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NASB | Revelation 1:19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Revelation 1:19 "So write the things which you have seen [in the vision], and the things which are [now happening], and the things which will take place after these things. |
Subject: Understanding Prophecy |
Bible Note: Prophecy is viewed in three different ways, literal, symbolic, and allegorical. Literal prophecy happens exactly as written. Symbolic uses defined symbols. Allegorical interpretations use prophecy to describe non-prophetic concepts and processes. In the Bible, prophecy is fulfilled literally. Every place the Bible records the fulfillment of a prophecy, it¡¦s a literal fulfillment. Israel¡¦s captivity lasted 70 years (Jer 25). Jesus is born in Bethlehem (Micah 5), and so on. Prophetic fulfillments recorded in history are literal. Tyre was scraped into the sea, and is a place for the spreading of nets (Ez 26), the Greek Empire was divided into fourths (Dan 8, 11). Israel was born in a day (Isaiah 66). Israel is exporting fruit around the world (Isaiah 27). Symbolic prophecy is stated as such. Ezekiel, in chapter 4, is told to label a brick ¡§Jerusalem¡¨, use a cooking iron for a siege wall. These are symbols of the siege of Jerusalem. He is told to lie on one side 390 days for the iniquity of Israel, and 40 days for the iniquity of Judah, one day for one year. The text tells us these meanings. We cannot simply choose our own meanings for things in the Bible. The only symbolic interpretations we can rely on as accurate are those given in the Bible. Allegorical interpretations ignore the possibility of an actual fulfillment. Are prophecies in sequence? Look for textual indicators. What does the text say? The Outline of the Book of the Revelation in 1:19: ¡§Write what things you saw, and what things are, and what things are about to occur after these things (meta tauta).¡¨ This describes sequential narrative, one thing after another. Rev 4:1 ¡§After these things (meta tauta) I saw. And behold, a door being opened in Heaven! And I heard the first voice as a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you what needs to happen after these things (meta tauta).¡¨ To simplify what John is saying about his visions, ¡§After these things I saw what must happen after these things¡¨ Again, he is describing a sequential narrative. The first words in Rev. 7:1 are ¡§meta tauta¡¨, or ¡§after these things¡¨. John describes the sealing of the 144,000 and the innumerable multitude appearing in heaven. In chapter 8, the seventh seal is opened, and seven angels are given trumpets, and begin to sound them. In chapter 10, John is being addressed, this is clearly not part of the narrative, and interrupts it. Chapter 11, regarding the two witnesses, describes events that happen over the course of 3.5 years, and again, this is plainly stated. Chapter 11 continues with events that happen ¡§quickly¡¨ afterward (vs. 14). Chapter 12 opens with the words ¡§And a great sign was seen in the heavens¡¨; this part uses symbols. This begins a section where John writes a series of short vignettes, which can all be related to the mid-point of the trib, and show events that happen during the course of the tribulation. The narrative is re-entered in chapter 14:1, as John writes: ¡§I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion¡¨. Kai eidon, kai eidouƒn ¡§and I saw, and you see¡¨ ¡§Eidon¡¨ is first person indicative, ¡§eidou¡¨ is second person imperative. ¡§You are to see what I saw.¡¨ There is something there to be seen. In Rev. 15:1, the ¡§bowl judgments¡¨ are ¡§the seven last plagues¡¨, after the other plagues. The trumpets are also called plagues in Rev. 9:20. The ¡§seven last plagues¡¨ must happen after the other plagues. In 17:1 ¡§And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot sitting on the many waters¡¨. John is again taken outside the sequence. Seals, Trumpets, Bowl happen in order. Any interpretation that overlaps or rearranges these is not supported by the text. (i.e. some teach the 6th seal happens at the end of the tribulation, after the trumpets and bowls) An example I recently heard of taking verses out of sequence comes from 14:1 ¡§And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion!¡¨ The teacher stated ¡§This is after the tribulation, because Jesus doesn¡¦t stand on Mount Zion until then.¡¨ I just cannot find any place in the Bible that tells us that Jesus does not stand on Mount Zion until later. There are 166 references to Mount Zion in the Bible. Many refer to Mount Zion as God¡¦s dwelling place. In Zech. 14, God will stand on the Mount of Olives on the day that He comes to fight against those who have gathered against Jerusalem, but this does not require that He will not be seen on Zion at another time. Since the account is given as sequential narative, its better to rearrange your view than to rearrange Scripture. Know what is required, and what is prohibited in a scripture. Know if an interpretation given by someone actually has textual foundation, and not that it just fits their pet theory. markdseyler@yahoo.com |
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kalos | ||
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