Notes on Revelation 21-22

 The new Jerusalem is the gathered people of God upon the earth. It parallels the numbers assigned to the gathered people of God upon the earth in the 144,000 (12 x 12 one thousands). Hence, the numbers 12, 144, and 1000 play a role in its description. The city has 12 gates with the 12 tribes of Israel written on them, 12 angels standing at the gates, 12 stones make up its walls with the names of the 12 apostles. The city measures 12,000 stades cubed, and its wall is 144 cubits (21:9-17). This is significant because this group in the book is the group upon the earth, not the one in heaven. It is the physical church with Christ before His return. Now it is the physical group of the church, the new Jerusalem, with Christ after His return, reigning upon the earth. Hence, these numbers refer to every believer on the earth.

That this is on earth is also clear from the fact that the city comes down from heaven (a picture of the resurrection of the saints), and it is declared that ““The dwelling of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them” (21:3). As a result, all sorrow, pain, and death (i.e., effects of chaos) will be wiped away from the created order because “the former things have ceased to exist” (v. 4).

21:6-7 declare that the one who thirsts can come and be given the water of life freely/without cost, but it is the one who overcomes/conquers (an allusion back to the letters in Chapters 2-3) that will inherit these things. John wishes then to argue that those who are given the free gift of salvation are those who will not compromise with the world by being convinced of alternate religious ideas and/or practice what the Bible considers immoral. This is made clear by the contrast that those who do so will not inherit these things, but instead will be placed outside the renewed created order and into a place of chaos described as the lake of fire and the second death, i.e., the second removal from the land of the living/created order (21:8, 27; 22:15).

vv. 18-21 describe the people of God in their new creation in terms of the beauty of brilliant jewels. This imagery reflects the beauty of God Himself, and displays that the presence of God has made His people and all the created cosmos beautiful, as His glory fills both people and place. The imagery of brilliant stones harkens back to the promise that the one who conquers/overcomes will be given a brilliant stone with a new name on it. The new name likely refers to an elevation of his nature and uniqueness in God’s new creation. What was chaotic and ugly has now become perfectly ordered and beautiful in God’s salvific/relational presence.

There is no need for a temple because God and Christ are there. The joining of heaven and earth together no longer has a need for any temple, which is a place where heaven and earth meet, and yet, are separated into distinct spheres. They now have become one.

The water of life itself, i.e., that which gives life, comes from the rule of God through the Lordship of the Lamb. The beauty of order only comes from God’s rule through Christ. What this means is that hell is chosen by those who, even though they would desire the beauty and order that God’s ruling presence creates, wish to live contrary to His will. One cannot be had without the other. There is no ordered and beautiful creation that exists apart from God’s will being fully carried out there. Hence, there is nowhere for those who have lived contrary to the revealed will of God to go but to a place that is chaotic, disordered, filled with pain, sorrow, and ugliness, described as the death in contrast to the life His presence and glory bring into the renewed created order.

The world has become the garden paradise that first only existed as an isolated place in the midst of a chaotic, unfinished cosmos. The images of Eden are obvious everywhere, and God communes with His people who are described as having His name written on their foreheads. This means that only His people, who have followed His revealed will, will be with Him in this new creation.

With that, John exhorts his readers at the end of his work in the same manner he did in the beginning. These things must take place suddenly/quickly, and the reader would do well to obey the message this book teaches. Those who are predestined for salvation or reprobation will continue on according to their role to play in the divine drama, but the one who has ears to hear is blessed. They wash their robes to have access to the tree of life and the city, an allusion to receiving the gospel of Christ’s kingdom and living as kingdom people. 

The warning at the end of the book has far more to do with teaching what is contrary to the book’s message by distorting what is said through addition or subtraction more than removing from, or adding to, actual words in the book. John wants to make sure no one tampers with this important exhortation to God’s people. The one who does so evidences his condemnation.

