Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem

1. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Scripture Reading Revelation 1

2. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Advise given when I started ministry: “A preacher should never preach from the book of Revelation until he or she has been in ministry for 20 + years.”

3. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem “Only the persecuted church can rightly interpret the book of Revelation.”

4. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem The book of revelation raises loads of questions: What’s with all the crazy images? Are we to read it literally or figuratively? How do we read the many numbers in the book?

5. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem There are so many difficulties in the book. There are so many different [often opposite] ways of interpreting this book.

6. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem We have said that each type of biblical literature needs to be interpreted different tools appropriate to the genre. Before we look at the genre, let us ask some of the basic questions we have asked of other parts of the Bible.

7. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Who is the author? 2. Who were the recipients or original hearers? 3. What was the historical and cultural context?

8. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Author: John, the apostle Pastor of the churches in Asia Minor Recipients: The 7 churches in Asia minor

9. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Historical Context: Believed to have been written 96 AD, during the reign of Domitian Domitian was insecure and made all subjects proclaim: “Caesar is Lord.” and worship him

10. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem John refused to do that. Only Jesus was his Lord. So John was tried for “atheism” and sent to the penal island of Patmos. Work prison camp.

11. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem The churches in Asia were also faced with this same choice: Declare “Caesar is Lord” or “Jesus is Lord.” They were facing the increasing persecution.

12. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Genre of Revelation: Hybrid of 3 genres: Letter/Epistle “John,  To the seven churches in the province of Asia:   Grace and peace to you …” 1:4 hence: need to focus on author, recipient and context Can only understand it if we understand it as the first hearers

13. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Genre of Revelation: Hybrid of 3 genres: Prophecy “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Rev.1:3 Prophecy is not just “for-telling” the future. Prophecy is also “forth-telling” God’s Word in the present context. “Telling forth” bringing a Word of God to the present lives of his people.

14. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Genre of Revelation: Hybrid of 3 genres: 3. Apocalyptic “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. ” Rev.1:1 Revelation = “Apocalyptic” “Apocalyptic” = ? “Unveiling” “Revealing” “Lifting the Lid” “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” Rev.1:8

15. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Some characteristics of Apocalyptic Literature: Written during times of oppression Given as visions and dreams People portrayed as animals Highly symbolic - #’s & colours Gives broader perspective on present reality

16. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Darrell Johnson: “Apocalyptic seeks to do two things: first, it seeks to set the present in light of the unseen realities of the future. For if we know what the future holds it determines the choices we make of the present.” Discipleship on the Edge, p. 26

17. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Darrell Johnson: “Second, and more importantly, it seeks to set the present in light of the invisible realities of the present. The fundamental conviction of apocalyptic literature is that ‘things are not as they seem’; there is more to reality than meets the unaided eyes or ears” Discipleship on the Edge, p. 26

18. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Darrell Johnson: “And apocalyptic writing seeks to unveil that unseen reality of he present, to pull back the curtain on the present so that we see what is really going on.” Discipleship on the Edge, p. 26

19. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem So John, the pastor to these churches facing persecution and death, is seeking to strengthen his flock with this “unveiling” Things are not as they seem. Caesar seems all powerful and in control. But things are not as they seem.

20. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem This is the “revelation” [unveiling] of Jesus. Let us look at how Jesus is portrayed here in the opening chapter.

21. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem 1:4-5: “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits [seven-fold spirit] before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”

22. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem 1:5-6: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. ”

23. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem 1:7: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, 
      and every eye will see him, 
   even those who pierced him; 
      and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.”

24. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem 1:12-16: “And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

25. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem 1:17-19: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ‘Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.’”

26. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem What do you think Pastor John is telling his people? Things are not as they seem.

27. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Darrell Johnson tells this story: About some seminarians and a janitor Discipleship on the Edge, p. 20

28. Revelation – Things are Not As They Seem Thing are not as they seem!