Revelation Special Lecture #3

1. Revelation Special Lecture #3 Dr. Dave Mathewson Gordon College/Denver Seminary

2. Revelation Sections: Rev. 11 • Revelation 11 • 2 Witnesses: prophecy for a time, same beast (Roman empire) emerges from the pit, puts witnesses to death, they are raised vindicating them • Background: • Why 2? OT stipulation for testimony to stick =2 witnesses • Who are they and what are they doing? Is this Moses and Elijah brought back?

3. Revelation 11 • Not actual individuals but symbolic of the church • What is the church’s primary role? A witness in the face of suffering • The church will not be totally exterminated • Rev. 11:1-2: temple and altar=God’s people, church; God will keep them and preserve them • For Christians in Roman empire they are to be faithful witnesses – they will be vindicated in the end, so no compromise—resist Rome

4. Revelation 20 • The Millennium—1000 year reign of Christ • 3 Approaches to the Millennium (Rev. 20) • When does the 1000 years occur in relation to the coming of Christ (the Not Yet)?

5. 3 Millennial approaches • Pre-millennial position: Christ comes back before the millennium (pre-millennial) and inaugurates a 1000 year rule, millennium kingdom is an in-between time between this age and the eternal state (some say literal 1000 years/others symbol period of time) • Post-millennialism: Coming of Christ comes after the millennium. The millennium will be established as a result of preaching of Gospel and work of Spirit. Golden age will be inaugurated and finally Christ will return

6. 3 Millennial approaches • The A-millennial view: A = no millennium (not really accurate). They just interpret it differently. • There is no physical millennium. It is symbolic of the entire period of Church history. • We have been seated with Christ (as Paul would say). The millennium is how John says the same thing. • The millennium is Christ’s spiritual reign from heaven and we rule with him right now [Already].

7. Approach to the Millennium • Only place it occurs in the NT • Doesn’t say where they reign from • Laconic nature of this passage (Is there procreation? Is this the time for promises to Israel to be fulfilled?) • Rev. 21-22 is very detailed when Christ returns • Millennium is a symbolic way of describing the complete vindication and judgment from God, not a specific period of time, another way of describing Christ’s return

8. Revelation 21-22: The Grand Finale • Rev. 21-22 is the Tale of Two Cities • Chs. 17-18 John describes a woman on a beast, seducing the world, riding a hideous beast, woman = Roman empire (city on 7 hills) • Ch. 18: she is destroyed because… God’s judgment just as he judged previous empires • Ch. 18:4 readers told to come out of her, don’t compromise, don’t do emperor worship

9. Revelation 21-22 • Where do they go? -- Rev. 21-22 tell the place they have to go • Rev. 21-22 almost every verse is rooted in OT • Identification of New Jerusalem: read this symbolically, not literal physical city; • The city symbolizes the perfected people of God dwelling on a new earth

10. Revelation 21-22 • Measurements 144 cubits are multiples of 12 (the number symbolic of the people of God) • 12 gates = 12 tribes of Israel • 12 foundations = 12 apostles (church) • One perfected consummated people of God

11. Revelation 21-22 • Function of the New Jerusalem vision • Counter part to the description of Babylon (Rome; cf. 1 Peter) • If they will leave Rome (not physically; no compromise, maintain their faithful witness, not associate with the corrupt ideology and emperor worship they have somewhere to go beyond Rome)

12. Revelation 21-22 • Ultimate final destiny is not heaven but earth • Ephemeral heavenly vision of destiny is more gnostic • We end up where we began: Parallels Gen. 1-2 and Rev. 21-22 • Eden and New Jerusalem • God’s intention: he dwells in their midst, they are his people without sin and death

13. Creation and New Creation Excursus • New creation has its background in the OT • Humanity was placed in the garden to rule it to enjoy God’s presence on earth • Sin  humanity is expelled • Land is promised to Abraham (part of the covenant blessing) • Land part of the fulfillment of Gen. 1-2 where God would bless his people and dwell with them

14. Creation and New Creation Excursus • Israel failed (as Adam/Eve did in the garden) • Prophets have the expectation that God would return the people to the land where God would dwell with them contra the exile • Some prophetic texts it moves beyond just getting back to the land of Palestine • Isa. 65:17ff return of Israel to the land gets expanded to cosmic proportions • John giving fulfillment in Rev. 21-22 of Isa 65:17ff where God will live with his people in the new creation

15. Creation and New Creation Excursus • In the NT the promise of the land gets inaugurated in two stages (already but not yet) • 1 Cor. 5 Paul alludes to Isa. 65: new creation in Christ (Already) • “Not yet” dimension in Rev. 21-22 New heaven and new earth with Jerusalem • God’s intention of the land as a gift, a place of blessing which is fulfilled in Rev. 21-22

16. What is the Message of Revelation? • Not just eschatology (end times) • It unmasks and unveils the pretensions, arrogance of world systems wherever that is found. It’s a call to live holy lives, not to compromise but to resist it in the face of that no matter what it costs. • Only Jesus and God are worthy of our worship and allegiance