The Unusual Language In Dr. Bandy's Revelation

Throughout history, many different people have tried to decipher the strange and unusual language in the book of revelation, to varying degrees of success. Some people see prophecy as a key to the future, and read Revelation like a map to understand future events. Initially, Dr. Bandy’s fascination with the book of revelation began from the “desire to know God’s blueprint for the future as a means to understand the present” . Revelation speaks to us through the lens of apocalyptic writing, a style full of imagery, similes, and metaphors, and while the 1st century audience had no problem understanding the meaning, 21st century audiences tend to have more trouble. No one know the “language”, and only a few people rely on Biblical approaches, instead falling for the fanfare of the “undeniable proofs” that the destruction of the world is coming . The Bible, including Revelation, is meant to be read in context, yet too many times people settle for “daily devotionals and topical sermons” that cloud the truth of the scripture .

They search for a “deeper, spiritual meaning” in the text, and completely miss the intended purpose . While Jesus did interpret prophecy allegorically twice, it is not wise for anyone to assume that they need to interpret prophecy the same way every time, as the interpreter become free to “choose the meaning that best fits his theology” . The third way to interpret prophecy is through typology. This looks at the text “with in the historical framework of God’s special revelation”, and allows the reader to take a balanced and reasonable approach to scripture . This model, instead of working through speculation, works through “correlation rooted in the biblical testimony itself” . This gives one a clearer view of the “big picture of redemptive history so that we understand the grand narrative of Scripture, allowing us to see how each prophecy fits into God’s unified plan”