The Book of Revelation is Practical and Applicable

[Mark Corbett]

Many Christians become so wrapped up in debates about how to interpret John’s vision that they miss Revelation’s power and purpose. I’m going to propose something radical. One of the main points of Revelation does not depend on any of the following:

Is a premillennial, amillennial, or postmillennial view correct?
Was most of Revelation fulfilled in the first century, does it refer to events all throughout church history, or is it focused mainly on the last seven years of this age?
Who are the 144,000?
Who are the beast and the false prophet?
What role will modern Israel and other nations play in fulfilling John’s visions?
Are the locusts and fire-breathing horses a vision of modern military weapons, demonic beings, or something else?​

I’m not saying it’s wrong to ask such questions, think about them, and discuss them. I have. I do. But I am saying that there is a danger that we can get so wrapped up in these questions that we miss the main point and purpose of Revelation. We miss the forest for the trees. God help us.

The book of Revelation is practical. It is designed to be helpful in the life of every Christian who lives from the time John recorded his visions until Jesus returns. The purpose of John’s book is the same as the purpose of the Psalms, the purpose of the prophetic books, and the gospels, and the epistles:

NIV Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

I’m claiming, and I hope to show you, that what is true of “everything that was written in the past” (relative to Paul) is also true for the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is intended to give us endurance and hope. Before we see how Romans 15:4 applies to Revelation, let’s think about how it works with the story of David and Goliath.

David fought a literal nine foot tall giant. It is very unlikely you will ever be called upon to do that! Yet, it is not difficult for us to see how the story of David and Goliath is relevant to our lives.

We apply the story of David and Goliath by seeing that we need to trust God when we face giant problems. A similar method of applying the Bible can be used with other stories, prophecies, and the Psalms. These often tell or are based on historical events which are very different in their details from what we experience. Yet, we are able to see how God can use these parts of the Bible to give us endurance and hope in the difficult details of our own lives.

Now, let’s apply the same method of applying the Bible which we use with David and Goliath (and many other parts of the Bible) to four parts of John’s visions.

The Deceiving False Prophet

In Revelation a “second beast” appears. This beast is a false prophet whom the Devil uses to lead people astray. There are many interpretations concerning who this false prophet is, when he will live, and how he will work. But no matter which interpretation is closest to the truth, you need to ask how John’s vision of the false prophet applies to your life here and now. Here are some of the many possible applications:

* We need to seek God’s help, work, and pray in order to see people set free from false religions such as Buddhism and Islam, and false world views such as atheism and secularism.
* We must resist and equip others to resist the false narrative of unguided evolution.
* We need to be on guard against false teaching and false prophets in the church. I’m not talking about minor differences of interpretation. I’m talking about teaching which denies or creates doubt and confusion about the core beliefs of true Christianity.
* All this means that we should be constantly and vigilantly reading, meditating on, studying, and teaching God’s Word. Knowing God’s truth is our best defense against the Devil’s many lies.

The Seducing harlot of Babylon

In his vision, John sees a prostitute riding a seven headed beast. The prostitute is identified as “Babylon”. She is wearing gold and expensive clothes:

NIV Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.

As with the other symbols in Revelation, there are endless interpretations, each supported by wearisome arguments. But notice this: you can and should apply this vision to your life today no matter which of these interpretations are correct.

You will be tempted to compromise your faith and/or your morals to enjoy some of the luxuries and pleasures this world has to offer. Don’t do it! The prostitute is an image of temporary, seductive power and pleasure. But Revelation reveals that in the end she suffers and is destroyed.

Here are some of many possible practical applications:

* Don’t give in to the temptation to “enjoy” an affair, or one night stand, or fling, or anything else you want to call adultery. It may very well bring some short lived pleasure, but the end will be suffering, and if you don’t repent, destruction.
* Don’t compromise to make money. Don’t lie. Don’t cut corners. The benefits you gain will not be worth the price you pay in the long run.
* Don’t turn to alcohol or drugs or inappropriate content to numb your pain and find a little bit of fun and good feelings. The fun will soon be gone and the payment will be heavy.

The Economic Pressure of 666

If deception and seduction don’t get you to compromise, there’s always economic pressure.

In John’s vision, everyone has to get the mark of the beast: 666. If you don’t get the mark, you are not allowed to buy or sell.

Some Christians are worried about whether they will be asked to get a 666 microchip. Others are confident that they will be raptured away first. Either of those views might be true, but focusing only on those interpretations may cause us to miss the practical applications which Christians around the world face today.

