RevelationRevelation“Surely I am Coming Soon”

DefinitionApocalyptic Literature:A genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal (eschatological salvation) and spatial (supernatural world).

ApocalypseMeans: Visions, Journeys, Heavenly Books

Angels

Honorable human figure

Eschatological judgment

Symbolism - animals and numbers

During crisis to bring hope

Examples: Daniel, 4 Ezra, Assumption of Moses

Background

Genre: Letter and Apocalypse

Author: John

Date: 50-90

Place: Asia Minor/Patmos

Four ViewsPreterist - during first century

Historicist - course of history

Futurist - in the future

Idealist - Spiritual struggle of good and evil

Eclectic- can draw from several views

MillennialismJohn 20:1–4

Pre - Church age, tribulation period, millennium, judgment

pre, post, and mid trib

Post- World will improve into the millennium, then Second Coming and judgment (no Tribulation or rapture)

A - symbolizes time between Christ’s comings, where Christ has dominion over sin and evil, but there are still struggles

AssociationsPreterist

Historicist

Futurist

Idealist

Premillennial

Postmillenial

Amillenial

AssignmentPick a passage in Revelation

Present it visually

discuss its interpretation according to the three dominant views

Easter Greetings

Χριστός ἀνέστη Christos Anestei

Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστηAlithos Anestei

Seven Churches

Good- They have

endured some

persecution

Good- They have

endured some

persecution

Bad - Waning commitment or tolerated false

teaching

Bad - Waning commitment or tolerated false

teaching

Need to overcome,

endure until the end

Need to overcome,

endure until the end

Prophetic Words:

Prophetic Words:

Outline

Vision of Heavenly Temple (4–5)

Seals (6–8)

Trumpets (8-11)

Saints vs. Serpent (12–14)

Bowls of Anger (15–16)

Fate of Babylon (17–19)

Hope of the Saints (20–22)

144, 000 (Rev 7:3–8; 14:1– 5)

literary function– parenthetical between 6 and 7 to build suspense

description – military group (census) to fight the two hundred million

Interpretation

literal- Jews saved after rapture

Symbolic

all believers - sealed and pure servants/martyrs

Woman (Rev 12:1–6; 12–17)

Creation

Eve

Israel

Mary

Church

Lesson- Symbols are multivalent

Beast and 666(Revelation 13)

BeastNero

One World Government

Other suggestions!

666triangular number

less than 7

Nero Cesar - gematria

Victory

Revelation 21–22

Live in healthy fear

Live in hope