Revelation Studies #11 Its Vital Place in Scripture

There is no doubt in any serious Bible student’s mind that this final book of the Bible is unique. There are other books in Scripture that contain mystifying visions in them.[1] There are also other books in Scripture that contain the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.[2] Indeed, we have laid special emphasis upon the fact that the Bible is the revelation of the eternal redemptive purposes of God in Jesus Christ, regardless of where one opens it to read or study it.[3] There are even other books in Scripture written by the same human author, John.[4] But The Revelation is unique in another way. And it really matters if we are going to understand its full significance.

In order to grasp this special significance of The Revelation, we need to reestablish a small aspect of our Layers of Context Approach to Scripture: That the order of the books of the Bible, although not inspired, has been providentially guided by God. God has remained directly involved with superintending the compiling of His Words into a single book, the Bible. He did not simply inspire the writings, then leave the gathering together of the manuscripts into a unified whole to fallible men. God has also directly guided men in the exact presentation of every part of His Truth, including the order of the books of the Bible.

For instance, not only must Bible topics form the whole matter of our preaching, but they must be presented in scriptural aspects and proportions. The Bible was made to be the food of the people; it is not a raw material which the religious philosopher is to digest into new forms before they can assimilate it. It is the great principle of Protestants that the Bible is for the people. And this implies that God, who knew best, has not only set forth such truths, but in such proportions and relations as really suit man's soul under the dealings of the Holy Spirit. There can be no other connections and forms of the truth so suitable as these, for these are they which God has seen fit to give. We may be guilty then of infidelity to our task, though we be not heterodox. We may preach only truths, and yet from an overweening temper make some truths relatively more prominent and others more retired than the Bible does.[5]

Someone may say that this concept is great but if we believe that the order of the books in the Bible is something that God has guided, then in which translation(s) will we find the correct order? In answering that question, it is marvelous to pay attention to the development of the English Bible historically.[7] In my opinion, it is in the AV that the order of the books has found its final form under the direct providence of God.

All of that, having been said, we may now proceed to our discussion of why it matters to give consideration to the special place held by The Revelation in the Bible.

When we come into the New Testament, we have taken leave of the Hebrew writings with a stunning reality profoundly affecting our thinking. Through the ministry of Malachi, the LORD had put forward scathing rebukes for Israel because of their insolence and extreme insubordination to Him. Having identified this unforgiveable demeanor on the part of ‘God’s people,’ the LORD essentially takes His leave of them. It will be four hundred years before the voice of the LORD will be heard among them through a God-ordained messenger again.

One final time the LORD places before them the coming of His Son, the God-ordained Redeemer from the foundation of the earth.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant …[8]

In this brief reference we see both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ identified. This ushers us into the New Testament writings.

As the NT opens, it is nearly four hundred after the LORD’s final words to Israel through Malachi. This lengthy period marks a very clear turning-point in God’s redemptive plan. Looking back into the Hebrew writings we see Israel fading into the mist. Looking forward into the Greek writings of the New Testament period we see the preeminent Christ.[9] By the third chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we encounter John the Baptist, the messenger of the LORD sent to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. In Matthew chapters one and two we have already been introduced to the other ‘messenger’ predicted by Malachi in our short passage above, the ‘messenger of the covenant’: the Lord Jesus Christ.

From this point forward throughout all of the New Testament writings we will learn more of Jesus. Any mentions of Israel will now be couched in terms of revealing the relationship between the seed-form revelation of redemption in the OT and the fully-developed-form revelation of redemption in the NT. Understanding this connection is vital to a right understanding of the book of Revelation.

The revelation of the birth and early work of Jesus [in Matthew, close to four hundred years after Malachi] stands as the marking point of a new, far more full-developed revelation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes in Christ. In the book of Revelation, the revelation of the Glorified Lord [Revelation 1 and following] marks another new, and far more fully developed revelation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes in Christ. This demands our attention for two important reasons.

First, God has moved away from using Israel as His channel of redemption to the world,[10] into His use of the churches as His channel of redemption to the world as we turn the ‘corner’ between Malachi and Matthew. But, as is identified all throughout the NT writings, Israel has not become some kind of ‘afterthought’ in God’s plans. Israel is going to hold a significant place in these redemptive purposes forever.[11] This holds the key to our correct understanding of the inclusion of mentions of Israel in The Revelation. The significance of Israel in The Revelation is the same as the significance of Israel in the OT. Consider the following question.

How does God’s relationship to Israel, whether in the OT or in the Revelation, help me to better see the Lord Jesus Christ for Who He is?

Second, and this holds a partial answer to the question just posed, it is in The Revelation that we come to the consummation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes as they relate to this world and the opening of way for the continuation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes as they relate to what comes next in the ‘new heavens and the new earth!’ God used Malachi and Matthew to build a clear bridge [of revealed Truth] between Israel and the churches. God uses John to build a bridge [of revealed Truth] between all of God’s redeemed people[12] from the old world and everything in the new world!

Unless we grasp the true significance of the placement of The Revelation, as outlined above, we will never genuinely have the discernment needed to move into what lies ahead!

[1] For example: Ezekiel and Daniel. [2] The Gospels. [3] The Layers of Context Approach to studying the Bible. [4] The Gospel of John and First, Second and Third John. [5] R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric: A Course of Lectures on Preaching (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1979, Reprint), p. 38. (Emphases mine) [6] The KJV. [7] At this point the reader is directed to Appendix B which details the basic history of the English Bible. [8] Malachi 3:1. [9] To be sure, much more will be said of God’s dealings with Israel in connection with the revelation of more fully-developed truth in the NT writings. [10] As marked off by Malachi and the four-hundred-year period during which the voice of the LORD was not heard among them… [11] Consider especially Romans chapter 11! [12] Whether from Israel of the churches.