The book ends as it begins with a proclamation of Christ’s coming and an exhortation to heed the message in the book. It also creates an inclusio between the promises of the letters and the fulfillment of those promises again in Chapters 20-21. Hence, there is a chiasm created where the entire exhortation to heed the message is placed in the context of Christ’s coming and the resulting reward for each person’s faith and works. Hence, an ABB’A’ pattern is created (Exhortation in the light of Christ’s coming, promises and warnings to live faithfully in the light of rewards, promises and warnings in light of rewards, exhortation in the light of Christ’s coming).

The book itself, of course, creates an inclusio for the entire biblical narrative. As I have argued before, creation is presented in Genesis 2 as simply beginning and continues throughout the Bible as a process that is not completed until Revelation 21-22. Hence, the garden that was once a localized area in the midst of an unfished world has now expanded to the entire world and creation has come to its completion. 

John ends the book in the light of God’s awesome work and a desire for God’s beauty to fill the earth and His people. There is no fear of Christ coming and taking away a life that is being built out of the straw of this world. There is only the desire to be complete and to see God’s creation completed by the communion and life-giving presence of Christ. It is a desire for what is ugly to be beautiful, the desire of a larva to become a butterfly. Hence, all who see God’s presence as beautiful and life itself cry out together with the Spirit of God, “Come!” The true, faithful church cries out, “Come!” The one who hears, i.e., the one who obeys the message and seeks to be faithful to Christ with the hope of the beauty to come says, “Come!” Christ confirms He is coming quickly. John, a faithful witness/martyr, cries out, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” If the book causes only fear of judgment and a hope that Christ does not immediately come, then there is something wrong with the understanding, desires, and lifestyle of the one who reads it. What Christ brings is the water of life to a thirsty people. They run to it, not away from it, and seek for it everywhere. It is this that causes the Christian to remain faithful in pressing on toward the prize of His presence and the life that flows from it.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all” (22:21).

Notes on Revelation 20

After the beast and false prophet are thrown into the fiery lake, likely an image John takes from the eruption of Vesuvius, an angel takes hold of the devil and casts him into chains for what is said to be 1,000 years. The number thousand is used in Revelation to refer to a vast amount of something, and like the other symbols, is not necessarily meant to be taken literally. 

For this same time period, those who have lived faithful Christian lives and have been martyred for it are brought to life to reign with Chrsit for the duration of the period. They do  not reign for part of the period, but for the entire thing.  

Although some have argued this is a picture of regeneration, it cannot be, as the people who are brought to life have already lived out a good Christian life and have been killed for it by the beast. The phrase that they have been brought to life, then, must refer to their physical lives, and therefore, resurrection. 

Gog and Magog are taken from Ezekiel 38-39, and perhaps, as they have developed in Second Temple Judaism, as the remaining hordes of people who were outside the empire that has now been destroyed. As in Ezekiel, these hordes are allowed to attack God's people, something that takes place after Revelation's thousand years, and are immediately destroyed for it. In Ezekiel, God says He does this to display His glory to the nations, which in Revelation would be the people from every tribe, nation, language, and people group He has acquired for Himself.

Thrones to rule over the hordes are set up for those who have been faithful to Christ so that they might judge and rule with Him.

The judgment of the dead takes place,  along with the places that once held the dead, the realm of death, the grave, and the sea. Hades here may refer more to the grave, and "death" to the realm of the dead as a spiritual state of existence. Nothing is dead anymore. Everything is brought back to either enjoy eternity or loathe it. 

 It is clear that by death and the grave being thrown into the lake of fire, that this includes the people themselves contrary to what some try to argue. Verse 15 makes that clear. 

The great judgment is according to works, as in the rest of the Bible, not because one is justified by works, but because one's federal head is proven by his allegiance manifested in not merely just a confession but also what he does. Hence, those who are written in the book of life were given robes that are their good deeds, but those not written in the Lamb's book of life have works that evidence no federal ties to Christ as their Lord. Instead, they are thrown into the same place as the devil, the beast, and the false prophet to display that their lords are found there. As they had more allegiance to them in life, they are aligned with them also in their eternal punishment. 

