Intro A

Download Notes

The Hebraic Book of Revelation – Intro A

Authorship: the author simply designates himself as Yochannon/John. 

It’s clear he was a Hebrew, saturated in the Tanakh?

• I believe it’s John the beloved disciple of Yahusha, the apostle of the master Yahusha Himself, the writer of the Fourth Gospel – external evidence from the first century…
• …like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria  and Justin Martyr all the way up as late as 1945 when ‘the apocryphon of John’ was discovered in Egypt, which cites Rev 1:19 and claims to be written by “John, the brother of James, these who are the sons of Zebedee.” anyway the root to the opposition to apostolic authorship began with Marcion. 

This is a book of prophecy written by a prophet: Rev 21:14 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship יהוה.

Hos 12:1  YHWH’s  has  a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he will pay him back mightily…9 יהוה  thy Elohim ever since the land of Egypt, I will again make you to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

Hos 12:10  I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

יהוה has a problem with apostate Judaism and Christianity, those who do not keep His commandments, He’s going to turn on them…

Yet He’s spoken through the prophet’s Jeremiah and here John the revelator that just as when we were in Egypt, there’s going to come a time again when we will have to dwell in tents – it’s the Exodus from the nations – and יהוה is preparing us through His feasts and festivals. 

Onward: Whilst there are numerous similarities between the Apocalypse and the Fourth Gospel; like…

Rom 16:22:  I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

Paul, a servant of Yahusha Messiah, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of Elohim. 

Yet from 16:22 is was Tertius, a amanuensis/secretary who composed it.

Date: Some argue for an early date of around 70CE but this is extremely unlikely and a later date of the last decade of the First Century is more sound. Domitian would have been emperor in Rome at the time (81-96 CE).

Setting: The Twelve Tribes are scattered abroad (Js.1)

• I. Nero 64 CE 
• II. Domitian 95 CE
• III. Trajan 112 CE
• IV. Marcus Aurelius 177 CE
• V. Septimus Severus – late second century
• VI. Maximus 235 CE
• VII. Decius 250 CE
• VIII. Valerian 257 CE
• IX. Aurelian 303 CE
• X. Diocletian 303 CE

Widespread persecution and then modus vivendi – compromise: settlement, terms, accommodations; deals, and trade-offs and finally  ADOPTION in 325 CE at the Council of Nicea.

Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

2 Pet 2:1 but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers. 

The Book of Revelation Four Views:

• I. the Preter­ist view (Past- Rome was the beast of Rev 13 and the Asian priesthood promoting the worship of Rome was the false prophets)
• II. the Historicist view (a symbolic prophecy of the entire history of the church down to the return of Messiah and the end of the age – the Protestant view)
• III. the Idealist view.  (a symbolic portrayal of the spiritual cosmic conflict between the kingdom of יהוה and the powers of satanic evil.)
• IV. the Futurist view. (a prophecy of future events depicted in symbolic terms which leads up to and accompany the end of the world. 

Preterism is from the Latin, praeteritus, signifying that which has passed.

The fu­turist uses a con­sistently applied Grammatical-Historical-Literal herme­neu­tic for Bible prophecy.

Preterist proof texts:

 Matt. 16:27, 28 – For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Matt. 24:30, 34 – And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The preterits collection of “time texts” in Revelation which lead them to believe that the fulfillment of the Apocalypse had to occur during the first century. 

1) The events “must shortly (táchos) take place.” (1:1).

2) “For the time is near.” (eggús) (1:3).

3) “I am coming to you quickly (tachús).” (2:16).

4) “I am coming quickly (tachús).” (3:11).

5) “The third woe is coming quickly (tachús).” (11:14).

6) “The things which must shortly (táchos) take place.” (22:6).

7) “Behold, I am coming quickly (tachús).” (22:7).

8) “For the time is near.” (eggús) (22:10).

9) “Behold, I am coming quickly (tachús).” (22:12).

10) “Yes, I am coming quickly (tachús).” (22:20).

• Some glaring problems with the historic view, the preterits or partial prederist view.

• 30 quick questions that all have the same answer: NO!

1. Did ten powerful nations subrogate their respective national sovereignties and form a ten-nation world empire (Dan. 7:24)? No.

2. Did a Western political leader rise to power to lead these ten powerful nations (Dan. 7:24; Rev. 17:12)? No.

3. Did men and women throughout the earth make an idol or image of a world political leader to worship (Rev. 13:11-19)? No.

4. Did men and women throughout the earth receive the mark of thebeast on their right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:11-19)? No.

5. Were men and women throughout the earth forbidden to buy or sell goods unless they had the mark of the beast on their right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:11-19)? No.

6. Was one-fourth of the earth’s population killed (Rev. 6:7)? No.

7. Did every mountain and island move out of its place (Rev. 6:12-17)? No.

8. Did men and women throughout the earth hide in caves and mountains out of sheer fright (Rev. 6:12-17)? No.

9. Was another one-third of the earth’s population killed (Rev. 9:15-18)? No.

10. Was a third of the earth burned up (Rev. 8:7)? No.

11. Was a third of the earth’s green grass burned up (Rev. 8:7)? No.

12. Were a third of the earth’s trees burned up (Rev. 8:7)? No.

13. Did a third of the earth’s seas become blood (Rev. 8:8)? No.

14. Did a third of the earth’s sea creatures die (Rev. 8:8)? No.

15. Were a third of the world’s ships destroyed (Rev. 8:8)? No.

16. Did a third of the earth’s rivers and lakes become bitter, causing many men to die from these waters (Rev. 8:10)? No.

17. Was a third of the earth prevented from seeing the sun, moon, and stars (Rev. 8:12)? No.

18. Did two witnesses, having the power to shut up the sky and to smite the earth with every plague, prophesy in Jerusalem for three and a half years (Rev. 11:3)? No.

19. Did the Antichrist double-cross and destroy Apostate Christendom (the “Harlot”) (Rev. 17:15)? No.

20. Did the Antichrist subdue three of his ten heads of state (Rev. 7:24)? No.

21. Was the Antichrist’s Empire judged and destroyed in one hour, causing wailing and lament among the earth’s shipmasters and merchants (Rev. 18:9-20)? No.

22. Did the earth’s oceans turn to blood and every living thing in the seas die (Rev. 16:3)? No.

23. Did the earth’s fresh water supply turn to blood (Rev. 16:4)? No.

24. Did mankind find itself scorched with fierce heat, causing men and women throughout the earth to blaspheme God (Rev. 16:8)? No.

25. Did men and women throughout the Antichrist’s Empire gnaw their tongues and blaspheme God because of intense pain (Rev. 16:10)? No.

26. Did the Euphrates River dry up, enabling the kings and armies of the East to gather in northern Israel (Rev. 16:12-16)? No.

27. Did a world-wide earthquake take place (Rev. 16:18)? No.

28. Did all the cities of the nations fall (Rev. 16:18)? No. 

29. Did the Antichrist’s Empire break into three parts and fall into the ocean, never to be found again (Rev. 16:19; 18:21)? No.

30. Did Yeshua return bodily to the earth to the Mount of Olives (Rev. 19:11-16; Acts 1:11)? No.

Matthew 24:21-22 “for then there will be a great tribula­tion, such as has not occurred since the be­ginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.”