The Book of Revelation

THE BOOK OF REVELATION:Written by apostle John 95-96AD before the end of the 1st Century, during his exile on the island of Patmos revealed with visions and symbols.  The Gospel of John 1-12 is known as a book of Science, i.e. miracles, healings, walking of water, etc. 7 signs and wonders showing that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is not a man.  Revelation is a revelation of Jesus and the unveiling of something hidden/apocalypse. Apocalypse in the Bible relates to prophets who saw future events.  (Paul's writings all dated to the latter part of the 1st Century and he also encourage them to stand fast.)  John survived on the island of Patmos for a reason, Matthew 16:28 where Jesus made a statement ... A thought was that a disciple as John would be alive when the Lord return.  Jesus knew that John would live long enough John 21:20-23 to see a vision of the time of the end.  John saw all came together, the prophecies in the Old Testament of the end.Luke 21:25-26, Luke 21:11, Jesus compared His return to the days of Noah (water came from below under the earth in Genesis 7:11 and above) and of Lot.A special blessing to its readers, Revelation 1:8 John was A witness/seen and the church is 19 x mentioned.  John see the gloriousness of Jesus.  Jesus Christ "who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood ... to Him be the glory ... He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him...".Jesus Christ is in charge of the events to come. This is the only book out of the 66x Books of the Bible that has a special promise to its readers, a blessing that is promised to those who teach, study the Book of Revelation and you have to do it. Revelation is the only record of the end of the Story, the only Book that gives the full picture of the Grand Finale!  Every beginning has an end, when is the end?  Luke 21, Matthew 24 Jesus took the time and explain the things to come. Also, no mentioning of the destruction of the First Temple, the Book of Revelation was written long after that.Revelation is back to the future, we do not but God knows the end from the beginning.  God shared with us what will happen, He knows. Things that we are going to see from here also later from above.  The Words of this Book are meant to not only be read but implemented!  This book is a source of many blessings and to encourage us.  To God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day like 2 Peter 3 says.  God is not late but longsuffering, giving us more time to repent. What time is near?  Judgement time!  Judgement is already known from the Book of Job, earliest Book written all the way Genesis to Revelation - judgement is coming and it is near.  God is a righteous Judge.  The Restrainer is being removed and the wrath is being poured over this ungodly world!  The essence of the Book of Revelation is to tell the story.  The Book is they and us, for us to know and to understand and that He knows it is going to get worse.A promise from God in Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy..."

  • He is risen as promised!
  • He will return to take us as promised!
  • He will return to Jerusalem with us as promised!
  • He will reign over the world as promised!
  • He will judge the world as promised!

Revelation 1:  Revelation 1 is a look behind the curtain, we get a glimpse of who is truly in charge of word events, Jesus Christ!Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,Revelation 1:2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" says the Lord "who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty".  John 11:25-27 At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.  Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.  "All things have been committed to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, No one knows the Son except the Father, and those to who the Son chooses to reveal him."A look behind the curtain, we get a glimpse of who is truly in charge of world events, Jesus Christ! The Alpha and the Omega!Just receive Jesus and invite Him in your heart.Revelation 2: Jesus sends messages to the first four churches to get their house in order, a lot of household issues there.  Describing even the state of the churches of today. Empesus = Lost Love,Smyrna = reminds them that He is greater than suffering and even death, the attractiveness of suffering,Pergamum = Defending Truth in a culture of lies,Thyatira = finding a moral compass, The present, we are still on earth.  Jesus stand at the door and knock Revelation 3:20 Things written to the 7 churches (church is believers), message to all of us, instructions to all believers. All 7 churches should look to Jesus Christ, keep yourself holy to the end of time, be faithful witnesses. They have a choice, avoid going along with the wrong practices of the world Church is mentioned 19 x but from Revelation 4 onwards no mentioning about the Church (gone with the Rapture). Revelation 3:Sardis = reviving a 'dead' church, not wicked or immoral but unresponsive to Christ, we should not follow rituals. Hold fast and repent - you don't know the hour I will return.Philadelphia (brotherly love) = finding us faithful and humble, a church that spread the Gospel, hold fast, like us nowadays with the internetLaodicea =  Riches city in area but spiritually poor. They lost sight on how to live, the church that makes Jesus sick, a picture of so many churches today lukewarm. Overcome will be grant to sit next to Him.Revelation 4: When the sky up the sound of the trumpet, already know it from 1 Cor 14, 1 Thes 4 that something amazing is going to happen. The Rapture.  