The Book of Revelation

2014 年暑期主日學講座 基督徒與政治 講員：黃厚基 日期：二零一四年七月六日 從新約看政教 說在香港浸信教會暑假聖經講座前頭 [9:50]七一遊行方過，二零一七前，香港的政治氣候依然存在各種變數。社 會、 人心、 政局，彷彿充滿著危機。 今年主日學暑期聖經講座的主題是： 「基督徒與 政治」 。 我們旨不在回應層出不窮的問題，而是藉著聖經之神學來建立較廣闊的神 學與信仰視野。我們將從聖經，包括新約和舊約，以至當代處境作出各九篇的報 告。我們的目的是向弟兄姊妹確立：聖經裡是有政治原素的；上帝之子民的出現， 出現在政治的背景之下；教會之出現，出現於政治的背景之中。 1 聖經處處顯示出 政治的氣氛。 為聖經政教關係畫方圓──說在前頭 「政教」，指的是政治與教會的關係。本來那指的是 the separation of church and state。政者，指的是 state，是現代國家的概念。當然，再仔細分析下去，可能 還需要處理政府(執政者)、 政權、 國家意識等概念。 但在現代出現以前，奧古斯 丁所提出的雙城論、 中世紀羅馬帝國和羅馬教會所呈現的教廷與帝國的關係、 改教 時期馬丁路德所提出的 「兩個國度」 的概念，反映著政教關係的演變，以及不同型 態的政教關係。可見政教關係不是一個靜態的概念，除了以現代的國家 STATE 概 念來看待 「政」 ，在現代出現以前，已存在著不同型態的關係。 所以，從這一點來 看，古代文明也有其他有別於今天的政教關係的型態。在聖經中，舊約裡不但有 巴比倫、 埃及、 亞述等大國甚至帝國，也有以色列作為上帝子民、 上帝作為他們的 王的政治型態。 1

The Revelation of John implies and proclaims moral judgments, which is frequently overlooked. This subject has been studied recently, but we do not possess a satisfying synthesis. In the Revelation we can find some metaethical assumptions. The Revelation presents good and evil in a dualistic way, which implies the necessity of choice and of an adequate behavior ("works"), and further of the divine judgment. God and Christ are to be followed and our salvation depends on our actions, even if the perspective of punishment is not seen as a major motive of human deeds. There are also some ethical admonishments. The Law is not mentioned as authority, but some commandments of the Decalogue are indirectly quoted and keeping the commandments is praised. Ethical principles are frequently presented in the language of virtues and vices, as if under a Hellenistic influence; we also encounter good and bad examples of conduct. Social and political ethics of the Revelation is highly critical, condemning the empire stronger than any other biblical book. Some readers of the Revelation are disturbed by its violent images, but this can be explained by the use of the symbolic language of the apocalyptic genre and can be seen as an expression of necessity of justice and conversion.
Streszczenie. Apokalipsa Janowa zawiera w sobie i głosi sądy moralne, co jest często pomijane w badaniach naukowych. Ostatnio temat ten był przedmiotem rozważań, ale nie posiadamy jeszcze satysfakcjonującej syntezy tych badań. W Apokalipsie możemy znaleźć pewne założenia metaetyczne, a dobro i zło przedstawione są w sposób du-alistyczny, co implikuje konieczność wyboru i odpowiedniego zachowania ("uczyn-ków"), a następnie Boskiego sądu. Należy naśladować Boga i Chrystusa, gdyż nasze zbawienie zależy od naszych działań, nawet jeśli perspektywa kary nie jest postrzegana jako główny motyw ludzkich czynów. Są też pewne upomnienia etyczne. Prawo nie jest wymieniane jako autorytet, ale niektóre przykazania Dekalogu są pośrednio cytowane i przestrzeganie przykazań jest chwalone. Zasady etyczne są częściej przedstawiane za pomocą języka cnót i wad, jakby pod wpływem hellenistycznym; napotykamy również dobre i złe przykłady postępowania. Etyka społeczna i polityczna Apokalipsy jest bar-dzo krytyczna, gdyż potępia imperium silniej niż jakakolwiek inna księga biblijna. Nie-którzy czytelnicy Apokalipsy są zaniepokojeni jej gwałtownymi obrazami, ale można to

The Revelation to John comprises Seven Sections of 'Sevens' set in a chiasm and framed by both Prologue and Epilogue. It is likely that the seven-branched lampstand, the menorah, is the symbol that has influence the rhetor's choice of structure. The writer is a literary artist of his time, one who owed his writing acumen to the Hellenistic writers who preceded him.

