Keys to Unlocking the Future: Revelation
 

1. The three beasts;
2. The new Jerusalem - (Rev 21:2 NIV) I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband
3. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15)
"And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray...
For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens,
to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:11, 24)
4. The map of the Seven Churches

Introduction

The book of revelation is the most fascinating book ever written. It claims to be a vision of the end of the world. We are swept up into another time and another place as the panorama of the future unfolds before us. This final book of the biblical record is the capstone of divine revelation. In it, God reveals the great end-times drama that leads to Armageddon and beyond.

All of us are curious about the future. There is something in human nature that wants to know what is going to happen next. God speaks to that need in our lives by revealing the future before it happens. We call that process a prophecy of future events. This article is about analyzing some amazing elements in the book of Revelation.

The term revelation means to "unveil" or "uncover" that which was previously hidden. It translates the Greek term apokolypsis. Thus, the book is often known as the Apocalypse. It is the last book of the bible and describes the final consummation of all things. In doing so, it serves as the capstone of the entire biblical library of 66 books.

The general nature of the Revelation has been described as both apocalyptic and prophetic. Jewish apocalyptic literature can be seen in Isaiah 24-27, Ezekiel 38-39, Daniel 7-12, and Zechariah 9-14. Apocalyptic writings may be distinguished by dreams or visions of end-times conflicts between the supernatural forces of good and evil. Persons or kingdoms are represented as animals; historical events take the form of natural phenomena. Colors and numbers have secret meanings. And everything points to the end of the world.

The Apocalypse calls itself a "prophecy" of future events (cf. Revelation 1:3; 22:7,10,18,19). While it combines apocalyptic visions with epistolary instructions, the Revelation is essentially a book of New Testament prophecy. It is an inspired book of prophetic visions of the future. These focus on scenes both in heaven and on earth, both of Israel and the church, and cover a span of time including the tribulation period, the millennial kingdom, and the eternal state.

New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger reminds us: "In order to become oriented to the book of Revelation one must take seriously what the author says happened. John tells us that he had a series of visions. He says that he 'heard' certain words and 'saw' certain visions." Metzger then adds, "Such accounts combine cognitive insight with emotional response. They invite the reader or listener to enter into the experience being recounted and to participate in it, triggering mental images of that which is described."


Nature of Symbolic Language

The events predicted in the Revelation are stated in symbolic language. Many of these symbols are taken from Old Testament passages. These include: tree of life, Lion of Judah, song of Moses, book of life, Lamb of God, throne of God, Wormwood, Sodom, Babylon and Armageddon. Some symbols are drawn from other New Testament passages. These include: Word of God, "first begotten of the dead," everlasting gospel, marriage supper, "first resurrection," and "second death." In fact, of the 404 verses that are contained in the Revelation 278 are draw from Old Testament passages.

Some of the symbols in the Apocalypse have no biblical parallel and are left unexplained. These include: "mark of the beast, image of the beast, beast of the sea, scarlet beast, seven thunders, synagogue of Satan, "hail and fire mingled with blood," great army of the Euphrates, little book, and great white throne. Other symbols are specifically explained and identified: Alpha and Omega = Jesus Christ; seven candle sticks = seven churches; "new song" = song of the Lamb; "great day of his wrath" = Great Tribulation; 1`44,000 = Jews from the tribes of Israel; dragon = Satan; scarlet beast = Rome (city on seven hills); New Jerusalem = church (Lamb's bride).

We must also remember that these are prophecies of real events. Reading the Apocalypse is like watching a movie of end-time events. It is literally going "back to the future." Therefore, many of the things referred to in the book of Revelation can be understood only by a literal interpretation. John was really on the island of Patmos. The risen Christ literally appeared to him. The seven churches actually existed in Asia Minor in the first century A.D. The predicted future judgments are real, involving armies, weapons, and mass destruction. Earthquakes are earthquakes. Tears are tears. Nations are nations. Heaven is real. So is the lake of fire!

The key to interpreting the Apocalypse is discerning what is literal and what is symbolic. Even then we must remember that the symbols themselves depict real people, things, situations, and events. For example, the "seven candlesticks" (1:20) symbolize real churches that actually existed when the book was written. The "man child" (12:5) is Jesus Christ. The sounding of the "seven trumpets" (8:2-11:15) results in the actual devastation of the earth.

1. The books are opened and also the book of life (REV. 20:12-13); those who will be saved would have their names there
2 & 3. Second Coming - Christ the King - King of Kings
4. Beast and false prophet cast into the lake of fire (REV. 19:20)

Why is Revelation So Unique?

