Welcome back! Today as we move on into our study of the first three chapters of The Revelation, I would like to offer you an opportunity to consider the different views that have been taken of the book of The Revelation. There are five historical views that we will cover today. I’m eager to see which you believe is the most accurate picture of The Revelation.
Preterist View
This view holds that Revelation pertains to events taking place in John’s day rather than in the future. Many who hold this view also believe in the early dating of the book, AD 68.
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- This view ignores John’s claim that the book is prophecy in Revelation 1:3.
Historicism View
This view holds that Revelation is a panorama of church history. This view requires generous use of allegory and also ignores John’s claim that the book is prophecy. Those who hold to this view believe that each of the seven churches represents an era or period of church history.
Ephesus – represents the church at the end of the apostolic era, continuing to function but with a receding of its first love.
Smyrna – the era of Roman persecution, beginning around AD 98 and continuing through the reign of Constantine (AD 313).
Pergamos – the church in the period immediately following Constantine’s embracing of Christianity when the church became married to the world, and then becoming theologically and morally apostate.
Thyatira – the church of the Middle Ages, full of teaching of heresy.
Sardis – the church of the Reformation when the majority of the church was dead with the exception of a few faithful believers.
Philadelphia – the church of missionary expansion, beginning with William Carey’s work in India in 1792 and continuing to the contemporary period.
Laodicea – the church of the present period
Well known advocates of this view include Wycliffe, Knox, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Wesley, Edwards, Finney, Spurgeon.
Idealist View
Champions of this view postulate that the symbols in the text of The Revelation are to be understood as allegories of spiritual truths. The book depicts the cosmic struggle of good and evil, while forecasting the eventual triumph of God’s purpose.
Advocates of this view include Augustine and Jerome
Futurist View
This view believes that chapters 4-22 form a prophecy of John that will take place in the future.
Well known advocates of this view include Papias, Irenaeus, Justin, Hippolytus and most in the modern church
Eclecticism View
This view is a modified idealist view with few supporters.
Personally, I would cozy up to the Futurist View. John was very clear that The Revelation was prophecy and I’m going with what HE wrote. With that said, I can certainly see how one could make the seven churches fit into the Historicist View. The problem with this view is that this ignores John’s assertion that Revelation is prophecy. The advocates of the historicist view are definitely an A list! Those are some impressive names and for that reason, I have to give that view at least some credence.
Now that you have had a chance to consider the five different views of The Revelation, which do you believe and why?
