The old testament in the book of revelation

The book of revelation was written sometime around 96 ce in asia minor. The use of old testament in the book of revelation rizalde. Revelation and the old testament apologetics press. Part onethe interpretation of revelation why study the book of revelation. So anyone can see that revelation is founded upon the old testament more than any other new testament book. The following is a list of such references, but it makes no claim to being exhaustive or complete. Journal for the study of the new testament supplement series, 115. The use of the old testament in the book of revelation. The apocalyptic book of revelation is a symbolic glimpse. The book of revelations is primarily a literary rather than an oral formthe apocalypse was circulated. According to the book of revelation, the day that the old testament foresaw is already here.

Specifically, the ways in which john in the book of revelation viewed christology through the greek septuagint and the hebrew scriptures are explored. In fact, of the 39 old testament books, one writer has found that revelation alludes to 24 of them. The kingdom was the high point of old testament prophecy and no prophet ever saw anything beyond that. Revelation, apocalyptic writing and the old testament. Enduring word bible commentary revelation chapter 1. The church is now a kingdom of priests that reigns over the earth. Revelation interprets the old testament in a way that is almost contradictory to the jewish apocalyptic writings. By the time the writings that are now included in the new testament. The word apocalypse has been borrowed from the book of revelation and applied to these other writings. The policy of toleration followed by the ptolemies. Apologetics press revelation and the old testament. It was popular to see jesus and the earliest christians as a continuation of the old testament prophets and standing apart from the apocalyptic tradition see. The author uses the number seven, for example, in a symbolic sense to signify totality or perfection.

The book of revelation is a surprisingly practical book. Porter concurred, the book of revelation is replete with allusions to the ot. Although christ is clearly the central figure of revelation, an understanding of the text presupposes familiarity with old testament language and concepts, especially those taken from the books of daniel and ezekiel. When john wrote the book of revelation in the latter part of the first century a. Revelation, apocalyptic writing and the old testament grace. The old testament in the book of revelation the library. The book of revelation has no direct quotations from the old testament, but it has about 550 references back to the old testament. The use of old testament in the book of revelation. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very. Of the 404 verses in the book of revelation, seemingly 278 of them make some allusion to the old testament. Scripture as divine revelation the gospel coalition. Old testament references in the book of revelation by. Unity and separation of jesus and the father in the book. But the high point of new testament prophecy is the eternal order, and revelation 21 and 22 provide new information as they describe this order.

So the book of revelation in the new testament is really just one book of revelation among several, but the other books didnt make it. It is an undisputable fact that john, the author of revelation makes allusions to the old testament writings. This book explores the variety of ways john contextually uses the old testament in the apocalypse. The second is a 38 page article on the bearing of the old testament on the interpretation of the millennium in revelation 20. Ranko stefanofic observes that out of 404 verses in revelation, 278 contain references or allusions, direct or indirect, to the old testament. Five strategies for reading revelation podcast bibleproject. Principles and criteria for the use of the old testament in the book. Johns use of the old testament in revelation by gregory k. The nature of the collection means that this is not a comprehensive account of johns use of the ot, despite its 443 pages. The majority of the things found in the first twenty chapters of the book of revelation are found elsewhere in the old testament. Mounce, the book of revelation, the new international commentary on the new testament grand rapids, mi. That makes about ten old testament references for every chapter. Theology of the book of revelation new testament theology. The book of revelation was written to seven churches as both encouragement and challenge.

The old testament in the book of revelation ebook written by steve moyise. Tenney, for example, identified 348 clear old testament references in the book of revelation. Most of its chapters 17, 1127 consist of gods speeches to moses, in which he is commanded to repeat to the israelites. It is the only book of the new testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical. On the other hand, the king james study bible stated, of the 404 verses in the book revelation, 265 verses contain lines that allude to some 550 old testament references 1979. The revelation of john is the one book in the new testament that claims john as its author. Ptolemy philadephus, his successor, the jews were treated favorably. This collection sheds new light on the often mysterious apocalypse through a careful study of johns use of the old testament. He was an exile on the isle of patmos and was writing a scroll addressed to seven branches of the church on the western side of what we today. The book of revelation is rooted in the old testament. Allusions in the book of revelation to the old testament. And some of these verses contain two, or even three, allusions to the old testament. Scripture is the written form of gods special revelation for his people, both the old testament and the new testament, which provides them with an enduring, permanent witness through which the spirit brings them into union with the resurrected and ascended christ.

