Chapter BY Chapter

Revelation 1:1-3

Introduction to the Book of Revelation

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“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

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The Greek title of this book is Αποκαλυψις taken from the first word in the text.  Apokalypsis means revelation or “to reveal.”

There is little doubt that this book was written by the apostle John, son of Zebedee.   John mentions himself in the first verse, “He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,” and in the fourth verse, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia.” Also verse 11 because John was in authority over these churches, where it says, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”  Verse 9 also confirms that this is the apostle John since historical records affirm that the Apostle John was exiled on the island of Patmos. “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”  In chapters 2 and 3, the writer appears to be in authority over the churches in the province of Asia and tradition strongly places John in this position. In chapter 22, verse 8, John identifies himself again, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.”  The writer calls himself John without further description, therefore, he must be the John that was well known in that time.

 

There was a unanimous agreement as to the Apostle John as its writer by the early church before Dionysius.  It was affirmed by Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus, Origin, and Irenaeus.

 

The objection that the style is different than the gospel of John is met because this is a different genre with different subject matters.  There are many things to tie the style and content to the apostle John. 

 

The writer demonstrates himself to be a Palestinian Jew steeped in temple and synagogue rituals, the OT and the Targum.

Many similarities exist between the Apocalypse and other writings of John.  Both use the term λογος (Jn 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” and Rev 19:13, “He is clothed in a robe dipped in[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.”).  Both use the imagery of “the lamb,” “the water of life,” “he that overcomes,” “keeping the commandments,” and the adjective “true.”  There is an invitation to “him that is thirsty (Jn 7:37, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” and Rev 22:17, “And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”), a commandment received by Christ from the Father (Jn 10:18, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” and Rev 2:27, “and he will rule[a] them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”), white clothing for angels, (Jn 20:12f) and the worthy (Rev 3:4).  There is also the sharp contrast between good and evil.

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A late AD 95-96 date, during the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96), is probably the most likely date for the writing of Revelation.  The churches of Asia Minor have a considerable history (2:4; 3:1).  The persecution of Domitian was more universal than that of Nero which was centralized in Rome.  Domitian began all his decrees with the words, “Our Lord and God Domitian decrees.  Tradition has said that the apostle John was thrown into a vat of hot oil as a part of this persecution and somehow survived.  The worship of the ‘beast’ may have been prefigured by Emperor worship which became official policy during Domitian’s reign.  Early tradition puts it in Domitian’s reign when Irenaeus says that the Apocalypse, “was seen no such long time ago, but almost in our own generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian.” 

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The book was probably written while on the island of Patmos since the text identifies that is where he was when he received the revelation. 

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The book was written specifically to the 7 churches in Asia Minor mentioned in chapters 3-4, and to the church as a whole since chapter 1 verse one says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.”

There are several ways that people interpret the Book of Revelation.  The Preterist school sees the book as having already been fulfilled by AD 312 with the conversion of Constantine.  The Historical school sees the book as “a panorama of the history of the church from the days of John to the end of the age.”  The Idealist school sees the book as a conflict of the age-long principles of good and evil with non-historic elements.  The Futurist school sees the book from chapters four on as proclaiming prophecies yet to be fulfilled--this is the position of this writer.

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(https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-revelation#_ftn4)

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The purpose of the book is simply stated in chapter 1, verse 3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”  And in chapter 22, verse 14, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.”  The purpose is also to address the issue brought up in Acts 1:6, “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”  The time for the kingdom is not given, but this book assures the believer the certainty of the coming of the Kingdom of God.  Example –

 

Revelation 22:1-5,

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“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

The book also gives information about the coming of the kingdom in such a way that it cannot be mistaken.  In chapter 6, verses 15-17, it depicts a time that is so horrible than any other time that even the kings and generals wish death upon themselves.

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“Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The coming of the kingdom will also be unmistakable according to Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”

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Let’s look at the introduction of the book:

 

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

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The first word in the Greek is “Apokalypsis,” which means to reveal.  Some people have tried to make a big deal of this word, saying that apocalyptic writings are a certain genre, and they were always revealing about current things using allegory.  As we read on, we will find out that the text is very explicit about what it is revealing, and that it is revealing things about the future. 

 

The next thing that we find out is that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ.  The whole book centers around Jesus Christ.

 

Then we see that God gave this revelation to Jesus to show his servants.  So, this revelation is to be given to all those that serve Jesus Christ.  It is not just for the believers in that region, not just for believers of that time, but for all believers.

What is he going to show?  “The things that must soon take place.”  So, it is futuristic.  The book is not revealing the condition of current things. 

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Now, having read the book of Revelation before, I don’t think that these things have taken place yet.  It does not look like these things were too soon from the time of John.  After all, it has been 1,922 years since John wrote this.  How can we reconcile this? 

 

John was the victim of a terrible persecution before he wrote this book.  The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. (https://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs/the-second-persecution-under-domitian-a-d-81.html) Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise banished to Pontus; and a law was made, "That no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion."

