Lesson 6, Pale Rider

Revelation lesson 6, Pale Rider

This week we dive back into meat of things with the first of our Magnificent Sevens (click for a recap) with a look at Revelation Chapter 6, the opening of the seals.  I'm going to dip back into the archives a bit for some background information regarding the White, Red, and Black horsemen.  I would have an article on the Pale Horse too, but it was lost in the great hard drive crash of 2012, so you'll only get a surface view there (sorry).

Which reminds me, I think it was somewhere in Deuteronomy where it is written, "Thou shalt back up thy data, and do so often."

White Horse
Okay, back to the subject at hand...  Many times when we read or study Revelation, we can focus on the "physical" aspects of the Tribulation period.  But, more importantly than those is the Spritual warfare going on during the Tribulation.  As we study today, let's look at the seals from a more spiritual focused view.

Revelation chapter 6 starts with the Lamb (Jesus) opening up the first of the 6 seals.  When the seal is opened, John sees the first of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", the White Horse.

I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

There are several repeating patterns for the horsemen, the first being the "horse".  In the first century, the horse symbolized Strength, Conquest, and War.  You can imagine that in those days, a horse was much like a tank or some other mechanized war machine would be today.  This first symbol indicates that all the horsemen are performing some form of conquest or another.  But the White Horse in particular is given the role of Conqueror in the verse itself.  It is interesting to note, that the rider in this case was given his 'victor's crown' before he had actually completed his conquest.  The white horse in this instance would also symbolize the parade horse that a conquering general would ride back into town after a successful battle. The last bit too look at here is that this rider is carrying a bow, not the most symbolic choice for war.  The bow is more symbolic of 'hunting'.  We can also note that the Greek god Apollo's symbol was also the bow.  Later in Revelation, the Antichrist is referred to as "Apollos, or in Hebrew, Abaddon".  You can read more detail about the White Horse here.

It is my opinion that this rider represents the arrival of the Antichrist.  The Greek 'anti' can mean 'instead of'.  Remember Jesus telling us in Matthew not to be deceived by those claiming to be the savior.  The Antichrist will deceive and conquer, but it is possible it might not be as apparent as we expect.  I suspect he will do so deceptively in order to fool people into following him.  How might he do that you ask, well let's look at the other horsemen to find out.

Red Horse

Next, the second seal is opened and again the beast announces and John sees.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take the peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

This is typically known as the War Rider.  The color red (pyros) in this instance symbolizes War, Fire, and Blood.  He also carries a sword, the more common symbol for war.  However, there is an interesting twist to the symbol in this case.  Here (in English) it is called a great sword.  But the Greek word for sword used here is different than what we'll see later with the Pale Horse.  This Greek word means "small sword or large knife".  So in essence, the translation is literally a "great small sword".  This could mean that the effects of this war are great, but the way it is implemented is not a grand "WW III" or nuclear holocaust, but something more deceptive and subversive.  To further illustrate that point, let's look at the line, "take the peace from the earth and that they should kill one another."  The "the peace" spoken of here could be the civil morality we have in the Holy Spirit, notice the definite article "the".  It isn't just peace, it is the peace.  If that is somehow withheld or pulled back, then it could be neighbor against neighbor.  Remember Jesus also said "many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other."  Now he did say "nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom", but he also said "wars and rumors of wars", so deceit will still be high during this time.

I think that because of "the peace" and the "kill one another" that in addition to what we would view as traditional warfare, there will be a great amount of civil anarchy as well, and the morality of many will be gone in the process.  (the second greatest commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself".

You can read more detail about the Red Horse here.

Black Horse

The third seal is opened and reveals another rider.  This one has an additional element in that after the rider is described, an unknown voice calls out another set of information.

And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

The Black Horse is traditionally viewed as famine.  I don't disagree with this, but I do want to point out a few things.  One, is that the famine is always coupled with the other things occurring in the world at this time (earthquakes, fires, blood water, etc.).  And I agree, this should cause a shortage of food.  But remember we are dealing with the great deceiver here, and it is possible that this could be a government imposed famine too.  Later we'll study about the mark of the beast.  A mark that one will not be able to buy or sell unless they possess.  So if you don't have the mark of the beast, you would be in a famine state, even if the crops are not all ruined.

Secondly, the use of the word "balances", while it seems very fitting to mean scales like used in the market (since later the unknown voice talks about measures of wheat) actually has a more common use that is something else.  The Greek word here is, "zygos", which in every other instance of the New Testament means "yoke".  So if you use that definition, then it appears that this rider is measuring the food, he is binding others in order to limit the access.

