, usually through a heavenly intermediary, to some well-known figure, in which God promises to intervene in human history and overthrow evil empires and establish his kingdom.
See J. Daniel Hays and J. Scott Duvall.
Grasping God's Word
. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005, 287. Their definition was taken from the NICNT by Robert
Mounce
and his words on
The Book of Revelation
(Grands Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 1.Slide8
What is an Apocalyptic Text?
An apocalyptic text consists of a revelation communicated by a non-earthly being to an earthly person with the purpose of God proclaiming his intervention in human historyP. Gibson, 2005Slide9
Imdb.com
Apocalyptic TextSlide10
What is an Apocalyptic Text?
An apocalyptic text consists of a revelation communicated by a non-earthly being to an earthly person with the purpose of God proclaiming his intervention in human historyP. Gibson, 2005Slide11
What’s in An Apocalyptic Text? Slide12
What’s in an Apocalyptic Text?
Daniel 7.2-32 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
3
Four great beasts
, each
different from the others,
came up out of the sea
.
Revelation 13.1
The dragon
[
a
]
stood on the shore of the sea.
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea
. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.Slide13
Are these Creatures real or symbolic? Slide14
Authors Craig
Keener and Grant Osborne believe that the author of Revelation used, “symbolism” and “many symbols from the world of fantasy or myth.”
See Craig Keener and
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
. Downers Grove:
InverVarsity
Press, 1993,
pg
761. See also Grant Osborne and
The Hermeneutical Spiral
. Downers Grove:
InterVarsity
Press, 1991,
pg
224. Slide15
What’s in An Apocalyptic Text?
Lots of symbols and symbolismSlide16
What do these symbols represent?Slide17
Two Views on Apocalyptic Symbols
Dispensationalist View Robert Thomas, Masters Seminary
He believes that symbols, like the ones used in Daniel Seven and Revelation Thirteen, hint to
a specific time where things “must happen” in a literal way
.
Preterist
View
Kenneth L. Gentry,
Bahnsen
Seminary
…symbols
also point to exact actions. He differs with Thomas because he believes that
the literal actions these symbols represent have already taken place
.
Pate, C. Marvin, ed.
Four Views on the Book of Revelation
. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998. Slide18
Problems with the Two Previous Views
Dispensationalist How can a person know what exact literal action each symbol represents
?
How
are we to know when and where they are to happen?
Preterist
How can a reader know with assurance that the events in Revelation represent a specific past event? Slide19
The Use of ancient symbolsSlide20
Why Use Symbols?
William Blake, “Death on a Pale Horse.”
http://
www.jesuswalk.com
/revelation/revelation-
art.htmSlide21
Understanding the Original Audience
It is estimated that the book of Daniel was written between 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. While the exact date of Daniel’s authorship is debated,
the general time frame is expected to be around Israel’s captivity in Babylon
.
See John Walton, Victor Matthews, and Mark
Chavalas
.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
(Downers Grove:
InverVarsity
Press, 2000) and their insight on Daniel.Slide22
Understanding the Original Audience
Regarding Revelation, we know that it was written by the Apostle John on the isle of Patmos around A.D. 90. Christians were, at the time,
facing serious persecution from the Roman government.
Keener, 759 and Kenneth Barker, and John
Kohlenberger
III.
The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary: Volume 2: New Testament
. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, 1128.Slide23
Understanding the Original Audience
One of the reasons that Daniel and John used symbols was because their audiences had familiarity with the symbols
.
A second reason Daniel and John used symbols was to be purposely cryptic or secretive about their messages (think word scramble)Slide24
http://www.puzzles-to-print.com/word-scrambles/fall-word-scramble.shtmlSlide25
Ancient Symbolism
Daniel’s use of the words “great sea” or “out of the sea” was also connected to Babylonian literature where the churning of the sea often represented the stirring up of cosmic powers.
IVP Bible Background Commentary: OT, 740 and Beasley-Murray’s, “Interpretation of Daniel.” Slide26
Ancient Symbolism
Regarding Revelation, many of John’s symbols are traced back to the book of Daniel and other Old Testament books. Which means, that we cannot understand the book of Revelation unless we understand Daniel
See G.K. Beale’s "The Influence of Daniel Upon the Structure and Theology of John's Apocalypse."
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
27.4 (1984): 413-423.Slide27
Why Use symbols? Slide28
Why Use Symbols?
RevelationJohn was writing to the seven churches in Asia Minor because they were suffering persecution and possibly heresy within the church.
Revelation 2.4; 2.10
Daniel
Daniel was writing to an audience in captivity in a strange land.
Daniel 1.1
The NIV Bible Commentary: NT, 1125; The IVP Background Bible Commentary: NT, 761-762; and William
Hendriksens
’
More than Conquerors
. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967.
Elwell
, Walter, and Philip Comfort, ed.
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2001, 353.Slide29
Why Use Symbols?
The symbols used by these men gave their audiences hope in the midst of these tumultuous times because they represented a Godly truth. Slide30
Why Use Symbols?
Revelation 13 & 14Beasts coming to power
The Lamb standing on Mount Zion has the power to judge and bring justice to the beasts
The mythical beasts here represent the persecution by Satan and the Lamb represents Jesus Christ.
Daniel 7
Four beasts rising out of the sea
Ancient of Days
T
he
symbolism used in Daniel Seven represents to the Jewish people, in the middle of exile, that their Yahweh is in control and will one day crush the powers that persecute God’s people.
IVP Bible Background Commentary: NT, 796-800 and NIV Bible Commentary: NT, 1193-1196. See John 1:2, 1:36, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-8. Slide31
What does all this mean For us? Slide32
What Does All This Mean For Us?
Apocalyptic symbols possibly do point to literal events that will take place in historyApocalyptic texts are more beneficial to us when we focus on their theological truthsFocus on finding the theological truths before looking for literal applicationsSlide33
As We Start Our Study on Revelation…
Ask, “What is the theological truth behind this passage?”“What was God trying to communicate to his original audience?”“What is God trying to communicate to me through this passage?”Slide34
Final Thought
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2.15