The Book of Revelation is what we call apocalyptic literature. Apocalyptic literature is translated or understood metaphorically. In most of the other books of the Bible, we look for the literal understanding. But in apocalyptic literature, we look for the figurative first and then the literal application.
On this episode of Today with Jeff Vines, we delve into the mysteries of the Book of Revelation. Jeff shares his insights on how God’s grace and judgement intersect and what His mercy truly looks like. What is our role as Christians in these end times?
Putting Faith in God
‘The Bible doesn’t give us an exhaustive understanding of why things happen to us,’ says Jeff. ‘But God uses Revelation to help us understand if we’re going to put our faith and trust in anything in the physical world, we’re going to lose every time.’
If you put your faith and trust in the created order, it will only be a matter of time before the winds and the waves will come in and wash all your hopes and dreams away. The reality is the question everybody has to ask is, am I good with God?
‘Because His kingdom is eternal,’ says Jeff, ‘it is unshakeable and it will last forever. The Gospel is going to go out in conquest, and it’s going to be good news for the modern, for the old, and for the works of antiquity. That’s what we saw in the white horse and the Seven Hills. Nothing is going to stop the good news of the Gospel.’
Jesus Establishes His Kingdom
No matter what happens in the world, we can be confident as Christians that the power of Hades will never prevail against the Gospel. The Book of Revelation assumes that all of human history can be summarised in a seven-year symbolic period. Three and a half years between the time God created the Heavens and the Earth, until Jesus established His Messianic Kingdom. Then three and a half years between the time Jesus established His kingdom until the time He comes again.
‘That’s why the numbers you see in the Book of Revelation are 1260 days for 60 days,’ says Jeff. ‘The numbers are all describing the types of events we can expect to occur from the time Jesus established His kingdom until the time He returns.’
Jeff believes that every cycle and vision give us the type of events that are going to happen during this time, which we call the church age. Then near the end, there are some things that are going to happen just before the Lord returns.
God Has Marked His People
‘The Bible tells us that God wants no collateral damage,’ says Jeff. ‘He doesn’t want to lose even one. He says, before the wrath of God comes, mark the people. Let me know who’s in the inner court. Not that He doesn’t already know. It’s John being reminded that God has marked His people and they will not be harmed by the second death.’
‘The Bible says you die to self in the waters of baptism, and you resurrect to a new life. All who experience the first death, the second death has no power over them.’
‘They will never be separated from God, and they will never face the wrath of God.’
Listen to Jeff’s full message below:
