A Commentary on the Revelation of Jesus Christ with Old Testament Allusions

By Bob Cunningham

Many people struggle with the book of Revelation because it is filled with strange symbols, numbers and bizarre images of beasts and visions. A blessing is promised (Rev 1:3) to all who read it but it cannot be received if one is intimidated by engaging the book. The key to understanding it lies in the context in which it was written which is the Old Testament. This book attempts to open up the reader to greater understanding of the book by giving the Old Testament references that John's readers would have been familiar with for the passages the Holy Spirit inspired John to write. .

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973691303

Bob Cunningham

Dr. Cunningham has been an Evangelist in the Church of Christ for over 30 years and is the of author of A Commentary on the Revelation of Jesus Christ with Old Testament Allusions, Does God care about Hair? and Critical Race Theory-A Biblical Response. He is a retired accounting professor and has been a business and financial consultant for over 40 years. His interest in reading and studying the bible started in his early teens.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-9129-7 (sc)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020907916

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/05/2020

DEDICATION

There are several people and groups who played a key role in the writing of this book. But before I mention those people, I would like to dedicate this book to Almighty God, our Creator. He must be given credit for everything we do in life. He spared my life after a heart attack in May 2010 and answering my prayer by allowing me to finish this book. I am now and will forever be grateful and thankful for the extra measure of grace and mercy afforded me to complete this task.

This book is also dedicated to my mother, Minnie Lee Cunningham Walters (1922–1984), who instilled in all her children a respect and love for God, the Bible, and the church as she understood them. She raised us in church and set an example for us to always do what is right, which planted in me a seed that influenced me to do something I never envisioned possible: write a book about the Bible. What makes this such a remarkable achievement for her is that she did this while being a single mother and raising four children during the Jim Crow era in the Deep South. She worked for meager wages as a maid for an affluent white family in a small southern town. After graduating from a segregated high school, she had the desire to become a secretary and found a way to attend a business college in Shreveport, Louisiana, and complete the requirements for a business certificate. That certificate hangs on the wall of my library today as a reminder of dreams unfulfilled. Though she earned that certificate by going to school during the day and working nights, she was denied an opportunity to work in that capacity due to the color of her skin. Though denied the opportunity to better the quality of life for her family, she never harbored any bitterness but pushed her children to work hard, go to school, and be somebody. Thank you, MuDear, for what you gave me. I took the things you taught us to heart and ran with them just as fast and far as I could. Whatever I have achieved in what may be called success by some was driven partly by the unfulfilled dreams you weren’t given a chance to realize.

Next, I would like to dedicate this book to my wife, Mary, the real rock of our family. I have often told our children that I wished they had more of their mom in them and less of me. Her humble, steady, and loving attitude toward family and everyone around her has amazed me from the first time we met. Her strong faith in God has been the foundation that has allowed her to have been a strong source of support not only in this effort but also in all the risky, half-baked ideas and business ventures I’ve come up with over forty-four years of marriage. Thank you, Mary Lou, for being the person you are and for being so patient in understanding me, the often misunderstood misfit.

And I don’t want to forget our three children (Kanuri Ahmad, Nicolas Rashaad, and Kalli Minnee’) and our five grandchildren (Mimi-Boo, V-Boo, Kyla-Boo, J-Boo. [Deuce], and Nando. Their real names are [Amia Minnee’, Vashti Nicole, Kyla Rae, Ryan Jermaine, and Fernando Ray]). God blessed us with a wonderful heritage from the Lord in our children (Ps. 127:3), and we have tried to give them the most important thing God has given us, His word. It is our hope that they will do far greater things with that knowledge than we were able to do. The joy of grandchildren cannot be described in words—at least, I can’t. They have often brought a smile to weary souls when nothing else could, by sharing their world with us with such innocence, enthusiasm, and joy. Grandchildren are truly the crown of old men (Prov. 17:6). My hope is that they will never encounter the reality of being marginalized in society, as their great-grandmother experienced, except in books and movies. May they love, respect, and share the gospel inherited from their parents and grandparents with the world in their own unique ways.

There are many people to thank who contributed to this book. Although she would beg to differ and not want to accept this compliment, this book bears the imprint of the meticulous editing skills of my longtime and able assistant, Charryse Williams. There are no words to express how much this young lady has assisted me in my business ventures, academic pursuits, and church work. This manuscript has faced the scrutiny of her eagle eye and attention to detail over the years, giving little chance for my long run-on sentences and unclear thoughts to survive. Thank you, Charryse, for your work, loyalty, support, and especially your friendship over the years. To say I appreciate it just doesn’t seem to be enough to say of your contributions.

Next, and probably unbeknownst to them regarding the role they played in it, this book is dedicated to a very special group of people, our congregation at the Queensborough Church of Christ in Shreveport, Louisiana, especially our dedicated sisters who are always figuring out ways to be hospitable and accommodating to the congregation and all visitors who come through our doors. They are truly a talented group of people, who come from every walk of life and have a sincere love for God and His people. They also have a desire to know and share the word of God. Their feedback on lessons and in Bible studies about passages and sections in the book over the years has challenged me and helped me crystallize some of my views in the book. It has been a great privilege and honor to work with these brothers and sisters in Christ for more than thirty-five years. Whatever I am today as a teacher of the gospel, I owe a great deal to them, since they were patient and endured much as I repeated myself, I am sure, over and over in countless lessons over the years. Thank you for allowing me to be your leader and for overlooking my faults and failings as I was learning how to be one.

