Book of Revelations

The Book of Revelations

Punctuated with beasts, creatures, things coming up out of the sea and cataclysmic events, Revelation is the story of the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

Three Event Categories

Revelation was written through the Apostle John, the disciple closer to Jesus than any of His disciples, while John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. There are three categories of events in the Book of Revelation: the things which John has already seen, the things “which are”…, in other words, situations already existing in John’s world, and future events, the things “which must be hereafter.” These future events are described in four major categories: seven seals; seven thunders; seven trumpets; and seven vials.

Seven Seals

The seals are the long story, ending with Jesus’ return to earth. The trumpets are the short story, ending at the same place. And the vials are the very short story ending at the same event. These categories, like the four gospels, tell the same story from four different perspectives. The sixth seal, the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial, describing voices, thunders, great hail, lightning and God’s wrath, all agree, and all deal with the brief period of time between the end of the tribulation and the coming of Jesus Christ to gather His elect.

Parenthesis

Parenthetical chapters in the Book of Revelation don’t deal with seals, trumpets, or vials. They speak of a woman clothed with the sun who is persecuted by the dragon, a war in heaven, two beasts that symbolize the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and Mystery Babylon.

Blessing and Curse

Revelation is the only book in the Bible that comes with a blessing and a curse: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:3 …If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18-19 You and I are part of the generation that will see the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The Bible has given us reliable signs that we are in the end times. Jesus said, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:27-29

Revelation Chapters 1-5

Revelation 1:7 reveals the entire theme of the Book of Revelation, the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…

Revelation 1:11 we see that the book is written to the seven churches of Asia, literally existing in the days of John. Each of these churches receives a commendation, a condemnation, and a promise to those who overcome. The churches were suffering and going through tribulation.

Revelation chapter 4-5

we get a glimpse of heaven and see the worship of the One “who sits on the throne.” The cry goes out, “who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” No one in all of heaven and earth is found worthy to open the scroll except the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ, because He is the only one crucified for the redemption of His people.

Revelation Chapters 6-7

In Revelation chapter 6, the Lamb opens the scroll by breaking the seals, revealing images of war, death and famine. The saints of God ask for vengeance because they have been killed for their faith.

The first four seals are four horses, which are four “spirits” (Zechariah 6:5). The white horse is the “spirit” of Catholicism. The Pope has white robes, white car, white pope mobile, white helicopter, and white airplane. The red horse is the “spirit” of communism. The officially recognized color of Communism is red. The black horse is the “spirit” of Capitalism. The officially recognized color of Capitalism is back. The pale (chloros or green) horse is the “spirit” of Islam. Death and hell followed. The pale horse is given power over 1/4 of the earth.

Revelation Chapter 7

Describes how the saints of God are sealed to be protected from the calamities to come, and are privileged to stand before the throne of God. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 Satan is seized and bound, in chapter 20, so that he can’t deceive anymore. After the thousand-year Millennium period has ended, Satan is released to deceive the nations again. Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever. The books are opened for the final judgment, and all are judged according to their deeds. (Revelation 20:12) Those whose names are not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire, where Satan and his angels are in eternal torment. The only way to get your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life is to be born again, as depicted in Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Revelation Chapters 8-11

When the seventh seal is opened, there is silence in heaven, like the calm before the storm. The seven trumpets reveal great catastrophes upon the nations, but the people still do not repent. The first trumpet corresponds to World War I. There had been no previous wars with even 1 million deaths.

The second trumpet represents World War II, with 52 million deaths, one third of the ships at sea sunk, and the first use of a nuclear bomb, looking very much like a mountain burning with fire. Trumpet number three announces the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster of 1986. The Ukrainian word “Chernobyl” means “wormwood”.

Trumpet number four identifies the shortening of the days, as Jesus describes in Matthew 24:22. Trumpet number five, the first woe, announces the Gulf War of 1991. The sixth trumpet is World War III, the second woe.

The third woe is trumpet number seven, Armageddon, the same event as the sixth seal and seventh vial. This seventh trumpet is the “last trump” (I Cor 15:52) – the gathering of the saints.

The seven viles include noisesome and grievous sores, the sea turning to blood, rivers and fountains turning to blood, men scorched by the sun, darkness and pain, and the Euphrates river dries up.

The seventh vile is the same as the sixth seal and seventh trumpet, the Day of the Lord, the end of man’s government on earth and the beginning of the government of Jesus on earth.

Revelation Chapters 12-19

A great fiery red dragon, Satan, attempts to devour the child. But before the dragon can devour the child, Jesus is caught up to heaven, conquering death. God’s covenant people, the woman, flees to the wilderness for protection.

The dragon wages war in heaven but loses and is cast out of heaven with his angels. The dragon then tries to persecute God’s covenant people again, but does not succeed, enraging the dragon all the more. A beast rises from the sea, a confederation of world empires lead by the Antichrist. Another beast comes out of the earth, appearing as a lamb, but sounding like the beast, deceiving many. This second beast, the false prophet, forces the people of the earth to worship the Antichrist or die.

