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Moses and the Revelation: Why the end of the world is not in your future
If we want to understand the book of Revelation, we must remember that it is at the end of the Bible, not the beginning.There are many conflicting ideas concerning what this intriguing and terrifying book is about, but the truth is that although it appears to be foreign territory – a hostile landscape filled with animal totems, confounding signs and confronting images including sacrificial virgins clad in pure white, chosen, slain and ascending with a disturbing sexual undercurrent – the Revelation is in fact a denouement, a revelation, of the natural world, like the last act of a whodunit.To solve the case, we are going to call on the testimony of an expert the prophet Moses. The events, characters and patterns established in the Law are the foundation for the Prophets, and together these provide the context of this enigmatic final prophecy. The last book of the Bible cannot be understood without the first books of the Bible.
220 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 28, 2018
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." - Deuteronomy 29:29
Michael Bull explores how the covenant structures and patterns of the Scriptures are replayed in John's Revelation as the culmination of Biblical history. After disclosing the patterns in the Pentateuch and covenant history, Bull demonstrates how to read John's letter in the light of those same patterns. In doing so, he shows the reader just how intentionally self-referential John's vision is within the canon. John seems almost to never say anything at all that is not a reference to some other portion of Scripture.
Though this reader got lost in the labyrinth more than a few times, there were too many profound and fruitful insights to discourage the approach. In fact, I am convinced that the reader will enjoy this work to the degree that he/she is familiar with the overall canon of Scripture to which John alludes. If the Scriptures are missing from the mind of the reader, this work will seem daunting.
Throughout the work, Bull's technique yields profound insights.
For example, in the opening of the Revelation (ch 1-3), John sees Jesus not only as the High Priest, but also as the Son of Man, the True Adam in the garden of the kingdom, who "trims" the lampstand/trees (churches), desiring to fill them with oil, attending to the issues which might prevent them from shining (cf. Rev 2:5).
Pentecost is the beginning of the winnowing harvest of the children of Israel. The Apostles are new Levites wielding the sword of the Gospel to reveal what is in the heart of every man (cf. Exodus 32:28, Acts 2:41).
Readers unfamiliar with the destruction of Jerusalem will be taken aback at the discovery of such an integral historical context for the New Testament. Nevertheless, Bull discloses it profitably, giving understanding to how Revelation was relevant for its original audience, and how by heading its warnings, we may also give heed to its warnings. What is one of the main foci of the New Testament witness? Christ built a new temple, even as Herod's temple was still being built. One was built on His foundation, and one was built and sand. And when the rains and flood came against that house, "it fell, and great was the fall of it".
Michael Bull explores how the covenant structures and patterns of the Scriptures are replayed in John's Revelation as the culmination of Biblical history. After disclosing the patterns in the Pentateuch and covenant history, Bull demonstrates how to read John's letter in the light of those same patterns. In doing so, he shows the reader just how intentionally self-referential John's vision is within the canon. John seems almost to never say anything at all that is not a reference to some other portion of Scripture.
Though this reader got lost in the labyrinth more than a few times, there were too many profound and fruitful insights to discourage the approach. In fact, I am convinced that the reader will enjoy this work to the degree that he/she is familiar with the overall canon of Scripture to which John alludes. If the Scriptures are missing from the mind of the reader, this work will seem daunting.
Throughout the work, Bull's technique yields profound insights.
For example, in the opening of the Revelation (ch 1-3), John sees Jesus not only as the High Priest, but also as the Son of Man, the True Adam in the garden of the kingdom, who "trims" the lampstand/trees (churches), desiring to fill them with oil, attending to the issues which might prevent them from shining (cf. Rev 2:5).
Pentecost is the beginning of the winnowing harvest of the children of Israel. The Apostles are new Levites wielding the sword of the Gospel to reveal what is in the heart of every man (cf. Exodus 32:28, Acts 2:41).
Readers unfamiliar with the destruction of Jerusalem will be taken aback at the discovery of such an integral historical context for the New Testament. Nevertheless, Bull discloses it profitably, giving understanding to how Revelation was relevant for its original audience, and how by heading its warnings, we may also give heed to its warnings. What is one of the main foci of the New Testament witness? Christ built a new temple, even as Herod's temple was still being built. One was built on His foundation, and one was built and sand. And when the rains and flood came against that house, "it fell, and great was the fall of it".
December 28, 2017
I first encountered this material earlier in the editing process. I took a few months away from the book and read the finished product. I was trying to put into words what my experience is when I interact with the Bible Matrix books, and the right words I think are "hope-filled inadequacy." Time and time again, the flesh doesn't want to do the work to look at what has always been there, left for our building up into maturity. So inadequacy stops and will stop many, myself included, from significant efforts to behold the beauty and wisdom of God's design of the structure of the text. And then there can be a temptation to quickly go to justify this inadequacy by feeling pious in quoting sola scriptura. But then you give in and let the Spirit fill you and work through the text and the guide that Michael Bull provides, and then out of nowhere things we couldn't explain before become obvious. The text becomes alive and God's revelation in the Word is confirmed all the more. I can do it again and again, God says. What the books do in bringing hope in the inadequacy is that God has allowed Michael to not come to this as "this is my discovery," but that God has allowed him to be humble enough to give credit to the saints before us. And that gives hope because God delights in magnifying Jesus in the work of the Spirit in the saints over and over again.
This book is a much needed jolt to an eschatologically-ignorant world. People have freaked out throughout 2017 throughout the world at seemingly obvious disarray and decay. Many Christians are ready for the rapture to come and get them away from here. Many Christians are putting together earthquakes and signs to say that the end is near. Meanwhile, the foundations of cultural development, the ruling and subduing of cultural artifacts and lasting institutions have been surrendered to the cultural elites of the day leaving the Christian faith pretty empty and powerless.