I want to also recognize the evangelists, teachers, and preachers who have endured off-the-wall questions, strange interpretations of scripture, and lessons that made no sense during our time together on this earth. I dedicate this commentary to you: Artie Lynch, whom God used to bring the light of the gospel into a life filled with darkness; and Bob Burton, a friend of more than forty years, whom God chose to be a co-laborer in the work here at Queensborough. Special thanks to Wayne Fussell, evangelist at my home congregation, the Midway Church of Christ, as well as a dear friend; and Ron Courter, Richard Bunner and Alan Bonifay, whose support of our annual Bible study has been consistent over many years. Also, Clarence White, whose family is very special to me and is one of my favorite teachers of the gospel. Thanks also to Booker T. Price of Wesson, Mississippi, who would tell you he is uneducated, but in my view has a PhD in bible. David Jake Mabry Sr., the Question Box, who always wants you to look at something from the bible and give your feedback. Thanks also to Richard Reed of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who has the uncanny ability of connecting and engaging with anyone, anywhere and about anything; and can quickly turn that encounter into a teaching opportunity for the gospel. To our younger brothers who have stepped up and taken more responsibility over the years and continue to grow as Christians and as teachers: Nicolas, Rodney and Ryan. The church at Queensborough is in good hands with these young men going forward.

Finally, special recognition to the founding families of this congregation who began meeting back in 1985; Burton (Sarah, Robert, Desiree, Tremaine, Dionne), Cunningham (Bobby, Mary, Kanuri, Nicolas, Kalli), Sanders (Doug, Mary, (5/15/59 - 4/1/18) Sonja, Kerrie), and Sullivan (Linda, John).

There are a host of other brothers and sisters who down through the years have assisted in this project through sharing thoughts on articles, books, and tracts read, lessons heard, conversations shared, and questions asked, which all helped to make this work a reality. There are just too many of them to list, but they know who they are, and to them I say thank you for sharing a part of your life by letting me listen to what you had to say. I am a much better person by far because of these encounters. However, although many have contributed to this work, the views and opinions expressed are exclusively my own and in no way are intended to represent those of any person named. It is for that reason that I did not ask anyone to write a recommendation. Many thanks to all of you and may each of you continue to prosper in your individual and collective work for the Lord until He comes back for us as he promised.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface

Introduction

The Approach

Interpretation

Authorship

Genres

Date

Symbolism In The Book

Part 1: The Church Age

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Part 2: The Vision of Heaven and the Seven Seals

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Part 3: The Seven Trumpets, the Little Book, and the Two Witnesses

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Part 4: The Woman, the Dragon, the Beasts, and the Lamb

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Part 5: The Seven Bowls of Wrath

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Part 6: The Fall of Babylon

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Part 7: The Millennium, Judgment, and New Jerusalem

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Appendices

Appendix 1: Visions of Heaven

Appendix 2: The Four Horsemen

Appendix 3: Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

Appendix 4: Measuring

Appendix 5: The Beasts of Revelation and Daniel

Appendix 6: The Stars Cast Down from Heaven

Appendix 7: The Mark of the Beast

Appendix 8: Descriptions of Babylon

Appendix 9: The Binding of Satan, One Thousand Years, and the First Resurrection

Appendix 10: The Word New in the Bible

Appendix 11: The Number Twelve

Appendix 12: Methods of Interpretation

Appendix 13: Old Testament Allusions

References

About the Author

PREFACE

I’m not a professional writer, nor have I ever written a book of any kind. So, the obvious question is, What possessed me to want to write this book? Let’s face it; the task of writing a book is no easy one and doesn’t appeal to a great many people. Even more puzzling is why anyone would want to write a commentary about the book of Revelation.

Let me try to explain how I got here. In J. R. Michaels’s book, Revelation, Michael Ramsey, archbishop of Canterbury, cites Ambrose Bierce from his book The Devil’s Dictionary, in which he provides a tongue-in-cheek definition. "REVELATION, n. A famous book in which St. John the Divine concealed all that he knew. The revealing is done by commentators who know nothing." ¹ That is not a very flattering comment about all the learned scholars who have attempted the task. David Aune, in his commentary on Revelation observed that the writing of a commentary on any book of the Bible is a daunting task but particularly so in the case of the Revelation of John. ² Others say that for many readers, Revelation isn’t revelation but rather a prophetic mystery that surpasses human understanding. ³ On the other hand, there are those who think that although Revelation is a difficult book to interpret, it is easier on the whole than the Gospels. ⁴ When I look at all these statements as a whole, they aren’t what I would describe as anything close to a consensus. Opinions are all over the place.

There have been literally hundreds (more likely thousands) of books, commentaries, and articles written over the centuries on this rather bizarre book, which is filled with strange symbols, images, and signs. So, what could one expect to gain by tackling a project such as this, since just about every conceivable view that could have been gleaned from its pages has already been examined, reexamined, and examined again? I kept asking myself this question over and over, and after much thought, the answer for me became obvious—it was my ignorance of the subject that was the driving force. What I knew about the book of Revelation could be summed up in two words: very little. What makes that statement even more embarrassing is that at the time I started this project, I had been preaching for more than 15 years.