A variety of fabricated tales were, during this reign, composed in order to injure the Christians. Such was the infatuation of the pagans, that, if famine, pestilence, or earthquakes afflicted any of the Roman provinces, it was laid upon the Christians.

So, the question is this: “Was the revelation just John’s wishful thinking?”  Did John write this all on his own to pray for deliverance?

 

We have the following clues that show that these must certainly be future events:

1. In chapter 1, verse 3, John calls this a prophecy.So, John is intentionally saying that these things refer to a future time.

2. The last seal of the seven seals bring forth seven trumpets, and the last trumpet brings forth the seven bowls of wrath.This necessitates a progression in future time, excluding the idea of a general revelation.

3. The four horsemen bring plagues that are not directly related to persecution.

4. In 10:11, John is told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”So, John was not looking for a personal deliverance.There was much work ahead for John.The idea that these things would take place soon was a matter of relativity.

5. Prophecies in the book are impossible in John’s lifetime.Example: Rev. 13:16-17, “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”Although the Roman Empire was expansive, it did not have control of the whole world.Furthermore, In John’s time, if you could not buy or sell in the Roman Empire, all you had to do is travel outside of it. This also would have been very hard to implement at that time because bartering was the main form of transactions.

 

The believer was expected to always live and hope as though these things would take place soon. So, how did John come to possess the knowledge of these future events?

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Verse 2,

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“He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

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First notice that John is testifying to things that he saw, just as he did in the gospel of John.  John 21:24, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things.” 

So, God sends an angel to John, and John sees the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  You can’t have a better source than that! 

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John adds a blessing to this introduction:

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“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

 

In the gospels, we sometimes struggle when Jesus said the kingdom of God is near.  As we pay close attention to the words of Jesus we realize what he meant. 

 

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  So if we do God’s will on earth as it is his will in heaven, the kingdom is here for us.

 

Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:16), “You must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven.”  So, when we are born again, we take part in the kingdom of heaven. 

 

Jesus said to the Pharisees (Luke 17:21), “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”  So, what Jesus was saying was that the Kingdom of God was already here.  You can already partake of it.  This is the blessing, when we partake of the kingdom in the present, when we hear the word of God and keep his commandments.

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As we read on in the book of Revelation, we will see that it is talking about events that could not have possibly taken place yet.  So, how could John say the TIME is near?  It has been 1,923 years since John wrote the Book of Revelation. 

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Now remember when Jesus told his disciples in the gospel of John (12:26), “the one who serves me will be where I am?”

John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

In Revelation 7:9-10, we find this:

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“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice:

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“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

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“Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

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And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

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And we are just starting to see what will happen in the tribulation.  So, very early on in this Revelation, we find that the believers in the Great Tribulation are right there with Jesus, immediately.  Here in Revelation 7, John is dealing just with the Tribulation as he does from chapters 4 to 19.  But look at the promise he gives in Revelation 3:10 to those that are before the Great Tribulation:

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”

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This coincides with what is said in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,

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“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

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Now there have been arguments about whether the rapture will be before the Tribulation, after the Tribulation, or in the middle of the Tribulation.  Scripture is clear that it must occur before the Tribulation. 

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Matthew 24:36-44,

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“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.  Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Very early into the Tribulation we find this in Revelation 6:12-17,

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“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.  The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.  Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

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So, once the tribulation starts, people will know that you are there.  There are no surprises here.  We know what is going to happen after that.  It is all spelled out for us in the book of Revelation. 

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There are more promises about the rapture.

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John 14:3,

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“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

 

Mark 13:26-27,

 

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

 

Matthew 24:30-31,

 

““Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

 

Mark 13:32,

 

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”

 

Acts 1:6-7,

 

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-55,

 

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—  in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

 

“Where, O death, is your victory?

 

Where, O death, is your sting?”

 

The passage in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 is often used to point out that the rapture will occur at the end of or during the tribulation because it says, at the last trumpet.  The sixth trumpet in Revelation ends with the two witnesses being resurrected.  The seventh and last trumpet in Revelation does not have a resurrection.  Furthermore, the 1 Corinthians 15 passage only deals with resurrection and immortality, not about being taken from the earth. 

 

Luke 17:34-37,

 

“I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.  There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”  And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will gather.”

 

What is meant here, where the body is, there the vultures will gather?

          Does it mean that we will just leave our old bodies behind?

          Does it mean that after our departure, scavengers will go after our possessions?

          Does it mean both of these things?

 

Now, the Book of Revelation is structured as follows:

1. That which you have seen

   • Introduction: Chapter 1

2. That which is

   • Messages to the 7 Churches in Asia: Chapter 2-3

3. That which will be.

   • John taken up into heaven to be shown what must take place after this: Chapter 4

   • The Lamb is Worthy to Open the Scroll: Chapter 5

   • The Seven Seals: Chapter 6 to Chapter 8, verse 1

   • The Seven Trumpets: Chapter 8, verse 2 through Chapter 14

   • The Seven Bowls of Wrath: Chapter 15 to 16

   • The Punishment of the Prostitute That Sits On The Beast: Chapters 17-18

   • The Downfall of Babylon: Chapter 19

   • The Thousand Year Reign of Christ: Chapter 20, verses 1-6

   • The Judgment of Satan: Chapter 20: verses 7-10

   • The Judgment of The Dead: Chapter 20, verses 11-15

   • New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem: Chapter 21 verse 1 to Chapter 22 verse 5

4. Conclusion: Chapter 21, verses 6-21

 

From chapter 4 through to the end of the book, there is a general progression of time.  From chapters 4 through 19 there is a description of the Great Tribulation.  Now, do the judgments represent a progression in time? 

 

          It certainly gives you the impression that there is a progression in time since the last seal gives you the seven trumpets and the last trumpet gives you the seven bowls of wrath.  But we have to remember that this revelation takes place in heaven.  This could be only a sequence of revelations and all these things are applied throughout the Great Tribulation. 

 

Are there any other clues as to sequencing in the Book of Revelation?

 

Rev 11:2 – The outer courts to be trampled on for 42 months (In Daniel 12:7 there is a period of 3 ½ times till the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end.)

Rev 11:3 – 2 witnesses to testify for 1,260 days

Rev 12:6 – The woman clothed with the sun hides in the wilderness for 1,260 days (Revelation 12:14)

Rev 13:5 – The beast blasphemes and exercises power for 42 months (In Daniel 7:25, a fourth beast that controls the whole earth speaks blasphemies for 3 ½ times = 42 months???)

 

Now some people get the idea from Daniel 9:27 that the Tribulation is going to last for 7 years.

 

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

The problem with this is that the week here that refers to a week of years is a part of the 70 sevens that bring us from the going forth of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah.  This prophecy already fits with events transpired before the Messiah came, when the Romans made a peace agreement with the Jews that lasted 7 years, then they stopped the sacrifices and put their gods in the temple.  So, past events have already fulfilled the Daniel 9:27 prophecy.

 

So, either we have 4 separate periods in Revelation that are 1,260 days, or we have 3 or 2 of them, or we just have one period of 1,260 days, and all the events transpire in 3 ½ years.

 

In chapter 11, the appointment of the 2 witnesses seem to be in response to the trampling of the outer courts of the temple.  Therefore, we are down to a tribulation of 10 ½ years or less. 

 

Now, when we get to the great dragon, we know that the Great Dragon is Satan (Rev 12:12), and we know that Satan will be thrown into the bottomless pit at the end of the Great Tribulation, so we know that any additional 1,260 days has to be within this 1,260 days because that is all the time the devil has left. 

 

When we get to Rev 13:5, we see that the Beast is waging war against God’s people for 1,260 days – doing the same thing the Great Dragon is doing, so this coincides with the previous 1,260 days. 

 

So, now we are down to a tribulation that lasts 7 years or less.

 

The crux now all hinges on what is between chapter 11 and chapter 12.  Chapter 11 ends with the 7th trumpet that announces that God is now reigning and it is time to judge the dead.  We know this comes after the end of the tribulation when we read the whole book.  Therefore, the plagues are made in succession in heaven, but each set of plagues plays out over the same time period on earth.  Thewhole tribulation takes place in 3 ½ years.  So, the next time you hear someone say they would rather suffer in the Great Tribulation rather than believe in Jesus you can tell them that it’ll only last for 3 ½ years. 

 

Blessed are those that hear this prophecy, and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near.  How can the time be near?  It has been 1,932 years.  For the life of the believer, the time is near because when they are taken to be with the Lord, they will rest, and this will be the next major event they will see.  In the scope of the life of the Christian, the time is near.  These events are inevitable.  The bulk of the book of Revelation focuses on the Tribulation and those that go through the Tribulation.  The rewards for those that go through the tribulation and stay faithful to Jesus will also be given to those that are taken out of the Great Tribulation because they all suffer some tribulation as they serve Jesus Christ. 

 

1 Corinthians 6:2,

 

“Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”

 

Matthew 19:28,

 

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

 

Romans 8:16-17,

 

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

 

Revelation 5:9-10,

 

“And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

    and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

    and they shall reign on the earth.”

 

This was said before the before the Great Tribulation starts.  All those that the Lamb ransomed, with be a kingdom of priests and reign on earth.  

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2 Timothy 2:10-13,

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“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful”

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Therefore, it will not only be the Christians that come out of the Great Tribulation, but also the Christians from before the Tribulation that will rule on earth.  What is most important to take to heart from this book, the idea of not being left behind when the rapture occurs or the idea that we will reign with Jesus during his kingdom on earth?

 

Has injustice ever been done to you?  Have you ever been wronged?  Jesus gives us tremendous hope in these times because we know that when Jesus Reigns, we will reign with him.  This makes me think of the country song with the lyrics, “if you think you are driving through hell, just keep driving, you’ll get through it.”  We will be judge over those that wronged us.  Jesus said, “the meek will inherit the earth.”  Some things are just not pursuing all our lives after, because after all, we will reign with him. 

 

Song: Reigning with Jesus by Bruce Eaves:

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