Most Important Notes from BIBL 450 {3,868 words}
IX. Lesson 9 - The Book of Daniel (Chapter 10:1-11:45)
A. In Daniel 10:1, Daniel understood the vision in this chapter. It's interpretation came to him in a vision. In Daniel 10:5-6, some people believe that Jesus was the interpreter of this passage, but that view is problematic. The person talking in Daniel 10:9-11 and the person in Daniel 10:5-6 are probably the same, but if so, then that person was held up in Daniel 10:13 by the prince of Persian Kingdom. Could Jesus have been detained by the prince of Persia, or was it simply an angel that Michael came to help? Dr. Whitcomb, the author of the textbook thinks that it is Jesus, but Dr. Borland, the instructor of this class, thinks that it was only an angel and not Jesus. The description of the person matches Jesus in the Book of Revelation, but in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is identified as being who He is. In Revelation 10:1, the individual described is probably not Jesus, again because He is not explicitly identified. The existence of the prince of Persia proves that there are anti-God forces.
B. The vision or prophecy talked about in Daniel 10:1-21 is actually given in Daniel 11:1-45. The person in Daniel 10:20-21 is probably too weak before demonic forces to actually be Jesus.
C. This prophecy is very important. In 536-537BC, Daniel prophesized what would happen to the Maccabees and beyond. They battled Antiochus Ephiphany, who ruled between 175-164BC in the Seleucid Dynasty. In Daniel 11:2, the far richer king is Xerxes. His father had been defeated by Greece, so his son wanted to pick up where he had left off. But in Daniel 11:3-4, Alexander the Great was the mighty king in 333BC, and he defeated Xerxes, too. Then, Alexander the Great died, and his kingdom was spread out to his four generals. Syrian (the kings of the north) and Egyptian (the kings of the south) relations are discussed between Daniel 11:5-20. One of the four generals was Ptolemy in Egypt (there were multiple Ptolemies, and even Cleopatra was a Ptolemy), and another was Antiochus I Ephiphany from Syria. In Daniel 11:6, a daughter of the Ptolemies will marry Antiochus IV Ephiphany (in 245BC). In Daniel 11:1-45, there are more than one hundred specific prophecies about these kingdoms. These events are a matter of history and can easily be verified.
D. In Daniel 11:16, the Beautiful Land is Palestine, and it will be inhabited by the Syrian king from the north (Antiochus III Ephiphany). In Daniel 11:20, he falls but not by anger or battle. Antiochus IV Ephiphany is discussed in Daniel 11:21-35. He should not have even been on the throne. His brother had received the throne first, but he poisoned his brother's son when he died so that he could take over. This is seen in Daniel 11:21. In Daniel 11:30, the Romans cause him to back down, and he takes out his indignation on Israel (the holy covenant). The Jewish priests would not offer sacrifices to Zeus, so he killed them. He was a picture of the coming Antichrist.
E. In Daniel 11:36-45, the discussion is actually about the Antichrist and no longer about Antiochus IV Ephiphany. In Daniel 11:40 (at the time of the end), the kings of the north and the south will come against the Antichrist. The Antichrist will receive a fatal wound, but he will be brought back to life and he will take his anger out on Israel. This battle is talked about in Ezekiel, chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine(:).
X. Lesson 10 - The Book of Daniel (Chapter 12:1-13)
A. Based on Daniel 12:1, this chapter is about tribulation (distress) and resurrections (deliverance). Those whose name is in the Book will be delivered. In Daniel 12:2, there will be a resurrection of the Old Testament saints at the end of the tribulation. In Revelation 20:4, there is a separation of one thousand years between the two resurrections in Daniel 12:2. This also matches Daniel 11:36-45. The book is to be sealed so that it can be preserved, not so that it can be hidden. In Daniel 12:7, the three and a half years is repeated. That time period applies to how long the Antichrist will keep his covenant and also to how long God will protect His people.
