Still, at the time Revelation was written, this John was obviously well-known among believers and needed no label or description to be recognized, indicating apostolic authority. However, debates continue since the author of Revelation nowhere identifies himself as John the son of Zebedee. Most scholars can at least agree on that, though some have suggested dates aligning more with Nero AD or Vespasian AD Domitian was responsible for many acts of cruel injustice, among them the torture, banishment, and death of influential Christ-followers Simeon, John, Flavia, Timothy, Nicodemus, and others.
Throughout Revelation, John mentions martyrdom frequently, identifying Antipas by name Revelation , and warns believers of coming persecution Revelation ; Yet, the Book of Revelation is far more than an apocalyptic prophecy. John sees future tribulation , but he also sees the Lamb of God seated on his throne Revelation Nor does it mean there is nothing for us to draw from this bewildering book.
But most importantly, the ceaseless praise offered to God by angels and other heavenly beings we have little visual reference for is peace and confidence for our fearful hearts.
The first resurrection anticipated a second resurrection, and a second death presumed a first death. We first deal with the concept resurrection and then with the concept death. The first and second resurrection. Revelations make it clear that the first resurrection refers to the souls of human beings, seated on thrones, who are alive; in other words, those who died physically on earth, but are alive with God in heaven. This truth also reflected in the story of Lazarus and the rich man.
Lazarus died on earth, but is alive with God Lk The same idea is reflected in the event of the thief crucified with Christ, 'Today, you will be with me in paradise' Lk It is also possible that Christ referred to this resurrection in John 'Jesus said to her [ Martha ]: "I am the resurrection and life.
He who believes in me will live, even though he dies"'. The story of Lazarus, the thief on the cross as well as the souls of human beings in heaven are proof of the fact that deceased believers are indeed alive within Christ. This is the first resurrection, and a comfort to the persecuted church in John's time. Unrighteousness is constrained - the world does not speak the last word. Believers who have died, already experience a first resurrection in heaven and some sort of magnificent glory with Christ.
The first resurrection anticipated a second resurrection. However, the Bible does not speak specifically of a 'second resurrection'. It only refers to a resurrection that is accompanied with the second coming of Christ and which includes a new heaven and earth.
This is indeed a second resurrection cf. Paul mentioned this second resurrection in 1 Corinthians when he speaks of the dead who will be raised, and then he continues in verse 'Then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominium, authority and power.
In other words, the first resurrection takes place in heaven after the believer has died physically on earth without a physical body Rv The second resurrection takes place with the return of Christ when believers will inherit a new heaven and earth and will receive glorified bodies. There will only be one resurrection after physical death and only one resurrection with the return of Christ.
The resurrection that accompanies the return of Christ is also found in 1 Thessalonians For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. In 1 Corinthians , Paul speaks with even greater clarity about this resurrection that includes both the deceased believers and the living believers with the return of Christ:.
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit this kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will be changed - in a flash, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
In 1 Corinthians and 44, Paul says:. But someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come? What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. It is a resurrection that will take place for those who died in Christ, but also for those who are still alive with the return of Christ.
In connection with the second coming of Christ, Paul says:. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. Thus, the events are as follows:. The first resurrection takes place with the physical death of the believer, and happens in heaven. The second resurrection takes place with the return of Christ, and emerges into a new heaven and earth.
The first resurrection is without a physical body. The second resurrection is with a spiritual body. The first resurrection speaks of an intermediate period between physical death and the return of Christ.
The second resurrection speaks of the final breakthrough of eternal life in all its glory after Christ's second coming.
There is one resurrection with the physical death of the believer, and there is one resurrection with the return of Christ. It is also important to take note that the first resurrection is only for believers, but the second resurrection includes both believers and unbelievers. In John it is written:. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
It already became clear that believers will receive a spiritual body with the resurrection that accompanied Christ's return.
Analogous to this, it is possible that unbelievers will also receive a body not a glorified spiritual body , but the Bible is not clear in this regard.
Davis summarises the outcome of the second resurrection of believers as follows:. In the kingdom of God, our earthly bodies will be changed into new resurrection bodies 1 Cor , and we will experience the beatific vision Rv We will know love, joy, and peace that will be unlike anything we have experienced. Thus Paul can say: 'I consider that the sufferings of this present age are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us' Rm The first and second death.
Revelation refers not only to the first resurrection, but also to the first death, and in verse 14 to the second death. In the context of Revelation , the first death refers to the rest of the dead who did not come to life. In other words, those people who died physically without Christ are therefore not alive.
As mentioned, they are in a state of death in contrast to the souls of human beings who are alive in heaven. This first death also speaks of a state of torment as described in terms of the rich man who died without Christ Lk This is why we read in Revelation that those who have part in the first resurrection are blessed and holy, because they already experience something of the glory that will realise in its full consequences with the return of Christ.
In contrast, those who have part in the first death are not blessed and holy. They already experience something of the tormenting and judgement that will also realise in its full consequences with Christ's return.
In Revelation , we find a specific reference to the second death: 'Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death'. This is the same death that we find in verse 6: 'The second death has no power over them. The second death speaks therefore about the final judgement and punishment over the godless unbelievers. In other words, the first death intermediate state of tormenting emerges into the second death final judgement and pain.
The close connection between God and Christ in Revelation is noticeable - 'they will be priests of God and Christ. Deceased believers are at this moment blessed and holy priests that are completely dedicated to God and they share in his royal reign.
What this remark exactly and substantially means is not completely clear, but it certainly points to extraordinary glory:. They, not the emperor and his cohorts, will reign. It is John's way of offering encouragement to the martyrs. Special rewards are promised to the martyrs - participation in the first resurrection and the millennium reign and escape from the second death.
Those who paid the greatest price receive the greatest reward. Reddish The 'abyss' of Revelation is called here a prison to highlight the fact that the devil is restrained in a significant manner; although not in every way.
John did not tell us how Satan is released. The expectation is that the angel who bound Satan, would have been the one who will also release him after the years.
According to verse 3, this release will be for a short period as determined by God. This short period is not unintentional, but speaks of a very intense satanic attack on the church that could not be tolerated for a long period.
The short period also stands in contrast to the long period of years when the Satan is bound. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. Satan is doing now what he would have reveled in doing during his years of bondage, but could not achieve. In Satan's hatred against God and man, he would like to destroy the church of God.
The enemies that Satan gathered to war against the holy ones of God are described fourfold:. From the four corners of the earth north, west, south, east. In other words, they come from all sides. Like the sand of the seashore. Gog and Magog do not refer to a specific land or nation.
They are rather symbols of Israel's enemies - the nations from the four corners of the earth and who are as many as the sand of the seashore Beale ; Fowler In Revelation it is said that they advanced against Jerusalem across the breath of the earth. Gog and Magog could therefore not be a specific nation: 4. Ezekiel is the source for Revelations But there, Gog and Magog is not the leader of an alliance of kingdoms from the north. Instead, Gog and Magog evidently, both are regarded as the names of nations represent 'the nations in the four corners of the earth' Rv Since Gog and Magog are explicitly said to represent all the enemies of God's people, it is a mistake to try to identify Gog or Magog in Revelation with any particular power.
A major difference between these two passages lies in the motivations they give for Gog's assault. In Ezekiel, God brings the nations out.
Despite these differences, Revelations and Ezekiel agree in giving credit for the victory over Gog entirely to God.
Tuell In Ezekiel , Magog is the land from where Gog came who was a strong monarch with a mighty army that became a threatening enemy of Israel. In other words, they would have positioned themselves against Israel in later years Ezk ; The expression later years has received a strong eschatological meaning in the Old Testament referring to Messianic-rule and the spiritual goal of God with Israel cf.
Is ; Jr ; ; ; The threatening destruction of Gog from the North, as portrayed in Ezekiel and , is followed with his demolition and the restoration of Israel Ezk In Ezekiel , we read:.
