Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000002
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00:18 Welcome again to our program titled
00:24 "Revelation of the Coming King." 00:28 I'm Ranko Stefanovic, Professor 00:32 at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 00:35 Andrews University. 00:37 And I'm so excited that we can spend this time 00:41 to delve in the Book of Revelation and try to understand 00:44 the relevance message of that book for us today. 00:51 Last time I spoke about my accent. 00:55 But this is not the only thing 00:56 that people are confused about with regard to me. 00:59 They ask about my name. 01:02 So let me just take few moments 01:04 and say a little bit about my name. 01:05 My name is Ranko Stefanovic. 01:07 Ranko in my Croatian language means an early one. 01:13 You know, sometimes parents 01:14 they make mistake by naming children. 01:16 They sort of giving them certain names, early one, okay. 01:19 But my last name Stefanovic actually comes from Greek. 01:27 In Greek language there are two words for a crown. 01:33 One is the Greek word diadema. 01:35 You can guess already that from that we have English diadem. 01:41 And it's a royal crown. 01:45 When we go to the Book of Revelation, 01:48 we see in the Revelation 19 that Jesus has 01:51 many diadema crowns on His head. 01:55 So that crown is reserved exclusively 02:00 for God and Jesus Christ. 02:04 But we will come to that. 02:06 You will notice in the Book of Revelation 02:08 that there is another entity in the book 02:11 that claims such a crown. 02:13 Probably you already guessed. 02:14 If you go to Revelation Chapter 12 02:16 and Revelation Chapter 13, you'll that the dragon 02:21 and the sea beast claims that crown. 02:25 So we're dealing here with the power opposing to God 02:28 and claiming the provocative's of God. 02:31 But human beings are not promised such a crown. 02:35 The second word for crown in Greek, it's a stephanos crown. 02:42 That's not the royal crown. 02:45 It's a garland given to the winners 02:51 in ancient Olympic Games. 02:54 It's the crown of victory. 02:56 This is a crown that is promised to us. 03:01 For instance when we read in 2 Timothy Chapter 4, 03:05 Paul says, "I finish the race. My life is over. 03:09 And I know that to me stephanos crown is promised." 03:13 He said, not only to me but to all those 03:15 who are waiting for His coming. 03:18 Revelation 3:11, "Be faithful until the point of death 03:26 and I'll give you the stephanos of life." 03:29 It is out of this Greek word stephanos 03:34 that actually my names comes from, okay. 03:39 Stefan, western Steven are both derived from this word. 03:45 And Stefanovic, actually means a little Steven in my language. 03:49 You're the person who lives somewhere. 03:51 He was a foreigner there and people ask, 03:53 who is this person? 03:55 He is son of Steven, little Steven. 03:59 In my language it's Stefanovic. 04:01 That's how actually how people got their second names. 04:05 So this is little bit about my name but in the same time 04:09 we want to see different aspects 04:12 of the Book of Revelation, Revelation there. 04:14 So if you among our viewers, if you have the name Steven 04:19 just to know that is rooted strictly in the biblical promise 04:22 that one day when our Savior Jesus Christ come, 04:26 we will get the stephanos of life. 04:32 But today we would like to go to another aspect 04:36 of the Book of Revelation. 04:37 Keep in mind we're still in verse 1 and believe me 04:42 we can spend hours and hours just in the first three verses 04:46 of the Book of Revelation which are truly 04:49 are a part of the prologue, of the prologue of the book, 04:53 but about that we'll talk later. 04:55 So please I would like to ask you, 04:57 if you can open your Bibles again, 05:00 but please I want to fulfill my promise. 05:03 I will do it always at the beginning of our study 05:06 and at the end. 05:07 If you are able to hold in your hands my commentary 05:13 that we recommended last time. 05:16 You still have a chance somehow to provide a copy for yourself. 05:20 Our presentation today, it's based on the pages 05:26 if you want to follow and later to study for yourself 05:30 from page 17, 17 my commentary so, 05:35 17,18, 19, 20, 21 and so on. 05:42 And then also part of what we'll cover today 05:45 it's found in pages 58, 59, 60, and 61. 05:51 But our focus will be primarily from pages 17. 05:56 So I would like to encourage you, 05:58 once we're done with this presentation, 06:03 I'd like you really to get more information there 06:06 from my commentary, but to think the Bible 06:08 is a sort of primary text book as we mentioned last time. 06:12 And please go and continue to study this book for yourself, 06:16 whether by yourself or in group of some devoted Christians 06:20 who would like also to study together 06:22 to get to the meaning, the meaning of that book. 06:25 So what are we talking about today? 06:28 Please would you turn back to that opening text 06:32 of the Book of Revelation? 06:34 Revelation 1:1, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" 06:41 we saw it last time but this is the title of the book. 06:47 "Which God gave Him" and then we saw the purpose of the book 06:52 "to show to His servants, 06:54 the things which must soon take place." 06:58 But now we're going to the last part of this verse. 07:02 It said "And He" who is that he? Jesus Christ Himself. 07:06 "He sent" and my new American Standard Version says 07:12 "and He communicated it by His angel to His servant John." 07:21 The casual reader of the Book of Revelation, 07:24 especially when you read this in English. 07:28 And because of different Bible translations, 07:30 you don't see anything too much significant here, 07:32 except when Jesus revealed to John the Revelator, 07:38 things that are mentioned at the very beginning of this text. 07:42 Things that will take place in the future. 