“Why the end of the world is not in your future” is the intriguing subtitle of this work, and it is a good summary of the task at hand. This book’s aim is to be and not to be a replacement to G. K. Beale’s commentary on Revelation or similar academic works. It is not a replacement as you will notice in length. It is a replacement in its groundbreaking analysis of the fractal nature of the text. “True reform is glorious, but it’s never achieved without risk,” we are told. This book is a tour through the artistic tapestry of the Revelation, and its shape will show the plausibility of the post-millennial hope. I think that the shape chapters (the introduction to the Bible Matrix) are Michael Bull’s best-to-date summary of the shape he is able to point us to time and time again in the text. Chapter 1 is clear, crisp, and concise.
You’ll find yourself excited, confused, puzzled, relieved — all at once as you go through the different patterns. But what he promises is accurate—“Even if the analysis does not persuade you, it will increase your appreciation for the integrity of the Bible.” My thanks to the author for that. In matters of eschatology, I always like to say I will be more than happy to be found wrong in the last day, but I want to exert all my efforts and concentration at honoring the words of the Lord Jesus and of the text of Scripture. This book does that well. You may disagree, but you will not leave this book the same that you were before you started to read it.
Finally, the book ends with a very good historical survey of the time period surrounding AD 70. If you take one thing out of this, please realize that there is an explanation for the post-millennial hope, not just wishful thinking. And if you let this hope get inside of you, you will see a glorious Jesus in all things.
This book is a much needed jolt to an eschatologically-ignorant world. People have freaked out throughout 2017 throughout the world at seemingly obvious disarray and decay. Many Christians are ready for the rapture to come and get them away from here. Many Christians are putting together earthquakes and signs to say that the end is near. Meanwhile, the foundations of cultural development, the ruling and subduing of cultural artifacts and lasting institutions have been surrendered to the cultural elites of the day leaving the Christian faith pretty empty and powerless.
“Why the end of the world is not in your future” is the intriguing subtitle of this work, and it is a good summary of the task at hand. This book’s aim is to be and not to be a replacement to G. K. Beale’s commentary on Revelation or similar academic works. It is not a replacement as you will notice in length. It is a replacement in its groundbreaking analysis of the fractal nature of the text. “True reform is glorious, but it’s never achieved without risk,” we are told. This book is a tour through the artistic tapestry of the Revelation, and its shape will show the plausibility of the post-millennial hope. I think that the shape chapters (the introduction to the Bible Matrix) are Michael Bull’s best-to-date summary of the shape he is able to point us to time and time again in the text. Chapter 1 is clear, crisp, and concise.
You’ll find yourself excited, confused, puzzled, relieved — all at once as you go through the different patterns. But what he promises is accurate—“Even if the analysis does not persuade you, it will increase your appreciation for the integrity of the Bible.” My thanks to the author for that. In matters of eschatology, I always like to say I will be more than happy to be found wrong in the last day, but I want to exert all my efforts and concentration at honoring the words of the Lord Jesus and of the text of Scripture. This book does that well. You may disagree, but you will not leave this book the same that you were before you started to read it.
Finally, the book ends with a very good historical survey of the time period surrounding AD 70. If you take one thing out of this, please realize that there is an explanation for the post-millennial hope, not just wishful thinking. And if you let this hope get inside of you, you will see a glorious Jesus in all things.
February 26, 2019
Great work
Michael Bull is an excellent scholar. He is a master at applying his Bible Matrix principles.
Anyone reading his various works will come away more enlightened about the holistic interpretation of the Bible.
Michael Bull has one glaring weakness. He is a Futurist without any reason to be.
A very thin Partial Preterist Michael is. He should and maybe he will come to understand the establishment of the New Covenant Kingdom of God has no end.
The earth is not burning or melting, that happened in 70AD destruction of the Old Covenant.
I reccomend this book heartily. But suggest reading Donald K. Preston and Tony Denton and Samuel Dawson to fully arrive at a Covenant Eschatology position which brings satisfaction. Michael comes from the Dominionist camp. Fine Bible students but dominated by myoptic creedalists. They are stuck with denominational prejudices. Consequently they think they can snore through the end of futuristic eschatology.
Michael and His friends are becoming footnotes in the Covenant Eschatology debate.
Michael Bull is an excellent scholar. He is a master at applying his Bible Matrix principles.
Anyone reading his various works will come away more enlightened about the holistic interpretation of the Bible.
Michael Bull has one glaring weakness. He is a Futurist without any reason to be.
A very thin Partial Preterist Michael is. He should and maybe he will come to understand the establishment of the New Covenant Kingdom of God has no end.
The earth is not burning or melting, that happened in 70AD destruction of the Old Covenant.
I reccomend this book heartily. But suggest reading Donald K. Preston and Tony Denton and Samuel Dawson to fully arrive at a Covenant Eschatology position which brings satisfaction. Michael comes from the Dominionist camp. Fine Bible students but dominated by myoptic creedalists. They are stuck with denominational prejudices. Consequently they think they can snore through the end of futuristic eschatology.
Michael and His friends are becoming footnotes in the Covenant Eschatology debate.
January 12, 2020
A microscope and a telescope
You will see the big picture and the small in this book. Once you drink of this stream, once you see the text differently than before, you are changed. If you receive from James Jordan and Peter Leithart, then this will take you even further.
You will see the big picture and the small in this book. Once you drink of this stream, once you see the text differently than before, you are changed. If you receive from James Jordan and Peter Leithart, then this will take you even further.
February 11, 2024
Read it
Be afraid of a Holy God.
Judgement came at the garden, judgement came to the land, judgement is coming to the world next.
Be afraid of a Holy God.
Judgement came at the garden, judgement came to the land, judgement is coming to the world next.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews