Suggestions for interpreting Scripture Correctly

Revelation 1:20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

As you can see in the above text, the Apostle John included a built in interpretation system for the Book of Revelation.  Knowing how to interpret Revelation is vital, since how you interpret the book will determine how you will ultimately apply it.  But before we get to the Book of Revelation specifically, we need to understand the importance of interpreting the Bible generally, which is the focus of today's blog. 

Introduction - How you interpret a Biblical text is just as important as the application
When it comes to studying God's Word, we must take into consideration that no one person can approach the text from a neutral standpoint.  Whether you are a Christian or non-Christian will affect whether or not you are able to extract the intended meaning of the scripture, since the meaning of the text is made available only to the converted human heart. (John 16:8-16; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 1 John 2:20,27)  In addition to spiritual considerations, other factors can often shape the assumptions one brings to a given text.1 

How can you tell whether or not you are interpreting the Bible correctly?
With the idea of there being no such thing as a "neutral standpoint" in approaching the Bible, then the question is: how is it that we are able to know whether or not we are interpreting the Bible correctly?  Two answers.  First and foremost, we have the promise from Jesus Himself that the Holy Spirit, who comes indwell the Christian at salvation, will guide us into all truth. (John 14:17; 16:8-16; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:6; 1 John 2:20,27)  It is the Spirit who takes the interpreter's preconceived notions and sifts them through the grid of the world of scripture so that the reader can be transformed by the renewing of the mind. (Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:1-2) 

The second answer has to do with the science or rules of of Bible interpretation that have been utilized over the centuries by countless Christians.  When it comes to interpreting scripture aright, the science of interpretation is what we call hermeneutics (herm-i-noo-tiks, from a greek word meaning "interpretation").  We see an early example of this in Acts 8:30-31 "Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him."  

As you read on down through the remainder of Acts 8, Phillip explained Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian Eunuch by way of showing the prophecy's connection to Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Clearly Phillip was guided by the Holy Spirit in his ability to extract the correct meaning from the passage as well as sound principles and rules of interpreting the text in light of Jesus Christ.  The only way one can be led to a right response or application of the text is through the right interpretation and sound manner of interpreting the text.   

Why getting the interpretation of the Bible right is so important
Roy B. Zuck in his classic work "Basic Biblical Interpretation" notes the following:

"Seeing the words on a page of the Bible does not necessarily mean that the reader catches their meaning.  Observing what the Bible says is the first of several steps in Bible study." (Page 9)2

As Zuck continues on writing about the importance of interpreting the Bible correctly, he draws out why proper Bible interpretation is so important:

1. It is essential for understanding and teaching the Bible properly
2. Bible interpretation is essential as a step beyond obeserving what is in the text
3. Bible interpretation is essential for applying the Bible properly3

Howard Hendricks writes in his very helpful book: "Living by the Book" the following on why you and I should study the Bible and practice sound methods of interpretation:4

1. Bible Study is Essential to Growth.  1 Peter 2:2
2. Bible Study is Essential to Spiritual Maturity.  Hebrews 5:11-14
3. Bible Study is Essential to Spiritual Effectiveness.  2 Tim 3:16-17

A suggested four step plan to studying the Bible: Observation, Interpretation, Application, Correlation
As you study God's Word, four steps are necessary:

1. Observation - Observe the setting, the author and the audience of the text in question.  Note repeated words, ideas and changes in tone.  Note cross references to others scripture, information that any good study Bible in the margins will give to you.

2. Interpretation - Since the New Testament is almost 2000 years old (with the Old Testament being 3500 years old in some books), the authors and readers of that day are separated from us who read its pages today.  Good online resources such as www.biblegateway.com and www.biblos.com can aid greatly in connecting you to resources such as Bible Dictionaries (which help explain Biblical Backgrounds, culture and words), Bible Encyclopedias (which contain feature articles and pictures) and commentaries (resources that comment on a given verse of scripture).  In interpreting the Bible, you are relying on the Holy Spirit to close four gaps between you and the text: literary, geography, culture and history.

3. Application - Once you have observed the text and taken the steps necassary to close the four gaps just mentioned by way of prayer and consultation of Bible Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Commentaries, you are now ready to ask the all important question: "How then would God have me to live this out?" 

4. Correlation - This fourth step is where you not only figure out how you are going to apply what you have studied to your own life, but also how you are going to take the application and be used of God to affect others areas or other people. 

