Difficult passages in the book of revelation

Interpreting the book of revelation has been approached in many ways by many people. Apr 28, 2015 here are two unhelpful approaches to revelation. After defining some of the major viewpoints on revelation last week and the week before, this week id actually like to talk about what genre revelation is which is important for understanding what, exactly, revelation is. This work is an excellent resource for both scholars and students and will undoubtedly take its place among the standard academic commentaries on revelation.

Hank hanegraaff, in his book, is convinced that the thousand years of revelation 20 is symbolic and not to be taken literally. This is a highly accessible commentary on what most readers find the most difficult book in the new testament. Scriptures related to revelation have been mentioned by other prophets and nt books. However literal the prophecies may or may not be, the point is clear. Oh, yes, in places it is very difficult, but so are the books of matthew, mark, luke and john. Bible verses related to the book of revelation from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order revelation 20. Symbolic passages in the book of revelation 1127 words. The book of revelation is notoriously difficult to understand.

The description of the woman and the beast upon which she sits in 17. This one really doesnt apply to either revelation or daniel in my opinion i explain in a sec. The apocalypse, or revelation to john, the last book of the bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant. In the following discussion, we focus on the major parallels between the book of revelation and key passages elsewhere in scripture. As well as relating revelation to its late first century context and tracking its rhetorical force, witherington strongly refutes some of the extraordinary misinterpretations of revelation that are so influential in contemporary america. The book of revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the. As a result of this, there are multiple understandings of the way in which the author of revelation has laid out the book, focusing on different aspects and. He remains a muchconsulted source on the book of revelation, which has long been considered one of the most unusual and difficult to interpret portions of the new testament. What i did was compose questions about the book of revelation and take the answers from. I find osbornes judgments sound and well supported. It is important that we let modern scripture inform revelation. Mar 01, 2000 the book of revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in scripture. Accordingly, god is represented as having records of men, of.

He also examines elements that complicate the interpretation of apocalyptic literature. The why is the more interesting part of the question. The identity of the four horsemen, the 144,000, and babylon the great in particular are points of. Revelation is not too hard to comprehend, and we should benefit from it. Much of the apocalyptic genre as found in daniel and revelation can be laden with mysterious symbolism and so on which can be difficult to accurately interpret. Im currently in a series within my difficult passages post on the book of revelation. Grant osbornes commentary on revelation aims to interpret the text while also introducing readers to the perspectives of contemporary scholarship in a clear and accessible manner. But whatever the challenges, one thing is very clear in the book, and that has to. And even somewhat more straightforward discussions of eschatology in scripture can still be difficult to fully understand. Each chapter has a select number of questions related to a difficult scripture passage or passages in that particular book of the bible and its explanation. There are several major categories of interpretation of this book. But as is so often the case with difficult passages, students of the word are divided on the answers. Revelation is a book in the new testament that mainly focuses on the predictions of the end times in christianity.

Whenever scripture discusses end times scenarios we must take great care. The message of the book of revelation by ryan keating. Without a knowledge of these related passages and themes, it becomes difficulteven problematicto understand the events conveyed by john in this final book of scripture. The seven kings of revelation 17 ligonier ministries. The examination of the book of revelation by those seeking to understand and explain its structure has been one of the most difficult tasks undertaken by biblical literary critics.

Grant osbornescommentary on revelation aimsto interpret the text while also introducing readers to the perspectives of contemporary scholarship in a clear and accessible manner. Revelation baker exegetical commentary on the new testament. The theme of the book of hebrews the theme of hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of jesus christ as revealer and as mediator of gods grace. What part of scripture from the book of revelation in the. The book of revelation is unique, in that it describes a series of visions that may or may be taken literally. We can read it over and over and still not grasp what it is that we are reading. Grant osbornes commentary on revelation begins with a thorough introduction and the many difficulties involved in its interpretation. One could answer job simply because all conversations between job and his three friends and then a fourth is exceedingly dry. The entire book of revelation is difficult for anyone to understand, and educated scholars may have more difficulty because they rely on their education to help explain the book, but its mysteries are beyond anything mans education can reach. In referring to the dark passages of scripture, he began by saying. That being said, i think this book would compliment another older, but much more complete and still outstanding book that addresses difficult verses in the bible.

Difficult scripture sections study resources blue letter bible. Most apocalyptic literature is written under an assumed name such as the book of enoch for jewish literature, or the apocalypse of peter for christian literature. Many christians find the text impenetrable, as its insights are hidden behind cryptic passages. Today we may have one of the most difficult passages in the book of revelation.

The book of revelation is both difficult and fascinating. Nov 01, 2002 the book of revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in scripture. Revelation rarely quotes directly from the old testament, yet almost every verse. How do you handle this book full of difficult passages. A2a why is the book of revelation so difficult to understand. The second is to uncritically follow someone elses arbitrary interpretation of all the details and hidden meanings of its passages. Two years ago i moved to cyprus and since that time i have been thinking deeply about revelation. Because these references appear as allusions rather than as quotes, it is difficult to know whether the author used the hebrew or the greek. The book of revelation often called the revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words, the apocalypse, the revelation, or simply revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. Revelation is one of the books christians are most curious about, and yet so many preachers are reluctant to approach it. Dec 17, 2019 the book of revelation is unique, in that it describes a series of visions that may or may be taken literally. Related passages and themes commentary a testimony of.

Geisler and thomas howe, the big book of bible difficulties baker books, 2011 paperback, aka when critics ask baker books, 1992 hardcover. The book of revelation contains some of the most difficult passages in scripture. Bible verses about protection gods promises verses in the bible bible verses for faith in hard times encouraging bible verses hope. The figurative use of the whole number one thousand is virtually ubiquitous in old testament usage. Most popular bible verses from revelation scripture. And consider that the longsuffering of our lord is salvationas also our beloved brother paul, according to the wisdom. Ms quixote october 25th, 2009 8 comments the following is one of shemas entries for the top ten list of most misinterpreted bible versespassages. The podcast is sponsored by the holman christian standard. Keener, asbury theological seminary a standard reference commentary on the book of revelation. Then i saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Clear and concise answers from genesis to revelation geisler, norman l. The book of revelation a testament to the lamb of god. Metaphorical interpretations suppose that revelation does not indicate actual people or events, but is a parable of the spiritual path. The material above addresses broadly how to approach the material in any of the difficult passages.

Bullingers commentaries on the bible are rightfully renowned. Like all other ancient writings, the holy scriptures present many difficulties. Some of these are not easy of solution, while others may be satisfactorily explained. What is the most difficult book in the bible to understand. I was one of those reluctant preachers for many years. What about romans and hebrews and the other new testament books. But all the particulars between those points can be challenging to understand. When you open its pages, you are surrounded by a world full of beasts, dragons, angels, demons and even a slain lamb. Difficult passages by trey medley january 28, 20 8 comments alright, so this was suggested a while back, and ive avoided it until now, but im going to go ahead and dive into the book of revelation, one of the most confusing, argued about, misunderstood, misread, questioned books of the bible. Introduction a number of passages in the bible refer to a book called the book of life, a figurative expression that originated from the ancient customs of a keeping various kinds of records like genealogical records neh.

For example, god increased the number of the israelites a thousand times deuteronomy 1. Many verses in revelation apply to life today, whether we are living in the midst of one of the. Moreover, how do you apply a book so shrouded in mystery to the everyday lives of. Lund who served as a general authority seventy from 2002 to 2008 offers four keys to studying and understanding the book of revelation. How the bible makes sense of life, justin buzzard argues the bible is made up of five themes or acts as it moves from genesis to revelation. Revelation has its difficult passages, of course, but the book isn t as difficult as we ve thought it to be. Then i saw a great white throne and the one who was seated upon it, from whose presence and from the sight of whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. One is to think it is such an incomprehensible book of enigmas and riddles that we avoid it. Commentary on revelation, or the apocalypse hardcover.

Seeing the book of revelation as a book of revelation. Ive enjoyed working my way through commonly misunderstood bible verses. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. Osborne begins with a thorough introduction to revelation and the many difficulties involved in its interpretation. Many passages are symbolic in nature, and the exact meaning of the symbols can be difficult to determine. A complete guide to answering the tough questions the mcdowell apologetics library mcdowell, josh, mcdowell. Further, the book should be seen as showing general trends, personalities, and institutions that will be working from the time of the restoration to the lords day.