Church history includes lives of great missionaries, the cults and things to come. Like daniel and other apocalypses, it was composed as resistance literature to meet a crisis. He has a very good section on how revelation was seenaccepted in the primitive church. The book of revelation has been available in english since the king james version was translated from the original greek in 1611.
There was the worship of asklepios, bringing sick people from far and near, and above all there were the demands of caesar worship, hanging forever like a poised sword above the heads of the christians the daily study bible, notes on revelation 2. Parts of the old testament, particularly in the book of daniel, are also written in the apocalyptic genre. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant john. And there has been much speculation about it some of it bordering on offthewall, but some of it serious and scholarly. Second, when one examines the historical discussion concerning the book of revelation in the early church both east and west, these are not the terms of the debate.
Book of revelation explained a testimony of jesus christ. While the book of revelation does speak of events yet to comesuch as the second coming of our lordit is not a book that was written primarily to reveal contemporary or coming events. The revelation is the only prophetic book of the nt and it is the keystone of the word of god. This paper was originally published on and was the best scholarship on the subject. The book of revelation is clear that, for a time, the latterday saints will have to face these conditions with courage and faith. The bible is a history book, it tells the pastbut like no other history bookit tells the present and future just as clearly. It requires some knowledge of the rest of the bible in order to appreciate it. It draws upon the language and imagery of the old testament. Delving into the history of the book of revelation in particular, however, and the arguments for and against its canonicity, reveals much about the meaning of canon when referring to biblical texts, and the processes by which various texts and authors were received by the church over time. A number of expositors down through history have held that the seven churches represent seven sequential stages of church history. The book of revelation explained takes you on a easy to understand and eyeopening journey through the book of revelation. Revelation explained part 1 jesus unveiled revelation is. Without understanding the overall context of the bible, it is impossible to understand the book of revelation.
John, who wrote the bibles book of revelation, was the longest living apostle. On the one hand the book of revelation i think needs to be taken seriously as grappling with history and with actual events, but a fundamentalist or dispensationalist reading tends to impose a. Chapters 48 cover the truths preceding the seal series and the opening of the seven seals and are explained in the book of revelation explained, volume 2. The book of revelation is perhaps the most mysterious book in sacred scripture. The book of revelation addresses seven letters to seven churches in asia minor modernday turkey revelation 23. An example from recent history will help to make this point. The book of revelation also called the revelation of john or the revelation of st.
Hinds who wrote the gospel advocate commentary on revelation held this view. Each letter, as proclaimed by jesus and recorded by john the apostle, declares the triumphs and failings of the recipient churches and warns each congregation to repent. The book itself suggests that the crisis was ruthless persecution of the early church by the roman authorities. So, the divine author of revelation is jesus christ and the human author is the apostle john. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy. Early church fathers and history early church fathers view military service early church fathers military and war palestine in the ancient world christian use of candles in worship christians and pagan influences sabbath day worship baptismal practices in the early church constantine sol invictus. Although prophecy is scattered all through the bible, two books focus almost entirely on symbolic representations. John was a christian leader of jewish origin who was in exile on the roman prison island of patmos. Many of the older brethren, and older commentaries, took this view. If you want to better understand the book of revelation and the end times. Chapter 3 beginning in johns day an unfolding of the church history which ends with the rapture. Take a look at the basic structure of the book of revelation. The following is the forward and a portion of a chapter from a forthcoming book which, in my view, falls in the latter category.
The book of revelation has been available in english since the king james. The book of revelation, although never read in the orthodox church, bears witness to the divine reality which is the churchs own very life. The full title of the book which i quote is the following. The chapters of these volumes are designated in this manner for ready reference sake. Chapters 418 future events the beginning of the sevenyear tribulation that. A series of visions, each one leading into the next. What do the seven churches in revelation stand for. The last book in the biblical canon of the new testament is the book of the apocalypse revelation, written by john toward the end of the reign of emperor domitian a. Understanding revelation waitara seventhday adventist church. And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of. The earliest writers in the church like justin martyr, irenaeus, hippolytus, tertullian, clement of alexandria and the muritorian all credit john the apostle as author of the book of revelation. Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. I discuss those chapters in detail on a separate page called.