07:45 And I just want to tell you, I want simply to show to you 07:49 how sometimes we need really to go to the biblical language. 07:53 I know, we are, not everybody can read Greek 07:56 and Hebrew and that's okay. 07:57 That's why we need different Bible translation. 07:59 And sometimes we need the people 08:01 who know those languages to tell us what is in. 08:04 Because here in this clause its one of the most 08:10 significant awards that we have in the Book of Revelation. 08:15 I'm repeating, one of the most significant expressions 08:20 in the Book of Revelation. 08:23 And this word really tell us how to interpreter the book. 08:28 Okay, so what is the word? 08:30 Let's read one more time the last clause. 08:33 It says "And He Jesus, He sent" and now I have here 08:38 and says, "And he communicated it 08:42 by His angel to His servant John." 08:48 I would like to invite all of you and our viewers 08:51 who probably have different versions here 08:54 in front of yourself. 08:55 My new American Standard Bible says 08:58 "That Jesus communicate, He sent and He communicated it to John." 09:05 Dear viewers, if you have in your hand 09:09 King James Bible for instance, you'll find 09:12 that the King James Bible has a different word. 09:16 It says "signified." The Jesus signified. 09:19 By the way you are here in front of me, 09:21 I'll say that you see that even my new American Standard Bible 09:25 says here in the margin 09:27 that the correct word should be "signified." 09:31 So the word that Jesus communicated, 09:34 it's actually an interpretation. 09:38 And for instance in New International Version 09:41 has that Jesus showed to John. 09:47 But they try to see what the meaning 09:50 of this word is all about. 09:52 I would like to suggest to you that the King James Bible 09:57 or New King James Bible together what is found here 10:00 in the margin of my Bible translation 10:03 that I have here are the closest to the meaning 10:07 that the word is in Greek. 10:09 So again as I did last time, I want little bit 10:13 to challenge you that you see how it looks in Greek. 10:18 So the word that is in Greek here is semeion. 10:24 This is 'S' so called sigma. 10:27 Okay in Greek it's the word semeion. 10:32 So what is the meaning, the meaning of this word? 10:36 There's no little bit analysis of this word 10:38 and I hope that this will not be boring again. 10:41 The word semeion it's a verb, but comes from the noun. 10:47 You see, if you cover these letters then what is left? 10:51 It's the word sema which is a noun, feminine noun. 10:59 Actually there is also in the Book of Revelation 11:02 another word noun that is very similar to sema 11:06 which is semeion which is actually neuter 11:11 but the meaning is the same. 11:14 So what is the meaning of the word sema? 11:17 It simply means a sign or a symbol. 11:24 I will show you something from the Book of Revelation 11:27 just in few minutes. 11:30 And I know that our viewers are an international community, 11:37 different languages of the world. 11:39 And if you go anywhere in the world 11:41 there is international word what United States 11:45 we call a traffic light. 11:47 It's typically North American expression. 11:50 If you go to Britain where English is official language, 11:55 they use the word semaphore, which is the international term 12:01 for Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian language, 12:04 all languages of the world. 12:05 This is the official word for the traffic light, semaphore. 12:09 You'll notice sema and phore. 12:14 Sema means a symbol 12:17 and phore is some called the variation for light. 12:20 So what is the semaphore, a traffic light? 12:22 You know, when you see green, it tells you something. 12:26 When you see red- you see these are all signs 12:31 and they mean something. 12:33 When you see red, that sign means stop. 12:36 By the way let me use another word 12:38 that we are very much familiar with is the word semantics. 12:43 Sema means a symbol and tics, 12:48 it's little bit changed a transitory term 12:51 that actually is the word for the text. 12:54 So what is semantics? 12:57 When we use symbols to express something that is not visible. 13:03 You say M, you say T. 13:07 You see those teeth, its simply breathing 13:09 but then you use those signs to express it. 13:12 That's what semantic is, you use sign or symbols. 13:15 By the way this is feminine. 13:18 Let's go to the Book of Revelation 13:19 to see how neuter term is used. 13:22 It's used two times for instance in the Revelation 12. 13:27 This is the word that we're talking about. 13:29 Revelation 12:1. 13:32 You will see we're spending little bit more time on that 13:35 because this is- I do have to say 13:38 that this is probably a single most important word 13:42 in the Book of Revelation with regard 13:43 to the interpretation of the book. 13:45 It says, you have the book, the chapter "A great sign" 13:52 what the word is used semeion, neuter "appeared in heaven." 13:56 What is the sign? "A woman." 13:59 So please let's practice the knowledge. 14:02 If semeion means sign or symbol, what does it mean? 14:06 That what follows is not the real thing. 14:10 It says a woman, pregnant woman, 14:13 pregnant 1410 whose child is there telling us that 14:15 this is not the Mary that this is not a woman 14:20 but actually it's a symbol that John see of something. 14:24 By the way we'll come to Revelation 12. 14:26 Okay, let's go to verse 3. 14:30 "Then another semeion" which is a sign "appeared in heaven." 14:36 Another symbol, what's that symbol? 14:38 It's a dragon telling us the dragon 14:40 is not the literal dragon. 14:43 Because when we go to verse 9, 14:45 it says clearly that this dragon is the old serpent 14:49 who's actually the devil and Satan. 