GENERAL

There are a considerable number of quotations from other parts of the Bible in the Book of Revelation, and a major factor when trying to understand it is deciding how these quotations should be treated. Should the original meaning of these quotations be applied to the Book of Revelation, or should they be understood as symbolising something similar but not the same?

In some cases it is clear that the Book of Revelation is using quotations from scripture to describe something which is similar but not the same (e.g. the Babylon in the Book of Revelation, which is described using quotations from the Old Testament, is not the ancient kingdom that the quotations primarily related to). However, in other cases it is clear that the original meaning of a quotation from elsewhere in the Bible is intended (e.g. references to Christ smiting the nations with a rod of iron).

The intention of the Book of Revelation is to "shew ... things which must shortly come to pass" (Revelation 1 v 1). As this is the aim of the book, then references to events (e.g. the destruction of Babylon) and people (e.g. Eliakim and Jezebel) belonging to the time prior to the giving of the Book need to be understood as referring to similar events and individuals as the originals, but not the same.

When the Book of Revelation makes reference to events which were yet to happen when the Book was given (e.g. descriptions of the kingdom towards the end of the book),  a decision needs to be made on whether to consider them to be references to the same events as in other parts of scripture, or whether to understand them to be references to something similar but not the same.

This is a  fundamental decision which determines how much flexibility  is permitted when generating an understanding of the Book of Revelation.

These notes have been prepared on the premiss that, unless there are good grounds to the contrary (usually provided by the Book of Revelation itself), quotations from other parts of scripture in the Book of Revelation referring to events which were in the future when the Book of Revelation was given, have the same meaning as the passages from which they are taken.

The notes also seek to take account of the similarities between passages in the Book. The notes are not verse by verse, but seek to identify the major sources of quotes in the book and suggest an overall meaning.

SOURCES

A major source of information used in preparing these notes is a list of quotations from the Old Testament in the Book of Revelation which appeared in the Testimony magazine (see appendix).

OTHER APPROACHES TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The author of these notes is a Christadelphian and the approach taken in this study is different to the major Christadelphian work on Revelation, which is called Eureka and which was written by John Thomas. Eureka takes a "continuous historic" approach, which is similar to some other writings in the eighteenth and nineteenth century (e.g. Horae Apocolypticae by E.B.Elliott). This method, which places more emphasis on explaining the language of Revelation by historical events, has scriptural precedents, e.g. Daniel chapter 11 and the start of Zechariah chapter 9 can only really be understood by assigning historical events to them. However, there is a danger, especially when applying this principle to a book as large as the Book of Revelation, that interpretation becomes very subjective.

The notes in this study have been prepared by applying the principle of comparing scripture with scripture, as opposed to interpreting scriptural statements by historical events. As such, they follow the approach to understanding the Book of Revelation adopted by Christadelphians such as Harry Whittaker (Revelation - A Biblical Approach).

I will be happy to pass on details of Eureka and the conclusions it contains, as well as to answer questions about this study. Click  here to contact the author.

These notes have been produced by someone who is looking for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are an honest attempt to understand the Book of Revelation, so that I will be ready when he is sent back to the earth to establish the kingdom of God. I do not have all the answers, and I am fallible, however I hope that these notes do have a sound basis and will help us to be ready when the Lord does return.

Best wishes,

Phil Edmonds
 

This study concludes that these symbols/characters/passages in the book have the following meanings:

Revelation
chapter:

     1         "One like the son of man" = Christ
 
4&5        A vision seen prior to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70

     6        First six seals - describing events before and during
               the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70

     7        144,000 - the redeemed from Israel
               A great multitude - the redeemed from other nations

8&9        Seventh seal
               First six trumpets - punishment of Israel
 
    11        2 witnesses - testify about Jesus in Israel at the time of  the trumpets

    12        Dragon - the ungodly nations which have ruled over Israel
                Woman - Jerusalem
                Man child - Christ

    13        First beast - a re-emergence of the kingdom of Babylon
                Second beast - a false Christ emerging in Israel
 
    14        144,000 - the redeemed from Israel
                The reaper - Christ
 
15&16     Seven Vials - punishment on the nations which invade Israel close to the time of the return of Christ
 
17&18     Woman - Jerusalem
 
    19        The coming of Christ and the saints to set up the kingdom and destroy the beast

    20        The judgement of those responsible to Christ.
                The defeat of Gog and Magog at the end of the kingdom age.

21&22     Description of the kingdom and blessings on the righteous.
 
 Because of the application of the seals to the fall of Jerusalem, it is concluded that the book was written before AD 70. (The other popularly held view is that the Book was given to John in perhaps AD 96, some time after Jerusalem had been destroyed.)

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