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In my view, the book of Revelation is to be interpreted more as poetry than prose. I believe that there are four-millennial stanzas that run through the book. These stanzas cover the four millennia of Israel from 1970 B.C. to 2030 A.D. If you want to read further on my arguments for this, Google "The Hermeneutical Key to the Book of Revelation." Note that in this clear segment of the book there are 12 stanzas--an appropriate number.
I intend to comment on the book chapter by chapter, beginning with chapter 4, since the first 3 chapters are more familiar and somewhat easier to interpret. I intend to return to the first three chapters at the end. I will be using the Mounce Reverse-Interlinear English translation, which I have found to be a very helpful study New Testament. For clarity, I will write the text in capital letters.
AFTER THIS
God can use two words to cover a whole millennium. These two cover Israel's first millennium, 1970 to 970 B.C.
I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, A DOOR STANDING OPEN IN HEAVEN!
This covers Israel's second millennium, 970 B.C. to 30 A.D., the year of Jesus' crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension. The apostle John saw Jesus, the door (John 10:7-9), standing open in Israel. Heaven is a figure for Israel. For more on this, see the reference in the first paragraph or, for example, see Daniel 8:9-14, where the Jewish Antichrist will trample some Jews in Israel, some of the host of heaven and some of the stars.
AND THE FIRST VOICE, WHICH I HAD HEARD SPEAKING TO ME
This covers Israel's third millennium, 30 to 1030 A.D. It refers to when the apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos and heard Jesus speaking to him.
LIKE A TRUMPET, SAID, "COME UP HERE,
This covers Israel's fourth millennium, 1030 to 2030 A.D. It refers to the trumpet at the resurrection and rapture--see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, which will occur in 2023, seven years before the Second Coming.
AND
This is a standard word to cover Israel's first millennium.
I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT MUST TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS."
Think of Jesus telling His disciples about the future.
IMMEDIATELY I WAS IN THE SPIRIT,
Think of John and the other believers receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
AND BEHOLD, A THRONE WAS STANDING IN HEAVEN AND ONE SITTING ON THE THRONE!
In 2030, a throne will stand in Israel and Jesus will be sitting on it.
AND
This is Israel's first millennium.
THE ONE SITTING THERE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A PRECIOUS GEM--JASPER OR CARNELIAN--
Jesus in reality sat on the throne through His crucifixion. Anything to do with the earth, such as a gem, is a figure for Israel, Jews or a Jew. See the reference in the first paragraph. This flows from the prophetic meaning of the earth (Israel) rising from the seas (the other nations, the Gentiles) in the third day (millennium) of Genesis 1. Jesus was a Jew and He sat with His Father on His throne, thus the reference to jasper and (a better translation) carnelian.
AND A RAINBOW ENCIRCLED THE THRONE,
All water figures such as seas, rivers, waters refer to Gentiles. As I wrote above, this flows from day three of Genesis 1. It is also explicitly stated in Revelation 17:15. A rainbow is made up of water droplets in the heavens, refracting sunlight into its multi-colored spectrum. What a wonderful figure for saved Gentiles from the fifth millennium around the throne of God.
IN APPEARANCE LIKE AN EMERALD.
Again, any earth figures such as gems, refer to Jews. This is a figure of saved Jews at the very end of the sixth millennium.
[AND]
The Greek word is in the text. Mounce just leaves it out of his translation. Again, it refers to the third millennium, Israel's first.
AROUND THE THRONE WERE TWENTY-FOUR
Mounce mistranslates twenty as twenty-four to make it jive with the twenty-four elders in the next clause. I guess he believes it to be a textual error. On the contrary, twenty is a multiple of two and so is a fitting figure for the 12 elders, the 12 apostles, of Israel's second millennium, just as all the forties in the Bible are figures for Israel's four millennia.
THRONES,
This speaks of more Christians coming to reign with Christ in the fifth millennium.
AND SEATED ON THOSE THRONES WERE TWENTY-FOUR
These 24 are a figure for all the saved up until the resurrection and rapture, built on the foundation of the 12 heads of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. Though Matthew 19:28 only mentions the 12 thrones of the 12 apostles, Revelation 3:21 suggests all believers will reign with Christ. Note that this pictures a time after the resurrection and rapture, when the saved will be sitting, having immortal bodies.
ELDERS,
These elders refer to the 12 heads of the 12 tribes of Israel, a figure for all the saved of Israel's first millennium.
CLOTHED IN WHITE GARMENTS,
They were figuratively clothed in white garments through Jesus' crucifixion.
AND
This conjunction covers the fifth millennium.
UPON THEIR HEADS WERE CROWNS OF GOLD.
The crowns of gold refer to the saved Jews of the last seven-year tribulation period.
[AND]
This is in the Greek text. There is no need to comment again.