B. The Book of Daniel is closely connected to the Book of Revelation.
1. Daniel, chapter 7 is the prophecy of the four beasts. This discussion moved onto the Antichrist, which ties to the Book of Revelation.
2. Daniel, chapter 8 had the ram and the he-goat, the fall of Alexander the Great, and the rise of Antiochus IV Ephiphany.
3. Daniel, chapter 9 had the seventy weeks prophecy. The seventh week has not yet happened, but it is Revelation, chapters four through nineteen.
4. Daniel, chapter 10 has the vision of the glorious angel (probably not Christ).
5. Daniel, chapter 11 has the history of Palestines, from the time of Alexander the Great. Antiochus IV Ephiphany was a type of the Antichrist, which ties to the Book of Revelation.
6. Daniel, chapter 12 is the chapter of distress and deliverance.
XI. Lesson 11 - The Book of Revelation (Introduction)
A. Authorship - In Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:9, and Revelation 22:8, John identified himself as the author (internal evidence). His saying "I, John" rather than identifying himself as an apostle adds credibility to his authorship. The testimony of Justin Martyr (second century), Eusebius (church history), Tertullian (180AD), Iraeneus ((180AD) Polycarp's disciple, who was John's disciple), and Clement of Alexandria (180AD) provide external evidence. The big three are Tertullian, Iraeneus, and Clement of Alexandria. Each of the three wrote many volumes and did much work. They also each lived around 180AD and 200AD.
B. Date of Writing - Some date the writing about 70AD because of some of the internal allusions, and some say that it was a later date and closer to John's death, around 97 or 98AD. Mention of the temple throughout the Revelation may also have placed it before 70AD because the temple was destroyed in 70AD by Emperor Titus. However, the temple mentioned may not have been the same as that one. The later date, written during the reign of Domitian, is supported because the Book of Revelation seems to be a capstone of the whole Bible. Some church fathers say that he wrote it while in exile in Patmos.
C. Canonicity - The Book was accepted into the canon. The words "logos" and "lamb" are only applied to Jesus in John's writings (for logos, see John 1:1 and I John 1:1). The Book was in the antilegomena, but all the churches came to accept it. Everyone that knew about John could see his style in the writing. The book was described as apocalyptic or vision writing. John used the word "true" frequently in his gospel (9 times), epistle (4 times), and the Revelation (10 times). He used the word "overcomer" in his writings, too. Those words do not often appear in the other books.
D. Apocalyptic literature is vision literature (Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and others), and it is eschatalogical (it talks about last events). It is dualistic with two opposing powers (God and the devil) and two distinct ages (the one present and the one to come). Events are divinely pre-ordained (determined). Vision is used to make the story move forward. Symbolism and symbolic language are also used. Sometimes, though not here, the author is not known with apocalyptic literature. Much of this kind of literature is anonymous or with a false name. Therefore, it is noteworthy that John did identify himself. He says why he is writing the Book, and that helps in the dating of the writing. He lists the seven churches, and he gives information for dating the writing. Much such literature does not provide so much detailed information. The Apocrypha is in the Roman Catholic canon during the sixteenth century. It was not accepted by the Jews, but some of the books were apocalyptic in nature.
E. The Book of Revelation has a lot of symbolism, and symbolism can convey the message sometimes in a cryptic fashion. Numbers in the Book of Revelation are also important. The number twelve appears frequently because it represents Jacob's sons. The number seven is used a lot (the churches, the seals, the trumpets, and the vials). The timing in years, months, and days show the duration of the Tribulation, and those periods correspond to the Jewish calendar (not the church). Elements of the tabernacle (altars, offerings, and incense), geography (Sodom, Babylon, Egypt, and Jerusalem), and Old Testament characters (Jezebel and Balaam) are included. John used the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel more than any other Old Testament author. Much of Revelation is based on the Old Testament. Two hundred and seventy-eight (278) verses of the four hundred and four (404) verses point to the Old Testament. The Penteteuch was used fifty-seven (57) times. The Historical Books were used eleven (11) times. The Poetic Books were used forty-five (45) times. The Major Prophets were used one hundred and twenty-seven (127) times, and the Minor Prophets were used thirty-eight (38) time. Symbols are used for the following reasons.
