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Much damage to the credibility of the Bible has nearly been done by those who twist the contents of the Book of Revelation to force it to sound like it refers to the events of our present day. Time and time again, so called Bible-Prophecy teachers have been left with egg on their faces as their ridiculous speculations have proved to be completely wrong. Our Administrator forwarded onto me a copy of an email we were sent claiming that our understanding of the Book of Revelation was wrong and that we would be humiliated by the Lord when the Rapture took place on October 17th 2009.

You’ll notice that I am writing this brief article after this ‘day of humiliation’. But still the silliness continues to be rolled out by many TBN preachers who (even inadvertently) misrepresent the Book of Revelation by claiming that it is written to us about our day. (I have compiled a small list of such of failed interpretations.) In the unlikely event that you are a now cynical believer reading this article, or even in the more unlikely event that you are a complete skeptic about Christianity and the Bible reading this article, I hope to take just a few minutes of your time to offer an alternate understanding of the Book of Revelation that will actually present a credible case for Christianity and the Bible.

Understanding the Book of RevelationWHO WAS REVELATION FOR?

Firstly, it can be shown that the Book of Revelation was written to a Turkish audience around A.D. 65 who had the immediate potential of actually understanding it! The contents of the Book bore immediate relevance to them and their situation.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Revelation 1:1

History verifies this claim (that the contents of the Book of Revelation were written to an audience around A.D. 65 who most likely recognised its message and meaning). This is because the first 19 chapters deal with the impending judgment upon Jerusalem and the end of the Temple Age. The Jewish historian, Josephus, records the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple which took place in A.D. 70.

THE RAPTURE

Why the Rapture Has RupturedSecondly, nearly all Bible prophecy teachers make certain assumptions about the Book of Revelation which can be shown to be either inaccurate or even false. For example, most of these Bible Prophecy “Experts” claim that the Book of Revelation describes the Rapture of the Church. The problem with this assumption is that it is false. The term: Rapture, no where occurs in the Book of Revelation! Neither is it described or even alluded to in the Book of Revelation. For example, it is claimed that the following verse predicts the Rapture. You decide-

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Revelation 4:1-2

ANTICHRIST IN REVELATION APPEARS TO BE MISSING

The AntichristAnother huge assumption made by many Bible Prophecy “Experts” is that the Antichrist is described and foretold in the Book of Revelation. The problem with this assumption is that term “Anti-Christ” does not even occur in the Book of Revelation! Revelation 13 describes 2 beasts which these ‘experts’ often fail to distinguish and then erroneously label: The Anti-Christ. The Book of Revelation does refer to “the Beast and the false prophet”, and it would be my assertion that it is the ‘false prophet’ and ‘beast from the earth’ who are more likely the person referred to as The Antichrist in John’s epistles (and was most likely the Office of the High Priest). Notice that John states that the Antichrist was “now is” (1Jn 4:3) and was “coming” (‘to be revealed’) –

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
First John 2:18

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
First John 4:3

 

REVELATION IS NOT ABOUT THE “END OF THE WORLD”!

New Heavens and EarthBut perhaps the Mother of Assumptions that these ‘Bible Prophecy Experts’ make is their claim that the Book of Revelation is all about the end of the world. The New Testament’s usage of such terms as “last days” (Acts 2:17; 2Tim 3:1; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3; 2Peter 3:3) or “end of the age/s” (Matt. 24:14; 1Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26) does not refer to the end of the world, but the end of the Temple-Age. While the Book of Revelation does indeed give a glimpse of the ultimate fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption in which paints a picture of a “New Heaven and Earth” where the futility of this present world (pain, suffering, sickness, death, sorrow) will be done away with, its message is about living in the present world in the reassuring knowledge that Christ is Lord of Lords and the King of Kings (Rev. 17:14).

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

¶ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:4-5

A “ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT” FORETOLD IN REVELATION?

Climate Change And Biblical End TimesAs I write, we are on the verge of the Copenhagen Conference which will bring world leaders together to discuss Climate Change/Global Warming and Carbon Emission Trading Schemes. I have received many emails from people warning me that this is the beginning of Revelation 13 about to be fulfilled. This is the particular chapter of the Book of Revelation, they claim, which talks about the coming of an evil one-world government. But I simply invite you to read Revelation 13. Where does it mention a One-World Government in Revelation 13? There is no hint of such a thing in this chapter. The further suggestion is made from Revelation 17, where it talks about a seeming coalition of “ten kings”, that this passage also talks about a looming One World Government –

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind and hand over their power and authority to the beast.
Revelation 17:12-13

Copenhagen- The beginning of a one world governmentIn the early days of the European Union, many of these Bible Prophecy Experts pointed to the initial coalition of 10 European nations as the fulfilment of this alleged prediction of a One World Government. But then as the European Union grew to encompass much more than its initial 10 nations, these same Bible Prophecy Experts retreated into more nonsensical speculation. The bottom-line is that there is absolutely no mention, let alone a prediction, of a One World Government in the Book of Revelation!