Revelation Chapters 14-16

The 144,000 of Revelation 14 are redeemed, undefiled, blameless and protected by God. Revelation 14:8 announces that Babylon the Great has fallen because it made all the world commit spiritual adultery or idolatry. Revelation chapter 14 tells of the reaping of the harvest of the earth, the rapture of the church. Then there is another harvest, different from the first, the “reaping of the vine of the earth,” to be thrown in to the winepress of the wrath of God. At the battle of Armageddon, when the kings of the East and Russia gather against Israel, five-sixths of Russia will be destroyed. The nation of Israel will be strewn with so many of the weapons of her enemies that the people will not have to collect firewood for seven years. (Ezekiel 39:9-10)

Revelation Chapters 17-18

John is shown the judgment that will come upon the prostitute who sits on many waters, riding upon the beast of the revived Holy Roman Empire, the mother of all prostitutes, drunk upon the blood of the saints.

Revelation Chapters 19-20

Revelation 19 talks about two suppers, the marriage of the Lamb, Jesus celebrating with His faithful, chaste bride, the church, transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost (Romans 8:11), and the “great supper of our God.”: And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:21

Revelation Chapters 21-22

There will be a new heaven and a new earth during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth. There is no death, no grief, no crying, and no pain because all of that will have passed away. We will see New Jerusalem, the kingdom of God in its final, perfected state, coming down out of heaven. Nothing evil or false can enter into the city of God. God’s servant can now partake freely of the “pure river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

The Most Important Day

The most important day of your life or mine is the day of the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. The Bible also refers to this as the “catching away.” The English word “rapture” is not in the KJV Bible. However, the word is biblically accurate because “rapture” originated from the Greek word “harpazo” which is derived from the Greek New Testament manuscripts of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and is translated “caught up,” which holds the same definition. This verse tells us that living saints will be caught up (raptured) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

If We Are Born Again

The Bible teaches that a time is coming when Jesus Christ will return to the earth. We will be caught away if we are born again. If we are living for Jesus Christ at His coming, we will be caught up in the air to meet Him there, and we will be with Him forever. We will go with Him to the battle of Armageddon. He will put down the thrones of human government. We will crown Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will then rule the world for one thousand years, and we will rule and reign with Him as kings and priests.

False Christs

Jesus warned His disciples that false Christs would arise in the last days and deceive many. Jesus admonished His disciples to not respond if they heard rumors that Messiah was in the desert or that He was in the secret chambers. Jesus said don’t believe it and don’t even go to investigate. He went on to explain why they should pay no attention to these false reports. He said, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,” (Matthew 24:27). Jesus was simply saying that He would not show up secretly on earth at His second coming, but that He was coming like lightning in the clouds of heaven.

A Body Like His

When Jesus comes, if our bodies are changed supernaturally from mortal to immortal, the Bible tells us that we will have a body like Jesus had after His resurrection. He could walk through walls. He was not bound by the laws of space and time as we are now. We will have a body like His body. Then the Bible specifically tells us that we will be caught up to meet Jesus Christ in the air. That means we will have passed into eternal life. The reason it will be the most important day in your life or mine is because, when that event occurs, if your feet leave the ground, if you rise to meet Jesus Christ in the air, then, no matter whether you have a penny in the bank, whether anybody knows your name, whether you are world famous or relatively unknown, if you are prepared for that pivotal moment that will determine your eternal destiny, your life will be a smashing success!

Immediately After the Tribulation

Mathew 24:29-31 describes what happens after the great tribulation:Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

You cannot read Matthew 24 carefully without concluding that Jesus Christ placed the rapture immediately after the tribulation of those days. If this were not true, you would have to believe that there are to raptures.

The First Resurrection

The term “first resurrection” is found in only one passage in the New Testament, Revelation 20:4-6:”And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Though not explicitly called “the first resurrection” in these passages, here are some other places that speak of the event we refer to as the rapture:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

1 Corinthians 15:51-54

Regarding the timing of these events, 1 Thessalonians 4 says that the rapture will happen at “the coming of the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:52 says that this will happen at “the last trump.”

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 teaches that Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection…then afterward they that are His at His coming. The scriptures do not teach two comings. There will be one changing from mortal to immortal. It happens at the first resurrection as described in Revelation 20:4-6.

By reading Matthew 24:22-31 we know that the elect will be present until the time that Jesus sends his angels to gather them together unto Him (the Rapture). The terms “elect” and “election” are used numerous times in the New Testament in reference to the Church. According to 1 Peter 1:2, the elect have the operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Furthermore, Jesus promised in John 14:16 that the Comforter (the Holy Ghost) would abide in believers forever. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 speaks of an entity that holds back the revealing of the Antichrist. Some people teach that the thing that “now letteth (restraineth)” is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the world. There is nothing in this passage that supports such an interpretation. The clue to the correct identity of this entity appears to be found in verse 6, “that he might be revealed in his time.” The thing that restrains the revealing of the Antichrist is God’s very own timeline. Just as Jesus, the true Christ, was not revealed until “the fullness of time was come” (Galatians 4:4), the false Christ, the man of sin, will not be revealed until God’s timeline dictates it.

Eternal Life

Now, even though you are the wealthiest person on earth, and, perhaps, everyone in the world knows your name, if you are not prepared, and your feet don’t leave the ground at the rapture, then you were an abysmal failure. You failed the one thing that is absolutely critical and mandatory in our lives. It is the most important day, because, on that day, either we enter into eternal life or we don’t.

At Any Time

Even before the rapture, God can come for any one of us at any time: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:42,44

Extracted from Endtime.com website.

FGJ

10 May 2011