1. Ornamentation - picture something from the Old Testament.
2. Corroboration to back up something with the Old Testament.
3. Integration to bring old into the new.
4. Unification to tie things together between the testaments. Genesis and Revelation are the only books that talk about the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life will be in heaven (Revelation 22:2).
5. Interpretation - symbols are used for this.
F. The book talks about theology proper, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of angels (more in Revelation than anywhere else in the Bible), the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the church, and the doctrine of last things (eschatology).
XII. Lesson 12 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 1:1-20)
A. Part 1 of the book is Revelation 1. Part 2 is Revelation chapters 2 and 3 as the church age. Part 3 is chapters 4 through 22.
B. Revelation 1:1-3 is the Prologue. In Revelation 1:1, the revelation of Jesus, the Christ, is like an unveiling. It comes from the Greek word for apocalypse. He is doing the unveiling, and He is also the object or subject of the unveiling. He who reads is singular because there was only one copy per church. The blessing in Revelation 1:3 comes from reading, hearing, understanding, and keeping. Not all of this book can be easily understood, but much of it can be.
C. Revelation 1:4-8 is the Salutation. The seven spirits is probably a symbol for the perfection of God. The "who is and who was" is probably the Father. Jesus was also there, so the full Trinity was there. Jesus was the first Person raised from the dead. All of the others died again, so they were not raised literally from the dead forever. Jesus rose from the dead and never went back to death. He was the firstfruits, and that meant that the rest of the harvest would also come in like Him. We will share His throne and rule and reign with Him forever. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega (a reference to eternity), the beginning and the end.
D. Revelation 1:9-18 shows the vision of Jesus. In Revelation 1:11, the seven churches were in a row, but Colosse was not named. Jesus told John to speak to some specific churches and, by default, not to speak to others. John saw a lampstand rather than a candlestick. The candlestick holds the candle, but the lampstand emanates out to the individual lights. Jesus wore gold because it spoke of His deity. In Revelation 1:14, the description of his hair was for maturity and great wisdom (not age). His eyes were piercing and able to see the truth. The brass feet probably spoke of judgment, like the brass serpent on the pole with Moses. The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20), and Jesus was standing in the midst of the seven churches. He was looking at them with wisdom, with piercing eyes, and with feet of judgment. The stars probably symbolize angels, not preachers, and they were probably guarding over the church. In Revelation 1:17-18, John fell at Jesus' feet. When people see Jesus in heaven, they will fall prostrate just like John did. James and Jude were Jesus' brothers, but in their Bible Books, they described themselves as humble servants, not exalted brothers. Jesus is in charge of death and Hades, not the devil. The devil has never been to Hades.
E. Revelation 1:19-20 is the Epilogue. John is to write what he has seen and things which currently are ---- in the churches. Then, he is to write about what comes after the churches.
XIII. Lesson 13 - The Book of Revelation (More Introduction)
A. Four different viewpoints - there are more than four viewpoints, but the most important ones are listed below.
1. The futuristic viewpoint says that all of the Book of Revelation is in the future.
2. The non-literal (preterist which means "past") viewpoint says that all of the Book is past and that John was simply telling the story.
3. The historical (non-literal) viewpoint says that all of church history is taught in the Book of Revelation. This is considered non-literal because of some of the different judgments that are discussed that have been spiritualized to try to make them fit the events of history.
4. The allegorical viewpoint (symbolic and also non-literal) is just generally saying that there is a battle between good and evil and that God will eventually wins.
B. The views about the Millennium
1. Premillennial - the rapture will occur (pretribulation), then the tribulation, then Jesus returns, and then the millennium. This viewpoint is literal and futuristic. This viewpoint keeps Israel and the church separate. Literally, God dealt differently with Israel and the church, so the distinction needs to be maintained. A dispensationalist would say that God has not finished working with Israel yet.
2. Postmillennial - the millennium has been occurring on earth since Christ went away because things are getting better and better. This viewpoint is also non-literal.
3. Amillennial - the millennium is purely spiritual, and there will not be a literal earthly kingdom. The entire church age has been discussed in the Book of Revelation, and Jesus is ruling from heaven. This viewpoint comes under the allegorical. With this viewpoint, the promises to Israel in the Old Testament are passed onto the church. The emphasis is on the horizontal in that it sees all the people of God as moving in the same direction, and it blurs the separation between Israel and the church. In covenant theology, God has made a covenant with mankind, not with Israel and the church.
C. The tribulational viewpoints.
1. The pre-tribulation - first, in Revelation 3:10 and I Thessalonians 5:9, the church is kept from the wrath to come. Wrath could be eternal doom, but it can also mean the tribulation. Second, the imminence of the rapture supports this viewpoint because no one knows when Jesus will return. If the tribulation occurs and the church is still here, then the time of His return will be within seven years. In Matthew 25:1-13, the ten virgins would not be the church. The Jewish people are to be ready, too. Third, in Matthew 25:31-41, the separation of the sheep and the goats supports a pre-tribulation viewpoint.
2. The mid-tribulation - this view tries to correlate the trumpet in I Corinthians 15:52 with the trumpet judgments in the Book of Revelation. But another possibility is that the trumpet is symbolic of the trumpet in the Old Testament that told Israel to move camp.
3. The post-tribulation - this view says that the rapture is too easy and that the church must be purified by the tribulation.
D. The tribulation is separated into two three-and-a-half year periods.
XIV. Lesson 14 - The Book of Revelation (Chapters 2:1-3:22 )
A. These two chapters contain letters to the seven churches in Asia (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea). The letters have local church application, personal application to the individuals of those churches, an application for modern-day Christians, and an application for modern-day churches. Each letter also contained seven similar components (all start with A's): (1) The assembly is listed, (2) The author, Jesus, is described, (3) The author's approval is given, (4) His accusation is given but not in Philadelphia. (5) Each has an appeal to do the right thing, (6) The alarm - what will happen if they do not obey, and (7) Each describes a award.
B. To the church at Ephesus: Jesus holds the seven stars (the angels of the churches, and they may be literal angels).
1. Assembly - Ephesus (Oliver Greene Commentary (pages 58-59) - the church at the end of the Apostolic Age)).
2. Author's description - Jesus walks in the midst of the seven candlesticks.
3. Author's approval - He knew that they were a hard-working church. Jesus approved of their works.
4. Jesus' accusation - The accusation is that they had "left" (not lost) their first love. The first love is for Jesus, Himself, not just church work. Those that have not left their first love will want to read the Bible and be soul winners.
5. Jesus' appeal - The appeal was for them to repent and do their first works.
6. Jesus' alarm - The alarm is that they will be removed. History shows that any repentance by this church was only short-lived. There are very few Christians in Turkey today, and there is not a Christian church in Ephesus today.
7. Jesus' award - The award is to have access to the Tree of Life. Revelation 22:1-2 shows that the Tree of Life is now in heaven. It is real, and it has real fruit. It is symbolic of a person's life with God. Adam and Eve were prohibited from partaking from that tree because they no longer had that life with God, until they got to heaven.
C. To the church at Smyrna.
1. Assembly - Smyrna (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 71) - the church around 316AD).
2. Author's description - Jesus is the First and the Last.
3. Author's approval - They had spiritual riches in Christ. He approved of many things.
4. Jesus' accusation - He did not make any accusations because they were already going through persecution, and they would go through more. Persecution made them stronger.
5. Jesus' appeal - The appeal was for them to be faithful unto death.
6. Jesus' alarm - They did not get an alarm because they were already doing what they should be doing.
7. Jesus' award - The crowns are probably not literal (compare to I Thessalonians 2:19 and note that "you" are the crown of rejoicing). The crowns will be symbolically cast at the feet of Jesus.