The Goals of Interpreting the Bible
So when it is all said and done, how can you tell whether or not you have interpreted the Bible correctly?  What end results should you see or what patterns should be emerging in your faith-walk as you regularly give yourself to the daily study of God's Word?  Here are some suggestions that will tell you whether or not you are on the right track:

1. Have I made meeting Jesus Christ in the text my primary goal.  For even though I may not find Jesus in every verse, yet from every verse of scripture I should be able to get to Jesus. (Luke 24:44)

2. Unless otherwise indicated, the literal historical meaning as intended by the author is to be the primary governing sense.  An old rule says it this way: "In order to make sense of the text, use the literal sense.  However whenever the literal sense makes no sense, seek some other sense."

3. Is my life, my speech and attitude being transformed into becoming more like what the Bible describes as the lifestyle, speech and attitude of Jesus Christ? Is the text governing how I act and think or does how I want to act and think shaping how I read the text.  How you answer that last question will determine how you answer the first.

4. The Old Testament should be read in light of the New Testament as a general rule, since the Old in the New is revealed and the New in the Old is concealed.  However be sure that you retain the context of the Old Testament passage in your interpretation and be careful not to forcefit a New Testament insight, unless of course the New Testament has sanctioned a change in the understanding of the passage. 

5. Have you prayed over the course of your study?  Prayer and Bible study go hand in hand. 

We could mention others, but for now those should be sufficient enough.  I would urge the reader to consult the books I cited earlier as great resources that offer far more detail and better explanation of these issues.  I hope today's blog has been helpful in equipping you with a couple tools on how to approach Bible study in general.  The principles in today's blog will provide the backdrop for the more specific consideration of tomorrow's blog concerning how to interpret the Book of Revelation......


End Notes____________________

1. A person living in an urban area of New York will come with a different set of expectations than say a person who grew up in the suburbs or the country. A man growing up in a Europe will come with European shaped ideas that are different than a person who grew up in Africa, the United States or any other part of the globe. Even your station in life will shape how you approach scripture, since a 20 year old college student will have different expectations about the scripture than say a 39 year old person with teenage children. 

2. Roy B. Zuck.  Basic Biblical Interpretation.  Victory Books. 1991

3. Roy B.  Zuck.  Basic Bible Interpretation. Victory Books. 1991. Pages 10-15

4. Howard Hendricks.  Living by the Book.  Moody Press. 1991.  Pages 18-22

The Gospel's Only Way

Deuteronomy 30:14, 19 (14)  "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."  (19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Romans 10:8-9 "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

The Same Gospel in both Old and New Testaments
The Gospel has never changed in its contents, whether we are reading in the Old Testament or in the New.  People are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone of the Bible alone. 

Moses is preaching a series of sermons here in Deuteronomy to a new generation of Israelites.  The Apostle Paul, 1400 years later, is writing a letter to a church at Rome that is themed around the power of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16).  Both men, writing under divine inspiration, are giving the proverbial "altar call" to their listeners.  As Moses the prophet has delivered his final message to the people whom he has led across the sandy deserts of the Sinai and beyond, he tells them in Deuteronomy 30:11-14 -

¹¹ “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."

The Apostle Paul in strikingly similar words tells the congregation at Rome these words in Romans 10:4-8 -
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ⁵ For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. ⁶ But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching."


The Gospel warns about the false ways of salvation
As you read both Deuteronomy 30 and Romans 10, it is very clearly that both Moses and Paul are making evangelistic appeals to their listeners.  In both texts, both men had to first of all warn their listeners of the typical false ways the people attempt to manufacture salvation.  Two of these ways are discernable in these texts:

The False way of sincerity.  Deuteronomy 30:17-18; Romans 10:1-3
In today's culture, sincerity is the standard many people go by when defining their method of salvation.  The overwhelming majority report on the standard of salvation is: "as long as you are sincere, who am I to judge?"  The problem oftentimes of course is that even though a person may sincerely believe that they are o.k with God, they nonethless can be sincerely wrong.  In Deuteronomy 30, Moses knew that the Israelites to whom he wrote and spoke were getting ready to enter into a land that offered many different brands of false gods and religions.  Idolatry is whenever man replaces the True and Living God with a false god or anything that he believes will meet needs that only God can meet.  Moses' warning is that if the people commit idolatry, they will perish.  They may very well be sincere, and yet be sincerely wrong.

