BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE NT: 2 THESSALONIANS.
LET'S STUDY REVELATION
Thought for Today
Bible Study
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It is generally agreed that Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written some time [a matter of months] after the first letter and while he was still in Corinth. It was certainly written before he revisited Thessalonica on his third missionary Journey [see Acts 13:23 - 21:16, especially 20:1-3).
The second letter was written to encourage and correct the Christians in Thessalonica The persecution mentioned in the first letter had continued. But the Christians had persevered - and their faith and love had developed. However, some at least had misunderstood his teaching about the Lord's Return, even saying that Paul said the day of the Lord had already come [2:2]. This misunderstanding, it would seem, had led some to- give up their work and do nothing, no doubt thinking: “Why bother working if the Lord is coming shortly.” This attitude in turn had led to unsatisfactory conduct among the Christians.
In writing to them the Apostle reminds them that their enemies and persecutors will be dealt with when the Lord comes. "They will be punished with everlasting destruction…. Verse 9. He tells them in chapter two that The Apostasy and the revelation of the Man of Sin [or Lawlessness] will come before the coming of the Lord. This Lawless one, he says, "the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath, of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming.” [Verse 8). And finally, he asks for their prayers (3:9-2) and warns those who are idle to get on with their work [vv 6-15].
Of particular interest in this Epistle is the section on the “Man of Sin” [2:1-12]. The question immediately arises: Who is it?
The Westminster Confession of Faith has this statement:
- There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ.(n) Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof: but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God. [Chapter 25; Section 6]
But again we have to ask: What does this mean? Does it mean that each Pope is the Antichrist and Man of Sin? Or does it refer to the Papacy itself? Or does it merely say that it is from the Papacy that this Man of Sin will come? Or does it mean that the Pope is an example of the Man of Sin?
In the passage here the Man of Sin is represented as a definite person who will live on earth at the close of history and who will be utterly discomfited by the Lord at his return.
REVELATION: Apocalypse Now and Then
“To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands towards your Most Holy Place.” Psalm 28:1-2.
Let’s Study Revelation, by Derek Thomas, Banner of Truth Trust, 2003, ($27.95).
Readable, and believable, commentaries on the Book of Revelation are not easy to find. This book of just 200 pages is a great help to those seeking to understand this otherwise difficult-to-understand book of the Bible. As we might expect from this ‘Let’s Study’series by Banner of Truth, and from this scholar, this book gives an evangelical and reformed analysis of the Book of Revelation. This does not mean that the book is without its weaknesses.
The introduction to this commentary is brief compared to most, but gives the basics for understanding the book, and Thomas’s approach to the book of Revelation. He mentions the four classical methods of interpretation, albeit in a very brief format. Thomas states which view he adopts and also his view on the millennium. He emphasises the need to understand the structure of Revelation and proposes an outline of seven divisions- which he confuses by calling visions. If visions start with ‘I saw’ then there are many more than seven. What determines a separate vision is unclear.
The divisions of the book are broadly in line with those proposed by other reformed scholars, although Thomas is not always consistent. In the introduction chapters 12-14 are called a division, but in the body of the book this division extends to 15:4. Again he includes chapter 20 in the final section but then in the body of the book this seems to be included in the division 17-20, and rightly so (p160).
These divisions Thomas stresses are not chronological by rather parallel or recapitulating. Moreover, the numbers are to be understood symbolically not literally. Failure to appreciate these aspects of Revelation leads to confusion. Thomas seeks to correct some of the popular interpretations, namely ‘preterist’ and ‘futurist’ (incl. ‘dispensationalist’). We are living now in the millennium or last days, the time from the first to the second coming of Christ (although in one place Thomas points to a time from AD70 to the Christ’s return- p93). The victory in the war between Christ and Satan referred to in Revelation was won by Christ in the Cross.
The OT background to Revelation is continually emphasised by Thomas. This is how the first readers would have interpreted this book and we must do the same. He comments on why the 16th century Reformers identified the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the papacy, as the antichrist (see Westminster Confession of Faith), but suggests it would be best to interpret Revelation 13 in a more general way.
This book is easy to read, and to the point. However, as a commentary it is not easy to traverse. It would have been good if chapter headings, or any headings, included the Bible reference rather than having this hidden at the end of the included Biblical text.
This book is an excellent commentary for students of this daunting, and often misinterpreted, book of Revelation. In addition to personal study, notes included at the end make this a useful book for group study.
Revelation, Apocalypse now and then, by Paul Barnett, Aquila Press, Sydney 1989, ($19.95 at Koorong).
The book of Revelation is daunting to most but this small commentary (157pages) is an excellent introduction and commentary. Paul Barnett, a retired Anglican bishop, is a NT scholar and his scholarship emerges in this book. He provides the reader with interesting historical information regarding the seven churches to which John sent this letter. He agrees that the author is the apostle John.
Revelation is ‘one of the most neglected books of the NT’ according to Barnett. He is probably right, although there have been a number of good commentaries published in recent years, including his, which have given confidence to students and preachers. Of course Revelation is far from neglected by certain groups within the church, and on the fringe. ‘It becomes a preoccupation and obsession for these people’. I had one such person who was always telling me about the prophecy of the red heifer and the restoration of temple worship!
Barnett confronts the problems of interpretation head on. The first few chapters deal with the genre (‘what kind of book?’), the symbolism (the ‘code’), and the layout. He affirms most strongly that Christ and the gospel are at the centre of Revelation. The focus, he says, is upon what Christ has done in his death, resurrection and ascension, rather than the future battle of Armageddon.
The layout he proposes involves parallelism, with four sets of seven running in parallel- seals, trumpets, signs and plagues. With the exception of the signs, the rest are clear in the text of Revelation. Barnett labels these parallels ‘tyranny’, ‘chaos’, ‘persecution’ and ‘destruction’ respectively. His extensive knowledge of the NT emerges in his exegesis of chapters two and three. The problems faced by the churches in Asia were ‘Jewish hostility, Caesar worship and heretical infiltration’.
As with most commentaries he deals with the different interpretations of this book viz, preterist, futurist, and historical. He finds something positive in each of these but agrees with none. He calls his interpretation ‘prophetic-apocalyptic’, while emphasising the need to account for how the first readers understood the text and the genre of literature.
On the millennium, Barnett points out that only once in the Bible (Rev 20:1-6) is ‘one thousand years’ mentioned, yet it has been a highly divisive issue. In stressing the symbolism of this book Barnett sees the millennium as ‘beginning with the first resurrection (20:5), and ending with the second death (20:6)’, and concludes that this is from Christ’s resurrection until hell or the lake of fire.
Barnett does not deal with the OT background to Revelation to the extent found in other commentaries, even brief ones. In fact his emphasis on the historical situation of the first readers almost leads him to a preterist interpretation at times. That worship in Revelation is in a ‘two- beat rhythm’ seems to impress Barnett for some reason. Still, this is a concise, easy-to-read introduction and commentary to the Book of Revelation. An appendix listing numbers and their symbolical meaning is most helpful.
-Dennis Muldoon