That realization was the first of two events that began my personal journey in writing a commentary on the book of Revelation, both of which I believe were a result of the providential working of God. As I stated, I knew little or close to nothing about the book of Revelation. I had read it a few times over the years and had even quoted a few verses from it from time to time in lessons, but the truth was, I really knew little about the book. In the back of my mind, I told myself, I need to do a study on the book of Revelation, but I never seemed to get around to it. Looking back at those thoughts now, I believe I probably didn’t really want to. Somewhere deep in my subconscious mind, I really thought I had always heard that it can’t be understood, so why bother? But the questions never totally went away. They kept nagging at me. Would God give us a book that really couldn’t be understood? Why would He do that? Would He purposely confuse us about our destiny? It just doesn’t make sense for the God who loves the world and sent Jesus to demonstrate it to leave a book that would be confusing about the purpose of this mission.

At the time I started this project, I had heard few sermons on the book from others and had given none myself. This fact continued to trouble me and made me wonder why. Why had my peers avoided the book of Revelation? Why had I? I am acquainted with many bright and insightful Bible students, teachers, and preachers, and maybe even a few individuals I consider to be scholars, who surely could have handled it. Why have they not attempted such an endeavor? After doing a little research, I found one work that was compiled several years ago by a well-respected evangelist, but it was more of a summary of the expository nature than of an interpretative one. The statement John made that there was a blessing in store for those who kept the prophecy of the book (Rev. 22:7) began to weigh heavily on me. I wondered; how can I keep a prophecy if I don’t know what it is? Furthermore, how can one keep a prophecy? Could I afford to just ignore a specific blessing from God associated with this book? How could I ignore the only book that came from Jesus Christ Himself (Rev. 1:1)?

There are many reasons why we give more time to some parts of the Bible than to others. Sometimes quite unintentionally, it seems, in our studies of the Bible we tend to focus on passages and issues that are common to our faith community. Over time, when looking at the same issues and using the same approaches to study them, we sometimes develop a more defensive posture designed to protect these doctrines that have crystallized in our thought processes. Although this kind of approach has its benefits, in that one becomes quite knowledgeable or maybe even an expert in certain passages and issues, it is done to the neglect of other parts of the Bible. To spend time focusing on any part of the Bible can never be a bad thing in itself; it is just that I believe a more balanced approach to studying scripture could yield a broader understanding of the Bible in general and Almighty God in particular. This approach could make one better prepared to convey God’s entire message to all. I confess that my ignorance of the book of Revelation was likely the result of fear, intimidation, and the fact that I had been raised in a religious environment that didn’t venture far from its roots and didn’t place much emphasis on prophecy and apocalyptic literature. So again, ignorance was the first thing that planted this project in my mind.

The second factor that pushed me closer to writing this commentary can be traced back to September 1999. Through my secular work, I met and began a Bible study with a young man, Odis Holland, who quoted extensively from the book of Revelation. He had memorized large blocks of verses from the book and would routinely in our discussions use types and antitypes to explain passages we were working through. I was amazed by his memorization skills. He would connect both Old and New Testament passages to the book and make some remarkable statements regarding the images and symbols that really made no sense to me; in other words, how he was tying scriptures together didn’t agree with my general understanding of what I knew the Bible to teach about some basic doctrines. So I felt that if this study was going to benefit me and him in any way, I needed to become more familiar with the book and, as a result of my own study, have a better understanding of what the book taught. Ignorance and embarrassment can be great motivators.

Thus, this work is the result of those two events in my personal spiritual journey. Finally, I clearly understand that what I write here won’t be in accord with what many of my friends and colleagues believe about the book of Revelation. As stated previously, that was not the purpose in taking on this project. If one is writing a book simply to echo what their friends and colleagues already believe, then that time could be spent doing something else. In other words, it is a royal waste of time. I simply ask that I be extended the same courtesy I extend to others, and that is the right to share what I have come to understand about the book from my study.

INTRODUCTION

As I began to ponder an approach to the study, I felt there were probably other people like me who had always wanted to study the book of Revelation but just never got around to it for whatever reason. I’m not talking about academics or scholars (who make their living perusing and analyzing books) but people who desired to become familiar with the book but needed someone to guide them through it. These included people who, like many others, found that the book made little sense to them when they read it. In other words, what is the best way for anyone to get an understanding of the book? For me after much thought, the answer to that question was, to make sure we get as close to the author’s intent when the book was written as possible. In my mind, it made sense that if anyone wanted to understand the book, the common-sense approach would be to stay close to the author’s intent and the audience he was writing to. So I wanted to develop an approach that would yield the maximum benefit for those individuals who really wanted to understand it and get the sense of John’s perspective, which the Holy Spirit had revealed to him in those visions.

