Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: Revelation 1-5 Video
To purchase slides or handouts, go to: Teaching with Power Etsy Shop
INTRODUCTION
Hello fellow teachers, and welcome to Teaching with Power. This is Ben Wilcox and my goal is to help you teach and study the scriptures with more relevancy and power. I want to thank you for joining me today and allowing me to be a part of your scripture study or your lesson prep. And I am so excited about these next few videos. I love, love, love the Book of Revelation. It is so much fun. I love symbolism and Revelation is like Symbolism Disneyland. And I was really pleased to see that this time around, the Come follow me manual dedicates three videos to Revelation. Four years ago, they only did two, so I’m happy to see that change, although I am going to adjust the chapter coverage just slightly and add chapter 6 to this week’s study rather than next week. And that’s just because, thematically, chapter 7 is where the events of the Second Coming begin to be described. Everything preceding chapter 7 is either introductory or describing events that take place before Christ’s return to Earth. The Book of Revelation is so deep, so content rich, and so relevant because, it’s all about the last days and the Second Coming, things that are of particular interest to us. So we’ll be taking a deep dig this week into the first 6 chapters of this amazing book. If you’re ready then, grab your scriptures and your marking pencils, it’s time to dig deep.
BACKGROUND
Some background first, Revelation was written by John the Beloved. And I know that with the last couple of books we’ve studied in the New Testament, attributing authorship has been debatable and difficult. But Revelation we can be sure of. We know it was John because of Latter-day scripture. 1 Nephi 14:18-27, Ether 4:16, and D&C 77 all help us to know that John did indeed write the Book of Revelation.
It was probably written around 80-100 AD while John was in exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea near Greece and modern-day Turkey. We know this because he tells us in 1:9.
Revelation was specifically written to the seven branches of the church in Asia Minor as he tells us in 1:11 but it’s intended audience far exceeds that limited scope. It was written for all believers in Christ, all those who look forward with hope to a day when wickedness will end, and Christ will reign on earth as it’s King and Redeemer. Even more importantly, I feel the Book of Revelation is especially applicable to us in the Latter days. As we near the coming millennium, what we read in this Book will help us to be prepared for this incredible event.
ICEBREAKER
I like to introduce the Book of Revelation with this interesting little video. I’ll provide a link to it for you in the video description below but take a minute to watch this and ask yourself, “Have you ever felt like this when studying the Book of Revelation?”
Watch video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w)
So what do you think? Did you catch any of that?
TRANSITION
And the reason I like this video as an introduction to The Book of Revelation is because I remember feeling just like that when I first tried to read it. I was like “What on earth is he talking about?! I felt like so much of his message was going right over my head. If you’ve felt that way in the past have no fear. There are a lot of things that have helped me to gain a better grasp of this book that I am going to pass on to you. And perhaps with a little bit of help, maybe you’ll come to love this book just as much as I do. And that’s probably why I love it so much, it took a lot of time and effort to really understand it. Like most things in life, that which we work hardest on, becomes most dear to us. I promise you that whatever effort you are willing to expend on seeking to understand this book, it will yield meaning to you fourfold. Eventually, you may come to the same conclusion Joseph Smith did about the Book of Revelation. He said:
“The book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written.”
Joseph Smith Jr.
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.290)
And to that you might respond with, “Well, yeah, he’s Joseph Smith”. But, you know what, after a deep study of this book of scripture, I agree with Joseph. I also feel that the Book of Revelation is one of the plainest books of scripture that we have, but I’ll give you my reason why a little later in the video.
The first thing I’d like you to do is see if you can find the 4 things that we need to do in order to be blessed by the Book of Revelation. Which is my desire for all of you out there. I want you to be blessed by this great book. John is going to tell you what you need to do. See if you can find what they are in Revelation 1:3. Although, you’re going to need to read it from the Joseph Smith Translation in order to get all four. You will find that account in the appendix of the Bible in the Joseph Smith translation lengthy excerpts section. You’ll find it just before the maps in your church editions of the scriptures.
And those four things are “Read, hear, understand, and keep” those things written therein. I think we can all handle the first step right? We can read it, but I think a lot of people stop right there. They just read it to get it done or they start reading and then give up when it gets too difficult. But hearing and understanding are a little more difficult. To hear I think suggests that we let the message penetrate us, that it actually sinks into the grey matter between our ears. John wants us to hear in such a way that we understand his message. And then we must be willing to keep what we have learned, to apply its message into our lives and make real life changes based on what we understand. This is the way that the Book of Revelation will bless you.
KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION
I want you to be blessed by Revelation, so my major goal is to help you to hear and understand what you are studying. Then you’ll have to decide whether you will go out and keep what you’ve studied. But in order for you to even begin to understand the Book of Revelation, you’re going to need a key. A key to understanding this fascinating book. And I don’t like to think of these study suggestions as 6 different keys because you need to use all of them in conjunction with each other to really understand the book. And that key has 6 different teeth on it. Each tooth will help us to unlock the meaning of the various passages found within the Book of Revelation. To help engage my students in this portion of the lesson, I like to give them the following handout which invites them to write down the 6 teeth of the key as we discuss them. Then, they can use that key as a kind of bookmark as they study Revelation and can refer to it often as they go. I suggest that you print it out on cardstock or some really sturdy paper.
#1 Use the Joseph Smith Translation. When Joseph was working through his inspired translation of the Bible, he made many significant changes to the Book of Revelation. In fact, about 20% of the Book of Revelation is different in the JST. So don’t ignore those changes. They make a huge difference in adding to our understanding.
#2 Use modern scripture. It’s important to remember that John is not the only prophet in the earth’s history to receive revelation concerning the latter days, the second coming, and the millennium. God has also shown other prophets similar visions and prophecies. As members of the restored church we have a distinct advantage in our ability to understand the Book of Revelation better than anybody else because we have modern scripture to help us. Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life, and Nephi’s subsequent visions can offer clarity to the symbols of Revelation as well as visions that were given to Enoch and Moses found in the Pearl of Great Price. A number of sections in the Doctrine and Covenants have many details to add to our understanding of the end times. Particular sections to be aware of include Doctrine and Covenants 88, 130, and Doctrine and Covenants 77 is actually a Q and A session with the prophet specifically addressing symbols that are found in Revelation.
#3 Know your Old Testament and look for allusions to it. The Old Testament is by far the biggest influence on the writings in Revelation. When John writes this book, he assumes that you already know your Daniel, your Ezekiel, your Isaiah, and Exodus. Almost every chapter of the Book of Revelation has some allusion to a story or teaching in the Old Testament. You aren’t really going to understand the concept of Armageddon if you haven’t read Ezekiel. You’re not going to understand the image of the “two witnesses” if you haven’t read Zechariah. And you aren’t going to get the allusions to Balaam and Balak if you don’t know the Book of Numbers. The better you know the Old Testament, the better you will understand Revelation. And if you don’t feel very confident in your grasp of the Old Testament then it’s best to keep your eye on the footnotes for Old Testament references, and then go there for additional insight and comprehension. Plus, don’t worry, I’ll help you out with some of those as well.
#4 Perhaps one of the most important. Read Revelation as poetry. Because that is what it is. It is Hebrew poetry. You can’t approach this book the same way that you would a newspaper, an internet article, or a novel even. It’s often more about feeling than telling. This is one of the very reasons people find the Book of Revelation so difficult. We’re not very used to reading serious poetry anymore. Revelation is much more Isaiah, than Doctrine and Covenants. It’s much more Shakespeare, than Hemmingway if you know what I mean. John is going to teach us with imagery, figurative language, and symbols. We have to be wary of reading too much literal fulfillment into his writing. Not that there aren't literal fulfillments to these prophecies, but certainly they all have some figurative meaning. I’d also like to add that I believe, personally, that John is describing exactly what he’s seeing when he writes. I’m not an advocate of the theory that he’s struggling to describe things from the modern world with which he’s unfamiliar. We want to be careful that we’re not making a similar mistake to the one Nicodemus did back in John 3. Jesus told him that he needed to be born again, to which Nicodemus responded, “How can a man be born when he is old, can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” to which I can just picture Jesus shaking his head and saying, “Really, Nicodemus, you really think that’s what I mean?” There are many examples of people in the Gospels taking Jesus literally, including the apostles. It took them awhile to figure out that Jesus, really likes symbolism and figurative language. Let’s keep that in mind as we study Revelation. And truly, I find that a figurative interpretation is almost always more insightful and helpful than any literal translation. So put on your poetry glasses, and set your prose glasses aside.
#5 Look for contrasts. In my last video I told you that John loved to teach in dichotomies. The Book of Revelation is probably the clearest example of this technique. Everything comes in twos. And you can learn a lot about one side of the pair by contrasting it with the other, and vice versa. Just like in his epistles, John is going to present the two kingdoms we have to choose from. We can choose the lamb, or the seven headed dragon, the bride of Christ, or the great whore, the New Jerusalem, or Babylon, the mark of the beast, or the seal of the living God. This is the reason why I think Joseph Smith said what he said about Revelation, that it was the plainest book. It’s not the plainest in its language, or its symbolism, or its interpretation. It is however, very plain in its message.
And that leads me to the 6th and final tooth in our key, and that is to seek the Spirit and look for the personal and spiritual message of the Book of Revelation. I don’t think that John’s primary purpose in Revelation was to prophesy about the future (although Revelation certainly does), but to help us make a choice. The emphasis is on living a better life rather than sensationalizing apocalyptic events. He will help us to make correct choices and better discern between good and evil. John will warn us about getting too comfortable with the world, but he also wants to offer us hope and encouragement. The Book of Revelation is not all doom and gloom, in fact, I would argue that there is far more hopeful imagery and inspiration than warning and destruction. And that’s what we should be looking for, that personal message for us. You can approach this book armed with scholarly volumes full of historical, linguistic, and cultural analysis and I’m sure it will enlighten and help you. But, if you study it with the Spirit, and an eye to its personal meaning for you, that’s when the Book of Revelation will really open up and its plain message will truly sink deep into your heart.
So with that key in mind, I feel you’ll be much better prepared to study and understand this great book. And you know what I would love to do, would be to just walk you through Revelation verse by verse, pointing out ideas and insights from each chapter. But, that’s not really the format of these videos. So we won’t be covering everything, and what’s worse, if you look at the calendar, if you are a Sunday school teacher, you are only going to get one opportunity to teach the entire Book of Revelation, which is really a shame. So you’re going to have to really just pick the stuff that you feel is most important to you. Maybe give them the suggestions on how to study it, then pick a chapter or two to zero in on. But, for personal and family study, you have 3 weeks, so I’ll do my best to make this useful to both Sunday school teachers and those who wish to dig deep into this fascinating book themselves.
REVELATION 1-ALPHA AND OMEGA
But let’s start in chapter 1, the theme of which is Jesus Christ. It’s a great chapter to practice using our key that we just reviewed. That is the major question to center your study around. What does this chapter teach you about Jesus Christ? I invite you to pause the video and read Revelation 1:5-20 marking everything you learn about our Savior. Each title and description and symbol is rich with meaning. I hope you’ll take the time to ponder each.
Now let me show you what I marked, and you can compare.
1:5 He is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead,(the first to be resurrected) the prince of the kings of the earth, he loved us, he washed us from our sins in his own blood.
1:6 He makes kings and priests, I believe this has reference to the fact that he creates other kings and priests. The word Melchizedek actually means king of righteousness. He intends to make royalty out of us. And you women are not left out, he can make queens and priestesses out of you as well. He is the ultimate Kingmaker and Queenmaker
1:7 He will return
1:8 He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I love that title for Jesus Christ. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. So it’s like saying he is the A-Z. I like to ask myself what Christ is the beginning of, and what he is the end of? He’s the beginning of hope, grace, love, salvation, and truth, and he is the end of sorrow, death, tears, sin, and darkness. He is the beginning and the end, and everything in between.
He is, was, and, is to come. He’s eternal, And he is the Almighty. He has all power.
And now let’s jump to vs. 12 to really get into some symbolism and figurative language. This is the opening vision of the Book of Revelation. What does this teach you about Jesus Christ. And I have a picture here of one artist’s depiction of this vision. It’s one of the famous woodcut depictions of Revelation created by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer. But there are many others out there. Better ones even. It’s just that this one is in the public domain, so I feel comfortable using it here. But if you want to have some fun or you want to spark some interest in your classes for the Book of Revelation, just do a google image search and you’ll find tons of interesting images.
But what is the first symbol we’re introduced to? Seven golden candlesticks. What do these represent? Well, perhaps the Lord understands that we might need a little help with interpreting his vision, so he tells us what they are in vs. 20. They represent the seven branches of the church that John is writing to. Why seven? Is this message just for them? Well, keep in mind that whenever numbers are used in Revelation, you should never take them at face value. The numbers are also symbolic. Seven is the number of completeness, wholeness, or perfection. There are seven days in a week, comprising the whole week. So if he is writing this message to the Seven churches, this probably means the message is to the whole church, the complete church, not just these particular seven. I suppose that includes us then, doesn’t it? Why candlesticks to represent the church? We are to stand out from the rest of the world and give light to it—to gleam as shining examples of Christ’s light and life-giving gospel. Like Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, “Ye are the light of the world . . . neither do men light a candle a place it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men. (Matthew 5:14-16) It’s a reminder of our duty to give direction, example, and truth to the rest of the world.