MOST OF REVELATION HAS ALREADY BEEN FULFILLED

In my eBook, THE MOST EMBARRASSING BOOK IN THE BIBLE, I present the case for the Book of Revelation being written to an audience around A.D. 65 where its contents were immediately relevant. I am convinced that this is how the Book of Revelation is meant to be understood. That is, we should understand the Book of Revelation in the same way that we understand any other New Testament epistle. For example, when we read First Corinthians we know that it was written to an actual church in Corinth around A.D. 55. This epistle was written to them – not to us. But because of God’s canonical inspiration we know that First Corinthians was indeed written for us. When we realise that the Book of Revelation contained very-near-future predictions which would impact its original audience, and this can now be substantiated from the historical records, it actually increases our confidence in the reliability and credibility of God’s Word.

Consider that within the Book of Revelation it asserts that the original readers were living during the reign of “sixth king”. It then predicts that this current king was about to die a seemingly prematurely death and that other kings would follow in quick succession until “an” eighth king would be installed.

they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.
Revelation 17:10-11

The 6th king of the Roman Empire was Caesar Nero. It was Nero who was reigning at the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation (see my article on Dating the Authorship of the Book of Revelation). After Nero’s death, Rome went into civil war. A quick succession of would-be emperors claimed the throne but none was able to consolidate the Empire until Caesar Vespasian, a military general, returned from Spain. Interestingly, Revelation 17 almost sounds confusing because it appears to be very inconsistent when it numbers just how many kings are involved. It says that there are “seven kings” which includes “an eighth”, but then goes on to state there is actually “ten kings”.

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.
Revelation 17:12

But upon a little examination, the apparent confusion over numbers because amazingly deliberate. After Nero died, he was succeeded by Galba who reigned for 6 months and a week until he was murdered by the Praetorian Guard. Unable to stabilise the Empire, he was succeeded by Otho who reigned just 3 months until he committed suicide after losing a battle to another Roman General, Vitellius. Caesar Vitellius reigned a mere 8 months until he was murdered by General Vespasian’s troops. Revelation 13 prophetically described this period as a time when the Beast from Across the Sea (the Office of the Roman Emperor) would receive “a mortal wound”.

One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
Revelation 13:3

During this period of civil unrest in the Roman Empire, it probably did seem that the Empire was going to die. When Revelation 17 foretells of Caesar Vespasian arising to make the city (of Jerusalem) desolate by fire-

And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire,
Revelation 17:16

The Kings of RomeCaesar Vespasian is described as one of the “seven kings” in the sense that he completes mission for Rome in His purposes for Jerusalem (“seven” is used Biblically to speak of completion). But Vespasian is also described as “an eighth king” (note that he is not referred to as “the eighth king”). The number eight in Scripture speaks of “new” or “resurrection” (new life). Vespasian did indeed bring newness to the Roman Empire. In many ways he was able to “resurrect” it. So in this sense, Vespasian is both the seventhand also the eighth king referred to in Revelation 17. But in a literal sense, Vespasian was the tenth king since after Nero (the 6th) came Galba (7th), then Otho (8th), then Vitellius (9th), then Vespasian (10th). Thus, far from being muddled, Revelation’s predictions of its audience’s immediate future was amazingly accurate! (See my video interview with Dr Kenneth Gentry Jnr regarding this issue.)

Some have acknowledged what I and other Preterists are saying. But being unprepared to relinquish the idea that the Book of Revelation is written to us about our near future, they invent a new way of reading Scripture called Parallelism or Double Referencing. This is the idea that the Book of Revelation has two fulfilments: the first – during the lifetime of its original audience, and the second – to be fulfilled during the lifetime of the last generation (which they claim is ours). But there is no reason for twisting Scripture like this. We should keep to the principles of Bible interpretation that the Bible itself seems to provide which includes the idea that discovering the intended meaning of a passage should guide our interpretation of that passage.

as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Second Peter 3:16

Preterist Timeline

I have written a fuller explanation of the book of Revelation in my eBook- THE MOST EMBARRASSING BOOK IN THE BIBLE (click here to read a preview). The application from the Book of Revelation is that despite what appears to be an impotent Church struggling to serve an apparently impotent Christ, the Church is in reality made up of overcomers who lay down their lives gladly to promote Christ and His Gospel. In so doing, the Kingdom of Christ is extended, prayers are offered and heard, miracles are graced, and the believer can die with infinite hope that their Lord will keep them for eternity and clothe them with a new body which can not be subject to pain, injury, sorrow, or sin. With this knowledge we can endure momentary hardship during the brevity of this life on earth. We can be assured that our greatest delights and deepest moments of fulfilment are yet to come in the life to come.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
John 5:25

Amen.

Dr. Andrew Corbett, Legana, Tasmania, November 9th 2009

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