A Bunch of Keys.
Written by an old fisherman in exile, Revelation is not only the seal of scripture where all other books of the Bible meet, but it is also the Sphinx – puzzling yet full of promise. While one of the rules for interpreting its pages is that it was written for first century Christians, it is relevant to every age, as will become evident when we look at the sequence of sevens that permeate the book. However, if we are living on the borders of eternity then we are to expect increasing light on last things. If the world is approaching a final crisis then we would expect a warning and heavenly counsel as to how to prepare. There are several threads for the maze that will keep us from speculation, newspaper interpretations and guesswork.
It is my intention to run a zoom presentation on the keys to interpreting revelation. While I don’t expect all 300 participants to rock up to a zoom it is important to understand how the Jewish Old testament Sanctuary pantomine, and the Old Testament Stories are vital keys to understanding the book. The Hebrew sanctuary overlays the entire book and you cannot understand it with this vital key of interpretation. I was thinking of doing this ZOOM presentation (by PPT) on two different identical nights for the convenience of those who may be interested. Look out for the Zoom invitation.
There are a whole bunch of keys that will take us safely through the maze. The first is the structure of the book. It is arranged in the ancient format of Hebrew poetry called a chiasm. A chiasm can best be understood by visualizing a sideways ‘V’ shape with corresponding letters on each arm that match. This is hard to explain in an SMS so I would direct you to the support material site below. Basically the book follows a pattern that is not like our western minds might expect with a linear progression. The beginning of the book and the end correspond and then methodically work to the apex of the ‘V’ which is the main point. This is Chapter 12 in our English versions. So e.g. the 7 trumpets and the 7 plagues match and are opposites on the chiasm. These ae keys to Revelations correct interpretation.
- Rev 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written therein…”
Support material for the Chiastic structure of Revelation here: https://revelationofjesus.net/en/important-questions/chiastic-structure-is-key-to-understanding-revelations-symbols/
Revelation 1:1 states that “He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” The Greek word translated “signify” (NLT has “present”) means to show by symbolic signs. While John is seeking to explain and not obscure, all John’s visions are housed in symbolic language that draws entirely from the Old Testament writings. THere needs to be no speculation. All the books of the Bible culminate in Revelation. All the imagery, symbolism, illusions, quotes, references, and typology come from the Old Testament. In following the threads through the maze this is a vital key that will unlock our understanding. The book of Revelation must be interpreted by the Bible alone and not men’s ’ideas.’ When we understand this, it helps us avoid panic theology or newspaper exegesis. It also helps us make correct interpretations that are not based on speculation.
So the key for today – allow scripture only to interpret the book of Revelation. Think like a Jew or fail!
Thus, for the most part, the language used to describe Revelation’s prophecies must not be interpreted literally, unless it clearly points to a literal meaning. While the scenes and events predicted are real, they usually were expressed in symbolic language. Literal things are presented in a symbolic way. Keeping in mind the largely symbolic character of Revelation will safeguard us against distorting the prophetic message and imposing a meaning that comes from human imagination or the current meaning of these symbols in contemporary culture. God has portrayed the future, in the language of the past, because we know how He has acted in the past and we can therefore have confidence in what He will do in the future. Whatever our present circumstance we must keep a view of the big picture before us.
God’s final victory is GUARANTEED because the decisive battle has ALREADY been fought and WON at the cross where the last enemy was destroyed – death (See 1 Cor 15:51-57.) In the first instance Revelation was written to spiritually arm 1st Century Christians for the task of the universal spread of the Gospel. However, its relevance spans the ages and becomes intensely relevant to us who stand before the grand consummation of all things.