But let's take a detour for that unknown voice that speaks of wheat, barley, oil, and wine.  These items are very symbolic in other areas.  Wheat and barley make bread, oil and wine are tied to divinity.  In the last supper bread symbolizes the body of Christ.  Jesus is often referred to as the "Bread of Life".  if we look at these as symbols of Christ and perhaps the Gospel, then in keeping with our Spiritual theme, it may indicate that the famine spoken of here is a Spiritual famine.  Meaning the Gospel will be pushed aside for something else, something false.  So it is with this I tie the Black Horse with the "False Prophet".  Spreading his deceitfulness in a manner to get believers to go down the wrong path.  Violating the greatest commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind".

You can read more about the Black Horse here.

Before we see what is in the fourth seal, let's recap using our "Spiritual" focus, rather than the physical focus.

• The Antichrist arrives.  Ready to conquer by deceiving people into thinking he is the savior.
• Civil and Moral Anarchy ensues taking the peace from the earth.
• The False Prophet comes to spread his fake religion to mislead people away from the true faith and hope.

Pale Horse

And then, the fourth seal is opened.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Death arrives and Hell follows.  Everyone physically dies.  Even us sitting here today will die, regardless of whether the Tribulation happens in our lifetime or not.  And if we are believers, then Hell doesn't follow Death, Heaven does.  So we aren't talking about physical death here.  This is Spiritual Death.  Satan's ultimate goal.  Satan doesn't care if your body dies.  He wants your eternal soul.  That is his mission.  If he can convince people the Antichrist is the real savior, subject the world to chaos and killing and famine. And then have the False Prophet swoop in to give fake hope and worship.  Those who fall into those traps will be victims to the "second death".  Judgement and eternal damnation.

Jesus said the following to the Church in Smyrna (the persecuted). 

Revelation 2:10-11
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. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

During the Tribulation much focus will be on the "physical" needs.  Food, clothing, shelter, surviving natural disasters, wars, and the wrath of God.  We can not lose sight of the more important prize.  Standing firm in the faith till the end.  Satan is after your eternal soul, not your physical body.

A short summary of the fifth and sixth seals.  These will be covered more in later blogs.

The fifth seal reveals John seeing martyred Christians wanting to know when judgement will occur.  They are reassured with white robes and reminded of the promise that victory will be theirs.

The sixth seal gives a quick view of the wraths that are about to be unleashed when the seventh seal is opened and the Trumpets are sounded and the Bowls are poured.  The final line in those verses states this, "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"  Who will be able to stand before God on judgement day? Those who held the faith until the end.

Next week we will look at the 7 Histories outlined in Revelation 12-14.

Until next time,
God Bless you all,
Rob

Don't forget to check out my website, www.starvt.com.  And for those of you who have read my novel Providence, you can be assured that this journey through Revelation will show up in the next two books of the series, Purpose and Perseverance (hint, hint).

Lesson 4: The Hustler

Revelation, Lesson 4: The Hustler

Today's lesson happens to fall on Easter which makes it an appropriate time to cover a few items.

1) Whatever we study in Revelation, we mustn't forget that because Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He has already achieved victory over evil.
2) Whatever we study in Revelation, we can't forget #1 above.  Meaning, we can disagree about some of the particulars of prophetic literature and their meanings, but we have to hold true to the core doctrines.

For today, we are going to briefly cover Revelation 4 & 5.  Remember, when we skim over certain things, it is not because they are unimportant or irrelevant, but because our time is so short I have to choose what I spend time on.  Please dive into areas you don't feel I cover deeply enough on your own.  We can always talk about them in class, or in the comments section of the blog. (please comment).

Revelation 4:  I've selected a several areas of focus for this verse.

• John is told, "Come up here...". This indicates John was taken to Heaven for this viewing.  I don't know how this experience differed from his visions, but it seems significant to me in that John was being shown these things existed at the time, rather than indicating they are future things.
• John's vision of the throne and its surroundings indicates that all the events of the Tribulation would be managed from this location.  The command center.
• You'll note that there are 24 elders surrounding the throne.  A possible significance of this is that 24 is 12x2. 12 is the number of divine governance. The two sets could be the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles.
• Again, we are told of the 7 lampstands and 7 spirits. The Church (Rev. 1:20)
• We could spend weeks discussing the 4 living creatures, so I'll just give you a glimpse and allow you to explore these on your own. 4 is the number of the earth. The lion, ox, man, and eagle representation is the same as Ezekiel 1:6-10.  The wings indicate angelic power.  Hence the creatures could represent angelic power over the earth.
• Finally, quite a bit of the verse shows God being worshiped forever.  Meaning, this isn't a short-lived experience.  He has been, is now and will be - forever. The goal - worship Him.

