revelation

Methods of Interpretation

Perspectives on Interpretation of Revelation

•Futurist Methods• Dispensational Premillennialism• Historical Premillennialism

•Continuous Historical Method•Philosophy of History Method•Preterist Method• Destruction of Jerusalem Method• Fully fulfilled during Roman Empire

•Historical-Prophetic Method• Amillennialism

MILLENNIAL VIEWSFour Perspectives of the 1000 Years Reign and the Second

Coming

DISPENSATIONAL PREMILLENNIALISM

Christ’s return preceded by rapture and time of tribulation and reigns a thousand years on

earth

Definition:Revelation is predicting

the future events when God will establish and earthly kingdom where He will rule for a 1000 years after the rapture and seven years of tribulation.

Dispensational Premillennialism

Primary Teachings:oOnly chapter two and three are about the church on earthoChurch is temporary until millenniumoLiteral interpretation of prophecyoThe raptureoThe seven years of tribulationoThe 1000 years earthly reign of ChristoThe salvation of literal Israel



MillenniumChurch Age

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Jesus came to Israel but they refused, church

established in the place of Christ’s kingdom

A literal seven years of tribulation will take place and give rise to the

antichrist

Jesus’ second coming establishes a literal

1000 year reign

Great TribulationIsrael

Pre-tribulation Rapture

Final Judgment

Mid-tribulationRapture



Ete

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y

A literal seven years of tribulation will take place and give rise to the

antichrist

Great TribulationIsrael

Rapture of both living and dead

believers

Final Judgment

Resurrection of O.T. Saints &

Martyrs

Resurrection of believers & Jews then unbelievers

Dispensational Premillenialism& the Resurrection

RESURRECTED TIME PERIOD RESURRECTION SCRIPTURE

Church Pentecost-RaptureRaptured & Raised before tribulation

O.T. Saints& Martyrs

Rapture-TribulationResurrection at the end of Tribulation

Rev. 3:21; 20:4

Great company of Jew & Gentile

believers

After earthly 1000 year reign

Resurrection of 2nd Coming

Rev. 7:1-8

Unbelievers raisedAfter believer at end of 1000 year

reign

Resurrection of Dead at the end of

1000 years

Mt. 28:18; Rev. 11:15-17


What does this view emphasize?

During the seven years of tribulation, people who become Christians and are faithful to Jesus will suffer intense persecution (Rapture has take previous Christians).

Natural disasters and wars will occur.

This view emphasizes literal interpretations of Revelation.


Dispensational view emphasizes: During the great tribulation, many Jews will

turn to Jesus Christ. God’s promises to Abraham and his offspring

were unconditional. Therefore, the Jews will still receive the land

described in Genesis 15:18.


Israel has a special place The establishment of

the modern state of Israel in 1948 fulfilled a key end-times prophecy.

References to Israel in Revelation refer to the nation of Israel.


Problems for this view? God will remove Christians before the

outpouring of his wrath during the tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Specifically referring to the church at

Philadelphia God’s promises to Abraham and his offspring

were unconditional (Genesis 15:7–21). Overlooks spiritual Israel fulfilled in Christ (all

nations) The church was not planned does not fit with

scripture. “Upon this rock, I will build my church” Addressed to seven churches of Asia


Relatively new view Emerged in the 1800s among the

Plymouth Brethren. Popular and widespread perspective today.

HISTORIC PREMILLENNIALISM

Christians endure the tribulation to the literal thousand year reign

Historic Premillennialism


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Christ’s spiritual reign or kingdom until fulfilled at

the millennium

Society will progressively become more evil and there will be a period

of tribulation

Jesus’ second coming establishes a literal

1000 year reign

Great Tribulation


Historic Premillennialism Teachings God’s promises of land and blessings to

Abraham and his offspring were conditional promises, based on their obedience.

Israel’s persistent disobedience violated God’s covenant with them.

There is the idea of a spiritual Israel which refers to all believers (the church).


Historic Premillennialism Teachings God has maintained a covenant of grace

throughout the Old and New Testaments with all who trusted in him.

Most references to “Israel” in Revelation refer symbolically to spiritual Israel, the church.


Historic Premillennialism Teachings It does not take a literal approach to prophecy. It does take the 1000 years as a literal time

period. The Rapture concept is not represented

biblically. They emphasize both what the book meant to

first-century readers and how it might apply for people’s lives today.



Ete

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Church is not a temporary situation but was intended to exist until

Christ’s return and he currently reign now over the earth from heaven.

Great Tribulation

Christians will remain on earth through the tribulation and purification of the church of false or uncommitted believers will occur.



Ete

rnit

y

Society will progressively become more evil and there will be a period

of tribulation

Great Tribulation

First ResurrectionChrist returns, believers raised, living believers transformed to reign with Christ a 1000 years. Antichrist destroyed.

