Andrew Meredith’s Reviews > Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion > Status Update
Andrew Meredith
is on page 163 of 318
Chapter 19: A Brief Summary of the Revelation
Revelation is not impossible to understand, but it is extraordinarily deep. One could easily fill multiple volumes exploring the book fully. Thus, this survey will be just that, a thousand foot flyover. The next few chapters will zoom in to cover important symbols within the book, but first, getting the lay of the whole land is necessary.
— Feb 10, 2026 10:52AM
Revelation is not impossible to understand, but it is extraordinarily deep. One could easily fill multiple volumes exploring the book fully. Thus, this survey will be just that, a thousand foot flyover. The next few chapters will zoom in to cover important symbols within the book, but first, getting the lay of the whole land is necessary.
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Andrew’s Previous Updates
Andrew Meredith
is on page 157 of 318
Chapter 17: Interpreting Revelation and Chapter 18: The Time Is at Hand
There are two problems that confront us when we seek to interpret the Book of Revelation: (1) What checks and controls should we use to ensure that we do not force God's Holy Word into a mold of our own inventions and (too often) our runaway imaginations? (2) What do we do then with what we have learned? These chapters seek to tackle the first.
— Feb 08, 2026 04:02AM
There are two problems that confront us when we seek to interpret the Book of Revelation: (1) What checks and controls should we use to ensure that we do not force God's Holy Word into a mold of our own inventions and (too often) our runaway imaginations? (2) What do we do then with what we have learned? These chapters seek to tackle the first.
Andrew Meredith
is on page 140 of 318
Chapter 16: The Consummation of the Kingdom
The Last Day and the Last Judgment are synonyms. Biblically, they happen at the same time. This should be obvious, but there are only two resurrections: (1) Jesus as the firstfruits, and (2) the (simultaneous) Resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked on the Last Day (Dan 12:2; Jn 5:26-29; Acts 24:15; Rev 20:11-15).
— Feb 07, 2026 03:11AM
The Last Day and the Last Judgment are synonyms. Biblically, they happen at the same time. This should be obvious, but there are only two resurrections: (1) Jesus as the firstfruits, and (2) the (simultaneous) Resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked on the Last Day (Dan 12:2; Jn 5:26-29; Acts 24:15; Rev 20:11-15).
Andrew Meredith
is on page 133 of 318
Chapter 15: The Day of the Lord
Okay, so "the Last Days" are behind us, "The Great Tribulation" is behind us, "the Antichrist" is behind us, "Christ's coming on the clouds" is behind us... All were fulfilled in AD 70. Is there anything actually left to be fulfilled? And if so, how can we meaningfully distinguish it from all the stuff that has already happened?
— Feb 06, 2026 02:40AM
Okay, so "the Last Days" are behind us, "The Great Tribulation" is behind us, "the Antichrist" is behind us, "Christ's coming on the clouds" is behind us... All were fulfilled in AD 70. Is there anything actually left to be fulfilled? And if so, how can we meaningfully distinguish it from all the stuff that has already happened?
Andrew Meredith
is on page 125 of 318
Chapter 14: The Restoration of Israel
The last few chapters have been pretty bleak for the nation of Israel. They have by-and-large been excommunicated, cut off from the vine, and placed under cataclysmic judgment. But this presents us with a serious problem. What about God's promise to Abraham that the patriarch's seed would be established "throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant" (Gen 17:7)?
— Feb 05, 2026 02:30AM
The last few chapters have been pretty bleak for the nation of Israel. They have by-and-large been excommunicated, cut off from the vine, and placed under cataclysmic judgment. But this presents us with a serious problem. What about God's promise to Abraham that the patriarch's seed would be established "throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant" (Gen 17:7)?
Andrew Meredith
is on page 117 of 318
Chapter 13: The Last Days
"The Last Days," "The Latter Times," and "The Last Hour," is the period between Jesus's Life and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Early Church was living at the end of the old age (the aready "obsolete" Old Covenant) and the beginning of the New (Heb 8:13).
— Feb 04, 2026 02:31AM
"The Last Days," "The Latter Times," and "The Last Hour," is the period between Jesus's Life and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Early Church was living at the end of the old age (the aready "obsolete" Old Covenant) and the beginning of the New (Heb 8:13).
Andrew Meredith
is on page 109 of 318
Chapter 12: The Rise of the Antichrist
We tend to think of the Apostolic era as a golden age of healthy, explosive Church growth, and while this is substantially correct, we must also seek to do justice to the rampant outbreak of heresy and apostasy that accompanied it. One of Jesus's given indications for the Last Days was a dramatic rise in falling away and false teachers culminating in the great Apostasy.
— Feb 03, 2026 02:41AM
We tend to think of the Apostolic era as a golden age of healthy, explosive Church growth, and while this is substantially correct, we must also seek to do justice to the rampant outbreak of heresy and apostasy that accompanied it. One of Jesus's given indications for the Last Days was a dramatic rise in falling away and false teachers culminating in the great Apostasy.
Andrew Meredith
is on page 101 of 318
Chapter 11: Coming on the Clouds
For most, what I've said so far sounds strange but fairly plausible on the surface (at least not heretical, I hope). Unfortunately, Matthew 24:29-31 just clearly doesn't work within the interpretation being offered here. It's really quite the insurmountable hurdle because isn't it obvious to anyone with eyes to see that none of what Jesus predicts in this passage has happened yet?