Revelation 5:

• The scroll is God's right hand.  The hand of power and prestige. I believe this is the same scroll mentioned in Daniel 12:9 (where Daniel views the end times.
• The question is asked, "Who is worthy?" Rhetorical in a sense, but John is perplexed because he doesn't know until he's told.
• The Lion and the Lamb.  Both names/metaphors for Jesus.  Power and sacrifice.
• He is described as having 7 horns and 7 eyes.  Horns indicate Kingdom and eyes (which are the 7 Spirits) are all seeing.  The number 7 indicates "completeness".  Jesus has the power and insight into His Church.  This shows God's power in Jesus.
• Rev. 5 ends out with all the people of the world and those in Heaven praising and worshiping Jesus, just as they had done for God in Chapter 4.  God's declaration that Jesus is the Messiah to all the people.

Now, before we launch into Chapter 6, when the 7 Seals begin to be opened, we need to address a subject we started last week (Terms of Endearment).  I broached the subject of losing salvation and the timing of the rapture.  I think it is important to continue that discussion prior to actually diving into the details of the Tribulation.  We need to establish whether we will be here to endure it or not, right?

First, a disclaimer:

My goal and belief is not that one view is necessarily right and the other is wrong.

 

But rather, it is to ensure everyone has the knowledge to prepare for all scenarios.

So will we (the Church) be raptured before, during, or after the tribulation period described in Revelation?  My belief is the Church will endure the tribulation.  You can read in greater detail my reasoning in these two blogs I posted back in 2014.

Satan's Final Trick & Satan's Final Trick part II

Since I wrote those, I've compiled a few other items to support my reasoning. First, I used to always be a "pre-trib" rapture and "always saved" person.  But truthfully, I was that way because of word of mouth.  Meaning, I just followed what others believed.  But when it got deep into the Olivet Discourse, particularly in Matthew 24, I started to question the strong language that indicated we would suffer through the tribulation.  So I started studying more and asking myself questions.

• Maybe it doesn’t matter… maybe it does?
• I looked… I found plenty of Biblical evidence, but no direct statement of pre-trib rapture.
• I asked why not? This led to the discovery of other views.
• Pre-trib’s history
• Mid and Post Trib views
• Millennialism… (and all the other varying and respected opinions and theories)
• I realized, doctrinally it didn’t seem to matter which view you took, so long as you maintained the base foundation of belief that Jesus is your Savior.  So I asked myself, why all the disagreement?
• Then, as I read more, I began to believe you could lose your faith.  But, is that the same as losing salvation?
• We know Satan is the great deceiver (he's like a fake Rolex, has to be real enough to fool you). But why so much difference on these things that aren’t doctrinally different?

So I came up with these two questions.

1. If someone believes in “once saved” and “pre-trib” rapture, what would happen if they were wrong?
2. If someone believes you can lose salvation and post-trib rapture, what would happen if they were wrong?

Let's answer question 2 first.  The answer is, nothing.  Nothing negative would happen.  You'd be raptured away safely at the beginning.

For question 1, the answer would be different.  That person would have some pretty confused opinions, thoughts, and beliefs.  Everything they had thought to be true would not have been. They would endure the tribulation along with the risk of losing their salvation unbeknownst to them. That could be dangerous.

Now, I'm not completely certain that FAITH = SALVATION.  But I do know you have to have faith.  And repeatedly we are told some will lose faith, some will grow cold, and some will turn away.  We are also told "But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." and "To the one that is victorious..." the rewards will be given.

We are also told that anyone who takes the mark of the beast will suffer torment forever. (Rev. 14).  Jesus also says that whoever blasphemies the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness (Mark 3).

So let's say you can fall (turn cold, lose your faith, take the mark).  Would you even be here to do that?  For this I'd like to parallel three different verses.  I admit, just because these verses are extremely close on imagery and construction does not mean they have to describe the same event - but you have to consider it.

First, "the Rapture verse":

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Second, from the Olivet Discourse (this follows Jesus statement, "Immediately after the distress of those days..."):

Matthew 24:30-31
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Finally, from Revelation after the bowls of wrath have been poured out:

Revelation 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

While these items are no way conclusive (and there is so much more to study), I think it is at least enough to make you wonder.  And if you wonder, I pray that you'll study more.  Because remember,

My goal and belief is not that one view is necessarily right and the other is wrong.

 

But rather, it is to ensure everyone has the knowledge to prepare for all scenarios.

