You are saying that to bring in another book of the Bible into a discussion of the meaning of the Revelation is a violation of Revelation 22:18, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book." This is one of the worst cases of wresting scripture that I have ever seen.If you desire to exclude the consideration of any scripture from a discussion of the end times, you are ignoring the fact that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) You are also ignoring the first rule of prophetic interpretation. First, that is, not in my estimation, but in God's, for He said, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21)As the apocalyptic portion of the Revelation opened, John saw a book in the right hand of "him that sat on the throne." This book was "written within and on the backside, and sealed with seven seals." (Revelation 5:1) Where had we seen a sealed book before in scripture? We read in the last chapter of the book of Daniel, "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:8-9)As the Lamb opens each of the seals (in Revelation 6, 7, and 8) we see a vision whose exact meaning can be debated, but there can be no debate about the fact that the subject is mass destruction. There will be a far ranging destruction over much of the world. This much is clear.The opening of the last seal ushered in a series of visions obviously depicting yet more destruction, and then the prophet saw a new vision. An Angel appeared, holding "a little book open." (Revelation 10:2) John was told to eat the book, and then was told that he "must prophesy again about many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." (Revelation 10:11 NKJV)This is followed by another series of visions, but these visions are significantly different from the visions early in the book. Every apocalyptic vision in the rest of the book uses imagery borrowed directly from the book of Daniel, and in that book the meaning of every symbol is clearly stated.What do we learn from all this? We first note that the book in Revelation 5 was "written within and on the back side." What was here called a "book" was in actuality what we would now call a scroll. It was written on both sides. That is, it was full of meaning. But it was sealed. Now we go back to the only book of scripture that was sealed, and what do we find? The futures of many nations are explicitly discussed, but much of what is told has not happened. A fulfillment of these prophecies appears to be impossible, because these nations no longer exist. As the seals on this book which is full of meaning are opened, we see that there is a mass destruction coming. Out current world order will be destroyed.We all remember what happened only a few years ago when Communism collapsed on itself in the former USSR and Eastern Europe. We suddenly began to hear regularly about forgotten nations that we had never heard of. As we grew up, how many of us had ever even heard of Croatia or Serbia? Yet suddenly, when Yugoslavia collapsed, there they were! They had been there all the time, masked by current political realities, and suddenly they were visible again. So we have seen before our very eyes that a destruction of the existing order makes room for the old order to rise up again. The many nations mentioned in Daniel have not ceased to exist. They have simply been masked by current political realities. But when the current political system is destroyed, the old order can again emerge.After the seals were opened, the prophet and apostle John was shown a little book and was told to eat it. The meaning of this is rather obviously that he was not only to read it, but to make it part of himself, to digest it. That is, he was to become so familiar with it that he understood everything it said. This book is"open." That is, it can be read. And it is "little." That is, it is can be understood. I believe that this is the same book seen in chapter 5, and that both books represent the Old Testament book of Daniel.If this interpretation is correct, and I believe it is, then the point of this series of visions is that the book of Daniel cannot be understood without the first part of the book of Revelation, and that the last part of the book of Revelation cannot be understood without the book of Daniel. That is, that these two books can only be rightly interpreted when taken together.But an attempt to interpret the Revelation apart from the rest of scripture could not possibly result in anything but nonsense. The whole thing plus the end is nonsense.
B1inHim
Join Date: 27th November 2004