OUT FROM THE THRONE
This refers to Christ's throne, established at the crucifixion.
CAME FLASHES OF LIGHTNING, RUMBLINGS, AND PEALS OF THUNDER.
I believe that this refers to Israel's third millennium as being a time of storm and judgment. Israel and Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D., exactly 40 years after the crucifixion, just as she will fall after 40 centuries. The early Christian Church also experienced a time of storm and persecution. As well, a rainstorm figure for Gentiles is appropriate.
SEVEN TORCHES OF FIRE, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD, WERE BURNING BEFORE THE THRONE,
Seven is a number for completeness in the Bible and these of course are the seven churches of chapters 2 and 3. They are a figure for all the saved of the six millennia, filled with the Spirit of God before Christ's throne.
AND
There is no need to comment.
BEFORE THE THRONE
This again refers to the throne of Christ, established by His crucifixion.
THERE WAS AS IT WERE A SEA
Again, this is a water figure for the saved Gentiles of the fifth millennium.
OF GLASS, LIKE CRYSTAL
This refers to the saved Jews at the very end of the sixth millennium.
AND
Comment has been made.
AROUND THE THRONE,
Again, this refers to the throne of Christ, established by His crucifixion.
CLOSE BY THE THRONE,
This refers to the reign of Christ continuing into the fifth millennium.
WERE FOUR LIVING CREATURES FULL OF EYES IN FRONT AND IN BACK.
This is a figure for all redeemed true Israel--note the number 4--both Jews and Gentiles, grafted into the Jewish tree. The eyes are a figure for the indwelling Holy Spirit--see Revelation 5:6.
THE FIRST LIVING CREATURE WAS LIKE A LION,
This is the saved believers, nearly all Jews, from Israel's wild first millennium.
THE SECOND LIVING CREATURE LIKE AN OX,
This is the saved believers, nearly all Jews, from Israel's more civilized second millennium, tamed by Christ at the very end.
THE THIRD LIVING CREATURE HAD A FACE LIKE A MAN'S,
Of course, these are saved believers, nearly all Gentiles, from Israel's third millennium. They were no longer wild animals but were men, like Christ.
AND THE FOURTH LIVING CREATURE WAS LIKE A FLYING EAGLE. AND THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES, EACH OF THEM WITH SIX WINGS, WERE FULL OF EYES AROUND AND WITHIN.
A creature of the heavens, such as a bird, is a figure for Jews. Of course, Gentiles of Israel's fourth millennium have been grafted in and will fly in the resurrection and rapture, before God saves more Jews. The six wings refer to this flight at the end of the sixth millennium and the eyes to the Holy Spirit.
AND
Comment has been made
DAY
This refers to Israel's second millennium, at the very end of which the sun, Jesus, will rise--see Malachi 4:2--at the crucifixion and resurrection.
OR NIGHT
This refers to Israel's third millennium, during which the sun, Jesus, was gone, but the moon, the lesser light, the Holy Spirit (prophetic sense of Genesis 1:16) shone in the night. See also John 9:4.
THEY NEVER REST,
I believe that this refers to Israel's fourth millenium, during which they still have not found Sabbath rest, until a remnant does at the very end.
SAYING:
Israel spoke to God in it's first millennium.
"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS, AND WHO IS TO COME!" AND WHENEVER THE LIVING CREATURES GIVE GLORY AND HONOR AND THANKS TO THE ONE WHO IS SEATED ON THE THRONE, TO THE ONE WHO LIVES FOR ALL TIME, THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS FALL DOWN BEFORE THE ONE WHO IS SEATED ON THE THRONE AND WORSHIP THE ONE WHO LIVES FOR ALL TIME.
This worship of the Trinity came with the establishment of Jesus' throne at His crucifixion and resurrection from the saved believers, the living creatures, of His day. Again, Mounce mistranslates twenty as twenty-four, but it refers to the saved of Israel's second millenium.
[AND]
This Greek conjunction is in the text and refers to the fifth millennium.
THEY CAST THEIR CROWNS BEFORE THE THRONE,
I believe this refers to the saved Jews of the very end of the sixth millennium, who will be cast before the Lord as offerings by saved Gentiles.
SAYING,
Again, Israel spoke to God in her first millennium.
WORTHY ARE YOU, OUR LORD AND GOD, TO RECEIVE GLORY AND HONOR AND POWER, FOR YOU CREATED ALL THINGS,
Here again is great praise to God for His new creation of Jews, saved by His crucifixion and resurrection.
AND BECAUSE OF YOUR WILL THEY EXISTED
Israel's third millennium is more about just existing. There were few new creations of Jews.
AND WERE CREATED."
At the very end of Israel's fourth millennium, a remnant of Jews will receive their new creation.
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