Why golden candlesticks? Because we are precious to Him. We are segullah, or a peculiar people to him.
Now think about this, where is Christ in relation to the golden candlesticks? Vs. 13, in the midst of them. This idea is repeated in Revelation 2:1 where he is described as walking in the midst of the candlesticks. Christ is with us. He’s not off in some remote corner of the universe, he’s not removed from the world, he’s not out there or even up there. He’s with us. That’s one of the symbols I love about the temple. If somebody asked me where Jesus lives, I could give them an actual address. His house is just up the street from me. If you are lucky enough to have a temple in your community, you can really appreciate that symbol. He lives with us, in our nations, in our communities. In our midst.
Now what about the actual description of the Savior in the vision. What do all these descriptions of his physical appearance have in common? He’s dressed in a “golden girdle”, Hair white like wool, as white as snow, flame of fire, fine brass tuned in a furnace, and from the end of verse 16, his countenance as the sun shineth in his strength. What do all of these symbols have in common. They all suggest purity and light. Christ was pure, and sinless, and full of light and truth.
I love the description of his voice. It was as the sound of many waters. What do you picture when I say the sound many waters? Maybe some of you will imagine a waterfall, a rushing river, or maybe the waves crashing at the beach of the ocean. Each of these images certainly embody the incredible power of the voice of the Great Jehovah. However, how do you feel when you hear these sounds of water, waves, and waterfalls? It makes you feel peaceful. It’s calming and soothing. Can you think of a better description of the voice of Christ? Powerful, yet peaceful.
He holds in his hand seven stars. What do they represent? He tells us in vs 20. They are the seven angels of the churches. But if you look in the footnotes you’ll see that the JST changes it to servants. So the stars are the leaders of the church. Why are stars a good symbol for our church leaders? What did they use stars for back then? Navigation. We too can successfully navigate the wilderness of life if we take our bearings from our stars. Remember parallel imagery, later in Revelation you’ll see that Satan has his stars as well, but they are falling stars, or if you remember from Jude last week, wandering stars. You can’t get your bearings from falling or wandering stars. Even today what do we call celebrities? Movie stars, Rock stars, and sports stars. We should be careful not to take our bearing from them, they aren’t constant and unchanging like the stars of God’s church. And where are those stars in relation to the savior? In his right hand. I know that when I served as Bishop, that was a really comforting verse to me. As a servant of one of his churches, I felt grateful and comforted to know that he was upholding and supporting me in his hand. I know I felt that sustaining hand and I’m very grateful for it.
What comes out of his mouth? A sharp two-edged sword. What could that mean? Well, what comes out of God’s mouth? His words. And this imagery is all over the scriptures, you see it come up many times in the Doctrine and Covenants. One example is Doctrine and Covenants 6:2
I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword.
God’s word is powerful and quick. It pierces hearts, and cutteth the guilty to the very center. It’s the weapon of the righteous who don the armor of God. It defends us from the temptations of the devil and cuts through the lies of the world. It’s a great symbol.
All of this power is a little overwhelming for John and he falls at his feet. But don’t you love this description in v. 17-18. He laid his right hand upon me saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last. Such tenderness in that image. That gentle hand on John’s back. Yes, Christ is powerful, and pure, but he’s loving. He cares about us as individuals. He’s there to comfort and console us. Remember that image for later in the Book of Revelation when things do seem to get a little scary. Don’t forget that loving, kind hand, and that powerful, peaceful voice saying, “Fear not.”
More highly important qualities of Jesus here in verse 18. I am he that liveth and was dead. I am alive forevermore. We could sing “I Know that My Redeemer Lives,” with that verse. And one final symbol, he has a set of keys in his hand. The keys of hell and death. Jesus truly holds the power over spiritual and physical death. He has opened a way for all of us to escape that prison of death and sin.
So, can you see why I love this book! It’ so fun! And that’s just what I got out of it. You may have gotten completely different messages from those symbols. That’s what’s so great about figurative language. It can teach many different things, to different people, at different times and all still be true. That’s how we study the Book of Revelation. And did you see how we used the different parts of the key in our study and how they added to our understanding? Now we just do that same kind of thing throughout the rest of this book.
REVELATION 2-3
Now chapters 2 and 3 are individual messages to given each of the seven churches. I’ll divide up the chapters for you here so that you can see each of the messages and the city to which it’s directed. But I’m not going to go over each of these in detail with you, but let me give at least give you a pattern to look for using the first city of Ephesus as an example. Each message seems to consist of the following steps:
1. Praise for the positive
2. Correction for the negative
3. Promises offered if the problems are overcome.
And you know, this actually isn’t a bad pattern for all of us to follow when dealing with the correction of those that we love. As Christ says in 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
But if were to focus on anything with you in these chapters, it’s the promises. They’re amazing. And there is an easy way to identify them. If you were teaching a class, a great activity would be to see who could find them first. They all begin with the phrase, “he that overcometh, OR to him that overcometh”. And then put together a huge list of all the things God promises to those who overcome the world.
So we have in 2:7
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (We’ve got parallels to Lehi and Nephi’s vision in that one. If you study the meaning and the description of the fruit in 1 Nephi, you’ll better understand the significance of that promise)
In 2:11
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (The second death would be spiritual death, or eternal separation from God. If we overcome the world, we won’t face that second death)
In 2:17
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. ( And when he says hidden manna, remember that manna was bread from heaven given to the children of Israel to sustain them on their journey to the promised land. They were instructed to gather it every day to nourish and feed them. That manna was a symbol. It represented the word of God, his truth. Check Deuteronomy 8:3 to see that. So when he promises us hidden manna, he means there will be truth and scripture that has been hidden from mankind up until then. Those that overcome will get to learn things that no man has ever comprehended before. The mysteries of God will be revealed to them!
The white stone with a new name written on it is talked about in Doctrine and Covenants 130:10-11. There we find out that this is a personal Urim and Thummim given to each inhabitant of the Celestial Kingdom. “Whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known.” So it’s a similar promise to the one concerning hidden manna. We will have the ability to know and understand things that we couldn’t have known before. Our own personal Urim and Thummim, which by the way means lights and perfections. This unique gift, whether literal or symbolic, will fill us with light and help to perfect us and our knowledge.
The promise in 2:26-28 has been changed considerably in the JST which I much prefer over the King James translation. Here’s how Joseph translated it:
26 And to him who overcometh, and keepeth my commandments unto the end, will I give power over many kingdoms;
27 And he shall rule them with the word of God; and they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands of a potter; and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice, even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
The Lord promises eternal dominion and authority where we govern with love, truth, and justice with Jesus Christ as our ultimate example of this kind of leadership. That’s who the morning star is according to Revelation 22:16. Another wonderful title for our Savior.
In 3:5
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
In 3:12
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
(What does it mean to go no more out? I think it means that the test will one day end. Mortality is not forever. There will come a time when we go no more out, to fight or be tested. If we have passed that test, the next life will be one of joy and rest. We won’t have to face pain, and temptation, and death anymore. The test will be over, and the holidays will begin! We’ll talk about the significance of the written name and the symbolism of that later)
And then finally 3:21
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Now just take a step back and look at all of those promises altogether. Which of the blessings on that list do you most look forward to and why? That might be a good discussion question to ask your classes.
And with that in mind, I love this quote from President Ezra Taft Benson
“I testify to you that God's pay is the best pay that this world or any other world knows anything about. And it comes in full abundance only to those who love the Lord and put Him first.”
Ezra Taft Benson
(The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 352).
There is one other set of verses in these chapters that I just can’t leave behind, and that is the imagery of the two doors in 3:8, and 3:20.
The first door in 3:8 is the Lord’s door. And how is it described? It’s an open door. It’s inviting, and welcoming, and open to anyone who wishes to come in. No matter who out there that wishes to close that door to you, it is impossible. No man can shut the door of God on you. God invites all to come unto him. Nobody who desires his kingdom will ever be shut out of it. You want God’s love, and guidance, and grace, and truth, just walk right through that door, and it will be yours.
The door in vs. 20 is a different door. It’s our door. The door to our lives and hearts. That’s a door that we do control and can be shut. But Christ doesn’t just wait behind his own open door, hoping that our needs will drive us to it, he comes actively pursuing us. He comes to invite us to open our door. Now he doesn’t pound on it demanding that we let him in, he doesn’t break it down. Instead, he stands there and gently knocks, calling us to let him in and to feast with him. And what a wonderful dinner guest he would be. And what a phenomenal feast. On what? I imagine the feast of his words, and love, and truth, and light. That door is our agency. How will you respond to the knocking? Will you let him in? I hope you will.
REVELATION 4-WHAT’S HEAVEN LIKE?
ICEBREAKER
Moving on to Chapter 4. I’ll start with a bit of a mid-lesson icebreaker question to have you ponder. How do you picture heaven? I might show them a few “heaven” comics to make the point that I think we sometimes are victim to the “cartoon” understanding of heaven. Is heaven really a place in the clouds where we fly around with wings and halos and play the harp for eternity? Uh, no. That’s just the cartoons. I’ll never forget a comment made by a young woman in one of my classes. She said, “I’m not sure I want to go to heaven. It sounds boring.” See, she thought that heaven would be like in the cartoons, or she thought it would be like going to Church for eternity. I tried to explain to her that nothing could be further from the truth and that heaven may be a lot of things, but it for sure won’t be boring.
TRANSITION
Well Revelation chapter 4 is John’s vision of heaven or the throne of God. And do you picture heaven like this at all? This is Albrecht Durer’s representation of what John saw as a vision of heaven. Probably not what you expected. BUT, remember, this is Revelation, so it’s symbolic. This isn’t what heaven is really like, but can teach us a lot about it.
SEARCH
So, now it’s your turn. We’re going to continue our symbol interpretation practice. This time I’m going to point out the symbols I want you to focus on and I want you to ask yourself what they could mean. I encourage you to use Doctrine and Covenants 77 for some help. The big question here is “What is heaven like?” Try pausing the video and reading it on your own before listening to my thoughts on it. It’s only 11 verses long and I think it will give you some good poetic practice.
So here are the specific symbols I want you to try on for size:
Why precious stones?(Jasper, sardine stone, emerald)
Why a rainbow around his throne?
Who are the 24 elders?
What about the “sea of glass” like “crystal”?
What do these beasts mean? Are there really animals like that in heaven?
Well here are my thoughts, keep in mind, these are just my interpretations, not the interpretations. You may have gotten something completely different.
So why precious stones? What does that tell us about heaven? Gemstones have great worth. Our celestial reward will be worth the sacrifices and efforts we expend in which to obtain it.
Why a rainbow? God is always associated with light. And a rainbow is light in its most beautiful manifestation. Light and truth are synonymous in the scriptures. Heaven reflects and radiates God’s beautiful light. The rainbow is also a symbol of mercy in the scripture. Think Noah and the Ark. The rainbow was a sign that the flood and storm was over, and God’s beautiful mercy was bending back to earth after the darkness. Heaven is a place of mercy.
Who are the 24 elders?
Doctrine and Covenants 77 tells us that they are faithful members of the church. So who will we see in heaven? The faithful. People we know who lived good lives but are now gone. Heaven will be a place where we reunite with the righteous people of the earth.
What about the sea of glass like crystal? Doctrine and Covenants 77 tells us that it is the earth in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state. This earth will one day become the Celestial Kingdom. It will become heaven. I don’t think this means that heaven will be like living on a giant crystal ball. Remember symbolism. Crystal is see through. It has nothing to hide. There are no mysteries hiding within. Heaven will be a place where things are no longer hidden to us. We will understand it all. Crystal is also strong and doesn’t decay. Heaven will be eternal as well. Crystal is pure, the Celestial kingdom will be pure, as well as those who inhabit it.
What about these four strange beasts with wings and many eyes. Here’s how they’re described:
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Sounds like something from a horror movie right? Is that what lives in heaven? No.
Doctrine and Covenants 77 tells us that they are (there’s that key word again) figurative expressions. They teach us something about the kind of beings and creatures that live there.
They represent the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air”.
Why the wings and eyes? They are a representation of light and knowledge, that is they are full of knowledge and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act. etc. So don’t get to wrapped up in the image of the beasts themselves, but keep in mind what they represent—glorified, happy, powerful, and intelligent beings and creatures in God’s kingdom.
So does that give you a better understanding of what heaven is like? It is a place of light and beauty, where we enjoy the presence of God and other exalted people, glorified animals all living in sanctified world. It makes sense that they would say in vs. 8 “holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty which was, and is, and is to come.” Do you see what I meant earlier by Revelation being a book of hope and encouragement? He has given us a clear understanding of the rewards and blessings available to the righteous. Before he dives into the more foreboding things, he wants us to really grasp what’s at stake.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What aspect of heaven from John’s vision do you most look forward to?
