Abbreviation: ESV = English Standard Version
Scripture
quotations are from ESV.
INTERPRETATION OF REVELATION 9
BY J. S. RUSSELL
“With our attention
fixed on a single spot on earth, and absolutely shut up to a very brief space
of time, it is comparatively easy to read the symbols, and still more
satisfactory to mark their perfect correspondence with facts.” (411, all page
numbers in this section refer to Russell)
Russell’s interpretation of this chapter follows his approach to all
Scriptures that are often interpreted as prophetic by others. The “single spot on earth” is the land of
Israel. Any use of the Greek word “ge,” which is usually translated
“earth,” he maintains, refers to Israel.
The “brief space of time” for Russell is the period from the time of
Christ to AD 70, and especially the few years leading up to 70. This time was when the Roman-Jewish conflict
was heating up so that it culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the
Temple in AD 70. With this understanding
in mind, Russell imposes interpretations of the scenarios in Revelation in ways
that reinforce his theory. That theory
has come to be called “Preterism” or “Preterist.” Russell is the father of what I call
“Evangelical Preterism.” It differs
somewhat from the Preterism of scholars whose approach is moderate or liberal.
Trumpet 5 (9:1-12): Russell decides that the locusts who come
from the Abyss cannot be a human army.
(He decides otherwise for the cavalry in Trumpet 6.) So, he describes them as “the host of hell swarming out upon the
curse-stricken land of Israel.” (411, italics in original) The fact that the land was demon possessed,
he says, was predicted by Jesus in Matthew 12:43-45. I certainly cannot disagree with this
reference. Jesus castigates the
generation in which He lived as wicked and unrepentant (Matthew 12:33ff,
12:39ff). Then He describes how a demon
goes out of a person and comes back with seven more and enters the cleaned up
“house.” The final condition of that
person is worse than when he or she was possessed by a single demon. “So it will be” for His generation, writes
Russell. The termination, of course, was
the AD 70 devastation.
Russell
believes that the land was “curse-stricken” (see above), and that the people
devolved into terrible immorality and injustice. He cites Josephus to prove his point. However, his citations are lifted out of
context. The two citations (412) in
Josephus—Book 5, chapter 10 and 13—are not so much descriptions of the
degradation of the people. Rather, in
each case, Josephus is describing the perfidy of the so-called leadership. These leaders were illegitimate pretenders
and horrible tyrants with no regard for the Jewish religion. They treated their people in a terrible
fashion and desecrated the Temple well before the Romans ever got to it. In addition, the people themselves did not
always behave so nobly, but this mostly was because of the desperate conditions
of the siege. (Whiston, 718-726)
The
following are details of Russell’s interpretation. These do not differ greatly from those of
other interpreters.
·
The star fallen from heaven he equates with
Satan in his fall. (412-413)
·
The cloud of locusts is a host of malignant
spirits led by Satan to torment people.
(413)
·
The abyss is the abode of the demons. (Luke 8:31) (413)
·
The torments from the locusts are consistent
with the gospels, which describe demon possession as having physical
effects. (413)
·
The description of the locusts as horses is
consistent with the fact that many people compare them to the appearance of
horses. (413)
·
The five month torture is consistent with the
5-months of the year locusts are typically active. (413)
·
The previous two he regards as “minutiae” that
are poetic imagery. (413)
·
Their king is Satan himself. (413)
·
He describes the spiritual condition of the land
by using the description used of Babylon in Rev. 18:2. (413-414)
Trumpet 6 (9:13-21): Russell seems to get a little excited about
his methodology: “It is in these crucial
instances, which defy the dexterity of the most cunning hand to pick the lock,
that we prove the power of our master key.” (414) He does not define his “master key” and he
does not really apply a single interpretative method to the material. I can only infer that the “master key” is his
belief that the time frame is the period approaching and including AD 70 and
that the location of all events in Israel and especially Jerusalem. However, those assumptions by themselves do
not serve to interpret the passage. Those
assumptions give him “permission” to look for any historical fact that might
correspond to the material in the passage.