Oh, and in case you were still trying to put the title to the message, a hustler fools you into thinking you are winning or can win, then they swoop up and beat and take your money.  Satan is a hustler, and he does it with our beliefs in order to try to keep us from Heaven.

Until next time,

Peace and Love,
Rob
www.starvt.com

And check out my novel Providence.

Lesson 3: Terms of Endearment... sort of.

A study of Revelation: Lesson 3, the letters to the churches.

Most of you have probably studied the letters to the churches at one point in time or another as either the focal point of a sermon or a Sunday school lesson.  But, since during this study, we're only spending 14 weeks (as opposed to the needed 52 weeks), I'm breaking it down a little differently.  Rather than dissecting each verse or group of verses in great detail, I'm looking at things a little more broadly and doing a lot of summarizing and comparing.



If you read last week's lesson The Magnificent Sevens, you'll see that I have divided the book into seven major sections. This week we'll be looking at the 7 letters to the 7 churches.

There are several components within the letters that repeat (loosely repeat, I’ll highlight the differences as we move along). The components that repeat are as follows;

• The Command to write.  Each letter begins with the exact verbiage, “To the angel of the church in LOCATION write:”.  The angel referenced here is  stated in Revelation 1:20, as the seven stars in Jesus’ right hand.  Lampstand is also explained as the churches themselves.
  
• A description of Jesus. Many of these descriptions are references to others throughout the Bible and couple show his divinity over the writings in Revelation itself.
  
• Positive Evaluation and Praise.  Sardis and Laodicea have no positive praise (wouldn't want to be them).  Their evaluation is not very positive.  (Note: The praises can also blur into the encouragement)
  
• Encouragement and/or Criticism.  In this next portion of the letters (which sometimes bleed into the exhortation) come either some “hang-on” words, some direct chastisement, or both.  Smyrna and Philadelphia do not have any criticism (yay them!).
  
• Exhortation (request/command).  All the churches are told to repent (of the items in the criticisms) except for Smyrna and Philadelphia.  Those two are told to “hold on” and remain faithful.  Thyatira has some repent language also in the criticism, but are also told if they can hang on Jesus won’t put any more request on them.
  
• The reward for obedience.
• All the churches are told “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches”.  Some are told before the reward, some after. This is a reminder that they have to choose to listen and have to be believers (can't hear the Spirit if you don't believe)
• All seven are given the statement, “To the one that is victorious… (all those that overcometh - KJV)” prior to the statement of reward.  
• The Greek word used for victory is nikaō. The definition is to conquer, achieve victory, overcome.  With a specified use during the time: “of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions.”

Also, in case you are wondering - I refer to a particular church (First Baptist, United Methodist, etc.) as little "c", church.  I refer to all Christians and Christ followers as the Church, big "C".

First, let's agree that these letters are to established Christians (believers, people considered 'saved').  Let's also agree, that not only are these letters to the churches (little "c") during John's life, but also have applicability to, and are metaphors for churches (little "c") during all times and as well pertain to The Church (big "C").  I could go as far to add that the personification of the churches in the letters also indicate that they are written to us as individuals and the Church (big "C"). (reference back to Lesson 1 to read about my theory on the Trinity of Applicability).  

Disclaimer: I will discuss in detail in a later blog my beliefs on a Post-Tribulation Rapture and that I believe there are serious things to consider about the philosophy of 'once saved, always saved'.  This next section gives some leading insight to those two beliefs by me.

Let's take a moment to examine a few highlights from the exhortations.

In the letter to Ephesus, they are told, "if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand (metaphor for the actual church and also the Church) from its place."  They are clearly told if they don't repent, they will be removed.

In the letter to Smyrna, they are told to "be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown."  I highlight the word, "and" to indicate the message appears to say if you are not faithful to the point of death, then you won't get life as a victor's crown.

Those in Thyatira are told, they "will suffer intensely, unless they repent."

Philadelphia is told "Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."  The crown symbolizes victory (which we have already discussed).  

Can someone can take your crown?  I personally believe we can give it up by not repenting, not staying faithful till the end, and by doing a couple of specific things such as "taking the mark of the beast" and "blasphemy toward the Spirit" (these will be covered in more detail in future blogs).

Now, one (of many) arguments against my thought that you can lose your salvation, is that Jesus is not saying you will lose your salvation in these statements, but is highlighting the level of reward for those who are most faithful.  And I will admit, I also believe in levels of reward. As a good friend once said, "I reserve the right to let the Holy Spirit change my mind." Which means, I know I don't know everything, and this is how I interpret it, but I'm not so stubborn as to ignore other viewpoints.

