Prophets of the New Testament John Stevenson 2010

Prophets of the New Testament © John Stevenson, 2010

Session Objectives • • Explain key elements of the historical setting of the book of Revelation and infer how that sets the stage for the message of the book See the characteristics of apocalyptic literature and assess how Revelation fits these characteristics.

Session Objectives • Learn how to interpret symbols and visions, including numbers, found in Revelation in order to distinguish between the meaning of the symbol and the symbol itself.

Nathan Green

• They were a priestly family • They ruled over Judah from 140 -63 B. C. • A civil war broke out when two brothers each sought the throne

• They were a priestly family • They ruled over Judah from 140 -63 B. C. • A civil war broke out when two brothers each sought the throne • They both appealed to Pompey the Great • Pompey took Jerusalem in 63 B. C.

Petra

37 – 4 B. C.

Herod’s Domestic Troubles It is better to be Herod’s u`j Than to be Herod’s ui`oj

• • Pharisees Sadducees Zealots Esseenes

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ” (Matthew 4: 17).

Matthew 13: 31 -32 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. ”

Matthew 13: 41 -43 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Luke 17: 20 -21 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. ”

Luke 17: 22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ”

Luke 17: 22 “They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Matthew 24: 29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Matthew 24: 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming of the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Acts 1: 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? ”

Acts 1: 7 -8 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. ”

• Artificially separates between different comings of Christ • Tries to segregate Israel and church Second “Rapture” Church Age Rev. 1 -3 Coming Judgment Tribulation Millennium Eternal State Rev. 4 -19 Rev. 20

• Revelation 20 literally • Takes the language of “the last day” figuratively Second Coming (“Rapture”) Church Age Rev. 1 -3 Judgment Tribulation Millennium Eternal State Rev. 4 -19 Rev. 20

• Views Revelation 20 as symbolic language • Takes the language of “the last day” literally Church Age (Tribulation) (Millennium) Rev. 1 -20 Second Coming “Rapture” Judgment Eternal State

• Envisions the gospel as being victorious • Takes the language of “the last day” literally Church Age Rev. 1 -19 Second Coming “Rapture” Judgment Millennium Rev. 20 Eternal State

Second Coming “Rapture” Judgment Church Short Millennium Rev. 70 A. D. • Denies any future Second Coming of Christ • All prophecy fulfilled in the year 70 A. D. Church (Eternal State)

“Rapture” Second Coming For the Lord Himself They will see the Son will descend from of man coming. . . heaven. . . (1 Thess. (Matthew 24: 30). 4: 16). With the trumpet of He will send forth His God. . . (1 Thessalonians angels with a great 4: 16). trumpet (Matt. 24: 31). We. . . shall be caught up together with them in CLOUDS (1 Thessalonians 4: 17). They will see the Son of Man coming on the CLOUDS of the sky. . . (Matthew 24: 30).

“Rapture” Second Coming . . . if you will not wake up, I will come like a thief (Revelations 3: 3). The Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will (Matthew 24: 44; see also 1 Thessalonians 5: 2 -6 and 2 Peter 3: 10). . the coming of our Lord Jesus WITH all His saints (1 Thessalonians 3: 13). . the Lord came WITH many thousands of His holy ones (Jude 14).

Discuss your reading from Revelation: • What is the reality that is being depicted by the author? • In what sense is this portrayal in Revelation a “drama”? • What do these chapters reveal about the Kingdom of God?

1 -3 4 -7 8 -11 12 -16 17 -19 20 21 -22 Vision of Throne Seven Christ, The New Jesus of God & trumpets the Harlot King Heaven and Scroll Dragon on reigns & New Seven with & the Seven Earth letters to seven Seven Hills & seven seals Bowls the churches Bride Each ends with a promise of 2 nd Coming Christ wipes away every tear (7: 17) Christ Fall of Rider Judge I am will reign the on the & coming forever & nations White Lake quickly ever Horse of Fire (22: 20) “It is (11: 15) done” (19: 16) (16: 17)

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen – The Two Witnesses

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen – The Two Witnesses • Temple language

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen – The Two Witnesses • Temple language – Jesus with the Lampstands

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen – The Two Witnesses • Temple language – Jesus with the Lampstands – The 24 Elders – The Crystal Sea

Symbolism in Revelation • Old Testament Allusions – One like the Son of Man – Lion of the Tribe of Judah – The Four Horsemen – The Two Witnesses • Temple language – Jesus with the Lampstands – The 24 Elders – The Crystal Sea – The ark of the covenant

Discuss your reading from Revelation: • How does the book of Revelation relate to the prophecies of the Old Testament? • How would the message of Revelation related to the believers of the first century? • How do these chapters relate to the issue of Christian discipleship now?

And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. (Revelation 16: 16)

Revelation 19: 11 -13 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19: 14 -15 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

Revelation 19: 20 -21 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

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