Eschatology, like most -ologies in Christianity, is a debate filled subject. The Book of Revelation is key to the debate. Three main ways of reading it have taken over:
1) Interpret it as literally as possible
2) Spiritualize the text
3) Read it as fulfilled history, written by guys who feared the Roman government so cloak their meaning in allegory
I go with number one here. When we look through Bible prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming they are fulfilled literally. He was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. He rode in on a donkey. He was wounded, hands and feet pierced, buried with transgressors, etc.
This is a sufficient enough key for me to read other prophecies as literally as possible as well.
Scholarly types like to bash this form of interpretation. It’s too simplistic, you have to be a dolt to believe that. Fine with me (see 1 Corinthians 1-3).
Recently I heard one of these scholarly types bashing the literal interpretation of Revelation 1:7, which says in part, “7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” The “scholar” proceeded to say something along these lines with the accompanying guffaws:
“Some morons actually think Jesus is going to drop out of the sky! He’s going to hover down on a cloud elevator.” Oh, hahahaha, that’s so funny! Stop it man, you’re killing me!
My words will not change his mind, nor your mind if you agree with his take, but allow me to quote some Scripture to aid the understanding. If you have a problem with Scripture, you can take that up with God. I didn’t write the Book, I just read it.
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
I agree with you Jeff, Acts 1: 10-11 certainly would lead us to think He is returning in the same manner that He ascended. What was this “scholar’s” take on Christ’s return, how does he interpret this verse?
I can’t recall his exact interpretation but he viewed anything having to do with the sky as apocolyptic imagery, stuff that set a mood rather than described actual events. He saw Revelation as past history, so whatever Christ coming in the clouds was, it’s already been done. I believe it was along the lines of clouds represent God’s glory, it’s just a metaphor for the glory of Christ.
I agree with a literal interpretation, provided it compares “spiritual things with spiritual”, as the apostle said the Bible should be interpreted.
For example, one could conclude that Israel is always the nation of physical Jews. That would be a kind of literal interpretation, but it is carnal, because it only looks at fleshly qualifications and inheritance. A spiritual interpretation would be that “in Isaac thy seed shall be called.” Or, true Israel is always those who are called by God to do His work.
The book of Revelation itself refers to “spiritual Egypt and Sodom” (Rev. 11:8). Whenever it mentions the temple, it refers to the heavenly temple, not the earthly. Whenever it mentions Jerusalem, it always refers to the heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly. And therefore whenever it mentions Jews, or Israel, it refers to spiritual Israel. These are still literal, actual things…but they are identified by their spiritual qualifications, not by “the law of a carnal commandment.”
In order to identify Jesus as the Messiah, you would also have had to use this kind of interpretation. For example:
Isa. 40:1, 2 – “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished.”
The Jews, interpreting this literally (but according to a carnal understanding), would have said, “Aha! See, the Messiah will end our warfare with the Romans, by giving us victory over them!” But it was referring to the warfare against Satan and sin.
Here’s another example:
Isa. 61:1-4 – “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to…proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound…and the day of vengeance of our God…and they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Here again, the average Jew would have said, “Aha! Messiah will free us from the captivity to the Romans, and take us (literally) out of their prisons…He will build up our cities!” How many cities did Jesus build? Are you sure He was the Messiah?! Here again, literally fulfilled, but not carnally. The Jews who believed were freed from the captivity of sin, and taken out of the prison house of spiritual death and bondage. The cities were repaired by putting spiritual people in them, who are the “salt of the earth” and act to preserve and build up the people they have contact with. Literally fulfilled, but not carnally.
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” 1 Cor. 2:13
Literal interpretation is good unless the text demonstrates that it is figurative. Jesus standing among the lamp stands is figurative. Jesus being born by a woman with the sun, moon and stars over her head is figurative. A beast spewing water out of its mouth and the woman hiding in the wilderness is figurative. The devil being bound by a chain is figurative. And the list goes on and on in the Book of Revelation.