Eschatology Questions and Answers
P. Dixon Syllabus, Jan. 2010
Welcome to a study in biblical eschatology. This course was taught in an adult Sunday School class. It is in a question-answer format. The 20 questions are listed first, then the questions and answers are dealt with together in sequence thereafter.
A. Key Old Testament passages in the New Testament
1. What is the significance of Daniel 9:24-27 in the New Testament?
2. What is the significance of Joel 2:28-31 in the New Testament?
B. The rapture of the church
3. What is the Rapture of the church?
4. Where is it referenced in Scripture?
5. What are the various interpretations of the Rapture, as far as when it occurs?
6. What is the best understanding as to when the Rapture occurs?
C. The Millennium
7. What is meant by the Millennium?
8. Where is it referenced in Scripture?
9. What are the various interpretations of the Millennium?
10. What is the best understanding as to when the Millennium occurs?
D. Putting it all together: the Book of Revelation
11. What is the purpose of the book of Revelation?
12. What is the structure of the book?
13. Can you put together a timeline of the book?
14. The number of the Anti-Christ is 666. Who will be the Anti-Christ?
15. Who will be judged at the Final Judgment?
16. On what basis will they be judged?
17. Harmonize our past (Rom. 3:28) and future (Mt. 12:36-37) justifications.
18. What is meant by the “new heaven and new earth” of Rev. 21:1?
19. What is the “holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven,” 21:2-10?
20. Describe this new state of existence.
Question #1: What is the Significance of Dan. 9:24-27 in the New Testament?
A. Daniel 9:24-27 explained in the Old Testament
1. The 70 weeks, literally 70 “sevens,” refers to 490 prophetic years yet future from Daniel’s point of view. A prophetic year = 360 days, a prophetic month being 30 days (a prophetic month = a lunar month of 30 days).
2. The timeline:
Command to Rebuild Jerusalem, Dan. 9:25 The Triumphal Entry, Dan. 9:26, Mt. 21:1-11
Decree of Artaxerses
March 14, 445 B. C. April 6, 32 A. D.
Prophetic days: 69 X 7 X 360 = 173,880
Literal days: 173,880 days (445 BC - 32 AD [476 X 365 = 173,730 days] + Mar 14 - April 6 = 24 days + leap years (116 days) = 173,880 days
3. The 70 weeks of Daniel pertain to Israel.
4. The 70th week of Daniel
a. The indefinite gap between the 69th and 70th week, Dan. 9:26-27.
b. It is yet future, since there is no indication it has yet been fulfilled.
B. Daniel 9:24-27 in the New Testament
1. Mt. 24:15 ff
2. Rom. 11:11-36
3. 2 Thess. 2:1ff
4. Rev. 12-13, 16-17 (1260 days, 42 months [13:5], etc.)
Question #2: What is the significance of Joel 2:28-31 in the New Testament?
Review: The significance of Dan. 9:24-27 in the New Testament is that while the first 69 weeks (173,880 days) were fulfilled literally to the very day (March 14, 445 B.C. - April 6, 32 A.D.), there is an undefinable gap of time between the 69th week and the 70th (Dan. 9:26-27). It is yet unfulfilled (since the conditions of Dan. 9:27 have yet to be fulfilled); hence, yet future. The futurity of the 70th week is critical, particularly in light of Mt. 24:15-31 and the book of Revelation.
A. The Joel 2:28-31 passage in the Old Testament
1. The Day of the Lord, and subsequent call to repentance (1:13ff, 2:15-17), is the central theme of Joel.
2. The Day of the Lord has two aspects: its near coming which is a call for Israel to repent (2:1, and the judgment upon the enemies of God’s people (3:2-16).
3. The near and final fulfillment of the Day of the Lord:
a. For Israel historically just before the Babylonian captivity.
b. For the true Israelites at the end of the age, 2:28-32.
B. The Joel 2:28-32 prophecy in the New Testament
1. In Matt. 24:29-31
The second part of the Joel 2:28-32 prophecy, that is Joel 2:30-32, the sun being darkened, the moon turned to blood, and the stars falling from heaven, is fulfilled immediately after the Great Tribulation runs its course, and before the Lord’s return for the gathering together of the saints (v. 31), the rapture of the church (cf. 1 Thess. 4;13-18).
2. In Acts 2:14-21
In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost he views the fulfillment of the Joel 2:28-32 in its entirety. But, this does mean he views the entire process as fulfilled at Pentecost; rather, a better interpretation is that Joel 2:28-29 was fulfilled then (as per the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and outbreak of tongues speaking then), but that the second part (Joel 2:30-32, the sun and moon darkened and stars falling from heaven) as yet to be fulfilled. Peter seems to be simply acknowledging the period of time of Joel 2:28-32 being initiated by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and tongues speaking at Pentecost.
3. In Rev. 6:12-17
The Joel 2:30-32 prophesy is fulfilled when the 6th seal is opened in Rev. 6:12-16. Notice the striking parallelism between Mt. 24:29-31 and Rev 6:12ff, where the Joel 2:30-32 prophecy is fulfilled. If Mt 24:29 occurs immediately after the Great Tribulation (Mt. 24:29), then the 6th seal of Rev. 6:12 occurs after the tribulation is over. And, the return of Christ in Mt. 24:30 parallels the return of Christ in Rev. 6:15-17, and note that is when the Day of the Lord comes and the wrath of God begins. Compare also the parallelism between Mt. 24:30 and Rev. 7:1. This is when the elect are gathered from the 4 corners of the earth, the subsequent sealing of the 144,000 (a symbolic picture of the OT saints [12 tribes] and NT saints [12 disciples] who are sealed from God’s wrath in heaven after the rapture).
Question #3. What is the “Rapture” of the church?
The word “rapture” is like the word “trinity.“ Neither word occurs in scripture, but the thought is there. Rapture is an English word that means "snatched up" or "caught up." It comes from the same Latin root as "raptor," or “raptus,“ meaning: 1) a tearing off, rending away, or 2) a carrying off, adbuction, even “rape.” It is like what happens when certain birds such as eagles "snatch up" their prey. Although the word rapture is not used in the original Greek, nor in any common modern English translation, the idea is present in passages such as Mt. 24:30-31, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, and 2 Thess. 2:1.
Some Pretribulationalists (e.g. Arthur English) have appealed to a cognate use of apostasia in Classical Greek (not biblical Greek) where the cognate word is used of a ship being taken away, out to sea, by the wind. Supposedly, then, the word apostasia in 2 Thess. 2:3 refers to being taken away in the rapture. This is a desperate attempt to solve their problem in 2 Thess. 2:1-4 where the order of events militates against the order of events in a pretribulational scheme and therefore forbids a pretribulational rapture view. That is, according to Paul the apostasy and revelation of man of lawlessness precede the rapture. In response, they would then say that the apostasy (that is, the rapture) comes first, then the man of lawlessness is revealed. But, this is nonsense, for then we end up with double-talk: the rapture will not occur until the rapture comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed. Most pretribulationists today see the absurdity of this and no longer even suggest “apostasy“ refers to the rapture. The apostasia in 2:3 does not refer to the rapture, but to religious rebellion, as per NT use (Act 21:21).
So, by “the rapture of the church” what is meant is the time when the Lord returns and the saints, dead and living, are caught up to be with Him forever.
Question #4: Where is it referenced in scripture?
1. Joel 2:32
2. Mt. 24:30-31
3. 1 Thess. 4:13-18
4. 2 Thess. 2:1-4
5. 1 Cor. 15:23, 51-56
6. Jn. 14:1-3
7. Acts 1:11
8. Rev. 1:7, but not 4:1
9. Rev. 6:12-7:1
10. Rev. 11:11-13
11. Rev. 14:1-7, 14-16
12. Rev. 19:1-17
13. Rev. 20:1-11
14. Rev. 22:20-21
Question #5: What are the various interpretations of the Rapture, as far as when it occurs?
A. The pretribulational view and its argument:
1. The Lord will return in a secret rapture for the church just before the tribulation begins. What is left behind is Israel and the world. The Antichrist signs a peace covenant with Israel, but in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel, he commits the Abomination of Desolation by going into the temple and proclaiming himself to be god. Great persecution follows with the Antichrist and his forces pursuing Israel. Many will be martyred, yet many within Israel will turn to faith in Christ and many others, as well. Near the end of the tribulation period the Battle of Armageddon is fought when Christ returns, then gathers the elect of Israel unto Himself, and any others who have come to faith.
2. The argument:
a. Rev. 3:10 - Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
b. A syllogism:
1] The tribulation is an time of the outpouring of God’s wrath.
2] The church is not destined to wrath, 1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9.
3] Therefore, the church will not go through the tribulation.
c. The doctrine of imminency implies it: no one knows the day or hour of his coming, Mt. 24:36. Therefore, he could return at any moment.
3. Rebuttal:
a. Rev. 3:10 pertains to the time of the coming of God’s wrath, which is not during the tribulation, but after the tribulation has runs its course. The tribulation is a time of the outpouring of Satanic wrath, Rev. 12:7-12.
b. The above syllogism is faulty, because it is based on a faulty assumption, that is, that the wrath of God is poured out during the tribulation. His wrath is not poured out until the day of the Lord comes after the tribulation is over.
c. Imminency says there are no prophetic events which must be fulfilled before Christ returns for the church (Mt. 24:36). Therefore, he could return at any moment. But, this does not follow. Just because no one knows the day or hour does not mean his return is imminent, that he could return at any moment. No one knew the day nor hour of Christ’s death, but that does not mean he could have died at any time. There were some prophetic events which had to be fulfilled before He died. No, the doctrine of imminency is wrong. That was the Thessalonian error which Paul refutes in 2 Thess. 2:1-4. Pretribulationism has no answer for what Paul says there where the order of events clearly is apostasy and revelation of the Man of Lawlessness come first, followed sometime later by the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto him, 2:1.
How do pretribulationists explain the verse? We saw what Arthur English did to try to get around it (see above). The best that comes out of the pretrib camp is the line of thought followed by John Macarthur (see study notes). It goes like this.
Basically, it is a classic case of assuming one’s conclusion, a pretribulation rapture in this case, and imposing it on the text. This is eisogesis (reading a meaning of the text into the text), not exogesis (getting the meaning from or out of the text). If one assumes a pretrib rapture view, then the explanation is that the Thessalonians had been led to believe they had missed the rapture, which supposedly precedes by some time the coming of the day of the Lord. This meant they thought they were in the tribulation period and about to suffer great persecution (when the day of the Lord came). Paul then corrects their misunderstanding by saying the day of the Lord had not come, because certain tribulational events (the religious apostasy and the revelation of the Man of Lawlessness) must come first. That’s it. Make sense to you?
Probably not, because it is full of holes and contradictions. First, the “coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto him,” 2 Thess. 2:1, refers to the rapture of the saints. It cannot be separated into two parts: the rapture, followed sometime later by the coming of the day of the Lord. It is one and the same event. Hence, when Paul says, “that day will not come” (v. 3) he is talking about the rapture of the church which initiates the day of the Lord, not the coming of the day of the Lord sometime after the church is raptured. Second, if the Thessalonians were thinking they had missed the rapture, why would Paul argue they had not, because subsequent events had not yet been fulfilled? Besides, if they thought they had missed the rapture, why wouldn’t Paul just say something like, duh, we’re still here, aren’t we? It makes sense only if they thought the rapture, our gathering together unto him, the coming of the day of the Lord, one and the same event, was “at hand” (KJ translation which is possible and makes sense; not “has come”). Paul’s correction is simply that it was not at hand, was not about to occur at any moment, because necessary tribulational events had not yet occurred. He could have added other things, as well, such as the great tribulation, the sun being darkened, the moon turned into blood, and the stars falling from heaven (Mt. 24:15-30). But, the two events cited are enough for his purposes.
B. The mid-tribulation Rapture view: the view that the rapture occurs half-way through the tribulation period, after the revelation of the man of lawlessness. Rationale: 2 Thess. 2:1-4 says the apostasy and revelation of the man of lawlessness must come first. Therefore, it comes at this time.
Rebuttal: Mt. 24:29-31 - the Lord’s return is not until after the tribulation has run its course (“immediately after the tribulation of those days … then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man …, Mt. 24:29)
C. The post-tribulation Rapture view
1. The post-tribulation, post-wrath rapture: the rapture is posttribulational, and after the wrath of God is poured out in the tribuation period.
Rebuttal: the wrath of God is not poured out during the tribulation period, as the day of the Lord (which begins the wrath of God) is posttribulational, Mt. 24:29-31.
2. The post-tribulation, pre-wrath rapture
D. The a-tribulation (no literal tribulation on earth; the tribulation is a time of persecution and suffering upon the church during the first and second advents) Rapture view
1. The Preterist view: the seventieth week of Daniel was fulfilled in the 1st century and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the fulfillment of Mt. 24:31. Therefore, there is no future rapture and no future tribulation.
Rebuttal: this assumes the 70th week of Daniel was fulfilled spiritually or figuratively during the 1st century. The problem is the first 69 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 were fulfilled literally to the very day (see above notes). It would wreck interpretative havoc to suggest the last week was fulfilled figuratively Furthermore, it forces the interpretation of Mt. 24:29-31 to be not the return of the Lord in glory at the end of the age, but his coming for destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which seems most unlikely.
2. The Amillennial, atribulational view: the kingdom reign of Christ is here and now, between the two advents, and there is no literal future 70th week of Daniel still to be fulfilled, but a symbolic time of suffering and persecution of the church throughout the 2 advents, which culminate with His return at the end of the age.
Rebuttal: The spiritual interpretation of the 70th week of Daniel is most troublesome. This camp also concludes God is no longer working with the nation Israel, which Paul seems to reject in Rom. 11:25-36.
Question #6: What is the best understanding as to when the Rapture occurs?
A. What it cannot be:
1. It cannot be pretribulational, because of 2 Thess. 2:1-4 and Mt. 24:15-31.
2. It cannot be midtribulational, because of Mt. 24:29 (“immediately after the tribulation of those days … then shall appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, etc.).
3. It cannot be atribulational, because if the first 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy were fulfilled literally to the very day, and if the 70th week has not been fulfilled, then it is yet future; hence, a future tribulation of 7 years prophesied in Dan. 9:24-27.
B. What it is: the Rapture is Post-tribulation, Post-heavenly catastrophic sign and Pre-wrath.
The rapture occurs:
a. After the great tribulation has run its course, and after the sun is darkened, the moon turned into blood, and the star fall from heaven (Joel 2:28-31, Mt. 24:29-31).
b. After the apostasy occurs and after the Man of Lawlessness is revealed (both tribulation events), 2 Thess. 2:1-4.
c. It occurs before the wrath of God comes and is poured out on the earth, Rev. 6:12ff (when the 6th seal is opened, the great tribulation is closed [Mt. 24:29], the men of the earth call for the rocks and mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb, which they see coming (Rev. 6:15-17), the saints are gathered together in heaven (Rev. 7:1-17), then the 7th seal, containing the 7 trumpet judgments (the wrath of God) are sounded and with them the wrath of God.
C. The Millennium
Question #7. What is meant by the Millennium?
Ans: The millennium is that period of time (literally, 1000 years) during which:
a. Satan is bound, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, after which time, he is released for a little time; Rev. 20:1-3.
b. All the saints are resurrected, including those martyred for their faith, Rev. 20:4-6.
Question #8. Where is it referenced in Scripture?
Ans:
a. Rev. 20:1-6 is the only scripture which addresses the 1000 year period per se.
b. Yet, there are many allusions or references; anything which deals with the state of the saints during that time period, depending on one’s understanding of the millennium (e.g., wherever the OT prophets refer to the future state of affairs regarding Israel, that tends to be taken by the post-mills figuratively or symbolically as totally fulfilled in the church , by the amills as fulfilled figuratively in the church and/or fulfilled literally in the nation [Rom. 11], and by the premills as only fulfilled literally in the nation Israel during a 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth, along with the saints, after his return).
Question # 9. What are the various interpretations of the Millennium?
Ans: (taken from the book, The Millennial Maze, Stanley Grenz, InterVarsity Press)
a. The Postmillennial view - the physical return of Christ will occur after an earthly golden age, the era of peace and righteousness that the vision in Revelation 20:1-6 pictures in terms of a thousand year reign of Christ. This viewpoint emphasizes the continuity between the current era and the golden age. The thousand years will be a period much like our own, but with a heightened experience of goodness, due to the pervasive influence of Christian principles throughout the world.
b. The Amillennial view - literally, “no millennium,” that is, no literal millennium of a thousand years. It could symbolize the church age in its entirety, or is a vision of the eternal kingdom of God, or is a picture of the reign of departed saints in the heavenly realm during this age.
c. The Premillennial view - the Lord returns prior to the thousand-year period and physically present on the earth to exercise world dominion during the 1000 yr period. This period of time will be marked by goodness and a relative absence of evil, insofar as Satan will be restrained from exercising influence over human affairs until the age comes to a close. Premillennialists fall into two distinct camps: historic premillenialism and dispensational premillennialism.
1] Similarities between the two views: both believe the present age will climax with a period of tribulation followed by the return of Christ. The Second Coming will mark the judgment on the antichrist and the resurrection of the righteous. Satan is then bound for a thousand years, and the era of peace and righteousness will commence on earth (Isa. 11:8-9; 65:25). After the millennium Satan will be loosed to lead a brief rebellion. This will be followed by the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the eternal state.
2] Their differences: (abbreviations: hp=historic premil, dp=dispensational premil).
A] As regards the rapture: hp is posttribulational, dp is pretribulational;
B] hp views the promises made to Israel as completely fulfilled in the church; dp views a sharp distinction between Israel and the church.
C] hp views the millennium as the time after Christ’s return when the church rules with Christ over the earth as the completion of God’s redemptive process, completing or fulfilling the work begun in the 6 days of creation in an idyllic state; dp views the millennium as related exclusively to the nation Israel.
Question #10. What is the best understanding as to when the Millennium occurs?
Ans: Guiding factors
a. The futurity of the 70th week of Daniel, and the futurity of Rom. 11:11-27 militate against any view which sees no such future working of God with Israel, such as postmillennialism (which includes full preterits, as a subset), or historic premillennialism, both of which view the church as the fulfillment of the all the promises made to Israel.
b. The Bible views one return of the Lord at the end of the age, at which time there is: one general resurrection of the dead, and one judgment (Jn. 5:28-30, 2 Pet. 3:10-13, Mt. 24:1-31, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 2 Thess. 2:1ff, etc.). The dispensational premillennial scheme has: two returns of the Lord (the first one for the church only before the tribulation period, the second coming after the tribulation period), three resurrections (the resurrection of the saints at the pretrib rapture, the resurrection of the OT saints after the tribulation period when the Lord returns again, and the resurrection of the unrighteous at the end of the millennium, so they can be judged at the final judgment), and two judgments (the Bema seat judgment for the saints only to determine their rewards, 2 Cor. 5:9ff, and the Great White Throne, Final Judgment at the end, whereby the righteous and unrighteous are judged by their works to determine their final destiny (Mt. 7:21-27, 25:31-46, Rom. 2:3-10, Rev 20:11-15).
c. The Bible seems to teach there is one rebellion against God led by Satan during the tribulation period after which he is cast into the lake of fire, Rev. 19:19-21. The pretrib scheme has Satan afterwards being bond for a 1000 years, then being released once again for a little time in order to lead another rebellion against the Lord, Rev. 20:1-3.
d. The Bible teaches that the work of Christ is complete, that there is no longer a need for sacrifice. But, the dispensational pretribulational scheme has the Old Testament sacrificial system being reinstated during the millennium.
e. This leaves the amillennial view. Of the three possible amill views (see above 9.b.), which is it? Is the millennium the church age in its entirety from the first advent to the second advent of Christ? Is it a vision of the eternal kingdom of God? Or, is it a picture of the reign of departed saints in the heavenly realm during this age?
Ans: an exposition of Rev. 20:1-10
a. When is Satan bound (v. 1-3)? When Christ came into the world, Mt. 12:29.
b. The “they” of v. 4 - the saints of all ages who rule with Christ and judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2).
c. The “souls” of v. 4 - the martyred saints who come out of the tribulation. They also live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
d. Verse 5 should be rendered: the rest of the dead lived not throughout the during of the thousand years. The Greek word translated “until” means simply the rest of the dead did not come to life, or did not live throughout the duration of the millennium. It does not imply or suggest that afterwards, they did come to life. The same Greek word is used in Rom. 5:13, for until the law, sin was in the world [NASB]. The “until” there does not imply that after the law sin was not in the world. It means simply that throughout the duration of the law sin was in the world. Likewise, the “until” in Rev. 20:5 does not imply that after the millennium, the rest of the dead were resurrected.
e. What is the first resurrection of Rev. 20:5? It refers to those who live and reign with Christ during the thousand years. The first resurrection in Scripture is the spiritual resurrection of those who are in Christ, Eph. 2:1-5, Jn. 11:25-26.
f. Notice the contrast between the first resurrection and the second death of Rev. 20:6. Nothing is said of a second resurrection, nor of the first death. What are they?
g. The millennium ends when Satan is cast out of heaven coming to the earth with great wrath during the great tribulation, 20:7 (cf. 13:1ff).
h. Summing it all up: the millennium begins when Christ binds Satan at his first coming and ends when Satan is cast out of heaven and comes to wrath with great wrath during the tribulation. During the millennium all those who are in Christ, physically dead or alive, are resurrected and seated in the heavenly places where they live and reign with Christ and judge the world.
Question #11: What is the Purpose of the book of Revelation?
Answer: It is to encourage the saints to persevere, because of Him who is, was, and is to come, 1:17-18.
1. The book is written to be read aloud and the prophecies are to be kept; those who do so are promised to be blessed, Rev. 1:3.
2. The basis of the book is the vision of the Christ who overcame in the past, is currently sovereign Lord of the church, and who is coming with righteous judgment, Rev. 1:17-18.
a. Christ’s death and resurrection is the basis of all assurance for the believer, 1:17-18a. Therefore, be encouraged to persevere in doing the same.
b. Christ is the sovereign Lord of the churches, 1:18b; 2:1-3:22. Therefore, be overcomers in repenting of sin and walking in obedience.
c. Christ is coming back with righteous judgment upon evildoers and with blessing for those who persevere. Therefore, persevere in doing good, 6:1-22:23 (Mt. 10:22, 24:13).
Question #12: What is the Structure of Revelation?
Series of Cycles:
A. 1:1-8 (Summary)
B. Write the things you have seen, which are, and which will take place after this, 1:19.
1. The things which you saw (1:9-18 [vision of Christ]).
2. The things which are: the 7 stars - the 7 historical churches, 2:1-5:14.
a. the 7 historical churches, 2:1-3:22.
b. the vision given to John, 4:1-5:14.
3. The things which will take place after this, 6:1-22:21.
a. The 7 seals, the rapture of the church, and the 7 trumpet judgments, 6:1-11:19.
1] The 7 seals: beginning of tribulation to end of the age, 6:1-7:17.
a] Seals 1-6: the seven year tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week), followed by the return of the Lord, the rapture of the church and the eternal service and bliss of the saints, 6:1-7:17.
b] 7th seal contains the 7 trumpet judgment, 8:1-3.
2] The 7 trumpets: are contained in the 7th seal; are posttribulational judgments (6th seal closes the tribulation, cf. 6:12 and Mt. 24:29); take us to the end of the age, 8:1-11:19; are upon the unrighteous only, as the saints are in heaven.
a] They are posttribulational judgments (6th seal closes the tribulation, cf. 6:12 and Mt. 24:29);
b] They take us to the end of the age, 11:15-11:19.
c] They are upon the unrighteous only, as the saints are in heaven (raptured after the tribulation closes, Rev. 7:1-17).
d] The little book: a recapitulation of the great tribulation, 10:1-11:14.
b. The 7 year tribulation period, the rapture of the church, and the 7 bowl judgments, 12:1-19:21.
c. The binding of Satan at the beginning of the first Advent, the rapture of the church, the release of Satan at the end of the age, the Final Judgment, the new heavens and new earth, 20:1-22:21.
Question #13: A Timeline of Revelation
1st cent. to the Present 7 year Tribulation Rapture of the Church Wrath of God End of Age, Eternal State
Second Coming
Cycle 1: Summary, 1:1-8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Cycle 2:
“Things you have seen” -
Vision of Christ, 1:9-18
“things that are” -
7 churches, 2:1-3:22
4:1-5:14 7 seals, 6:1-17 rapture, 7:1-17 7 trumpets, 8:1-11:19 ---------------------------->
The little book, 10:1-11:14
Cycle 3: Satanic wrath, 12:1-13:18 rapture, 14:1-16 7 bowls,14:17-19:21------------------------------>
Cycle 4:
Binding of Satan, 20:1-3
Millennium, 20:4-6 final judgmt, 20:11-15;eternal state,21:1-22:21
Notes: 1. Revelation has 4 cycles of recapitulations (backing up and going over the same period of time). This is a typical Jewish style of writing using parallelisms to amplify the picture.
2. 1:19 gives the instruction to John to write what he saw, the things that are, and the things that will take place later, 1:19.
3. The futurity of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 9:24-27) and the Joel 2:28-32 prophecy as viewed by the NT (Mt. 24:29-32, Rev. 6:12ff) are keys.
Question #14: The Identity of the Antichrist, Rev. 13:18
A. Historical background of assigning numbers to name:
In ancient times, letters of the alphabet served as numbers. The first nine letters stood for the numbers one through nine, the next nine for the numbers ten through ninety, and so on. Thus, every name yielded a number. To decipher a number presented a rather fascinating riddle. An often quoted graffiti from Pompeii reads, “I love her whose number is 545.” Among the Jews the practice was known as gematria. Rabbis delighted in discovering hidden meanings in the numbers found in Scripture. For example, in Genesis 14:14 the 318 trained men who accompanied Abram to recover Lot from his captors turned out to be Eliezer, the chief servant. A striking example is found in Sibylline Oracles (1:324 ff) where the name of Jesus is given as 888. In Rev. 13:17-18 we learn that the number of the beast stamped upon his followers is 666. But, just who is referred to by this number is another story.
B. The Meaning or identity of the man whose number is 666:
No verse in Revelation has received more attention than this one with its cryptic reference to the number of the beast. The call for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Yet, in 2000 years of study no concensus has been reached on who or what John has in mind. Most feel, however, that the reference is to some definite historical person.
Already by the second century the solution to this riddle had escaped so prominent a theologian as Irenaeus, a native of Asia Minor and a disciple of Polycarp. He suggested three possibilities: a guy name Euanthas of whom we know nothing, Lateinos (the Roman Empire), and Teitan (the Titans of Greek mythology who rebelled against the gods). Another early conjecture was arnoune, a form of the Greek word for “deny.”
Recent conjectures are equally ingenious and unconvincing. Giet finds that the initials of the Roman Emperors from Julius Caesar to Vespasian add up to 666, but he has to omit Otho and Vitellius to get it to work. A rather different solution shows that 666 is the triangular number of 36 ( 1 plus 2 plus 3, up to 36) and 36 is the triangular number of 8 – the number of the Antichrist (cf. 17:11). The Reformers thought the Pope was the Antichrist.
The solution most commonly accepted today is that 666 is the numerical equivalent of Nero Caesar. It is supported by the variant reading 616, which also yields the name of Nero when the Latinized spelling is followed. What is not generally stressed is that this solution asks us to calculate a Hebrew transliteration of the Greek form of a Latin name, and that with a defective spelling. Besides, even though Nero Caesar’s persecuting zeal made him of model of the Antichrist, no one in the first or second centuries ever suggested him.
If we put 13:18 together with the whole chapter, and particularly 13:1-4, this is what seems to happen at the beginning of the Tribulation period. The “rising up out of the sea” (13:1) is a picture of Satan summoning a powerful demon from the abyss, who then activates and controls the Beast and his empire. The “seven heads and ten horns” represent the seven world empires- Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the final kingdom of Satan. The final one is made up of all the kingdoms represented by the ten horns. Ten is a number symbolizing the totality of human military and political power assisting the Beast as he controls the world. 13:2 and the imagery of the leopard (Greece), the bear (Medo-Persia) and lion (Babylon) bear this out. The deadly wound that was healed (13:3) could refer to one of the kingdoms being destroyed, then revived (hence, the revived Holy Roman Empire, as many think), or it could refer to a fake death and resurrection of the Antichrist, as part of his lying deception (12, 14, 17:8, 11).
The best solution seems to be that the number 666 will be the numerical value of the Antichrist whenever he does finally appear and this number can be used as further confirmation or rejection of any alleged Antichrist. If and when the time comes that only those having his number marked on them can buy or sell, then this number will serve as a telltale sign for believers, either confirming or denying him as the Antichrist.
Questions pertaining to the Final Judgment
Question 15. Who will be judged in the Final Judgment?
Answer: The apostate angels and all persons who have lived upon the earth.
1. The apostate angels, (Jude 6, 2 Pet. 2:4).
2. All persons who lived upon the earth (Jn. 5:28-29, Mt. 25:31-46, 2 Cor. 5:10).
Question 16. On what basis will they be judged?
Answer: They will be judged on the basis of their thoughts, words, and deeds.
For every thought: Ecclesiastes 12:14, Rom. 2:15-16.
For every deed: 2 Cor. 5:10, Rom. 2:5-11, John 5:28-30, Mt. 25:31-46.
For every word: Mt. 12:36-37.
Question 17. If we will be justified by our words (Mt. 12:36-37), how does this harmonize with being justified by faith alone (Rom. 3:28), that is, being saved by grace through faith alone, not of works, lest any should boast (Eph. 2:8-9)?
Answer: The basic meaning of justify is a showing or declaring of righteousness. The elect are shown to be righteous by the existence of faith alone when they first believe (Rom. 3:28). They are later in this life shown to be righteous by their works of obedience (Js. 2:24), that is, works that spring from such faith. Finally, in the day of judgement they are shown to be righteous by the thoughts, words, and deeds of their whole lives. Such Question #14: The Identity of the Antichrist, Rev. 13:18
The New Heaven and New Earth, Rev. 21-22
Question 18. What is meant by the “new heaven and new earth” of Rev. 21:1?
As chapter 21 opens, all the sinners of all ages, both demons and men, including Satan, the beast, and false prophet, are in the lake of fire forever (19:19-20; 20:7-10; 20:15). The entire universe as we know will be destroyed by fire (2 Pet. 3:10-13; cf. Ps. 102:25-26, Isa. 65:17, 66:22), and replaced by a new creation. The Greek word “new” denotes a newness in quality, the curse of the old creation no longer existing.
Question 19. What is the “holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven,” 21:2-10?
This is the capital city of heaven, a place of perfect holiness. It is seen “coming down out of heaven” indicating it already existed; but it descends into the new heavens and new earth from its place on high. This is the city where the saints will live (Jn. 14:1-3).
She comes “as a bride adorned for her husband.” This is an important metaphor for the church (Mt. 25:1-13, Eph. 5:25-27). John’s imagery here extends to the third part of the Jewish wedding, the ceremony (parts: 1. The bethrothal, 2. Presentation [the festivities, often lasting several days, that preceded the ceremony, 3. The ceremony [exchanging of vows]). Believers, the bride, in the New Jerusalem come to meet Christ (the bridegroom) in the final ceremony of redemptive history. The whole city, occupied by all the saints of all time, is called the Bride.
20. Describe this new state of existence.
1. There will be no more suffering, pain, sorrow, or death. 21:3-4.
2. There will no more sin, for we shall all become like Him in holiness and love, 1 Jn. 3:2.
3. It is inherited only by those who overcome (all believers, 1 Jn. 5:1, 4), 21:6-8.
4. We will recognize one another and able to interact, Gen. 25:8, Lk. 9: 28-36, 16:19-31, post-resurrection appearances of Christ, Jn. 20:11-21:25.
5. We will experience eternal life in all its glory and fullness, having full communion with God, Rev. 21:3.
6. While the joy of each individual will be full and complete, just as there will be degrees of punishment in hell (Mt. 11:20-24), so it appears there will be degrees of bliss in heaven (Dan. 12:3, Mt. 25:14-30, 2 Cor. 9:6). Yet, the crowns received for faithful service will all be cast at the feet of the Lord, since he alone, in his sovereign grace, is responsible for the rewards received (Rev. 4:9-10).
