The Book of Revelation: Victory Over Satan
By Randy Neal
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About this ebook
This book is an outline of the study of the book of Revelation. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible, this simple work will help guide you through the last book of the New Testament and close out the Christian canon.
Randy Neal
Randy Neal is a part-time minister who worked for nearly nine years as a house manager in a group home with adults who have disabilities. Currently he works as a school teacher with Wilson County Schools (more recently with Metro Nashville Public Schools). His wife, Kim, is a graduate of MTSU and an elementary school teacher. They have three adult children (the oldest works with a nonprofit and the other two are working on a career in law). Randy has been preaching since high school (1982) and has worked various public jobs as well as taught college. Randy has earned a BA, MA, and Ph.D. (Biblical Studies/OT, 2019). Randy grew up on a dairy farm (along with his dad, mom, brother, and two sisters) in Middle Tennessee and still enjoys the rural life. His dad also preached part-time for rural congregations over 55 years. Randy has several works in the pipeline that he wants to publish and looks forward to working with draft2digital. Randy's dissertation is under contract to be published in 2022.
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The Book of Revelation - Randy Neal
The Book of Revelation:
Victory Over Satan
By Randy Neal, PH.D.
Observant Publishing
Christiana, TN.
© 2023
Chapter 1
Introduction to Revelation
The Meaning of Revelation
and Apocalyptic Imagery.
The title of the book is The Revelation of John.
The word Revelation
comes from the Greek term, apocalupsis, which means a disclosure or unveiling so something previously hidden (apo, meaning away from,
and klaupsis, meaning a veiling or hiding.
The term is found once in the book of Revelation (1:1) and is used by Paul some thirteen times in the sense of God’s revelation of the apostle himself and mankind (see Gal. 1:12; 1 Cor. 4:16; Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:3).
The term also carries a special meaning here because of its hidden meaning for first century Christians.
The usage of Apocalyptic Imagery.
The book of Revelation uses apocalyptic symbolism or imagery that was common to first century Christians, but especially to Jewish Christians.
Some of the images are drawn from all aspects of nature and human life,
such as the horse, the lion, leopard, bear, lamb, calf, locusts, scorpion, eagle, vulture, fish, frogs, trees, harvest, and vintage all appear in the visions of the book.
[1]
The book of Revelation also contains prophetic characteristics as well.
The Old Testament speaks of the day of the Lord
where the prophets warned of God’s judgment being poured out upon Israel and Judah (or the nations). Revelation looks forward to the SECOND coming of Jesus when the
Day of the Lord shall culminate in one great hour of judgment followed by eternal destruction or reward.
[2]
There is also usage of symbolic numbers in this book (3, 4, 7, 12, 666, 1,000, 144,000).
The book of Revelation is deeply rooted in imagery from the Old Testament, specifically the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and portions of Isaiah (as well as some of the Jewish apocryphal books).
H.B. Sweet estimated that out of some 404 verses in Revelation, approximately 278 contain references to Old Testament passages.[3]
Apocalypses reveal the future in the form of visions. They are written in a time of burden and look forward to a time when the present evil will have run its course and judgment will have been visited upon those who grieve the righteous.
[4]
Authorship and Date of Revelation.
Authorship.
The writer identifies himself as John in Rev. 1:1, 4, 9 and in Rev. 22:8.
The testimony of the tradition from the second century A.D. is overwhelming in identifying the John mentioned here as John, the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles.
[5]
Justin Martyr (cir 135 A.D.) attributed the book to the apostle John; Irenaeus (cir 185 A.D.) quotes frequently from it as the writing of the apostle John.
[6]
Some have argued Revelation was written by another John than the apostle John (since John never refers to himself by name in either the fourth Gospel or the three epistles of John). While this is possible, one could argue if this is some other John that is not as well known, then he would have said so; saying his name is John needs no further description.
Date.
There are two dates that are generally argued for in dating the book.
During the reign of Emperor Nero (who reigned from A.D. 54-68), thus dating the book prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. A second view argues for a date during the reign of Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96).
The earliest dating is generally connected with the interpretation that the visions of Revelation, in part at least, picture the persecution of the church by the Jews and foretell the destruction of Jerusalem and the consequent downfall of the Jewish state.
[7] (I had a professor in college who argued strongly that the destruction envisioned in Revelation was connected with Jesus prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24 – the destruction of the city and temple).
I am more inclined to learn towards the later date for the book of Revelation during the reign of Domitian.
The persecution during Nero seems only to have been centralized around the city of Rome, but the persecution during Domitian’s reign was more universal (throughout the empire).
The situation in Revelation is this: either Jesus is Lord and Savior or Caesar is Lord and Savior. If you choose Jesus, then you lose your life. Nero persecuted Christians not because he insisted on being worshiped as a god, "but because [he] had to find scapegoats for the great fire of Rom, for which, it is almost certain, he himself was responsible. Domitian, on the other hand, demanded emperor worship. If Christians refused, then he had them put to death.[8]
Place of Writing.
In Revelation 1:9, the Bible states that John was on the island of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In Revelation 1:11, John was told to write down what he saw and send it to seven churches in Asia (Asia Minor, the region of Modern day Turkey; these were not the only churches in this region).
Present day Patmos is a small island several hours’ journey by fifty foot motorized tourist boat from the coastline of Turkey. It is a rugged island with pyramid shaped rocks jutting out of the Aegean Sea to a height of several hundred feet. The island is about ten miles long and six miles wide. It is somewhat crescent shaped.
[9]
During John’s day, this island was used as a place to isolate those who were considered capable of causing any disturbance to the orderly processes of Roman government. Mines were operated giving the prisoners work to do. With many miles of open sea between them and the nearest land there was little danger of their escape.
[10]
Importance and Message of the Book.
That good would win over evil in the end; that the forces of God would defeat the forces of Satan. There is victory in Jesus! To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne
(Rev. 3:21).
The book of Revelation was never intended to be a road map of future events in world history. To do so would take away from the meaning the letter had for the first century audience (every generation thought Revelation was being fulfilled in their time, from the Civil War, WW I and WW II, even after 9-11). We must first ask ourselves the question, what did the letter mean to Christians in the first century before we try to find meaning for ourselves in the twenty-first century.
The fact that residents in the Roman Empire were commanded to offer sacrifices to the Roman Emperor. Two documents bear out the fact that Rome demanded people offer sacrifices to Rome.
The first comes from a text of Grenefell and Hunt, from The Oxyrhynchus Papyri IV, No. 658 (London: Egypt Exploration Fund, 1904).
According to what has been ordered, I offered drink offerings and I sacrificed also of the temples. I have tasted at the same time with my son, Aurelia Dioskoros and my daughter, Aurelia Lais. I ask you to certify for me. Year [of] the Ruler Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius Eusebous (reverent) Eutuxos (good fortune) Augustus ...
[11]
The next text is similar to the first.
This comes from William Barclay’s commentary on Revelation.
To those who have been appointed to preside over the sacrifices, from Inares Akeus, from the village of Theoxenis, together with his children Aias and Hera, who reside in the village of Theadelphia. We have always sacrificed to the gods, and now, in your presence, according to the regulations, we have sacrificed and offered libations, and tasted the sacred things, and we ask you to give us a certification that we have done so. May you fare well. We, the representatives of the emperor, Serenos and Hermas, having seen you sacrificing.
[12]
There is what I like to call in this book two book ends
that show the events about to take place are in the near future.
Rev. 1:1 – shortly come to pass
/Rev 22:6 – shortly come to pass.
Rev. 1:3 – time is at hand
/Rev. 22:10 – time is at hand.
Note what John the Baptist said about the coming kingdom of heaven (the time is at hand
), then compare that with what Jesus said in Mark 9:1 ("There be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen