Questions about message, Revelation part 3, January 19, 2013

Question 1: When you were talking about the church in Pergamum, you mentioned something about "where Satan has his throne...and about Antipas, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." What is he talking about? Where does Satan have his throne? Where does he live.

Answer: This is one of those questions where there is a lot of differing opinion. My best understanding is rooted in the fact that Antipas (this is the only place in scripture he is mentioned) is clearly a faithful witness for God and is killed for not renouncing his faith in God, and possibly for not bowing to the Roman Emperor. So, to me, where Satan resides or his throne reside refers to a place in opposition to God.

 

Question 2 - What are the four schools of interpretation again?

Answer -
One: Past or Preterist—This school of thought sees Revelation as history of the 1st century.
Under this view, chapters 2 and 3, the message to the 7 churches ,served to encourage those seven churches, during a difficult time of persecution by Rome.

Two: Future or Futurist—This school of interpretation believes that everything AFTER the message to the seven churches will take place in the future. The starting point is the Secret Rapture, during which Jesus comes secretly and snatches his faithful followers to heaven…AND those left behind begin a 7 year period of tribulation until Jesus returns. There are variations to this…and because it’s all in the future, the latest news or disaster, ignites new possibilities or versions.

Three: History or historicist—This school believes that Revelation covers the span of history from the early Christian church to the Second Coming of Jesus…that it focuses on the battle between good and evil—Christ and Satan. Martin Luther and a number of other reformers followed this school of interpretation…that there’s a cosmic battle going on…the bad guys being those who negatively impacted the reformers…primarily the Catholic Church. This is the school of interpretation the Adventist church has followed. Today, very few denominations follow the history school of interpretation.

Four: Spiritual or idealist/symbolic—This school follows a more personal application model. The symbols and metaphors in this book are helpful in making specific application to one individual or another. In this view, each person is free to find their own application of the book.