Pattern Recognition in the Apocalypse

697 Pages·2017·12.49 MB·English

Pattern Recognition in the Apocalypse
A commentary on Revelation

Paulus Wyns
Dedicated to Richard D
For his unstinting support
and encouragement.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,
Give me the little book.
And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up……

Biblaridion Media
© Paulus Wyns
2018
Website: {HYPERLINK "http://www.biblaridion.info"}
Table of Contents

Preface i-ii
Chapter 1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ 1-2
Daniel and the Apocalypse 3-6
Hebrews and the Apocalypse 7-8
Tripartite Prophetic Formula? 9
Who are the Servants? 10
The Faithful Witness 11
Isaiah 30 and Revelation 1 12
The Setting - the Day of Atonement 13-14
How do we obtain the blessing? 15-16
The Seven Churches 17-18
The Location of the Churches 19
Conclusion 20
Appendix 21
End Notes Chapter 1
Chapter 2 & 3
Structure of the Messages 22
Jews, Christians and Seven Letters to Seven Churches 23-24
God Fearers 25
The Jews of Asia Minor 26
Gentile Benefactors 27-28
Map of the Seven Churches and Akmonia 29
Sardis 30-31
Synagogue Locations 32
The Most-High God 33
Jews, Christians and the Imperial Cult 34-39
The Seven Letters 40-41
Smyrna -The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews 42
Ephesus; Remove the Lamp-stand 43-45
Pergamum and the doctrine of Balaam 46-47
Thyatira- Jezebel 48-49
Pergamon – Satan’s throne 50
Objections Considered 51-53
Further considerations and resources 54-55
The Seven churches in the Olivet Prophecy 56-58
Conclusion 59
End Notes Chapter 2 & 3
Chapter 4

A Door was Opened 60-62
The One on the Throne 63-64
The throne scene and Daniel 65
Twenty four elders and seven spirits 66
The glassy sea 67
The four beasts 68
The Temple and the Tabernacle 69
End Notes Chapter 4
Chapter 5

The Scroll 70-71
The Challenge to open the scroll 72
No one worthy 73-74
The implications of the vision 75
The book of life? 76-80
A New Song 81-82
End Notes Chapter 5
Chapter 6

The Four Horsemen - The White horse 83-85
Second Seal - The Red horse 86-87
Third Seal - The Black horse 88-89
Fourth Seal - The Pale horse 90-91
Fifth Seal - Slain under the altar 92-95
Sixth Seal - The Great Earthquake 96-98
The History of the Jewish War 99-102
Portents of Destruction 103
Conclusion and Summary 104-105
Appendix Chronology of the Jewish War, 66-70 CE 106-108
End Notes Chapter 6
Chapter 7

The 144,000 109-112
Bar Kochba 113-114
The Land (Earth) is Israel 115-116
The Sealing 117
The Twelve Tribes 118-120
The Great Multitude 121-123
The Doxology 124
The Great Tribulation 125-126
The service and the bliss of the Blessed 127-129
Conclusion 130-131
End Notes Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Historical background of the Trumpets 132-133
Already/Not yet 134
The Trumpets and Babylon 135-136
Patterns and more Patterns 137-138
Bar Kochba and the Rabbinical Calendar 139-143
Nero or Bar Kochba as 666? 144-147
Amos and the Temple 148-149
A half hour silence in heaven 150-153
Appendix on Amos 5.26-27 and Acts 7.43 154-155
Appendix on Star names 156-157
End Notes Chapter 8
Chapter 9

First Trumpet 158-160
Second Trumpet 161-164
Third Trumpet 165-166
Fourth Trumpet 167-168
Fifth and Sixth Trumpet 169-172
End Notes Chapter 9
Chapter 10

The Rainbow Angel 173
The perspective of John 174-175
Seal up…..write not (Rev 10.4) 176-177
Seven Voices 178-180
The mighty angel (Rev 10.1) 181-183

The little book (Rev 10.2) 184-187
Seven Thunders(Rev 10.3-4) 188-189
The Oath (Rev 10.5-6) 190-192
The mystery finished (Rev 10.7) 193
Commission to witness (Rev 10.8-11) 194-195
End Notes Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Temple Theology 196-200
The Temple in Rev 11v.1-2 201-203
The book of Maccabees and Rev 11 204-208
Measuring the worshipers (Rev 11.1b) 209-210
Implications of Rev 11.1-2 for dating 211-213
Influence of Rev 11.1-2 on interpretation 214
Rebuilding the Temple 215
Who are the two witnesses? 216
History of Interpretation 217-218
Witnessing proto-types 219-220
The qualifications of John the Baptist 221-224
The unity of the Two Witnesses 225-230
Are the Jews the witnesses? 231-233
Great Earthquake (Rev 11.13) 234
The Great City (Rev 11.8) 235-237
Witnessing archetypes 238
Conclusions 239-241
Appendix: Notes on Isaiah 30.13-14 242
End Notes Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Birth Pangs of the Messiah 243
A woman in Labour 244
A great wonder in heaven (Rev 12.2) 245-246
A great red Dragon (Rev 12.3) 247
The Herodian dynasty and the church 248-249
Seven crowns 250
The Olivet Prophecy 251
Psalm 2 and Revelation 12 252-254
War in heaven (Rev 12.7-12) 255-257
Zechariah-Jude -Revelation 258-260
The cross and the devil 261-263
End Notes Chapter 12
Chapter 13

Who is like unto the beast? 264-269
The false religious system 270-272
Babylon the Great (Rev 13.3) 273
The morphing of the beasts 274
War with the saints (Rev 13.7-8) 275-277
The False Messiah (Rev 13.11-12) 278-279
Great Wonders (Rev 13.13-15) 280-284
Blasphemy (13.6) 285
Extent of the Bar Kokhba revolt 286
The Book of life (Rev 13.8-9) 287
Killing with the sword (Rev 13.10) 288
And his number is 666 289-291
Conclusion 292
End Notes Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Seven thunders 293
National death and the passion 294-295
Without Guile verses Son of a deceiver 296-298
Bar Kochba and Revelation 14 299-300
Rabbinical accounts and the trumpets 301-302
A banquet of consequences 303
End Notes Chapter 14
Chapter 15

Structure of Revelation 15 304-308
Seven angels with seven plagues (Rev 15.1) 309-310
The conquerors (Rev 15.2) 311
Song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev 15.3-4) 312
The plague vials given (Rev 15.5-7) 315-316
Day of Atonement (Rev 15.8) 317
End Notes Chapter 15
Chapter 16

The wrath of God -Seven Plagues 318-320
Pour out the vials (Rev 16.1) 321-322
Pour out the vials (Rev 16.1) 323-325
The Second Plague (Rev 16.3) 326-327
The Third Plague (Rev 16.4-7) 328-329
The Fourth Plague (Rev 16.8-9) 330
The Fifth Plague (Rev 16.10-11) 331-332
The Sixth Plague (Rev 16.12-14) 333-338
Summary of first six plagues 339-340
Sequence of events 341-343
The Seventh plague- Armageddon (Rev 16.15-21) 344-345
The battle of that great day of God Almighty (Rev 16.14) 346-349
Armageddon 350-353
The aftermath of Holy War 354-355
Appendix on Psalm 79 356-357
Old Testament and Extrabiblical Literature 358
End Notes Chapter 16
Chapter 17

The Great Harlot 359
The structure of Revelation 17 360-363
Seven Kings (Rev 17.10a) 364
The Other King (Rev 17.10b) 365
Polyvalent Symbols 366-371
The eighth (Rev 17.11) 372-373
Phases of the Beast 374-382
The Harlot and Jezebel 383
I wondered with great admiration (Rev 17.6) 384
The Ten Kings (Rev 17.12-13) 385-386
War with the Lamb (Rev 17.14) 387
The Harlot Destroyed (Rev 17.15-18) 388
Conclusion 389
Biography of the beast Bio
End Notes Chapter 17
Chapter 18

The lament for Babylon 390
The meaning of the city 391-392
Mammon 393-399
The structure of Revelation 18 400-401
Allusions to ancient cities 402-404
The Glory returns (Rev 18.1-2) 405
Come out of her my people (Rev 18.3-4) 406-407
I sit a queen, and am no widow (Rev 18.5-7) 408-409
The hour of judgement (Rev 18.8-10) 410
The merchants weep (Rev 18.11-13) 411-412
The desire of your soul (Rev 18.14-16) 413-414
Such great riches come to nought (Rev 18.17-19) 415-416
Rejoicing in heaven (Rev 18.20) 417-418
Babylon to sink like a millstone (Rev 18.21) 419
No more at all (Rev 18.22-11) 420
Blood guilt (Rev 18.24) 421
Conclusion 422-423
End Notes Chapter 18
Chapter 19

Revelation 19 and Ezekiel 424-426
It is done (Ezek 39.8) 427-430
Analysis of Ezekiel 38 431-434
Seventy nations 435-437
Ezekiel 38 and Deuteronomy 32 438-439
Analysis of Rev 19 440-443
Conclusion 444-445
End Notes Chapter 19
Chapter 20-22

Where is the temple? (Rev 21.22-26) 447
No more Sea (Rev 20.13-21.1) 448
Inside and outside the kingdom 449
Gen 15.18 and the city of God 450-451
The Lord is there 452-453
Surely, I come quickly (Rev 22.20-21) 454
End Notes Chapter 20-22
Conclusion
455-457
Overview 458-459
Calculating dates 460
Day of Atonement War 461-462
Things hereafter 463
Jewish influence 464
Some History 465-466
Turning Points 467
The role of Islam at the end 468
Reconstructing the temple 469
End Notes Conclusion
Digressions

Feasts of the Apocalypse - Digression 1 1-12
Dating Matters - Digression 2 13-37
The Tribal blessings - Digression 3 38-65
The Zodiac and the tribes- Digression 4 66-79
Babylonian Rabbanism - Digression 5 80-98
The Post 70 CE history of the Jews - Digression 6 99-114
The Book of Malachi - Digression 7 115-131
Jewish-Christians in the period 70 CE-135 CE - Digression 8 132-166
Jude and the body of Moses - Digression 9 167-171
Dynasty Dates - Digression 10 172-174