Consider the economic pressure some Christians face:

* In communist nations, it has often been much easier to go to university or get a good job if you are a member of the party.
* In Muslim nations, Christians sometimes have a much harder time getting licenses and permits needed to do business.
* In western nations, if you don’t go along with the radical homosexual agenda, you could be fined and have your business shut down.

Are you beginning to see how John’s visions are urgently relevant and practical to the lives of Christians today, as they have been throughout the history of the church? Let’s consider one more character from Revelation.

The Persecuting Beast

For those Christians who are not deceived by the false prophet, or seduced by the harlot of Babylon, or compromised by economic pressure, the devil has another strategy: violent persecution. In John’s vision, those who refuse to worship the beast get their heads chopped off.

Is this relevant for Christians in the world today? Perhaps if you are reading this in the relative safe haven of the US or other “western nations”, you might not feel how frighteningly applicable John’s vision is. Yet, around the world today, Christians are beaten, imprisoned, and killed for their faith. Some have literally been beheaded.

It doesn’t matter if you are preterist or futurist, a pre-, a-, or post- tribber, or which of a hundred detailed interpretations of Revelation you hold to. The application is the same. When you are threatened with physical violence or even death for being a Christian, stand firm.

The Main Point

I’m not saying that the following is the only purpose of Revelation. In fact, I believe and have written about other glorious truths seen in Revelation (see here). But I am convinced, based on long study of Revelation and based on experience with Christians facing pressure around the world, that the following is a good summary of one of the main purposes of Revelation:

Revelation is written to encourage Christians to stand firm for Christ and not compromise even when we are surrounded by deceptive worldviews and religions, infiltrated by false prophets and teachers, lured by tempting wealth and pleasure, and threatened with economic pressure and violent persecution.

Revelation encourages us to stand firm in many ways:

* We are reminded that many other believers have faced the same pressures.
* When we suffer, we are following not only the example of other Christians, but of the Lamb of God, who is also the Lion of Judah.
* We are shown that, in the end, evil will be destroyed and those who gave in to evil will wish they hadn’t.
* We are reminded that far above this evil world and all the forces of darkness, our Lord Jesus Christ reigns supreme. He will shepherd us through the dark times and bring us safely to His Kingdom.
* In the end, all our temporary sacrifices and sufferings will be worth it. We will live and reign forever with God and Christ in His glorious, eternal kingdom. He will graciously reward us who have stood firm to the end.

So . . .

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
(Rev. 22:20-21 NIV)​

This was originally a post on my blog.

 

[crossnote]

As with the other symbols in Revelation, there are endless interpretations, each supported by wearisome arguments. But notice this: you can and should apply this vision to your life today no matter which of these interpretations are correct.

There really is just one true interpretation of Revelation. We can't treat it as PostModerns asking 'what does it mean to you?'.
It should be remembered that Revelation is full of Old Testament imagery hinting at it's target audience and it requires a good handle on the Old Testament to make accurate sense of it.

 

[Mark Corbett]

There really is just one true interpretation of Revelation. We can't treat it as PostModerns asking 'what does it mean to you?'.
It should be remembered that Revelation is full of Old Testament imagery hinting at it's target audience and it requires a good handle on the Old Testament to make accurate sense of it.

I agree that there is just one true interpretation. For example, premillennial and postmillennial views cannot both be entirely true. I agree that we shouldn't use the type of postmodern hermeneutic which says that whatever it means for you is true for you.

However, my point is that a major part of the purpose of the Book of Revelation does not depend on whether the premilleniasts, amilleniasts, or postmilleniasts are correct. There are applications for our lives from Revelation which are the same regardless of which "camp" we are in.

 

[Ubuntu]

Mark, your post is a nice reminder of the fact that the book of Revelation was intended as a blessing to us. Thank you for bringing attention to the spiritual lessons found in this book.

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!" Rev 1:3

Sadly, we often see that people turn the deep truths of this prophecy into a distraction. They use the prophecy as an excuse for fruitless speculation, and the Book of Revelation has gotten a bad reputation among unbelievers because of this. But the prophecies in this book were intended as a message of hope. In fact, some of the most joyful divine promises ever written down, is found in the Book of Revelation.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Mark, your post is a nice reminder of the fact that the book of Revelation was intended as a blessing to us. Thank you for bringing attention to the spiritual lessons found in this book.

