Days of Vengeance - The Preterist Archive

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22:17-21 unconquerable strength and everlasting dominion promised it by God (comp. Luke 1:32-33). What he testifies, in whom the glorious race of David culminates, will assuredly go into fulfillment.” 13 In Numbers 24:17, Balaam prophesied of Christ under the symbols of a star and a scepter; Christ’s scepter is promised to the overcomer in Thyatira (2:26-27), in an allusion to Psalm 2:8-9; then, as the promise to the overcomer continues, Christ offers Himself as the Morning Star (2:28), and that promise is repeated here, partly in order to complement the promise of Light in verse 5, and partly in keeping with other connections which this passage shares with the Letters to both Pergamum (the mention of idolatry and the allusion to Balaam) and Thyatira (the mention of sorcery and fornication). 17 And the Spirit and the Bride say: Come! This is a prayer to Jesus, the Spirit inspiring the Bride to call for Him (cf. Cant. 8:14: “Hurry, my beloved!”) to come in salvation and judgment, even as the four living creatures called forth the Four Horsemen (6:1, 3, 5, 7). The liturgical response is then set forth: And let the one who hears say: Come! Finally, the expression is inverted (cf. 3:20-21, where Christ first asks to dine with us, then invites us to sit with Him), for the certainty of Christ’s coming to us in salvation enables us to come to Him for the Water of Life: And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the Water of Life without cost. The expression without cost is do – rean, meaning as a gift, used by Christ in a particularly telling reference: “They hated me without a cause” (John 15:25). Our salvation is free, “without a cause” as far as our own merit is concerned; its source and reason are wholly in Him, and not at all in us. We are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). 18-19 Now Jesus states what many regard as the most solemn and terrifying words in the entire prophecy: I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Tree of Life and from the Holy City, which are written in this book (cf. Deut. 4:2; 12:32; 29:20). 14 Rushdoony comments: “In a very real sense, Revelation concludes Scripture. It speaks deliberately as a final word. Moses, in Deuteronomy 4:2, declared, ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . .’ Words were to be added by others, but the revelation would be one unchanging word. Now, with the conclusion of Scripture, adding or removing the ‘words’ of the book is forbidden; words can no longer be added. The selfconscious parallel and alteration are too obvious to be accidental. The last words have been given of the unchanging word.” 15 20-21 He who testifies to these things, the True and Faithful Witness, says: Yes, I am coming quickly! In this closing liturgy, the Church answers: Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The Church asks for judgment; she specifically requests her Lord to come (Maranatha!), bringing Anathema for all His enemies (1 Cor. 16:22), but with grace for all the saints. As we saw on 3:14, the familiar word Amen is an oath, a calling down upon oneself the curses of the covenant, and a solemn recognition that we would have no grace at all but for the fact that Jesus Christ is our “Amen,” who underwent the Curse for us. Therefore, as St. Ambrose exhorted, “What the mouth speaks, let the mind within confess; what the tongue utters, let the heart feel.” 16 13. E. W. Hengstenberg, The Revelation of St. John, 2 vols., trans. Patrick Fairbairn (Cherry Hill, NJ: Mack Publishing Co., n. d.), Vol. 2, p. 373. 14. It seems most strange that, of all places, these two verses should have any variant readings at all; yet, in fact, there are, not one, but at least thirteen separate points in dispute! See Zane C. Hodges and Arthur L. Farstad, eds., The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982). 15. Rousas John Rushdoony, Thy Kingdom Come: Studies in Daniel and Revelation (Tyler, TX: Thoburn Press, [1970] 1978), p. 225. Italics added. 16. St. Ambrose, On the Mysteries, 54. 228
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION: THE LESSONS OF REVELATION If the Book of Revelation is primarily a prophecy to the first-century Church, is it of any value to Christians today? As a matter of fact, that question faces us with regard to every book in the Bible, not just Revelation; for all Scripture was written “to” someone else, and not “to” us. But St. Paul stated a fundamental principle of Biblical Interpretation: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). God’s judgment on Israel for her disobedience can happen to us as well, if we do not persevere in faith and works. If even Israel could be broken off from the covenantal Tree of Life, so can we: “They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity; but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11:20-23). The Book of Revelation therefore has continuing lessons for the Church of all ages. I have summarized some of these lessons below, providing references to the pages in the commentary where they are discussed. The following is not to be taken as an exhaustive list, but as a rough sketch for topical study and review. The Interpretation