Revelation, Literally Speaking

REVELATION, LITERALLY SPEAKING

It's hard to imagine taking all of the book of Revelation literally. But certainly some of the book of Revelation is literal.

Chapter 1, verse 1 can certainly be taken literally. God literally gave to Christ things to show to his servants that "must shortly come to past." Verse 4 tells us that John wrote Revelation to "seven churches which are in Asia." In consideration of that fact, how would have the seven churches of Asia understood what John wrote? Can we know that? Do we know anyone that was a member of those seven churches? So in lieu of that, what do we do? We simply make it up as we go, don't we? Well I don't. Personally, I don't care much about the book of Revelation because it is next to impossible to understand the symbolism with out the knowledge of those seven churches of Asia that John wrote to.

It must be recognized that Revelation is full of symbolism. We encounter it after John says in verse 1.10 that he was in the spirit. Or does Jesus really have hair like wool that is white as snow, and eyes of flame? (v.14) Did he really have seven literal stars in his right hand? Did a sharp two-edged sword come out of his mouth? (v.15)

What about the beasts full of eyes in 4.6? Is that literal?

Is Jesus a lamb? Now that is symbolism we can understand because of the what was written in the Old Testament about the sacrificial lamb. Jesus was the ultimate sacrificial lamb, wasn't he?

What about the beast with seven heads and ten horns? Was that literal? That could have been a prophecy about the mother of a girl I dated in 1979. I guess I should be thankful she never became my mother-in-law. She made me feel like I was going through the great winepress of the wrath of God. (ch.14) Perhaps if I apply all of the book of Revelation to my personal life, I can figure out all the symbolism.

Okay my former future mother-in-law wasn't that bad. I just wanted to make a point. The point is that if you misinterpret the symbols in Revelation, it can take you down a very wrong path. And I am convinced that so many do that today. I wrote about some of it in an article entitled "Futurist Dogma Connected to Murder and Mayhem." Posted in the Bible Prophecy Forum.

Perhaps if one were to study all about those seven churches Asia, their beliefs and knowledge, one could figure out the symbolism of Revelation. But, I haven't done that, and I am sure most in the world haven't done that either. The best we can do is make generalizations. One generalization we can make is whatever the symbolism all meant, John wrote about things that "must shortly come to pass," and that the time for those things to come to pass was near, or at hand. No indication that they were 2000 years in the future.

There is not much of the book of Revelation that one can speak literally about, because very little of it is.

Wow Tom. I think I am better off not concentrating on that book at all. Maybe it was meant to be that I could never understand it. It is very complicated and hard to understand and I have noticed that in every bible study I have ever been to, no one has ever mentioned that book of the Bible.

WhiteDove wrote:

Wow Tom.  I think I am better off not concentrating on that book at all.  Maybe it was meant to be that I could never understand it.  It is very complicated and hard to understand and I have noticed that in every bible study I have ever been to, no one has ever mentioned that book of the Bible.

For most of my life, I have stayed away from Revelation. I don't focus on it in most of my teaching.