Second ResurrectionSatan is defeated (some say Armageddon), judgment comes with resurrection of unbelievers and brings the new heaven and new earth.


Historic Premillennialism Some early church fathers

envisioned an earthly millennium.

They anticipated not only the physical reign of Jesus

Christ following a time of persecution, but also the restoration of all creation to its original goodness in a millennial kingdom.


Historic Premillennialism Historic premillennialism

began to fade as later church fathers focused on the spiritual aspects of Christ’s reign and downplayed the idea of an earthly millennium.

They were influenced by Greek philosophers who said the physical world was evil.


What Scriptures seem to support this view? The revealing of the “man of lawlessness”

precedes Christ’s return (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

The tribulation will cleanse the church of false members (Revelation 2:22–23).

Christians will experience the tribulation (Revelation 13:7).


What Scriptures seem to support this view? God’s promises to Abraham and his

offspring were conditional (Genesis 22:17–18).

The New Testament frequently uses “Israel” and “the twelve tribes” to refer to Christians (Romans 9:6–8)

POSTMILLENNIALISM

Non-literal 1000 years reign from 1st to 2nd coming as Christianity

progresses to a golden age

Postmillennialism

Millennium

Church extends to golden age Res

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ecti

on

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Christ’s spiritual reign or kingdom until fulfilled – not a literal 1000 years

Christianity will enjoy a time of great progress. Christ rules from heaven during this time and will return at the end of the symbolic thousand years.

2nd Coming & ResurrectionNations will work together for the good of people allowing more prosperity & sharing of wealth and an influx of Jews will become Christians.

AMILLENNIALISM

Christians live the world with times of tribulations during the non-literal 1000 year reign from

heaven

Amillennialism

Millennium

Church Reaching Out to Lost World Res

urr

ecti

on

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Christ’s spiritual reign or kingdom until fulfilled – not a literal 1000 years

Time when both those who have Christ as Lord to carry on Christ’s mission to those who don’t – various tribulations until Christ returns

Fulfillment of Christ’s reign with second coming and judgment of righteous and unrighteous, Satan released & defeated

Satan’s power restrained until released before

Jesus 2nd coming

Four Millennial Views

INTERPRETATION AMILLENNIAL POSTMELLINNIAL HISTORICPREMILLENIAL

DISPENSATIONALPREMILLENIAL

Rapture No biblical teaching

No biblical teaching No biblical teaching

Seven years before the 1000 years (pretribulation)

Old Testament Prophecies

Spiritual fulfillment Christ will reign from heaven until the second coming

Spiritual fulfillmentChrist will reign from heaven until a golden age of peace & plenty occurs

Spiritual fulfillment Christ will reign from heaven during Christian age then in literal millennium

Literal fulfillmentChrist’s reign was always to be a literal earthly reign & the church not anticipated

Church Age (Christian)

Prophesied & planned



Not prophesied or planned

Second Coming One event One event One event Two events1000 Year Reign Not literal Not literal Literal LiteralResurrection One

resurrectionOne resurrection Two

resurrectionsFour resurrections

Continuous Historical Interpretation

Definition:Prediction of major events

of history-political & religious-between Christ’s first and second comings

Continuous Historical Interpretation

Primary Teachings:•Held by non-Catholic scholars from just before the reformation movement

•Details apostasy of Roman Catholic Church• Description of the history & the impact of Roman Catholic Church

•Ch. 10, little book is Bible & Reformation•First Beast is papal ecclesiastical power•Great harlot is the papacy•Destruction of Babylon is fall of the papacy

Definition:Preterist method holds

that all the book Revelation was fulfilled in the days of the Roman Empire and has little application today.

Preterist Interpretation

Primary Teachings:•Two groups: right wing & left wing•Left wing rejects inspiration of Revelation• Generally sees fulfilled during Roman Empire under Domitian

• See no real application for church today

•Right wing accepts inspiration of Revelation• Sees fulfillment with the destruction of Jerusalem

Preterist Interpretation

Definition:This method see

Revelation as applying to the persecution of Christians by Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem.

Destruction of Jerusalem

Primary Teachings:•Take Jude 3 as indicating the last of the books written•Persecution mentioned is during the time of Nero•Jew persecuted Christians before the Romans

Destruction of Jerusalem

Definition:The Historical-prophetic

method is an Amillennialist view which holds that Revelation was for the encouragement of the early church under the Roman Empire’s persecution with a message of victory in Christ for every age.

Historical-Prophetic Interpretation

Primary Teachings:•Written primarily to encourage first century Christians•Written largely in symbolic language•Uses O.T. terminology with N.T. meaning•Must understand the visions as a whole without pressing the details•Principle applicable to Christians today

Historical-Prophetic Interpretation

revelation

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years of tribulationthe

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end of tribulationrev

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