Revelation is not as weird as you might think Nick Freeman

Session 11 – Chapter 21-22

New heaven & new earth

Consummation = coming together (heaven and earth, God and His people, Bride and Bridegroom, Israel and the Church)

Jesus at the centre (Colossians 1.15-17)

Covenant fulfilment – “They will be His people and He will be their God” (Ex 6.7/19.6)

No sea – Humanity no longer defined independent of God’s life. Our experience will be internal to God’s life. The life we have “hid with Christ in God” (Col 3) will be fully experienced. A movement from faith to sight.

Holy city / bride

God will dwell with His people on the new Earth

Picture of union/consummation – The place where God dwells (holy city) merges with God’s covenant people (clothed as a Bride)

Isaiah 65 (Promise to Israel)


New Jerusalem (joy, delight, no crying), blessing and fruitfulness, intimacy – “before they call I will answer”, superior ‘wont recall former things’

Images that reinforce promise of sharing life - Drink from spring of water of life / He who overcomes will inherit 

John is shown the city

Represents a profound reworking of the Jewish framework for the promise of sharing in God’s holy life (Ezekiel 40-48)

Vision parallels Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 40.1-5)

Look for what’s missing, what’s included and what’s transformed?

Ezekiel


43.4-5 – restored presence. God fills the Holy of Holies (contained in one place for the sake of Israel)
43.10-11 – describe Temple “that they may be ashamed of their sin”  = call to spiritual renewal of Israel. Understand God’s otherness – He is Holy and the people are not
Measuring, sacrifices and regulations included to emphasise SEPARATION. Key to maintaining holy life with God = don’t get too close
44.6-9 “No foreigner in heart or flesh is to enter my Sanctuary”

Contrast w/ John’s vision


Difference between what John hears from the angel and what he sees. The Holy City, Jerusalem, has become the Bride.
Names of 12 Tribes on gates and the 12 Apostles of the Lamb on foundations symbolises the coming together of God’s covenant people – Israel and the Church
John is invited to measure the City (not the Temple)
City is a perfect cube (v16). See 1 King 6.19-20 – The whole city is represented in terms of the perfect dimensions of the Holy of Holies. God’s presence fills the whole city – no longer hidden or contained
There is no Temple. God/Lamb are the temple. No need for separation. Holiness is now defined by the relationship between the Lamb and His people.
God’s light reveals glory (true nature of things)

Ch 22 – Recalls Genesis account of creation in the Garden of Eden

In John’s vision, the fulfilment of God’s purpose doesn’t simply restore Eden, it surpasses anything experienced by Adam & Eve


River of water of life flows from the Throne (cf Ezekiel 47.1-9)
Tree of life – amazingly fruitful, leaves for healing of nations
No longer any curse = restored access to Tree of Life, a life of joy, fruitfulness and productivity

No tree of knowledge of Good and Evil = true freedom

Concluding exhortation

"I am" statements, blessings & warnings, urgency "coming soon", encouragement to participate in His life now

Questions

1. How does John’s vision of a new Jerusalem rework the Jewish framework of Ezekiel’s prophecy?

2. What is at the heart of God’s creation of a new heaven and a new earth?

3. How does a vision of our future hope of a life with God help us to live with Him now?

Session 10, part two - chapter 20



Prophecy is not history written in advance

The visions in Ch 19-22 are a picture of complete restoration and recreation

Jesus is the Eschaton (End). Everything in history is resolved by how it relates to Him

Like Ch 19, the focus shifts to different key relations (Church, Israel, nations, spiritual enemies of KOG). Pictures return to same events previously described (eg Final battle)

Question of churches in Asia Minor in the C1st AD – Why are we suffering? Wasn’t Satan defeated?

Answer involves visions that explain Jesus relation to the great enemy, Satan


Satan bound v2

Satan freed v7

Satan judged v10


Satan bound

To keep from deceiving the nations

Isa 24.21-22

Matt 12.18-30


Jesus understands his work as binding the strongman (removing Satan’s power) and then plundering his house (release of captives).

