The historicist scholar George Eldon Ladd says that the three cycles of judgmentseven seals, seven trumpets and seven last plaguesis the greatest mystery in the book of Revelation.
Scripture says, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Proverbs 25:2.
If you read the book of Revelation straight through, you should notice two seemingly mysterious things:
(1) The world keeps coming to an end.
(2) As time progresses, the severity in each set of seven final end-time judgments keeps escalating.
Here is a basic outline of the Apocalypse:
1. A Call To Overcome (Rev 1-3).
2. The Court Assembled (Rev 4-5).
3. The First Scenario (Rev 6).
4. The Second Scenario (Rev 7-11).
5. The Third Scenario (Rev 12-18).
6. The Courts Final Judgment (Rev 19-20).
7. The Reward Of Those Who Overcome (Rev 21-22).
Here is my question. What do these three scenarios refer to?
Before I answer, lets hastily display the literary structure of the vision of Amos 7:1-6, notice the "canceled conclusions" and mention, for emphasis, that Amos has three scenarios.
The interpretation I am suggesting for the book of Revelation is this. The first scenario expresses the thought that an imminent return was possible for the Apostolic church. That conclusion was canceled and the prophetic drama shifts to a second scenario. The second scenario is the second most important epoch in history where the end of the world almost materializes but that possibility is canceled also. We are now in the third and final scenario.
I propose that we debate the general outline of the book of Revelation and then move on to the multiple scenarios in the book of Daniel. Any questions?
Scripture says, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Proverbs 25:2.
If you read the book of Revelation straight through, you should notice two seemingly mysterious things:
(1) The world keeps coming to an end.
(2) As time progresses, the severity in each set of seven final end-time judgments keeps escalating.
Here is a basic outline of the Apocalypse:
1. A Call To Overcome (Rev 1-3).
2. The Court Assembled (Rev 4-5).
3. The First Scenario (Rev 6).
4. The Second Scenario (Rev 7-11).
5. The Third Scenario (Rev 12-18).
6. The Courts Final Judgment (Rev 19-20).
7. The Reward Of Those Who Overcome (Rev 21-22).
Here is my question. What do these three scenarios refer to?
Before I answer, lets hastily display the literary structure of the vision of Amos 7:1-6, notice the "canceled conclusions" and mention, for emphasis, that Amos has three scenarios.
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the kings share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, Forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!"
So the Lord relented.
"This will not happen," the Lord said.
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:
The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!"
So the Lord relented.
"This will not happen either," the Sovereign Lord said.
This is what He showed me: .... [a third scenario.]
The interpretation I am suggesting for the book of Revelation is this. The first scenario expresses the thought that an imminent return was possible for the Apostolic church. That conclusion was canceled and the prophetic drama shifts to a second scenario. The second scenario is the second most important epoch in history where the end of the world almost materializes but that possibility is canceled also. We are now in the third and final scenario.
I propose that we debate the general outline of the book of Revelation and then move on to the multiple scenarios in the book of Daniel. Any questions?