Chapter 20, then, spells the end of the wicked world and all of the chaos therein. 

As discussed before, this is likely to be understood as one scenario of the end like the other scenarios given in the book. It is not John's purpose to describe the details and timelines to God's people about how the wicked will be overthrown, but rather to argue that by all accounts they will be. The charge given by John, as throughout the book, is to remain faithful to Christ by taking one's thoughts off of the moment and placing them onto eternity. The lifestyle one displays now evidences the eternal home in which he sees himself, and thus, sets his mind there now.

Biblical Theology LVXII: 2 Peter

The Second Epistle of Peter is written to counter gnostic antinomianism in the church that uses the human perspective and experience in its arguments to undermine apostolic Christianity. There are four, and perhaps five, arguments the book makes against the claims of false teachers. Although the teachings of these apostates are not explicitly cited in the book, their arguments can be reconstructed by what arguments the book puts forth to counter them. 

Theology:  It is clear that the false teachers are putting forth theological arguments that undermine biblical ethics by emphasizing the human experience as an authoritative guide to confirm their worldview. The book will argue the opposite, as it is the revealed perspective of God that is revealed that should be the guide of the Christian.

The first heretical argument is that humans, by their nature, are sinners, and thus, one should not expect them to be able to follow the moral code laid out in Scripture/the apostles. 

The book counters this by saying that "He has gifted to us everything that is necessary for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the One who called us to His own glory and excellence" (1:3). In other words, any human lack is compensated by God's gift to us for more than enough for us to live out our lives in godliness. Through the promise God gave to us, we partake of the very divine character that allows us to escape the things that are produced by a corrupted, not normal, desire (v. 4).

The second heretical argument is that Scripture and the apostolic witness to Christ is unreliable because it was produced by human subjects. Therefore, it is the compilation of human opinions and subjective religious experiences.

The book counters this by arguing that the apostles did not follow cleverly concocted human stories when they taught the church about Christ (1:16), but were eyewitnesses of His very glory and the kingdom that God granted to Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. Hence, this is not some cult interpretation of some puffed up human that is overblown in mythological fables, but that Christ is the real deal, and the apostles really did witness, rather than merely interpret, who He was and what He had received from the Father. Furthermore, no prophecy in Scripture was ever the private interpretation of some mere human speculating about God either, but men who were moved by God the Holy Spirit spoke God's teaching, not their own (vv. 19-20).

Chapter 2 is a condemnation of the false teachers that may evidence another objection given by them to undermine apostolic teaching--that is, that orthodox teachers are merely men, and their authority to combat other teachings comes merely from themselves. 

The book argues that these men are backed by angelic authorities who these teachers are reviling by reviling the authority of the church (2:10-12). The book will also argue in the end that these false teachers are unstable and untaught (3:16), meaning that their problem is that they are not taught by the church to interpret the Scripture correctly, and so do so with their own paradigms, nor are they stablized by allowing themselves to be corrected by ecclesiastical authority. There is a "way of truth" taught by orthodox interpreters of the Bible and these people speak against it (2:3).

The fourth objection is that Christ isn't literally going to be returning, as it has been a long time already and He has not returned. The promise of His physical return is nonsense. The word concerning the matter must not be true.

The book argues that it only looks to be so from the human perspective. From God's perspective, He created and destroyed the earth already long ago in water, and all of this by His word. so the perspective of the false teachers is near-sighted even in terms of what God has upheld by His word throughout history (3:5-7). Furthermore, in God's persective, a thousand years is but a day, so it has not been a long time at all in His eyes (vv. 8-9). He is waiting for His elect to come to repentance, but will absolutely fulfill His promise.

Finally, there seems to be an argument that the Apostle Paul taught what these false teachers teach, namely, something that feeds into their antinomianism. Hence, this is likely an appeal to what Paul says about grace, and turning it into a lifestyle that is directed by one's own moral code rather than God's.

The book argues that Paul actually agreed with everything Peter has taught, and not with the false teachers. They merely distort what he wrote because of their blindness and ignorance brought about by their lack of principles. Their spiritual lack has led to their interpretive lack to where they misunderstand and twist Scripture to their own destruction (3:15-16).

Ethics: Hence, since we have everything we need to become godly, the very divine power and character of God, we are to pursue maturity in moral excellence, perseverence, and love. The one who does not pursue these things has forgotten his former cleansing and is blind, even unsaved (1:9-11). Believers are told to make sure of their calling and election by pursuing godliness that an entrance into Christ's kingdom will be wholeheartedly granted to them.

Since the Scripture and apostolic teaching are true, they should be followed as completely reliable, not as the words of men, but of God (1:19).

Since the orthodox, apostolic church is backed by heavenly authorities, i.e., angels from God, it should be revered rather than slandered, and its interpretation of Christianity followed.

Since Christ will return and destroy the present world, Christians should not attempt to hold onto this world, nor should they live as though Christ is not going to return for some time, but always have a sense of imminence reflected in their lifestyles because they believe His promise to bring the world to its completion in a renewed heavens and renewed earth, where righteousness alone dwells (3:11-14).

Since the false teachers have misunderstood Paul and the rest of the Scriptures, genuine believers need to stear clear of them, be on their guard against such people in the church, and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ passed down to them by the apostles (3:17-18). 

As in other texts, Peter makes it clear that what one's theology produces is a tell-tale sign of whether it is of God. If it affirms the apostolic witness and produces a life of order and godliness, it is from God. If it rejects the apostolic witness and produces chaos and an immoral life, then one can know for sure that such teaching comes from a false teacher and is not of God. Here, again, is the idea that one must have both biblical truth and ethics in order to show that one belongs to God and will enter His kingdom. Bad ethics stem from false religion, as only the image of God will reflect the creational activity of the true God.

Notes on Revelation 19

Chapters 18-20 depict a final judgment scene, where the wicked world is destroyed, conquered, and eternally judged. Chapter 19 stands in the middle of this scene, and depicts Christ crushing the enemies of God's people with ease, and rescuing them from their oppressors. This is the scene where the true knight rides in on His white horse and saves the captive maiden from the dragon. He then marries her and she lives happily ever after as co-ruler of the kingdom.

Lest John should discourage his readers in thinking that there will only be few that are saved, he depicts those who are saved as a massive group that are so numerous their voices sound like a deluge and loud crashes of thunder together (i.e., like a loud storm). By this, he assures his readers that those who are saved are numerous, as he has depicted before, and are a large nation made out of every nation, language, and people group. However, as is stated in v. 9, is only those who are invited to the wedding feast who are blessed, i.e., saved.

Notice, yet again, that the wicked world does not bring about sadness in the saints but rejoicing. Their oppressors' fortresses have been destroyed. 

The clothing of the saints is said to be their righteous works. The word "works" is not explicit in the text. However, the word here is τὰ δικαιώματα in the neuter, and given the purpose of the book that is consistent throughout, the author likely means for the reader to assume the word ἔργα "works." It is also important to point out that this is not talking about the imputed righteousness of Christ. For one, the entire book is about Christians living in obedience to Christ over the pressures of the world upon them to compromise in their theology and works, and for another, the terminology is that the clothing represents "the righteous things" of the saints. It is plural, as argued before, modifying an implicit
ἔργα "works," not a singular δικαιοσύνη "righteousness." Nor does it say that these are the righteous works belonging to Christ, but rather the righteous works belonging to the saints. Of course, in larger biblical theology, this is understood as an extension of Christ's work through His saints, but the Apocalypse is emphasizing what these Christians have done in their life, not the imputed righteousness of Christ. What this means is that every good work, every act of faithfulness, these saints have done is a thread that is now sewn into a beautiful white wedding gown, preparing them for the eternal kingdom of Christ as their eternal King.