The binding of Satan is a work of Jesus when he is on the earth

Satan is rendered powerless with respect to the Church and the Kingdom of God by Jesus work (Cross)

Jesus understands his task is to gather from among the nations (work of gospel proclamation through the Church)


This is about the age of grace we live in now – the gospel is going out among the nations and God is gathering His people into the Church

That Christians are being gathered from among the nations is a reassuring sign to Christians that Satan has been stripped of power and bound

1000 years (Psalm 90.4 / 2 Peter 3.8)


not literal. Indicates the quality of time (not quantity) - Perfect period for ingathering

highlights the completeness of Jesus victory

contrasts “a short time” of Satan’s release (speaks of limited authority and power)


Reign with Christ for 1000 years

Key OT text is Ezekiel 37-48

Dan 7. 22, 26-27

Picture of the rule of suffering Church in heaven now

Resolution of cry of martyrs in Rev 6.9-11 – They will judge!’

Rom 8.17/2 Tim  2.12

First resurrection – Jesus relation to Church is that they will be alive to God and share His rule from heaven (1 Peter 2.5-9)

Satan freed

After the 1000 years = at the end of the period of grace (gospel proclamation)

Satan freed to deceive nations for a short time (=limited authority) (Ez 38-39)

Returns to events of Ch 19

Surround camp of God’s people = God’s people in wilderness (faithless Israel)

Deliverance of Israel will be national (in relation to nations)

Nations will be judged by the way they relate to Israel (Gen 12 / Matt 25.31)

Satan judged

In the end, enemies of God will be abolished (Satan, Death, Hades)

Relational death = permanent relational separation (will not share a relation to the one who is the end – Jesus). No place in new creation

Final judgment

General resurrection

Opening of 2 books (Dan 7.9-10 & Dan 12.1-2)

“Rejoice your name is written in the Book of Life” (Luke 10.20-21) = to have a relationship with Jesus

Judgment according to what he has done (individual and based on actions)

Encouragement – Jesus reigns and his mercy will surprise us (2 Peter 3.3-13)



Questions

1. What does Jesus' analogy in Matthew 12 about tying up the strong man reveal about how he understands his work on the earth?

2. How does an understanding of Jesus as the end person help to make sense of the end times?

3. How do the parallel pictures of the binding of Satan and the reign of the saints provide encouragement to the Church now?

Session 10, part one – Chapter 19

John’s visions in the final chapters of Revelation (19-22) reveal a set of relationships that help explain God’s purpose in redeeming and restoring His creation

Old testament world view – God is a covenant God – God who works through relationships

- The progress of redemption begins with creation and contracts to one faithful covenant partner – Jesus Christ

- It then expands until all creation is caught up in God’s recreation of humanity and ultimately a new heaven and earth

Chapter 19 – 22 -> John will, in turn, resolve each relationship in terms of God’s redemptive purpose

Church “bride” / elect World “nations”

World “nations” Israel “God’s city”

Church “bride” / elect Israel “God’s city”

4-fold “Hallelujah!” -> Praise the Lord!

1. “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God”

- Celebrating righteous judgement against Babylon

- Blood of servants avenged

2. “our Lord God almighty reigns”

3. The wedding of the Lamb has come

- Lamb (bridegroom) & bride

- Bride -> ready, bright and clean, clothed in righteous acts

- Blessed are those invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb

Heaven and earth

- Entry of earthly church into heavenly state as a bride of Christ – heavens perspective on the Church

- “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”

-> The testimony of Jesus is a revelation of Jesus’ words and actions in heaven

-> The spirit of prophecy is the communication of God’s heart for his people on the Earth

Attention shifts to the Bridegroom - Rider on a white horse

- True conqueror, faithful & true

- Judges and makes war

- Imagery recalls chapter 1

- Battle – manifest victory -> earth will see heavenly reality

CHAPTER 19 – The day of the Lord - one event from two sides

- saving & judging, wedding & battle

- Another invitation to gather together for the great supper of God (v17-18)

- Imagery encourages readers to consider these two ‘feasts’ in parallel

OT pictures of Armageddon

Joel 3

- Gathering of the nations for battle against Israel follows the pictures of the restoration of Zion in Ch 2

