SERMON: "New Testament Overview, Part 11: Revelation"

New Testament Overview
Part 11: Revelation

• I. Introduction
• Last time, we talked a bit about various end-times approaches, and then gave a general overview from a dispensationalist perspective.
• We also talked a bit about the importance of reading the Bible with a grammatical-historical hermeneutic
• This session: Revelation
• This is a prophetic book, but it is also hopeful.
• Written by the Apostle John, under the authority of Jesus (v. 1)
• It promises a blessing to the reader (v. 3)
• It provides hope for the persecuted — our redemption draws nigh!
• A perfect bookend for the Bible!
• It is “the Word of God” (v. 2)
• Citation heavy:
• Contains more references to the OT than any other NT book.  
• For instance, Matthew has 92, and Hebrews has 102
• Revelation has 278 clear allusions to the Old Testament in its 404 verses.
• Yet, before we can read it, we have to figure out how to approach it.
• Outline for this evening:
• First, how do we interpret this book?
• Second, what happens in this book?
• II. First, How Do We Interpret This Book?
• The term “soon” in Revelation 1:1 — Did John expect these things to immediately take place?
• Wooden-literalism?  In Ch. 13, will an actual seven-headed, ten-horned beast rise from the sea, or is this a person?
• As the KJV translates v. 1, “He sent and signified it,” so there are some signs and pictures.
• There are generally four approaches to this book:
• Idealist
• Preterist
• Historicist
• Futurist
• Those are… words……but you’ve probably employed or seen one or more of these methods
• Three of these are roughly allegorical in their approach
• Idealist View
• Allegorical for the battle between good and evil
• Historical origins
• 3rd/4th centuries in Alexandria, popularized by Augustine
• No literal millennial reign of Christ
• Doesn’t align with a historical-grammatical hermeneutic
• Preterist View
• Allegorizes, but says these represent actual rather than spiritual realities.
• Past fulfillment — Most (partial), if not all (full — heresy), events fulfilled in ad 70
• Challenges with dating of authorship
• John would have written before destruction, perhaps in ad 66.
• The opinion of early church fathers: written in the 90’s on Patmos (Clement of Alexandria & Eusebius, cf. Irenaeus & Victorinus).  Most conservative scholarship date John’s exile to ad 96.
• Historicist View
• Similar allegorization to preterism, but of present realities
• May be all of church history until return of Christ
• View emerged in the Medieval church
• It likened the Muslim hoards to the armies of the antichrist 
• Reformers later equated the Pope with the antichrist
• (Neither designation is inaccurate) 
• Historical application throughout church history
• Is Revelation 20 descriptive of our current age?
• Futurist View
• More in line with the G-H hermeneutic
• Reads Revelation 4–22 as describing future events
• Various opinions of the churches in Chs. 2–3
• III. Second, What Happens In This Book?
• Overview of Revelation
• Expanded framework of Revelation (v. 19)
• “the things which you have seen” — Chapter one
• “the things which are” — the churches in Chs. 2–3
• “the things which will take place after these things” — Chs. 4–22. 
• More detail? Cf. MacArthur’s “A Jet Tour Through Revelation.” 
• Introduction to key themes and chapters
• Chapter 1 says this is written to all churches (v. 4),Jesus Christ's revelation and Second Coming (vv. 7–8).
• Chapters 2–3
• The seven churches were actual churches in history, contained actual people, the immediate audience.
• They had problems, the same ones which plague churches throughout time — this is imminently practical for us today.
• Practical implications for contemporary churches
• Again, to “churches” — “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
• Transition from church focus to future events
• Chapters 4–6
• No picture of the rapture?
• Except perhaps in 4:1–2 
• No mention of the church from here until 22:16, 19x in Chs. 1–3.
• Chapter 4 — a picture of the throne and God is mirrored by the worship of the Son (Chapter 5)
• Chapter opens with a book, a seven-sealed scroll.  Who’s worthy?
• “a Lamb standing, as if slain” (v. 6).
• He took the scroll, sparking rejoicing that mirrors that of the Father.
• Chapter 6 is the opening of the seals, introducing the Tribulation period
• Jesus opens the first four seals — the four horsemen of the apocalypse ride; false peace, war, famine, pestilence, and death (vv. 7–8).  
• With the fifth seal, martyrs appear in heaven (vv. 9–10) and continue until the last martyr (v. 11).
• Sixth seal? Absolute terror, including changes to the sun, moon, and stars.
• Chapters 7–9
• Chapter 7 is a break, describing the 144k preparing for ministry
• Then, the breaking of the 7th seal telescopes into the seven trumpets (Ch. 8). Awe-inspiring, w/ silence in heaven for ½hr
• 1st Trumpet — 1/3 of vegetation on the earth 
• 2nd Trumpet — 1/3 of sea life dies.  
• 3rd Trumpet — Fresh water sources — streams and rivers.  
• 4th Trumpet — Celestial luminaries, claiming 1/3 light from sun, etc.
• 5th Trumpet — Lucifer & his demonic hoards unleashed upon earth
• 6th Trumpet — An army of 200m killing 1/3 of surviving mankind.  
• Notice though, sadly, in 9:20–21, that the surviving rest of mankind still refuse to repent of their works.
• Chapters 10–11
• Chapter 10 — A needed respite!  An angel and a little book, which John consumes, causing him to feel bitter.  That sets the stage for the rest of the judgment.
• Chapter 11 — The second half of the tribulation announced.
• The two witnesses, preaching Christ
• They work miracles, but will be slain
• The 7th trumpet — An the announcement in v. 15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 
• Chapters 12–14
• Ch. 12 — Describes all of history
• A figure, a woman who typifies Israel
• Satan tries to stop Christ, then persecutes the woman
• Ch. 13 — Also a review, but of the Antichrist and his false prophet
• Ch. 14 — The 144k sing to the Lord as He readies Armageddon.
• Chapters 15–16
• Return to judgments, telescoping out the bowls of wrath, poured out in rapid succession.  
• 1st Bowl — on those who receive the mark; sores.  
• 2nd Bowl — on sea, and everything died.  Not some—all.  
• 3rd Bowl — on the rivers and fountains, all freshwater.  
• 4th Bowl — on sun, and it scorches men.  
• 5th Bowl — on the kingdom of the beast, resulting in total darkness.  
• 6th Bowl — on Euphrates again so the kings of the east can rise.  
• 7th Bowl — on the air; Announcement: “It is done” (v. 17), followed by inconceivable destruction.
• Chapters 17–19
• Chs. 17–18 back up a moment
• 17 — Foil for the bride of Christ, a harlot (false religion)
• 18 — Economic scenario, and everything fails
• Ch. 19 — the Lord returns in v. 11.  (Was there ever a chance for the armies gathered at Armageddon?)
• Chapters 20–22
• The arrival of the Millennial Kingdom
• Satan bound, saints are raised to life.
• The Lord reigns for 1,000 years.  
• People surviving the Tribulation & worshiping Christ will enjoy life, marry, and have children.  
• Even so, some born will grow and not love the Lord.  
• Satan loosed at the end, he’ll again deceive and sow insurrection.  
• They’ll be consumed by fire, followed by the Great White Throne. 
• Transition to the eternal state (Chs. 21–22).  New heavens, earth — the Lord will wipe all tears from their eyes!
• IV. Conclusion
• Reiteration of Revelation's imminence
• 22:10 — don’t seal the words, even though previous prophecies were sealed (Dan. 8:26; 12:4–10). The time is at hand.  
• V. 17—“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
• Application to contemporary readers — Blessing for those who hear and heed the words of the prophecy.
• Next Time: Completing Our Overview