He was told to write the things which he saw and heard. The interpretation of the book of revelation is not that of the restored church of god, or any person within it, including me. This is not johns message to the ephesian believers. To the angel or messenger of the church in ephesus. The greek name of the bible book of revelation, apoka. Revelation timeline chart revelation bible study, book of. Remember in chapter 1, there is a simple outline for revelation. Aug 15, 2015 the book of revelation is explained in a simple, understandable way in this fulllength film. No man is capable of opening a single prophecy in this book. The revelation is a very solemn book speaking much about divine judgments but it is also a.
The layout of book of the revelation is creativeusing the letters to the seven churches of revelation chapters two and three as the rubric for a study of church history. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. The book of revelation is the only book in the bible, that i know of, that has a blessing associated with it for those who will read itnot once but twice. This interpretation of the messages to the seven churches was hidden to the early church, because time was required for church history to develop and be written, so a comparison could be made to reveal the correspondence. Church history timeline representing the founding of the church in acts 2 and the subsequent splits from the true church you read. What was jesus message to the church in ephesus in revelation. The book therefore is a divinely given book, and is the revelation of jesus christ and not of john. Sep 14, 2010 david cloud, way of life literature, p. Returning the book of revelation to its historical context by joey cobble.
The book of revelation is johns record of that vision revelation 1. The book of revelation is the last book of the bible for good reason. According to this approach, much of the book deals with the apostasy of the roman catholic church, followed by the reformation and the restoration. The holy scriptures start with a revelation on the past genesis 1 and they end with a revelation on the future.
In other words it is a promise of the rapture of the church, the first such promise in the book of revelation. The book of revelation in the bible is one of the more difficult books of the bible to understand. This interpretive method robs revelation of any meaning for those to whom it was written. Book of revelation for dummies cheat sheet dummies. It fittingly has the last place ending the scriptures and gods revelation to man. Chapters 48 co ver the truths precedi ng the seal series and the opening of the seven seals and are explained in the book of revelation e xplained, volume 2. The letters to the seven churches of asia in their local setting by colin hemer more insights from your bible study get started with logos bible software for free. A testimony of jesus christ is a commentary that explains some of the mysteries of revelation. Each of the letters is related chronologically to a period of church history and theological comparisons are made. The book of revelation cannot be adequately understood except against the historical background that occasioned its writing. The apocalypse, or revelation to john, the last book of the bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. So what he is saying here is that there will be an appearing of himself for his own before he comes in power and glory, visible to the world.
This is the prevailing view among modern scholars who arent aligned with orthodox christianity. There were local churches which accepted revelation as scripture, and those which rejected it utterly, and no offer of a compromise in between. Is the book of revelation canonical in the orthodox church. The background to the book of revelation biblical thinking. Chapters 48 co ver the truths precedi ng the seal series and the opening of the seven seals and are explained in the book of revelation e xplained. This futuristic approach sees the book outlined as follows. Revelation speaks of things that are already history. The following historical events were significant to john the apostle and his audience. If youre befuddled by the book of revelation in the bible, dont fret. How accurate are the descriptions of these seven cities mentioned in the book of revelation according to archaeology and history. This name indicates the meaning of revelation it uncovers matters that had been hidden and discloses events that would happen long after it was written. Revelation with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Section 77, questions and answers on the book of revelation. The first blessing is in the first chapter of revelation in verse 3.
Interestingly, jesus used some of the characteristics of each city to spiritually evaluate its congregation and to prophesy the history of his church up to his second coming. Views revelation as a panoramic view of church history from apostolic times to the present, seeing in the symbolism such events as the barbarian invasions of rome, the rise of the roman catholic church as well as various individual popes, the emergence of islam, and the french revolution. It is the most important and valuable prophetic book in the bible. There are many things therein which the brethren did not understand, therefore the prophet inquired of the lord and received answer to his questions. John the divine is an example of apocalyptic writing a form that delivers a message using symbols, images and numbers. John indicates that he was on the island of patmos when he received the prophecy revelation 1. The book of revelation often called the revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words, the apocalypse, the revelation, or simply revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. Luther and subsequent protestants interpreted the book of revelation using the historicist method, which involves the attempt to match various elements in the book with events in church history.
Jun 17, 2018 the book of revelation explained takes you on a easy to understand and eyeopening journey through the book of revelation. The first thing to note in this letter to the ephesian church is that the message is from the lord jesus christ. The book of revelation is explained in a simple, understandable way in this fulllength film. Revelation 2 today, and an inside look at how jesus sees the church. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it. Revelation 1619 revelation 16 is the bowl plagues, which start after the 144,000 are.
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