Looking Ahead while Pointing Back
The "apocalyptic" language that John uses in Revelation, is taken from the pictorial imagery of prophecy that is found in the Old Testament Scriptures. The first Jewish converts and followers of Jesus would have recognised this instantly with its importance and significance being rooted in the ancient religious history of the people of Israel.
Nb: the apocalypse is a prophetic revelation, especially concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of good permanently triumph over the forces of evil.
Revelation foretells of the future events of the last days, but if we are to understand and interpret it, we need to know where that imagery is taken from!
Revelation is a difficult book, many people have “cherry-picked” its words and literally applied them to the current events of their day, only to find within a short period of time that their interpretation is wrong. Revelation must not be read literally, it is pictorial prophetic language. However, if you read Chapter 1; you’ll see in verses 19-20, that John gives us a clue how to interpret its pictorial language.
Being very wary of John's warning at the end of chapter 22: 18-22
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon."
Therefore, I'm not going to try to interpret Revelations but instead, just point you to Scripture itself and some of the “literary allusions” that John uses; I hope these help in your personal study.
1. The Son of Man
Looking ahead ->
Revelation 1:13-17
and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
Pointing back <-
Daniel 7:10
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
2.Four Living Beings
Looking ahead ->
Revelation 4 (full chapter)
6b In the centre, round the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and behind. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all round, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
‘“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,”
who was, and is, and is to come.’
Pointing back <-
Ezekiel 1:10
10 Their faces looked like this: each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
You might want to read my earlier blog on the Four Living Creatures
3.The Four Horsemen
Looking ahead ->
Revelation 6 (full chapter)
Verses 1-2 speak of the first horseman
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest
Pointing back <-
Zechariah 6 (full chapter)
I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains – mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled – all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these, my lord?’
4.The “Seal” or the “Mark”
Looking ahead ->
Revelation 7:13
13 Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?’
Pointing back <-
Ezekiel 9 (full chapter)
4b ‘Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.’
5.Trumpets & Bowls Plagues
Looking ahead ->
Rev 8 (full chapter)
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Pointing back <-
Exodus 7-10
The 10 Plagues of Egypt are a big read, you might want to look again at my blog, “Let My People go”
6.God reigns in the New Jerusalem
Looking ahead ->
Rev 21 (full chapter)
Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’
Pointing back <- (Three references here,)
Isaiah 60 (full chapter)
‘Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Ezekiel 28 (full chapter)
25 ‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: when I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbours who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”’
Zechariah 14 (full chapter)
9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
7.The Tree of Life and the River of life
Looking ahead ->
Rev 22 (full chapter)
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Pointing back <- (two references here)
Gens: 2-3 (full chapters)
9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.
Ezekiel 47 (full chapter)
1 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east).
6b) Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river
Have a great day, and as always, God bless.
Trev.