D. To the church at Pergamos: The letters are listed in the order that a messenger would have carried them to the churches.
1. Assembly - Pergamos (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 80) - the church around 316AD).
2. Author's description - Jesus had a sharp, two-edged sword.
3. Author's approval - Satan dwelled among them, but they have not denied the faith.
4. Jesus' accusation - They had people in their midst that were like Balaam. The Nicolaitans came from the Greek words that meant to "lord over and conquer the people." Who they were is not exactly known.
5. Jesus' appeal - The appeal is to repent, to turn around and go the other way.
6. Jesus' alarm - The alarm is that Jesus will come quickly and fight against the bad ones with the sword of His mouth.
7. Jesus' award - The overcomers are those that are born of God and believe that Jesus is the Son of God (I John 5:3-5). The overcomers are the true believers. They will be given the hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it.
E. To the church at Thyatira.
1. Assembly - Thyatira (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 92) - the church from 500-1500AD).
2. Author's description - Jesus' eyes were blazing and His feet were burnished bronze.
3. Author's approval - Jesus knew their works, their love, their faith, and their perseverence. They were doing better in the end than in the beginning.
4. Jesus' accusation - They allowed Jezebel to pollute them. Jezebel may have just been a type of all sorts of evil based on the original Jezebel. Whatever it was may or may not have actually been a woman.
5. Jesus' appeal - The appeal is to hold fast.
6. Jesus' alarm - The church will suffer for their immoral behavior. Their children of immorality will be destroyed.
7. Jesus' award - The overcomers will have authority over the nations. Jesus will give them the Morning Star.
F. To the church at Sardis.
1. Assembly - Sardis (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 108) - the church during the Protestant Reformation).
2. Author's description - He had the seven Spirits and the seven stars.
3. Author's approval - He knows their deeds. They have been better than they are now. They can still survive.
4. Jesus' accusation - Their name suggested life, but Jesus said that they had a dead orthodoxy. Their deeds are not complete.
5. Jesus' appeal - He tells them to hold fast and repent.
6. Jesus' alarm - He was not saying that He would blot a Christian out of the Book of Life. An overcomer is someone that believes that Jesus is born of God and the Son of God (I John 5:3-5). Those who do not overcome were never true believers in the first place. Thus, Jesus will not blot out the name of true believers.
7. Jesus' award - Those that have not stumbled will walk with the Lord in white, and He will confess them to His Father in heaven.
G. To the church at Philadelphia.
1. Assembly - Philadelphia (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 121) - the church from 1750AD until the end of World War II).
2. Author's description - He has the keys of David. He is holy and true.
3. Author's approval - They have not denied His name, and they have kept His Word.
4. Jesus' accusation - They were weak. Other than that, there is not an accusation.
5. Jesus' appeal - They were to hold fast so to not lose their crown.
6. Jesus' alarm - The alarm is for them to hold fast so that they will not lose their crowns (I Corinthians 9:25 (incorruptible), I Thessalonians 2:19 (rejoicing), II Timothy 4:8 (righteousness), James 1:12 (life), and I Peter 5:4 (glory)).
7. Jesus' award - They will be kept from the hour of trial. If Philadelphia holds fast, then they will become a pillar in the temple of God. Pillars are important because they hold things up.
H. To the church at Laodicea: , and then,
1. Assembly - Laodicea (Oliver Greene Commentary (page 132) - the church during the final state of apostasy).
2. Author's description - He is a faithful and true witness and the ruler of creation. Jesus began the creative process (John 1:3).