Although the importance and background of most of the key characters in the cosmic conflict introduced in Rev 12 may have been discussed at length, the student of Rev 12 is confronted with the need to ascertain the referent and identify of drakon in the chapter. The main reason for this is that the translation of the Greek drakon as “dragon” in English generally refers to a mythical huge reptile which sometimes has wings, crested neck, claws, and scales and sometimes breathes out fire and smoke. This escalates the need to ascertain the referent and identity of drakon in Rev 12, especially in the biblical sense. Extensively utilizing a lexical approach, this study reveals that unlike the modern concept of dragon, the concept of drakon in Rev 12 is consistent with the ancient Greek and LXX concept of drakon, pointing to huge serpents such as pythons and boas that live either on the land or in the water. Thus, drakon in Rev 12 is used in a figurative sense to refer to and describe Satan (the devel), whose sly and violent activities are comparable to the sly and violent activities of a python or boa, albeit in figurative and spiritual sense.

It has been long recognized that chap 13 of the book of Revelation is a thinly veiled polemic—using language from Daniel 7—against the Roman Imperial cult 1 The two beasts presented in this chapter represent respectively the Roman Imperium and the political-cultic personnel connected with its cult us on the local level 2 A problem, however, arises with vv 13-15, a description of signs and wonders performed by the second beast in the imperial cult It (the second beast) works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men, and by the signs which it is allowed to work m the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak Is this to be taken as simply part of the mythological imagery of the chapter as a whole, which can speak of the Empire, for example, as a "beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads" (v 1), or which can speak of the local cult officials as a "beast which rose out of the earth," having horns like a lamb, but speaking like a dragon (v 13)? Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1906) 374, 358 2 The second beast arises from the land, that is, locally (v 11), the first beast is its source of authority (v 12), the second beast forces the population to make an image of the first beast (v 14) and to worship it (v 15)

Laws, Rules, regulations or something more personal. Something more intimate? After four hundred years of residence which the Septuagint records as about 150 years (more or less) of slavery in Egypt, Yahweh began to prepare the Hebrews to leave Egypt. To do so, he first vanquished not only the Egyptian gods (Exodus Chapters 7 to 12 also Psalms 78) but also many other gods that were worshiped in other cultures from around the world.

The beasts from Revelation 13 are an extension of the beasts in Daniel 7. Any interpretation of Revelation 13 should be done in relationship with Daniel 7. The beast from the sea in Revelation 13 is the fourth beast from the sea of Daniel 7. Which is the Roman Empire.
The descriptions from Revelation 13 as well as Daniel 7 neatly fit the Roman Empire with Titus being the eleventh king who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in the year 70 in the middle of the 7 year first Judeo-Roman war.
Nevertheless a totally preterist interpretation of all of Revelation is not appropriate either.
The repeated '3.5 times' from Daniel that also appears in Revelation 12 can be seen as the entire period that Judah did not exist as a nation anymore and lasted from the year 70 to 1948.
The resurrected empire of Revelation 17 that was allowed to reign for just an hour may have been the Third Reich from Hitler.

This book is for Christians who love God and love the Bible, and who want to understand exactly what the Bible teaches about the ultimate fate of the unrepentant. It’s also for non-Christians and former Christians who feel that they could never believe in Jesus, if that means that they have to believe in an everlasting hell. I am a recognized Bible scholar with a specialty in the Book of Revelation and biblical eschatology. This book is for people who are willing to look at the subject of hell afresh with an open mind and follow the evidence where it leads.