- Enemies think they are gathering for war but they are being gathered for judgement (consequence for how they related to Israel)

- “then you will know” – vindication of God’s righteousness

- Unveiling to Israel – The Lord will be seen as a faithful deliverer and ‘refuge for His people’

- Final unveiling for enemies– not for repentance, but for wrath

Ezekiel 38-39

- Ch 37 – ‘Valley of Dry Bones – the promise of the resurrection of Israel, Kingdom restored to the land, and poured out spirit

- Same pattern as Joel – an unveiling for both Israel and the nations

- God’s purpose is to “show Himself holy before their eyes”

- Nations will know His Lordship in their defeat and destruction

- Israel will know His Lordship in His faithful deliverance of His people

Questions

1. How does the story of redemption through history that the bible presents help us to make sense of God’s purpose in restoring all things?

2. In what ways are the wedding and the final battle two sides to the unveiling of the day of the Lord?

3. As Christians, how can knowing the person of the Bridegroom & the Great Conqueror encourage us to live in the power and intimacy of His life now?

Session 9 – chapter 17-18
  · John is a witness to the judgement and exposing of the kingdom of this world
  · The kingdom of this world is represented by a relationship between a great prostitute and a beast
  · This kingdom is defeated, under judgement, and heading for destruction, but can ensnare God’s people
  · John calls for wisdom in understanding the mystery and exhorts God’s people to not be seduced by worldly wealth and power and the filth of worshipping idols

Background to Babylon
  · Babylon represents the great counterfeit city; powerful, idolatrous, impressive, wicked
  · The prophets recognised that at Babylon’s heart was a civilisation set up to usurp God’s place and draw the world into false worship of idols
  · This spirit of idolatry was connected back to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)
          > Babel was not an outright rejection of God; it was a religious act. An attempt to make a name for themselves (grasping for something that was meant to be a gift from God) and to approach and worship on their own terms
          > This is the heart of idolatry

The Mother of Prostitutes, Babylon the Great
  · A picture drawn from the Old Testament prophets
  · Adultery = participating in idol worship
  · Isaiah 1:21-22, Ezekiel 23
  · Throughout history the Great prostitute is carried by the power of the Beast
The Scarlet Beast
  · Covered in blasphemous names. Blasphemy = an offence to God, mocks true worship
  · The Beast is a conflation of the pictures from chapter 13
  · The Beast is also modelled on the fourth beast from Daniel 7 = Rome, a powerful world empire that devours and destroys
  · The Beast also becomes an eighth King = an antichrist figure whose goal is to make war on the Lamb and the saints
  · The Lamb will overcome, and with him, his faithful followers

John is presenting a counterfeit version of God’s kingdom. The Beast and the prostitute contrast Christ and His bride.

The judgement of Babylon
  · Babylon is exposed as empty, lifeless, unclean, and full of demons
  · Babylon judged for idolatry
  · “Come out of her, my people” – Jeremiah 51:6-47
         > The Jews in exile found it hard to leave Babylon, and were caught up in false security and prosperity (=worshipping idols)
         > CF Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:24
  · Judgement will come suddenly
  · Saints and apostles rejoice
  · Destruction will be total and eternal
  · Babylon which has appeared refined and civilised will be exposed as brutal and murderous (Ezekiel 26&27)

Questions
1. How does understanding the story of human rebellion and idolatry help to explain the judgement of Babylon?
2. What does John’s vision expose about the counterfeit kingdom? How does this help Christians?
3. What idols do we encounter in our society? What are you being called to come out from?

Session 8 – Chapter 15 - 16



Another sign in heaven - signs point to a corresponding reality



Plagues

  > final set of 7, “with them God’s wrath is complete”

  > reminiscent of the plagues against Egypt



EXODUS 15:1-18

  > Song of deliverance

  > We know God by his actions towards us



NEW EXODUS

  > Song of the Lamb -> new covenant in the blood of the Lamb

  > “your righteous acts have been revealed” - Looking back to a victory (cross) that accomplished a new exodus.


The plagues are a demonstration of God’s power - result in a hardening towards God, people will curse God and refuse to repent

God will deal with Babylon in the last days like he dealt with Pharaoh/Egypt


The other side of deliverance for God’s people = Judgement for God’s enemies

  > all those who oppose God’s rule will face His wrath


Plague six and seven highlight the final judgement will be sudden and unexpected

v. 15 “Behold, I come like a thief” -> Jesus’ words = Matthew 24:42-44



Past, present and future

Past - Calvary (Jesus’ work)

  > The bowls of God’s wrath were endured by Jesus at the cross, “It is done” - proclaimed from the throne room

Present - gospel encounter (revealed to faith)

Future - final consummation (manifest to all)



Encouragements from chapter 15/16


1 Corinthians 1:17-30

Jesus has drunk the cup/bowl of God’s wrath on our behalf

The result of the cross = a new exodus that sets free & sets to right all creation

This new exodus will have two results


            > Ingathering of God’s people drawn to God’s heart

             > A judgement of His enemies whose hearts are hardened



Hard hearts do not equal God’s failure to work - they are evidence of His judgement

Paul reminds us that the cross looked weak and foolish so that people may respond to God’s work by faith


Questions


How does the Exodus help us understand the Lamb’s righteous act of deliverance?

Why has God used a cross to reveal His love for us? (rather than a raw demonstration of power)

How has God acted towards you, to reveal His heart and soften yours?

Session 7 – Chapter 14 

- Encouraging chapter -> heavenly reality of faithful followers of the Lamb.

- Hidden (open to faith), encouraging readers to look up

- Colossians 3:3 – “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”



Mount Zion

     o Psalm 2 – installation of Messiah to rule the nations

  - Exodus language (New exodus to Mount Zion)

     o Redeemed from the earth

     o Pure

     o Follow the Lamb

     o Purchased

     o First fruits

     o Blameless

  - “They sang a new song” – New songs accompany victory

First fruits

  - The remnant is offered as first fruits

 - First fruits are offered after exodus = encouraging. Exodus has happened, victory has been won, they are set free

Three Angels

- Angel 1 - gospel to proclaim on earth

   o Fear God

   o Judgement has come

 o Worship

  - Proclamation of the gospel brings judgement

   o A word of grace to Christians – Forgiveness requires judgement

  - Preaching is a sword, it divides by response

- Angel 2 - "Fallen is Babylon"

  - Connection to Beast out of the Sea

- Angel 3 - warning to people about God’s wrath

  - Call to Christians

     o “Patient endurance”

     o “Remain in the faith of Jesus” – Faith is a gift

   o Deeds will follow them – faithful deeds are eternal, joined to Jesus’ life

The harvest

  - Sharp sickle in His hand -> harvesting tool = gospel proclamation

  - Harvesting people

  - Jesus harvests the earth – not a new judgement, judgement of the cross applied

  - Matthew 9:35-10:42 – Jesus speaks about the harvest, says the workers are few and sends out disciples with authority to act and speak in His name



  - Two angels begin a final judgement on those who have rejected the gospel



  - Joel 3 – Judgement against the nations, blessing for God’s people

  - Isaiah 63:1-6 – Vengeance and redemption – inseparable

  - John is applying these pictures of God’s holy love

     o God is not two faced – His love is holy

     o Holy love is a blazing fire that will burn up all that seeks to destroy/ compromise His goodness

     o God’s heart is to save but He will save in righteousness



  - The cross – Jesus is the judge and was judged in our place = the perfect mediator

     o God has dealt with sin completely in Christ

  - Hebrews 12:22-24 – "Jesus the mediator of a new covenant"



  - God’s word is never indirect, revelation is always personal

  - How gracious is God, revealing his holy character to us when we are perfectly secure in His grace and love

Questions

1. In what ways can an understanding of “first fruits” encourage Christians?

2. What does it mean that Jesus is “Lord of the Harvest”?

3. What is the gospel we bear witness to? How can we, as God’s church, share the good news faithfully?