THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
Introduction to the book of Revelation – Part 1
September 3, 2014
Pastor Tom Elkins
Spurgeon said of the Bible, “The Bible is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed by any earthly
substance. It is a star without a spec, a sun without a blot, light without darkness, a
moon without paleness. O Bible! It cannot be said of any other book that it is perfect
and pure.”
10 RULES OF INTERPRETING THE BIBLE
1. Rule of Regeneration: To understand the Bible, you must know the author
by being born again (John 3:3-7). Only a spiritual man can understand the deep
and precious truths of scripture. 1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man does not receive
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned.
2. Rule of Authority: You must believe that the Bible is God’s infallible and
inerrant Word. R.A. Torrey “Studying the Bible as the Word of God involves
absolute reliance on all its promises in all their length and breadth.”
3. Rule of Christ-centered Interpretation: Look for Jesus! Jesus Christ is
the subject of the whole Bible. We read of Jesus “beginning at Moses and all the
Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
Him.” (Luke 24:27) Dr. M.R. DeHaan said, “Christ is the key that unlocks every
Scripture. If you have trouble discovering the meaning of a passage, try putting
Christ right in the middle, and see how it will brighten up.”
4. Rule of Literal Interpretation: If the literal interpretation makes good
sense, seek no other sense! Ask yourself…is the literal interpretation validated in
the patterns and ways of God found in the whole counsel of God?
5. Rule of Context: Every verse should be read along with the verses before and
after to get the full meaning. What was the Holy Spirit addressing through the
author to the original readers? Both the historical and cultural context is
important. With that understanding ask 3 questions…What did it mean then?
What does it mean now? And, what does it personally mean to me today?
6. Rule of Clarity: Let the clear passages of the Bible interpret the unclear. Place
all difficult and unclear passages before the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to
explain it which leads me to rule #7.
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7. Rule of Prayerful “Presence”: Profitable Bible study is accomplished in a
prayerful posture. The Psalmist prayed, “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous
things from your law” (Ps. 119:18). Studying the Word of GOD involves His
Presence. There is Strength, Power, Wisdom and Understanding in the presence
of God. Get to know the Person of the Holy Spirit intimately…He is your teacher.
8. Rule of a Childlike Mind & Spirit: We must humble ourselves and come
to our Bible study as children with child like spirits. A child that is growing in
maturity recognizes his ignorance and desires to be taught. Matthew 11:25 At
that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have
revealed them to babes.”
9. Rule of Passionate Discipline to Study and Meditate upon the
Bible: Like Job we must say “I have treasured the words of His mouth more
than my necessary food” or with Jeremiah “Your words were found, and I ate
them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am
called by Your name.” 2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
10. Rule of Honor and Practice: The Bible must be obeyed and applied to
receive deeper insights and revelation. A surrendered life of obedience gives a
clearness of spiritual vision that is necessary to understand the Scriptures. “Truth
disobeyed destroys the capacity for discovering truth”. R.A. Torrey.
KEYS TO INTERPERTING THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Key #1 – Look for “JESUS” on every page and you will discover that
Revelation is a Jesus Book! It’s all about HIM.
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His
servants—things which must shortly take place.
“Revelation” in the Greek is where we get the word “Apocalypse” - Strongs
# 602 ἀποκάλυψις [apokalupsis /ap·ok·al·oop·sis/] 1 a laying bear, making naked. 2 a
disclosure of truth, instruction. 2A concerning things before unknown. 2B used of events
by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all.
3 manifestation, appearance.
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Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible: Showing every word of the
text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each
word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G602). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
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Key #2 – Ask the Holy Spirit to “TEACH” You
As you begin your study of the book of Revelation ask the Holy Spirit to teach, show,
and reveal Jesus to you.
John16:13-15 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for
he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will
declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is
mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he
will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Key #3 – Study Revelation as a book of “PROPHECY”
John calls Revelation a book of “Prophecy”. The study of “Eschatology” has to do with
the study of prophecy. “Eschatos” – means, things yet to be and “ology” - means, to
study.
Revelation 1: 3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and
blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
7 Xs John refers to Revelation as a book of Prophecy. (REV. 1:3, 10:11, 19:10,
22:7&10, 18&19)
Key #4 – Remember that Prophecy has 2 fundamentals in interpretation
1.) PROPHECY HAS BOTH A PRIMARY AND LITERAL FULLFILLMENT
2.) PROPHECY MAY HAVE A SECONDARY SYMBOLIC FULLFILLMENT
Illustration: In Matthew chapter 24 where Jesus was speaking prophetically regarding the
destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus foretells the terrible days of the siege of Jerusalem by
Titus, the Roman general, a siege which was one of the most terrible in all history. Matt.
