Revelation :: Ground Rules

As we look at the book of Revelation let’s take some time to understand to lay down some ground rules.  There are a lot of misconceptions and sloppy studies to this book.

This book was written to someone.  It was not written to us.  We must see what this book meant to the people it was written to.

The word antichrist is not mentioned in the book of Revelation.  The word apocalypse does not mean the end of the world.  It is the word “apocolypsis” and is a meshing of two greek words; “apoco” which means away from and “lypsis” which means “a veil.”  It literally means the pulling back of a veil.  When Jesus died the curtain in the temple was torn.  Now the veil is being pulled back.

This book is part of the Bible.  It does not stand alone.  Out of the 404 verses of the book of Revelation there are over 500 references to Old Testament imagery.

This book is written to visual learners.  Just like us, different phrases had meaning that would only be understood to them.  They say that American-English is the hardest language to master, because there are so many different phrases that don’t make sense to people not from our culture.

For instance

1. Jump on the bandwagon
2. Knock on wood
3. Let the cat out of the bag
4. long in the tooth
5. armed to the teeth
6. brand spanking new
7. break a leg
8. face the music
9. roll with the punches
10. cut the mustard
11. Keep your pants on

These phrases give us a visual image so that conveys an idea.  They are called metaphors and every one of us uses these each day.  The people of the time of Revelation were no different.  They had phrases and some are from the Old Testament that would mean something different than what you and I would guess.  We need to understand their “language.”

Objects - In chapter one there is a sword coming out of a mouth.  In that day if you carried a sword you had power.  A sword coming out of a mouth is not literal, it is a metaphor meaning that Jesus’ words have great power.  They are not like the words of a man.  In the beginning was the “word.”

Numbers - 7 in the OT was the number of God and number of perfection.  The triune God’s number was 777 (meaning perfection.)  If someone would come and the number assigned them was 666 that would mean that they are not quite God.  The number 12 represents people.  There were 12 tribes in the OT and 12 disciples in the new.  That’s not a coincidence.

Events - volcanoes, earthquakes, seas swallowing up.  If we were to pick up a newspaper and read the headline “Hornets crush Indians.”  We would read that and assume that Cowden- Herrick beat Altamont.  We would guess that would be in the sports section.  What if it was in the International News section?  We would get a picture of huge hornets the size of helicopters crushing people.  We have to read the book in context.

Creatures - If you opened the newspaper and you saw a picture of a donkey crying and an elephant celebrating?  The republicans defeated the democrats.  The same thing was happening in Revelation.  There are creatures that represent different things.