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Author's Bias | Interpretation: conservative | Inclination: promise | Seminary: none
I've always avoided the study of Revelation, because it was too hard to understand. But I finally had to
tackle it as I wanted to have a better grasp of the judgment of God.
At the conclusion of a year of study, there was a discussion of whether to share the results
publicly, because my conclusions contrasted sharply with other established scholarly work. But in consideration
of those before me and, with deep respect for their work, this study of Revelation is being released to inspire
others to read this difficult book and discover the joy of having some sense of clarity that objective biblical
hermeneutics can bring.
The approach I used was to understand Daniel thoroughly and Ezekiel and Zechariah partially (they're hard to
understand!) before attempting Revelation. Because of the challenges of figurative speech and unnatural events,
a large chart was made of each observation of the text on a 12 x 9 foot wall in my dining room. By using
painter's tape, the table could change how observations were classified to
enable a better understanding of the text. The picture on the right shows an early version of the table.
The beauty of this methodology is that the observations can be easily checked and validated
by peer review. Inferences can also be evaluated to determine if it is evidence based, or an interpretative
error based on an error in biblical hermeneutics.
I am indebted to my wife as she allowed this work to stay in place while we had several
dinners with a variety of believing and non-believing friends. To say the least, it stimulated an interesting
range of dinner conversations.
My understanding of Revelation is presented in four different formats:
1. An Overview of Systematic Study: You can start this overview study by clicking
the "next" button on the lower right hand corner of this page. This study is a short summary of in-depth
articles ( For deeper study) you may encounter at
the bottom of various pages of this study that may help you see what I saw and understand the conclusions
that I made.
2. Table of Observations, Inferences, and Conclusions:
The table of observations has been condensed so that it can be printed out in several sheets. By joining the
sheets together, you can make your own notes or expand upon it on your dining room wall...
This chart is very useful when used in conjunction with #3 Exegesis of Revelation or #4
Personal Study in Revelation. With the chart, you can record your own observations and compare your findings
with others.
3. Exegesis of Revelation: For those who prefer
learning with a traditional exegetical approach, another teaching tool was developed and included at the end
of the systematic study. Within the verses are links that will show you observations elsewhere in the Bible
that will help you draw interpretative conclusions.
4. For the Time is Near
- A Personal Study in Revelation: This study is designed for a single person or a group. It will help you
sharpen your skill in observation and cause you to apply a more rigorous hermeneutic approach to study.
Revelation is a very difficult book to understand and interpretations abound. As a rigorously tested
objective study, I hope this will cause you to test your own hypothesis and discuss it with your friends,
wrestle with some of its observations and publish your work. In sharing your work, God will use you to help all
of us grow closer to Him. Let's start this overview of Eschatology!
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