The problem of Interpreting Revelation

[Bill The Baptist]

Here is great quote from Graeme Goldsworthy about the problem that most people run into when interpreting Revelation. It is from his book, The Gospel in Revelation.

"The problem of Christian existence is that we easily allow the tribulation which we experience within the suffering church to obscure the glory that is already ours by faith in Christ. This is the problem that the Book of Revelation sets out to rectify. If only that object and aim of the book were kept in mind we could be spared a lot of speculative interpretation. John's first concern is not to minister to arm-chair prophets in some far-off age, but to the battlers of his own age who struggle to reconcile the fact of their suffering with the fact of Christ's victory over sin, Satan, and death."

 

[Jack K]

An insightful quote. The right approach.

 

[jwithnell]

John's first concern is not to minister to arm-chair prophets in some far-off age, but to the battlers of his own age who struggle to reconcile the fact of their suffering with the fact of Christ's victory over sin, Satan, and death.

Sinclair Ferguson has a 14-sermon series on Revelation and this perspective definitely beams through.

 

[BibleCyst]

Sinclair Ferguson has a 14-sermon series on Revelation and this perspective definitely beams through.

Any idea where I can find this? Google's not being helpful.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

Sinclair Ferguson has a 14-sermon series on Revelation and this perspective definitely beams through.

Any idea where I can find this? Google's not being helpful.

I would also recommend "More than Conquerors" by William Hendriksen. It is only about 250 pages and it is really good stuff.

 

[StrictBaptist]

Most christians I know don't even care much about the book of Revelation because the belive in a Pre Trib rapture and since they won't be here, don't need to wry bout it...

Me, well I study it because I am not a pretribber, actually revelation is my 3rd fav book in tbe bible, after Hebrews and Lamentations.

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[Bill The Baptist]

Most christians I know don't even care much about the book of Revelation because the belive in a Pre Trib rapture and since they won't be here, don't need to wry bout it...

This is actually one of the more convincing arguments against the pre-trib rapture position, if Revelation is describing future events that we won't be here for, why does John waste his time telling it to us with such vivid detail?

 

[Manuel]

Any idea where I can find this? Google's not being helpful.

Did you try Sermonaudio.com?

 

[MichaelGao]

Sinclair Ferguson has a 14-sermon series on Revelation and this perspective definitely beams through.

Any idea where I can find this? Google's not being helpful.

Here you go, get it in iTunes: Series Compilations

 

[waynedawg]

This is actually one of the more convincing arguments against the pre-trib rapture position, if Revelation is describing future events that we won't be here for, why does John waste his time telling it to us with such vivid detail?

I have asked this question of a friend of mine who is pre-trib and he answered with, "because there will be people saved after the rapture of the church".

 

[Bethel]

Art Azurdia has an 81-part sermon series that has the same theme. It took a long time for me to listen through them all, but it was well worth my time. Here's the link (it's near the bottom of the webpage): Spirit Empowered Preaching

 

[jwithnell]

Thanks y'all for jumping in with links for Dr. Ferguson's sermons! I didn't see the Revelation series on the church's website but there's lot of great stuff there -- I just found some sermons that will be extremely helpful for the next section of our home school Bible curriculum. I likely listened to the Revelation series on SermonAudio.

 

[DMcFadden]

Art Azurdia has an 81-part sermon series that has the same theme. It took a long time for me to listen through them all, but it was well worth my time. Here's the link (it's near the bottom of the webpage): Spirit Empowered Preaching

You beat me to it! I was also thinking of the wonderful series by Azurdia. Another excellent resource is Dennis Johnson's Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation.

Of course, if you would rather become expert on the "75 day interval," there is always . . .

And, if you want an update of the old Larkin charts (according to La Haye), then . . .

 

[Notthemama1984]

This is actually one of the more convincing arguments against the pre-trib rapture position, if Revelation is describing future events that we won't be here for, why does John waste his time telling it to us with such vivid detail?

I have asked this question of a friend of mine who is pre-trib and he answered with, "because there will be people saved after the rapture of the church".

I have heard similar things, but what is weird about this thinking is that most pre-trib guys will say that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth during the Tribulation. The question then becomes, "How does one come to Christ without the Holy Spirit?"

 

[Peairtach]

The question then becomes, "How does one come to Christ without the Holy Spirit?"

And a Q for the pretribs, etc, and amils, "We have the Holy Spirit in this Age and all power in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Christ. Isn't this enough for the nations to be converted?"

 

[Notthemama1984]

Isn't this enough for the nations to be converted?"

I would say that it is enough for the elect to be converted.

 

[py3ak]

Art Azurdia has an 81-part sermon series that has the same theme. It took a long time for me to listen through them all, but it was well worth my time. Here's the link (it's near the bottom of the webpage): Spirit Empowered Preaching

You beat me to it! I was also thinking of the wonderful series by Azurdia. Another excellent resource is Dennis Johnson's Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation.

Of course, if you would rather become expert on the "75 day interval," there is always . . .

And, if you want an update of the old Larkin charts (according to La Haye), then . . .

I wish my eschatology looked like the schematics for a Rube Goldberg machine.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

For some reason, people just have trouble understanding the symbolic nature of numbers in bible prophecy. One really good passage that I point people to is Matthew 18:21-22, "Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." Where in the bible have we heard 70 times 7 before? This passage proves two things; first, that the phrase 70 times 7 was meant to represent an infinite or undetermined amount, clearly Jesus did not mean to suggest that we should only forgive 490 times. Second, the disciples understood this saying which means that this was likely a common phrase.

 

[ac7k]

I have been listening to Ferguson's sermons on Revelation, very insightful. I would highly recommend it.