14:53 I would like to show to you something 14:55 few more things that we see how the word is used. 14:58 Please, I'm taking time for that because, 15:01 because today people are going interpret 15:03 the Book of Revelation without really taking into consideration 15:08 the purpose of the book that Jesus seem 15:11 to indicate there how to be interpreted. 15:13 Okay, if you go to the Gospel of John 12:32 and 33, 15:22 then we read that there Jesus said. 15:24 You notice statement is known. 15:26 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 15:32 will draw all men to myself." 15:35 This is what Jesus said. 15:38 But John wrote his gospel many decades after 15:42 and he now makes comment on these words of Jesus 15:45 and he said, "But he, Jesus, was saying of this to indicate 15:52 the kind of death by which He was to die." 15:57 Let me-let me make sense of this. 16:00 Jesus said, "And I, when I'm lifted up from the earth, 16:04 I will draw all my- all people to myself." 16:08 What's the meaning of that? 16:10 Evidentially the disciples at that moment 16:11 did not understand what Jesus was saying. 16:13 It was decades later that John understood 16:16 when he was writing the gospel. 16:18 After everything what happened 16:19 with Jesus crucifixion and His ascension to heaven. 16:22 And he said, "The Jesus was saying this" 16:25 now they put the word indicate. 16:28 Actually is the word semeion use. 16:31 Can you practice it? 16:33 Jesus said this to show by means of symbol 16:38 what will happen to Him. 16:41 So we know then, "when I'm lifted up, " it means the cross. 16:46 Let's see another case. 16:48 The Gospel of John 21:18 to 19. 16:57 Is the Book of Revelation, 16:59 a reciting exciting book for you? 17:01 Okay, 21, again the words of Jesus. 17:06 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, 17:10 you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished. 17:15 But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, 17:21 and someone else will gird you, 17:24 and bring you where you do not wish to go." 17:28 So these are the words that Jesus said to Peter, 17:31 but evidently Peter did not understand 17:33 what Jesus told him. 17:35 Was the-Jesus tried to tell him you stretch your hands. 17:42 Somebody will take you to the place you don't want was. 17:44 Actually it was again decades later when John was writing 17:48 his book that he understood it and he makes a comment. 17:52 Now this he said, signifying the word semeion was used. 17:58 It means showing him by means of symbol what kind of death 18:03 he would glorify God and then he has spoken this, 18:07 He said to him follow me. 18:09 So I hope that now we can get a little bit insight 18:13 into the meaning of the word semeion. 18:16 But there is another word that is probably- 18:18 another biblical passage that is more significant 18:22 and when John in Revelation 1:1 quoted the words of Jesus. 18:28 In using the word semeion, 18:30 actually he had another book in his mind 18:35 and that's the Book of Daniel. 18:39 I don't know if you're familiar with or not- 18:42 but the Bible, yes, originally was written in Hebrew 18:46 and few chapters were written in Aramaic. 18:51 But actually it is 300 years before Christ 18:55 that the Bible was translated into Greek language 18:59 known as the Septuagint. 19:01 So Septuagint is Greek translation 19:05 of the Old Testament. 19:07 So in Daniel 2:28 of the Septuagint Version. 19:15 We have the following words, I'd like us to read it. 19:20 "However, there is a God in heaven 19:24 who reveals mysteries,' and now let's pay attention 19:29 "and he has made known" actually the word semeion is used. 19:37 God made known, what does it mean? 19:40 It means that God revealed to the King Nebuchadnezzar 19:44 by means of symbol what will take place in the latter days. 19:52 "This was your dream and the visions in your mind 19:57 while you were on your bed." 20:02 Actually it is the Septuagint Version 20:05 that uses the word semeion to indicate that 20:08 with the King Nebuchadnezzar saw in that dream 20:11 was actually a symbol or symbolic presentation 20:15 by which God wanted to show to the King Nebuchadnezzar 20:19 what will take place in the future. 20:20 I hope now that we have already a sense of feeling 20:24 what the meaning of this word is. 20:26 So I would like to give you a lexical meaning of this word. 20:29 It simply means, to show or to communicate 20:36 something by means of sign or symbol. 20:46 It means to show, to communicate something 20:51 by means of signs or symbols. 20:53 So let us now practice this knowledge here. 20:55 Let's go back to Revelation 1:1. 20:59 Let's go the last clause of verse 1, And He Jesus, 21:03 "He sent and He showed it by His angel, 21:10 by means of symbol to His servant John." 21:14 I don't know if it is good English 21:16 what I expressed it here, but I hope you're able to get 21:19 the meaning of this text. 21:22 As I mentioned that this is probably 21:24 single most important word in the Book of Revelation 21:27 with regard to the interpretation of the book. 21:29 And the text is telling us, this word is telling us 21:32 that when Jesus came and He revealed the content 21:37 of the Book of Revelation to John, what John saw it, 21:42 what was shown to him, it was not something literal, 21:46 it was shown to him by means of symbol. 21:51 Oh, now we have a great discovery now telling us that 21:57 John received his visions in visual 22:03 or figurative presentations. 22:07 Oh, we learned something new but please let us build on this. 22:12 When I usually talk to my students 22:15 and different people about this, 22:18 people will reach different conclusions and say... 22:20 I will never forget I was in one part of the world 22:23 talking about this and then people asked me question 22:26 because somebody else who had heard my presentation 22:29 before was talking to them and telling them, 22:32 you see nothing in the Book of Revelation is real. 22:36 Everything is symbol. 