An Overview of Revelation: Understanding Scripture's Apocalyptic Letter

2. An Overview of Revelation

3. An Overview of Revelation

4. An Overview of Revelation SOME INTRODUCTORY POINTS • Revelation is part of Scripture! • Revelation is a partof Scripture, not all of it! • Revelation needs to be understood as what it is, not what it isn’t! • It is a letter • It is a ‘revelation’ (Greek: apokalypsis) • It is ‘apocalyptic’

5. An Overview of Revelation Security has been increased at UK ports, border controls and a major railway station following the attack at the Paris office of magazine Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 people dead. There is not thought to be a direct threat to the UK, Downing Street said. Silences have been held in the UK in tribute to the victims, who include two police officers and eight journalists. Prime Minister David Cameron said the attack was a "challenge to our security" and "threat to our values". Home Secretary Theresa May, speaking after chairing a meeting of UK government emergency committee Cobra, said security had been increased at the France/UK border - notably at the Eurostar rail terminal in Paris and the Channel Tunnel entrance at Calais. UK border staff had "intensified checks on passengers, on vehicles and goods coming from France", she said. The move was a "precautionary" measure and was not as a result of any specific intelligence, she added. Armed patrols have also been increased at St Pancras International station, the Eurostar terminal in London, British Transport Police said. The UK terror threat level remains unchanged at "severe", meaning a terrorist attack is "highly likely

6. An Overview of Revelation FAAH-like anandamide transporter (FLAT) regulates anandamide transport for hydrolysis and may be an attractive drug target for pain regulation. We aimed to discover potential FLAT antagonists from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) using virtual screening, ligand-based drug design and molecular dynamics simulation (MD). Guineensine and Retrofractamide A exhibited high Dock Scores in FLAT. Consensus from multiple linear regression (MLR; R2 = 08973) and support vector machine (SVM; R2 = 0.7988) showed similar bioactivities for Guineensine and the FAAH-1 inhibitor (9Z)-1-(5-pyridin-2-yl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)octadec-9-en-1-one. Contour of Guineensine to CoMFA and CoMSIA features also imply bioactivity. MD revealed shake or vibration in the secondary structure of FLAT complexed with Guineensine and (9Z)-1-(5-pyridin-2-yl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)octadec-9-en-1-one. Ligand movement might contribute to protein changes leading to vibration patterns. Violent vibrations leading to an overall decrease in FLAT function could be the underlying mechanism for Guineensine. Here we suggest Guineensine as a drug-like compound with potential application in relieving neuropathic pain by inhibiting FLAT.

7. An Overview of Revelation I WANDERED lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. .

8. An Overview of Revelation Some introductory points on interpreting Revelation • Revelation is part of Scripture! • Revelation is a part of Scripture, not all of it! • Revelation needs to be understood as what it is, not what it isn’t! • It is a letter • It is a ‘revelation’ (Greek: apokalypsis) • It is ‘apocalyptic’ • It is steeped in the Old Testament

9. An Overview of Revelation Some introductory points on interpreting Revelation • Revelation is part of Scripture! • Revelation is a part of Scripture, not all of it! • Revelation needs to be understood as what it is, not what it isn’t! • It is a letter • It is a ‘revelation’ (Greek: apokalypsis) • It is ‘apocalyptic’ • It is steeped in the Old Testament

10. An Overview of Revelation Revelation’s use of numbers 1 = uniqueness 2 = unity 3 = God’s might/God’s involvement 4 = the created world 5/10 = half-complete/complete 6 = number of mankind 7= God’s number/perfection Therefore 3½ = the opposite of seven; not good but bad/incomplete. 10 = completeness 12 = God’s people And sometimes these numbers are used in combinations, 1000 = 10 x 10 x 10 144000 = 144 (12 x 12) x 1000 (= 10 x 10 x 10)

11. An Overview of Revelation Some introductory points on interpreting Revelation • Revelation is part of Scripture! • Revelation is a part of Scripture, not all of it! • Revelation needs to be understood as what it is, not what it isn’t! • It is a letter • It is a ‘revelation’ (Greek: apokalypsis) • It is ‘apocalyptic’ • It is steeped in the Old Testament • It is a prophecy • It is a series of visions not chronological history • It is time-specific yet timeless

12. An Overview of Revelation • JESUS, LORD OF THE CHURCH (CHS 1-3) • Where? • Why? • When? • How?

13. An Overview of Revelation • JESUS, LORD OF THE CHURCH (CHS 1-3) • Ephesus - Encouraged for persevering, but challenged for losing its first love (2:1-7) • Smyrna – challenged for thinking it’s poor when it isn’t and warned that persecution is coming, but Jesus will give the victory (2:8-11) • Pergamum – encouraged for staying faithful, but challenged with compromising with worldliness (2:12-17) • Thyatira – acknowledged as being faithful and hard-working, but challenged for becoming tolerant of immorality (2:18-29) • Sardis - noted as having a reputation of being strong and lively as a church, but in fact dead and needs to awake (3:1-6) • Philadelphia - encouraged to keep taking every opportunity God gives despite all opposition (3:7-13) • Laodicea - in a city famous for banking, clothing and eye ointment, the church is accused with being poor, naked and blind.