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!" Rev 1:3

Sadly, we often see that people turn the deep truths of this prophecy into a distraction. They use the prophecy as an excuse for fruitless speculation, and the Book of Revelation has gotten a bad reputation among unbelievers because of this. But the prophecies in this book were intended as a message of hope. In fact, some of the most joyful divine promises ever written down, is found in the Book of Revelation.

I love your quote of Rev 1:3. We are called to hear it and "obey" it. It is not only those believers alive at the very end of this age (the last few years) who are called to obey it, but all of us! This makes sense when we understand how to apply it. It is my prayer that God will use this thread to help people "obey" the message of Revelation.

 

[jerry kelso]

Many Christians become so wrapped up in debates about how to interpret John’s vision that they miss Revelation’s power and purpose. I’m going to propose something radical. One of the main points of Revelation does not depend on any of the following:

Is a premillennial, amillennial, or postmillennial view correct?
Was most of Revelation fulfilled in the first century, does it refer to events all throughout church history, or is it focused mainly on the last seven years of this age?
Who are the 144,000?
Who are the beast and the false prophet?
What role will modern Israel and other nations play in fulfilling John’s visions?
Are the locusts and fire-breathing horses a vision of modern military weapons, demonic beings, or something else?​

I’m not saying it’s wrong to ask such questions, think about them, and discuss them. I have. I do. But I am saying that there is a danger that we can get so wrapped up in these questions that we miss the main point and purpose of Revelation. We miss the forest for the trees. God help us.

The book of Revelation is practical. It is designed to be helpful in the life of every Christian who lives from the time John recorded his visions until Jesus returns. The purpose of John’s book is the same as the purpose of the Psalms, the purpose of the prophetic books, and the gospels, and the epistles:

NIV Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

I’m claiming, and I hope to show you, that what is true of “everything that was written in the past” (relative to Paul) is also true for the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is intended to give us endurance and hope. Before we see how Romans 15:4 applies to Revelation, let’s think about how it works with the story of David and Goliath.

David fought a literal nine foot tall giant. It is very unlikely you will ever be called upon to do that! Yet, it is not difficult for us to see how the story of David and Goliath is relevant to our lives.

We apply the story of David and Goliath by seeing that we need to trust God when we face giant problems. A similar method of applying the Bible can be used with other stories, prophecies, and the Psalms. These often tell or are based on historical events which are very different in their details from what we experience. Yet, we are able to see how God can use these parts of the Bible to give us endurance and hope in the difficult details of our own lives.

Now, let’s apply the same method of applying the Bible which we use with David and Goliath (and many other parts of the Bible) to four parts of John’s visions.

The Deceiving False Prophet

In Revelation a “second beast” appears. This beast is a false prophet whom the Devil uses to lead people astray. There are many interpretations concerning who this false prophet is, when he will live, and how he will work. But no matter which interpretation is closest to the truth, you need to ask how John’s vision of the false prophet applies to your life here and now. Here are some of the many possible applications:

* We need to seek God’s help, work, and pray in order to see people set free from false religions such as Buddhism and Islam, and false world views such as atheism and secularism.
* We must resist and equip others to resist the false narrative of unguided evolution.
* We need to be on guard against false teaching and false prophets in the church. I’m not talking about minor differences of interpretation. I’m talking about teaching which denies or creates doubt and confusion about the core beliefs of true Christianity.
* All this means that we should be constantly and vigilantly reading, meditating on, studying, and teaching God’s Word. Knowing God’s truth is our best defense against the Devil’s many lies.

The Seducing harlot of Babylon

In his vision, John sees a prostitute riding a seven headed beast. The prostitute is identified as “Babylon”. She is wearing gold and expensive clothes:

NIV Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.

As with the other symbols in Revelation, there are endless interpretations, each supported by wearisome arguments. But notice this: you can and should apply this vision to your life today no matter which of these interpretations are correct.

You will be tempted to compromise your faith and/or your morals to enjoy some of the luxuries and pleasures this world has to offer. Don’t do it! The prostitute is an image of temporary, seductive power and pleasure. But Revelation reveals that in the end she suffers and is destroyed.

Here are some of many possible practical applications:

* Don’t give in to the temptation to “enjoy” an affair, or one night stand, or fling, or anything else you want to call adultery. It may very well bring some short lived pleasure, but the end will be suffering, and if you don’t repent, destruction.
* Don’t compromise to make money. Don’t lie. Don’t cut corners. The benefits you gain will not be worth the price you pay in the long run.
* Don’t turn to alcohol or drugs or inappropriate content to numb your pain and find a little bit of fun and good feelings. The fun will soon be gone and the payment will be heavy.