Ironically in Paul's situation in Romans, the very people he was addressing were Jews, who claimed to believe and follow the True and Living God and who were even sincere.  He writes in Romans 10:1-3 "Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. "  The problem had nothing to do with sincereity but the issue at hand was the fact they had a zeal "without knowledge."  Paul's audience knew about God, but did not know Him.  They were sincere, but yet separated from God.  Their idolatry was in replacing God's righteousness with their own.

The False way of ceremony. Deuteronomy 30:12-13; Romans 10:5-7
The second issue that both Moses and Paul had to deal was the fact that some people thought they could obtain salvation by way of ceremony.  Mankind, as one writer put it, has a heart that is a factory of idols - meaning man will do anything he can to give glory to everything but God.  Fallen man will try to re-invent the wheel of salvation by way of moralism to avoid the call of grace.  In Moses' day, the way in which people viewed certain things as inaccessible is by the statements "going beyond the heavens" or "going beyond the sea".  The heavens of course were the domain of God and the sea was the forbidden realm period.  To the Jewish listeners of Moses' day, they may had been tempted to re-invent salvation by trying to recreat situations tantamount to ascending Mount Sinai to retrieve the Ten Commandments or dividing the Red Sea.  Moses plainly tells them that they would be wasting their time, since God has already split the Red sea and came down on the Moutain and even into their midst.  Salvation is not something you achieve- but rather receive.

Even more significantly Paul writes in Romans 10:6-7 "But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”  Again mankind by way of man-made ceremony may try to orchestrate ceremonies tantamount to recreating Christ's incarnation (i.e bringing Christ down) or resurrection and ascension (i.e ascending into heaven).  We see people doing that all the time, thinking that by baptism or participation in church religious systems like Roman Catholicism's saints and sacraments or Mormonism's church orders that one can obtain salvation.  

Both Moses and Paul plainly say: salvation is not achieved by sincerity nor by ceremony.   

The Gospel's Only Way
As we noted earlier, the Gospel is the same whether we are talking Old or New Testament.  Though Moses was the agent through which God delivered the Law, Moses still preached the Gospel.  The law's job is to point the sinner to the Gospel so that they may see their need to be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)  As we consider both Moses and Paul, what is the Gospel way to which they speak to both their listeners and us?  Salvation is by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone in Christ Alone of the Bible Alone

Grace Alone.
Deuteronomy 30:14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."

Romans 10:8 "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching"

God's grace is the power to do for us what we otherwise could never do for ourselves.  The grace of salvation is extended by the Holy Spirit's specific call to the sinner in the general invitation of the Gospel.  Whosoever hears God's voice and calls upon the name of the Lord by such grace can be and will be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Faith Alone
Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants."  

Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation"

Faith is the Divine gifting of God that convinces the will to choose Jesus Christ on the basis of firm persuasion. (John 1:12-13; James 1:18)  Faith, according to Dr. Adrian Rogers is Forsaking All I Trust Him. To believe the gospel is to receive it.  Faith is the Divine Gifting of the Father that is conceived in our hearts by His combined efforts with the word of God.  Whenever the Spirit is so moving, we freely and knowingly choose Jesus.  As the Baptist Faith & message 2000 states: "Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord."

Christ Alone
Deuteronomy 10:19 ..."Choose Life"

Romans 10:4 "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (9) that if you will confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

The "Life" Moses was asking the people to choose was none other than God Himself, since in Deuteronomy 30:20 they are told to "hold fast to Him".  Jesus Christ refers to Himself in John 14:6 as the "Way, the Truth and the Life".  Thus the only way of the Gospel way is none other than Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament version of the Gospel pointed to God in the Promise of salvation.  The New Testament retains those same elements, with the Promise being none other than the Person of Jesus Christ.  In Christ Alone is man able to embrace God by faith alone. Christ alone is the mediator between God and sinners who believe. (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2) 

The Bible Alone
As you can tell, the Gospel way is pretty exclusive.  Grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone.  However there is one more "alone", namely the Bible.  Salvation cannot be found in just any Jesus, but only the Jesus of scripture.  Paul writes in Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  Moses states in Deuteronomy 30:20 concerning God's Promise of salvation - for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”  The Promise of salvation is spelled out specifically in the Old Testament, and the Person to which the Promise points appears and is expained only in the New Testament.  A Mormon Jesus will not save you.  A Jehovah Witness Watch Tower Jesus cannot save.  A Jesus who shares representation with Mary of church tradition cannot shield the sinner from God's coming wrath.  Only the scripture, the 66 books of the Bible, clearly, sufficiently, inerrantly and infallibly reveal the right Jesus in whom I must receive by grace through faith alone. 

Conclusion
As we have observed in today's post, the Gospel's Only way of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone of the Bible alone.  It is not by the false way of sincerity that men are saved nor is it by the false way of ceremony.  Ceremony and sincerity will get you no where except in a Christless eternity in the lake of fire.  Only in the Christ of the Bible can the sinner's salvation be found, and only by grace through faith can such salvation be received. 

Encountering Christ in Revelation 1

Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John"

When you study the scriptures you discover some 200 or so names ascribed to Jesus Christ.  Of those 200 or so names or titles or descriptions, nearly 40 of them are found in Revelation 1.  The Book of Revelation is an incredible book, insofar that it reveals Jesus Christ most profoundly, personally and powerfully.  In today's blog I want us to sketch out the five ways we encounter Jesus Christ here in Revelation 1.

1. Jesus Christ the Savior. Revelation 1:1,5,7,13, 18
As much as the Book of Revelation focuses upon Jesus Christ's Second Coming, reference is often made to the accomplishments of His first coming.  For example, we are reminded in Revelation 1:5 that He is the resurrected "firstborn" from the dead Who has ascended to inaugurate His reign in Heaven over His church.  As the term "firstborn" suggests, Christ is the rightful heir of all things.  As you come to Revelation 1:7, mention is made of how the tribes of the earth will see Him who was "pierced", a reminder that even in His now glorified humanity, Jesus still bears the marks of nail prints in His hands and feet.  Jesus Himself testifies in Revelation 1:18 that He is the Living One who was once dead but Who is alive forever more.

2. Jesus Christ in His Deity.  Revelation 1:1,7,8,9,10,13-17
When Jesus came the first time, He came in the virgin birth to assume fully humanity.  As a man Jesus could die.  However as God at the same time, the value of what He accomplished was infinite.  The Divine titles we see associated with God in the Old Testament are assigned to Jesus here in Revelation 1.  Perhaps one of the clearest examples is the title "Alpha and Omega" in Revelation 1:8.  In Isaiah 44:6 we read these words - "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts, 'I am the First and the Last; besides me there is no god."

3. Jesus Christ the Priestly Mediator.  Revelation 1:5-6,13
In scripture we see Jesus occupying three offices in His representation of believer's before the Father's throne.  First He is our King, who right now rules over His church in Heaven and Who is coming back to set up His throne here on earth. (Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 1:5) Secondly, Jesus Christ is the Believers High Priest, represent us to God the Father. (1 John 2:1-2; Revelation 1:7)  Then thirdly He is the Prophet Who is the Full Revelation of the Invisible Father and the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. (Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:12-16)

4. Jesus Christ the King. Revelation 1:5,6,8,20
Though we have already shown Jesus as the King, the title "Ruler of the Kings of the Earth" is worth mentioning. (Revelation 1:5)  In the study of Bible prophecy scholars use a little phrase "already/not yet" to explain prophecies wherein an event has been begun but has not yet reached its full manifestation.  Thus Christ is ruling right now in Heaven over His Kingdom in a spiritual sense and over the church in particular.  In some sense He is already reigning in Kingly authority over the Kings of the earth.  However He has not yet fully manifested this reign, and won't until He returns as revealed in Revelation 19-20 to set up His 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom.

5. Jesus Christ the Prophet. Revelation 1:6,16 
As the "Prophet", Jesus Christ brings God to us because of the fact He is God Himself.  Throughout the New Testament we see Jesus ascribing to Himself Deity. (John 8:58)  He tells Phillip in John 14:9 "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."  The Apostle Paul writes in both Philippians 2 and 1 Timothy 3:15-16 that in essence, Jesus Christ is "God in Human Flesh".  Jesus Christ is the Prophet Who is the Full revelation of the invisible God. (Hebrews 1:1-2)  Jesus Christ as God in Human Flesh shares in the same Undivided nature with the Father.  1 Corinthians 8:6 for example tells us that the Father is the One "from whom all things exists" and the Son at the same time is the One "through Whom all things consist".  In addition to the New Testament, the Old Testament hints at the fact that even in His pre-incarnate state (before the flesh state), the Son made various appearances and revealed the glory of the invisible God to the patriarchs and prophets. (Isaiah 6 compare John 12:41; Proverbs 30:4-5)

Revelation 1:1-8 The Coming Christ

Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John."