As you can see, each letter serves and repeats specific behaviors.  Jesus establishes his glory and power so that you know you should obey. He gives some praise and encouragement on what you have done, but then highlights were you have fallen short. Then He commands you correct these shortcomings so that you can receive the rewards He has planned for you.

Lastly, let's look at the rewards in the letters.  If we jump ahead to Lesson 12 where we will study the 7 Visions, Revelation 19-22, we can see that there are some parallels between the two.

1.       Authority to eat from the tree of life. (you are accepted into the Kingdom)
2.       Not hurt by the second death. (the final judgement)
3.       White stone and new name. (new name and body)
4.       Authority over nations and the morning star. (Satan is defeated and has no power)
5.       Dressed in white, not blotted from the book of life. (with Jesus in the clouds)
6.       Become a pillar of the temple. (new Jerusalem)
7.       Seated with Christ (with him during his reign)

Don't forget that these rewards are specifically designated for "those who have ears and hear what the Spirit says" and to "the one who is victorious" or remains faithful till the end.

One of the most important things we need to take away from the letters is the applicability to our current world, and the applicability to Christians during the end times and Tribulation period.  He clearly commands us to remain faithful and obedient along with these specifics:

• Continue to love as He has shown us.
• We will be persecuted, but stand firm.
• Do not compromise with evil.
• Do not become corrupt like the world.
• Do not let ourselves become spiritually dead.
• Remain Faithful.
• Do not be indifferent.

Until next time,
God Bless you all,
Rob

Don't forget to check out my website, www.starvt.com.  And for those of you who have read my novel Providence, you can be assured that this journey through Revelation will show up in the next two books of the series, Purpose and Perseverance (hint, hint).

Lesson 1: "Great Scott, Marty. We've got to get Back to the Future!"

Lesson 1: A journey through the Book of Revelation.

I hope the title got your attention, but I apologize if you thought this had something to do with the movie. It doesn't.  What it does deal with is a study I'm leading my Sunday School class through in the Book of Revelation.  

"Study I'm leading..." might be too strong of words.  Really what I intend to do is simply lead a quest of discovery, pointing out things and giving interpretations of others.  As I told the class, this is not a "dictation of fact, but a personal journey of discovery."

I've done this type of study before with a good friend and brother in Christ at another church. This is my attempt to repeat part of that process (I'm limiting this study to 14 lessons) and changing it slightly over the original path (as my friend used to remind students, "I reserve the right to allow the Holy Spirit to change my mind...").

In that original study, I also tried to document the lessons and such on this blog.  However due to the computer crash of 2012 - I lost a lot of my material and am working to recreate a lot of it. (some of this may be repeated).

You'll note as I have over the years that there is no shortage of interpretations of Revelation.  I attended an all day event at a local seminary that had 6 experts in eschatology and each had differing views.  And that's okay.  Anyone who claims to know definitively the meanings of Revelation is lying to you and themselves.  But that doesn't mean we can't understand them better.  

And with this mindset, I chose the title of this series to be called, "Back to the Future".  Primarily based on my belief that either parts of all the major theories are true or that they all are true all at the same time.  I call this applicability of the trinity of time.  God can create a narrative that describes the past, present, and future all at once.

Well, that is enough introduction.  Let's get started.

Prepare yourself to receive God’s message

Before you begin any quest (mountain climbing, jogging, repairing a toilet), you have to ensure you are prepared.  The same is true for Biblical studies.  This first component is the key to why it is sometimes impossible to debate the Bible or Scripture with someone, or why you yourself may find that you don’t understand any of it.  If you don’t have this first element taken care of, you will not find fruit in this guide, and you won’t find it in the Bible.               

John 3:3-6- ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  ...⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (NIV)

Matthew 13:11-16 - ¹¹ He (Jesus) replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ...¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  (NIV)

Now from these two passages we can deduce the following.  Jesus clearly states that to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven you must be born again.  He clearly states that there are some who have eyes and ears but do not see or hear.  Your heart has to be open to what God wants to tell you (even if it is just a little crack).  You cannot approach your study with a closed and calloused heart.   Basically you have to get yourself out of the way and let God do the talking.  You can’t do that if you have Him shut out.

First, let me state the obvious.  God can do anything He desires.  So the Bible can be understood by anyone He wants it to be understood by and it can reach anyone at any level of belief.  However, those who are believers and have Christ as their Savior can have a distinct (major) advantage over someone who does not believe (or worse who “anti-believes”). So if you are not a believer or don’t have Christ as your Savior, you can still get God’s message by being open to Christ so that he can communicate with you.  You just cannot have a closed heart and expect to be enlightened.

Along those same lines, you have to be open to the truth.  This almost sounds too simple, but it is sometimes the biggest hindrance to our understanding.  Many times we have a pre-conceived notion of what a Bible verse means (or more to the point, what we want it to mean).  We have to let go of those notions and allow God to truly show us the meaning without interjecting our own idea (or Satan’s prompting) of what the verse may mean.

Finally, you have to be willing to obey God.  If the interpretation starts going towards pointing out where we have been disobedient, you would be surprised how quickly our “self” jumps in and redirects the interpretation to something a little more amiable.  That cannot be allowed to happen for the truth to be unveiled.

So, basically you have to get yourself out of the way.  Open up your heart to the Lord so he can get in.  Remove your own interpretation. Be willing to accept what you learn.

Holy Spirit

This is how God is going to deliver his message to you if you are prepared to accept it.  We are incapable of interpreting God’s word perfectly all the time.  We are incapable of doing anything perfectly all the time. We need help.  The Holy Spirit will (and must) guide your Bible study. Imagine if you will, while reading this article there is something you don’t quite understand (I can’t believe that would ever happen).  Who would be the best person to answer your question?  The author, of course.  The same holds true for the Bible.  God is the author – using the Holy Spirit to inspire and direct the authorship. Who better than the Holy Spirit to guide your study?

2 Peter 1:21 - For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 - these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (NIV)

Clearly the Bible is God inspired through the Spirit, and the Spirit reveals things to us, so it should be easy to allow the Spirit to guide your study, right?  I wish.  (You have to revisit the first section on preparing yourself.)  You have to pray for guidance.  And just as importantly you have to listen.

When I am studying a lesson (or preparing an article or lesson) I try desperately to listen what the Spirit is telling me as it guides my study.  While doing this there are two things I make myself very cognizant of in order to keep me on track.  First, I watch closely to make sure it is not me driving the direction.  I have had some really cool ideas in the past (so I thought).  Ones that made me think, “Wow, the class is going to love this parallel I’m drawing and the ‘real world’ example I’m using.  This is going to really hit home with them.”  But I’ve ended up throwing those ideas in the trash either because the Biblical reference was weak, or I finally realized that was not the message I was being “told” to deliver.  

The second big distraction is Satan (and it is debatable who is the bigger distraction, me or him.)  If you are on to something good, you can be sure the Deceiver is going to be right there trying to get you to chase rabbits rather than finding the intended meaning God has in store for you.

You are now ready.  You have opened your heart.  You are ready and willing to hear the truth.  You are keeping yourself and Satan at bay.  So the Holy Spirit is going to whisper in your ear the true meaning of all that has eluded you, right?  Wrong. Don’t get me wrong, there may be some “ah-ha” moments when the light bulb finally goes on, but don’t be expecting any great revelation like John got; one that suddenly makes everything crystal clear (remember, even John didn’t understand everything he was shown).  The Spirit will work through your diligent study.  If you are not open to the Spirit, reading the Bible can be like reading someone else’s mail – but, if you are open to the Spirit, it is like God is talking directly to you. (that is not my original line, but I do not know who said it).

Scripture interprets Scripture

So let’s get into the tools of interpreting.  The first (and best) tool to use when interpreting the Bible; is the Bible.

2 Peter 1:20 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. (NIV)

The prophets didn’t use their own interpretation.  The disciples didn’t use their own interpretation.  Why should you or anyone else get to use your own interpretation? Since the Bible was God inspired, let’s use God’s inspiration to help us understand what He is telling us.  The following five items can be used to help whenever you come across a particular word, phrase, symbol, or passage that you have difficulty understanding.

First/Common/Other Usages: This technique is designed to help you understand the most relevant definition of the item in question.   You will need a good concordance (there are many online versions now that can really help you.  I have been using www.blueletterbible.org).  Remember, regardless of the message you think you are supposed to get from the Bible, the author was writing it to first century Jews – so you need to see a couple of references to how they used that word to really understand what the writer (or speaker) means.

Word Definition: This tool is very closely related to the first tool.  This is the actual definition of the word.  It is important to note the relevant first century definition.   It is also important to use a good lexicon of the original Greek wording.  I know this can be daunting, but if you find a good online version to use, it can really help your study. (again, I use www.blueletterbible.org).  An interesting verse to look at for this is John 21:15-17.  This is where Jesus asks Peter if he “loves” him (they use two different words for love throughout the exchange).  I won’t spoil the search for you by divulging any clues.

Context: Next and still closely associated with the first two items is context.  This one may be the most abused rule but if you are looking for true meaning – context has to be taken into account.  Many verses or “one liners” if not placed within the whole picture of the message have different meanings.  Paul said, “Wives, submit to your husbands.” (Eph 5:22) – Therefore the Bible says women should do what men say – wrong.  Read the entire chapter (actually read the entire book! Read 1 Corinthians while you’re at it).

