You've done that which you accuse me of, i.e. sidestepping and not answering questions.
Your answer does not address the questions I posed to you.
- How do you know the Gentiles in the OT weren't an allegory for the fallen angels?
- If all of Revelation is and allegory, why do you believe in a real new heaven and earth?
- Couldn't that be talking about a new grand city built in the Amazon rain forest?
This apocalyptic book must be viewed in one of two main general overriding ways – literal or figurative. One’s ultimate stance on this important issue will drastically influence one’s eventual view of every aspect of revealed truth in this book.
Notwithstanding, the literalist are faced with many great hitherto revealed events and characters which revelation.
Revelation 1:1 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
The order of the transmission of this prophecy was expressly:
God – Christ – Angel – (signified or symbolised) – John
The Greek word interpreted ‘signified’, in this key introductory verse of Revelation, is semaino (Strong’s 4591), which actually means to signify or sign-i-fy. This word is found seven times in the New Testament and is interpreted as follows in the King James Version:
Signs (John 4:48)
Signify (Acts 25:27)
Signifying (John 12:33, 18:32, 21:19)
Signified (Acts 11:28; Revelation 1:1)
The Greek Word for sign in the New Testament is semeion (Strong’s
4592), which is significantly derived from the above word semaino (Strong’s 4591) that is found in Revelation 1:1. In fact, the word semaino itself originates from the shorter Greek word sema (meaning sign, token or mark). The whole weight of this interlinked family of words is definitely signs and sign language.
Vines Dictionary highlights Revelation 1:1, whilst explaining the meaning of the Greek, saying, “Rev. 1:1, where perhaps the suggestion is that of expressing by signs.”
This is exactly what the book of Revelation is; it a number of similar figurative visions indicating and impressing important spiritual truths by way of signs and/or symbols