Description
A SURVEY OF THE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST AND THE MAN OF SIN AS USED IN THE APOCALYPSE OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE 1ST TO THE 21ST CENTURY
How did the Last Book of the New Testament, The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, written by the beloved Apostle John, that has Jesus as its Author and Subject, and promises blessings to the Reader and Hearers of its contents, become mired in controversies about the antichrist, the man of sin, the beast from the sea, the abomination of desolation, the harlot upon the red dragon, and 666? The word, apocalypse, in The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, has undergone such a dramatic semantic change in our society that the blessing with which it was originally associated, the reappearance of Jesus, is all but lost in the 21st Century and is replaced by the ideas of doom and gloom. Would a study of the interpretations of the Apocalypse from the 1st to the 21st Centuries answer this question about the mire? The answer is obviously, yes, because you have the proposed study of the history of the interpretation of the Apocalypse in your hand, and the answer to the question, How did the Last Book… become mired?, is discoverable and somewhat simple, and I am going to make a full disclosure of the answer: assumptions! Consequences of these assumptions: a deflection of thought and attention about Jesus Christ from Whom and about Whom the Apocalypse was written. Is this not the whole intent of antichrist?
The selective history and survey of the interpretation of the Apocalypse in this Volume leads me to the conclusion that in attempting to understand antichrist, the man of sin, 666, the beast from the sea, etc, expositors have inadvertently done exactly what antichrist has as its goal: opposition to Christ (the word, anti, carries this idea) and displacement of Christ. Such displacement began early in the history of the Christian Church, and some of her best expositors or most devoted servants dwelt too long upon the demonic and the calculation of times and events.
Not a few expositors of the Scriptures from the past, good men and believers all, embraced a library upon a train going in the wrong direction. Not a few expositors of the 21st Century are doing the same thing. My interactions with ancient and modern expositors in this Volume illustrate what I judge to be misdirections brought about by wrong assumptions over and over again. Nevertheless, we all look forward to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and share in the blessed hope of full pardon and acceptance into His Glorious Kingdom.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
The Book of Revelation is a Book from Jesus Christ and about Jesus Christ. It has a Prologue, 7 Heptads, and an Epilogue and is divided into two Parts. Part 1 contains Revelation, Chapters 1-11, the Prologue and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Heptads: Christ, in the midst of His Church, in the midst of this Age. Part 2 of Revelation, Chapters 12-22, contains the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Heptads plus the Epilogue. Part 2 of the Book of Revelation is a recapitulation of Part 1. Both Parts express Jesus’ Triumphs over sin, death and the Devil, with Part 2 building upon and extending each Heptad in Part 1. The 3rd and the 5th Heptads are nearly identical. The 4th Heptad is the fulcrum of the Book. The Prologue, the Heptads and the Epilogue all look forward to the Consummation.
The Book of Revelation is a Book of Blessing for all those saved by the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It begins with a blessing in the Prologue and concludes with a double blessing in the Epilogue, with blessings in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Heptads.
The Book of Revelation is a Book of Principles whereby the Lord God, the Almighty, has governed and is governing all the nations of the earth through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. By allusion, the Book of Revelation ties up all loose ends of the Scriptures. By loose ends is
meant that the Revelation reminds us of what the Lord God spoke by His Spirit to His Prophets of the Old Testament, and His Servants of the New Testament, what He promised to do. He will judge the wicked and the City of the World, Babylon. He will vindicate the righteous and wipe every tear from their eyes. At the Consummation, at the summons of our Lord Jesus, all of humanity, living and the dead, will be gathered at His White Throne, on the left side and the right side.
The Book of Revelation began with the face of the Lord shining upon John, Jesus’ aged Apostle, and concludes with the face of the Lord shining upon us all.
Rev. 1:14
The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
Rev. 22:1-5
And he revealed to me THE RIVER of the Water of Life, bright as crystal, flowing out from THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB.
In the middle of her street and the River, ([the River divides] left and right), [is] The Tree of Life bearing Twelve fruits, each month [of the 12 months] yielding its fruit And the leaves of The Tree [of Life] cured the nations. And there shall no longer be anything accursed and The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in her and His servants will worship Him and They shall see His Face and His Name [is] upon their foreheads and Night shall be no longer and There will be no need for the light of the lamp and the light of the sun because the Lord God will shine upon them and They shall reign into eternity and beyond.
