Romans and Revelation

In the book of 2 Peter, the apostle writes under inspiration that another apostle, Paul, wrote "Things, in which are some things hard to be understood" (2 Peter 3:16). Imagine, one inspired apostle, speaking about another inspired apostle's writings. But such, as any Christian will testify, is the absolute truth about Scriptures-they can be hard to comprehend!

In my years interacting biblically, there are three comments I would inevitably get about three Scripture portions that reflect the statement by Peter, two sections in Paul's letter to Romans (Romans 7 and 11) and one from the Apostle John-Revelation. With John's Revelation, difficulties are universal and always the same subjects of books and conversations: "How should we read and interpret the book of Revelation with all the symbols, visions, etc.?" Anyone today will be familiar with the Left Behind series and the work that spawned many such books-The Late Great Planet Earth of the early '70s. Ideas on this book are legion.

I have expounded on the first eleven chapters of Revelation-verse by verse-to attempt to show that the intended edification John had in mind when writing this work (see Revelation 1:1-3 etc.) actually was understood and edifying to the saints of the first century (and also to us). I wrote to show that if we are careful to lean on the Old Testament and its style of writing (in particular the book of Daniel), the book of Revelation turns out to be quite a straightforward work especially if we let Scripture interpret Scripture (example: Revelation 6:16 compare Luke 23:27-30). Indeed I think the truths of Revelation chapters 1 through 11 are so self-explanatory that the chapters that follow (if we keep comparing Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures) will fall quite naturally into place. Details may be tough, but general themes come out much clearer.

In my life, preaching and exhortation a section of the Bible somewhat akin to the subject of Revelation would arise day in and day out: what is the meaning of Romans 11:26a, "And all Israel shall be saved," and how does it speak to the future of Israel? This verse was the central text for our greatest expository thinkers, the Puritans, and from the 1600s through the 1800s and into our twentieth century. This chapter was the basis for what was known as Puritan PostMillennialism (as opposed to the PreMillennialism of men like Tim Lahaye and Hal Lindsay).

In this book, the section on Romans 11 (like Revelation and Romans 7) is handled verse by verse and is expounded systematically and slowly so that the mysteries that have often hung over Christians here might be seen in a newer, clearer light. In my travels, I've found many books, and to many conversations, approach these passages without regard to surrounding ideas. There is a desire for answers to Bible verses that, as Peter said, were hard to be understood and, without some patience, we will twist to our own harm and misunderstanding.

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