3. Author's approval - He knew their works, but He was not too pleased.
4. Jesus' accusation - Jesus was not satisfied with their lukewarm condition. He tells them their weaknesses even though they do not think they are guilty (Revelation 3:17)
5. Jesus' appeal - He encourages them to be earnest and to repent.
6. Jesus' alarm - He will rebuke and discipline those that He loves.
7. Jesus' award - The award is that He will fellowship with those that come to Him.
XV. Lesson 15 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 4:1-11)
A. Revelation 4:1 indicates that the events through the end of the Book are future. The trumpet is a mighty instrument, and it is intended to get people's attentions. That voice, or trumpet, called John up into heaven. The "after this" probably refers to after the Lord has called the church out of the earth. In John 4:24, God is a Spirit. He does not have a corporeal existence. John is in a vision, and he is NOT seeing physical reality. The someone on the throne was not physical reality. The rainbow was probably a symbol relating back to Genesis 9:13, and it means that the judgment is completed for those that are in heaven, which would be the children of God after the Rapture. In Revelation 4:4, the crowns of gold probably indicate that they have received their rewards. Revelation 4:5 pictures the burning, consuming Spirit of God.
B. The creatures were like a lion, ox, the face of a man, and a flying eagle. In Ezekiel 1:4-28, Ezekiel saw the same four living creatures, too. These creatures were around the throne of God. In the four gospels, there are four different aspects of Jesus. That could mean the same thing here as follows. Matthew (lion of Judah), Mark (ox - Son of man, servant), Luke (man - geneaology all the way back to the first man), and John (eagle - majesty as in being the Son of God). This is theory, however. It may or may not be true. They could also relate to creation. The lion is the animal deep in the jungle, the ox is the domesticated animal, the eagle represents the birds, and man represents himself. Whoever they are, they are worshipping God. Being covered with eyes pictures intelligence.
C. "Holy,holy, holy" means absolutely holy. God is holy all the time, and He is all-powerful. The four creatures give God glory, honor, and thanks. Glory equates to light. We give glory to God by living in the light, by living a life that manifests itself in His holiness. God will receive worship from His own forever and ever. We will earn crowns by doing the work that He has given us to do with the gifts and abilities that He has given us. Then, when we get to heaven, we will lay them at His feet in worship.
XVI. Lesson 16 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 5:1-14)
A. An outline of the Book of Revelation (based on Revelation 1:19): the things that are are in Revelation, chapters two and three, and the things that are after are from chapter four on. There are several other outlines that could be used, too.
B. In Revelation 5:1, the scroll would have been round and long with seven seals on it. Normally, only one seal would be needed, but in this case, each seal would have to be broken to get into the scroll. Each broken seal would cause something bad to open, and after the seventh seal was broken, the scroll can be opened and seen. John is still in Patmos having this vision. He is seeing God the Father in symbolic form. No one in his vision could break the seals and open the scroll. In Revelation 5:5, the Lion of Judah is Jesus. The slain part in Revelation 5:6 is not real, but it is a symbol of Jesus. John's vision might show some of the same type of symbols as in a dream.
C. In Genesis 4:4, the lamb was given by an individual . In Exodus 12:3, the lamb was given for each family and for each household. In Leviticus 16:7-10, two goats are given for all the people. It is a symbol of Jesus being killed and the second goat is a picture of the sins going away. In John 1:29, Jesus is called the Lamb of God. The seven horns in Revelation 5:6 represent His awesome power, and the seven eyes (also spirits) represent His wisdom and intelligence.
D. In Revelation 5:8-10, John saw people that had been redeemed and that had received their rewards (Revelation 4:4). This is one more indication of a post-rapture environment. Note that the incense represents the prayers of the saints. In the Old Testament, they had a similar offering that symbolically carried incense to the Lord. The symbolism was probably the prayers of the saints in both testaments. In Revelation 5:9, His blood was important. It would not have been good enough for Him to have been strangled to death. Christians will share His authority as they reign on the earth.
E. In Revelation 5:11-14, the theme was worship, and there will be thousands and thousands of post-rapture Christians worshipping the Lord. He is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise. A four-fold doxology is given: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Tom of Bethany "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
BIBL 450 - Daniel and Revelation (Lessons 17-24)
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