LESSON 01

The Revelation Of Jesus Christ|
A New Study
Based upon Charles C. Ryrie’s
Everyman’s Bible Commentary[I]
|And
Visualized Text[2] of the
New American Standard Bible 1995[3]

A REMINDER

These lessons are written as an accompanment to
Charles C. Ryrie's [1996] Book
REVELATION
Everyday Bible Commentary
Moody Publishers
Chicago
ISBN: 978-0-8024-1825-8
(You Must Own your own copy)
(Ryrie's book text is not included in these lessons) 

 INTRODUCTION

This study of the Book of Revelation is based upon what is called the “normal interpretation” of the books of the Bible. It is “normal” as it is based upon reading the Bible, in its many versions, just like you would read any other book or personal document. Words mean what they mean, and that includes metaphor, similes, and the many flavors of the parts of speech.

Henreitta Mears tells us:

“Revelation presents a glorious, reigning Christ. The Gospels presented Him as a Savior, One who came to take the curse of sin, but in this last book we see no humiliation. In one way Revelation is the most remarkable book in the whole sacred canon. Revelation tells us about the reign of Christ on this earth which Satan wants to control. It tells us of Christ’s complete and eternal victory over Satan. It describes Satan’s defeat and punishment, first for a thousand years, then eternally. It tells more about Satan’s final doom than any other book. No wonder Satan doesn’t want men and women to read it.”[4]

In this study we will be following the new edition of Charles C. Ryrie’s “Everyman’s Bible Commentary” on the Book of Revelation.[5]

Dr. Ryrie (1925-2016) was one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Educated at the Dallas Theological Seminary, then the University of Edinburgh, then teaching in several Bible colleges and seminaries. He was president of Philadelphia College of Bible (Now Cairn University) and dean of students at Dallas Theological Seminary. He wrote 32 books which have sold over a million copies. His Study Bible has sold more than 2.6 million copies.

Our process will be to follow Ryrie’s book as we journey through the New American Standard Bible. I will be adding commentary to fill out Ryrie’s commentary. We will be using the NASB in our usual teaching format known as the “Visualized Text,” used throughout the teachings of the “AncientPath.net” bible website.

This set of STUDY documents will contain the NASB text (edited to contain the Literal meanings of many Greek words) and my comments. Dr. Ryrie’s comments are in his book.

But first, here is an outline of the events in the Book of Revelation. Please note that it only contains the major items of John’s book.

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THE BOOK OF REVELATION

 INTRODUCTION
Charles Caldwell Ryrie

Ryrie’s Introduction
        Importance of the book

 Each book of the Bible is important, but the last book is the consummation and climax of God’s revelation.

Revelation is primarily significant because it is a book about “things which must come to pass.” Many of these things we would not know if the book of Revelation were not in the Bible. It is the only major prophetic book in the New Testament. John was commanded not to seal the book (22:10), and those who read it promised a special blessing (1:3). Apparently, therefore, the book was expected to be intelligible and helpful to those who read it. It is an apocalypse (literally, a revelation), designed not to mystify, but to clarify.

 

Author’s Name: John (1:4, 9, 22:8)

He was a Prophet (22:9)

He was a leader in the Churches of Asia Minor (Chaps. 2-3)

He bore a unique relationship with Jesus (Mark 5:37; 13:3)

He is mentioned 3 times in the book of Acts (3:1; 4:13; 8:14)

He settled in Ephesus, was later arrested and sent to Patmos to work in the mines.

He wrote Revelation while on the island of Patmos., between 94 & 96 A.D.

2^nd generations of Christians did not hold the same convictions as their fathers.

This Study Interpretation will be “Futurist,” or “Plain.”

Other interpretations:

    Preterist: all events took place in the past
    Historical: from John to the end of the age
    Idealist: Principles of History, not actual events
   

Futurist: Interpreted like any other piece of literature, events from Chapter 4 on as yet to be fulfilled. Symbolic events are recognized as symbols and not necessarily literal events. The book is important and profitable as is all Scripture – it should be approached as never theoretical and detached but always personal and involved. God can motivate believers today by the understanding of those things which He has revealed through John in Revelation.[6]

We’ll also be using the comments from another well-known and very helpful book, “The Final Drama” by John F. Walvoord.[7] And “Things To Come” by J. Dwight Pentecost[8], and we’ll begin with Walvoord’s breakdown of the special “Keys” to understanding the book of Revelation.

Here is his introduction describing these special keys.

The full list of these special keys will be broken up as we work our way through each element in God’s program for the items in The Book of Revelation.

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Understanding Revelation
Revelation Portrays Jesus Christ, Our Triumphant King[9]

Revelation is the only book of prophecy in the New Testament. It is the only book in the Divine Library that promises a blessing to those who read and hear. "Blessed" is a strong word. “Blessed is he that reads” is what the book of Revelation says of itself, but after reading the first chapters about the churches, and the last chapters describing heaven not many of us read much in this book.

Revelation presents a glorious, reigning Christ. The Gospels presented Him as a Savior, One who came to take the curse of sin, but in this last book we see no humiliation. In one way Revelation is the most remarkable book in the whole sacred canon. Revelation tells us about the reign of Christ on this earth which Satan wants to control. It tells of Christ's complete and eternal victory over Satan. It describes Satan's defeat and punishment, first for a thousand years, then eternally. It tells more about Satan's final doom than any other book. No wonder Satan doesn’t want men to read it!

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