Yesterday we offered some introductory quotes from some leading scholars about the Book of Revelation, as well as an outline of the Book.  In today's post, we are going to touch on some key features of Revelation 1:1-8.  Revelation 1:1-8 functions as the "front porch" or "preface" to the whole book of Revelation.  Among the key themes of the opening verses is the theme of Christ and His second coming.  This bodes well with the whole theme of the Book of Revelation, since it centers around the Person of Jesus Christ and His Second Coming.  As the first five words of Revelation 1:1 state: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ". 

Main thoughts to consider about Christ's second coming
As you read down through Revelation 1:1-8, you find reference to Christ's second coming three times that reveal to us the nature and significance of Christ's Soon return.  Christ's second coming dominates the biblical prophetic landscape, with 224 prophecies expected to be fulfilled at His Coming.  Furthermore, three terms are used to summarize the nature of Christ's second coming in the New Testament: "approaching", "visible" and "powerful".  Let the reader understand that these thoughts are attempting to capture the main point of the passage, rather than attempting to exhaust the details of the text itself.  So what can we note about Christ's Second coming from Revelation 1:1-8?

Christ's Second Coming is Approaching
Revelation 1:3 states - "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."   The nearness of Christ's second coming to this planet is a truth repeated throughout the pages of the New Testament in general and Revelation in particular.1  For example, Jesus began preaching in Matthew 4:17 that the "Kingdom of Heaven was "near" or "at hand".2  This sense of "uncertainty" as to the timing of Christ's return and "immediacy" all factor into the manner in which His coming is approaching. 

To believers and mainly the world, the second coming of Jesus may seem to be taking a long time, however on God's upper story time table, the second coming is right around the corner. (2 Peter 3:9-10)  The approaching, imminent return of Jesus Christ is often spoken of as a day wherein the sun is setting and night is approaching. (1 Thessalonians 5)  The approaching of Christ's return could happen within our generation or sooner.  As Jesus Himself told John in Revelation 22:10 - "And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."

So the second coming of Jesus Christ could get underway sooner than we think.  But notice  a second trait, namely....

Christ's Second Coming Will be Visible
Revelation 1:7 reveals - Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.  The Bible is pretty clear that the second coming of Jesus Christ will not be a secret event, but a public one.  The Old Testament prophets such as Zechariah 12:10 predicted that every eye would see the Lord in His second coming.  Jesus Himself in Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21 speaks of the "public" and "visible nature" of His return.  When Jesus ascended into heaven before the disciples, the angels told the apostles in Acts 1:14 - They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  How will the whole earth witness this major event?  Many of course have speculated, but all we know is that everyone will know when He returns and His return will be unmistakable.3 

Now the "visible" nature of Christ's second coming is not only to demonstrate to the world the reality of the event, but also to underscore something about Jesus Himself - His humanity and Deity.  When Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, He still retained His full post-resurrected humanity.  Why is that important?  Because not only did Jesus have to be fully man and fully God to be the Savior and Lord to accomplish redemption in His first coming, but prophetic scripture reveals He has to be fully man and fully God in His appearing.  Daniel 7:13-14 speaks of a figure "likened unto the Son of Man" who will appear at the end of time.  Scripture teaches that the Christian's body will be made like His at His appearing. (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3) The Bible plainly states that Jesus at His appearing will be fully God in glorified human flesh. (Acts 17:31; Titus 2:13)  


Christ's Second Coming Will Be Powerful
Revelation 1:8 tells us - “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Christ's second coming will literally alter earth, Heaven and time itself.  Jude for example tells us that Enoch, the 7th from Adam, predicted that the Lord Jesus Christ will return in the glory and power of many thousands of holy ones. (Jude 14)  2 Thessalonians 2 reveals that Christ will return to slay the Anti-Christ and his forces by the word of His mouth.  Quite literally when Christ returns, mountains will split and the current terrain of earth will be altered and refurbished to be prepared for what will be Christ's Millennial or 1,000 year reign. (Isaiah 11; Zechariah 12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Revelation 19:11-20:15).  Christ's coming will be attended by the uncreated fire of His own Deity and the glory of His Father that will melt rocks and disentangle all the forces currently holding our universe together. (2 Peter 3)  The power of Jesus Christ exceeds the unaided human mind untouched by grace. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