John’s Apocalypse is well known for possessing a difficult structure. Although most modern editions of the Apocalypse follow the medieval model for outline, a narrative reading of the text alongside ancient narrative expectations suggests that the “last chapter” of Revelation is Rev 20:7–22:21. When this segment is read as a unit, it moves the climax away from heaven and toward victory, and it alters the role of the conclusion away from warnings and toward the final look of divine consummation. A narrative reading of the “last chapter” enhances, instead of diminishes, the apocalyptic overtones in the text.

In this article we will examine Old Testament and New Testament prophecies predicting the concurrence of the rapture with the second advent of Christ. The goal will be to achieve a time sequence understanding of the resurrection of the dead and events mentioned in the tribulation and wrath periods. Thirty-six different second advent passages will be examined with a focus of aligning repeated themes and elements to obtain the prize that awaits completion of this study.

Revelation is the book of end time things, but in the inauguration of its chapters, Apostle John mentioned about seven churches. There is no doubt that Apostle John wrote this one book for seven churches and he included the messages for churches first and explained about end times next. In this course, he warned one Church and it is the seventh Church, the Church of Laodicea. In Revelation chapter 3 from 14 to 22 verses, he gave a postmortem report of this Church and what Lord is expecting them to be.

Is the "Woodstock generation" and its doings a factor in comprehending prophecy? Before one writes that off as but another flake view, consider that the word "sorceries" (Greek, pharmakeia) and its cognates are spoken of four times in the Book of Revelation, and not without reason. The drugs used at that time fell into a certain class, and they had a profound affect within the collective consciousness of humankind through the opening of an inter-dimensional gateway to the demonic realm, and that on a global scale.

The modified idealist (or eclectic) hermeneutic of Amillennialism isn't "standardized", that is, it remains—as its name indicates—open to modification, and this paper suggests the need for such.

This seeks to bring clarity to a field of vision that is cloudy, and understanding so that we may know—in general—about where we are, and how to prepare ourselves spiritually, as well as perceiving the causes for the escalating deterioration of our world.

Revisions to the Greek NT in NA28 are restricted to the Catholic Epistles—the product of the Münster Institute’s ongoing work on the Editio critica maior. The text of the rest of the NT remains unaltered. The updated manuscript data, however, spans the apparatus of the entire NT and signals a new day for its textual history. The revised correctors of the Apocalypse in Codex Sinaiticus make the point. The proposed revisions have direct and far-reaching implications for the book’s textual history. Corrections once placed in the fourth through sixth centuries now occupy the seventh. The changes appear slight, even inconsequential—“touch ups” in support of the task of reconstruction. The clarification and re-dating of the correctors, though, represent a material shift with instant repercussions. The inclusion of new and additional witnesses—alongside of and in juxtaposition to the corrections—further portend altered textual alignments and disclose forgotten chapters in the history of textual criticism. The clarity of the new data also facilitates an examination of their limitations and unclutters the landscape for renewed textual research. The stage is set for a reappraisal of the Apocalypse’s textual history.

Un recueil d'études d'exégèse et de théologie biblique sur l'Apocalypse de saint Jean.
Studies of exegesis and biblical theology on the Book of Revelation.
Estudios de exegesis y de teología bíblica sobre el Apocalipsis.

Ce livre est actuellement épuisé. Pour commander un exemplaire, écrire à l'adresse: delassusalain+gmail.com  (remplacer: + par: @)

The Book of Revelation is often read with a certain view of eschatology (study of end times or last things) in mind, e.g. certain views of the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Millennium.  In this paper, I will look at passages in Revelation without a predetermined eschatological framework in mind, but with the goal of understanding how Revelation would have been understood by Christians and Jews when it was written in the first century AD.

An overview of the variety of textual differences that exist between the Apocalypse in Codex Sinaiticus and the book in modern critical editions, thereby offering a window into the book's early readership. There is also a YouTube link to the lecture version of this paper, which was recently delivered at Samford University for their Holley Hull Lecture Series: https://vimeo.com/878444925/a35492dd8b?share=copy&fbclid=IwAR10Iu7HKuAjjcEcDdxgfT7XKqe2F6W6Bwb1cVHafNO0Yz6g4VhsIhXHMz4

A compilation of timelines pertaining to Papal Rome and corresponding to Dan 7:25; 12:5–7, 11–12 (cf. Rev 11:2; 13:5). The chart employs the historicist interpretation method, i.e. the day-year principle.