REVELATION 5-6
These last two chapters we are going to cover in this video, 5 and 6, we’re going to approach as an activity. I call it a Symbolism hunt. I’ve found this works particularly well with youth but I’m sure adults would enjoy it too. It also really helps those who are not as familiar with the language of symbolism. Here’s how it works. I’ll display up on the board a verse with a symbol in it, then I’ll show you a list of different possible interpretations of that symbol. Your job will be to identify which one is the best match. What I do with this kind of thing is divide my class up into teams, give them a small whiteboard to write on, and then give a point to the team that can identify the correct interpretation first. One word of caution, some of these interpretations are my personal view and other interpretations are certainly available. But I feel pretty good about each of them as possible interpretations, remembering that I favor the figurative over the literal. Between each round, you can take the time to discuss each of the symbols and still get a generally good flow of the narrative.
So here we go.
The first thing John sees in 5:1 is a book sealed on the back with seven seals. And a book in this case actually refers to a scroll. Back then important messages were wrapped in these seals, and only someone that was authorized to break those seals was supposed to be able to open it and read that message. If that seal was broken, then you knew that someone unauthorized had opened the message. What does that represent?
The answer is J
The history of the world.
We know this for sure because of Doctrine and Covenants 77:6
Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.
What do each of the seals themselves represent?
The answer is N, 1000 year.
And we know this because of D&C 77:7 which says:
Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?
A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.
And a quick reminder here. Remember that you should not take numbers in the Book of Revelation at face value. They too are symbolic. Remember 7 is a number of completeness, or to represent the whole. I don’t we should take this literally that the earth’s temporal existence is or will be 7000 years, or that we could use this number to try and pinpoint an exact date for the return of Christ. John is simply dividing the earth’s history up into different periods, or perhaps even dispensations. Each of the seals are going to be opened, and once the seventh seal is opened, the return of the Savior begins.
In the next couple of verses an angel asks who is worthy to open the seals, and John is distraught to discover that no man is, which causes him to weep. And it’s not because he was so curious to see what the scroll said but because God’s will and works cannot be accomplished. And we know that God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. How is that to be accomplished? He doesn’t weep for long, because the angel reveals that there is somebody that can open the seals. And this is our next symbol. The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, and the Lamb as it had been slain with (Joseph changes the number) 12 horns, and 12 eyes.
Who does this represent?
And the answer is K
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is both the lion and the lamb. A slain lamb. A beautiful symbol of Christ’s atonement and sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the individual that made God’s work and glory possible through the power of his atonement. That is why they sing the new song in vs. 9-10:
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
And I would ask you to consider your feelings about the atonement here. Does the atonement of Christ make you sing? Do you rejoice over its power? What song would you sing? How Great thou Art? I Believe in Christ? I Stand all Amazed? The Atonement causes us to sing out with joy and praise that through it, God’s work and glory can be fulfilled.
The next symbol is related. Why 12 horns and 12 eyes on the lamb?
The answer is D, the 12 apostles
The key is in the number 12 and the answer is in the verse itself. “Which are the 12 servants of God sent forth into all the earth.
Why are horns and eyes a good symbol for Christ’s prophets and apostles?
Horns represented power in John’s day. A horn is an extension of an animals power. Like a tool or a weapon. The head moves and the horns act in unison with it. Just like the apostles to Christ. Christ is the head of the church, and the apostles an extension of his power. And eyes make sense. Prophets are also known as seers. Men who see things that we can’t. They see the future, they see hidden truths, they see coming problems, they see the path through the darkness. They are also called revelators. They reveal what they see.
That gets us through chapter 5, now moving on to chapter 6 where the lamb walks over to the book and starts to break the seals enclosing it. He breaks the first symbol and out comes a man on a white horse. Now a quick heads up here. The first four seals represent the time period before Johns day, and they are often referred to as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. A lot has been written about how each horse could represent some event in the first thousand years and that is a very good interpretation and offers insight. But I’m going to take a more figurative and generalized approach and say that they are representative of a general “history of man”. That these events have occurred throughout the history of the world. It’s the sad state of affairs of life in mortality. With that in mind. What could the first horseman on the white horse represent in 6:2?
And the answer is E. Nations ambitious to conquer one another. That’s very descriptive of much of this world’s history. Tribes, nations, empires seeking to conquer other tribes, nations, and empires. You see at the end of vs 2 that this is the riders desire. And he wears a crown on his head. A symbol of power over others.
Then the second horseman in vs.4. What could he represent?
The answer is L. War
He takes peace, they kill one another, and he has a great sword in his hand.
The third horseman in vs. 5-6 riding a black horse?
