Don’t Fear the Marks in Revelation
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“Revelation’s depictions of labeled people show us that God knows exactly who belongs to him and who doesn’t. But it does more than that.” - TGC
The Book of Revelation Is Not Apocalyptic Literature
It may seem odd to suggest that the book entitled Apocalupsis does not belong to the genre of literature commonly referred to as apocalyptic. Nonetheless that is my suggestion here. The term employed in the title of the book denotes a revelation or disclosure.1 While this particular revealing or disclosing describes a broad swathe of eschatological events, it is not its own literary genre.
Apocalyptic as a genre is described as “characteristically pseudonymous; it takes narrative form, employs esoteric language, expresses a pessimistic view of the present, and treats the final events as imminent.”2 Henry Barclay Swete (Cambridge), even while arguing that Revelation is apocalyptic literature, admits that the book differs from that genre, in that the book of Revelation (1) is not pseudepigraphic, (2) engages a specific audience (seven churches), (3) has a significant church focus, rather than a purely Israel nation-centered focus, and (4) includes notes of insight and foresight that are more indicative of inspiration than is found in earlier extra-biblical apocalyptic literature.3
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The Heptads of Revelation
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“I was reading some old sermons on Revelation and came across a note that there are 19 heptads (seven things) in the book. I wanted to check this. Here is what I came up with.” - Matt Postiff
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The “7 Mountain Mandate” – How does it stand up biblically, and what can we learn from its faults?
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“Advocates of the 7M mandate find their biblical warrant for retaking the culture in Revelation 17:8–10, a passage that describes a scarlet beast with seven heads which, John says, ‘are seven mountains’ (v. 9).” - TGC
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Revelation for the Rest of Us: "Speculation is the biggest problem in reading Revelation today."
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“Times have certainly changed since the 70s when speculation was in vogue. Do you know how many pastors and preachers today refuse to open Revelation for sermons?” - Denison
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What Are the 7 Spirits of God in Revelation? 2 Views
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“The allusion to Zechariah 4:2–10 seems to favor a symbolic interpretation of the seven spirits as a way of describing the fullness of the single Holy Spirit, but the alternative choice is not heretical.” - Word by Word
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Nobody’s Good Enough
It’s easy to forget sometimes, but the book of Revelation reveals. There’s a lot of mystery in the book’s details, but if we step back and focus on what’s clear, what emerges is a beautiful expression of the greatest truths any human being can be blessed to know.
I was reminded of this recently as our pastor preached through Revelation 5-7. Flowing through the awesome scenes, strange creatures, and epic moments of these chapters is a retelling of the great story of all of Scripture.
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Can Names Be Blotted out of the Book of Life?
By Carl Johnson
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