Justice Pending: The Revelation of God's Inconvenient Truth

Copyright © 2010 Robert F. Richardson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1-(866) 928-1240

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-0361-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-0362-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-0360-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010932293

Printed in the United States of America

WestBow Press rev. date:10/4/2010

Dedicated to all those who

by sound doctrine and sober living

have nurtured in my soul

an unapologetic love for

the Word of God

and an abiding adoration

for its Author.

"And shall God not avenge

His own elect

who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

I tell you that

He will avenge them speedily…."

Luke 18:7-8

PREFACE

Anyone who seriously considers writing a commentary on a sacred book that carries a warning label against distorting its message would be wise to observe the restrictions imposed on the process. Peter defined the parameters for the interpreter when he insisted that, "…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20 ESV). This requires the interpreter to see his role as a miner rather than a manufacturer. The miner labors to extract the precious mineral embedded in the ore. The manufacturer selects miscellaneous parts to assemble a product from a predetermined design.

Mining the Scripture to expose the gold embedded in the text is exegesis. What Peter denounced is eisegesis that imposes the manufacturer’s blueprint on the exposition of the text. Just as the miner submits his nuggets to the assayer to test their true value, the interpreter must constantly subject his assumptions to the scrutiny of Scripture.

Ideally, the interpreter of the Apocalypse should be free of presuppositions; however, no expositor is totally without interpretative bias. It is the byproduct of assessing the relative significance of a text and allowing it to influence his understanding of other Scripture passages. The process is like a family assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The first step is to search for the corners and flat pieces that define the boundaries in which the remaining pieces fit. Without them in their proper place, the emerging picture will never look like the cover of the box. If the interpreter’s ...fundamental assumptions are false, it is highly likely that any conclusions reached based on them are also false.1

The Reformers were driven by interpretive presuppositions that transformed the religious world. As they challenged the claim of the established church that it was the exclusive and infallible interpreter of Scripture, their guiding slogan was Sola Scriptura, a Latin phrase meaning by Scripture alone. It demanded that all interpretation must be subordinate to the written word of God. When they said that Scripture interprets Scripture, they meant that obscure passages in Scripture must be understood in light of clearer ones.2 This principle is also known as the analogy of Scripture (or the analogy of the faith) which operating under the modest assumption that Scripture interprets Scripture, may guard against a one-sided interpretation of the scriptural text.3 This commentary is my attempt to apply this simple premise and let the reader listen as the prophets and apostles sing in sweet harmony with themselves.

As for my own presuppositions, I am persuaded that John’s montage of kaleidoscopic visions is framed by the major sections of his apocalyptic puzzle. I find this organizational approach compelling because its simplicity allows the pieces of the puzzle to connect to each other without forcing them to fit where they do not belong. Between its prologue and epilogue, the body of the Revelation is one story told in four sections. Section I unveils the events that chart the course of the age to the coming of Christ in a generally chronological sequence. Section II identifies the leading players behind the events in the previous section. The first to be introduced is the sun-clothed woman and her Son followed by the great red dragon, the beast out of the sea, the beast out of the earth, Babylon the harlot, and the worshipers of the beast. Section III describes the individual judgments of these enemies of God in the opposite order in which they were introduced. Section IV portrays the final reward of the sun-clothed woman as she reigns with Christ in the eternal state.

My purpose in writing this commentary is to stimulate the reader to challenge his presuppositions about the Revelation by making a fresh inductive study of the text. Therefore, I have purposely avoided the labels that punctuate the vocabulary of the various systems of eschatology in order to fix the focus of the reader on the text itself. I am persuaded that the believers to whom the Apocalypse was written understood John’s epistle without the aid of the artificial systems imposed on it centuries later. That encourages me to believe that any serious student of God’s Word should be able to comprehend its meaning using the only method available to those early Christians, namely, comparing the Revelation with the Old Testament authors and the available writings of the New Testament.

If the commentary appears to repeat itself, it is because the Revelation is not a single chronological narrative. John frequently revisits his subjects to provide additional detail. Since the Apocalypse unfolds its truths progressively, questions that occur to the reader early in the commentary may be left unanswered until more pieces of its puzzle are conjoined.

