The New Testament assumes you know the Old Testament

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and all of a sudden you get that very puzzled look?  You ask a couple of questions and then hear those familiar words, “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” 

I wonder if the the Apostle John feels the same way when people read the book of Revelation.  He recounts his fantastic vision of seals, thunder, horsemen, locusts, swords, disasters, dragons, etc, only to see a very puzzled look on our face.  Then he asks, “You don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, do you?” 

Like many other books in the New Testament, when John wrote Revelation, he assumed that his readers would know that so many of his symbols, signs, characters, and events were drawn from the Old Testament.  Matthew has the same approach in his gospel.  From the very first words, he assumes that his readers will know the people listed in the geneaology of Jesus.  The unknown author of Hebrews follows suit.  He talks about angles, Melchizedek, Mount Sinai, and the Tabernacle, assuming that those who read the book know what those things are.

I dare say that the New Testament is so full of Old Testament quotes, allusions, references, symbols, and doctrines, that it is impossible to fully grasp the meaning of its words without a working knowledge of the Old Testament.

It is like trying to read The Chronicles of Narnia without knowing a little mythology.  Maybe it’s like listening to American Pie by Don McLean and not know a little musical history of the 60’s.  The authors just assume that you know Aslan is the Lion of Judah, the Joker on the sideline in a cast is Bob Dylan, and the quartet in the park is the Beatles.  John assumes that you know the four horsemen in Revelation 6 draw their meaning from Zecharaih 6.  Otherwise you might think the rider of the pale horse was Wyatt Earp, just like Johnny Ringo did in Tombstone.