The Economic Pressure of 666

If deception and seduction don’t get you to compromise, there’s always economic pressure.

In John’s vision, everyone has to get the mark of the beast: 666. If you don’t get the mark, you are not allowed to buy or sell.

Some Christians are worried about whether they will be asked to get a 666 microchip. Others are confident that they will be raptured away first. Either of those views might be true, but focusing only on those interpretations may cause us to miss the practical applications which Christians around the world face today.

Consider the economic pressure some Christians face:

* In communist nations, it has often been much easier to go to university or get a good job if you are a member of the party.
* In Muslim nations, Christians sometimes have a much harder time getting licenses and permits needed to do business.
* In western nations, if you don’t go along with the radical homosexual agenda, you could be fined and have your business shut down.

Are you beginning to see how John’s visions are urgently relevant and practical to the lives of Christians today, as they have been throughout the history of the church? Let’s consider one more character from Revelation.

The Persecuting Beast

For those Christians who are not deceived by the false prophet, or seduced by the harlot of Babylon, or compromised by economic pressure, the devil has another strategy: violent persecution. In John’s vision, those who refuse to worship the beast get their heads chopped off.

Is this relevant for Christians in the world today? Perhaps if you are reading this in the relative safe haven of the US or other “western nations”, you might not feel how frighteningly applicable John’s vision is. Yet, around the world today, Christians are beaten, imprisoned, and killed for their faith. Some have literally been beheaded.

It doesn’t matter if you are preterist or futurist, a pre-, a-, or post- tribber, or which of a hundred detailed interpretations of Revelation you hold to. The application is the same. When you are threatened with physical violence or even death for being a Christian, stand firm.

The Main Point

I’m not saying that the following is the only purpose of Revelation. In fact, I believe and have written about other glorious truths seen in Revelation (see here). But I am convinced, based on long study of Revelation and based on experience with Christians facing pressure around the world, that the following is a good summary of one of the main purposes of Revelation:

Revelation is written to encourage Christians to stand firm for Christ and not compromise even when we are surrounded by deceptive worldviews and religions, infiltrated by false prophets and teachers, lured by tempting wealth and pleasure, and threatened with economic pressure and violent persecution.

Revelation encourages us to stand firm in many ways:

* We are reminded that many other believers have faced the same pressures.
* When we suffer, we are following not only the example of other Christians, but of the Lamb of God, who is also the Lion of Judah.
* We are shown that, in the end, evil will be destroyed and those who gave in to evil will wish they hadn’t.
* We are reminded that far above this evil world and all the forces of darkness, our Lord Jesus Christ reigns supreme. He will shepherd us through the dark times and bring us safely to His Kingdom.
* In the end, all our temporary sacrifices and sufferings will be worth it. We will live and reign forever with God and Christ in His glorious, eternal kingdom. He will graciously reward us who have stood firm to the end.

So . . .

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
(Rev. 22:20-21 NIV)​

This was originally a post on my blog.

mark corbett,

1. Good post.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed are those that readeth and they that heareth the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand.

2. Luke 19:13; Jesus parable about the nobleman going to receive a kingdom and he gives his Ten servants ten pounds and says, Occupy till he comes.
Though this is talking in reference to the KoH by Jesus. Though I believe in the pre-trib rapture is scriptural I have always said, this should apply to us today and even if we were to go through the tribulation.
People have been martyred down through the years Hebrews 11:37 and even today it goes on.

3. So present life is important because we are to be overcomers just like in Revelation 2-3. Many mainline churches are beginning to develop some of those same conditions in the 7 churches of Asia that most people wondered how this could apply to present day churches.
Some believe that each church represent a specific age historically till the future as in Laodicean age being the last because of being lukewarm.
This is not really declared but it is possible but it also doesn't prevent from present day churches or those in the past to have some or all the conditions of the 7 churches of Asia.

4. The actual context about the book of Revelation is very important in the overall scheme of things because it can show a person's hermeneutics and how they interpret the rest of scripture.
2 Timothy 2:12 says if we suffer we shall reign. So we are being trained for rulership training today in the church age and this is our purpose and destiny in how to learn the true law of love to become Kings, Priests, and Rulers in the KoH reign.
So thanks for the reminder of Revelation being for today, for as Paul said, we are not to be ignorant of Satans Devices and endure like a good soldier and and be on fire for God and rejoice and be blessed because Jesus is coming to restore all things and we will live forever with him. Amen and Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Revealing Times]

Many Christians become so wrapped up in debates about how to interpret John’s vision that they miss Revelation’s power and purpose. I’m going to propose something radical. One of the main points of Revelation does not depend on any of the following:

I enjoyed the post and the outlook as per keeping positive, I don't like to argue myself, but the truth is there are some "Giants" on this site that have way out there views on Revelation (and all around), I mostly just bite my tongue, but that places us in a precarious position, would Paul/Peter/The Prophets stay silent in the face of what is obvious false teachings, and the truth is they wouldn't have. But we are a group that are a group but we never really see each other, so its best to just give our own views and not to push back much.