More tomorrow....
Endnotes________________

1. Steve Gregg in his book: "Revelation, Four Views, A Parallel Commentary" page 19, lists the following passages in Revelation that many say hint to the second coming of Jesus Christ: Revelation 1:7; 6:14-17; 11:18; 14:14-20; 16:20-21; 19:11; 20:9

2. The word translated "near" could speak of a normal time event as being either a few days from the time of the speaker (John 2:13) or of a place that was in "near" proximity to another place. (John 10:40) When Paul spoke of his impending death as being near in 2 Timothy 4:6, he was sure that his death was "imminent" or at any moment. Peter spoke of his own sense of impending death, noting that the time was "rapidly drawing near". (2 Peter 1:14)

3. Many have speculated that perhaps their will be satellite broadcasts beaming the signal around the globe at the end of the seven year tribulation period prior to His coming. However with such cosmic disturbances predicted, sattelite transmissions will be rendered next to impossible. Furthermore, the earth's population will be diminished and shifted more towards the middle-eastern region. It would seem that the second coming of Jesus will be witnessed in real time by eye-witnesses who wilfully and knowing rejected Him. Furthermore, the Jewish nation who will had gathered in Jerusalem will be granted the Spirit of Repentance and call upon Him as Her Messiah. (Zechariah 12:10ff) 

Introducing the Book Revelation

Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John"

Some Great Quotes Introducing the Book of Revelation
The incredible Book of Revelation will be the focus of today's blog. 
I thought we would begin with some introductory quotes from great Christian writers and preachers whose Spirit illuminated insights into the Book of Revelation can greatly aid in approaching God's final reveal book.

The first quote we will consider is from an early 20th century Bible commentator of the first order - Arthur W. Pink.  In the introduction to his book "The Redeemer's Return" we read:  "But wondrous and blessed as was the first Advent of our Lord in many respects, His Second Coming will be even more momentous. At His first appearing He was here in weakness and humiliation, but at His second He shall come in power and glory. When He was here before He was "despised and rejected of men," but when He comes back again every knee shall bow before Him and every tongue confess His Lordship. When He was here before He paid tribute to Caesar, but when He returns He shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of lords. When He was here before His personal ministry was confined to the land of Palestine, but when He returns "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab.2:14)."

Secondly, the late Dr. John Walvoord, great prophecy teacher and professor in the earlier days of Dallas Seminary, writes this about Revelation in the preface of His book "The Revelation of Jesus Christ": "In some sense, the book is the conclusion to all previous Biblical revelation and logically reflects the interpretation of the rest of the Bible". (Preface, Page 7)

Thirdly, we read these words from the inimitable late pastor of First Baptist Dallas, Dr. W.A Criswell, in his commentary: "Expository Sermons on Revelation": It is a book in which all things in the Bible find an echo and reverberation.  It delineates the consummation of the age.  It is the great goal toward which all of the plans and purposes of God in history reach.  It touches things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth." Later on in the same book, Dr. Criswell writes: No other book in the Bible has as much circumference and height and  depth as does the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ." (Sermon 1, Page 13) 

Fourthly and lastly, one of the most Godly and gifted pulpiteers of our day, Dr. John MacArthur, writes these words in his commentary on Revelation: "But the book of Revelation provides the most detailed look into the future in all of scripture.  The fitting capstone of God's revelation to man in the Bible, the book of Revelation unveils the future history of the world, all the way to history's climax in the return of Christ and the setting up of His glorious earthly and eternal kingdom." (Page 14, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Revelation 1-11)

An outline of the Book of Revelation
My aim is to present the reader an outline of the book, with particular focus upon the Person of Jesus Christ.  From Revelation 1:1 we understand that if Jesus Christ is your focus before you read Revelation, during your study of the book and even moreso after studying Revelation, then you have rightly interpreted Revelation.  With that said, I offer you dear reader a basic outline of the Book of Revelation.  The outline proceeds in two ways that are based off a key verse and a key theme.  First, the outline follows the key verse of Revelation 1:19: "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."  Included in this outline is a second feature - namely the key theme of the Person of Jesus Christ.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

 

Part One: Things which you have seen 

Jesus Christ and His Church               Revelation 1-3

Part Two: Things which are/will take place
Jesus Christ and His Worship             Revelation 4-5

Part Three: Things which will take place
Jesus Christ and History                      Revelation 6-18

Jesus Christ and His Coming Reign   Revelation 19-20

Jesus Christ and His Bride                  Revelation 21-22 

To God be the glory.  

