EVERY Adventist minister knows that "when the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience." 1 Would the same be true of those who are not believers?
Here is a provocative question: If a prospective believer were introduced to Christ and the great truths of the third angel's message through the book of Revelation, would he not have a far better Christian experience when he comes into the remnant church and a clearer understanding of the great truths of the Advent Movement? This question has led me to conduct several evangelistic series for the general public with Revelation as the topic and an evening class setting as the approach.
Such meetings fill a growing void. Almost without fail, when a member of some other denomination asks his pastor for an explanation of a passage in the book of Revelation, he is met with silence. Many people are interested in, yet bewildered with, the book. As they contact their leaders they receive little help. Yet, strange to say, the religious world is being swept with book after book dealing with prophecy. Most assuredly Satan does not want Revelation to be under stood. Hence the silence.
A Gospel Method
Notice the relationship between this book and the gospel. It is the good news of Jesus Christ, a revelation of Him as our Prophet, Priest, and King. What is the book of Revelation? It is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ." 2 Thus Revelation contains the gospel. Then the gospel may be taught in the framework of present truth as found in the book of Revelation.
"Let every God-fearing teacher consider how most clearly to comprehend and to present the gospel that our Saviour came in person to make known to His servant John 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.' " 3
When the gospel is taught through the medium of Revelation present truth can be nicely presented as a harmonious whole, truth linking with truth.
"Honest souls will see the straight chain of present truth. They will see its harmonious connections, link after link uniting into a great whole, and will lay hold upon it. The present truth is not difficult to be understood, and the people whom God is leading will be united upon this broad, firm platform." 4
Evangelistic-type Procedures
Preparations for evening classes in Revelation have approximated those for conventional evangelistic series: the usual pattern of advertising with displays in the newspaper, handbills with an enrollment card attached, personal invitations, and a large sign in front of the church.
Each person who comes is enrolled his first night even though it might be halfway through the series. He is encouraged to bring his own Bible. If he does not have one he is given one. Each person is supplied with a small lapboard to write on, a pencil, a complete outline of the order of studies, a diagram for that night's study, and a folder to keep materials in.
At the front stands a twenty-foot blackboard portraying the same blank diagram that has been given to each enrollee. Night by night as we go through the prophecies we build on the diagram on the blackboard and the student fills in his own diagram step by step. Thus the student has a permanent record of the material presented night by night just as it is given. Four diagrams are used in the series. Mimeographed material is also given out from time to time to help explain further the material being presented.
Classroom Setting
There are no preliminaries such as music, special features, et cetera. After a short welcome and prayer, I go right into the study of the evening.
The first evening I present a few rules for class discussion: They can ask questions at any time during the study, but the questions must pertain to the subject of the evening. I reserve the right to hold the answer to a question if in a further study it can or will be answered in a better way because of the background that they will have by that time. They are encouraged to jot down questions so that they will not forget them. They are also given the assurance that every question will be answered if at all possible. If I do not know the answer I will be fair with them and tell them so, not trying to dodge the question. They are told at the start that no one knows and understands the book of Revelation in every detail.
I emphasize again and again that the Bible will be the only text book, but reference will be made to secular history and other materials to show that the prophecies predicted did come to pass just as indicated in the Book.
A few slides are used from time to time on a reversible screen. But I have found that slides can distract if not carefully used.
During a recent series the classes were held three nights a week for eight weeks from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I have tried four nights a week, as well as one night a week. The three-night-a-week program seems to work the best. In another setting it could be different. In the most recent series the attendance ranged from forty to fifty per evening, with twenty-three nonmembers being enrolled.
By the time the pastor-teacher covers Revelation and parts of Daniel to help explain Revelation he will have covered all the basic truths that would be given in any regular evangelistic series. But they are given in a way that ties them together as a complete whole. In addition, a person attending an evening class comes in a different frame of mind from that of a person attending evangelistic meetings, and so absorbs more new material.
Christ in the Doctrines
My goal has been to carry out this counsel:
"Theoretical discourses are essential, that the people may see the chain of truth, link after link, united in a perfect whole; but no discourse should ever be preached without presenting Christ and Him crucified as the foundation of the gospel." 5
The closer our preaching comes to the pattern, the more effective will be our ministry in the saving of souls. This method of presenting the book of Revelation has been an attempt to teach Christ in the doctrines. But it has been a learning experience. The danger is preaching doctrine without Christ a lot is being said about this today in our midst but there can be a preaching of Christ void of a clear understanding of the great truths. Those coming away from that kind of preaching never really know what the Bible teaches. The two approaches must be blended, Christ in the doctrines and the doctrines in Christ.
To develop appropriate methods takes thought, studying, praying, and doing. We must never forget Ellen G. White's words:
"These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who under stand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan." 6
In the presentation of Revelation the ultimate aim is to present Jesus Christ as the center and the core of each great prophetic truth and doctrine found in the book.