I have provided sufficient documentation to demonstrate that my exposition falls within the main stream of evangelical thought. I have quoted extensively from authors representing disparate systems of eschatology to allow the reader to assay their worth by the acid test of the analogy of Scripture. For those who desire a brief synopsis of the leading conservative views of eschatology, I would recommend The Meaning of the Millennium edited by Robert G. Clouse and published by InterVarsity Press. For an overview of contemporary interpretations of the Revelation by conservative scholars, see Four Views of the Revelation, a compilation of essays edited by C. Marvin Pate and published by Zondervan in 1998. For the history and issues dealing with the rapture of the church, see Three Views of the Rapture edited by Stanley N. Gundry and published by Zondervan Press in 1996. The Millennium is Loraine Boettner’s classic critique of the major systems of eschatology published by The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company in 1957.

Unless otherwise indicated, I have quoted from the New King James translation throughout the book. It was my personal preference because it retains the majestic language of the Authorized Version by which, as a boy of ten, I came to know its sacred author. For the benefit of the reader, the editors of the NKJV exchanged some of the archaic expressions for those more familiar to the contemporary ear. In passages where another translation seems to convey the truth more clearly, I have cited them and indicated so in the text. As far as practical, I have printed out proof texts for the benefit of the reader who may be reluctant to check these references for himself.

I am indebted to the midwives who helped birth this commentary: to Joe Cowan for his encouragement and generosity that gave impetus to the project; to Harvey Nowland, the author of the Dawn Light Trilogy, for his guidance in navigating the publishing maze; to Hope Welborn for her tenacity in proofing the manuscript; and to the team at WestBow Press for their expertise and professionalism.

I defer to the wisdom of Martyn Lloyd-Jones for his warning to those who undertake the study of the Revelation: There is a right way and a wrong way to study this great doctrine, and you want to be sure you are studying it the right way, this is the infallible test: if your study of it humbles you, your study is in the right way. If it inflates you or inflames your mind and your passion, you are studying it in the wrong way. If the study of it leads you to go down on your knees in worship and adoration and praise, it is the right way; but if it gives you a sense of self-satisfaction that you have understood it and, as it were, have encompassed the thing with your own mind, then it is utterly, and absolutely wrong. If your study of it makes you realize that the time is short and that you must be up and about doing, then you must purify yourself and prepare yourself for it, then you are studying in the right way. But if it is something purely intellectual, and it does not affect your spirit and your way of living, then you can be certain that your whole approach is wrong. This is not a subject for the mind only; it is for the whole person. It is the ultimate end of salvation. It is the completion of all that we have hitherto been privileged to consider together. May God give us grace, therefore, to approach this glorious truth in that way. 4

After attempting to distill a lifetime of study into print, I readily acknowledge that deficiencies remain in spite of my best effort. Not all the questions have been answered, and some pieces of the puzzle have yet to find their proper place. For me, writing about the Revelation has been a pastoral pursuit rather than an academic exercise. I want my reader to experience the joy of discovering that John’s epistle is truly a revelation of hope for troubled times. I trust that others will build on the basic premise of this work and prepare the church for the gathering storm that will severely try her faith until Her Lord returns to dispel the darkness and cause justice to dawn on a brighter day.

"For the Lord loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

The righteous shall inherit the land,

And dwell in it forever"

(Psalm 37:28-29).

Robert F. Richardson

ABBREVIATIONS

BDG, Brown, Driver, and Briggs

ESV, English Standard Version

ISBE, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

JFB, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

KJV, King James Version

LXX, the Septuagint

NASV, New American Standard Version

NIBD, Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary

NIV, New International Version

NKJV, New King James Version

NLT, Holy Bible, New Living Translation

RSV, Revised Standard Version

NRSV, New Revised Standard Version

TEV, Today’s English Version

TWOT, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament

UBS, United Bible Society Handbook.

