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The Chronology of Major Eschatological Events in Chapters 4 to 19 of Revelation

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The Chronology of Major Eschatological Events in Chapters 4 to 19 of Revelation THE CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR ESCHATOLOGICAL EVENTS IN CHAPTERS 4 TO 19 OF REVELATION by Ian Macintyre LL.B., University of the West Indies, 1985 A THESIS Submitted to the faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Religion at Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte, North Carolina July 2013 Accepted: __________________________________ Dr. Simon Kistemaker, Ph.D. Thesis Mentor __________________________________ Second Reader ii ABSTRACT The thesis supplements arguments against the view that believers will not experience the Great Tribulation by seeking to demonstrate that this view is inconsistent with the chronology of the major eschatological events in Revelation 4 to 19. After outlining the incompatibility of this view with Jesus' eschatological discourses in the Synoptic Gospels and with Pauline teaching, the chronology is developed from an examination of the structure of Revelation and a futuristic interpretation of the visions in Revelation 4 to 19. Revelation 4 and 5 are viewed as introductory to the whole apocalyptic section of Revelation comprising chapters 4 to 22. The visions in Revelation 6 to 19 are seen as portraying a cohesive story which answers the question of whether God will judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge the blood of the martyrs. The answer is that the blood of the martyrs will be avenged after all those who are destined to be martyred are killed, the final set of martyrs being an innumerable multitude who will be killed during the Great Tribulation on account of their refusal to worship the Antichrist or his image. When all the martyrs have been killed, God will inflict terrible judgments on the worldwide kingdom of the Antichrist, but will provide special protection for the remnant of believers on earth. The divine judgments will culminate with the return of Christ who will destroy the kingdom of the world and establish His own kingdom instead. The eschatological events depicted in Revelation 4 to 19 are presented as building on the chronology in Jesus’ eschatological discourses by providing additional information iii with respect to the rise of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, the persecution of the Great Tribulation, the preservation of a remnant of believers and the judgment of God on the Antichrist, the False Prophet, major cities in the kingdom of the Antichrist, and the kings, armies and other inhabitants of the earth who follow the Antichrist. Readers are therefore encouraged to be vigilant and spiritually prepared for the advent of the Antichrist and the onset of the Great Tribulation. iv CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 2. STRUCTURE OF REVELATION ....................................................................8 3. STRUCTURE OF REVELATION 4:1-22:9 ...................................................14 4. THE INTRODUCTORY NATURE OF REVELATION 4:1-5:15 .................23 5. THE CHRONOLOGY OF ESCHATOLOGICAL EVENTS IN THE SEVEN SEALS .......................................................................................30 6. THE CHRONOLOGY OF ESCHATOLOGICAL EVENTS IN THE SEVEN TRUMPETS AND THE SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATH ..................43 7. THE CHRONOLOGY OF ESCHATOLOGICAL EVENTS IN REVELATION 12-15 AND 17-19 ..................................................................58 8. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................70 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................73 v ABBREVIATIONS AD Anno Domini Rev. The Book of Revelation vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The belief that Christians will be raptured and will not experience the Great Tribulation is widespread among evangelical believers. Dispensationalism, as summarized by Berkhof,1 advocates that the rapture of the saints can occur at any moment, since there are no predicted events which must precede Christ’s second coming. At the rapture, Christ does not come down to earth, but, on the basis of 1 Thess. 4:13-17, the saints are caught up to meet him in the air. The rapture is also referred to as the coming of the Lord for his saints. It is followed by an interval of seven years during which the world is evangelized,2 Israel is converted,3 the Great Tribulation occurs,4 and the Antichrist or the man of lawlessness will be revealed.5 After these events there is another coming of the Lord with his saints,6 which is called the revelation or the day of the Lord in which he comes down to earth. At this 1 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996), 695-696. 2 Matt. 24:14. 3 Rom. 11:25-26. 4 Matt. 24:15-27. 5 2 Thess. 2:1-8. 6 1 Thess. 3:13. 1 coming, Christ judges the living nations7 and ushers in the millennial kingdom.8 As Berkhof points out, however, Matthew 24:9 to 12 and 21 to 24 and similar text in Mark 13:9 to 22 attest to the occurrence of the Great Tribulation before the second coming of Christ.9 Some Christians believe that the Great Tribulation has already taken place and that there is no need for Christians to be concerned about it. In Last Days Madness,10 Gary de Mar argues that the events which Christ predicted would take place before his second coming, have already taken place and that the second coming of Christ which marked the end of the age was the destruction of the temple in AD 70. If this is the case and Revelation was, according to Irenaeus, written in the early AD 90s “at the end of Domitian’s reign”,11 then the prophecies of Revelation would have nothing to do with the second coming of Christ. John was in exile on the island of Patmos when he received the visions recorded in Revelation. His exile was a result of persecution by the Roman Empire. There is debate as to whether the persecution was under Nero in AD60s or Domitian in AD90s. Several points indicate that it was under Domitian. Nero’s persecution was restricted to Rome. Nero blamed Christians for burning Rome, and the Christians in Rome were persecuted as a result. Domitian’s persecution was more widespread throughout the Roman Empire. Domitian declared himself to be a god and required all his subjects to worship him. It is more likely that John was in Asia before his exile to Patmos than in Rome. It is therefore more than 7 Matt. 25:31-46. 8 Rev. 20; Berkhof, 695-696. 9 Berkhof, 700. Berkhof also cites Luke 21:22 to 24 as a reference to the Great Tribulation, but it is arguable that this passage refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. See discussion on page 7. 10 Gary De Mar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Atlanta, Georgia: American Vision, 1999), 30, 49, 159. 11 Eusebius, History of the Church, ed. Andrew Louth, trans. G. A. Williamson (London, England: Penguin Books, 1989), 81. 2 likely that Revelation was written in AD 90s.12 In addition to his statement that the apocalyptic vision was seen in the time of Domitian’s reign, Irenaeus is also quoted as saying that “the church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and lived in by John until the time of Trajan (AD 98-117), is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.”13 Hendriksen calls the testimony of Irenaeus “strong and definite evidences” and opines that “we are forced to the conclusion that the late date (AD 95 or 96) is correct” when we also take into consideration that “the Apocalypse reflects an age in which Ephesus has already lost its first love; Sardis is already “dead;” Laodicea–which was destroyed by an earthquake during Nero’s reign–has been rebuilt and is boasting of its spiritual wealth (3:17); John has been “banished”–a very common form of persecution during Domitian’s reign; the Church has already endured persecutions in the past (20:4); and the Roman Empire, as such, has become the great antagonist of the Church (17:9).”14 Guthrie is less convinced than Hendrikesen, but nevertheless recognizes that the majority of scholars prefer a date in the time of Domitian, especially because of Irenaeus’ testimony.15 De Mar identifies the destruction of the temple in AD 70 with the end of the age because he fails to recognize an important distinction between the great distress referred to in Luke 21:22 to 24 and the Great Tribulation referred to in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. The passage in Luke predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70 since the passage speaks of Jerusalem being surrounded by armies and being trampled by the Gentiles 12 D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005), 712. 13 William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1940), 14. 14 Ibid. 15 Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 962. 3 until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The tribulation mentioned in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 is, however, the Great Tribulation which will occur immediately before the return of Christ. This event is triggered by the presence of the Abomination of Desolation in the holy place. It is described as the greatest tribulation ever to occur and is curtailed for the sake of the elect. It will be immediately followed by cosmic signs that presage the imminent return of Christ.16 De Mar’s argument that the Great Tribulation has already taken place is, therefore, fundamentally flawed as well as improbable in view of the best evidence for the date of the Revelation. Perspectives that deny that Christians will experience the Great Tribulation in the future may have the effect of encouraging a certain spiritual laxity among evangelical Christians–a laxity that fails to prepare Christians to be ready to die for their faith.
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