of Prophecy The purpose of prophecy is not simply “prediction”; rather, it is a summons to ethical living in terms of God’s standards (p. 18). It is therefore not “history written in advance” (p. 25). Our standard for interpreting prophecy must be the Bible itself (p. 25). The Book of Revelation is written in “signs,” i.e. symbols (p. 34). Symbolism is inescapable; in fact, everything is symbolic (pp. 26-27). Symbolism is analogical, not realistic; it is fluid, not a “code” (p. 27). The primary controls on undue speculation must be faithfulness to the Bible’s system of doctrine, and faithfulness to the Bible’s system of symbolism (p. 29). The Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation has a contemporary focus; it is not about the Second Coming (pp. 29-31), but about the inauguration of the New Covenant era during the Last Days – the period A.D. 30-70, from the Ascension of Christ to the fall of Jerusalem (p. 33). Written some time within the final decade of Israel’s history (pp. 16- 17) in the distinctive form of the Biblical Covenant Lawsuit (pp. 18-21, 32, 33, 46, 67-68, 98-99, 155-156), its main prophecies were to be fulfilled shortly (pp. 33- 35). The prophecy was intended to be read in the liturgical setting of the first-century churches (p. 35), and so begins with Seven Letters to the churches of Asia Minor. Each Letter recapitulates the five-part structure of the historic Biblical covenants (p. 46). Taken together, the Letters recapitulate all of Covenant history, from Adam to Christ (pp. 46-47); and they also foreshadow the entire structure of Revelation (pp. 47-48). The Seven Seals set forth the period of the Last Days in general (p. 82); the Seven Trumpets warn of the Tribulation, up to the first siege of Jerusalem under Cestius (pp. 108, 121); and the Seven Chalices reveal the final outpouring of God’s wrath upon Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 67-70 (p. 157). Revelation is written to comfort and instruct the churches that are plagued and oppressed by an occult, gnostic, statist form of apostate Judaism which had captured the religious hierarchy of Israel (pp. 49, 53-54, 57). St. John calls this movement various symbolic names – “Nicolaitans,” “Balaamites,” “Jezebelites,” and “the Synagogue of Satan” – but all these expressions refer to the same cult (pp. 98, 101-03, 107-108, 113- 114, 127-128). The meaning of the main symbols in Revelation maybe summarized as follows: The Seven-Sealed Book is the New Covenant, which Christ obtained at His glorious Ascension and “(opened” during the period of the Last Days, climaxing in the destruction of Jerusalem (pp. 76-80). (The “Little Book,” which explains the Seven-Sealed Book, is the Revelation to St. John: p. 114.) The sealed multitude of 144,000 are the Remnant, the believing Jews of the first century (pp. 90-91, 147-148), the core of the innumerable multitude of the redeemed from every nation (pp. 94-95). The “Two Witnesses” represent the faithful Church of the Old Covenant, “the law and the prophets” exemplified in Moses and Elijah, culminating in the witness-bearing of John the Forerunner (pp. 117- 120). The Woman clothed with the Sun is faithful Israel, the Mother of Christ (pp. 124-126). In spite of the Dragon’s wrath, the Messiah ascends to rule heaven and earth from the Throne (p. 129). Christ’s defeat of Satan in His life, death, and resurrection is portrayed by Michael’s offensive “war in heaven” against the Dragon (pp. 130-132). The Beast from the Sea is the Roman Empire, embodied in Nero Caesar (pp. 135-138); the Beast from the Land (also called the False Prophet) is Israel’s religious leadership (pp. 139-142); and the Image of the Beast is the apostate Jewish Synagogue (pp. 140-142). Babylon, the Great Harlot-City, is old, apostate Jerusalem (pp. 149, 168-169, 170). The New Jerusalem, 229
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But when you see Jerusalem surround
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Copyright @ 1987 by Dominion Press
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FOREWORD Foreword Readers of the Bo
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE Publisher’s
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE case for esch
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE this book bec
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PUBLISHER’S PREFACE In contrast,
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INTRODUCTION St. Irenaeus is somewh
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INTRODUCTION we must be saved” (A
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INTRODUCTION previous relationship
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INTRODUCTION You have lain down as
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INTRODUCTION are only elaborating a
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INTRODUCTION early churches had suc
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INTRODUCTION actions mean more than
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INTRODUCTION Some will complain tha
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INTRODUCTION Outline of Revelation
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1:1-3 that must shortly take place.