Contents

PREFACE

ABBREVIATIONS

PROLOGUE

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

SECTION I:

THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

SECTION II:

TARES AMONG THE WHEAT

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

SECTION III:

THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

SECTION IV:

THE AGE TO COME

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

EPILOGUE

Chapter 30

APPENDIX:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTES

PROLOGUE

"Blessed is he who reads

and those who hear

the words of this prophecy,

and keep those things

which are written in it;

for the time is near."

Revelation 1:3

PROLOGUE

AN OVERVIEW OF REVELATION 1:1–3:22

The Book of Revelation is written in the form of an epistle containing the typical salutation and benediction found in other biblical correspondence of the day. John, however, delayed his salutation to define the nature of his letter, and establish the guidelines by which it is to be interpreted. Only then did John send greetings to the churches of Asia Minor and introduce himself as the human instrument of the Divine authors of the Apocalypse, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. After affirming the humanity of Christ and His offices as our rightful king and priest, John offers a doxology to His deity and affirms the prophets’ promise of His coming.

John is a man under divine appointment. He was commissioned by Christ Himself to bear witness in writing to all he saw, both present and future. The personal correspondence of Christ to His churches is evidence of His great love for them and His abiding presence with them. He assures each church that He knows the circumstances under which it labors in His name, evaluates its ministry, and reminds each of the implications of His coming.

Chapter 1

CHARTING THE CHANNEL

REVELATION 1:1–3

The Contents of the Book

Revelation 1:1, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants––things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

The first three verses of the Revelation define how its divine author intended the book to be interpreted in order to discourage the tendency toward private interpretation. These verses are the marker buoys that guide the reader as he navigates the channel of its content, purpose, perspective, and means of communication, transmission, authorship, style, blessings, genre, and relevance. To ignore them will drive those who sail its seas to shipwreck on the shoals of fanciful interpretation.

(1:1a) The Revelation... The first word in the Greek text is apokalupsis. When transliterated into English, Apocalypse, it is often used as an alternative title for the book. The absence of the definite article the before apokalupsis in the original text emphasizes the quality of the noun (apocalypse) rather than its mere identity.1 Therefore, apocalypse tells us that John’s book is a revelation, an uncovering in contrast to a mystery. The very title of the book alerts the reader that its pages illuminate events that have been clothed in mystery. These mysteries were often intermingled with historical persons and events contemporary to the prophets and serve as shadows and types, similes and metaphors for things yet to come.

Compacted in the single word apokalupsis is a microcosm of the book’s entire content. Seiss comments, …it cannot be otherwise but that in dealing with the contents of this book we are dealing with what relates pre-eminently to the great Apocalypse and Epiphany of our Lord, when He cometh to judge the world in righteousness. In addition, when we come to consider the actual contents of this book, we find them harmonizing exactly with this understanding of its title. It takes as its chief and unmistakable themes what other portions of Scripture assign to the great Day of the Lord. 2 As the exposition unfolds, it will become clear that the Apocalypse is the remarkable story of the day when the Son of Man is revealed like the lightning that pierces the sky blackened by the gathering storm (Luke 17:30).

The doctrine of inspiration guarantees that all Scripture is profitable. God breathed into its pages doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). However, if the Bible is unintelligible, it could hardly be profitable as the final authority for all faith and practice. If the Revelation were beyond the comprehension of those to whom it was written, then its relevance stands in doubt. In spite of its title, the fact remains that the only book in Holy Scripture which claims to be a revelation remains a mystery to the contemporary reader. Nevertheless, John wrote to ordinary first-century Christians with the expectation they would understand his epistle. If those saints understood its content sufficiently for it to be the blessing it promised, then we need to inquire why so many believers find it beyond their ability to comprehend.

