Paul Gibson Hardinsburg Baptist Church What is an apocalyptic text What is an Apocalyptic Text An apocalyptic text consists of a revelation communicated by a nonearthly being to an earthly person with the purpose of God proclaiming his intervention in human history ID: 583410
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Slide1
Revelation Chapters 1-8 Review
Paul Gibson
Hardinsburg Baptist ChurchSlide2
What is an apocalyptic text? Slide3
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 history
P. Gibson, 2005Slide4
What’s in An Apocalyptic Text?
Lots of symbols and symbolismSlide5
Why Use symbols? Slide6
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.
Slide7
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?”Slide8
Four Views on Revelation
Preterist—already happened
Idealist—symbolic ongoing struggle
Progressive Dispensationalist—already, but not yet
Dispensationalist/Futurist—events will happen at the end of timeSlide9
Background/Introduction to Revelation (V:1-3)
Date
: A.D. 95* (Domitian was ruler of Rome)
Author
: John the Apostle (Rev 1:1; 1:9)
Audience
: “His servants” (V:1); The Seven Churches in Asia Minor (Rev. 1:4); To all churches* (Number 7=Perfection)
Purpose
: “To show his servants what soon must take place” (Rev. 1:1)
*Patterson
, Paige.
The New American Commentary
. Nashville, TN: B & H Group, 2012. Print.Slide10
Symbolic Numbers Summarized
One—unity or independent existence
Two—strength or confirmation
Three—divinity
Four—world
Five—humanity (X2 or 10—human completeness)
Seven—Completeness or perfection
Hybrid of Patterson, Summers, and GibsonSlide11
Initial Vision (V:9-20)
“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…” (v:9)
Suffering was experienced by the first church
John had been exiled due to his faith in ChristSlide12
Stars and Swords—Rev. 1:16
16
In his right hand he held
seven stars
, and coming out of his mouth was
a sharp, double-edged sword
. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance
.
Seven stars=Seven angels or messengers v:20
Sharp, double edged sword=Hebrews 4.12Slide13
The Outline of the Book of Revelation
19
“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later
.
What you have seen (Rev. 1)
What is now (Rev. 2-3)
What will take place later (Rev. 4-22)Slide14
The Letter Structure of Revelation 2-3
Christ-Centered Introduction
Praise
Criticism
Warning
PromiseSlide15
Overview of 7 Churches
Praise and Criticism
Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis
Praise
Smyrna, Philadelphia
Criticism
Laodicea
(Pate)Slide16
Overview of 7 Churches
Why these specific 7 churches?
“If we draw a line on the map through the seven cities in the order in which they are named, we find that we have followed a roughly circular route through what were doubtless the most important parts of the province of Asia.” (Pate, pg. 102)
GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
(Pate)Slide17
Overview of 7 Churches
Remember
: The number 7 represents completion, perfection, or wholeness.
Therefore, these letters were not only written to the 7 churches of Asia Minor, but to the COMPLETE church throughout history
(Pate)Slide18
Overview of 7 Churches
“Thus exposed and excommunicated Jewish Christians were no longer perceived by the Roman government as under the umbrella of Judaism and, therefore, faced the cruel dilemma of either forsaking Christ (if they were to be readmitted to the synagogue) or worshipping Caesar.” (Pate, pg. 141)
Jews received an exemption from Caesar worship
(Pate)Slide19
Layout of Revelation 4-22
A Heavenly Scene (4:1-5:14)
The 7 Seal Judgments (6:1-8:1)
The 7 Trumpet Judgments (8:2-11:19)
An Interpretive Interlude (12:1-14:20)
The 7 Bowls of Wrath (15:1-16:21)
The Judgment of Apostate Religion (17:1-18)Slide20
Layout of Revelation 4-22
The Judgment of Great Babylon (18:1-24)
The Return of Christ (19:1-21)
The Millennial Age (20:1-10)
The Judgment of the Great White Throne (20:11-15)
The Heavenly Kingdom (21:1-22:6)
(Patterson, Loc. 3820)Slide21
"Come up here, and I will show you
what must take place after this
."
When is the “this?”--Preterist, Idealist, Progressive Dispensationalist, Classic Dispensationalist
The end of the church era?
“The word church, so prominent in chapters 2 and 3, does not occur again until 22:16…” (Patterson, Loc. 3872)Slide22
The Twenty-Four Elders
Men
Representatives of Israel
Representatives of the church
Representatives of both Israel and the church
Angels
Representatives of Old Testament priestly order
Faithful of all ages
College of angelsSlide23
4
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside
.
Why was John sad?
Have you ever experienced intense sadness or frustration about a story you felt finished unresolved? Slide24
5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep!
See, the
Lion of
the tribe of Judah
,
the Root of David
, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals
.”
“The
Lion was the symbol for the tribe of Judah and is usually reckoned in diverse cultures to be the “king of the beasts,” an emblem of strength, majesty, courage, and intellectual excellence
.” (Patterson, Loc. 4258)Slide25
The Scandal of the Lion/Lamb
“The great trouble with Judaism was that it looked for a mighty lion; and was scandalized to behold, instead, a little lamb.” (Pate, pg. 50)
“The victory won by the lion is accomplished through the sacrifice of the lamb.” (Wright, pg. 54)Slide26
The Tribulation
Posttribulationists
see the Church continuing on earth to the end of the tribulation when the rapture occurs.
Midtribulationalists
look for the Church to survive the first half of the tribulation when the rapture takes place.
Pretribulationalists
anticipate the rapture prior to the tribulation so that the people of God on earth are members of the
restored
Jewish nation.
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible Slide27
If the Great Tribulation were to still occur…
Will the church be raptured after the Great Tribulation? (Post-Tribulation)
Will the church be raptured in the middle of the Great Tribulation? (Mid-Tribulation)
Will the church be raptured before the Tribulation? (Pre-Tribulation)Slide28
What is the Rapture?
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words
. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (ESV)Slide29
Rapture & The Great Tribulation
If post-tribulation, then Revelation 6-19 occurs while the church is still on the earth.
If mid-tribulation, then the church is raptured half-way through Revelation 6-19.
If pre-tribulation, then the church is raptured before Revelation 6-19.Slide30
Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseSlide31
Classic Dispensationalist ViewSlide32
The Six Seals
White Horse—Conqueror
Red Horse—Violence
Black Horse—Famine
Pale Horse—Death and Hades
“The souls of those who had been slain”—v. 9
Great and terrible day of the Lord—v.12Slide33
Mid-Trib and Post-Trib Support
They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”…
They were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been
. V. 10-11b
Some persecution occurred and is prophesied to still occur after this scene. Therefore, saints will experience at least some of the Great Tribulation. Slide34
Why were they persecuted?
“The souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.” V.9b
Christians were not popular in 1
st
Century Palestine (preterist), have always struggled to fit in (idealist, progressive dispensationlist), and will always struggle to be accepted (classical dispensationalist)Slide35
The great day of his wrath has come…
See Matthew 25
Preterist—Roman invasion of Jerusalem; AD 67-70
Progressive Dispensationalist—Roman invasion and future judgment
Classic Dispensationalist—Future judgmentSlide36
What about the 144,000?
Why is the number 12 significant?
What could be the mathematical significance of 12 X 12,000, especially when the 12 tribes of Israel are involved?Slide37
The Great and Terrible Day..
Was/will be only terrible for those who have opposed the King of kings and Lord of lords
Was/will be great for those who long for the right restoration of God’s rule on earth Slide38
Seven Trumpet Passage Structure
Revelation 8:1-5—Prayers of God’s People
Revelation 8:6-11:14—Trumpets 1-6
Revelation 11:15-19—Seventh TrumpetSlide39
Seven Trumpet Overview
Hail and fire mixed with blood hurled onto the earth
Huge mountain, all ablaze thrown into the sea
Great star feel from the sky on the rivers and waters
Darkness strikes the sun, moon, and starsSlide40
Seven Trumpet Overview
5. A
start with a key to the abyss
6. A
voice releasing four
angels
7.
God’s Kingdom on earthSlide41
Exodus & Revelation
People cry out
Announcement of judgment on people/creation
God’s judgment on people/creation
Deliverance of God’s peopleSlide42
What are you feeling or thinking at the end of today’s study?