Revelation to john, last book of the new testament. The book of revelation has long been one of the bibles most difficult books to grasp. The old testament in the book of revelation paperback january 1, 1984 by ferrell jenkins author 5. In a sense, we can view those writings as a challenge to the church and revelation as the rebuttal. Old testament allusions in revelation 12 in part four 36. The book of revelation uses many symbols, which has led to two. The author argues that john in revelation interpreted lord in the old testament to be jesus, god in the old testament to be the father, and lord god to represent the unity of. The introduction surveys and evaluates recent studies, which have been divided over the issue of whether or not john uses the old testament with sensitivity to its original literary context beale, fekkes and bauckham argue in the affirmative, while ruiz and moyise contend that this was not john.

Surveying a range of modern perspectives on johns treatment of the hebrew bible, these volumes provide everything you need to make informed decisions about how to interpret. Book of revelation and the old testament interview on non. The book of revelation, by the old testament and the new testament essay. The book of revelation, by the old testament and the new. The book of revelation does not quote the old testament directly, but a. Reading revelation in light of the old testament 1517. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the old testament in the book of revelation. He comments that the prophecies of revelation are especially built on the greatest and key events from sacred history. It is a book that prophesies about the signs pointing to the worlds conditions just before the return of jesus chris, and how each stage prepares for this up. Founder and director of ariel ministries there are over five hundred references to the old testament in the book of revelation. The old testament and the book of revelation, part. Pdf the use of the old testament in the book of revelation.

Steve moyise is visiting professor at newman university, uk and author of the old testament in the book of revelation sheffield, 1995 and the old testament in the. Understanding images and symbols in the book of revelation. The revelation of jesus christ is a book of prophecy on the end times and comprises the final book of the new testament and of the bible. The destruction of pompeii and the new testament book of. There are other connections to old testament apocalyptic.

The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major prophetic books in the old testament, following isaiah and jeremiah. The old testament in the book of revelation the library of new. Matthew phelps discusses the liturgical feasts of the old testament in this first of three talks from our turning to gods word retreat of july, 2017 at conc. The book of revelation brings together in one place a. Table of contents acknowledgments foreword homer hailey preface the old testament background of the book of revelation the number and analysis of old testament quotations the text used in the old testament allusions the purpose of the old testament allusions the place of the book of revelation in apocalyptic literature the times in which apocalyptic grew apocalyptic a reinterpretation. In writing revelation, john follows the pattern that was used in older apocalyptic writings in the old testament such as the book of daniel in the old testament, 1 esdras in the apocrypha, the book of enoch in the pseudepigrapha, the assumption of moses, and many other well known writings, including sections of the book of ezekiel in the old.

The author was probably a christian from ephesus known as john the elder. The book of revelation is conceivably the most fascinating of all the books in the bible. The book of leviticus is the third book of the torah and of the old testament. Does the book of revelation predict the present crisis. A pause a long and distinct pause would add emphasis to that monumental revelation. Certainly then, by having a good knowledge of the old testament, and especially such books as isaiah, ezekiel, daniel, and zechariah, one likely will have an easier time understanding the book of revelation. The old testament in the book of revelation by steve. Is there any book of the bible that sparks as much controversy and confusion as the book of revelation. It contains more than 500 allusions to the old testament, and 278 of the 404 verses in revelation that is almost 70% make some reference to the old testament. Editor of reading the book of revelation wilsons charts on the book of revelation synthesizes an enormous amount of material relevant to the study of the revelation of john and makes it available in a clear, useful, and unusual format for students of the bible.

The old testament in the book of revelation the library of new testament studies moyise, steve on. One man saw 235 references in revelation from the writings of the prophets. The old testament in the book of revelation the library of. Johns use of the old testament in revelation, jsnts 166. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. The book of revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian. In the 404 verses of the book of revelation, it has several hundred allusions and verbal parallels to the old testament, more than any other new testament book. It was during this time that the septuagint greek old testament was authorized. An apocalyptic letter, it relies on visions, symbols, and old testament references to reveal the ultimate fulfillment of gods promise given to abraham in genesis. Old testament pdfs discover the book of revelation.