Note: "2026" cannot be relied upon; the Messiah may come anytime.

Diferentes trabajos del ámbito académico han tratado la función de todos los sacerdocios mencionados en la Biblia. Este trabajo buscó relacionar y encadenar la función de servicio de los diferentes sacerdocios en la Biblia en relación con el concepto de Santuario o lugar de la morada divina. Para ello, se ha hecho una distinción entre el sumo sacerdocio real mesiánico, el sacerdocio real antitípico y el sacerdocio tipológico. Esta distinción propicia una comprensión y difusión de la actividad salvífica de Dios desde su Santuario, y ayuda a entender un concepto particular de misión para el sacerdocio-real de los seres humanos que se extiende en la eternidad, según Ap 1:6.

In logion 36 of the Gospel of Thomas Jesus says, "Do not worry from dawn to dusk, or from dusk to dawn, about what you shall wear" (cf. Matthew 6:25-30). In the following logion the disciples ask Jesus, "When will you appear to us, and when will we see you?", and he replies, "When you can take off your clothes without feeling ashamed, and you take your clothes and throw them beneath your feet like little children and trample them; then you will see the Son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid." The (Greek) Gospel of the Egyptians has Jesus reply similarly, but adds a further thought: "When you have trampled on the garment of shame, and when the two become one, and the male with the female is neither male nor female." This is an eschatology in which the two genders become one, in which they become again the image and likeness of their Creator, Elohim, in which male and female are one.

TTTH 0742 TEOLOGÍA SISTEMÁTICA II POR RAFAEL BAMPI DE OLIVEIRA VINTO, COCHABAMBA MAYO 2012 INTRODUCCIÓN En el descorrer de la historia Dios siempre tuvo un pueblo, representante suyo, que de diversas maneras fue incumbido de dar a conocer al mundo al Dios a quien sirven mediante la testificación. No siempre en la historia ese remanente le fue fiel. Tal infidelidad llevó a Israel el pueblo de Dios, a pasar cuatrocientos años en servidumbre en Egipto y otros setenta en Babilonia sin contar los diversos castigos recibidos por ese mismo pueblo.

"Esta propuesta de estudio de las bienaventuranzas en el libro de Apocalipsis, tiene la intención declarada del autor de llenar un espacio no tratado plenamente en los estudios bíblicos. Por lo tanto, busca adentrar al lector en un estudio erudito de estas secciones del libro. Su lenguaje expresa el interés por describir el resultado de una labor exegética que parte del idioma original griego en que escribió Juan y de una descripción del contexto de cada pasaje en la estructura general del libro".

Parte del prólogo, escrito por la Dra. Silvia C. Scholtus

Abstract: when confronted with the problem of number 666 (Rev. 13:18), most modern interpreters opt for either the gematric or symbolical explanation. This article expounds on the internal difficulties, errors and successes of these explanations. As a result of the analysis, it is possible to conclude that joining both interpretations is a feasible solution, not only due to the fact that the author of Revelation uses the cipher to conceal a name but also because number 666 clearly indicates the true Christians’ antagonists. The analysis of the list of the Twelve Tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4-8) confirms this symbolical and typological reasoning pattern.

“The Relationship between the Two Beasts of Revelation 13:1-10 and
Revelation chapter 17: Some Implications” – The author explores the relationship between Revelation 13 and 17 trying to determine the possible identification between the first beast of chapter 13 (v. 1-10) with the beast of chapter 17. In doing that, he analyses the verses of both chapters looking at the characteristics and activities of both beasts. These links seem to point to one basic identity among them. This basic common identity has implications as regards to the interpretation of the temporal perspective from which the vision of chapter 17 is presented and in relation to the identity of the seven heads of the beast in the same chapter.