A journey to Heaven: John was caught up/raptured into heaven to learn and write things about what was, what is, and what is going to take place.  Interesting, up onto Revelation 3 we here about the Church here on earth and what God has to say to those Churches.  From Revelation 4 to almost Revelation 20 the Church is not on earth and will not be part of the upcoming events.  This is especially important, that is why we believe the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation.Revelation 5: Now John is in Heaven and everything is new to him, he sees the angels and the Scroll, and no-one can open the Scroll.  Only the Lion of Judah and the Lamb that was slain have the authority to open the seven seals and bring judgement on earth.  Having the Blood of Jesus on post of our hearts the judging is passing over us.Revelation 6: The beginning of troubles.  God begins His judgement by opening the seven seals of the Scroll one at a time.  Disasters. The 7-year Tribulation. Peace is taking from the earth.  Revelation 6:9, 16.  Revelation 6 - latter verses ... hid us from the wrath ...Two people speak/testimony of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.  Prophets who are moved by the Holy Spirit and communicate that what God wants them to know.  God chose not to tell us their names, revealed they have supernatural powers. Two Witnesses will be either Moses and Elijah  or  Enoch and Elijah:

  • Moses:  Exodus 7:17, 2 Kings 1:16-17 and 1 Kings 1:17 - many miracles
  • Elijah:  because of all the miracle performed in the Old Testament, 2 Kings 1:16-17 and 1 Kings 1:17, fire from heaven 1 Kings 18, James 5:17, 2 Kings 2:11
  • Enoch:  walked with God and God took him, he never died, Genesis 5:21-24, Hebrews 11:5
  • Old Testament Jewish tradition are expecting Moses and Elijah to return in the future to earth.  
  • Malachi 4: 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
  • Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration on the Mount, Matthew 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
  • Moses and Elijah both left the world in an unusual way:
  • Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So, he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
  • The Lord Himself buried Moses and no-one knows his grave to this day.  Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died."   Michael the Archangel disputed with Satan about the body of Moses in Jude 9  Yet Michael the archangel, in contenting with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Revelation 7: God by His Grace, the Tribulation evangelists, 144 000 Jewish Billy Graham evangelists call people to repentance during Tribulation period, resulting in a great multitude of Jews with a new name: Tribulation Saints (that is not the Church)Revelation 8: Ecological disasters, as the first four trumpets sound, God creates an ecological disaster.  Tremendous misery on unbelievers on earth. A massive volcano will erupt causing a great tsunami (like Pompei in Italy bodies covered with ashes). The sun will be darkened by the ashes.  Matthew 24:29  “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. asteroids Revelation 8:10-11 - wormwood/asteroid, the water will become bitter.Revelation 9: A Human Holocaust, when the last three Trumpets sound God spares the ecology but brings tremendous misery on the wicked unbelieving population on the earth.  Revelation 9:20, they know it is the wrath of God but still refuses to turn to Him.Revelation 10:John takes a little scroll and eats it.  The scroll is sweet as honey in his mouth, but sour in his stomach as a sign of the judgements to come.  John cannot really enjoy it when he knows what is coming.Revelation 11:Jerusalem's preachers and earthquakes.  Jerusalem hears from Two Witnesses with miraculous powers.  The mass population wants them dead and God permits the beast from the abyss to kill them.  After 3x days they are raised from the dead and when they ascend into heaven, just like Jesus, a 10th of the City is destroyed by a massive earthquake. Revelation 12:God did not forget what He is going to do with Israel.  Israel, the Nation that would not die.  John sees a woman, a child, and a dragon. The dragon, Satan, attempts to devour the child, Jesus, who is "snatched up" to heaven, while the woman, Israel, is protected is protected in the desert, a specific desert,  for 312 years,  the latter part of the Tribulation.  They realized they have been deceived and hid.  Daniel 9, 11, 12, anti-Christ confirms a covenant with Israel for 7x years but then he will break it after 312 years.Revelation 13:Two beasts emerge on the scene.  