22:38 And in order to explain to those people 22:43 what actually a text says it says, let's take 22:46 for instance New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. 22:49 You see, there is no city. 22:52 It's a simply, simply a symbol of something. 22:56 Symbol of what? 22:58 So I have to intervene and from that time 23:02 it was actually, it happened three, four years ago 23:05 I used New Jerusalem little bit to clarify what is this. 23:09 So it's very important that we keep in mind about this 23:14 what was shown to John by means of symbol is that 23:18 what is in the Book of Revelation? 23:20 What John saw in the vision are real things, 23:24 real events and real systems. 23:28 Are you still with me? 23:30 However it was shown to John in vision by means of symbols. 23:41 Okay, so real things were shown to him by means of a symbol. 23:48 Okay. And... 23:51 I would like little bit to clarify it. 23:54 Since I used already the illustration 23:57 of New Jerusalem, please allow me to take a few minutes 24:02 to talk about this. 24:04 This is my favorite subject and probably 24:06 this is one of the most misunderstood subjects 24:10 of the Book of Revelation. 24:11 When I was a teenager by that time, 24:15 I had read the Bible already several times 24:17 and I had the Book of Revelation 24:19 I did not understand too much. 24:20 And I went to the Book of Revelation, 24:22 there are some things that puzzled me. 24:24 And one thing is that you read that 24:27 they are in chapter 21 that New Jerusalem 24:30 is the city coming from God. 24:33 And the city is surrounded by huge walls. 24:38 Then I asked my parents, they were godly Christians 24:41 and other godly people I asked them, 24:45 why does New Jerusalem need the walls? 24:49 And of course explanation I got, what you know, 24:54 we have to feel safe on the new earth. 24:58 You know, teenagers they ask strange questions, 25:00 they said, saved from what? 25:04 It's the same as I just want to tell you is the same is, 25:07 we read about the tree of life 25:09 and the leaves were the healing of nations. 25:11 Ten different commentators, because 25:14 when we eat those leaves we will not get sick. 25:18 How is that you'll get sick on the new earth? 25:20 There is no sin any longer, there is no tears, 25:22 there is no death here. 25:24 And you see so many times we're struggling 25:26 nor they come to understand the Book of Revelation 25:28 and it's not always easy to understand it. 25:31 We're struggling with regard to the meaning of death. 25:34 Something like really to a little bit 25:36 to the Book of Revelation, to Jerusalem make sure. 25:40 Okay, the city is surrounded by walls. 25:46 Any idea when you go to Revelation Chapter 22, 25:49 how wide are those walls? How wide is the city? 25:54 Of course I know we can now go and give different measures, 25:58 but the best length that we have here 26:02 is about 1,400 miles 26:10 which is in metric system about 2,000 kilometers. 26:15 Boy, that's a huge city, ah. But please can you help me now? 26:25 How deep are the city walls? 26:29 Again 1,400 miles and of course 26:38 we can still say, yeah, it's a huge city. 26:44 But we have another problem here. 26:50 How tall are the walls? 26:53 1,400 miles. 27:04 It doesn't make sense, is because 27:07 if you go to Palestine, you can see the best 27:10 and the safest city in Ancient times 27:13 there were about 20 yards in height. 27:17 That's a same city. But can you imagine 1,400 miles. 27:23 Actually I just want to use one joke. 27:25 When I was in one place number of years ago, 27:28 one lady came to me and she said now I understand 27:31 why New Jerusalem, we cannot see a sun. 27:34 It was just- she was joking, but it was so cute. 27:40 What is the purpose of this? 27:41 By the way let's explain how the city looks like. 27:47 Is that? 27:49 Then we have, I'm sorry it go like this, 27:53 then it go like this, okay, and all this. 27:55 And then, boy I'm not an artist, I'm sorry. 28:00 Okay, how does it work here now? 28:04 It goes this. 28:07 Okay, we see that actually the city is the perfect cube. 28:15 So what is the meaning of that? 28:18 And now it brings us to something 28:20 that is very fascinating. 28:22 John said, "I did not see a temple in the city." 28:27 Why? Because the Lord God is the temple. 28:30 I did not see the temple. 28:33 And I know usually we take this text 28:35 but then we go to Revelation Chapter 7, 28:38 it talks about 144,000 telling us that 144,000 28:43 will serve God in his temple. 28:47 So there is a temple in the new earth. 28:51 And John does not say that 28:53 there is no temple on the new earth. 28:56 He said, I did not see temple in the New Jerusalem, 28:59 why? 29:00 'Cause there is something fascinating in this. 29:03 If you go to the Old Testament, 29:05 the most holy place was a perfect cube. 29:13 So now, why there is no temple in the city? 29:16 Because the New Jerusalem functions as the temple 29:20 of the new earth and the presence of God 29:23 makes it temple. 29:24 Because where God is present we have the sanctuary there, 29:27 we have the temple. 29:28 Okay, can you help me? 29:29 What was located in the most holy place 29:33 of the earthly sanctuary? 29:34 What was inside? 29:36 It was the Ark of the Covenant. 29:37 Remember with that Kapporet there, Mercy Seat. 29:41 What did the Ark of the Covenant symbolized? 29:44 The throne of God. 29:46 Now John said, I saw the throne of God in the city 29:53 and everybody has access to that throne. 29:57 Won't be faith any longer. 29:58 We don't need priest any longer, 30:00 everybody can approach that throne. 30:04 Come into the presence of God because He says 30:07 and we will see His face finally. 