Russell
points to Josephus as proof that the “invading army that followed Titus to the
siege and capture of Jerusalem was actually drawn in great measure from the
region of the Euphrates” and that the four angels represented the four legions
guarding the Euphrates. (415) However,
when one reads the passage in Josephus (Whiston, 696-699), one learns that only
about 3,000 came from the Euphrates to join four legions (about 20,000) from
other areas. So, Russell’s claim is
exaggerated. He also claims that Tacitus
describes the Eastern kings in the area contributing significantly to the manpower
of Titus’ army. I read from Tacitus on-line
and could find no numbers given, so it is difficult to know how significant
this contribution was.
I consider
that Russell grasps at whatever he can find that is consistent with his
Preterist theory. Note that he employs
two very different interpretations of the fifth and sixth trumpets. I do not think he is inaccurate to consider
the locusts to be demons. It would seem
consistent to regard the cavalry of the sixth trumpet also to represent
demons. However, Russell believes he has
historical references that he can use in this case. This methodology seems inconsistent and
opportunistic.
Russell endeavors
to explain the reference in 9:20 to idolatry.
He is well aware the Jews were not idolaters in the manner of the pagans
throughout the Roman Empire. Yet, this
verse seems to refer directly to this sort of idolatry. Russell still believes this verse refers to
the Jews, and he promises to prove (in the interpretation of Revelation 17)
“that in the Apocalypse the sin of idolatry is imputed to those who, though not
guilty of the literal worship of idols, were the obstinate and impenitent
enemies of Christ.” (416) This strikes
me as another stretch for Russell to make in order to maintain his singular
theory. The comment in 9:20 is that
“rest of mankind” (who were not killed by the plagues) did not repent of idolatry. The term “mankind” translates “anthropoi,” which usually is translated
“men.” I surveyed the use of this word
in Young’s Concordance. Is far as I can
tell, “anthropoi” is not for
“people” in the sense of a country or ethnic group. The term “laos”
(from which we get “lay” as in “lay people of the church”) is used for this
application. Almost always, “laos” refers to the Jewish “people,” as
in Matthew 2:4: “the chief priests and
scribes of the people.” On some
occasions it refers to the people of God in the church (Titus 2:14). In Revelation 5:9, 7:9, 10:11, etc. it refers
to nations or ethnic groups. Another
term, “ochlos” is quite often used
for “people,” though it is also translated “crowd” or “multitude.” “Anthropoi”
can mean a particular group of men (males) or people (of both genders), such as
the reference to the apostles in Acts 5:28.
It can also refer to people in general, such as Matthew 5:13 (“trampled
under people’s feet). So, the use of
“anthropoi” in Revelation 9:20 is almost certainly not referring to the Jewish
people, but rather to people in general (ESV:
“mankind”). Thus, idolatry in its
usual sense almost certainly is meant.
This presents as many problems for the futurist as it does for Russell
(because idolatry is not, at least in the 21st century,
characteristic of people in general).
INTERPRETATION OF REVELATION 9
BY J. DWIGHT PENTECOST
The
complexity of Dispensationalism is exhibited in Pentecost’s interpretation of
the seven trumpets. In some cases his
conclusions are consistent with an overall scheme of interpretation, but in
other cases he takes great liberty to speculate and create scenarios for which
there seems little foundation. Keep in
mind that the Tribulation period—also called the 70th Week of Daniel—is
the main framework for Dispensational interpretation. In some cases, various passages from Daniel
and Ezekiel and other Old Testament Scriptures are the background for their
conclusions. One of the problems with
their methodology is that they often do not show how a particular New Testament
passage, for example in Revelation, is to be identified with an Old Testament
passage. For example, in Matthew 24:15,
Jesus mentions the Abomination of Desolation that has its origins in
Daniel. That provides an anchor for the
passage that can be helpful in interpretation.
One is warranted to consider the 70th Week of Daniel in
relation to the Great Tribulation that Jesus describes in Matthew 24:21. However, the kind of conclusions that
Pentecost draws in his interpretation of chapters 8 and 9 of Revelation have no
such anchors in the text, and one must ascribe his interpretation to
speculation.
The
material that I shall describe is found on pages 361-363 of Pentecost.
