Appendix A A Glossary of Symbols 61-77

Why?

Why do you want to study Revelation? This is an important question. Some people seek this information to look knowledgeable to others. Some like to discuss it because they enjoy frightening others with colorful prognostications. Some others look into it because it is now fashionable to know about Revelation. All of these reasons are improper. Revelation was written for sincere and humble servants, called of God, who seek to learn what He has been doing, is doing, and will be doing. He will reward those who diligently seek Him in faith. (Hebrews 5:6)

The Title

The title of this last book of the Bible is taken from its first verse: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John"* It is important to consider the meaning and implication of this title.

When John received this message from God, Jesus had been gone from the earth for about 60 years. This was the last written message to His Church, all of whom wanted to know about his return.  Revelation, while it does deal with Jesus'

* This booklet will use the King James version of the Bible since it is yet the most common English Bible in use. If different translations are helpful, they will be specified.

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass..." This phrase has another implication in it. If you read it carefully, it says: "This book is about the way the understanding of Jesus will gradually be given to his church beginning with the time of his departure, and continuing through many years as the events of history clarify to all of his servants the prophecies concerning him." In other words, Revelation is not primarily about how Jesus will be revealed when he returns, but rather it is primarily about how he will be revealed to his Church while he is yet absent -- how the events of history will gradually allow the church to understand Jesus' power and presence with them before his personal return.   Understanding this major concept will change the way this book is interpreted. The book does deal with his personal return, of course, but verse 1 cautions us against stressing this one event.

Does It Mean What It Says?

You may have noticed in verse I another peculiar phrase: "...he sent and SIGNIFIED it by his angel..."

Many people quickly fall into erroneous interpretations of Revelation because they fail to note this phrase. "SIGNIFIED" here means "PUT INTO SIGNS (OR SYMBOLS)." This booklet will help you learn how to interpret these symbols. First, however, it is mandatory that we believe the first verse and realize that this book is in symbols or a code language. When it says "beast," it does not really mean a beast; when it says "heaven," it may not mean heaven; when it says "angel," it may not refer to an actual spirit-being. Difficult? Yes! Once the symbols are unlocked, however, the results are, indeed, beautiful -- as we might expect from a book By God, GIVEN to Jesus, SENT through an angel, and WRITTEN by the Apostle John.

Last For a Reason

Revelation is placed last in the Bible for a reason. Not only was it the last book written, but it presupposes that its readers will have a working Familiarity with all of the other books of the Bible which come before it. Revelation does not stand alone. In it are quotations and references to other parts of the Bible. To study Revelation without a knowledge of the rest of the Bible is like trying to study calculus before learning arithmetic.

A successful appreciation of Revelation relies on a solid background of Scriptural information and principles. The next chapter will attempt to summarize the Biblical story. Without this information, going further will be fruitless. The study of Revelation will require scholarship, faith, and prayer, but "blessed is he" who knows and lives by what he finds. (Revelation 22:7)

CHAPTER II:
THE OTHER HALF OF THE GOSPEL

Genesis begins with the fall of man. Revelation concludes with the restoration of man. In Genesis the curse falls on man. In Revelation the curse is "no more." In Genesis are the promises that the "seed of the woman" and the seed of Abraham will destroy the enemy and bless all of the families of the earth. In Revelation, that seed (the Lamb and 144,000), destroys the enemy and blesses all of the families of the earth. This is the kernel of the Gospel.

(1) Why did God create the earth and mankind? (2) What is God doing in the earth today? (3) What is the Gospel? (4) What is the Church? (5) What is the ultimate purpose of the Church? (6) Are all outside the Church forever lost? (7) What about the Jew?

Answers to these questions lay the necessary groundwork for an examination of Revelation. Without comprehending God's overall plan for mankind, the study of a subject like Revelation certainly will bear little fruit. Because of this we devote this chapter to a consideration of the Gospel -- the "good news" of the Bible. Please understand that we do not want to delay the examination of Revelation for you; but Jesus cannot be revealed to the mind which does not fully comprehend His purposes. This chapter is designed to review truths long lost sight of - truths which help Revelation make sense.

The title of this chapter, "The Other Half of the Gospel," suggests that what we regularly hear preached as the Gospel is incomplete -- and this is, indeed, the case. An examination of the Scriptural definition of the Gospel will prove that the Gospel is actually "good news" in a fuller sense than most Christians have ever dreamed.

In Galatians 3:8 the Apostle Paul makes an interesting statement. He claims that the Gospel was preached to Abraham. This is a concept not generally appreciated -- that the Gospel is also in the Old Testament. Abraham and his descendants believed God and Ms promises, and their belief, the core of traditional Judaism, is based upon the Gospel which God preached to Abraham. What is this belief? It is basically this: Messiah will come and bless everyone on earth through the agency of Abraham's children (or seed). This blessing will include resurrecting those who died. (It was because of Abraham's faith in the resurrection that he was willing to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. Hebrews II: 17-19)

Paul summed up all of this belief in the words spoken to Abraham, "In thee shall all nations be blessed. "Remember, Paul called this very promise "the Gospel." It is a beautiful Gospel, too. It promises that all mankind will be blessed. (See the original promise in Genesis 22:15-18.)

Christianity generally does not define the Gospel in quite the same manner. The teaching of Christendom about the Gospel has been basically this: Faithful believers in Christ will go to heaven when they die.

On the surface Judaism seems better, doesn't it? After all, it includes all men in the blessing, whereas Christendom excludes all except Christians. But our examination of the matter is not complete. As we took into it more, remember that we cannot immediately judge either of these definitions of the Gospel as being wrong. Judaism got its belief from God's own prophets; we would, indeed, be presumptuous to ignore that testimony. And Jesus, who was a Jew, never disputed the Gospel as preached to Abraham. But we must acknowledge that the Bible also teaches that faithful Christians will go to heaven. These two versions of the Gospel are not inharmonious. By accepting them both, we learn the full Gospel.

Abraham's seed is not totally as Abraham might have expected, for the Apostle informs us in Galatians 3:29 that "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." This is a key to our understanding. It says that faithful Christians are counted by God as being Abraham's seed or children. It also says that because of this they become "heirs" according to the "promise." What promise? The promise was that the seed would bless everyone else. Now we are at the crux of the matter. If true Christians are the seed, we see God's eventual purpose for them: the blessing of all the nations of the earth, and the resurrecting of all those who have died Oust as Abraham expected) so that they too could be blessed. Now our chart is harmonious. Those who go to heaven will be part of the great Messiah which will bless those hereon earth. (Obadiah 2 1)