There are several elements that make the Revelation the most unique book in the Bible. The basic structure of the book is woven around a series of threes (3) and sevens (7). The overarching triplet reveals past, present, and future:

The use of symbolic numbers is found everywhere in the Apocalypse. These include: 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 24, 42, 144, 666, 1,000, 1,260, 1,600, 7,000, 12,000, 144,000, 100,000,000 and 200,000,000. The term hour is used ten times in Revelation (3:3,10; 9:15; 11:13; 14:7,15; 17:12; 18:10,17,19) always referring to a brief period of time (e.g., "in one hour is thy judgment come").

The most significant numbers in the Apocalypse are as follows:

Three is the symbolic number of the Trinity. It is one of John's favorite numbers, and his use of it dominates his writing style. He constantly expresses himself in triplets: "Blessed is he who reads ... hears ... keeps" (1:3); "Jesus Christ: faithful witness ... first begotten of the dead ... prince of the kings of the earth" (1:5); "[He] loved us ... washed us ... made us kings and priests" (1:5-6); "Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come" (1:8). There are scores of these triplets throughout the Book of Revelation.

The number three also figures prominently in several passages referring to judgment. There are three series of judgments: seals, trumpets, bowls. Judgment consists of three elements: fire, smoke, and brimstone. A third part of men are killed these (9:17-18). A third of the trees are burned up (8:7), and the sun is blacked out a third part of the day (8:12). There are three evil agencies (the satanic trinity): dragon, beast, and false prophet (16:13) behind all opposition to the reign of Christ on earth. Finally, there is the threefold defeat of Satan: on earth (12:9), into the abyss (20:1-3), and into the lake of fire (20:10).

Four is a number generally related to the earth, which has four regions (north, south, east, west) and four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter). In the Revelation there are four living creatures (4:6); four angels at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds (7:1); four angels are bound in the Euphrates River (9:14-15); the inhabitants of the earth have a fourfold description: tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations (5:9; 10:11); the New Jerusalem lies foursquare (21:16).

Six is the number of man, who was created on the sixth day. In Revelation 13:18 it represents the number of the ultimate man, the Antichrist: 666.

Seven is the most significant number in the Apocalypse. There are seven spirits, seven churches, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven lamps of fire, seven horns, seven eyes, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven songs, seven angels, seven thunders, seven "worthy's," seven heads, seven crowns, seven mountains, seven Kings, and seven last plagues. In addition there is the sevenfold description of Christ (1:14-16), sevenfold message to each of the churches (Ch. 2-3), sevenfold praise of the Lamb (5:12), sevenfold result of judgment (6:12-14), seven divisions of mankind (6:15), sevenfold blessing (7:12), sevenfold description of the "locusts" (9:7-10), 7000 were killed (11:13), sevenfold triumph (11:19), and the seven "new things" (Ch. 21-22). Then there is the number three and a half, which is half of seven.

Twelve is the number of completeness. There are 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Christ, 24 elders (a double of 12), tree of life has 12 types of fruit (22:2), new Jerusalem has 12 gates guarded by 12 angels (21:12), the city has 12 foundations (21:14). There are 12 "manner of precious stones" and 12 pearls (21:19-21). There are also multiples of 12: Each of the 12 tribes contains 12,000 people, making a total of 144,000 (12,000 times 12); the wall measures 144 cubits (12 times 12).

1. The plagues of the seven bowls (REV. 16); This is what the evil anti-Christ will bring us, terrorism, bio-weapon, suicide bombers
2. War in heaven; Michael defeats the dragon (REV. 12:7-12); The anti-Christ will be destroyed as already predicted in Bible
3. The woman and the dragon (REV. 12:1-5); The woman is symbolized as the deceiving evil, a poison ivy who steals your soul
4. First six trumpet judgments (REV. 8:6-13 and REV. 9)

What is the Apocalypse All About?

The central theme of the Apocalypse is Jesus Christ. He is the most important key to understanding the book. He is both the author of the Revelation and the subject of it.

Jesus appears in chapter 1 as the glorified, risen Savior. In chapters 2-3 He is Lord of the church. In 4-5, He is the Lamb of God. In 6-11, He is the Judge of all mankind. In 12-13, He is the miracle-born man child. In 14-19 He is the coming King. In 20-22, He is Lord of heaven and earth.

The purpose of the book is to reveal the future. David Jeremiah observes: "The word 'revelation' means the disclosure of that which was previously hidden or unknown. The book of Revelation tells us that Jesus is coming again, how He is coming, and what the condition of the world will be when he comes." The concept of revelation is that of unveiling a 'mystery' which was previously unknown. Merrill Tenney states, "It was not written to mystify, but rather to explain the truth of God more clearly. For this reason one should approach it with the expectation of learning, and not with the expectation of being confused."

