Book Of Revelation

[Kaz]

I like to watch a lot of documentaries based on this enigmatic book. The members in this section seem to be mainly heavyweights on this forum so I'm curious to know your opinions on what seems to be one of the many debates about this book.

Do you believe that Revelation was written for the people in John's time or for our generation?

 

[Hidden In Him]

I like to watch a lot of documentaries based on this enigmatic book. The members in this section seem to be mainly heavyweights on this forum so I'm curious to know your opinions on what seems to be one of the many debates about this book.

Do you believe that Revelation was written for the people in John's time or for our generation?

Both. :) And congratulations on opening up a can of worms, LoL.

Kaz, we know each other from Christian Forums, do we not?

 

[Kaz]

Both. :) And congratulations on opening up a can of worms, LoL.

Kaz, we know each other from Christian Forums, do we not?

Not sure.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Not sure.

Don't worry about it.

Do you have a specific question about Revelation?

 

[Kaz]

Don't worry about it.

Do you have a specific question about Revelation?

I was just curious because you would think that it being in the bible that God would have made in a way that we could understand, but yet it's one of the most debated books in the bible I believe. I've attempted to read it in the past but it's so convoluted it's unreal. A Jewish man from the chess club once told me that in order to attempt to understand it I need to have an understanding of ancient Greek and Hebrew texts. My high school teacher who was a very well educated man told me that it is ultimately unsolvable, but I don't believe that.

 

[Hidden In Him]

A Jewish man from the chess club once told me that in order to attempt to understand it I need to have an understanding of ancient Greek and Hebrew texts. My high school teacher who was a very well educated man told me that it is ultimately unsolvable, but I don't believe that.

Correct. They sound like good men, but they were both wrong unfortunately. What you need is the Spirit of the Living God to reveal it to you, and the way He does that is by you asking Him to do so through incessant prayer.

Revelations is not that hard to make out once you have walked with the Lord for awhile (ok, maybe a GOOD long while) and come to the place where the Lord has fully instructed you in the proper interpretation of Biblical prophecy; not just Revelation, but Daniel and other prophetic references throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

It comes together. But one thing I would warn you about is letting men teach you a lot of stuff first. If you accept an interpretation of some passage and it turns out to be wrong, it has a way of messing up the whole theological system in your head, sort of like throwing a mental cog in the wheels of the clock so to speak. You hit a snag, and the thing comes to a stop in your mind.

Tell me what you do and do not think you understand about the Book.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Tell me what you do and do not think you understand about the Book.

Btw, I may bounce out for awhile, during which you will likely get ALL KINDS of interpretive perspectives on this issue. So in a way, asking this on a Christian forum may end up being counterproductive. But that's just a heads up. Each man has to chart his own course, and it does involve asking questions, if not of men then at least of yourself and God.

 

[Enoch111]

Do you believe that Revelation was written for the people in John's time or for our generation?

Revelation was written for all generations, particularly for our time, since the conditions for the takeover by the Antichrist (the Beast of Revelation 13) are ripe. Those who are unsaved and read this book are commanded by God to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Too many Christians have been indoctrinated into believing that much of Revelation is symbolic, but since the symbols are mostly explained, that does not hold water. We need to take Revelation in its plain literal sense, which is a chronological progression (by and large) from the 1st century to the establishment of the New Heavens and the New Earth. The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) runs parallel to the book of Revelation.

 

[Kaz]

Btw, I may bounce out for awhile, during which you will likely get ALL KINDS of interpretive perspectives on this issue. So in a way, asking this on a Christian forum may end up being counterproductive. But that's just a heads up. Each man has to chart his own course, and it does involve asking questions, if not of men then at least of yourself and God.

Okay. I think I understand. God is making it clear that we absolutely need Him in order to have any hope of truly understanding it's message, and it will take much prayer and effort on our part?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Okay. I think I understand. God is making it clear that we absolutely need Him in order to have any hope of truly understanding it's message, and it will take much prayer and effort on our part?

Correct, with the possible exception that you don't want to sit there and work your brain to death. You study, and then you pray for revelation. Then He starts to speak to you and show you some things, and you go back and study some more. Knowledge of Greek does help, btw, but you don't necessarily have to read it to be able to study it in the original. There are reference works you can buy that help.

But yes. You absolutely need Him. He wrote it. He knows what it means.

 

[Kaz]

Correct, with the possible exception that you don't want to sit there and work your brain to death. You study, and then you pray for revelation. Then He starts to speak to you and show you some things, and you go back and study some more. Knowledge of Greek does help, btw, but you don't necessarily have to read it to be able to study it in the original. There are reference works you can buy that help.

But yes. You absolutely need Him. He wrote it. He knows what it means.

I see. Thank you for taking the time to clear that up.

 

[Kaz]

That must have been a real trip for John on Patmos writing all that down. Is it true that it's uncertain which John it was that authored the book? I've heard there is more than one John.

 

[Hidden In Him]

That must have been a real trip for John on Patmos writing all that down. Is it true that it's uncertain which John it was that authored the book? I've heard there is more than one John.

Hadn't heard that myself. In most of Christian scholarship the authorship is never debated. But that argument may exist among what is called "critical scholarship." I am often very critical of "critical" scholarship, Lol.

 

[Riverwalker]

That must have been a real trip for John on Patmos writing all that down. Is it true that it's uncertain which John it was that authored the book? I've heard there is more than one John.

I actually think it is rather important that it is the Apostle John. Because it fulfills a prophecy of Jesus
Do you remember when Jesus said:
Matthew 16:Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

John in his revelation Saw Jesus come in all His glory

 

[kcnalp]

Both. :) And congratulations on opening up a can of worms, LoL.

Kaz, we know each other from Christian Forums, do we not?

Christianforums.com that banned me for saying "all lives matter"?

 

[Kaz]

Christianforums.com that banned me for saying "all lives matter"?

Really!? That seems extreme.

 

[kcnalp]

Really!? That seems extreme.

They also warned me for citing too many Scriptures!

 

[MatthewG]

Hello everyone

Haven't read the whole book of Revelation in a great while. It is one of the most debated, and profound and terrifying book in the entire bible.

What are your thoughts on it personally? Kaz and everyone here reading.

 

[Kaz]

Hello everyone

Haven't read the whole book of Revelation in a great while. It is one of the most debated, and profound and terrifying book in the entire bible.

What are your thoughts on it personally? Kaz and everyone here reading.

Hi MatthewG

Well, from what I understand it's certainly bone-chilling in parts, but I believe that ultimately it's a message of hope.

 

[marks]

I like to watch a lot of documentaries based on this enigmatic book. The members in this section seem to be mainly heavyweights on this forum so I'm curious to know your opinions on what seems to be one of the many debates about this book.

Do you believe that Revelation was written for the people in John's time or for our generation?

Hi Kaz,

I'll go with @Hidden In Him 's answer, both.

My suggestion for beginning to understand the Revelation is to read it daily for a month or so, I recommend the King James. Go slowly, take a couple of hours, and just read it. The idea is to get as much repetition of the book as you can, so you will have that greater retention. I'm not saying memorize it, but if you read it once a day for a month, you'll have a lot of it in your mind, you may be dreaming it by then, you'll be remembering blocks of the text.

You'll be able to look at overviews of the book, telescoping out and in on different parts. As questions come up in your mind, you'll more quickly be able to go the place that answers those questions.

AFTER the reading exercise, I suggest a very slow reading, using a concordance to look up all the different words used, candlestick, key of David, follow your curiosity, all that colorful language, track it down, find the parallel passages, the lampstands in ch. 11 and the lampstands in Zechariah.

All of this in prayer, start to finish. Prayer, that is, as you sit with the Author, you can discuss His book with Him.

To answer your specific question, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." To me, this means then and now.

Much love!