The first symbolic figure is the author himself, John. He certainly was called John and he was in Patmos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey. The main question about him is whether he was the same person as the John the Apostle or John the Evangelist, the writer of the fourth gospel. Why did God pick him for all these visions and revelations? Did he record them correctly? He was a human Christian follower of Jesus Christ. Does he represent all Christians? Was this only meant for the seven Asian or Turkish churches? With symbolism, there is no easy answer. Quite often, there are multiple answers or indications with this symbolic John. What do you know about John of Patmos?
Letter to the Romans
Millennialism
There also the problem of millennialism. Those who were around in the year 2000 probably experienced some of this hysteria. What would happen when we hit the year 2000 on January first? The Book of Revelation used the term 1,000 years. What does it mean here? Pre-millennialism holds a literal interpretation of the millennium and generally prefers literal interpretations of the content of this book of Revelation. A thousand years means a thousand years. Amillennialism rejects a literal interpretation of the millennium and generally prefers allegorical interpretations of the content of this book. Postmillennialism includes both literal and allegorical interpretations of the millennium, but views the Second Coming of Jesus following the conversion to Christianity as a gradually improving world. Amillennial and postmillennial Christians do not believe in the same timeline of the Second Coming as premillennialists. Some Christians do not interpret much of the Book of Revelation to predict future events at all. Thus, the choice is yours, literal or symbolic, or a little of both. How do you interpret this book?
The sixth angel (Rev 16:12)
“The sixth angel
Poured out
His bowl
On the great river Euphrates.
Its water was dried up
In order to prepare
The way
For the kings
From the eastern
Rising sun.”
Καὶ ὁ ἕκτος ἐξέχεεν τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν μέγαν Εὐφράτην· καὶ ἐξηράνθη τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἑτοιμασθῇ ἡ ὁδὸς τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου.
John said, “The sixth angel (Καὶ ὁ ἕκτος) poured out (ἐξέχεεν) his bowl (τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ) on the great river (ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν μέγαν) Euphrates (Εὐφράτην). Its water (τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ) was dried up (καὶ ἐξηράνθη) in order to prepare (ἵνα ἑτοιμασθῇ) the way (ἡ ὁδὸς) for the kings (τῶν βασιλέων) from the eastern rising sun (ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου).” This is the only use of this Greek word that appears only in Revelation and not in any other canonical biblical NT writing, the word φιάλας, that means shallow or flat bowls. John indicated that the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River in Babylon, only mentioned here in Revelation, not in any other book of the NT. Thus, instead of becoming bloody like the sea and the other rivers, the Euphrates River completely dried up. The kings from the rising sun of the east could then travel faster, since they would not have to cross this river. Have you ever seen a river dry up?
The angel of the waters (Rev 16:5)
“I heard
The angel
Of the waters
Say,
‘You are just!
O holy one!
You are
And were.
You have judged
These things.’”
Καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῶν ὑδάτων λέγοντος Δίκαιος εἶ, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν, ὁ Ὅσιος, ὅτι ταῦτα ἔκρινας,
John said, “I heard (Καὶ ἤκουσα) the angel (τοῦ ἀγγέλου) of the waters (τῶν ὑδάτων) say (λέγοντος), ‘You are just (Δίκαιος εἶ)! O holy one (ὁ Ὅσιος)! You are (ὁ ὢν) and were (καὶ ὁ ἦν). You have judged these things (ὅτι ταῦτα ἔκρινας).’” John indicated that there was one angel in heaven in charge of all the earthly waters. This angel then said that God was just. God was the holy one that existed forever and still exists. God had made his judgment about the waters. This angel in charge of the earthly waters agreed with God’s judgment. Do you agree with God’s judgment to turn all the water on earth into blood?
Thank you! – 73
August 30, 2022
Thank you! – 73
In a little over a week, I have finished reading and commenting on the Letter of Jude. I have now finished the New Testament four canonical gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, plus the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul’s letters to the Romans, as well 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews. I have also finished the Letter of James, 1 Peter and 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, and now Jude. Every time I finish commenting on a book of the Bible, I send a thank you blog. I usually post five blogs a day covering a verse of the biblical books. So far, I have posted over 15,815 blogs about the individual paragraphs of all the 46 books of the Old Testament, plus the individual verses of the first 26 books of the New Testament. It has taken me nine years to get this done, since I first began in 2013. I only have one more book to do, the Book of Revelation.