P3 of 3 Understanding God's Ultimate Will - Implications

Deuteronomy 29:29-30:1,5 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." 30:1 “So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you." 30:5 "The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers."

Over the past two days we have been attempting to better understanding what the Bible speaks of when it comes to God's Will.  We used the following headings:

God's Ultimate Will
        God's Unrevealed Will
        God's Revealed Will
        God's Permissive Will

In using the above designations, we can navigate our little boats of understanding through the vast sea of God's will. As you may have noticed, we placed God's unrevealed, revealed and permissive wills underneath His Ultimate Will to convey how God orchestrates all things by means of the other aspects of His will.

In today's post I want to draw out some implications and applications for you the reader.  It is not enough to just know "categories" of God's Will.  Among other reasons, God reveals His will, and things about His will, in order that we will in turn live out His will for our lives. 

Ten practical considerations about God's Ultimate Will and Unrevealed, Revealed and Permissive Wills

1. God's Ultimate  Will is His plan and passion being carried forth that covers all history, redemption and eternity. God's Ultimate Will is like an umbrella under which every aspect of his will and creation fits. Another analogy we could evoke would be thinking of God's Ultimate Will as being the shores that bound the mighty river of history.1

2. God's Ultimate Will cannot be frustrated

3. There are events which God fixed that cannot be altered nor revoked by any creature

4. No one can go outside God's Ultimate will, since His Ultimate will "ultimately" covers every thing.

5. The purpose of God's ultimate will is God's glory.

6. God's Ultimate Will includes His unrevealed, revealed and permissive wills.

7. God's unrevealed will doesn't cross purposes with those areas He has revealed, meaning that God is the same God in His unrevealed, revealed and permissive wills.

8. God's revealed will is His Word or the Bible and is what we are responsible to believe by grace through faith and to carry out in obedience. To obey the Bible is to proceed in the known will of God.

9. God's Permissive Will is that area of His ultimate will wherein God operates His will through the wills or decisions of creatures, events of creation and acitvities of nations. God wills to allow such things as evil, even though He is not the author of it. (Isaiah 45:7) The fact God orchestrates things by permission demonstrates the ability of creatures to choose within their own creaturely limitations and to what they deem the greatest good. God's Permissive will is how He includes his creatures and creation in His overall plan.

10. By keeping these distinctions in mind, we can preserve such complementary truths as God's Sovereignty and human responsibility, the evil of sin and the Justice of God shown at the cross, the Divine authorship of Scripture and the human instruments who co-authored the Bible with the Holy Ghost and other such wonderful truths.

End Notes______________________

1. History is flowing toward an intended end. Though creatures such as humans are floating on their vessels of life and can freely move on those boats, even yet they are bounded. God however is unbounded and bounds everything else in the two shorelines of His Ultimate Will: Justice and Grace. The boats of people's lives are sinking and capsizing. When they fall into the mighty river, they are still in God's ultimate will. The mighty ship of salvation, piloted by Jesus is anchored in the middle of the stream. He calls out to all men to be saved. Those who by the Spirit's work in the revealed will of the Word hear the Savior's voice can grab the life rafts of faith and be pulled upon the the decks of salvation. Now that they are safe, the mighty river of history also teems with perils that tempt. God permits such to exist to exercise His saints in wanting Him and loving Him. As only God can do, those same perils call to those who freely reject the Gospel call and convince them to swim toward the judgment. Unrevealed to His creatures is of course how all these aspects function in detail, how God preserves man's responsibility and yet God remains fully Sovereign. God is Sovereign enough to affect a man's salvation who has it in him by grace to believe. Likewise, God is Sovereign enough to knowingly let a man pursue his own base desires that will render that man without excuse and subject to judgment. (Acts 13:44-48; Romans 9:15-24; 2 Peter 3:9-10)

P2 of 3 Understanding God's Ultimate Will Specifically

Deuteronomy 29:29-30:1,5 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." 30:1 “So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you." 30:5 "The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers."


God's Will in the Bible
Yesterday we discussed in general God's Ultimate Will.  In defining the term "will" itself, we discover in the Bible that God's will is Him being both passionate and planning through how He would execute His Sovereign purposes - both saving and eternal. As we began to consider the various aspects of God's will, we covered the idea of God's ultimate will, which we defined as follows:

God's Ultimate Will = God's Overall or Sovereign Will that covers all creation, redemption and eternity. No one can be outside the Ultimate Will of God, since His Ultimate Will covers all things. 

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 has this to say about God's Ultimate or Sovereign will: "God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures." 

Having looked at God's ultimate will in general, today I want us to consider His ultimate will in particular.  We will be considering the aspects of His will that are included in His ultimate will: God's Unrevealed, Revealed and Permissive Wills.

God's will has important distinctions
In Deuteronomy 29 and 30 we see Moses laying out the prophetic future for Israel. If we work our way back from Deuteronomy 30, we will see some necessary categories for understanding God's Will:

God's Ultimate Will (Deuteoronomy 30:3-10) = Again, it is God's Overall or Sovereign Will that covers all creation, redemption and eternity. No one can be outside the Ultimate Will of God, since His Ultimate Will covers all things.1  When God says in Deuteronomy 30:5 of how He "will bring" Israel into the land, He is stating that future event by His Ultimate Will.
         
God's Unrevealed Will (Deuteronomy 29:29a) = Moses writes: "The secret things belong to the Lord".  God unrevealed will is what God
only knows and has not revealed to any creature. This would
include such areas as what will happen tomorrow and the day
and hour of Christ's second coming. This is called by some
theologians God's Decretive Will, since He decrees things for
reasons only known to Himself.

God's Revealed Will (Deuteronomy 29:29b) = Moses writes again in Deuteronomy 29:29b "the revealed things belong to us and our sons forever."  What God has revealed to people through the Bible for their responsibility and salvation. Though people can never be outside God's Sovereign will, they can violate His revealed will in the Bible and thus be outside the moral will of God. If we can picture God's revealed will as a car and His Ultimate will as a garage.  While in the car I am protected and can go places.  However when I get out of my car, I am still in the garage.  Whenever you and I disobey God, though we may go outside His morally revealed will (the car), we cannot escape His Ultimate Will (the big garage), which includes His willing to permit trials to correct us so that we will repent and get back into His known revealed will of scripture. (Hebrews 12:5-6)  Some theologians term this God's "preceptive will",
meaning that by the "precepts" or "teachings of revealed
scripture", man can know God's morally revealed will for their
lives.

God's Permissive Will (Deuteronomy 28:1-29:28; 30:1-2) =
God wills to permit both good and evil to accomplish His ultimate
will, to accomplish His saving purposes and grant space for
responsible creatures (humans) to repent in response to His
drawing grace or reject him freely. Thus for example, God willed
to permit evil men to crucify the Lord Jesus as part of His
Ultimate will in which He and the Son decreed and agreed to
accomplish salvation. (Acts 2:23-24) God permits what He declares evil in His
revealed will to accomplish His Ultimate will, even though He
has not revealed in detail why He wills to permits certain things
(like evil, suffering, disease). I often will use a little phrase to
summarize this: God permits what He hates in order to
accomplish the Good He intends. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28)

In using the above designations, we can navigate our little boats of understanding through the vast sea of God's will. As you may have noticed, we placed God's unrevealed, revealed and permissive wills underneath His Ultimate Will to convey how God orchestrates all things by means of the other aspects of His will. 

In tomorrow's blogpost we will list out some implications of this understanding of God's Ultimate Will and its aspects of Unrevealed, Revealed and Permissive Wills.

More tomorrow......

 

End Note______________

1. Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theology, mentions the following references to what we are discussing concerning God's Ultimate Will (which he terms "God's Will in General"):
-Ephesians 1:11 "who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His Will", also Ephesians 1:10,23; 3:9; 4:10; Col 1:16.

-Revelation 4:11 "For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created"

-Acts 4:27-28 ..."to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."