30:13 Please I want everybody to understand me. 30:18 I'm not here discussing with the New Jerusalem 30:22 will have walls or not. 30:24 When we get there one day, we will see it. 30:28 But you keep in mind, what John saw on Patmos, 30:32 it was real thing. 30:34 So he saw the real city. 30:37 However how can you describe something as Apostle Paul said, 30:42 what human eyes did not see. 30:46 What we never heard with our ears. 30:48 What cannot come to our mind, 30:51 this is what God prepared to those who loved him. 30:53 How can John, portray the city or better to say 30:58 how could Jesus portray to him a city that is so safe 31:03 because we know in the 1st Century 31:05 during the time of John, 31:07 a safe city it meant the best city 31:10 was surrounded by good walls. 31:13 Without wall its not safe city. 31:17 Nobody would be able- actually would like 31:20 or want to live in that city, 31:22 it means anybody can come and destroy that city. 31:27 So it signify really safety with possibility yeah, 31:30 the New Jerusalem can have the walls. 31:32 But we want to try to find out the meaning of that reality 31:37 that John saw to telling us, 31:39 to telling us that the city will be really the temple of God, 31:44 which is safe and I try always to tell my students 31:47 maybe if Jesus showed to John, New Jerusalem 31:50 today John will say, 31:53 boy I saw angels in police cars patrolling their streets, 31:58 no drug dealers no criminals. 32:00 You see the thing is, it's a safe city, 32:03 it's the place were God will dwell with His people. 32:07 But symbolic meanings drawn from the sanctuary system. 32:13 We have the tree of life and the river there, 32:15 telling us that New Jerusalem will be the rose garden of Eden. 32:20 And also the concept of a safe city from the time of John. 32:24 You see that those elements, 32:26 keep in mind that God always speak 32:29 to the people in the language that people can understand. 32:33 God speaks to us in our language that we know. 32:35 It is only the things that we know, 32:38 that we can understand things that are known, 32:40 but please just one more aspect. 32:42 I'm tempted now to talk too much about New Jerusalem 32:44 and we'll talk about that when we reach Revelation Chapter 22. 32:49 one of special aspect of that message 32:51 given to me is that says, 32:54 an ethno will come to the city from that word ethnic comes 33:00 and the word is translated into English as gentiles or nations. 33:05 We'll come to that city and bring the gifts to God 33:10 and the glory to God. 33:11 When John wrote this, 33:13 it had special meaning for him, yes. 33:16 At the time of John there was the city of Jerusalem 33:21 and that city have several courts. 33:28 The widest area around the temple 33:31 was so called the Court of the Gentiles. 33:36 The Gentiles were allowed only to that court 33:40 because the Jews did not believe 33:42 in the conversion of the Gentiles, 33:43 so they did not care there, but there are many Gentiles, 33:46 they wanted to come to worship the God of Israel. 33:48 So they were allowed only to come into that place 33:51 there was a next court. 33:53 One is the court of women, only women were- 33:57 female were allowed only in that court. 33:59 Then there was next court, the court of Israel 34:04 and the very temple was the priest could come 34:07 and officiate sacrifices at there. 34:09 And John, but he was in Jerusalem, he could watch. 34:13 Because from the Court of the Gentiles to the next court, 34:16 the court of women, 34:18 there at the entrance there was a huge inscription, it said, 34:22 "Any Gentile who passes through this gate 34:27 will be responsible for his own death." 34:30 By the way, if you go to Israel there in the museum, 34:34 you can see that inscription that is found, 34:37 it's there in the museum. 34:38 The Gentiles were not allowed there. 34:40 By the way it was in that Court of the Gentiles 34:43 that the greedy Sadducees invested all kind of business. 34:48 It is from that court that actually Jesus, 34:51 you remember that expelled all those sellers there 34:54 and money exchange etcetera. 34:56 They did everything to prevent Gentiles to worship 35:01 and to give glory to the God of Israel. 35:04 But would do you have now? 35:07 The New Jerusalem that they promise 35:10 that given to the Prophet Isaiah 35:12 at my house will be called 35:15 the house of prayer to all nations, nations Gentiles. 35:20 Finally will be fulfilled. 35:24 You see friends when we read about New Jerusalem, 35:27 we try to speculate is it real city or not. 35:30 The answer is, it is a real city. 35:34 It was shown to John by means of symbols 35:38 that he could understand etcetera. 35:41 But there is much more in that. 35:43 That, that symbolic language is telling us, 35:46 that with that promised city 35:49 that God one day will give His people, 35:51 we'll have all God's promises given to the humanity 35:54 finally to be fulfilled. 35:56 So when we read about that gold and silver. 35:59 When we read about those precious stones, 36:01 its not a really- 36:03 the issue is not about precious stones in God. 36:06 It's about glory of God, that we build in a city 36:09 and I just want to tell you, I cannot wait. Amen. Amen. 36:13 But cross in that city and finally see His face. 36:18 And that desire of human beings 36:20 that is best express in the words of Moses 36:23 "Lord show me your face." 36:27 Finally we will be realized 36:31 and we will all be able to see God's face 36:35 and find ourselves near to the next throne of God. 36:39 That is what message of the Book of Revelation is. 36:44 So now the time, that is left to ask. 36:48 We want to understand little bit 36:50 about that symbolic language. 36:53 So please, we have to ask ourselves one question. 36:56 Who is that, that shows 36:59 that symbolic language of the Book of Revelation? 37:02 Read clearly in verse 1, 37:04 that actually it's Jesus, 37:08 who chose that language to show to John, 37:12 the events that will take place in the future. 