The answer is H
Famine
Balances back then were used for measuring out food. The prices the horseman is calling out are very expensive. A penny was a full day’s worth of work, and a measure is not much. Only 2 pints. This would be representative of a time of famine.
6:7-8 The fourth horseman is on a pale horse, which actually, the Greek word suggests green. But not a vibrant, lively green, but a sickly green. An unhealthy green. What does he represent?
The answer is A—Death and Disease
And you can see how all four horsemen are related. The desire for power and conquering leads to war, which always leads to hunger and death. And you can see these interpretations at the end of vs. 8.
And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, the red horse, and with hunger the black horse, and with death, the pale horse, and the beasts of the earth, I would say the white horse is the connection there because animals were often used to represent nations in the scriptures. These nations seek to conquer and dominate each other. If you are interested you can check out that imagery in Daniel 7.
If you’re wondering about the different colors, an interesting fact here. Back in ancient times, the four points of the compass were represented by different colors. And what were those four colors? Red, black, green, and white. So the four horsemen being different colors could be sending the message that these kinds of things spread in every direction and all points of the globe. They will cover the earth.
Then the fifth seal in 6:9 Souls of them that had been slain for the word of God.
The answer is G.
They are martyrs. All those who have died for their testimony. People like Abinadi, Stephen, all the early apostles excluding John, Joseph Smith, and Hyrum. All these individuals gave their lives for the gospel. All those that have died for their testimonies.
Now moving on to the 6th seal. Which would represent our day. The last days. Because once the 7th seal is broken, the scroll opens up and we have the return of Christ.
Starting with vs. 12 The seal is opened and there is an earthquake. Now here is where almost everyone starts to go literal in interpretation. We start to check the Richter scale reports. Are earthquakes increasing in frequency and intensity? I believe they are. But could there be another interpretation to this? A poetic one. What might a great earthquake in the latter days represent?
The answer is I. Unstable and uncertain times where things fall apart (Standards, morals, marriages, families, governments). I don’t think we need to be checking the Richter scale as much as the news. Our world is in commotion. There is a lot of instability in our world. What makes an earthquake dangerous? Things falling. If you’re out in the middle of an open field, an earthquake isn’t that dangerous, you’d just enjoy the ride. But if you’re inside, or in the city, things falling is the major danger. The last days are times of great instability. Morally, we are on shaky ground. Standards are falling, morals are falling, marriages and families are crumbling. Governments are falling. I would say that right now we are in the midst of the great earthquake.
I’ll put the next three symbols together. The sun becomes as sackcloth of ashes, the moon as blood and the stars are falling from the heaven. Again, I want to take the poetic approach. Do we only look for the fulfillment of this prophecy in the smoke from terrorist attacks, fires, or potential nuclear fallout? Which all could be fulfillments of this prophecy, but what else could it mean?
The answer is C. Spiritual darkness of the last days
What John has done in this prophecy is take out each of the three major sources of light in his day. If you were standing outside and the sun turned black, then the moon a dark red, then the stars started to fall you would notice that is has gotten very dark. What’s he saying about the last days? They are times of great darkness. The light of the Spirit, of truth, of love begins to wax dim in the last days. Remember that stars were used for navigation. The stars falling from the sky would cause people to get lost. We live in dark times where many are getting lost.
Next 6:14 The mountains and the islands moving out of their places.
The answer is B. There will no “safe” places for the wicked to flee to. Nobody can defend themselves from God’s wrath and from the destruction that comes to the wicked. Back in John’s day, mountains and islands were places of safety. Castles and fortresses were often built on mountains or on islands. That’s why they put moats around castles, to kind of make an artificial island. Much harder to attack. What’s he saying about the last days? There will be nowhere to run to. If you are wicked, there will be no places of safety to protect you from the wrath of God. That’s why in the next couple of verses it says that they’re wishing that the mountains and the rocks would fall on them to hide them from the wrath of God.
Finally the last one 6:17
The answer F.
This is not a symbol but a very important verse to consider. This is the most important question in the Book of Revelation. Who shall be able to stand? In this world of war and famine, and disease, and darkness, and instability, and stars falling and mountains and islands fleeing, who shall be able to stand in times like that? And I’m happy to tell you, that there is a way to stand in the latter days. That there will be people that can stand in those kinds of conditions. There are going to be some places of safety offered.
And that question is going to be answered in the next chapter. So that is where we will pick it up in the next video. So I’m leaving you on a bit of a cliffhanger here. Next week, we’re going to find out who will be able to stand in the unstable, dark times of the latter-days.
