Old Testament in the Book of Revelation
©June 28, 2009 Asher Intrater

Part One:

Here are three simple principles for understanding the Scriptures, the "Word of God".

• It is consistent from beginning to end - from Genesis to Revelation.
• The central figure of all the Scriptures is Yeshua - the Son of God and the Son of David.
• The Bible really means what it says - more literal than most people think.

One proof of these conclusions is the use of the Old Testament in the book of Revelation. Here is a brief survey:

Angel YHVH

In Revelation 1, Yeshua (Jesus) describes Himself as the "beginning and the end."  In Hebrew, the word "beginning" is the same as the name of the book of Genesis. Yeshua is the same from Genesis to Revelation.

The description of Yeshua in Revelation 1:13-16 is parallel to the Man of fire who appeared to Daniel in chapter 10:4-7. He who appeared to John was the same one who appeared to Daniel. The purpose of Revelation 1 is to reveal Yeshua's identity as the Angel YHVH who appeared throughout the Old Testament.

Temple Symbolism

The events in the book of Revelation contain much imagery found in the Jewish Temple. Moses built the tabernacle, and David the Temple, according to a heavenly pattern (Exodus 25:40, I Chronicles 28:11).  In Revelation 11:19, 15:8, John saw the heavenly tabernacle. The Temple in Jerusalem was built on the pattern of the eternal, spiritual things which John saw in Revelation.

In Revelation 1-2, Yeshua is standing in the midst of a golden lamp stand. That lamp stand is the heavenly version of the Temple lamp stand The lamp stand represents Yeshua in the midst of the Seven Congregations (the true Church), set on fire by the glory of God.

The bowls of wrath in Revelation 16 are like the bowls used by the priests in the Temple service.

The incense of Revelation 8:3-5 represents the prayers of the saints, and is a prophetic fulfillment of the incense offered in the Temple. The Temple incense and the prayers of the saints rose up together during the priestly service of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:10). 

The three-fold cord of angelic activity, prayers of the saints, and Jewish priestly service could happen again in the end times, if the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt, as indicated in Revelation 11:1-2, where John is told to measure courtyards of the Temple.

Heavenly Worship

There are 7 sessions of heavenly worship recorded in Revelation.
1. "Holy, holy, Holy" – Rev. 4:8-11
2. "Worthy the Lamb" – Rev. 5:9-14
3. "Salvation belongs…" – Rev. 7:10-12
4. "O Lord God Almighty" – Rev. 11:17-18
5. "Great and Wonderful" – Rev. 15:3-4
6. "Salvation and glory" (Harlot judged) – Rev. 19:1-2
7. "Lord reigns" (Bride made ready) – Rev. 19:6

The saints on earth are worshiping in harmony with the angels in heaven. This heavenly worship is also a harmony of the worship of ancient Israel and the worship of the end times' Church. Revelation 15:3 - "They sing the song of Moses. and the song of the Lamb."

Blowing Trumpets

The Seven Shofars (trumpets) of Revelation 8-11 are parallel to the trumpet blasts of the battle of Jericho (Joshua 6). Trumpets are not a prophetic sign of our leaving planet earth, but of conquering it (as stated in Revelation 11:15 at the sounding of the 7th trumpet). The Revelation trumpets are a prophetic declaration of the soon-coming repossession of planet earth by Yeshua (Joshua) and His army of saints.

The Revelation trumpets are connected to the Feast of Trumpets. The meaning of the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled in the tribulation judgments of the Revelation trumpets. The feasts of Israel are "appointed times" that have prophetic significance in the future, as well as the past.

Passover Parallel

The plagues of Revelation 15-16 are parallel to the plagues of Exodus 7-11. The confrontation of Moses and Aaron with the government of Pharaoh is like the confrontation of the two witnesses with the Antichrist (Revelation 11, 13). The plagues of Revelation are not attacks of the Antichrist against the saints, but judgments of God against demonic principalities (Exodus 12:12).

The children of Israel were protected in Goshen during the plagues, as a witness to Egypt.  Similarly, the saints will not be removed during the tribulation, but supernaturally protected from the judgments, as a witness to the unsaved world (Exodus 9:6, 10:23, Revelation 7:3).

Old Testament Prophets

The seals in Revelation 5-8 are the same as the seals of Daniel (8:26, 12:4, 9). Daniel received prophecy about the end times, but it was virtually impossible to understand in his day. The meaning of the prophecy was sealed. Today God is beginning to reveal His end times’ purposes. The seals of are being opened. 

The prophetic symbolism of Revelation is not a detached mysticism that "came out of nowhere", but a culmination and completion of all the prophets who came before.

- The throne and the jeweled firmament and the four creatures of Revelation 4 are the same as found in Ezekiel 1;
- The glorified Bride of Revelation 12 & 21 is a continuation of the Daughter of Zion and all the godly women of Israel (Hosea 2:19);
- The Beasts of Revelation 13 are a continuation of the beasts described in Daniel chapters 3, 7 & 8;
- The harvests of Revelation 14 are a continuation of the harvest laws of the Torah;
- The Harlot of Revelation 17 is a continuation of Jezebel and all the ungodly women of Israel;
- The judgment of Babylon in Revelation 17-18 is a continuation of the judgments on all the nations recorded in all the prophets of Israel.
- The Dragon of Revelation 20:2 is identified as Satan and as the Snake of Genesis 3.

The plan of the kingdom of God starts like a little seed in the book of Genesis and grows through different stages until the final fruition in the book of Revelation.

(Part Two, next week.)