I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. It seems that this verse coincides with the prophesy of Joel that also promised the outpouring of God's Spirit:.
I will drive the northern army [ Gog? Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Jl This prophesy was, according to Peter, fulfilled on the day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days or 'later years' Ac The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is generally seen as the 'birth' of the church of the New Testament Gl - 'the Israel of God' in the last days.
It seems therefore that Gog in Ezekiel became in Revelations the commander and symbol of the hostile nations who positioned them against Israel in later years. Thus, Gog became, as it were, the Old Testament 'antichrist' that needed to be conquered before the Messianic rule could realise Noordtzij In the context of Revelation 20, Gog and Magog become representatives and symbols of the overwhelming antichrist forces that will come from the remote corners of the earth trying to destroy the real Israel all believers - the church in later years before the final breakthrough of the Messianic rule.
One should be aware not to overlook this symbolic use of Gog and Magog, and fuel Christian millenarian speculation about God's final defeat of evil by trying to identify Gog or Magog with worldly powers like, for example Russia, the northern European nations and Turkey as was indeed done in the past Beale ; Odell But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. The reference to these hostile nations that marched against God's people from the breadth of the earth suggests an army of very great format - they are overwhelming.
The 'camp of God's people' reminds us of the people of Israel who travelled in the desert as 12 tribes around the tabernacle of God Beale The 'city he loves' certainly points toward the historical Jerusalem - the beloved city of the Jews Ps ; , but also has symbolic value. In the Book of Revelation, Jerusalem is portrayed as God's territory in contrast to Babylon as the seat of the antichrist forces Rv ; ; The 'camp of God's people' symbolises most likely the church that marched under the authority of the Lord in a desert world to their eternal destiny, for example like Israel who marched from the slavery of Egypt through the desert to the Promised Land.
This is also the metaphor that is found in Hebrews in terms of the church. Jerusalem, the city loved by God, is in Revelation also the symbol of the bride of the Lamb Rv The church is actually the real bride and wife of Christ.
Jerusalem transcends therefore the actual and literal city in meaning. The New Testament focus is no longer on the national Israel, but rather on those believers presenting the church of God on earth.
Its message is about the development of God's plan of salvation to its final climax. Therefore, in the Old Testament we are presented with a threefold division of humankind: the national Israel, the believers Israel and outside Israel and the unbelievers Israel and outside Israel.
In the New Testament only, a twofold division of humankind is found: believers the church or the true Israel and unbelievers the world ; those in Christ the true Jews , and those outside Christ the heathen.
The latter division cuts through all humankind regardless nationality. It is also this twofold division that is found in the final judgement. The following scriptures underscore this truth:. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit. Are we [ the national Israel ] any better?
Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and gentiles alike are under sin. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. In fact, Revelation ends with a sober warning to anyone who seeks to add this final chapter of divine revelation:. 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. The book of Revelation presents significant challenges when it comes to its interpretation. Christians throughout the centuries and across denominations have viewed the book through different lenses.
The four common approaches are:. The Preterist View: This view interprets Revelation as referring to the time of the first-century church, and therefore, all the events in Revelation refer to that time. The Historicist View: This view interprets the events in Revelation as referring to the whole of church history, from the Apostles to the present.
This approach seeks to identify moments in church history, such as the rise of Roman Catholicism, to events described in Revelation. The Idealist View: This view sees Revelation as referring to the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, and therefore does not have any connection to real historical or future events.
And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Christian Standard Bible 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he saw. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,. To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father--to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. He laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look--I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. What does Revelation chapter 1 mean?
Written by the apostle John near the end of the first century, Revelation shows how events will play out in the end times: "the end of the world. Revelation is John's fifth and last New Testament book. In the letter 1 John, he offered several evidences of the believer's salvation.
In 2 John, he emphasized the importance of Christian love and sound doctrine. In 3 John he wrote about loyalty to the truth and the need to walk in the truth. Revelation reveals how prophetic passages in the Old Testament that foretell yet future events will be fulfilled. It also shows how the events predicted in Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and 2 Thessalonians will come to pass.
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