37:13 Are you still with me? 37:15 And God always speaks to the people in the language 37:19 that they can understand. 37:21 That's why New Jerusalem is portrayed in such way, 37:24 but not only that, when we move on through the book. 37:29 We see also that so many times 37:31 when John sees something in the vision, 37:34 he tried to describe it, but the words are lacking. 37:39 So he chooses his own symbols to explain it. 37:43 How do we know that, that John 37:45 so many times chooses his symbols? 37:47 You notice for instance in the Revelation Chapter 1. 37:51 When He sees glorified Christ, 37:54 He says, His hair was like. 37:58 His face was like, His eyes were like, 38:03 His garment was like, His feet were like. 38:06 When you use the world like, 38:08 when you say my daughter she sings like a bird. 38:13 Bird is the symbol. 38:16 He's smart like, 38:18 you see so many times John by using the words like 38:21 or ask he adds his own symbols. 38:26 So now we have the Book of Revelation. 38:28 We want to start, we want to interpret it, 38:31 but we want to understand that symbolic language 38:34 because what means the Book of Revelation 38:36 probiotic is that symbolic language. 38:39 So please, I'd like to give you certain principles. 38:44 I hope it will help us in order to understand that and uncode, 38:52 okay, that symbolic languages. 38:56 When we read the Bible in general, okay. 39:01 The books of the Old Testament 39:03 and the books of the New Testament, 39:05 when we have the text in front of our self, 39:07 we approach the text with presupposition 39:13 that what we read there in the text, its literal. 39:18 Are you with me? Yes. 39:22 Some Christians, they don't follow that principle. 39:26 Let me tell you just an illustration. 39:28 They read Genesis Chapter 1. 39:30 God created something the first day, 39:33 something the second day, 39:34 the third day and they try to reconcile 39:36 little bit with the science, 39:38 so suddenly those days are not too literal 39:40 but they're symbolic. 39:42 Some people they have a problem 39:44 with the coming of sin in Genesis Chapter 3, 39:47 said that was not a real serpent with Satan, 39:49 there was something else. 39:52 Many people they have a problem with the Book of Jonah, 39:55 so Jonah never existed. 39:56 Jonah is symbol of something else, 39:58 I'm sorry, I'm conservative Christian. 40:02 Preach the Bible as it is. 40:03 I believe that the Bible is it really the record 40:06 what happened of course 40:08 through the lenses of the biblical author. 40:11 Using his personality, the biblical author portray 40:13 what happens and it really happened. 40:18 When you read it, 40:19 it's literal, it indeed happened. 40:23 But there is always but, 40:26 unless the text indicates clearly 40:30 that the symbolic meaning is intended. 40:34 So many times we read something in the Bible 40:37 and we see that the literal meaning does not fit. 40:43 It's obviously a symbolic meaning. 40:44 For instance you read the Book of Psalms, 40:46 when David said "Many waters they came against me." 40:52 They are not literal waters 40:54 evidently that he refers to his enemies. 40:57 Or when you read in Isaiah Chapter 5 he said, 41:00 "Let me sing a song about my dear one, 41:02 my dear one has a vineyard." 41:05 He put a tower there in the vineyard. 41:07 He put the fence around it 41:10 and later he explains few verses later Isaiah Chapter 5 he said, 41:14 "The vineyard is the house of Israel." 41:18 The tower is the law of God that is put there. 41:21 So, you see, we're dealing with symbolic language. 41:23 So the text must clearly indicate to us, 41:26 that the symbolic meaning is intended. 41:29 Now when we come to the Book of Revelation, 41:33 the principle is completely opposite. 41:37 When you have the text in front of yourself 41:40 from the Book of Revelation, 41:42 you read the Book of Revelation, 41:44 you come with presupposition that these text is symbolic. 41:49 How do you know that? 41:51 Because at the very beginning of the Book of Revelation, 41:54 John makes very clear to what Jesus showed to him 41:57 in the vision were shown by means of symbol. 41:59 Are you still with me? 42:01 Unless, the text indicates clearly 42:07 that the symbolic or figurative, 42:10 sorry that literal meaning is intended. 42:14 Are you with me? 42:16 So when we read when John said, 42:18 by the way we will do it very soon when John said. 42:21 I, John, your brother, I was on Island called Patmos. 42:27 It's obvious that it is literal or when he says. 42:31 When I saw the angels speaking to me, 42:34 I fell down before his feet and he said, don't do it. 42:38 I simply like servant like you, its literal meaning, okay. 42:44 So in order to establish certain principles, 42:49 we want to recognize difficulties 42:53 in the Book of Revelation because to determine, 42:57 what is literal and what is symbolic. 43:00 It's not always clear to us. 43:02 We have already the principle, 43:04 what John sees in the vision. 43:07 What was shown to him 43:08 and what he wrote down in the book it was, 43:11 it was by means of symbol. 43:14 But sometimes there are some difficult things, 43:17 because you see some symbols 43:19 are very clearly explained in the book. 43:21 For instance we already mentioned in chapter 12. 43:26 John talks about the dragon 43:29 beside the pregnant women you remember that. 43:32 In Chapter in verse 7 to verse 9, 43:34 he makes very clear 43:36 that the dragon was the devil of Satan. 43:39 If you go to Revelation Chapter 17 43:43 "John sees a prostitute Babylon sitting on many waters." 43:48 In verse 15 of the same chapter, 43:52 he explains that the water upon which 43:55 the prostitute was sitting 43:56 signifies secular and political powers of this world. 44:00 You see, there're many symbols in the book clearly explain, 44:06 but what is the problem that many symbols are not explained. 44:12 And this is actually that adds difficulty to us 44:17 when we try to understand the Book of Revelation. 44:19 So to determine sometimes, 44:23 what is literal and what is symbolic 44:27 or figurative in the Book of Revelation, 44:31 it's not an easy task for the interpreter. 44:36 And we will come for instance to Revelation 16, 44:42 we have Seven Last Plagues. 44:45 When we read the last three plagues fifth, six and seven 44:50 it's clearly that it is symbolic. 44:54 We have River Euphrates. 44:57 The fifth plague strikes the throne of the beast 45:02 and the seventh plague, 45:03 you have the fall of Babylon is clearly the symbolic language 45:08 and that's what the problem. 45:09 But when we deal with the first plague to fourth, 45:14 striking the sun, the water etcetera is not clear to us. 45:20 And I will show to you strictly on the base of Book of Revelation, 45:23 will be surprise that actually 45:25 its literal, its not symbolic. 45:27 So see in one chapter, 45:30 one more time we're using our best abilities 45:34 and help of the Holy Spirit to understand it, 45:36 the first four seal we interpret as literal, 45:39 the last three as symbolic. 45:42 So you see, it tell us about the difficulty. 45:46 By the way, we will come also to Revelation Chapter 6. 45:50 You know that about the darkening 45:51 of the sun of the moon, and the falling of the star. 45:54 There are today some Christians 45:56 they believe that it's figurative symbolic, 45:58 it's not literal sign. 45:59 By the way I will show to you exactly 46:01 from the book that it is literal, 46:03 you don't need to doubt about that. 46:05 But just few years ago we were struggling, 46:08 we did not know how from the book to show 46:10 if it is literal or symbolic. 46:13 So it's not always easy 46:14 and I like to encourage all of you and our viewers is, 46:17 when we have some symbols of the Book of Revelation 46:21 and the book does not show to us clearly 46:23 whether it is literal and symbolic, 46:25 we can disagree. 46:28 But instead of fighting, 46:30 we should listen to each other, study together, 46:33 but the other people disagree with me, 46:35 they are heretics because of that they disagree with me. 46:38 It means that we have difficulty in the book. 46:41 We have to study, we have to pray together. 46:43 Only when we are united, when we study the text together, 46:46 we can find the answer. 46:49 But disagreeing, we will never able to reach it. 46:52 I just wanted to that you are aware even though 46:55 we have certain guidelines and principles. 47:00 At the beginning of the book, 47:02 John makes very clear what was shown to him. 47:05 It was shown to him by symbol, 47:07 but it's not everything so simple, 47:09 as simple as it looks like. 47:12 So I'd like to encourage you, you know, that we do it. 47:14 So now, how to interpret symbolic language? 47:18 You'll see, it's a symbol, but how to interpret it. 47:23 One of the ways to interpret symbolic language 47:27 is today to take newspapers and to interpret it. 47:33 But what is the problem that John that Revelator, 47:37 when Jesus showed to him those visions, 47:39 he did not have New York Times or Time Magazine etcetera. 47:46 You already have a hint how to do it, so it means 47:50 when Jesus showed to John those visions 47:53 in what language or what kind of symbols 47:57 that Jesus choose to communicate to John, 48:01 the symbols that he understood 2,000 years ago. 48:05 So now people are asking, 48:07 what do scholars, what are you doing 48:09 when you interpret the Book of Revelation, 48:11 research ancient literature? 48:14 From the time of John, in order to understand 48:19 what those symbols meant to John 48:24 and to those Christians at the time when John lived. 48:30 So we have to understand, 48:33 we have to understand that the Book of Revelation 48:39 was originally written 2,000 years ago, 48:43 not in 21st century. 48:45 It was written in the language of the people of that time. 48:51 Another point is, we have also to keep in mind 48:59 is as we interpret that symbolic language, 49:02 that symbolic language was not abstract, 49:07 it was pictorial. 49:09 What does it mean? 49:11 That when that language was chosen, 49:14 it was taken from the history of God's people of the past. 49:20 So when Christians of time of John when they read it, 49:26 when we read today it's not only about the symbol, 49:30 it's about great message that is given to us. 49:32 So the time is left we have few minutes, 49:35 so please allow me because the viewers will say, 49:38 I'm studying the Book of Revelation. 49:39 Yes, I have your commentary, 49:40 my comment is written for the primary purpose, 49:43 not always to give the interpretation 49:45 but to help you in understanding the symbol, okay. 49:51 But you say, I'd like to search it deeper? 49:54 Where can I find the meaning of those symbols? 49:57 In order to provide the answer to that question, 50:00 we ask ourselves a question. 50:01 Where was the symbolic language 50:05 of the Book of Revelation taken from? 50:09 And let me be frank with you, its very simple. 50:14 It was actually almost 100 years ago 50:18 that's our famous scholars, 50:20 they went verse by verse, 50:22 verse by verse, phrase by phrase, 50:26 they went to the Old Testament and they discovered, 50:30 you know, when you put all verses of the Book of Revelation 50:33 when you put them together we have 404 verses. 50:39 That actually today we know 50:40 that more than 300 verses of the Book of Revelation 50:44 300 verse of the Book of Revelation. 50:46 You can praise them directly to the Old Testament. 