24: 15–22 In A.D. 70 the Romans, finally destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple were
laid waste so that Jesus’s prophecy literally came true. Matthew 24 also speaks of a
second symbolic fulfillment yet to come in the book of Revelation.
Key #5 – Where possible always let scripture interpret scripture
Example: What are the 7 golden lampstands in verse 12 and the 7 stars in vs. 16?
Scripture interprets these symbols in verse 20 giving us the answer.
Revelation 1:12-13, 16 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and
on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one
like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest…
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged
sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
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Revelation 1:20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand,
and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Key #6 – It’s a book of “Signs and Symbols”
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His
servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His
angel to His servant John
The word “SIGNIFIED” literally means “To give a sign or signal”. The book of
Revelation has been “SIGN-IFIED”, it is a book of signs and symbols.
A sign or symbol is far more accurate than any other language. Words tend to change in
meaning from one generation to another. For example, the word “gay” in my
grandparents generation meant to be “happily exuberant, merry or excited”, today it is
connected to homosexuality as in the “Gay rights movement”
Let me give you just one biblical illustration. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, the word
“PREVENT” today as defined in our language and culture means “To Hinder” or “To
stand in the way of” but when the King James Version was published in 1611, it meant
to “come before.” That’s a radical difference.
The “Signs and Symbols” in Revelation remain constant throughout the ages.
Key #7 – The Systems of the number Seven
Seven is the number of “Completeness and Perfection”. Note the remarkable “Sevens”
and the many systems of seven components found in the book Revelation. The number
seven is used fifty four times in the book.
1. Seven Churches (Revelation1: 4, 11, 20)
2. Seven Spirits (Revelation 1:4 ; 3:1 ; 4:5 ; 5:6)
3. Seven Candlesticks (Revelation 1:12, 13, 20 ; 2:1)
4. Seven Stars (Revelation 1:16, 20; 2:1 ; 3:1)
5. Seven Lamps (Revelation 4:5)
6. Seven Seals (Revelation 5:1 ; 5:5)
7. Seven Horns (Revelation 5:6)
8. Seven Eyes (Revelation 5:6)
9. Seven Angels (Revelation 8:2, 6)
10. Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:2, 6)
11. Seven Thunders (Revelation 10:3, 4)
12. Seven Thousand (Revelation 11:13)
13. Seven Heads (Revelation 12:3 ; 13:1 ; 17:3, 7, 9)
14. Seven Crowns (Revelation 12:3)
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15.
16.
17.
18.
Seven Plagues (Revelation 15:1, 6, 8 ; 21:9)
Seven Vials (Revelation 15:7 ; 17:1 ; 21:9)
Seven Mountains (Revelation 17:9)
Seven Kings (Revelation 17:10, 11)
The number / word “seven” appears in Revelation more than any other book of the Bible
and, in fact, more than all other occurrences in the books of the New Testament
combined. It is not just a pedagogical device used by John, since John was merely
recording what he had seen and heard and what was yet to come. The book is “The
Revelation of Jesus Christ” and not “the revelation of St John” as many has called it.
(Revelation 1:1-2)
The above listed “sevens” are directly identified by their association with the actual word
seven in the Greek – “hepta”.
You will discover many other similar groups of “seven” things in the book of Revelation
but they will have to be searched out by direct study of the various words and
associations. For example, note the following fascinating “Groups of SEVEN”.
1. Seven Beatitudes or the statements beginning with “BLESSED”
1. There is the blessed of READING the book. (1:3)
2. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth (14:13).
3. Blessed is he who is awake, keeping his garments (16:15).
4. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:9).
5. Blessed is he who shares in the first resurrection (20:6).
6. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book (22:7).
7. Blessed are those who do his commandments (22:14).
2. Seven Years of Judgments (Revelation 11:3 ; 12:6, 14 ; 13:5)
3. Seven Divisions of the Letters to the Churches (Revelation 2)
4. Seven “ I am’s” of Christ (Revelation 1:8, 11, 17, 18 ; 21:6 ; 22:13, 16)
5. Seven Doxologies in Heaven (Revelation 4:9-11 ; 5:8-13 ‘ 7:9-12 ;
11:16-18; 14:2-3; 15: 2-4; 19:1-6)
Key #8 – The Literal and Symbolic use of Numbers in the book
Numbers in Revelation may be understood literally yet they may also carry with them a
symbolic meaning.
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Key #9 – Is God’s inspired outline of the Book
The straight forward outline is found in verse 19 of chapter 1.
Revelation 1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and
the things which will take place after this.
Past – Chapter 1 – “The things which thou has seen”
Present – Chapters 2 & 3 – “The things which are”
Future – Chapters 4-22 – “The things which will take place after this”
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