Like crossnote, I agree, all you have to do is use the Old Testament to break the Code of the book of Revelation. Once you understand that its not that difficult to understand. The Woman was used for Israel in Rev. 12 because Rome did not want to hear that God was going to protect Israel. Babylon was used for the Destruction of the World because Babylon was the origins of many False Religions and where the Head of Gold or the Statue of Daniel 2 was located, but it was mostly used because Rome wouldn't see it as a threatening quip. Babylon is going to be destroyed, the Romans laugh, its a dead city anyway. If John had stated the World is going to be destroyed by fire, then the Romans might have seen that as a threat etc. etc. There are reasons God encoded the book of Revelation.

Good overall thread and presentation, do post more...

 

[Mark Corbett]

For me, focusing on the practical application of the visions helps bring them into harmony with the 7 letters to the churches at the beginning of Revelation. For example, Jesus said to the Church in Smyrna:

NIV Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.

Surely, the Christians at Smyrna would have seen and felt that the visions about standing firm amidst persecution were immediately applicable to them. This is not denying at all that the visions are about the future, just that their content is applicable in the here and now.

 

[Douggg]

For me, focusing on the practical application of the visions helps bring them into harmony with the 7 letters to the churches at the beginning of Revelation. For example, Jesus said to the Church in Smyrna:

NIV Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.

Surely, the Christians at Smyrna would have seen and felt that the visions about standing firm amidst persecution were immediately applicable to them. This is not denying at all that the visions are about the future, just that their content is applicable in the here and now.

Mark, as information that you may not be aware of, in Judaism, among Jews the awesome event at Mt. Sinai, the Jews call the "National Revelation". Although they never saw God in form, His awesome presence was undeniable on that day.

Revelation - the book of Revelation - is about the Revealing of Jesus as Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the Almighty, in perceptible form....on the scale of Heaven and Earth, all of creation, which Jesus will be glorified in Great Power and Awesome manner. That is the Revelation that God gave Him, in Revelation 1.

All of what is in Revelation is leading up to that Awesome event. The first three chapters of Revelation, to the church's, is Jesus's instructions to us Christians how to behave anticipating that unmatched in Creation event. We relate to Him.

Revelation is about the greatness of Jesus, in Whom we trust our salvation, eternal life, cleansing away our sins, our eternal redemption - and no other.

So National Revelation at Mt. Sinai. Revelation to the entire world, of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming soon. Look up our redemption draws near. Praise God !

 

[Mark Corbett]

Revelation is about the greatness of Jesus, in Whom we trust our salvation, eternal life, cleansing away our sins, our eternal redemption - and no other. . . .
Praise God !

I agree! Revelation is indeed about the greatness of Jesus. I have a post all about that on my own blog. It's here:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

 

[Erik Nelson]

Maybe just a quick reminder for everyone here?

To the best of my memory, Dr. Kenneth Gentry argues that the "harlot of Babylon" (Rev 17) is the anti-type of the "Virtuous Woman" (Rev 12). Insofar as the latter is well-understood to be a symbol of the virtuous & faithful Church acknowledging Jesus as Christ. Hence, the former would logically be a symbol of the fallen, formerly-faithful who rejected Jesus, both for themselves and their children.

This divide parallels those of the "physical temple of Herod" vs. the "Spiritual Temple of the Church" and physical ethnic vs. psychological spiritual definitions of "believers". The "Beast of the Sea" is identified as the powerful pagan Roman empire which introduced itself into Judea from across the Mediterranean. The image of the "harlot of Babylon" "riding the Beast" is an innuendo of (spiritual) fornication, as with (most) Pharisees & Sadducees compromising with the pagan imperial authorities.

I personally think it may also be an innuendo of attempted manipulation & control, as of a "rider harnessing an animal", reflecting the attempts of those aforesaid to manipulate & control Roman Governor Pilate. If you admit Josephus, you could even compare with, say, empress Poppaea Sabina, who allegedly became so controlling of emperor Nero that he turned on her and kicked her until she breathed no more, seemingly suggestive of "the Beast of the sea turning on the harlot of Babylon" (paraphrase). Indeed, Nero's increasing taxations & antagonizations of Judea, ultimately provoking a rebellion which the Romans then eventually crushed, followed soon after the empress' passing.

The "7 Heads" reflects the initial Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors up to Nero...
The head & Beast falling and miraculously re-rising reflects the brief civil war after Nero, after which Roman armies miraculously re-entered Judea, tearing down the Temple of Herod stone by stone as Jesus had Prophesied ("no stone shall remain upon another") all while the generation of Jesus was still living ("this generation shall not pass away before all these things come to pass")...

The "10 Horns" reflects the later pagan emperors, perhaps divisible into dynasties, e.g.:

Flavian dynasty
Nervan dynasty
Antonine dynasty
Year of the 5 emperors
Severan Dynasty
Year of the 6 emperors
3rd Century Crisis Barracks Emperors
Gallic emperors
Illyrian dynasty
Dominate & Tetrarchy up to Constantine

Constantine -- who saw a wondrous heavenly vision, whose name means "standing together" (in unity, harmony, atonement), and who did build a Christian capital city as a "New Jerusalem" which eventually erected the Hagia Sophia as a "New Temple" to rival even Solomon's original -- figuratively satisfies the Second Coming imagery of Rev 19...

Constantinople stood for a thousand years, per Rev 20:1-6...

And after the fall thereof, of the "city of standing together", Christendom has schism'd so many times that there are now thousands of separate sects apostasizing from each other in dissension...

telling me that this is the End Times (Rev 20:7-10)...

after starting with Dr. Kenneth Gentry's Revelations exegesis, and taking a few "obvious" & "natural" next steps, the above to my mind "falls naturally out of the Scripture", and comports completely with the modern dystopian malaise, exemplified by "dark future" movies like Bladerunner, Elysium, and (to some degree) the Terminator series.

 

[Mark Corbett]

The "10 Horns" reflects the later pagan emperors, perhaps divisible into dynasties, e.g.:

Flavian dynasty
Nervan dynasty
Antonine dynasty
Year of the 5 emperors
Severan Dynasty
Year of the 6 emperors
3rd Century Crisis Barracks Emperors
Gallic emperors
Illyrian dynasty
Dominate & Tetrarchy up to Constantine

Let's say that you have precisely and correctly identified each of the ten horns and some of the other symbols from John's vision (I'm not sure you have, but let's just say you're completely accurate and correct). Here are a few questions:

How does the book of Revelation apply to your life and to the lives of other Christians today?

How are you encouraged, strengthened, and guided in your walk with the Lord by John's visions?

Would it change anything you do or anything you feel or anything you desire if 3 or 7 or even all 10 of the horns you identified turned out to be incorrect?

Grace and Peace, Mark

 

[Erik Nelson]

Well, I do not know with Prideful confidence how to interpret the marvelous audio-visual communication which St. John received on Earth from "God in heaven" two millennia ago. Logically, if I never claim to speak with definitive authority, then no one & no thing anywhere or when can (rightly) accuse me of acts of Deception.

Caveats aside, the exegesis of Dr. Kenneth Gentry and Orthodox Christian traditions, arguing for ancient fulfillment of much of Revelations and onset of the Christian Millennium (Rev 20:1-6), seems most accurate to me. I understand Orthodoxy to essentially claim that we are now in the Millennium, as I understand they have been claiming since the days of the Christian emperor Constantine (whose name means "standing together" in unity) and the Council of Nicaea (which means "Council of Victory").

Whereas I do perceive that the fall of Constantinople ("the city of standing together") after just about a thousand years -- because someone inside left a gate unlocked for Sultan Mehmet -- was a most "Spiritually momentous" event. I think it certainly fits Rev 20:7. And, as it happens, the Muslims have long claimed a "parallel Prophesy" (my words) similarly foretelling the fall of Constantinople, which they perceive Sultan Mehmet as having fulfilled (cp. Fetih 1453).

According to the A&E documentary Biography - Satan, Satanism was reportedly rampant across Europe from 1450-1700 AD, cp. Salem Massachusetts in 1692 AD. European history bears now-mute witness to the literal unchaining of Satan (Rev 20:7) as the gates of Constantinople were unlocked and stormed (according to a parallel Divine Prophesy, said all those sacking the city at the time). By present, of course, Europe has essentially accepted radical liberalism. Meanwhile, elsewhere, global international Satanism is widely hailed as the antidote to Christian capitalist colonialist imperialism ("oppose the Christian 'spiritual children of Jacob', on the one hand ['the problem'], by supporting a 'sinning age of Satan', on the other ['the solution']").