— Feb 02, 2026 10:25AM
For most, what I've said so far sounds strange but fairly plausible on the surface (at least not heretical, I hope). Unfortunately, Matthew 24:29-31 just clearly doesn't work within the interpretation being offered here. It's really quite the insurmountable hurdle because isn't it obvious to anyone with eyes to see that none of what Jesus predicts in this passage has happened yet?
Andrew Meredith
is on page 91 of 318
Chapter 10: The Great Tribulation
Scripture interprets Scripture. We must not seek for authoritative interpretations of Scripture's meaning anywhere outside the Bible itself. This to say, the Bible was not dropped from the sky in the twenty-first century. Now, with this in mind, let's tackle "The Great Tribulation." It's actually not that difficult to understand.
— Feb 01, 2026 08:38AM
Scripture interprets Scripture. We must not seek for authoritative interpretations of Scripture's meaning anywhere outside the Bible itself. This to say, the Bible was not dropped from the sky in the twenty-first century. Now, with this in mind, let's tackle "The Great Tribulation." It's actually not that difficult to understand.
Andrew Meredith
is on page 81 of 318
Chapter 9: The Rejection of Israel
The constantly used imagery of the people of God as a "vineyard" in both the OT and the NT has an obvious direct connection with the idea of the Garden. Israel was a garden planted, watered, and tended to by Yahweh (Ps 80; Is 5). This is an important concept when reading one of Jesus's most striking parables: the story of the Wicked Vinegrowers (Matt 21:33-39).
— Jan 31, 2026 05:37AM
The constantly used imagery of the people of God as a "vineyard" in both the OT and the NT has an obvious direct connection with the idea of the Garden. Israel was a garden planted, watered, and tended to by Yahweh (Ps 80; Is 5). This is an important concept when reading one of Jesus's most striking parables: the story of the Wicked Vinegrowers (Matt 21:33-39).
Andrew Meredith
is on page 73 of 318
Chapter 8: The Coming of the Kingdom
The coming Kingdom of the Messiah was a major theme of the Psalms and the prophets. With the coming of Christ, that kingdom has arrived and is expanding across the world, just as Daniel prophesied when he foretold the Rock that would strike the feet of Rome and then grow into a world-consuming Mountain (Dan 2:35, 44).
— Jan 30, 2026 08:34AM
The coming Kingdom of the Messiah was a major theme of the Psalms and the prophets. With the coming of Christ, that kingdom has arrived and is expanding across the world, just as Daniel prophesied when he foretold the Rock that would strike the feet of Rome and then grow into a world-consuming Mountain (Dan 2:35, 44).
Chapter One opens by indicating that indeed, the foretold Great Tribulation had arrived (v.9), and yet even now Christians are ruling and reigning with Christ as priests in His Kingdom. It assures it's readers that the events it prophesies are soon. It closes with a vision of the glorified Christ, introducing important symbols that will be used throughout the rest of the book.
Chapters Two and Three contain messages from the glorified Christ to seven of His churches in Asia Minor. These churches have various internal and external struggles they are currently fighting through (the Jews, heresy, persecution, lukewarm-ness, etc.). He encourages His people to overcome these challenges, to conquer and reign in His Name, utilizing both promises and threats.
Chapters Four and Five give the Biblical philosophy of history itself: all things are seen from the perspective of the throne of God. Christ, both the Lion and the Lamb, is the Conqueror who is worthy to open the book of God's judgments. All of creation and history are centered in Him.
Chapters Six and Seven show the breaking of the seven seals, symbolizing the judgments about to fall upon apostate Israel. These judgments are specifically shown to be the divine response to the imprecatory prayers of the Church against her enemies. The liturgical actions of the church are the means of changing world history.
Chapters Eight and Nine finish up the opening of the seals. Jerusalem is given over to Satan and his demonic legions, which flood the city to possess its ungodly inhabitants, until the entire nation is driven into (suicidal) madness.
Chapters Ten and Eleven again present a vision of Christ, Who announces that the New Creation and the New Covenant have become an accomplished fact. The witnessing, prophetic Church, seemingly annihilated by Jewish persecution, is resurrected, and it's persecutors are crushed. The completion and filling of the new and final Temple are revealed to the world.
Chapter Twelve forms a dramatic interlude, portraying the basic battle of history in the cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan, the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent.
Chapter Thirteen reveals the warfare the faithful Church is about to have with the pagan Roman Empire (the Beast). Apostate Israel will align itself with the Beast (at least for a time) in persecuting the Church, which is to exercise steadfast patience under its duress.
Chapters Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen reveals the victorious army of the redeemed standing on Mount Zion singing a song of triumph while Christ comes in judgment upon rebellious Israel and trample the ripened grapes of wrath. Egyptian plagues are poured out upon the apostates.
Chapter Nineteen begins with the joyful wedding feast of Christ and His bride. Then shows the coming worldwide dominion of the gospel, with the King riding forth with the army of His saints to wage holy war. The agent of victory is His Word.
Chapter Twenty gives a capsulized history of the New world order from the first coming of Christ until the end of the world. The righteous and the wicked both receive the fruits of their works.
Chapters Twenty One and Twenty Two record a vision of the Church. First in consummated glory at the end of all things, and then as she will be after the Last Days (i.e., now).