The Revelation of Jesus
Introduction
Revelation the Grand Finale of the Bible
About the Book:
Here In Revelation we see:
1.Christ triumphant - God is in charge - Jesus revealed . More titles of Jesus then any other book in the Bible.
2.The wicked Judged and The Believers rewarded
3.Hell unleashed and Heaven and Earth made new
4.A contrast between the joy of the redeemed and the agony of the lost
5.God's plan and purpose made known.
- Hard to understand but even harder to forget.
- Must be read with a sort of reverence: We should not be dogmatic about things unknown. Obscure at time but also very practical. What we can understand clearly is the sobering warnings and the Great blessings.
- Revelation can not be understood unless the rest of the Bible is first read. The key to understanding Revelation is found in the Bible as a whole. We must let Bible interpret the Bible.
- Must be read with balance: Not to be above the other books of the Bible but along with them. and Certainly not to be ignored, like some churches.
- Only New Testament book that is prophetic in nature.
- The only book of the Bible with a blessing. (Rev 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." In fact there is 7 blessings or Beatitudes found in this book. But there is also a curse. (Rev 22:18) "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;"
- A picture book - Presented in imagery. Ex. (Rev 17:6) "I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement."
- Plagued with Symbols
Numbers:
1) 3 or 3rd 22 - times - Complete (Trinity)
2) 4 or 4th or 44 - 19 times (Creation) 4th day Gen, 4 Living Creatures.
3) 7 - 50+ times "Perfection or complete" seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lamp stands, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets—and the list goes on. The Book is framed in 7s.
4) 6 less then perfection or the number of of the beast or (Man 666 - 6, 3 times)
5) 10 or tenth - Complete or ultimate in human experience - 10 horns, 10,000 X 10,000 Angels, 1/10th of the city fell.
6) 12 - 12x12x1000 - God's government
Symbolic Colors - (white, red, black, gold, rainbow, clear)
Symbolic Animated Forms - Beasts, Animals, People
Symbolic Inanimate Things - Objects, (sword, seals trumpets, stones, odors, sounds)
- Revelation is a mystery revealed, revealing even more mysteries. But not a sealed book like Danial. God told Daniel to "shut up these words and seal up the book until the time of the end" (Dan 12:4). Revelation is an Unveiling.
- Well structured - Divided by 3 and rapped in 7s
Genesis Vs Revelation
- A correlation between these two books. It has been described as two book ends that bind the Bible. These two come under attack more then any other.
1) Gen: "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth."
Rev: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth."
2) Gen: "The darkness He called night."
Rev: "There shall be no night there."
3) Gen: "Thou shalt surely die."
Rev: "Death shall be no more."
4) Gen: "I will greatly multiply your pain."
Rev: "Neither shall there be any more pain."
5) Gen: "Cursed is the ground for your sake."
Rev: "There shall be no more curse."
6) Gen: "Driven from the tree of life."
Rev: The tree of life appears.
7) Gen: Satan appears.
Rev: Satan disappears.
8) Gen: Abraham sought foundation of city.
Rev: City brought to final perfection and glory.
Key Themes:
1) God is in control
2) I Come Quickly (Watch and be ready) Not only is God in charge but He is coming for you.
3) Keep yourselves pure. To him who overcomes. (8X)
4) Let them know - A book not to be hidden. Comes with blessings. (7X)
5) Even in a wicked world good trumps evil.
- The point is to comfort persecuted readers by assuring them that their difficult circumstances won’t last forever—God will punish the wicked, reward the righteous, and usher in a new and wonderful age.
Background:
Author:
- The Human author is John. He is the one who pinned it. It was given to him by God. But which John? Most scalars agree that it was the apostle John. For more information see the web site.
About John:
1) One of the 12 Apostles. Brother of James
2) Apart of the inner circle of Jesus. (Transfiguration, At the cross)
3) Author of The Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John and Revelation.
4) Him and James his brother was called "Sons of Thunder" For asking Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down from Heaven to kill the unbelieving Samaritans. (Luke 9:52)
5) He called himself "the one whom Jesus loved"
6) Was the youngest of the Apostles
7) From a wealthy and influential family (Mark 1:20; John 18:15; 19:27)
8) He was allowed to hang around during the interrogation and classification of Jesus. Therefore the only eye witness account by an Apostle.
9) Jesus asked John to take care of His mother at the cross. (John 19:27)
10) Became one of the pillars of the Church (Gal 2:9)
11) Endured much persecution for his faith
12) Went to Ephesus and became the pastor their and overseer of the seven Churches mentioned in Revelation.
13) As tradition goes. John was taken by the Roman authority's and boiled in oil for preaching Jesus. When he was unaffected by this he was then banished to the island Patmos where he has this vision.
