The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chapter 1)
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Submitted by JStaller on Wed, 2008-09-24 05:29.
Alright. Here we go--the first chapter of Revelation. Highly charged imagery, dense Jewish symbolism, intense cultural and religious pressure, and a rich history of literature collide, producing (in my opinion) the greatest spiritual vision in the Christian experience. If you can enter into this vision, you will see Christ.
HA! I wish :)
Bro. Tom: How do we explain John's point of view in light of our own perspective today? Please explain.
Justin: again, HA! :) If I could do that simply and quickly, I'd write a book and make a lot of money. Well, I wouldn't, actually, but I don't have a quick and easy answer, so that's not an option anyway.
1 John tells us that the 'last days' were occuring almost 2000 years ago, but Revelation tells us that these things were supposed to "shortly come to pass." This is one of the reasons I have come to favor understanding the phrase as a reference to the events that are to "shortly come to pass" within the Book of Revelation, or the events that Jesus preached would "shortly come to pass." What are the end days? Well, the final days. And what 'day' are we living in now? These verses all point in the direction of a specific symbolic age in which we now find ourselves:
"The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath."
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day."
"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise..." (Do the math: How many total generations? See the passage below for the answer)
Revelation 11:1-2 "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Basic Math: 1260 days / 30 days = how many 30-day months? See the passage above for the answer)
Revelation 11:11-12 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. Math time: 42 months / 12 (1 year) = How many years?
Believe it or not, these numbers have a specific reference point, the same reference point, the "last day."
I'm tempted to hold out on the answer here, and I think I will. But for those of you who are interested, divide 42 by seven. What symbolic day of the week do you get? And what was created on that day? And who recreated that creation in the New Testament?
Revelation is really fun for people who like symbols. It is frustrating for people looking for quick support for their own ideas. It was for me, anyway. I had to submit to the text over and over. It forced me to change the faith I thought I had.
Justin Staller - Moderator
justinstaller@yahoo.com
Search the scriptures--for in them ye think ye have eternal life: They are they which testify of me--and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5.39-40)