Doing some studying this afternoon in preparation for a Bible school class tonight and came across an article I had written for a group of high school students in a Bible study several years back. Enjoy and Lord bless!
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The Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1) contains 22 chapters,
404 verses, and 12,000 words. It was penned by the apostle John (who wrote 4
other New Testaments books bearing his name – the Gospel of John and the
epistles 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John), but we know that the words came from God
Himself (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Preliminary Observations
First, it is essential that we note the placement of the
book. Revelation is the last of the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible. It is
placed last in God’s order of books because one cannot rightly understand this
book without a working knowledge of the prior sixty-five books. However,
because of its fascinating subject matter, many Christians want to begin their
Bible reading and study with it and many ministers want to teach it to their
congregations before they have taught the rest of the Bible. This inevitably
leads to confusion and misunderstanding.
The book of Revelation does not stand by itself. It is the
culmination of God’s dealings with men, angels, devils, and planet Earth. All
that has gone before has led up to this summation. Without knowledge fo the
former, one can only misinterpret or misapply the latter. In fact, 278 of the
404 verses in the book contain references or allusions to the Old Testament.
Those who begin their Bible study with Revelation end up
interpreting its strange statements by trying to fit them into the accepted
findings of modern science. Those who look to this book for exciting sermon
materials end up subjecting its contents to the headlines in the daily
newspaper.
Only God knows how many outright lies have been declared as
“new truth from the book of Revelation” by those who did not know the
scriptural foundation for its contents. We must not begin the Bible where God
ends it.
Second, the book of Revelation is divided into three
distinct sections. Chapters 1-3 give a chronological picture of the church age,
and chapters 19-22 give an orderly picture of the summation of all things. The
material in chapters 4-18 shows the outpouring of God’s wrath and judgment upon
the inhabitants of the earth in response to their rejection of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
The Revelation is given by God to show us how each crisis
will end and how each problem will be solved. Because of this, it is best to
study Revelation by themes (for example: the beast, God’s wrath during the first
3½ years, destruction of nature, etc.) rather than by chapters. If one studies
the book by themes, much of the material will be found to overlap and
supplement other portions of the book.
Second, there is much debate as to the proper method of
interpreting Revelation. Some teach that the book is historical and presents a
mystical look into the history of past ages. Others hold that the book is
symbolism and seek to find the secret message in each verse.
However, the text itself declares that the book is one of
prophecy, looking to events which would take place after John’s departure from
this life. We are told seven times in Revelation that the contents of the book
are prophetic (1:3; 10:11; 19:10; 22:7, 10, 18-19).
One final principle that is essential to the proper study
and interpretation of any passage of scripture and is absolutely imperative for
the student of the book of Revelation is the principle of literal
interpretation. Unless the scripture explicitly states otherwise, it means exactly
what it says. Where the Bible uses allegory, it is very careful to point this
out (Galatians 4:24). When Jesus spoke a parable, He was always very careful to
say so up front (Matthew 21:33; Matthew 24:34; et al.). When the Bible uses
pictures and symbols, it is very careful to define what they represent (Mark
4:13-20).
So when the Book of Revelation speaks of locusts (chapter
9), it’s not talking about military helicopters. When the Bible says that the
third part of the trees will be burnt up (chapter 8), that’s exactly what it
means will happen. When the book makes reference to a star called Wormwood
(chapter 8), it doesn’t mean a spaceship. You get the point.
Contents of the Book
The instruction John
was given by the Lord to write the Book of Revelation well summarizes the
contents of the record:
Write the things which
thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be
hereafter (Revelation 1:19).
THE THINGS WHICH THOU HAST SEEN…
In chapter 1, John sees a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in
all His glory standing in the midst of 7 golden candlesticks. He is instructed
to write the things he has seen and pronounces a blessing upon those who read,
hear, and keep the words of the prophecy…for
the time is at hand.
THE THINGS WHICH ARE…
Chapters 2 and 3 consist of 7 letters to the 7 churches of
Asia Minor. Each is given a commendation (with the exception of Laodicea), a
rebuke (with the exception of Philadelphia), and a promise to those who
overcome.
Not only did these churches literally exist and receive
these letters in the days of the Apostle John, the content of the letters serve
to form an outline of the history of the church that Jesus established:
EPHESUS (2:1-7)
34-170 AD
The
apostolic period (see the book of Acts)
SMYRNA (2:8-11)
170-312
Rome
persecutes the church
PERGAMOS (2:12-17)
312-606
Rome
accepts the church
THYATIRA (2:18-29)
606-1517
Rome controls
the church
SARDIS (3:1-6)
1517-1750
Churches pull out
of Rome
PHILADELPHIA (3:7-13)
1750-1881
The modern missions
movement
LAODICEA (3:14-22)
1881-present
Lukewarm mega-church
These letters serve as a helpful benchmark for any
individual or group of Christians. We should use the strengths and weaknesses
addressed in the various churches to examine ourselves on a continual basis and
determine if our lives and the activities of our fellowships are pleasing to
the Lord.
THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER…
• The Catching Away of the Church
Chapter 4 opens with a call to “Come up hither!” This represents the upward call of God’s
saints when Jesus returns to the clouds and catches away the believers. This is
commonly referred to as the rapture and is described in 1 Corinthians 15:49-58
and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
The activities of chapters 4 and 5 take place around the
throne of God. There the saints cast crowns before His throne and offer songs
and shouts of worship and praise to the Lamb who is found worthy to open the
7-sealed book.
Those who heard the call to “Come up hither!” (4:1) are not
seen again until Jesus Christ returns to the earth to destroy the antichrist
and his army at the battle of Armageddon and establish His kingdom in Jerusalem
(19:11-21).
For this and many other reasons, we are certain that no
believer will be “left behind” to experience the horrors that will come upon
the earth and its inhabitants during the 7 years of Great Tribulation, as
revealed by this book.
• The Tribulation
Following this great catching away of the believers, there will
be a period of time spoken of in the prophetic scriptures, both Old and New
Testament, as the Tribulation. It is described in chapters 6-19 of the
Apocalypse.
The Tribulation will last 7 years with two distinct 3½ year
periods (Daniel 9:27 w/ Genesis 29:27-28; Revelation 11:2-3; Revelation 12:6;
Revelation 13:5).
At the beginning of the tribulation, the antichrist will
rise to power. He will rule over a one-world government, consisting of a
ten-nation confederacy (Revelation 17:12-14; Daniel 7:7-8, 19-28). He will be a
master-deceiver and people will worship him as the Messiah (2 Thessalonians
2:1-12; Revelation 13:5-6, 15).
He will make a peace treaty with the nation of Israel and
allow them to offer sacrifice in the temple. But after 3½ years he will break
the treaty and set up an idol in the holiest place of the temple (the
abomination of desolation spoken of in Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11;
Matthew 24:15).
That’s when all hell breaks loose. He will cause all men to
take a mark, without which no man can buy or sell. Refusal to take the mark
will result (if they catch you) in death by beheading (Revelation 13:16-19;
20:4).
The antichrist will wage war against those who trust the
Lord during this time, but they will be miraculously protected by the Lord when
they flee to the mountains outside Judaea (probably a place called Petra –
Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 12:6, 14-17).
At the end of the Tribulation, the armies of the antichrist
will be gathered to the plain of Megiddo or “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:12-16).
The emperor Napoleon viewed this place as the most perfect battlefield in all
the world. There the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the earth with the armies
of heaven following and will utterly destroy His enemies, banishing the
antichrist to the lake of fire forever (Revelation 19:11-21). This event is
referred to in scripture as “the end of the world” (Matthew 13:36-50).
• The 21 Tribulation Judgments
Chapters 6-19 of Revelation reveal 21 plagues that come upon
the earth and its population during the time of the tribulation. These are as
follows:
THE 7 SEALS (6:1-8:5)
- 1.
White horse: the rise of antichrist
- 2.
Red horse: war
- 3.
Black horse: famine
- 4.
Pale horse: death
- 5.
Martyrdom: souls under the altar, saints
persecuted, aid promised
- 6.
Great earthquake: sun blackened, moon turns to
blood, stars fall, men fear
- 7.
Half hour of silence in heaven…opens to the 7
trumpets
THE 7 TRUMPETS (8:6-11:19)
- 1.
Hail and fire mingled with blood: 1/3 of the
trees and all grass burnt up
- 2.
1/3 of the sea becomes blood and 1/3 of the sea
creatures die
- 3.
The star Wormwood: 1/3 of the rivers smitten
- 4.
Sun, moon, and stars give off 1/3 of their light
- 5.
Locusts: torment men 5 months, men seek death
and cannot find it
- 6.
2,000,000 horsemen: slay 1/3 of the population
- 7.
Heavenly announcement…opens to 7 vials
THE 7 VIALS (16:1-21)
- 1.
Boils: infest those who have taken the mark of
the beast
- 2.
Sea becomes blood: all living souls therein die
- 3.
Rivers become blood
- 4.
Sun scorches men with heat
- 5.
Darkness: men gnaw their tongues for pain
- 6.
Euphrates dries up: kings gathered to Armageddon
- 7.
It is done: thunder, lightning, earthquake,
Babylon falls
The book of Revelation well demonstrates the truth of Romans
2:4. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. His judgment
(though just) only further hardens those who have already rejected His love.
• The Millennial Kingdom
The events described in chapter 20 are intriguing indeed. Following
the battle of Armageddon, Satan will be bound, and Jesus Christ will rule and
reign as King over all the earth with His saints for 1,000 years. He will
restore the creation to its original condition (Isaiah 35), and there will
finally be peace on earth (Isaiah 2:1-5; Luke 2:14). Those who survived the
Tribulation and were kind to God’s people are allowed to enter this kingdom in
their human bodies (Matthew 25:31-46). The saints of all ages will also be
present, howbeit in our glorified bodies (2 Timothy 2:12).
At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed and will
mount one final effort against the Lord of glory. He will gather an army from
the four quarters of the earth (those born during this kingdom who are not fond
of the king) and come to battle at Jerusalem. But God will send fire down from
heaven and annihilate the entire host. Satan will then join the antichrist in
the lake of fire.
After the 1,000 years is the final judgment where all those
whose names are not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death. Born
once, die twice. Born twice, die once.
• Eternity
The final 2 chapters of Revelation give us a small glimpse
of God’s eternal kingdom. God creates a new heaven and a new earth for all His
saints to inhabit.
New Jerusalem (heaven) will be the eternal home of all those
who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior from the time that He died and
rose again until the time that He returns to the clouds to take His church to
heaven. The gates are made of pearl. The streets are pure gold. From the throne
runs a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, with fruit trees
growing on the banks. There will be no more need for the sun. God’s glory will
light up the entire city, which by the way is 1,500 miles3.
The earth (and the planets, Isaiah 45:18) will be inhabited
by those who followed God prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
and following His return to the clouds to catch away His church.
The Bible doesn’t say much about what we’ll be doing for
eternity. But this much I do know, every time the scriptures bring us to the
throne of God, there is a multitude that is giving Him the praise and worship
He so deserves. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to joining that
company.
EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS…
Concluding Thoughts
The Book of Revelation is terrifying to read – if you have
any feeling that you might be around on the earth to experience it. The hope of
all true believers is to be caught away by the Lord prior to this time when His
wrath is poured out upon the earth (God has no desire for us to experience His
wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9).
Consider the following comparison:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come (Joel 2:31).
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come (Acts 2:20).
Notice the difference. What Joel describes as terrible,
Peter merely views as notable. Why is that?
Peter is a believer, and there’s no chance that he’ll be around to
experience the terror that will come upon the earth during that time.
Examining the truth about the apocalypse – and the horror
connected with it – ought to cause us to examine ourselves and make sure of our
standing before God. When Jesus comes, will we go with Him, or will we be
left? NOW is the time to make sure you
have your sins forgiven. And the only way to do that is to go to God as a
sinner, believing with all your heart that what Jesus Christ did for you on the
cross is the only way for you to be forgiven. For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).