14) John was the only living Apostle at the time Revelation was written. By this time all the other apostles where martyred. And there was a rumor that he could not die until the return of Jesus. After Jesus' death and resurrection, Jesus meats the disciples as they were fishing. Jesus turns to Peter and says. (John 21:18-23) “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” I believe that the rumor was true. John could not die until the return of Jesus which happen in a revelation on the island of Patmos.
15) Died around 98 to 100 ad in Ephesus where Mary also died years before. Possibly from old age. If this where true then he was the only Disciple to not die a martyrs death except Judas.
- Written about 95-96 ad. Ether on the island or at Ephesus after his return from the island.
The persecution:
- The Church was about 66 years old at the time of the writing.
- The believers had already suffered much persecution.
The Empirical Perfection
1) The first Empirical Persecution came from the Roman Emperor Nero . Who killed and tortured many believers. As the story goes, he would set captured believers on a stake and set them on fire as he rode naked on his chariot saying "you say you are the light of the world now you really are". He also put them in arenas to be eaten by wild animals and fight gladiators for entertainment.
2) The second Empirical Persecution came from the Roman Emperor Domitian in 95 Ad. It was during his reign that John was sent to Patmos. Although a very short reign it was very extreme. 40,000 Believers ether died or was tortured. He was the first Roman Emperor who had demanded to be addressed as master and god.
3) By the time John received the Revelation two Empirical Persecution came and another was coming soon. Emperor Trajan who reign in 98 Ad. And yet there was darker days still to come.
4) If that wasn't enough, Persecution from without there was persecution from within. The New Church was showing signs of stress and corruption. Another reason why we have this book to Shore up the Church, to combat heiresses and to give hope for endurance.
Interpretations:
1) Idealist - The things in this book is ether symbolic or spiritual. Historical events are irrelevant in this view. (Good overcomes evil)
2) Preterits - Everything happened in John's day. Concerning the things of Rome. Symbols and Imagery used to keep things hidden from Rome.
3) Historical - A panoramic view of the Church. Starting from John's day to the end of the World.
4) Futurist - Divides the book in 3 parts.
1.Things you have seen. - (Past) - The Vision of the Son of Man.(Rev 1)
2.Things which are. - (Present) -The Church age. (Rev 2 & 3)
3.Things that will take place after this. - (Future) - From the Rapture to all things made new. (Rev 4 - 22)
About the Book:
Here In Revelation we see:
1.Christ triumphant - God is in charge - Jesus revealed . More titles of Jesus then any other book in the Bible.
2.The wicked Judged and The Believers rewarded
3.Hell unleashed and Heaven and Earth made new
4.A contrast between the joy of the redeemed and the agony of the lost
5.God's plan and purpose made known.
- Hard to understand but even harder to forget.
- Must be read with a sort of reverence: We should not be dogmatic about things unknown. Obscure at time but also very practical. What we can understand clearly is the sobering warnings and the Great blessings.
- Revelation can not be understood unless the rest of the Bible is first read. The key to understanding Revelation is found in the Bible as a whole. We must let Bible interpret the Bible.
- Must be read with balance: Not to be above the other books of the Bible but along with them. and Certainly not to be ignored, like some churches.
- Only New Testament book that is prophetic in nature.
- The only book of the Bible with a blessing. (Rev 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." In fact there is 7 blessings or Beatitudes found in this book. But there is also a curse. (Rev 22:18) "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;"
- A picture book - Presented in imagery. Ex. (Rev 17:6) "I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement."
- Plagued with Symbols
Numbers:
1) 3 or 3rd 22 - times - Complete (Trinity)
2) 4 or 4th or 44 - 19 times (Creation) 4th day Gen, 4 Living Creatures.
3) 7 - 50+ times "Perfection or complete" seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lamp stands, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets—and the list goes on. The Book is framed in 7s.
4) 6 less then perfection or the number of of the beast or (Man 666 - 6, 3 times)
5) 10 or tenth - Complete or ultimate in human experience - 10 horns, 10,000 X 10,000 Angels, 1/10th of the city fell.
6) 12 - 12x12x1000 - God's government
Symbolic Colors - (white, red, black, gold, rainbow, clear)
Symbolic Animated Forms - Beasts, Animals, People
Symbolic Inanimate Things - Objects, (sword, seals trumpets, stones, odors, sounds)
- Revelation is a mystery revealed, revealing even more mysteries. But not a sealed book like Danial. God told Daniel to "shut up these words and seal up the book until the time of the end" (Dan 12:4). Revelation is an Unveiling.
- Well structured - Divided by 3 and rapped in 7s
Genesis Vs Revelation
- A correlation between these two books. It has been described as two book ends that bind the Bible. These two come under attack more then any other.