Two interrelated answers come to mind: first, those believers were saturated with the Old Testament, and second, they were acquainted with the customs and language of their own times. There seems to be little doubt that the churches to whom John wrote were familiar with the Old Testament prophets and their pervasive teaching concerning the Day of the Lord. Those familiar with Daniel would understand the significance of the beast with the feet of clay (Dan. 2:33–35, 41–45), and years expressed in time, times, and half a time (Dan. 12:7). The students of Ezekiel would not be surprised that God preserves some from destruction by placing a mark in their foreheads (Ezek. 9:4), or that the people of God will face a climactic confrontation with Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:14–16). Those acquainted with Isaiah would expect the arrival of a new heaven and earth and a celestial city to replace an apostate nation and man-made Jerusalem (See Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). Therefore, Beale concludes, The Old Testament in general plays such a major role that a proper understanding of its use is necessary for an adequate view of the Apocalypse as a whole.3

As for the customs and language of biblical times, it must be admitted that an acquaintance with the history and culture contiguous to the churches of the Revelation might yield helpful insights to understanding some of the book’s more obscure passages. The meaning of the white stone inscribed with an unknown name (Rev. 2:17) may have to be found outside the pages of Scripture. However, if the reader is heavily dependent on extra-biblical material for his understanding, then unintentionally something has been said about the sufficiency of Scripture that demeans the Word of God. Those who believe the Bible to be its own best interpreter should be able to avoid dependency on its culture beyond reasonable limits. If God gave a revelation to His Son to show to His servants, it follows that understanding its message is not restricted to those with access to a good library and the intellectual capacity to research the apocalyptic literature of first century Judaism.

(1:1b) ...of Jesus Christ,... The multitude of volumes written on the Revelation indicates that the book is filled with interpretative choices. The first to confront the interpreter is the phrase, "of Jesus Christ." The grammar of the New Testament allows two options: either the Revelation is about Jesus Christ, or the Revelation belongs to Jesus Christ. Although there is ample evidence in the body of the book that Christ is its central subject, the phrase, which God gave him, weighs heavily in favor of concluding that the Revelation is His sole property.

(1:1c) ...which God gave Him... The Apocalypse is the Father’s gift to His son. The Revelation is not only about Jesus, but the copyright belongs to Him. His proprietary rights explain why the Lamb is the only one found worthy to take the scroll from His Father’s hand, break its seals, and look on its contents (Rev. 5:1–7). It is the story of His day, and the right to disclose it to His servants belongs exclusively to Him.

The Purpose

(1:1d) …to show His servants... Here we have a clue that the Apocalypse is a picture book that communicates its message in visual form. Its purpose is not only to tell the reader the truth but show it in brilliant graphics. Subsequent chapters chronicle Christ’s opening of a sealed scroll that contains a prophetic preview of things to come. When the scroll is fully unfurled, the servants of Christ may be confident of His ultimate conquest over their ancient enemies, sin, death, and the Devil. In spite of peril and persecution, the inevitable outcome is the stabilizing hope that produces patience in believers. They have not been forgotten, nor will their suffering go forever unavenged.

However, the reader should understand that the Apocalypse is more about doxology than eschatology. The book was not given to satisfy the disciples’ curiosity about the future but fill them with praise for the Lord whose awesome works unfold in its pages and encourage them to be patient in their tribulations and view their agonies on earth from the perspective of heaven. It is not unlike Asaph who went into the sanctuary of God and saw the end of the wicked. Only then did he overcome his envy (Psalm 73:17ff). Only then did he understand that they stood on slippery places while he was continuously with the Lord (Psalm 73:18, 23). The Revelation transports the believer above the tumult into the throne room of God. There he witnesses the end of the wicked and the abiding presence of the Lord with His people.

In these turbulent times, may the reader see beyond the apparent to reality and know with certainty what Hezekiah knew. Be strong and courageous: do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles... (2 Chron. 33:7–8).

