Von der hinteren Coverseite

Revelation is a book about the future and about the present. It offers future hope to all believers, especially those who have suffered for their faith. Revelation proclaims Christ's total triumph over evil and the reality of eternal life with him. It also gives guidance for the present as it teaches us about Jesus Christ and how we should live for him now. Through graphic word pictures we learn that Jesus Christ is coming again, that the forces of evil will be judged, and that the dead will be raised to judgment, headed for either eternal life or eternal destruction. As you read Revelation, look beyond the symbols to your sovereign God and to your Savior, Jesus Christ. And take hope-his victory is sure!

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Life Application Bible Commentary REVELATION

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Contents

Foreword...............................................xiIntroduction...........................................xiAuthor.................................................xiiiDate and Setting.......................................xivAudience...............................................xvPurpose................................................xviInterpretation.........................................xxA Quick Journey through Revelation.....................xxiiMessage................................................xxvVital Statistics.......................................xxvOutline................................................1Revelation 1...........................................17Revelation 2...........................................37Revelation 3...........................................53Revelation 4...........................................59Revelation 5...........................................69Revelation 6...........................................81Revelation 7...........................................91Revelation 8...........................................99Revelation 9...........................................109Revelation 10..........................................115Revelation 11..........................................135Revelation 12..........................................149Revelation 13..........................................163Revelation 14..........................................179Revelation 15..........................................183Revelation 16..........................................195Revelation 17..........................................209Revelation 18:1-19:5...................................225Revelation 19:6-21.....................................237Revelation 20..........................................251Revelation 21..........................................267Revelation 22..........................................279Bibliography...........................................281Index

Chapter One

INTRODUCTION / 1:1-3

The book of Revelation unveils Christ's full identity and God's plan for the end of the world, and it focuses on Jesus Christ, his second coming, his victory over evil, and the establishment of his kingdom. As you read and study Revelation, don't focus so much on the timetable of the events or the details of John's imagery that you miss the main message-the infinite love, power, and justice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. NIV The word "revelation" is the Greek word apokalupsis, from which the word "apocalypse" is derived. A "revelation" exposes what was formerly hidden or secret. The revelation recorded in this book will show God's servants (the believers) what must soon take place. That information had been formerly veiled but would now be disclosed.

A particular style of ancient literature was called "apocalyptic." Many Jewish apocalyptic works existed at the time Revelation was written. Written to describe the end of the world and God's final victory over evil, these works usually featured spectacular and mysterious imagery as well as hidden secrets that would be revealed. These Jewish works were largely pessimistic, for there was not much hope for the present. Such literature was often written under the name of an ancient hero.

The book of Revelation is apocalyptic but is different in several ways:

* It names John as the author rather than an ancient hero.

* It denounces evil and exhorts people to high Christian standards.

* It offers hope rather than gloom.

John was not a psychic attempting to predict the future; he was a prophet of God describing what God had shown him (this book is called "the prophecy," 1:3). Specifically, the apocalyptic literature in Scripture (Daniel 10-12; Mark 13; and the book of Revelation) includes fantastic imagery to remind the readers of their constant supernatural battle with evil.

Readers need to understand some characteristics of apocalyptic literature in the Bible. First, the Bible's apocalyptic sections are revelations from God. Revelation is God's giving his people a peek into the future. Second, apocalyptic literature emphasizes God's supernatural acts. Revelation highlights God's power by focusing on the end times, when God will interrupt human history and defeat evil once and for all. Third, apocalyptic literature is symbolic. It attempts to describe supernatural actions with graphic symbols of real events, things, or traits. For example, Christ is described in Revelation 5:6 as having "seven horns and seven eyes." The number seven represents perfection. A horn symbolizes power. So "seven horns" speak of Jesus' extraordinary power, and "seven eyes" speak of his ability to see all things.

This book is the revelation of (mediated by) Jesus Christ. God gave the revelation of his plan to Jesus Christ (see also John 1:18; 5:19-23; 12:49; 17:8). Jesus Christ, in turn, sent his angel, who revealed it to his servant John (see also 22:16). The angel will explain various scenes to John, acting as a guide. Angels are referred to sixty-seven times in Revelation. They are highly significant in this book; we see them worshiping God, revealing his Word, and carrying out his judgments. (For more on angels, see the commentary on 5:11-12.)

John, the servant, then passed the message along to the churches-God's servants. God's people are described as "servants" in Revelation (see, for example, 2:20; 7:3; 22:3). The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe believers.

The phrase "what must soon take place" means imminence-it would happen "soon." This seems odd to today's readers because 1,900 years have passed since the time this was proclaimed. We must remember that in apocalyptic literature the future is imminent, without concern for intervening time. Recall the words of 2 Peter 3:8, "A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day" (NLT). God is timeless. In God's eyes the future is just around the corner, even though it may seem far away to us. No one knows when these events will happen, so believers should live at all times as though Christ will come in the next moment.

According to tradition, John, the author, was the only one of Jesus' original twelve disciples who was still alive at this time (that is, if the date of A.D. 90-95 is accepted; see the Introduction). John wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. John's Gospel and letters show the great God of love, while the thunder of God's justice bursts from the pages of Revelation. John wrote Revelation in exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, sent there by the Romans as punishment for his witness about Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave his message to John in a vision, allowing him to see and record certain future events so that they could be an encouragement to all believers. The vision includes many signs and symbols that convey the essence of what is to happen. What John saw, in most cases, was indescribable, so he used illustrations to show what it was like. Readers of this symbolic language don't have to understand every detail-John himself didn't. Instead, we must realize that John's imagery reveals that Christ is indeed the glorious and victorious Lord of all. Some of Revelation's original readers were being severely persecuted because of their faith. The awesome and sometimes frightening pictures of Jesus' ultimate victory over evil were intended to encourage them to persevere.

Jesus is the ruler of the universe! He will come to this earth in victory. For believers, this is Good News. For unbelievers, it's a sober call to repent of their evil ways and prepare for Christ's return. The same God who controlled the past, and who will be in control in the future, still controls the present-even if it seems as though evil is winning. This world is an illusion; the real world is the spiritual world. God is allowing evil to triumph for a time, but evil is ultimately doomed. The primary point of the book of Revelation is that God is sovereign. He has already determined the end of history. The secondary point is that Satan's rebellion is futile. Although Satan is the ultimate foe of God and God's people, he has already lost.

For information on the four main ways to interpret Revelation, see the Introduction, "Understanding Apocalyptic Literature."

1:2 John faithfully reported the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ-everything he saw. NLT John saw the vision and then faithfully reported ... everything he saw. He saw the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation, according to John, is God's Word-not simply John's narration of what he saw. It is an eternal message. The testimony "of" Jesus Christ could also be translated "from" Jesus Christ. The words of this book describe the promises and actions of God that have come true through Jesus. Revelation, as difficult as it may be to understand, should not be neglected. It should be read and studied, for it is the Word of God and the testimony of Christ to all believers, from the first century to today.

1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. NRSV "Blessed" means "God blesses those who" or "God's blessing is upon." This promise sets John's writing apart from other Jewish apocalyptic literature and points out that these words were inspired by God. This is the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation (see also 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). See the chart at 14:13.

Who is blessed? The one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy. The public reading of Scripture was common in Jewish heritage (see, for example, Nehemiah 8:2-3; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:15). Christians also read Scripture aloud in public because copies of the Gospels and the letters of the apostles were not available to every believer. Someone-usually a scribe or someone trained in writing and reading texts-would be chosen to read aloud portions of the text. Later, the office of "reader" became a position in the church.

Scripture reading was an important event. In addition to the reader, blessed also are those who hear and who keep what is written. This echoes Jesus' words in Luke 11:28: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (NKJV). "Hear" and "keep" are important terms and major themes of the book. Used together, they mean "to persevere in faithful obedience." The blessed ones are those who come to church to hear God's Word and then keep (obey) it so that it changes their lives (Ephesians 4:13).

Revelation is a book of prophecy that is both prediction (foretelling future events) and proclamation (preaching about who God is and what he will do). Prophecy is more than telling the future. Behind the predictions are important principles about God's character and promises. These words will bless the hearers because through them they can get to know God better and be able to trust him more completely. The words are more than just predictions of the future; they include moral instruction that the listeners were to "hear" and "keep."

The phrase "the time is near" is like the phrase "what must soon take place" in 1:1 and refers to imminence. Believers must be ready for Christ's second coming. The Last Judgment and the establishment of God's kingdom are certainly near. No one knows when these events will occur, so all believers must be prepared. They will happen quickly, with no second chance to change minds or sides.

JOHN'S GREETINGS AND PRAISE TO GOD / 1:4-8

John began to address the recipients of this letter, a letter that would be sent along the roads through the various cities with the churches to whom John was writing. After this brief greeting comes a doxology of praise to God.

1:4-5a This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the commander of all the rulers of the world. NLT Jesus told John to write to seven churches that knew and trusted John and had read his earlier letters (see 1:9, 11). These were literal churches in literal cities. The letter was addressed so that it could be read and passed on in a systematic fashion, following the main Roman road clockwise around the province of Asia (now called Turkey).

These were not the only churches in Asia at the time. For example, Troas (Acts 20:5ff), Colosse (Colossians 1:2), and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13) also had churches. Why did the Lord direct John to write to these seven in particular? It is possible that the number seven, as with the other sevens in the book, signifies completeness. While the seven churches were actual churches, they also represented all churches throughout the ages.

Grace and peace were standard greetings in the ancient world. "Grace" was the Greek greeting (charis); "peace" was the Hebrew greeting (shalom). The early church took these two greetings and used them together as a way of declaring that God had given these realities to his people.

The Trinity-the Father (the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come), the Holy Spirit (the sevenfold Spirit), and the Son (Jesus Christ)-is the source of all truth (John 14:6-17; 1 John 2:27; Revelation 19:11).

All of time is encompassed in the Father-he is, was, and will be. This title is used only in Revelation (see also 11:17; 16:5). God is eternally present and therefore able to help his people in any age, in any situation. Note that the present tense is first, stressing that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the future is still in control of the present, even though it doesn't seem like it. The pressures and stresses that the early Christians faced made the truth of God's control over all history that much more meaningful.

The "sevenfold Spirit" has been identified by some to mean the seven angelic beings or messengers for the churches (see a further discussion at 1:20). Others have interpreted this to refer to those angels that accompany Christ at his return (Luke 9:26; 1 Timothy 5:21). But the reference to the Trinity here gives more weight to the interpretation that the sevenfold Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The "sevenfold Spirit" refers to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The number seven is used throughout Revelation to symbolize completeness and perfection (see also 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). This also pictures the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Isaiah 11:2 and the seven lamps in Zechariah, which also describe the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:1-10).

Jesus is seen in all his sovereignty. He is the faithful witness of the truth from God, who sent him to earth to die for sins. Both Jesus and the believers are called "witnesses." The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word for witness. Jesus was a "witness" as the first to die. This would have comforted believers who were suffering for their faith. Those who would die for their faith in Christ, the martyrs, would "witness" through their deaths. Jesus Christ is the preeminent "faithful witness" because he died and because he was the first to rise from the dead (see also Colossians 1:18). Christ's resurrection assures the same for all the believers. He shows us all how to stand firm for the faith even when faced with persecution. Others had risen from the dead-people whom the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles had brought back to life during their ministries-but later those people had died again. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead in an imperishable body (1 Corinthians 15:20), never to die again. He is the firstborn from the dead.

Jesus is also portrayed as the commander of all the rulers of the world-an all-powerful King, victorious in battle, glorious in peace. Satan had tried to tempt Jesus with an offer of ruling all the nations of the world if Jesus would bow and worship him (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus refused and, through obedience to God through death on the cross, gained ultimate leadership. Psalm 89:27 says, "I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth" (NLT). Jesus was not just a humble earthly teacher; he is the glorious God. When he returns, he will be recognized for who he really is. Then, "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11 NLT).

1:5b-6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and 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. NIV This doxology concludes the prologue to this book. John was writing to believers experiencing persecution; yet he assured them that Jesus not only continuously cared for and loved them but also had set them free, no matter how they might feel. Jesus had set them free from their sins by his blood, that is, through his death on the cross. Through that blood, he had made his people to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father. Israel had been called to be "a kingdom of priests, [a] holy nation" (Exodus 19:6 NLT). This saying describes the Christians as the continuation of the Old Testament people of God-his kingdom and priests (see also Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). Together believers make up a kingdom of which Christ is their King; individually they are priests because each has direct access to God because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Their whole purpose, of course, is to serve God.

The doxology ends with words of praise: to him be glory and power for ever and ever! "Amen" means "let it be so."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Life Application Bible Commentary REVELATIONby Bruce B. Barton Linda Chaffee Taylor Neil Wilson David R. Veerman Copyright © 2000 by The Livingstone Corporation. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.