That would make the modern era the Prophesied End Times, of rampant Deception & trickery (daily reports of ID thefts & innumerable scams), apostasy & dissension dividing the once-united "Body of Christ" (ceaseless schisms sundering Christendom into thousands of separate sects), and the "outer rebellion" of "Gog & Magog" recruited by the above and "Spiritually super-animated" (my words) by a "deluding influence" (2 Thess 2:11) directed at Earth from "God in heaven".

According to my read of those Revelations (supposedly) communicated to Christians on Earth two thousand years ago from "God in heaven" -- which Prophesies the whole of humanity has apparently been enthralled to like a train on rails, as if "God in heaven" has "shot-called" the human species accurately -- then the "outer rebellion" of "Gog & Magog" will make life on Earth less & less bearable from here on out.

And then "fire from heaven" will boil away Earth's oceans in a Cataclysmic "orbital bombardment" (my words) once the Lord of heaven Arrives stealthily & undetected as a "thief in the night".

The "Good News" of the Gospel of Jesus already came two thousand years ago, and already fulfilled all of its promises of worldly Christian victory in Constantine & Constantinople from the 4th to 15th centuries AD. In the End Times, the headlines will go from bad to worse. The one thing you can do, is not be surprised.

(I do wish there was a way to "resist" that "Divinely allotted" fate. But I won't be the one who in any way suggests humans on Earth doubt or underestimate the Lord of heaven. If "God in heaven" sends "deluding" signals at humans on Earth, then "by hooks and by crooks" humans will succumb to the Deception & delusion. Maybe it is possible to make a "resisting retreat", avoiding those who have already psychologically capitulated to lies & trickeries, and seek out those who have yet to completely do so.)

 

[Mark Corbett]

That would make the modern era the Prophesied End Times,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

In at least one sense, I think we have been living in the "end times" and "the last days" since the day of Pentecost when Peter said:

Acts 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Peter seems to refer to the events of that day as being part of "the last days".

This does not rule out the possibility of a "very end of the end times time".

At any rate, when I read Revelation, I feel the Holy Spirit applying it to my life. This can be true even if it refers specifically to events in the past or the future. The Holy Spirit applies the stories of the flood and of King David and others to my life even though they happened at another time.

Here's an example. I read:

NIV Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

This is referring to Babylon. But without even knowing where or when "Babylon" is, I feel the Holy Spirit challenging me to get out of any compromise with worldly sin.

Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't think about the best interpretation of Babylon. But, I am saying that responding to this message by fleeing worldly compromise in our own lives is even more important in a way than figuring out the most precise meaning of Babylon.

Do you think so?

 

[Mark Corbett]

When I was studying Revelation, I noticed how songs and outbursts of jubilant praise are found throughout the book. It is easy to miss this if you focus too much on the "scary parts" (locusts and horsemen) or too much on detailed interpretation of difficult symbols. About ten months ago I wrote a blog post about songs in and based on the book of Revelation. You may read it here:

In the Midst of the Chaos, Listen to the Music

 

[Erik Nelson]

The "harlot of Babylon, Mother of Harlots" (paraphrase) is the "unvirtuous woman" anti-type to the "virtuous woman" (Rev 12) who represents the True Spiritual Church of virtuous faithful believing followers of Jesus as the Prophetically-predicted Messiah. Thus, conversely, the "unvirtuous woman" anti-type -- well known from the OT -- represents formerly faithful followers who have "filandered" from their "monogamous" Spiritual relationship with the "One real actual God in heaven" (paraphrase) and Spiritually "fornicated" with the false idols & false prophets of false religions.

"virtuous woman" = True Spiritual Church & "Spiritual Jerusalem" who accepted Jesus as Christ, i.e. Christians (1st century AD)
"unvirtuous woman" = fallen former believers who rejected Jesus as Christ, e.g. Sadducees & Pharisees in physical Jerusalem (1st century AD)​

Accordingly, the "Beast turning on & casting down the unvirtuous woman" (paraphrase) causing the "Fall of Babylon" (Spiritually speaking) represents the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The exhortation to "come out of her" echoes Jesus' warning to his followers to "run to the hills" (Matt 24:15-16 = Mark 13:14 = Luke 21:20-21), which the surviving Christian community did, fleeing from the doomed city to Pella, according to Church tradition. (Archaeology suggests the city itself was abandoned in ruins at the time, such that the Christians may have fled to a system of caves outside the former city.)

