part 16: Revelation Reboot 2
Puzzled About Revelation, Feb. 10, 2022
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”
recap
“Ten Introductory Observations in John’s Prologue (1:1-3)”
The introduction of the book of Revelation is so important because it sets the context for the entire rest of the book.
(1) all about Jesus and The Revealing of mysteries
The Book of Revelation is FIRST and most importantly ALL ABOUT JESUS and His REVEALING IN GLORY.
Revelation deals with no less than 6 Major “Mysteries” (grouped in pairs) that will be REVEALED in the last days:
i. The mystery of godliness/the Godhead (See Rom. 16:25-26; 1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:2-3, 8-10)
ii. The mystery of iniquity/Lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:7)
iii. The mystery of the Church/Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:32)
iv. The mystery of the Great Prostitute (Rev. 17:7)
v. The mystery of the Kingdom of Israel (Rom. 11:25-32)
vi. The mystery of the Beast kingdom / Mystery Babylon (Rev. 17-19)
“If we do not recover the mystery of the Gospel (of the Kingdom), the mystery of the Church, and the mystery of Israel, we’re not only living beneath the intentions of God for our lives (individually and corporately), but we’ve completely lost the plot and are living in an alternate reality (of our own making, that bears little fruit) for time and eternity.”
(2) Real events which must take place
Revelation is about the REAL HISTORICAL EVENTS which MUST take place to fulfill the plan of God.
The future is CERTAIN!
(3) the capstone of biblical prophesy
Revelation is the CAPSTONE of biblical prophecy and in CONTINUITY with all that the PROPHETS have spoken (Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, DANIEL, 12 “minor” prophets, Jesus, the Apostles, etc.)
Joel Richardson: “The Capstone of Jewish Cruciform Apocalypticism”[1]
“Jewish”: Revelation is a thoroughly Jewish, “Old Testament” book! Virtually every passage and symbol is rooted in the Tanakh—Law, Prophets, and Writings. It is also thoroughly Israel-centric and rooted in Jewish hope and expectation of the literal coming of their Messiah to restore David’s fallen kingdom and reign over it from Jerusalem. This is opposed to a Greek, spiritual/allegorical understanding of history and salvation that has crept into the church.
“Cruciform”: Everything about this present age and the final generation is to conform the people of God to the image of their Messiah in His sufferings, crucifixion, resurrection, and glorification.
“To this you were called: because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
“Apocalypticism”: Revelation is all about the final generation and the events leading up to the cataclysmic end of the age, when Jesus will come to destroy the wicked, judge the inhabitants of the earth, and set up His earthly kingdom and throne in Jerusalem.
False interpretations: Based on the opening chapter of Revelation, we can deduce/conclude that Scripture will NOT allow for the following interpretations:
A Greek, pagan worldview that embraces intellectual, allegorical/spiritualized views of the Bible, Israel, the Church, and prophecy (e.g. Amillennialism, Replacement Theology)
Christian Triumphalism (e.g. Postmillennialism, Roman Catholic)
Preterism/Historicism
Pretribulation “rapture” (“Left Behind Pop-Cultural Christianity”)
We must avoid and repent of any and all false teachings, church history, and religious sentimentalism we have believed and/or promoted that deviates from the pure Word of God!
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”