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1:4-6 accomplishment. We probably h
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1:7-8 observe that a central aspect
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1:9 14 And His head and His hair we
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1:16 That all the peoples, nations,
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1:20 things that must shortly take
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INTRODUCTION TO PART TWO Part Two H
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INTRODUCTION TO PART TWO The confli
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2:4-6 endure evil men. . . . And yo
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2:9-10 dead, and has come to life:
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2:14-16 expression (none of which m
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2:18-23 and leads my servants astra
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2:26-29 end, to him I will give aut
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3:4-6 church, or even against a nat
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3:8-11 And I will clothe him with y
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3:14-16 sons disinherited and cast
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3:21-22 the elders of a church, and
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INTRODUCTION TO PART THREE The laws
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4:2-3 numerous names and descriptio
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4:5-8 superseded and transcended; t
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4:5-8 19) led Biblical writers to s
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5:1-4 family worship; it is radical
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5:5-7 St. John; and it seems as if
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5:8-10 have gained the victory for
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6:1-2 6 IN THE PATH OF THE WHITE HO
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6:3-4 forth conquering, and to conq
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6:9-10 And authority was given to h
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6:15-17 that Israel’s time has ru
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7:4-8 Though he flourishes among th
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7:4-8 they were listening to the Ap
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7:9 is presumably deliberate, for i
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7:10-14 inheriting the Kingdom (Mat
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7:15-17 They will not hunger or thi
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8:3-5 for that would be about the l
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8:6-7 rout the Midianites, in Judge
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8:12 13 And I looked, and I heard a
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9:13 The vegetation of the earth is
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9:20-21 lations advanced by some co
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9:20-21 men much more atheistical t
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10:2-4 beyond reasonable doubt that
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10:8-10 the Spirit at Pentecost was
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11:1-2 angelic priest measures the
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11:7 have the power to shut up the
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11:11-14 climax with the murder of
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11:16-18 month in the liturgical ye
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12:1-2 12 THE HOLY WAR The Book of
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12:1-2 birth to the Christ, to brin
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12:4 Daniel repeats the same idea i
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12:5-9 Chronologically, this explan
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12:12 And when we see the Lord warr
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12:17 for the action of Pharaoh, wh
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13:3-4 of the ten imperial province
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13:8-10 The Beast was given authori
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13:13-14 character and office (1 Co
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13:18 work throughout Revelation ar
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13:18 ✩ ✩✩ ✩★✩ ✩★
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14:1 14 THE KING ON MOUNT ZION St.
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14:6-7 have seen, the Church on ear
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14:9-13 understanding (Prov. 9:1-6)
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14:14-16 I may find them prompt; na
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14:19-20 And now, O inhabitants of
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their Chalices of wrath, one of the
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15:3-4 sacrifices; and the Glory of
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15:8 We should be reminded in this
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16:1-3 5 And I heard the Angel of t
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16:10-11 the heat of the sun by the
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16:15-16 established here, for the
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16:19 thereof, concerning which the
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17:1 17 THE FALSE BRIDE While some
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17:3 action throughout history in s
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17:8 Jerusalem’s whole history, i
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17:13-16 (v. 2), as the instruments
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Page 230 and 231: CONCLUSION the pure Bride-City, is
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Page 234 and 235: APPENDIX A it is reflected in “It
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Page 240 and 241: APPENDIX A Babylon, falsely priestl
Page 242 and 243: APPENDIX A B. CHRISTIAN WORSHIP 1.
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Page 248 and 249: APPENDIX C APPENDIX C Common Grace,
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Page 256 and 257: APPENDIX C universe. It is governed
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