This is the "preterist" view long part of Church Tradition, well espoused by St. Augustine & St. John Chrysostom, amongst others.

In the OT, it was Cyrus the Great, a Scripturally acknowledged "Messiah" (Isaiah 45:1), who liberated physical historical Babylon (6th century BC). Hence, Revelations applies many Persian & Parthian motifs to the armies gathering against (Spiritual) "Babylon". The pagan imperial Romans, in a sort of Spiritually twisted sense, liberated the nascent Christian community of Jerusalem from the persecutions of the Sadducees & Pharisees. Pagan emperor Vespasian was even declared a "Messiah" by Josephus, whose description of the fall of Jerusalem (70 AD) strikingly resembles the Prophesies of Revelation -- up to details like "two witnesses" warning the doomed city of its fate.

So I perceive the august "preterist" Church Tradition to be a viable interpretation of Revelations. Consider, if you accept it, everything else "lines up" with well-known human history:

Spiritual image --> physical manifestation
Fall of Babylon (Rev 18) --> fall of Jerusalem (70 AD)
Christ the Conqueror (Rev 19) --> Christian emperor Constantine (312 AD)
Millennium (Rev 20:1-6) --> Christian empire of Constantinople (to 1453 AD)
End Times (Rev 20:7-10) --> modern times, e.g. global international Satanism
Lord's Arrival (Rev 20:11) --> ETA "Biblically soon"​

If one were to misinterpret Scripture in one place, nothing else afterwards would make sense, yes?

Never-the-less, the Power of Scripture is that it is somehow "Super Intelligently" written "for the ages". Revelations appears (to me) to have the above "primary meaning", but it is still a "living document" constructed "for the ages" which may very well have additional & continuing applicability to Christians throughout human history until the "very last Day of the last Days". Much as Christian preachers can find meaning & relevance to many in other passages throughout the Bible. If the Apocalypse of John "speaks to you" personally, individually, then it would further demonstrate the enduring, continuing relevance of Scripture.

 

[crossnote]

I agree that there is just one true interpretation. For example, premillennial and postmillennial views cannot both be entirely true. I agree that we shouldn't use the type of postmodern hermeneutic which says that whatever it means for you is true for you.

However, my point is that a major part of the purpose of the Book of Revelation does not depend on whether the premilleniasts, amilleniasts, or postmilleniasts are correct. There are applications for our lives from Revelation which are the same regardless of which "camp" we are in.

OK, I was thinking in terms of seeking out the intended meaning the Holy Spirit wrote into the Book.

 

[Revealing Times]

OK, I was thinking in terms of seeking out the intended meaning the Holy Spirit wrote into the Book.

I think the "Intended meaning" of the Holy Spirit via Revelation was three fold.

1. Prophecy encoded..
2. To be Mysterious so that it draws the Worlds attention. (Goal Achieved)
3. To give Christians and Jews Hope that Jesus/God wins in the end.

 

[Mark Corbett]

OK, I was thinking in terms of seeking out the intended meaning the Holy Spirit wrote into the Book.

Amen, we should do that. And yes, that includes making efforts to provide the best interpretation of the symbols we can and the best overall framework we can (i.e futurist, preterist, historical, idealist, or eclectic). I just don't want these concerns to cause us to miss the ways in which Revelation is applicable to our lives today. And, imho, people very often do miss the applicability of John's visions and get lost in arguments over details and frameworks.

 

[the old scribe]

When I was studying Revelation, I noticed how songs and outbursts of jubilant praise are found throughout the book. It is easy to miss this if you focus too much on the "scary parts" (locusts and horsemen) or too much on detailed interpretation of difficult symbols. About ten months ago I wrote a blog post about songs in and based on the book of Revelation. You may read it here:

In the Midst of the Chaos, Listen to the Music

The Revelation was among the last texts accepted into the cannon about A.D. 397.
Luther denied its place in the Bible.
Contrary to all the historical objections to The Revelation is the application of its message for ministry.
For just chapter 5 www.hymnary.org lists 343 hymns referencing this chapter.
For the entire book www.hymnary.org references 2,556 hymns.
If for no other reason than the power of the words of The revelation to minister, this book belongs in the Bible.

When one is down emotionally or defeated spiritually there is not a more enthralling passage in the Bible than The Revelation chapter 5.