REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER
1. Introduction
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
(The
Apocalypse)
Chapter
One
Introductory
Matters
Preface
Many years prior to this publication, I was a
person of the world, lost and on my way to destruction. Apart from occultism,
another fad amongst my peers was reading bestselling novels. One day, a dear
friend made this curious statement, “The book I would like to interpret is the
Book of Revelation.” I queried, “What’s it
all about?” She told me it is the one
book, from her understanding, that holds the mysteries to the end of the
world.” Without hesitation, I dusted off my old family Bible and commenced
reading. To my frustration, I was not able to comprehend its contents, was discouraged, and ended the pursuit.
I became a Christian, after watching a TV program The King Is Coming by the late Howard C. Estep. Everything became clear as he presented a dispensational diagram of the 7 ages of the world – From the Age of Innocence to the New Heaven and Earth. Now it all made sense. Starting with the last book of the Bible, I began studying other books. I taught Revelation in Sunday school, and then Bible College before I had a degree. I was ordained before I pastored a church, then everything fell into place as my Christian walk continued.
.
My intent for writing a short testimony hopefully
will be an encouragement for those who wish to take this challenge. Before you
proceed, I suggest you first read a devotional, The Last Chapter, written by
Parise Arakelian.
http://www.presbycan.ca/2014-06-09/chapter
Introduction
Of all the books in the Bible, the Book of
Revelation is the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, and neglected. You will
hear people say, “It is allegorical,” “It is a strange and difficult book to
understand,” “It is a fable,” or “It is a book of Christian mythology.” On the
contrary, the book of Revelation is the most important, instructive, and
easiest book to understand. God designed this book for our instruction to
clarify the central truth in the Bible – The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Definition of Revelation
Revelation is the disclosure of knowledge, an
unveiling of something previously unknown or hidden. It is the manifestation of
truths that could not be known by any other method except by God.
Revelation comes from the Latin verb Revelatio.
Revelation in Greek is Apokalupis; from which we acquire
our English word Apocalypse. This word is primarily used in describing prophetic
(Apocalyptic) literature, Revelation being the only prophetic book in the
Bible.
In the book of Beginnings, Genesis, we are given
the account of the creation of heaven and earth. After the fall of man in
Genesis 3:15, the Lord said to the serpent,
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike
his heel. (NIV)
From this point on, a theme (the
Protovangelium – The first term used for the Gospel), salvation through
Jesus Christ is woven throughout Scripture like a scarlet red ribbon. Then in
Revelation, Jesus is revealed in a futuristic manner, through justice and judgment
in truth. Hence, this book is our blessed hope for believers and a
witnessing tool for non-believers. Revelation will consummate heaven and earth
which God created and unveil our new eternal heaven and earth.
Sealed and Unsealed Prophecy
A. In Daniel’s Day:
Daniel's visions of the end times were Bible prophecy. God never intended
for the people in his time to understand his visions.
1. God said to Daniel in Daniel 12:9:
And He said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
B. In John’s Time: The Messiah had come, and
many of the prophecies of Daniel had come to pass.
2.
So God said to John in Revelation 22:10:
And He saith
unto me (John), Seal not the sayings of
the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rules for Understanding Revelation
1. By Faith
a. Hebrews 11:3
- Through faith we
understand. (KJV)
b. Proverbs
3:5 - Trust
in the LORD with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding. (NIV)
2. By Prayer
a. Matthew 21:22
- And
whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (ESV)
b. Jeremiah
33:3 - Call
on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great
and mysterious things which you still do not know about. (NET)
3. By Guidance through the Holy Spirit
a. 1 John
2:27 - But
you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to
teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches
you everything you need to know, and what he
teaches is true--it is not a lie. (NLT)
b. 1 Corinthians
2:12 - Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.
