Friday, May 29, 2020

Revelation Day 12



Does Revelation reveal to the readers that there is indeed imagery and that that imagery requires interpretation?  

Does the parable of the vineyard have anything to do with Revelation? 

What did the Jews look for in the Messiah?

Day 12

B. Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, May 29, 2020

Yes, there is immense amounts of imagery: Revelation 1:12-20; 4:6; 5:5-13; 7:14; 9:7; 9:17; 12:3-4; 12:14-15; 13:11; 14:15; 16:13; 17:6-15; 19:15; 21:10, 21:16.  Take note that interpretations given were expected to settle any issues.

The parable of the vineyard does indeed relate. Compare Matthew 21:33-45 with Revelation 1:7 and Luke 19:41-44. According to Isaiah 5:1-16, Israel is the vineyard. Other parables may also hint at this such as the culmination in Matthew 22:7 of the wedding banquet. 

The Jews were looking for a Messiah to be a powerful military leader to set up an earthly kingdom. This is similar to Dispensational Pre-millennialism of today, where the belief is that Christ will return and set up a military kingdom that will conquer the world by sword, then, as some have stated, will be driven back to Jerusalem for a final battle. In the dispensational understanding, Christ was supposed to have been crowned king 2,000 years ago, but since the Jews rejected him as king, then we are waiting for this to happen in the future.   

After Jesus miraculously fed five thousand, the Jews tried to take Jesus and make Him their king. Jesus, knowing this, instead withdrew to the mountainside (John 6:14-15) and avoided them.

If this were not enough, Jesus made it clear that His Kingdom was not meant to be an earthly kingdom when He said to Pilate in John 18:36, “Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (NKJV).

Christ is currently King and sitting on the Throne of God at the right hand of the Father. All authority on heaven and earth have already been given to Him upon the resurrection. Christ does not need to set up a kingdom on earth again since He is currently the King of Kings and has all authority in this world already (Matthew 28:18, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 19:16). 


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