To that end, I began to acquire as many classic and contemporary commentaries as I could find to see what approaches, opinions, and perspectives were out there. I pored over them and began reviewing what approaches had been used in the past, while at the same time considering my target audience. Would any of these approaches help me in meeting my goal? After reviewing scores of commentaries written for all levels, from scholars to laypeople, I concluded that not having a formal theological education nor being a Greek or Hebrew scholar would be an advantage for me. I say that because many of those commentaries approach the book from a doctrinal point of view of their religious community. Sometimes it is hard to detect, but as I worked through the project, this became clear. I will explore some of these points in my analysis. Furthermore, since I started from a point of ignorance about the book, I didn’t have any preconceived notions or doctrines to be faithful to. Nor did I have any sacred cows to preserve, as I soon discovered was the case in many of the commentaries I reviewed. Therefore, in a sense I was starting from a clean slate, with my unfamiliarity becoming a distinct advantage for me supporting an objective assessment. When I began the study, I wasn’t familiar with the various interpretational or millennial views, so whatever position or view I ended up with would evolve as I worked through the verses.

During the process of reviewing the commentaries, I found there were several works done in this area by various scholars, which are quite impressive. David E. Aune’s ⁵ massive work on the book is without equal in its depth and breadth, having taken more than twelve years to complete. G. K. Beale’s work is also notable; his first draft took him seven years. ⁶ Other authors, some contemporary and others who have compiled classical works, include William Hendrickson, ⁷ Robert H. Mounce, ⁸ Robert L. Thomas, ⁹ Grant R. Osborne, ¹⁰ and William Milligan, ¹¹ to name a few. All devoted many years to their writing, but in some cases their work was written in such a technical manner that it’s overwhelming and barely accessible to the average Bible student. Many of these works are filled with extensive footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical remarks, Greek words (defined and undefined), and a difficult vocabulary. In other words, unless one has a degree in Greek or an extensive knowledge of the language, the book is difficult, if not impossible, to understand.

As outstanding as many of these scholarly works are, they aren’t written for the average Bible student. Many arguably are on the cutting edge of scholarship in this area but simply are out of reach of the everyday Bible student. The sad truth is that the average Bible student will likely never study the book of Revelation at the level in which some of these commentaries are written; if students ever did pick up a copy of them, they would be so intimidated by their difficulty that the commentaries would serve only to reinforce the widespread notion that the book of Revelation is too difficult to understand. Nothing is more discouraging than not understanding the people who are supposed to be trying to explain something to you.

As I discovered, even the sincerest Bible student can get discouraged when trying to read these works because the commentaries are so difficult to comprehend. Lots of historical, literary, and very insightful information is available, but if it cannot be understood, what value is it? I saw my challenge as presenting something that was solid in terms of scholarship but also understandable to the average student of the Bible. Therefore, I focused on two goals: (1) to produce something that surveyed the views of current scholarship without being overly technical and exhaustive and (2) to attempt to engage the reader with useful information, from which reasonable conclusions could be drawn. Overall, understanding, clarity, and objectivity were my goals and not consensus around a viewpoint, since I harbored none at the outset.

56314.png THE APPROACH

After reviewing what seemed like an endless number of commentaries on the book, it became apparent to me that although many referred to Old Testament passages in their explanations, these passages weren’t seen as the basis for understanding what was being shown to John and written in the book. There are literally hundreds of allusions to various Old Testament passages in the book of Revelation. My question was, how could anyone understand the book of Revelation without understanding John’s specific thoughts about why he referred to these Old Testament passages? What did these images and symbols mean to him? What did they mean to his audience?

When studying the book as contemporary Westerners, how can we be sure we are properly interpreting the book if we fail to consider the Old Testament passages John’s mind was saturated with when he saw his visions? Many believe the major reason why people fail to understand the book is that they lack an awareness of the degree to which the Old Testament is alluded to throughout it. Since the book draws heavily from the Old Testament, it would stand to reason that a Western mind-set in approaching the book wouldn’t be very useful in getting at the true meaning of the epistle. John’s Bible was the Old Testament. John’s mind and that of his readers was saturated with the ideas, language, and imagery found in the Old Testament. Simply put, if one is to get at the real story in the book, it’s a grave mistake to apply the logical norms and ideas of modern Western thought to the book.

It’s quite surprising that up until the early 1980s, only two published books focused on Old Testament usage in the book of Revelation, one in 1912 and another in 1972. In addition, six significant articles had been dedicated to the topic between the 1950s and the 1970s. Otherwise during the first three quarters of the twentieth century important discussion of the topic was found only in portions of books and commentaries. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, however six significant books and an important dissertation were written on the topic. However, since the mid-1990s, several major and substantive commentaries have appeared ¹² Many of those works have been used in this project. Apparently, a focus on the Old Testament background of the book wasn’t a major concern or focus for many years. In recent years, many commentaries include citations of Old Testament passages, when appropriate, in their explanations, but without an understanding of why the Old Testament relates to the text, the reader has little chance to gain insight into what John was really communicating.

In my opinion, the Old Testament background, as it relates to the book of Revelation, is a subject not treated extensively enough in many of the commentaries I have read. According to apologeticspress.org, of the 404 verses in the book, 278 allude to the Old Testament. Also, some of those verses contain multiple allusions, thereby increasing the number ¹³ almost by 69 percent. The Old Testament was the Bible for the apostles. Their minds were inundated with it. Jenkins (1972) says the book of Revelation is the most thoroughly Jewish in its language and imagery of any New Testament book. Many of the authors I reviewed noted this fact in their work but didn’t make much of its significance in their approach. Many of them allude here and there to passages and particularly those in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zechariah but only in selected passages that are deemed to be parallel discussions of prophecies.

This fact gave me an idea for a different approach rooted in giving those Old Testament passages center stage by placing them next to the verses that allude to them. That way readers have no need to disengage themselves from the text to turn to the passage, since it’s right there under the verse. So, having the Old Testament passage directly under the text dramatically increases the probability of the reader not only staying in context, which is critical in getting the true intent, but also getting closer to John’s perspective when writing what he saw. John’s knowledge of the things he already knew about the Old Testament, which the Holy Spirit inspired him to write, helped him understand the meaning of the visions he had witnessed. Therefore, this became my approach to this study: to present a work that sought to bring the reader closer to the thought processes John was subject to from the vantage point of the Old Testament, which was the context of the culture he was part of.

The special focus of this work is its emphasis on what role the Old Testament plays in explaining and illuminating many of the passages, symbols, and visions comprising the book. No other book of the New Testament is as permeated by the Old Testament as Revelation. ¹⁴ Again, it’s my view that given the considerable number of allusions to the Old Testament, or John’s Bible, fully grasping the intent of the author, as he wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is impossible without an understanding of the Old Testament (2 Peter 1:21). It is generally recognized that Revelation contains more Old Testament references than does any other New Testament book, although past attempts to tally the total amount has varied. For example: UBS=394; NA=635; British and Foreign Bible Society text =493; Swete=278. The variation in statistics is due to the different criteria employed to determine the validity of an old testament reference and the fact that some authors include echoes and parallels of a very general nature altogether with allusions and citations. ¹⁵ The sources I used will be cited at the end of this section.

John’s lens through which he viewed the book, was a fresh knowledge of the law and the prophets or, as we so commonly refer to it today, the Old Testament. It’s my hope that taking this approach will do two things: (1) make the reader aware of the degree to which the Old Testament is alluded to in the book and (2) keep the focus on what John had in mind and not on what the passage reminds the reader of from current popular religious themes.

Also, to keep the reader focused on the text, key words in each verse will be identified and followed by the Greek word the English word is attempting to translate, along with a short definition. Each verse will be presented in boldface text with each key word underlined. The Greek word that the underlined word is translating will be shown in italics and be briefly defined, using primarily Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible as the main source for definitions.Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and W. E. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words as secondary sources when Strong’s needs more clarity. A detail description of each work follows.

Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible- by James Strong (1822-1894) Strong numbered every Hebrew or Greek root word which was found, for ease of reference. This numbering system (8674 Hebrew roots and 5523 Greek roots) is now widely used in the English-speaking world and also widely available on the web where it can be used with many translations, often in conjunction with other hermeneutic tools

Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament – by Joseph Henry Thayer (1928-1901) Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament is one of the greatest achievements in biblical scholarship at the turn of the twentieth century. It contains more than 5,000 entries, references to hundreds of grammatical and exegetical works, detailed etymology, and complete summaries of both biblical and extra-biblical word usage.

W. E. Vines - An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words - William Edwy [W.E.] Vine (1873-1949) published in four parts in 1940. This lexicon traces the words of the King James Version of the bible back to their ancient Koine Greek root words and to the meanings of the words for that day.

The Bible chosen for this project was the English Standard Version (ESV). The ESV, an English translation of the Bible, is a revision of the 1971 Revised Standard Version (RSV) and employs an essential literal translation philosophy. While no translation is without its weaknesses, the ESV is preferred because it targets a reading level lower than the sometimes-awkward King James Version (KJV) and is a word-for-word translation.

Obviously, some words that have been defined previously will be repeated in subsequent verses. If the word has been defined previously, the definition may be shown again, or it may not be, at my discretion. Whether it is included depends on my perception of the difficulty of the verse and how frequently the definition has already been presented. Also, as deemed appropriate and helpful with certain passages that may be difficult to understand, a definition may be expanded within the verse to assist the reader in understanding the meaning of the word or phrase, using the secondary lexicons for this purpose. In the early Chapters (1-3), selected verses have brief explanations of various words and phrases. Sometimes these explanations will be given within the verse itself and at other times will follow the verse. The aim is to make the verse as accessible to the understanding of the reader as possible while engaging with the verse. In my opinion, these chapters are less difficult however, and as we move into chapter 4, which starts the more difficult material, you will note that the explanations after or within each verse are more frequent as well as the explanations that follow the Old Testament allusions. However, beginning in chapter 1, there are almost always a brief explanation of the Old Testament’s allusions to connect the verse under consideration that John was sharing with his readers. This is a key goal of this commentary. The list of Old Testament allusions is taken from the appendix of Westcott and Hort’s The Greek New Testament. ¹⁶ The list was supplemented and cross-checked using a similar listing from Mark Wilson’s Charts on the Book of Revelation, published in 2007. ¹⁷

Also, you will notice that after Chapter 5, I decided to change the way I referred to words already defined since some of the same Greek words are used over and over. Therefore, after working through the first five chapters and recognizing this, only new words will be underlined, while repeated words won’t be. However, if a repeated word will add to the understanding to what I perceive to be a difficult passage, it may be repeated in that instance.

I deliberately stay away from Greek words, spelled with Greek letters, and use only the English transliteration equivalent. For the reader who isn’t well versed in the language, Greek words simply clutter up the verse and are nothing more than distractions. The thrust of this commentary is to make the book accessible by taking each verse and highlighting key words in the text, showing the Greek equivalent, providing a short definition within the verse to facilitate understanding at the point of contact with a word, and then giving the Old Testament scriptures that shed light on the verse being studied. This will be done while at the same time trying not to overload the reader with abbreviations, technical terms, and related exegetical notations that could easily frustrate the most determined layperson.

Also, in addition to the issue of technical jargon being far from the vocabulary of the average Bible student, I found that references to millennial views and approaches (preterist, futurist, spiritualist, historicist, and eclectic) also added to the confusion. Having not studied the book, I had no preconceived notion as to what millennial view I had, so as I work through the book, I will likely settle on some view. When I reach that point, I will reveal what view I have settled on and why. I don’t know of any other book I reviewed where the author didn’t know his views before he started writing the book. This book is unique in that I am developing or searching for my own view as I write. With no predisposition, inclination, or bias, I feel I can approach the text with an open mind and let the text speak for itself rather than writing from preconceived ideas and personal bias. Therefore, I’m not seeking to agree with anyone; nor am I seeking anyone to agree with me.

The premise for the approach was simple: that the book of Revelation can be understood, and with humility, perseverance, and no predisposition, the Holy Spirit’s message to John has the power indeed to give understanding to the simple (Ps. 119:130). I believe this message to John is accessible to anyone who would make a sincere effort to understand it and that every component of God’s word, which God gave us, should be given its due respect and honor. In other words, no more respect should be given to the book of Acts than to the book of Amos, or to the book of Romans than to the book of Revelation. Every book, regardless of whether we can ascertain its value or not in our present situation, is vitally important to our salvation and to developing a right understanding of God’s redemptive plan. Whatever God has for us to see in any book of the Bible is important enough for us to find out what it is, regardless of whether it is the Gospels, epistles, history, or prophecy. This is my basic premise.

Since I claim no scholarly pedigree, I also want those who would use this work to know that because of the nature of the book, with its multitude of images and symbols, many of the applications and explanations aren’t made dogmatically. But they are at best speculations based on what is known in the text itself and in other parts of the Bible. To proclaim with absolute certainty the meaning of a vision without specific biblical revelation as to its meaning is presumptuous if not foolish. However strange the symbolism may be, if we use a little logic and common sense, we will find that it isn’t totally beyond our ability to comprehend. To help us with interpretation, the symbols seem to fall into three categories: (1) the symbols that are explained by stated equivalents, meaning that they are explained in other Bible passages; (2) the symbols that are unexplained but drawn from Old Testament background, meaning that although there may not be specific passages to cite, indirect references give information that support it; and (3) the symbols that have some connection to apocalyptic literature, biblical and extrabiblical sources, or pagan usage. There are very few symbols that cannot be placed in one of these three categories. ¹⁸

56314.png INTERPRETATION

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a book of this type has been interpreted in various ways throughout history. ¹⁹ These views have often been influenced by the relationship the church had to the world in different periods of history. Some once-held viewpoints have been abandoned altogether, while other interpretations are alive today and in much the same form as they were centuries ago. The study of Revelation will be more rewarding and enlightening when there is a general view of the major ways the book has been understood in the past. Although there are many hybrids of these views, we present the major ones in Appendix 12.

56314.png AUTHORSHIP

When an author of any book of the Bible states within the book itself that he is the author, the question of authorship shouldn’t be an issue. The person writing Revelation identified himself as John (Rev. 1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). The fact is that the name John was very common among the Jews from the time they came out of exile on into the early first century. There are four people in the New Testament named John, so it can be easily understood why there is considerable debate over whether the book could have been written by another John. The four Johns mentioned in scripture are (1) the father of Peter (John 1:42; 21:15–17); (2) the Hebrew name for Mark the Evangelist (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5); (3) one of the family of the high priest before whom Peter and John the Apostle, were brought and reprimanded for preaching in the temple and healing a lame man (Acts 4:6); and (4) the son of Zebedee, a fisherman Jesus called into service. Since the book doesn’t give any specific details concerning the identity, we must infer its author by means of objective information. Since none of us can claim to have been there, we must look at the evidence available.

When we keep in mind my goal to keep this work as nontechnical as possible, there is a need at this juncture to talk a little about how scholars determine the author of a book. The real challenge for scholars in working with a text is determining the original text to be used from the available evidence. It is a lamentable fact that New Testament textual critics (scholars) remain seriously divided over the criteria used in the selection of the most likely original reading. ²⁰ In textual criticism circles, the process in determining the authorship of a book is investigated from two perspectives: internal and external evidence. Internal evidence is concerned with gathering evidence that relates to such things as the writer’s habits and tendencies to use certain words, phrases, and flow of argument. These can then be compared to other known writings to determine whether similarities are such that they could help determine the author’s identity. The fact that the writer makes no effort to give specific details concerning the authorship other than giving his name could be evidence that he was so widely known by his readers that to do so would have been unnecessary.

This would point to John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee. The use of the term Logos (Word), which is used as a title for Jesus, is used only in the writings of John (the Gospel of John, the epistles of John, and Revelation). Objections to the apostle being the author began to surface only early in the third century, which indicates that during the apostles’ lives, no such objection existed. External evidence refers to the assessment of the manuscripts and versions and considers their age (which are older or better), their distribution, and the geographic locations where those texts have been found. Some of the major (external) authorities who cite John, the son of Zebedee, as the author of the book of Revelation are Justin Martyr of Rome (AD 150), Irenaeus of Gaul (AD 190), Tertullian of North Africa (AD 200), Clement of Alexandria (AD 200), Origen of Alexandria (AD 223), and Hippolytus of Rome (AD 235). We concur with this view. While knowing the identity of John is significant for historical reasons, the most important thing to remember is that whoever the author is, he was God’s mouthpiece to get this message to us via the Holy Spirit.

56314.png GENRES

Genre is a literary term used to identify the kind or style of literature a writing can be classified into, such as poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. The book of Revelation is unique in that it falls distinctly into three genres: letter, prophecy, and Apocalypse. Since it is believed to have been written to seven churches, it is like other epistles or letters written by Paul and others, who were sent to specific congregations with the purpose of addressing a specific need or circumstance (Rev. 1:11).

As a prophecy (Rev. 1:3; 22:7, 10, 18–19), it foretells events that will shortly come to pass. This element of prediction is found in chapters 4 through 22. The book of Revelation also falls into the special class of literature labeled apocalyptic, which was common in John’s time. Apocalyptic literature, arising between 200 BC and AD 200, was used to reveal certain mysteries about a host of things, including heaven and earth, humankind, God, angels and demons, the life of the world at that time, and the world yet to come. An interesting observation is provided by the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, which says, Following this model, most of them use ‘vision’ as a literary device by which to introduce their conceptions of the remote future. To the Jew struggling and suffering under Roman domination and rule, the Apocalypse brought a message of hope and encouragement and affirmed in no uncertain terms that God rules and overrules the affairs of man, and despite the apparent success of earthly tyrants, his righteous purpose would prevail. ²¹

The book of Revelation also shares at least three similar characteristics with other apocalyptic writings of the day. First, angels are typically the purveyors of the messages. Second, it was written during a time of severe persecution. There are clear references to this fact, as seen in Revelation 2:10, 13; 3:10. One of the main recurring themes in the book is persecution or martyrdom. Third, the use of vivid images in the form of symbols and cryptic language abound, and the use of bizarre creatures and symbolic numbers and names is common as well. Modern-day interpreters of the book fail to take this facet of the literary background of the book into proper consideration, and this failure has led to some strange and peculiar teachings. They tend to use the same hermeneutic principle of interpretation when working with literature written in a literal genre, which is to interpret a passage as literal unless doing so would render it ridiculous or silly. In other words, literalism is the rule, and symbolism is the exception under normal circumstances. However, the process is the exact opposite with this type of literature, where symbolism is the rule and literalism is the exception.

56314.png DATE

The dates of the writing of many books of the Bible are of little consequence when it comes to affecting the overall message of the book. For example, does it really matter when Proverbs was written? What about Psalms or the Gospels? The inspiration and praise found within the Psalms and the story of our Lord’s ministry aren’t confined to the time periods in which these writings were penned but will forever transcend time. Since we affirm that the Bible is God inspired, some readers may wonder, what difference does it make when it was written? Is not the message timeless? ²² Doesn’t the living word have the unique quality of speaking to all generations in some sense? Broadly speaking, this is true. Furthermore, many parts of the Bible were written to specific audiences or congregations (for example, Corinth, Galatians, and Philippians) and people (for example, Philemon), yet we also regard their teachings as timeless truths, and we readily apply those principles and practices to our lives today.

Having said that, why has the issue of the date of the book of Revelation caused so much controversy? Many commentaries devote a rather lengthy treatment to this subject in their works, but here I will only briefly summarize the major points. First, let me be clear that no one can say with 100 percent accuracy, when the book was written. The very best and most trusted evidence isn’t available, which would be a reference within the book of Revelation itself. Therefore, without this, one speculation is just about as good as another. I will indicate the date I tend to favor, but again, it’s just a guess, and you are encouraged to consult more comprehensive works that provide more research to be considered and form your own view.

The controversy regarding the date arises because of two issues: First is the question, Under whose reign, Domitian (later date, AD 96) or Nero (early date, AD 69), did most persecutions of the Christians take place, since they were obviously prominent during this period? The second is the fact that there is no mention in the book of the destruction of Jerusalem. ²³ The first issue affects the second. If one sides with the later date, then the temple wasn’t standing (the Romans destroyed it in AD 70), but if one leans toward the early date, the assumption is that the temple was standing. Good arguments exist for both early and later dates, but most likely the correct date is the mid-nineties under Domitian, since there is better evidence to support it. ²⁴ The only fact that virtually all scholars agree on is that the book was written and sent to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia at some point between AD 69 and 96. ²⁵

Among scholars, there are early-date proponents and late-date proponents. The scholarship of the last century or so has wavered between a date of around AD 96, in the reign of Domitian, and an earlier date of around AD 69, somewhat after the death of Nero. ²⁶ It should be noted in selecting a date that the late date (Domitian’s reign) prevailed from the second through the eighteenth centuries and again in the twentieth century, while the early date (based on Nero’s reign) dominated the nineteenth century. Numerous views have been advanced in support of both early and late dates. For example, those who cite an early date point to Revelation 11:1, when John was given a reed (not unlike a measuring rod) as a reasonable reference that the temple was still standing at the time, which would put the date before AD 70. ²⁷ Whereas the early tradition of the church favored Domitian’s reign due to the fact that emperor worship was practiced and thought to have become widespread in Domitian’s day. The most important passages are those in which the beast, held to represent the Roman emperor at that time, demanded that all worship him (Rev. 13:4, 12, 15–16; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). It seems reasonably clear that one can conclude that theses passages demand worship of the emperor. ²⁸ Furthermore, the fact that this view has been so dominant throughout history for nineteen centuries, starting from a time closest to when the book was written in the second century, is very strong evidence of its likely accuracy. However, while the evidence cannot be deemed conclusive so that no other view is possible, overall, the weight of the evidence points toward a date in the time of Domitian.

56314.png SYMBOLISM IN THE BOOK

The book of Revelation abounds in visions, images, symbols, and signs that challenge the imagination. Many of the creatures and animals described aren’t intended to be real. Therefore, caution should be exercised when trying to interpret any of them, keeping in mind that the message being communicated by the vision or image may be derived from an image that isn’t real or found in God’s current creation. Homer Hailey, in describing the nature of the symbolism used, points out that John pulled these images from literally every realm, including the heavenly, spiritual, and material universe. ²⁹ Tenney’s model is helpful in making sense of the symbols; he classifies them into basically three categories: (1) those John used and for which he explained what they represent, (2) those used that were obviously drawn from the Old Testament, and (3) those that were unexplained and taken from other apocalyptic literature of the day or pagan sources. ³⁰

PART 1

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THE CHURCH AGE

The first three chapters appear to show Jesus Christ, the founder and head of the church (Matt. 16:18), amid seven churches in different locales and cities. It is reasonable to conclude that the composite group represents the universal church in all ages of history (lampstands). One reason this makes sense is that not surprisingly, the number of congregations chosen to represent the church in its totality is seven. This number will be used extensively throughout the book. Numbers play a key role in the writing of the book, and seven was one of the most significant of sacred numbers of the ancient civilizations of the Middle East. It represented wholeness, entirety, or the totality of what is being described—in this case, the church. Each congregation listed here represents situations, issues, and conditions that will prevail in individual assemblies of the church throughout its history.

CHAPTER 1

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1.1 The Revelation (apokalupsis), to disclose or literally to take off the cover, of Jesus (Iesous), from the Hebrew word translated from Joshua, with various shades of meaning, such as Jehovah rescues, helps, preserves, or saves Christ (Christou) the anointed or the Messiah, which God (Theos), deity, divine status, quality, or nature, gave him to show (deiknuo), by making known, to his servants (doulos), a slave or bondservant, the things that must soon (en tachei), the first word en means to mark a specific state or condition that exists; tachei is a very brief period of time, take place. He made it known (semaino), to give a sign or to cause something to be made clear, by sending his angel (angelos), an envoy or messenger of a superior, to his servant John.

Daniel 2:28: But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these.

This passage from Daniel affirms that God is sovereign and was in control of human events in the days of Nebuchadnezzar as well as in John’s day.

1.2 Who bore witness to (martuero), to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, the word of God (logos), oracle, utterance, or saying by which God discloses, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ (marturia), witness, even to all that (hosos), as large, as wide, as long, as much, he saw.

1.3 Blessed (makarios), pertaining to a state of being happy, is the one who reads (anaginosko), to read something written, normally done aloud and involving verbalization, aloud the words of this prophecy (propheteia), an utterance inspired by God, and blessed are those who hear (akou), to have the faculty of hearing or being able to hear, and who keep (tereo), guard properly by keeping the eye upon, what is written (grapho), to express in written characters, in it, for the time (karios), a measure of time, is near (eggus), pertains to things that are imminent and soon to come to pass.

1.4 John to the seven churches (ekklesia), a calling out, the called out, that are in Asia: Grace (charis), a favorable attitude toward someone or something to you and peace (eirene), quietness, rest, from him who is (on), exists, and who was (en), existed previously at some point in time before the present, and who is to come (erchomai), to make one’s appearance, and from the seven spirits (pneuma), God’s power and agency, wind, who are before his throne (thronos), a stately seat of power.

Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you.’

Isaiah 41:4: Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

God has been here from the beginning of time, since He created time, and Jesus was there in the beginning with him. He is the self-existent one who had no beginning or end.

1.5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful (pistos), trustworthy, witness (martus), a person who testifies to what is seen, the firstborn (prototokos), first begotten of the dead (nekros), lifeless, and the ruler (arcon), first in rank or power, of kings (basileus), one who has absolute authority in a given area, a sovereign, on earth (gee), the inhabited earth. To him who loves (agapao), to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of, us and has freed (luo), loosen, us from our sins by his blood (haima), the atoning blood of Christ, which was shed for the sins of the world.

Psalm 89:37: Like the moon, it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies. Selah.

Psalm 89:27: And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Psalm 130:8: And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Isaiah 40:2: "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare