Nor need we fear that these prophecies may go unfulfilled. Unlike the false prophets of both past and present, God’s prophecies are sure:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed… For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:19-21).
If we should
wonder whether these amazing forecasts in Revelation will actually come to
pass, we need only look at the record compiled by earlier biblical prophets who
were moved by the Holy Ghost. That
there have been hundreds of these biblical prophecies literally and
meticulously fulfilled is a fact so well known as hardly to need
docu-mentation. These commonly
were long-range prophecies, scheduled for fulfillment in the distant future,
far beyond the ingenuity of either man or angel to derive by analytical
reasoning or by guessing.
Furthermore, prophecies of this type are unique to the Bible, not found
in the Koran or the Analects or in the writings of other religions or
philosophies. They are not even
found in the writings of modern self-styled prophets such as Nostradamus, Edgar
Cayce or Joseph Smith.
Biblical
prophecies, therefore, are genuine and divinely inspired, sure to be
fulfilled. The Book of Revelation
is the final and definitive assemblage of God’s prophecies of the future,
incorporating and explicating all those other prophecies of both Old and New
Testaments that are yet to be fulfilled.
It is therefore a tremendously important book for every Christian to
study and master. It is a book of
real history – real events with real people – written ahead of time by the One
outside of time. Since every
individual who ever lived or will live is to be a participant in at least some
of these events, and since they are the most profoundly important events since
the resurrection of Christ, it is vital that we understand them and be prepared
for them.
Sadly, however,
the Book of Revelation has been a book of confusion and mystery to most of its
readers, even Christian readers.
The Apocalypse
(“unveiling”) has become Apocrypha (“hidden”). This should not be.
The book was written to show
those things which were coming to pass, not to obscure them in a maze of
symbolism and dark sayings. Great
blessing was promised to all who would read (or even hear) the words of the book of this prophecy (Revelation 1:3), but
how could anyone be blessed by words he could not even understand
It seems
anomalous that so many different exegetes of a book that was written as an
unveiling of the future would publish such an unending variety of differing
interpretations as to leave most seekers after such knowledge altogether
confused. Such was certainly not
the purpose of its original writer John, nor of Jesus Christ who sent it by
John, nor of God who gave it to Christ.
As the Book of
Genesis is the foundation of God’s
written Word, so is the Book of Revelation its capstone. The
whole structure must stand upon its foundation and be displayed in its full
perfection by its headstone. All
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable to men (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) but
these two books are the most essential of all, if one must choose. It is small wonder that the great Enemy
of God’s truth has directed his most intense attacks against Genesis and
Revelation, denying the historicity of the former and the perspicuity of the
latter. With neither creation nor
consummation – neither beginning nor ending – all that we would have is the
existential present, and this unfortunately has become the almost universal
emphasis of modern philosophy and religion.
Men and women
today urgently need to regain a true perspective on God’s creative and
redemptive purposes in the world.
They need a true sense of history and prophecy, of time and eternity, of
meaning and purpose. But, like
Little Bo Peep, they don’t know where to find them.
The Book of
Genesis records the real events of the earth’s primeval ages and Revelation
describes the equally real events of the ages to come. Thus the purpose of the Book of
Revelation is one of proper orientation and firm preparation for those events
yet coming on the earth.
Relation
to the Book of Genesis
The inseparable
relation of the first and last books of the Bible has already been mentioned in
the previous section. In a sense,
this commentary is essentially a sequel to the writer’s commentary on the book
of Genesis. The thrust of both is
to emphasize the scientific accuracy and the genuine historicity and
perspicuity of these two key books of the Bible.
“Genesis” means
“beginnings,” being derived from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew
toledoth (“generations”). “Revelation” is from the Greek apokalupsis and means, literally, an “unveiling” of something
previously concealed. Thus Genesis
is the “Book of the World’s Beginnings,” while Revelation is the “Book of
Unveilings of the World’s Future.”
The great themes of Scripture commonly have their beginnings in Genesis,
then are progressively developed throughout the Bible, and finally come to
their climactic consummations in Revelation.
The first
chapters of Genesis describe a sinless world, made for man and placed under his
dominion. Even though sin and the
curse have intruded for a time, God cannot be defeated in His purpose, and all
that God intended in the beginning will ultimately be accomplished. The earth must be restored to its
original perfection and then continue forever. Sin and curse must be removed and death will be no
more. The first three chapters of
Genesis outline the entrance of sin into God’s perfect creation. The last three chapters of Revelation
outline the purgation of sin from God’s redeemed creation.