The wedding imagery itself comes from John's Gospel. Although here, it is not only the occassion of salvation for the elect, but the event in which the wicked world is judged. It is possible to see the four liturgical elements in John's Gospel in Revelation as well (water, wine, wedding, and Word), but with the double-edged purpose of both salvation for God's people and judgment upon the wicked. Of course, temple imagery dominates the book (tabernacle, temple, lampstands, priestly clothing, fire, bowls, incense, etc.), but it may be that the book is bringing it all together in the same way that the author brings together the Law and Prophets with the Gospel. In any case, Christ's return is pictured as a groom coming for His bride, and wedding is sure to take place soon after.

What this means is that the entirety of the believer's life is a betrothal period in which the bride pledges her faithfulness to the groom. John may be implying this, and the law concerning the unfaithful betrothed, with his imagery. The faithful betrothed will get married and live with the groom as his wife. The unfaithful betrothed will be found out on the wedding night, or before, and be executed in judgment of her unfaithfulness. Only the faithful believer with white clothes will be married and live in Christ's inheritance. The chaste/faithful woman in white clothes is in contrast to the top whore that charactrizes Rome.

It is likely that the reason why the episode where John throws himself down at the angel's feet to worship him, and is subsequently rebuked, exists in the text is to create an understanding of how much participating in the imperial cult and Roman paganism is an abomination to God. If one is not even to worship a holy angel of God, how much less an ambassador of the devil? 

 The many diadems on Christ's head mimic those of the beast, but as in the rest of the book, the beast is the counterfeit emperor. The true King of Kings, i.e., Emperor, is Christ. Hence, He comes to take His throne away from the usurper.

As earlier in the book, the white horse symbolizes conquest. Christ and His people have now come to conquerer the dominion of the beast and his armies, and take it from them once and for all.

In the same way that his people's clothing is made up of their works, His clothing if made up of His. It is dipped in His blood. Likewise, as names have played a powerful role in identifying one throughout, He holds a name that is exclusive to Himself as God the Son, as well as the name of an Emperor (King of kings and Lord of lords). It is possible that John means to display the dual natures of Christ, as he does throughout his writings--the divine represented by the exclusive name that only He knows and has, and the human represented by what He obtained through His work on earth (i.e., the inheritance of Lordship).

The feast of the wedding banquet will be the carcasses of the wicked, and the birds will feast upon them. This again displays the idea that salvation for Christ's people is one and the same event with the destruction of the wicked.

The beast and false prophet (perhaps, the man of lawlessness and antichrist in other New Testament literature) are thrown alive into the lake of fire. The rest of the people are physically slaughtered by the judgment of Christ represented by the sword. From here, the judgment of God will be rendered.

The Exclusive Love the God of Molinism and Calvinism Have for the Elect

I'm not quite sure what Molinism attempts to accomplish. If it is trying to make God appear more loving than Calvinism, it utterly fails in doing so. Perhaps, there is some explanation that I've not heard that negates this, but as far as I can tell, it isn't distinguished from Calvinism in this regard at all. God still loves one group over another.

 The reason why this is the case is due the fact that one must conclude the reason why God makes people He knows will not believe in any universe, or at least, in the one with the maximum amount of people believing is not for the sake of themselves, but for the sake of those who would believe. Surely, it is better not to exist than to exist and be eternally punished. So why does God create these people?

They are part of the necessary conditions that make up this universe and allow the maximum amount of people to believe. But if this is true, it means that God did what was worst for them, i.e., decided to not love them, by loving those who would be saved. He made vessels of dishonor for the purpose of making vessels of honor, but how is this different from Calvinism?

Sure, it is different in other respects, through its Pelagian understanding of man, for instance, it determines people's choices by the environment rather than changing the person through regeneration, but it doesn't seem to escape the issue that God loves some over others, and is willing to damn some in order to save others. Am I missing something?

The Danger of Believing God Speaks to Us through Our Own Thoughts

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, prophesy and say to those who prophesy out of their own minds: 'Hear the word of the LORD!'  
 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! . . . They have spoken falsehood and divined a lie; they say, 'Says the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. (Ezekiel 13:1-3, 5)