(NASB)
4. By Sola
Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
a. Psalm 12:6
- The words
of the LORD are pure, like silver refined in
an earthen furnace, purified seven times over. (ISV)
b. 2 Timothy
3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. (NKJV)
c. “Don’t listen to what you hear on television.” [R.C. Sproul]
Authorship of Revelation
Church historians unanimously agree John was the
last survivor of the twelve original Apostles. It is also interesting to note
that John was one of three (Peter, James, and John) who witnessed Jesus in His
glorified (transfigured) body on the Mount of Transfiguration (cf. Matthew 17:2).
Extant literature has John pastoring the Church in Ephesus until his
preaching of Christ clashed with emperor worship cult, the reason for his banishment. Most scholars concur the Apostle John penned the Book of
Revelation. The weight of internal and external evidence gives a clear
indication and argument for Johannine authorship. For example:
Revelation
1:9 -
I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (KJV)
Revelation
22:8 - I, John am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen
them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them
to me. (NIV)
(See
also: Revelation 1:1; 1:4)
Date and Place
At the close of the First century, approximately A.D.
95 to A.D. 96 toward the end of the Roman emperor Domitian’s reign, John preached Christ crucified. This caused a no small stir because of mandated emperor
worship. As a result, John was exiled to a crescent-shaped island called the
Isle of Patmos. Patmos is a 15-mile-long island located between Greece and 50
miles from the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the Aegean Sea.
The island was primarily used as a penal colony
by Rome. During this time, it is here where John heard and received the prophecy
of the end times and penned the Book of Revelation. When Emperor Domitian was
assassinated, John returned, under the new Emperor Nerva in A.D. 96, to Ephesus
where he wrote his 3 epistles and (possibly)
the Gospel of John. John and his brother James were called the "Sons of Thunder" by
Jesus in Mark 3:17. He reportedly died of old age.
John the Apostle on Patmos
By Jacopo
Vignola [Public domain]
Theme of Revelation
The central theme of the Book of Revelation is the Glorious Person of Jesus Christ.
What Revelation Reveals
A. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
·
To minister to
us through His letters to the seven Churches
·
To take back the
title deed to this earth back, to which He is the rightful heir.
·
To victoriously
defeat Satan eternally upon His Second Coming.
·
To set up His
1,000-year reign in the Millennial Kingdom.
·
To finally
reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
B. The End Times
·
The present
ministry of Jesus
·
The condition
of the Churches
1. Literally
2. Historically
3. Prophetically
·
The point of
the Rapture
·
The Great
Tribulation Period
·
The Great Tribulation
·
The False
Prophet
·
The Antichrist
·
The present
ministry of Satan
·
The final
battle of Armageddon
·
The Millennial
Kingdom
·
The Eternal State
C. Satan’s Demise
· This book
describes more about Satan's final doom more than any other book in the Bible. The
reason why Satan does not want anyone to read this book is that it exposes his
delusions and lies
·
A description
of Satan’s final defeat and doom
·
And Christ’s
eternal victory over Satan
Approaches to Revelation
1. Literal
2. Allegorical (Symbolic)
3. Historical
a. Past
b. Present (continuous)
c. Future
4. Prophetical
5. Practical
6. Applicable
7. Instructional
8. Spiritual
9. Evangelical (a tool for witnessing)
Summary
In
this book about Jesus Christ, we will see the glorified Christ in
Heaven and the fulfillment of all His sovereign purposes in the world.
Revelation will be to us an open book in which God reveals His future plans and
purposes. From the Prophet of the Gospels to the Priest of the Epistles, we
will now see Jesus as the King in all His sovereignty:
·
Judging the
earth as the Glorified Lamb of God.
·
Returning to
conquer
·
Regaining His Throne as the rightful heir
·
Reigning as
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
·
Carrying His
Bride, the Church, across the threshold into the glorious heavenly City.
[Next week -
Chapter 1]
QUESTIONS:
1. Define the word Revelation.
2. Who authored the Book of Revelation?
3. What is the Book of Revelation about?
4. What was the date this book was penned?
5. Where was this book written?
6. What kind of book is Revelation?
7. What is the central theme of the Book of
Revelation?
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