Historical background: This one may be a little harder to gather information on, but the history of the time and place can be so vital to understanding.  A great example of this is the economic posture and geographical status of Laodicea – the lukewarm church in Revelation.  Knowing about the hot springs and cold springs surrounding the city, knowing that Laodicea had a medical school that produced eye salve for various ailments, and knowing that they were famous for certain tunics makes several of the references much more meaningful.

Genre: This one is almost too simple, but can keep you from getting off on the deep end when the message is much easier.  What I mean by genre is that the books of the Bible can be divided into different categories of writing (Prophetic, Historical, Epistles, Gospels, Poetry).  Knowing what you are reading can streamline your interpretation to some degree.  For example, an Epistle to the Corinthians (a letter to the church members) has a great wealth of information that we can also use to live our lives by, but it is going to be pretty straight forward in its direction – much straighter forward than prophetic literature such as Revelation – which uses symbols and imagery.

So let’s get started with some more basic items to prepare ourselves.  The first place I like to start is with who, why, where, what, when, and how questions.  Answering these questions can really open you up to some new insights that you may have overlooked before, especially if you always approach the text with only a 21^st century mindset.

Who: John the apostle wrote the book of Revelation.  This is the same apostle that wrote the Gospel of John and three epistles 1, 2, and 3 John.  He was part of Jesus’ inner circle of apostles (along with Peter and James).  He stood by the cross and was charged by Jesus to look after Mary. He was one who raced to the empty tomb the day it was found to be empty. He was referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”.  John outlived all the other apostles – and outlived the Caesar who had him imprisoned for following Christ.  You will find much debate amongst the “scholars” on whether this John is the same who wrote the gospel and the epistles.  You’ll find some that state the writing style is too different to be the same man.  I say the writings are three different genres for three different purposes and maybe he just wrote them differently based on that need.  Either way, I see no need to challenge the authorship.  I am inclined to agree with those that were with the disciples at the time, the early church fathers that declared and ultimately agreed that this John, was the same as the apostle John and the author of the other books.

Why: Sometimes it is important to understand “why” an author wrote what he wrote.  While all of the scripture is God inspired, some had some really personal reasons for being written.  Take for example the epistles to the various churches.  Those letters were to help those early churches to grow, stay strong, and correct some of their erroneous ways.  Revelation is slightly different.  John wrote Revelation because he was commanded to by Jesus directly, and therefore we can assume because Jesus wanted to make sure we had this message on hand.  Revelation 1:11 and 1:19, “Write on a scroll what you see…” This was not John’s idea to share this information with the seven churches.  It was not his idea to capture a vision of the future.  He was told to write what he was told and what he was going to see in the vision.  Basically, he was told “Write this down.  It is important.”

Where:  John wrote Revelation while imprisoned on the island of Patmos (Rev 1:9).  He was imprisoned there by Caesar for preaching about Jesus.  Caesar sentenced him to remain in prison till death, but John outlived the Caesar and was released shortly after completing Revelation. Some feel that Revelation was secretly passed out of the prison piece by piece until it was completed.

What: What this book is about – well that is the whole point of this exercise isn’t it? Here is a brief look into what is to come - Persecution, the rise of evil, encouragement, perseverance, the defeat of evil, the reign of Jesus.  Victory.

When: There is much debate (as always…) but the general consensus is that John wrote this around 95 AD.  John outlived all the other apostles, and it may be that this was the last inspired work.

How:  I use the “how” for a number of various definitions, mostly, the genre.  Revelation is apocalyptic literature.  That means it is going to be highly symbolic and prophetic.  It was very popular at the time.  The word “apocalyptic” in Greek, means “revelation” (an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling).

Now that we have established a baseline (and while I understand that we may not all agree on all the items listed above, it is important that you understand the stance from where I will be writing this articles as well as others), let us now look at some of the most debated aspects of the book in whole, before we dive into some of the specifics within the book.

First, let us revisit Rev 1:8, where Jesus states he is “who is, and who was, and who is to come.”  Also, in Rev 1:19, John is instructed to “write what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later.”  Both of these statements (especially 1:19) set the book of Revelation into an organization pattern of three elements John is to describe.  “What you have seen” – things of the past; “what is now” – things occurring at the time of writing (letters to the churches); and “what will take place later” – prophesies of future events.  Some of the writings clearly fall into those categories, but the book of Revelation itself is widely debated as to where it falls within those confines, and the arguments for each are all strong and remarkable.  Here is a brief overview of each of the four main views on the placement of the book’s events.

