Second and Third Visions (Robert Fisher)

The point: Distinguish between the description of a symbol and its meaning when interpreting Revelation, avoiding overly literal interpretations of symbolic language.

Someone literally interpreting the woman sitting on seven hills in Revelation 17 pictured a woman so expansive she could cover seven hills, which Martin uses to underscore the need to distinguish between symbolic description and its meaning.

now at the risk of of seeming unclear and incomplete I'd rather not get into all the implications about the Antichrist suffice it to say that that Antichrist is the the man of sin the man of lawlessness and so forth that is to be revealed at the end of the age before the Lord returns and my point in going into all this then is to is to point out that this beast doesn't only represent something contemporary to John it's also that which will be evident at the return of the Lord it's that that beast then represents this principle of Antichristian governments manifest in Rome but manifested severa...

14:13 - 15:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Distinguish between the description of a symbol and its meaning when interpreting Revelation, avoiding overly literal interpretations of symbolic language.

The requirement for Roman subjects to worship the emperor's image or face death is used as a vivid historical example of the second beast's actions, which forced worship of the first beast.

not the words of true religion as I said his functions are religious he says the scripture says that he causes all men to worship the first beast he makes an image to this first beast to the government and causes all to worship that image or to be killed now how vivid that is of what was going on during the first century all the subjects of the emperor had to worship the image of the emperor or suffer being killed well this is exactly what this false beast does or this false prophet does he's kind of associated with the priests of the false worship of that day they have to worship the priest o...

17:08 - 18:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Distinguish between the description of a symbol and its meaning when interpreting Revelation, avoiding overly literal interpretations of symbolic language.

The ostracism and persecution of those who refused to worship the emperor's image in the early church is used to illustrate the consequences of not receiving the mark of the beast.

And he's ostracized from society and all the rest. And again, how vividly that portrays exactly what was going on during the first couple of centuries of the church. Those people who had not worshipped the image of the emperor were ostracized from society if they weren't killed.

18:14 - 18:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Chapter 14 provides an encouraging picture of the Lamb with the 144,000 sealed saints, whose minds are on heavenly things, followed by a vivid description of the horrible…

Martin references contemporary events like atrocities in Vietnam, tornadoes in Arkansas, and snowstorm deaths in the West to connect the sermon's themes of suffering and divine purpose to his listeners' present reality.

We live in the world. We see the atrocities that go on in Vietnam. We read of the torneos in Arkansas, the people being killed in the snowstorms in the West. And you wonder, how can it be so?

24:08 - 24:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third vision culminates in Revelation 21:1-8 with the vision of a new heaven and new earth, the New Jerusalem, and God dwelling among men, wiping away all tears and pain…

Martin encourages the audience to read the promise of God wiping away every tear 'as a church filled with martyrs' to fully grasp its profound comfort and encouragement.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men and he shall dwell among them and they shall be his peoples and God himself shall be among them. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. Try to read that as a church filled with martyrs. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no longer any death.

49:58 - 50:24 Read in full sermon