263 people follow this blog every day. Many people have visited this site. There have been over 83,000 hits on this blog since its inception. I just want to thank all of you. Word Press sent me a compilation that showed that about 52,200 people from 174 other countries have visited this web site since its inception.
I realize that over 14,500 people have left comments in 2021, but I have not responded to them. Some of you might want to moderate my comments, which is fine with me. If you want to contact me directly, my email is efinne1540@gmail.com.
I want to thank all of you who have sent emails to me this past month, especially
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Peace – love – joy
Eugene Finnegan
Do not live like the gentiles (Eph. 4:17)
“Now this I affirm!
I testify
In the Lord!
You must no longer live
As the gentiles do,
In the futility
Of their minds!”
Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ, μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καθὼς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν,
Paul said, “Now this I affirm (Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω)! I testify (καὶ μαρτύρομαι) in the Lord (ἐν Κυρίῳ)! You must no longer live or walk (μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν) as the gentiles do or walk (καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ), in the futility (ματαιότητι) of their minds (τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν).” Only the Pauline letters used this word ματαιότητι, that means vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, or instability. Paul now turned to the behavior and lifestyle of the gentiles. He clearly affirmed and testified before the Lord. He did not want them to live or walk around the way that the gentiles do. They were empty minded with useless minds. Paul was not going to let the new gentile Christians fall back into their previous gentile ignorance and bad behavior. Do you have an empty useless mind?
Paul’s apostolic defense (chapter 10)
Paul defended himself and his ministry. He was not two faced. He would not be judged by human standards. Although he lived in the world, he was waging a war, but not with worldly weapons. Divine power destroys arguments, not with his words, but with his obedience to Christ. He would punish disobedience, but accept obedience to God.
Seek the good of your neighbor (chapter 10)
Paul said that all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful or build up. Let no one seek their own advantage, but the good of their neighbor. Eat the meat from the market without any questions. Everything belongs to God. If you are at diner at an unbeliever’s house, consider the other person and the role of conscience. Why should anyone be denounced?
Only one God (1 Cor. 8:4)
“Hence,
As to the eating of food
Offered to idols,
We know that
‘An idol
Has no real existence.
There is no God
But one.’”
Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς.
Paul said that as to the eating of food (Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως) offered to idols (οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων), we know (οἴδαμεν) that an idol has no real existence in this world (εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ). There is no God but one (καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς). Paul indicated that pagan idols have no real existence in this world, since they are manmade images, not the real God who is the only God. What were they to do about the food that was offered as a sacrifice to these pagan idols? Jews had avoided these foods sacrificed to idols. The concept of a monotheistic God was part of the Jewish Hebrew tradition. Thus, he wanted the Christians in Corinth to be against idolatry and polytheism. There was only one God, not a series of gods. These idols were useless human false images. Have you ever seen a false pagan idol?
It is not a sin to marry (1 Cor. 7:36)
“If anyone thinks
That some one
Is not behaving properly
Toward his betrothed virgin,
If she is old enough,
And it has to be,
Let him do
As he wishes.
Let them marry!
It is no sin.”
Εἰ δέ τις ἀσχημονεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ νομίζει, ἐὰν ᾖ ὑπέρακμος, καὶ οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι, ὃ θέλει ποιείτω· οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· γαμείτωσαν.
Paul said that if anyone thinks or supposes (νομίζει) that someone is not behaving properly (Εἰ δέ τις ἀσχημονεῖν) toward his betrothed virgin (ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ), if she is old enough (ἐὰν ᾖ ὑπέρακμος), then it ought to be (οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι). Let him do as he wishes (ὃ θέλει ποιείτω). Let them marry (γαμείτωσαν)! It is no sin (οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει). Only the Pauline letters used this word ἀσχημονεῖν, that means act unbecomingly, act improperly, or unseemly, and the word ὑπέρακμος, that means past the bloom of youth or of full age. Paul said that it was no sin to marry, even if the groom to be and his intended virgin wife might behave improperly. If she was old enough or the proper age, then let the wedding take place between these two, fiancé and his fiancée, since they were engaged to be married. There would be no sin there. Paul seemed to indicated that engaged couples could be involved in sex before the actual marriage. Do you think that it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 