One comes from the sea and the other from the earth, the first is the anti-Christ and the second the False Prophet, but in reality, they are anti-Christ one and two.  Until the one comes from the sea there is the one that already exists on earth.  One World Religion Leader guess it will be the Pope or other religious leader, he will prepare the way for the emerging political leader that will emerge from a great catastrophe.  You cannot buy or cell.Revelation 14:Right after that the 144 000 Jewish evangelists appear once again.  Only this time they are presented as the "first fruits" to God, which means that there will be an evangelism explosion during the Tribulation, resulting in many Tribulation saints, many of whom will be martyred/beheaded.  It will almost be impossible to be a believer.Revelation 15:This is a pause that refreshes.  This chapter provides a reprise of worship from all the judgements that came and are to come.Revelation 16:This chapter speaks of the saddest and tragic chapter.  The Road to Armageddon.  The final set of judgements (Bowl of Judgments) are released to devastate the earth's ecology and mankind's physical bodies.  The 6th Bowl judgement calls for the kings of the world to battle against Jerusalem, this is where the term Armageddon is mentioned for the 1st and the only time in the entire New Testament.  But before that there are plagues coming upon the world and people know that God is responsible for it and has the power to stop it, but they still will not give Him glory but blasphemed Him.  There will be such a spiritual blindness and Satanic brainwash that thy will not be able to repent.  They meet in the Valley of Jezreel and march up to Jerusalem for the Battle of Armageddon.You see it starts with Seals (Rev 6 False Prophet & anti-Christ), then Trumpets (Rev 8, 9, 11 1 destroyed, demonic locusts, fire & brimstone 1people are killed), then Bowls (Rev 15, 16 all sea life destroyed, all water poison, scourging sun, curses God, worldwide earthquake and huge hailstorms).  Revelation 16:9, 11 people will blaspheme the Name of the Lord, people get so hard-hardened.Revelation 17:The World Religion System that formerly controlled the political and economic world collapses under the domination of the world powers. Revelation 18:Bankruptcy of the World Economy.  God will destroy the political and economic systems in one hour.  Now we only see a fore taste...Revelation 19:Foreclosure of Planet Earth.  The Lord Jesus returns and forecloses on Planet Earth.  No longer do the kings of the earth have power, for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has arrived.Revelation 20:Planet Earth under new Management, The Millennium.  For a 1000 year period (The Millennial Kingdom) will begin once Satan is thrown down in bottomless pit, earth will be under new Management, but at the end of that time, Satan, who had been bound is now let loose to deceive the nations once again.Revelation 21: Back to the drawing board, The New Heaven and New Earth.  Recognizing that the old heaven and earth was defiled beyond being salvable.  God designs and then creates a new Heaven, a new Earth and a new Jerusalem.Revelation 22:The last chapter reflects back on the Lord's promise to return for His own.  The hope of the believer!12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches (believers). I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”17 And the Spirit and the bride (we) say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."John 3:16-21:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”We are citizens of Heaven and a resident of earth. Faith in God is not something that is forced on you - it is your choice.  True faith is not merely giving yourself to religious laws or ancient story tales.  True faith is an essential God-given practical instrument in your toolbox of life.  It helps us to focus on what is really important.  Calling on God, if God is your final answer - your survival and well-being depends on Him.  2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faithRevelation 22: 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!The Book of Revelation (2):The word ‘Revelation’ comes from Greek ‘Apocalypses’ the unveiling/uncovering like pulling back a drape to show you what is behind it.  The unveiling of who Jesus really is.God picked John, he was just a teenager, who was closest to Him on a human level, to reveal this prophecy.  The real purpose of this Book is the revelation / unveiling of who really Jesus Christ is.  Dr CI Scofield (the Scopefield Bible) wrote in 1903, that Revelation, as the actual time of these events approach the current events will unlock the meaning of the Book. People centuries ago, did not studied it, so written that at the time of these events occurs the current events will unlock the meaning of the Book.  He pointed out that the Book of Revelation’s meaning become clear with the unfolding of current world events.  The 1st two verses show more than any other Book in the Bible clearly that this Book came straight from God.  The revelation/unveiling of Jesus Christ, the source and the purpose is to show things that are soon to take place.

  • John bore witness to the Word of God
  • The testimony of Jesus Christ
  • He saw and God brought John back. He was commanded to write what he actually saw. How was it possible for a 1st century man to write in a book about science and technology that were inconceivable to him at that time and to explain it!  He was commanded by God to do the impossible.  We will ask at some places, what was he as a 1st Century man trying to tell us, to explain what he saw – that is a key to understand.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads it and blessed the one who hears it. A blessing!Revelation 1:18 He is not on the Cross anymore, Lamb that was slaughtered, Revelation 5:5 He is the Lion of JudahRevelation 1:19 write the past seen, things are now/present and future which will take placeYou do not know Jesus until you see Him in the Book of Revelation.Written by John (84yrs) on the island of Patmos (6x8miles), more than 2000 years ago.  John received this revelation given by God to an angel to John to give to the Church. The Roman empire at this time was obsessed with Caesar as God worshipping.  The moment the New Testament says Jesus Christ is Lord and the only God, they started killing Christians.  John is the disciple that followed Jesus from the shores of Galilea, on the inner circle Peter, James and John with Jesus, John who was with Mary Jesus’ mother, at Calvary when He was murdered by the Roman Empire. We are the people of God without apology!Revelation is the Book of 7s:7 Lampstands7 Stars7 Churches7 seals7 trumpets7 personages7 bowls7 dooms7 new things7 feastsGod is not a respecter of person; He is as near to you as to anybody else on planet earth. Everybody has equal access to God.  When you cry out to Him, He will help you.Revelations 1:13 Jesus appears in the middle of the 7-candle stick “One like the Son of Man…”   Jesus gives them words of commendation for what they have done right/keep it up and words of condemnation of what they are doing wrong/need to repent/change/correct7 Churches:

  1. Ephesus, the mother church with great history but “you have left your first love’ the Lord Himself, Revelation 2:3
  2. Smyrna, “be faithful unto death”
  3. Pergamos, very political church
  4. Thyatira, a very prosperous church but smallest of the 7 cities. Prosperity have taken them away from their commitment to Christ
  5. Sardis, powerless church, “you are dead. Wake up!”
  6. Philadelphia, a persevering church “I have set before you an open door ..you have little strength” I will give you this opportunity to reach the world.
  7. Laodicea, “you are neither cold nor hot …” If you don’t change “I will spit you out of my mouth” Revelation 3:15. In the end “I stand at the door and knock”

Every letter to the churches ends “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to (all) the churches”.  The principles that deal with these churches really apply to all churches at all times.General: Matthew 16:17-18 – the first time the Church was revealedRomans 16:25-26This was picked-up and explained by Paul in the Epistles and Ephesians 3:3-6 … the mysteryThe mystery of the Church, the body of Christ, made up by Gentiles and Jews who come to Him by faith and recognize Him as the Son of God, the Messiah.This was embedded secretly in Daniel’s great prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27Believers at the Judgement Seat of Christ Rapture is for blood-bought Christians, the just.Unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgement – brought from Hell to there, so no change to go to Heaven, to be summons to Eternity without God to the Lake of Fire. The unjust.1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night”.  Thief in the night to steal the jewels – caught up in the clouds/Rapture.Revelation 19:11 The 2nd Coming of Jesus on the white horse, old and new Testament saints, all angels and armies in heaven will come with Jesus. Battle of Armageddon where the kings of East and West will fight each other for supremacy of the earth.  Revelation 19:15-18 – two edge sword is His spoken Word with which He will destroy the nations that comes against Him.  With His spoken Word He created the heavens and the earth, “God Said” with awesome power.Christianity (the Church) cannot explain their existence without Judaism, Abraham is the father of all who believer, 3500 years ago he received the Covenant.  Jesus a Jewish Rabbi.70AD Titus attacked the Jewish people and scattered all over.  Titus took 70 000 Jews back to Rome as slaves to build the Roman Colosseum where Christians were macerated by Romans. 1948 the rebirth of the State of Israel, God brough them back.  The Church has not replaced Israel and Israel has not replaced the Church; they continue until the end.  Clearly seen in Book of Genesis, 30 Biblical principles.Genesis 17:7-10 – everlasting Covenant with the Jewish people. God does not break a Covenant ever.  Psalm 89:30,34-37 based on God’s loyalty to Israel, God’s faithfulness to man.Stars are heavenly – stars give light to the world, Genesis 15:5 the symbol of the Church. Genesis 1:14-18 to divide day/night, the light Matthew 28:18 and Authority to the believers begins in Genesis and not in Matthew. Philippians 2:15 same concept from Old Testament in the New by Paul.  If you do not take your authority you do not live up to your spiritual inheritance, you can do what the Bible says you can do/have if you believe. Sand of the sea is earthly. Jews, God’s chosen people have a physical Jerusalem in Israel.  The Church are looking for the New Jerusalem coming out of God.Stars do not replace sand and sand does not replace stars, one is spiritual (heaven) and one is physical (earth).  Crucifixion of Jesus 33AD Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”All Scripture is God-breathed in II Timothy 3:6.Revelation 1:4 Grace to you and peace from Him who is (He exists continuously in the present) and who was (continuous action in past time, He who always was) and who is to come (to God who always is, always was, always will be), and from the seven Spirits (omni presence) who are before His throne (the Holy Spirit is the One who carries out the will of God), The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer from the moment of Salvation.6 is the number of men, 3 is perfect harmony. 5 is grace, 8 resurrection, 7 is the number of perfection and completion. Revelation 1:19 once again he was told to write the things that he sees, eyewitness.  Outline of the Book given, write in a book about the things which you have seen, also which are presently the church age and after the things (after the present age has ended)  that will take place after these things.  John mentioned “I saw” 46x in Revelation, because he is assuring as he is only writing about things of which he was an eyewitness. 7 Key points, “I looked and behold”.  31x I “looked and I heard”.  2 most reliable senses are seeing and hearing – it shows – John was there!How was it possible for a 1st century man to write in a book about science and technology that were inconceivable to him at that time and to explain it!  He was commanded by God to do the impossible.  As a 1st century, we will ask at some places, what was he trying to tell us, to explain what he saw – that is a key to understand.  He was commanded to write in a Book what you see and send it to the 7 specific churches.  Why these 7 churches? He was brought up to see the technology of today and to explain it, things known in that time to explain.  We are in the age of the Church right now, Revelation 1-3, presently.  After the present age has ended. Revelation 4:1 “After these things”, … “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this”.  This is where Revelation is going future – our time.  We are also going to experience the “come up here”, John was raptured to Heaven, a preview of coming events soon.  And you will look down and you will realize your body has been changed to immortal. It was only when this happened to John (raptured) that he witnessed what is going to happen after our time.