The Perspective

(1:1e) …things which must shortly take place. The perspective of the book could hardly be stated more clearly; it is the unveiling of the future by Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the English translation, "things that must shortly take place," leaves the impression that the events described must take place soon." (See also Rev. 1:19 and 22:6). This text is critical to the position expressed by Kenneth Gentry, Jr. that ...the bulk of John’s prophecies occur in the first century, soon after his writing of them. Though the prophecies were in the future when John wrote and when his original audience read them, they are now in our past.4

This interpretation assumes that the Revelation was written prior to 70 A.D., and that its prophecies were essentially fulfilled when the city of Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed as Jesus predicted (Matt. 24:1–3). Mounce challenges that assumption. Yet the evidence is fairly conclusive that the Book of Revelation was written at a considerably later period, during the reign of Domitian (AD 81–96).5 Furthermore, other elements attending the destruction of the temple have not yet taken place: the sign of the Son of Man has not appeared in heaven, He has not come on the clouds with power and great glory, He has not gathered His elect with a great sound of a trumpet, nor has He judged the nations (Matt. 24:29–31). The subsequent passage of almost 2,000 years places Gentry’s interpretation in doubt.

The translation of the phrase hangs on the adverb shortly (Grk. en tachei). Martyn Lloyd-Jones comments on en tachei as follows: This does not mean that everything will happen shortly, but that what is contained in the book must start shortly and will continue.6 Other evangelical scholars share the same opinion. ...en tachei means ‘quickly or suddenly coming to pass,’ indicating rapidity of execution after the beginning takes place. The idea is not that the event may occur soon, but that when it does, it will be sudden. (Cf Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7; 22:18; 25:4; Rom 16:20).7

The expectation that the kingdom would appear immediately became apparent preceding Jesus’ final entrance into Jerusalem. He moved to dispel the false impression by comparing Himself to a nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom and return (Luke 19:11–12). On other occasions, Jesus used the parables of the vineyard (Luke 20:9) and the talents (Matt. 25:19) to teach that He would be gone for a long time. Moreover, the Lord confirmed that His coming would be like the days of Noah and Lot when the wicked would be suddenly overtaken by destruction (Luke 17:26–37). Finally Jesus warned His churches that He would come suddenly and unexpectedly to all those who become careless trustees of their commission (Rev. 2:16; 3:3, 11). When He comes, the prophecy of Malachi will be fulfilled and the messenger of the covenant will "suddenly come to His temple" (Mal. 3:1–3).

The Means of Communication

(1:1f) …and He sent and signified it... The Bible is filled with figures of speech. E. W. Bullinger catalogued 217 in his copious work Figures of Speech in the Bible 8 originally published in 1898. …a figure denotes some form which a word or sentence takes, different than its ordinary and natural form. This always has the purpose of giving additional force, more life, intensified feeling, and greater emphasis. A figure of speech "…is never used except to add force to the truth conveyed, emphasis to the statement of it, and depth to the meaning of it. 9 Therefore, figures of speech have the effect of startling the reader by putting things in a strange way, because, if they were put in a more ordinary way, we should not notice them." 10

The Revelation would be in comprehensible if the reader were uninformed about its prolific use of figures of speech. The introduction informs the reader that its message was signified to John. To signify means to give a sign," the kind of visual aid Jesus used to show Peter how he would die (John 21:18–19). The woman clothed with the sun (Rev 12:1), the great red dragon (Rev 12:3) and seven angels carrying the bowls of God’s wrath (Rev 15:1) are designated as signs.

This graphic representation of reality is the heart of the debate as to whether the Revelation is to be interpreted literally or symbolically. The argument is not a new one. Originally, literal interpretation was the alternative to allegorizing which was the preferred hermeneutic of the Scholastics who were the dominant theologians and philosophers in the Middle Ages. In his excellent work, Fundamentalism and the Word of God, J.I. Packer states that the Scholastics concluded that the literal sense of the Scripture was unimportant. They preferred three interpretative categories they believed to be superior: its moral sense, from which one learned rules of conduct; its allegorical sense, from which one learned articles of faith, and the analogical, from which one learned the invisible realities of heaven.11

Although the original debate has been forgotten, its terminology survived its historical connotation. The unfortunate effect is that identifying a word or phrase as a symbol is often described as spiritualizing the Scripture in contrast to literal interpretation. This is an ironic departure from the position of William Tyndale (1494–1536), who wrote in support of literal interpretation, Thou shalt understand therefore that the Scripture hath but one sense, which is the literal sense. That literal sense is the root and ground of all, and the anchor that never faileth, whereunto if thou cleave, thou canst never err or go out of the way. Nevertheless, the Scripture uses proverbs, similitudes, riddles, or allegories, as all other speeches do; but that which the proverb, similitude, riddle or allegory signifieth, is ever the literal sense, which thou must seek out diligently.12

Packer reflects sympathetically on Tyndale’s position: This ‘literalism’ is founded on respect for the biblical forms of speech; it is essentially a protest against the arbitrary imposition of inapplicable literary categories on scriptural statements. It is this ‘literalism’ that present-day Evangelicals profess. But to read the Scripture narratives as if they were eye-witness reports in a modern newspaper, and to ignore the poetic and imaginative form in which they are sometimes couched, would be no less a violation of the canons of evangelical ‘literalism’ than the allegorizing was; and this sort of ‘literalism’ Evangelicals repudiate.13 Therefore, the interpreter who is most faithful to the Scripture is the one who most accurately reflects the intent of its divine author regardless of the linguistic media he chooses to convey it.

Interpretation of Symbols

The Revelation is permeated with at least twenty-six symbols. 14 One author wrote, This is termed a revelation, but it is a revelation of symbols, an exhibition of enigmas, to which no particular solution is given, and to which God alone can give the solution. 15 While acknowledging that the book contains symbols, the essential interpretative question is, what do they symbolize? To err at this point leads to the kind of creative interpretation that forms the seedbed for end-time cults. Some symbols are personifications that attribute human qualities to objects like the four apocalyptic horsemen, the woman clothed with the sun, the man-child she bore, the great red dragon, the beast, the remnant, the wife, and the whore. Others simply represent realities by inanimate objects like the candlesticks, the stars, and the sword held in the mouth of Christ. Some symbols are allusions to Israel’s history that in itself was an essential part of the oral education of every Jewish child. Fortunately, the context often interprets the meaning of the symbol. Christ explained that the candlesticks were churches and the stars were their messengers (Rev. 1:20), and an angel interpreted the symbolic whore astride a scarlet beast that John saw in the wilderness (Rev. 17:7ff). This contextual identification of symbols is most helpful in preventing unfounded speculation. However, if the symbol is not identified in its context, how can the interpreter be confident about its meaning? Harry Ironside, the beloved Bible teacher of a past generation, wrote, "I will again remind you of a principle which I want you to keep before you in all these lectures, and that is, in studying the Book of the Revelation it is never necessary to fall back on our own imagination as to what a particular symbol means. Every symbol is explained, or alluded to, somewhere else in the Bible" (italics his).16

Literary Allusions

Symbols are often used as literary allusions to things familiar to the reader, such as a person, place, thing, or historical event in the Bible. Ladd observed, Although John seldom quoted from the Old Testament in a formal way, his book is filled with obvious allusions to the prophetic writings. Here is a fact whose significance many modern critics overlook. John’s mind was saturated with the Old Testament, and he expected such passing allusions to be meaningful to his readers.17 Without some familiarity with its source, an allusion would be meaningless. An allusion ...consists of one or more words which by their peculiar character and content are traceable to a known body of text, but which do not constitute a complete reproduction of any part of it. By contrast, a direct quotation, or citation, is ...a general reproduction of the original text, sufficiently close to give the meaning of its thought and to establish unquestionably, the passage from which it is taken.18

There is general consensus among scholars that there are no direct quotations in the Revelation, but of its 404 verses, at least 278 contain some allusion to the Old Testament.19 In summary, Tenny writes of the Revelation, It is filled with references to events and characters of the Old Testament, and a great deal of its phraseology is taken directly from Old Testament books. Oddly enough, there is not one direct citation in the Revelation from the Old Testament with a statement that is quoted from a given passage, but a count of the significant allusions that are traceable both by verbal resemblance and by contextual connection with the Hebrew canon number three hundred and forty-eight. Of these approximately ninety-five are repeated, so that the actual numbers of different Old Testament passages that are mentioned are nearly two hundred and fifty or an average of more than ten for each chapter in the Revelation.20

Swete made a valuable contribution by preserving a condensed list of these allusions originally compiled by Westcott and Hort. He divides them into two groups. The first consists of Old Testament words and phrases that John used with no particular context in mind. For example, God sitting on His throne (Rev. 4:2) is an allusion which could be drawn from several passages (1 Kings 22:19, Isa. 6:1; Psalm 47:8). Of the second group, Swete says, But there are other references in which it is clear that he has in view certain books and passages, and is practically quoting from them, although no formula of quotation is used.21 An example from this group is found in the opening verse of the Revelation. In Daniel 2:28, the prophet refers to God as, "he who reveals secrets, while the Apocalypse begins with an equivalent phrase, The Revelation God gave... The phrases are too similar to be coincidental. Furthermore, things which must shortly come to pass," is also found in the Septuagint version of Daniel 2:29. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament abbreviated in theological literature as LXX. John appears to be calling the reader’s attention to Israel’s history by using these familiar words.

•   But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days (Dan. 2:28, LXX).

•   O king: thy thoughts upon thy bed arose as to what must come to pass hereafter: and He that reveals mysteries has made known to thee what must come to pass (Dan. 2:29, LXX).

Others argue that allusions to the Old Testament are not used to indicate a fulfillment of prophecy because ...the ordinary formulas (such as Mt 4:4, 7, 10) used in introducing Old Testament scriptures are not found in Revelation. 22 The ordinary formula to which this author refers is, "It is written. However, some allusions are metaphors that mean this is that," which is the equivalent of the fulfillment formula, "Then was fulfilled what was spoken by...the prophet" (Matt. 27:9; Acts 2:16). John’s allusion to the appearing of the Son of Man to reap the harvest of the earth (Rev. 14:14–15) is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of the same event (Joel 3:12–14).

Other allusions are similes that mean "this is like that," the figure of speech Jesus used repeatedly in His parables of the kingdom (Matt. 13). They are abundant in the Revelation and often introduced by the phrase "something like" (Grk. hos) which appears almost 70 times; for example, "...something like [hos] a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood" (Rev. 8:8). Similes often point to an analogous event in biblical history; the end-time activities of the Antichrist are like those of Antiochus Epiphanies (Dan. 8:15–26). The flight of the woman into the wilderness (Rev. 12:6, 14) is like the hasty exodus of the tribes of Israel from Egypt. The great tribulation that precedes the coming of Christ is like the tribulation attending the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. God’s protection of the tribulation saints is like His protection of the Israelites when God poured out His plagues of wrath on Egypt.

It is the thesis of this commentary that the relationship between an allusion and its source is the means by which the Scripture acts as the ultimate interpreter of the Revelation. As far as practical, I will note these allusions as they occur because they are the determining principle for interpreting the text.

The Transmission

(1:1g) ...by His angel... God’s revelation was conveyed from His Son to John through the mediation of an angel. Concerning angels, the author of Hebrews asked the rhetorical question, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb. 1:14). Only in the Revelation does the reader gain insight into the sheer multitude of angels and the extent of their activity in carrying out the purposes of their Creator. There are over seventy-five references to angels in Revelation, more than any other book in the Bible. Apparently, there are degrees of rank and authority among them as well as differences in assignments. As to their magnitude, they are simply innumerable (Rev. 5:11). God created as many as their ministry demanded.

(1:1h) ...to His servant John, Consistent with the pattern of inspiration, the authorship of the Revelation is both Divine and human; the Divine author is God, the human author is John who referred to himself simply as "the disciple Jesus loved" (John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). No doubt, his writings were a labor of love for the glory of his Lord. John wrote in his Gospel, ...and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). In the Revelation, John captured the essence of that glory and exulted with heaven’s occupants in adoration of their King (Rev. 5:11–13).

Although John’s record is full of insight about the events and personalities surrounding the Day of the Lord, it is not unique in Scripture. The reader has the benefit of comparing the Revelation to other sacred authors whose writings harmonize with its content. Among them are Daniel (12:1–11), Joel (3:9–21), Isaiah (26:19–27:1), Ezekiel (38–39), Zechariah (12–14), Jesus (Matt. 24:1–25:46), Paul (1 Thess. 4:13–5:3), Peter (2 Pet. 3:1–16), and the twenty-four elders enthroned in heaven (Rev. 11:18). These corroborating perspectives of the Apocalypse are the ultimate test of interpretation, as I will attempt to demonstrate in subsequent chapters.

The Style

Revelation 1:2, ...who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

John understood that his role in the Revelation was to witness and record everything he saw with his own eyes. Consequently, John wrote like he was keeping a personal diary of his tour through an art gallery. The paintings are spectacular, difficult to describe in writing, and the meaning that the artist intended to convey is often shaded in subtle tones. Occasionally John even had to ask for help to understand their meaning (Rev. 7:13–14; 17:7ff).

The issue that divides interpreters is whether the events in John’s journal will take place in the same order in which he saw them, or whether some are parallel visions from different perspectives. According to Mounce, The continuous chronological approach is not accepted by the majority of contemporary writers.23

The existence of duplicate visions and anachronistic events in the Revelation suggest that Any attempt to arrange the material in strictly sequential pattern is doomed to failure. 24 Some interpreters explain the lack of a consistent sequence of events as an example of prolepsis, ...the anachronistic representation of something as existing before its proper or historical time. 25 Although prolepsis is a legitimate literary devise, its excessive use would make chronological statements meaningless and undermine the reader’s confidence in his ability to interpret the plain language of Scripture. Whether a statement is a prolepsis or not can only be determined by comparing it with the rest of the Scripture.

On the repetitive nature of the Apocalypse, Morris comments, It seems to be part of the method of our author to repeat his themes, not exactly; it is true, but on another level like a spiral staircase. In this was the same ground transversed, but other perspectives are revealed and fresh facets of the revelation are brought out.26 To affirm that this is not a novel interpretation, Morris says in a footnote, This was noted long ago by Victorinus of Pettau (who died under Diocletian 284–305). Boismard cites him as saying that this book ‘does not set forth a continuous series of future events, but repeats the same sequences of events under various forms’...27 Therefore, the style of the Revelation is like an Easter Cantata which presents several renditions on the theme of the resurrection. Though each may begin at a different point in the life of our Lord, they all climax at the empty tomb. The program would be unintelligible if the hearers assumed the presentations unfolded consecutively. They would readily understand them as variations on a common theme. So it is with the Revelation, a harmony of parallels on the common theme of the Day of the Lord.

The Blessings

Revelation 1:3, Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

(1:3a) "Blessed... Here is the first of seven beatitudes in the Apocalypse. Regarding the meaning of blessed, In English, at least, (Blessed)...is not the best word to use, since it means (or should mean) ‘God has blessed (or, will bless) such a person’... Perhaps the best equivalent in English is ‘How fortunate is the person who...!’"28 Therefore, the first of seven beatitudes congratulates those who read the Revelation and "...have ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

(1:3b) "...is he who reads and those who hear..." The word read (Grk. anaginosko) is used of reading in private (as in Acts 8:30–32) or in public (as in Acts 13:27; 15:21). The word is found only here in the Revelation and since the hearers are specifically mentioned, it probably refers to the public reading of John’s circular letter to the churches.

The Genre

(1:3c) ...the words of this prophecy,... Poythress notes, This question of genre is closely related to how we distinguish between symbolic and literal description. The literary genre of Revelation guides readers in deciding what in Revelation is intended as symbol and what is intended as a literal or straight forward description of an historical event.29 Contemporary commentaries tend to place the Revelation in the same category as Jewish apocalyptic which Mounce describes as, …a body of literature widely diffused in Judaism from about 200 BC until AD 100. It is pseudonymous, pseudo-predictive (the writer places himself at the point in the past and by means of symbols rewrites history under the guise of prophecy), and pessimistic, (Ladd p.30). It deals with the final catastrophic period of world history when God, after mortal combat with the powers of evil, emerges victorious.30

Although the Revelation has much in common with contemporary Jewish literature, its divine