1.       Preterist – the described events took place in the 1st century

2.       Historical – the events that take place from the writing up until Christ’s return

3.       Futurist – the end times leading to Christ’s victory

4.       Idealist – a symbolic writing of God’s triumphs over evil with no direct ties to actual events.

So it is with this knowledge that I submit the following.  God is the most awesome author to ever write a book, and he has written Revelation to satisfy all of the differing views of the interpretation of the text.  If notable scholars can clearly define how the four horsemen fit the early Roman empire, then why argue that point.  It fit the people of that day and allowed them to draw closer to the word of God based on the relevancy of the prophecies.  Could those same conclusions be applied to other periods of history?  Absolutely.  Do the events foretell some future occurrence when the antichrist will rise and reign? Most definitely.  So although I am a futurist by choice (design, nature, whatever), I do not discount the application of the visions to the other methodologies – in fact I think they only strengthen God’s power that it can occur that way.  So when John wrote about one of the visions he saw, he was describing something that was seen (the past), was (the now), and is to come (the future) – each vision fits and continues to fit multiple applications. The only thing I caution you on (or do not agree with) is if someone claims the victory has already occurred, and that tribulation is occurring right now, or the antichrist is already in power.  I think the culmination of those events is going to be quite dramatic and unmistakable – and those events are truly for the end times,

The next thing I’d like to discuss is symbolism in general.  Most people have a pretty good grasp of symbolism and what it means.  The symbolism arguments usually center on whether the symbolism is a Literal Interpretation (the events will occur just as described) or Metaphoric Interpretation (these descriptions use familiar things to describe unfamiliar events).  For most writing styles the interpretation is pretty straight forward - metaphoric.  However, when dealing with the Bible, and especially prophetic visions, this is a pretty daunting task – since God can create anything, any symbolic description is possible as a reality (not saying they all are, but that option exists for each one).

We can surely find examples of both throughout the Bible.  Literal: Moses parting the Red Sea, Jesus feeding the 5,000. Both of those acts are so magnificent of an accomplishment, on human standards they would have to be metaphoric – but since these were actions by God, they are literal events.  

Metaphoric: the serpent in the garden, the four horsemen.  Again, these could be literal – Eve could have been tempted by a large snake, but most likely the attributes of a snake were simply given to Satan in this instance. Then we can find some that could be either – many people debate if the entire book of Jonah is metaphoric (I don’t think so, I think it is literal), almost the entire book of Revelation can be debated along those lines (the woman on the beast, the great Abyss). 

Particularly with prophetic literature, that is the purpose for the symbolism; it is meant to be vague enough to only be realized after the prophecy has come true.  That way people don’t have enough information to either purposefully ‘help’ the prophecy or purposefully try to stop it. 

While this brief explanation of symbolism will leave you with as many questions as you had before, it was never intended to answer them for you.  It is merely to help you break down the barriers and fear of digging into the Bible’s unknown and confusing areas.  So many people avoid Revelation because they fear they will not be able to decipher all the clues and information contained there.  You don’t have to worry about that.  What you need to do is approach it with an open heart and allow the Spirit to guide your study.  The Spirit will lead you where you need to go, and you’ll find insight into those areas needed for understanding.  The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter if actual “locusts” are going to devour or if “fallen angels” are going to devour like locust.  What does matter is that you get the message God is sending you.

One last thing in regards to symbolism I would like to discuss, and this is an area you can get caught up in that may distract your study, is the fads such as numerology or other “secret codes” within the Bible.  You will find any number of fantastic discoveries of secrets from within the Bible such as “Shakespeare in Psalms”, etc.  I will be the first to admit, I find some of these things fascinating – but let me assure you, God’s message to you is NOT HIDDEN in some mathematical equation that causes you to piece words together.  So you can enjoy these little “trivia” pieces if you’d like, but please do not take them as being the intended message.  Find that intended message with your own study. (And I say all this knowing full well I will spend some time on numerology).

This concludes the “interpretation” lesson.  I know there probably wasn’t anything overly groundbreaking for you in these, but remember – this is my journey into Revelation (I’m just letting you tag along for the ride).  See you next week in the next article (I hope you come back.) where I will show you how I break the Book of Revelation down into a timeline that can help you understand the whole picture and guide your study.



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Until next time,
God Bless you all,
Rob

Don't forget to check out my website, www.starvt.com.  And for those of you who have read my novel Providence, you can be assured that this journey through Revelation will show up in the next two books of the series, Purpose and Perseverance (hint, hint).