On these
three pages Pentecost interprets each of the seven trumpets at least twice and
three times in some cases. There is a
loose connection between the two or among the three interpretations, but in
some cases the connection is very loose.
In most cases, Pentecost begins with a fairly constrained
interpretation. He then, in some cases,
comes back and draws out from the original interpretation a more “spiritual” or
allegorical interpretation. Then, as he
seeks to set his interpretation into his big picture of the events of the
Tribulation, he brings out a second or third interpretation. Below I have gathered the multiple interpretations
for each trumpet.
1st
Trumpet:
a.
A
judgment on the earth
b.
“Earth” probably means Palestine: judgment on Palestine
c.
Rise of great military powers in the middle of
the seven years of the Tribulation
2nd
Trumpet:
a.
Judgment
on the sea
b.
“Sea” probably means the “nations”: judgment on the Gentile nations
c.
Former (established) kingdoms are overthrown by
new military powers
3rd
Trumpet:
a.
Judgment
on the rivers and fountains of waters
b.
“Rivers and fountains” represent the source of
spiritual life: judgment upon those from
whom living water has been taken away because they believed the lie (II
Thessalonians 2:11)
c.
A great leader will arise, who is the
Beast/Antichrist
4th
Trumpet:
a.
Judgment
on the sun, moon, and stars
b.
These represent governmental powers: judgment of God upon world rulers
c.
The Beast will overthrow governments and
authorities
5th
Trumpet:
a.
An
individual energized by hell who can let loose torment (through the locusts,
who are not literal locusts)
b.
(Because the 144,000 are referred to in 9:4) the
torment is inflicted on reprobate Jews
c.
The northern confederacy (of Ezekiel 38) will
invade the land of Israel with a “great marching [army]”
6th
Trumpet:
a.
“[A] great army turned loose to march with
destructive force across the face of the earth”
b.
An attack on the West, especially western “Christendom”
c.
“Gentiles powers will jockey for position, which
causes great destruction…”
7th
Trumpet: The Second Coming of Christ
Thus,
Pentecost understands the seven trumpets to provide an outline of the
Tribulation period, especially the second half of that period. My impression of the logic of his
interpretation was to approach chapters 8 and 9 of Revelation with a fairly
complete scenario of what will take place during the Tribulation already in
mind. Then, he managed to make the
Trumpets fit that scenario. He based the
scenario on other considerations. For
example he had already presented his reasons for believing the Ezekiel 38
invasion (see under 5th Trumpet) would take place in the middle of
the 70th Week (350-355).
It is
difficult to avoid a harsh judgment on this example of interpretation. First, Pentecost devotes four chapters, pages
1-64, to interpretation methodology. He
insists that the allegorical or “spiritual” method of interpretation should
generally be avoided. Yet, his
interpretations of the seven trumpets use an allegorical or “spiritual sense”
again and again. Second, he introduces
conclusions and scenarios from his conception of events in the Tribulation
period. He imposes these scenarios upon
the seven trumpets despite the fact that there is no warrant for doing so in
chapters 8 and 9. Third, he puts forward
two and three different interpretations for each of the trumpets. In some cases the multiple interpretations
have some relationship to one another.
In other cases the relationship is very loose if there is any.
When one
reads defenses of the Dispensational school, the defenders of this method are
very harsh toward other methods and boast of their strictly literal
methods. Moreover, Dispensationalism has
a huge following among fundamental and evangelical Christians, and one can be a
somewhat intimidated to ever question Dispensational thought. I grew up steeped in this understanding of
Scripture. Yet, as I have delved into
the details of Dispensational interpretation, I have been disappointed to find
that much of it is very weak. I think
the examples above illustrate this weakness.
REFERENCES:
Crossway
Bibles (2009-04-09). ESV Study Bible. Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Pentecost,
J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan Publ. House, 1958.
Russell, J. S. The
Parousia, A Critical Inquiry into the New Testament Doctrine of Our
Lord’s Second Coming. (Google Internet Book) London:
Daldy, Isbister
& Co., 1878.
Whiston, William, translator. The
Works of Josephus. United
States: Hendrickson Publ., 1987.
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