The Key to Understanding Revelation [Eschatology Matters]

0:00Heather Hagger ups says, I've always been pre-trib theology, but lately, not sure. So just started reading Revelation again myself. Awesome. That's really cool. I think everybody should. I think Revelation gets this. People just think about Revelation like it's too hard to understand. When one of the most unique things about the book of Revelation is Jesus is giving it to John so that they may know what must soon take place. The word Revelation actually means in unveiling. He's saying, hey, I'm going to give you this prophecy and it's going to be in unveiling so that you can actually see. One of the most amazing things as you read through Revelation, you'll find many times is that John will be confused about something. He'll be like, oh, I'm an awe, I'm scared and I don't understand. And then the angel will say, why are you in awe? Why are you confused about this? Here is the understanding. And you actually find that with a lot of biblical prophecy that you actually find usually the answer in the same book.

1:05But one of the most unique things about Revelation and this is what I would encourage you as you read through it, Revelation has 404 verses. And out of those 404 verses, they say that there are over 800 references to the Old Testament. What that should tell you is that the way to understand Revelation is actually to understand the Old Testament and the rest of Scripture. So when you come across a prophecy that you don't understand, and I'll give you one example. And I think it's a very clear example. You have a prophecy later in Revelation about this woman who is riding on a beast on seven mountains. It says this woman is dressed in scarlet. This woman is dressed in purple. She has a tiara which says, Babylon the great mother of Harlitz. And she's sitting on this beast, right? Well, when you understand what would the first century audience have understood by this imagery? And you look back, who was dressed in purple and scarlet?

2:07The high priests, who wore a tiara on their head? Well, the high priests were a turban on their head that said, holy unto the Lord. And you start to see that there's a mockery going on there. This idea that this woman, this bride of God, was supposed to be holy unto the Lord, but instead has become Babylon the great mother of Harlitz. And then you start looking at the beast. The beast is on seven mountains. Well, Rome is historically called all across the board, the city on seven hills. And you get this idea that it is Israel, who has gotten in bed with Rome to persecute the church and to kill Christ and his followers. And that's the way that you should kind of start to understand the book of Revelation is that all of this imagery is found elsewhere. You need to look back in order to actually know what it's saying.