1) Gen: "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth."
Rev: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth."
2) Gen: "The darkness He called night."
Rev: "There shall be no night there."
3) Gen: "Thou shalt surely die."
Rev: "Death shall be no more."
4) Gen: "I will greatly multiply your pain."
Rev: "Neither shall there be any more pain."
5) Gen: "Cursed is the ground for your sake."
Rev: "There shall be no more curse."
6) Gen: "Driven from the tree of life."
Rev: The tree of life appears.
7) Gen: Satan appears.
Rev: Satan disappears.
8) Gen: Abraham sought foundation of city.
Rev: City brought to final perfection and glory.
Key Themes:
1) God is in control
2) I Come Quickly (Watch and be ready) Not only is God in charge but He is coming for you.
3) Keep yourselves pure. To him who overcomes. (8X)
4) Let them know - A book not to be hidden. Comes with blessings. (7X)
5) Even in a wicked world good trumps evil.
- The point is to comfort persecuted readers by assuring them that their difficult circumstances won’t last forever—God will punish the wicked, reward the righteous, and usher in a new and wonderful age.
Background:
Author:
- The Human author is John. He is the one who pinned it. It was given to him by God. But which John? Most scalars agree that it was the apostle John. For more information see the web site.
About John:
1) One of the 12 Apostles. Brother of James
2) Apart of the inner circle of Jesus. (Transfiguration, At the cross)
3) Author of The Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John and Revelation.
4) Him and James his brother was called "Sons of Thunder" For asking Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down from Heaven to kill the unbelieving Samaritans. (Luke 9:52)
5) He called himself "the one whom Jesus loved"
6) Was the youngest of the Apostles
7) From a wealthy and influential family (Mark 1:20; John 18:15; 19:27)
8) He was allowed to hang around during the interrogation and classification of Jesus. Therefore the only eye witness account by an Apostle.
9) Jesus asked John to take care of His mother at the cross. (John 19:27)
10) Became one of the pillars of the Church (Gal 2:9)
11) Endured much persecution for his faith
12) Went to Ephesus and became the pastor their and overseer of the seven Churches mentioned in Revelation.
13) As tradition goes. John was taken by the Roman authority's and boiled in oil for preaching Jesus. When he was unaffected by this he was then banished to the island Patmos where he has this vision.
14) John was the only living Apostle at the time Revelation was written. By this time all the other apostles where martyred. And there was a rumor that he could not die until the return of Jesus. After Jesus' death and resurrection, Jesus meats the disciples as they were fishing. Jesus turns to Peter and says. (John 21:18-23) “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” I believe that the rumor was true. John could not die until the return of Jesus which happen in a revelation on the island of Patmos.
15) Died around 98 to 100 ad in Ephesus where Mary also died years before. Possibly from old age. If this where true then he was the only Disciple to not die a martyrs death except Judas.
- Written about 95-96 ad. Ether on the island or at Ephesus after his return from the island.
The persecution:
- The Church was about 66 years old at the time of the writing.
- The believers had already suffered much persecution.
The Empirical Perfection
1) The first Empirical Persecution came from the Roman Emperor Nero . Who killed and tortured many believers. As the story goes, he would set captured believers on a stake and set them on fire as he rode naked on his chariot saying "you say you are the light of the world now you really are". He also put them in arenas to be eaten by wild animals and fight gladiators for entertainment.
2) The second Empirical Persecution came from the Roman Emperor Domitian in 95 Ad. It was during his reign that John was sent to Patmos. Although a very short reign it was very extreme. 40,000 Believers ether died or was tortured. He was the first Roman Emperor who had demanded to be addressed as master and god.
3) By the time John received the Revelation two Empirical Persecution came and another was coming soon. Emperor Trajan who reign in 98 Ad. And yet there was darker days still to come.
4) If that wasn't enough, Persecution from without there was persecution from within. The New Church was showing signs of stress and corruption. Another reason why we have this book to Shore up the Church, to combat heiresses and to give hope for endurance.
Interpretations:
1) Idealist - The things in this book is ether symbolic or spiritual. Historical events are irrelevant in this view. (Good overcomes evil)
2) Preterits - Everything happened in John's day. Concerning the things of Rome. Symbols and Imagery used to keep things hidden from Rome.
3) Historical - A panoramic view of the Church. Starting from John's day to the end of the World.
4) Futurist - Divides the book in 3 parts.
1.Things you have seen. - (Past) - The Vision of the Son of Man.(Rev 1)
2.Things which are. - (Present) -The Church age. (Rev 2 & 3)
3.Things that will take place after this. - (Future) - From the Rapture to all things made new. (Rev 4 - 22)