50:49 See that symbolic language is taken from there, 50:54 why is that so. 50:56 Keep in mind that the Book of Revelation 50:59 is like a parable that Jesus did. 51:03 So when God wanted to inform His people through John. 51:07 That at the time of the end, 51:11 there will be a power that- 51:14 God's people trying to destroy them. 51:16 If you want to use at parabolic story to tell them, 51:20 what would you use. 51:22 You use the language it says, 51:24 that power will be called Babylon. 51:27 Now everything becomes clear, 51:29 because the early Christians in the 1st Century 51:31 knew who Babylon was. 51:33 It was the tool and instrument 51:35 in the hands of Satan responsible for taking 51:38 the people of Israel in Babylon etcetera. 51:42 So what happened in the past, 51:44 finally will happen in the future. 51:45 Let me show to you another illustration. 51:48 Revelation Chapter 12 we mentioned it, 51:50 I'm going back to that. 51:52 John sees a woman 51:53 that is pregnant in pain to deliver a child 51:58 and then there is dragon 52:00 there waiting for the child to be born to be destroyed. 52:03 Let me ask you something. 52:04 Now, you have to help me. 52:06 What suddenly picture comes to your mind, 52:08 woman that is in pain to bear the child and there is a dragon 52:15 that is the enemy trying to destroy the child, 52:17 what come to you Genesis 3:15. 52:21 Then God said to the women, you're in pain bear children 52:26 but I'll make, making enmity between you 52:30 and the Satan he will tramp on your head. 52:34 You see that you have here the fulfillment of that promise. 52:37 Another one, we read in Book of Revelation 52:42 Chapter 15, how 144,000 are standing there at the Sea of 52:48 Glass singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. 52:53 Just they-they have come out of the Seven Last Plagues. 52:56 What suddenly comes to your mind? 52:58 The Egyptian plagues and the people of Israel, 53:02 the Red Sea there, Mary-Miriam actually leading that song, 53:08 the song of Moses singing to God. 53:10 You see that the entire Book of Revelation 53:13 is written like that. 53:14 So if you really want to understand 53:16 the meaning of that symbolic language, 53:18 what is the first step? Go back to the Old Testament. 53:21 You cannot miss it, 53:23 more than 80% of all that symbolic language is taken 53:27 from the Book of Revelation. 53:29 Let me just if you will be with me the word lamb, 53:32 the root of David, sealing of the faithful, 53:34 the Seven Seals, the Trumpets, 53:36 144,000 standing at the Sea of Glass, 53:40 Locusts from the Abyss, the Image of the Beast, 53:43 Sodom and Egypt, Babylon, drying up of Euphrates, 53:48 the Seven Last Plagues, New Jerusalem, 53:51 Gog and Magog etcetera, etcetera, etcetera 53:54 they're all taken from the Old Testament. 53:57 I want just to go quickly here. 54:00 We will see, we will come to the second trumpet. 54:04 It talks about Great Mountain in Revelation 8: 8 to 9 54:10 "Great Mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, 54:14 the third of the sea became blood." 54:17 By the way, if you go to Jeremiah Chapter 51, 54:20 your talking about a Babylon, destroying mountain, 54:24 destroying the earth and that mountain 54:28 will be thrown into the sea and will be destroyed. 54:32 You see then the Book of Revelation 54:34 is not as difficult as it appears. 54:38 That symbolic language is much easier to understand 54:41 when you know what that 54:43 symbolic language was taken from, 54:45 but just briefly to mention. 54:47 We have so many parts of the Book of Revelation. 54:50 We try to understand that symbolic language. 54:52 By the way some of that symbolic language 54:54 was taken from the New Testament. 54:57 John also used the symbols from Asia 55:02 from the time where He lived in the same way 55:04 as we use the symbolic language. 55:06 But much of the symbolic language 55:08 was taken from the Jewish apocalyptic literature. 55:12 You see when the Jewish came out of the Babylonian exile, 55:15 there is a huge stream of literature 55:18 that was written trying to explain to the people 55:21 about those unfulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament. 55:25 Why they did not take place 55:28 and they used the language of the Book of Daniel, 55:30 they had that many other symbols, many books 55:33 so that symbolic language 55:36 was so much in the minds of God's people of Israel 55:40 during the time and early Christians, 55:42 they did not have difficulty 55:44 when they read about the woman, 55:45 when they read about the beast, 55:46 when they read about horn, 55:48 when they read about 1,260 days, 55:51 there was no difficulty to understand it 55:53 because this is the language they used in a synagogue, 55:56 they used in their conversions about the Old Testament, 55:59 about God's unfulfilled prophecies. 56:03 You see friends, how the Book of Revelation 56:07 is given in the real world. 56:11 It speaks, so powerfully, it spoke to the people 56:15 who lived at the time of John 2,000 years ago. 56:20 Keep in mind that the Book of Revelation 56:22 was not written to us today. 56:24 I know what you think. 56:25 It was not written to us today, 56:27 it was return to those Christians 2,000 years ago. 56:31 But it was not written for them only. 56:35 It was written for us as well, 56:38 but originally it was written to them. 56:41 So we need a little bit to be acquainted 56:45 about the way how the Book of Revelation was written. 56:49 We have to be familiar with that symbolic language 56:56 about the sources from which 56:57 that symbolic language was taken from. 57:01 But above all, I'd like to advice you, 57:04 when you take the Book of Revelation 57:07 the first thing go down to your knees, 57:10 close your eyes, and say Lord, I'm doing my best, 57:14 I want to understand the message of the Book of Revelation. 57:17 So please speak to me, give me your Holy Spirit, 57:20 use all those good tools. 57:22 This is the best text book. 57:24 Other tools pray to God 57:26 and the Book of Revelation will speak to you powerfully. |
Revised 2015-03-19