Relate the setting and church history of each city to the settings of the universal conflict between good and evil;
Relate Jesus’ titles in the letters to His role in the battles and in victory;
Relate Jesus’ commendations in the letters to the ultimate triumph of the saints under their leader, Jesus;
Relate Jesus’ complaints to the forces of evil in the visions; and,
Relate Jesus’ counsel and promises to the behavior of the forces of good and their ultimate triumph over evil.

O anúncio da queda de Babilônia pelos profetas Isaías e Jeremias são parte de um grupo de profecias que formaram o quadro escatológico que moldou a esperança de Israel para a era messiânica. Essa profecia (Is 21:9; Jr 51:8) é retomada em Apocalipse 18:2 em conjunto com uma série de outros textos proféticos e narrativos do Antigo Testamento. Ao estudar a relação entre o Apocalipse e o Antigo Testamento, esta pesquisa procura compreender como essas conexões textuais
informam a interpretação da queda de Babilônia em Apocalipse 18:1-8. Para tanto, a pesquisa lança-se ao estudo exegético da passagem incluindo também a análise intertextual. Procurando conjugar o conceito de “uso dialógico das escrituras” proposto por Moyise ao papel hermenêutico da profecia apocalíptica sobre a profecia clássica do Antigo Testamento, o estudo conclui com uma breve avaliação da
utilização da abordagem intertextual na exegese do Apocalipse e demonstra como as conexões intertextuais entre material canônico contribuem para uma interpretação segura do texto bíblico.

This is a study regarding traits that are found in clinical psychopaths and the same traits as found displayed by the ancient author known as 'Flavius Josephus'. This paper presents the need to make such information a necessary part of the study of ancient literature.

Analysis of the colors of the four horses in Revelation 6, as understood in the first century not the twenty-first, plus an astronomical study of the stellar evidence, all on the basis of the original Aramaic text of Revelation, enables us to determine what stellar configuration John the Presbyter was observing as the Four Horsemen.

Nell'Apocalisse chi è il personaggio a cui si allude con il numero 666? Chi sono i 144.000 segnati e chi sono i due testimoni? Perchè lo scontro ultimativo fra il Bene e il Male si svolgerà proprio ad Harmaghedon? Qual è, in definitiva, il senso ultimo del libro?
Un'interpretazione rivoluzionaria del libro dell'Apocalisse.

The Day of Atonement was a day of rest, penitence, and purification for Israelites of loyal character. On this day, sins and impurities that had accumulated throughout the year were removed from the tabernacle by the application of sacrificial blood to its altars and compartments and transferred by the high priest’s confession onto the goat for Azazel, which carried them to the desert. Israel was thus rendered “clean” before the Lord, ensuring that he would continue to dwell in their midst. As it became ingrained in the veil of Jewish consciousness, the Day of Atonement underwent a process of reflection and reimagination as shown in Second Temple literature, where Azazel plays a significant eschatological ro le. Arriving in New Testament times, the day's imagery and typology presented irresistible motifs which its authors used to proclaim Jesus Christ's atoning death and heavenly intercession on behalf of believers. By utilizing a coherent intertextual approach, this book explores how John wove the Day of Atonement into the colorful literary tapestry of Revelation.

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the Christian response to violence envisioned by the book of Revelation. My thesis is that the book of Revelation functions as a prophetic call to Christian believers to respond to violence not with further violence, but by worshiping the one true God, by bearing witness to his work in Jesus Christ, and by waiting patiently for his final victory in the world. Part 1 provides a brief orientation to the book of Revelation. Part 2 sketches the origins and nature of the persecution of Christians within the Roman world, with specific reference to the Roman imperial cults and the province of Asia. Part 3 explores the book’s prophetic call to worship, witness, and wait.

Julius Calpurnius Piso, a son of Arrius Piso, was the author of The Revelation. He was married to Hadrian's sister and was father-in-law of Tacitus' son. He wanted his grandson to become emperor after Hadrian, and was killed by Hadrian in 137 CE along with his grandson. Instead, his descendants became bishops of Rome & Alexander Severus, emperor.