The expectation of the Revelation points to the return of Christ. The risen Savior who appears to John on Patmos is the same One who returns with His triumphant church at the end of the book. He who walks among the churches (candlesticks as our heavenly High Priest is the One who will take His bride to reign and rule with Him in His millennial kingdom on earth. Everything in the Apocalypse points to the second coming of Christ.

David Hocking observes that the concept of our Lord's soon return is emphasized seven times in the Revelation by the phrase "come quickly":

"Things which must shortly come to pass" (1:1)
"Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly" (2:16)
"Behold, I come quickly" (3:11)
"And, behold, I com quickly" (22:7)
"Surely I come quickly" (22:20)

The phrase "I come quickly" (Greek, erchomai tachei) must refer either to "suddenly" or "shortly." The first meaning implies "speedily" as in an instant (like a thief in the night). It indicates a rapid-fire sequence of events. The second meaning implies in a short period of time, as in "soon". This focuses on the imminence of the events. Scholars are divided on how this should be read. Thomas believes that the events predicted by Daniel and foreseen by Christ now (after the resurrection) stood in readiness to be fulfilled. Thus, John could speak of them as imminent, though they still were yet to be fulfilled - the final aspect of which will occur suddenly.


What Lies Ahead?

The book of Revelation presents a series of panoramic pictures, followed by a series of snapshots. You get the big picture first, then the specifics. The pattern of the book is generally, Bad news - details to follow. Or, Good news - details to follow. Therefore, everything is not necessarily in precise sequential order.

Consider these examples. The seven churches are introduced in 1:20, but the letters sent to them follow in chapters 2 and 3. The Lamb appears to take the seven-sealed scroll in 5:5-7, but the seals are not opened until 6:1-8:1. The seven trumpets are introduced in 8:2, but the final trumpet does not sound until 11:15. Armageddon is mentioned in 16:16, but the details about the fall of 'Babylon' and the triumphal return of Christ don't come until chapters 17-19. The bride of Christ appears at the marriage supper in 19:7-9, but she is not described in full detail until 21:9-27.

The contents of the Revelation move in a series of progressions:

1. Christ appears to John - on Patmos (Chapter 1)
2. He dictates the letters to the seven churches - on earth (Chapters 2-3)
3. John is transported into God's throne room - in heaven (Chapters 4-5)
4. He sees the future judgments - from heaven (Chapters 6-11)
5. John sees the seven symbolic players - from heaven and earth (Chapters 12-13)
6. He sees the seven last plagues - from heaven (Chapters 14-18)
7. John witnesses the marriage of the Lamb in heaven and His triumphal return to earth (Chapter 19)
8. He views the millennial kingdom - on earth (Chapter 20)
9. John sees the new heaven and the new earth in eternity (Chapters 21-22)
10. He hears the final invitation appeal and adds his own: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (22:16-21)
 

1. Receiving the seal of God (REV. 7:2-8)
2. The sixth seal; destruction in nature (REV. 6:12-17); The result of damaging the eco-system by air-pollution, waste, etc as of today?
3. The first four seals; four horsemen (REV. 6:1-8)
4. Babylon the great riding the beast

The Big Picture

When we compare the contents of the Revelation with other biblical prophecies, certain basic patterns emerge:

1. The church will continue to grow. But it will have varying degrees of success and difficulty. Jesus promised to continue to build His church and empower it to attack the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). But He also warned of persecution and rejection (Matthew 24:9-12).
2. Satanic opposition will intensify. Things will get worse as we get closer to the time of the end. "Perilous times" will come (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Scoffers will mock the idea of Christ's second coming (2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 17-18). False prophets will increase and apostate religion will rival the true Church (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
3. Israel will return to the Promised Land. The great end-times regathering has already begun (since 1948). Israel is once again a nation in her own land (Ezekiel 20:34; 37:12-21; Isaiah 43:5-6). But her return will touch off a storm of protest and conflict in the Middle East (Joel 3:2-14; Ezekiel 38:1-6).
4. The church will be raptured to heaven. When our Lord departed to heaven, He promised His disciples He would return to take them home with Him (John 14:3). The apostle Paul predicted that the dead in Christ would rise, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up into heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
5. Judgments of the tribulation period will follow. The great judgments of the end times vividly described in the Book of Revelation are called "the hour of trial" (3:10), "the great day of his wrath" (6:17) or "great tribulation" (7:14). These judgments relate to the seals, trumpets, and bowls of the Apocalypse.
6. Marriage of Christ and the church. The church's absence from Revelation 4-18 is best explained by the fact that she has already been raptured to heaven to participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7-9). Here she receives her rewards, crowns, and robes of righteousness prior to her procession back to earth with the Savior.
7. Triumphal return of Christ. The climax of the Apoclypse comes in 19:11-21, when the glorified Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords with His bride, the church, at His side. He returns to conquer all opposition to His reign and to establish His millennial kingdom on earth (19:19-20:4).
8. Millennial kingdom. Jesus Christ will reign upon the earth for 1000 years (a millennium) while Satan is bound in the "bottomless pit" (Greek, abyss). During this time, God's promises to Israel will be fulfilled. The Messiah shall reign from Jerusalem over all the earth in peace, blessing, and prosperity (Rev. 20:1-16; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6-7).
9. Final triumph. Even after 1000 years of earthly blessing, Satan will once again attempt to destroy the kingdom of God by one final act of rebellion. This time his defeat is final, and he is cast into the lake of fire (20:7-10). The great white throne judgment follows, when even death and hell are cast into the lake of fire (20:11-15).
10. Eternal state. The Revelation describes eternity as "the new heaven and new earth" (21:1). It also emphasizes the significance of the new Jerusalem in the celestial state (21:2). God is pictured dwelling with His people in an eternity of peace and blessing. Suffering and death are no more and every tear is wiped away. Paradise is truly restored, and the saved have access to the tree of life (21:3-22:5).

How do we Get There?

The final question to ask ourselves as we begin our study of the Apocalypse is, How do we interpret this great book with its highly symbolic language? Students of biblical prophecy have wrestled with this question for almost 20 centuries now. But several things are clear from the text of the Revelation itself:

1. John is looking into the future ("things which shall be hereafter," 1:19).
2. He sees a succession of events taking place in heave and on the earth ("things which must be hereafter," 4:1).
3. These events involve a series of catastrophic judgments on the earth (trees, grass, nations, rivers, mountains, islands, etc., are destroyed, chapters 6-19).
4. These judgments result in the final triumph and return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth for 1000 years (19:11-20:6).
5. Beyond this is the eternal state of the new heaven and new earth, which remains for all eternity (21:1-22:5).

How are we to read this book? The early church was unanimous in its belief that it was speaking about future events. Only later did Christian authors begin to propose other ways of interpreting the Apocalypse. But each of these has failed to do justice to the obvious intention of the book itself. Variations have included:

1. Preterist view: sees the entire book, with few exceptions, as being fulfilled in the past - in the first century A.D. with the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution of the church by the Roman Empire. It allows no real future fulfillment of any of the judgments (seals, trumpets, bowls).
2. Historicist view: looks for the fulfillment of these prophecies throughput church history. This has led to endless speculation that is totally without biblical support. Identifications have included monks and friars as "locust", Muhammad as the "fallen star", Alaric the Goth as the first trumpet, Elizabeth I as the first bowl, Martin Luther as the angel of Sardis, Adolf Hitler as the red horse, ad infinitum.
3. Idealist view: interprets Revelation as a series of ideal principles related to the struggle between good and evil. Allegorizes the entire book as a spiritual conflict unrelated to actual historic events. The "tribulation" becomes one's internal conflicts. The "return of Christ" takes place in one's own heart and mind. It views the prophecy as having nothing to say about real future events.

Robert Thomas summarizes his defense of the futurist view with this cryptic observation:

The futurist approach to the book is the only one that grants sufficient recognition to the prophetic style of the book and a normal hermeneutical pattern of interpretation based on that style. It views the book as focusing on the last period(s) of world history and outlining the various events and their relationships to one another. This is the view that best accords with the principle of literal interpretation.

The Apocalypse reveals the future. It is God's road map to help us understand where human history is going. The fact that it points to the time of the end is clear throughput the entire book. It serves as the final consummation of biblical revelation. It takes us from the first century to the last century. From persecution to triumph. From our struggling church to the bride of Christ. From Patmos to paradise.

The Apocalypse has been called the epilogue of the unfolding drama of redemption. In the biblical record, human history begins in a garden and ends in the eternal city. It begins with tragedy and ends in triumph. It begins with man's failure and ends with his exaltation. In between there stands a cross. And on that cross, Jesus Christ changed the course of human history.




With courtesy of Dr. Ed Hindson.

For more details, you can purchase the full book titled "Approaching Armageddon". You will find the answers to the following questions:

• What signs should we watch for as we speed toward Armageddon?
• Who are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
• Can anybody be saved during the tribulation?
• How can we identify the coming Antichrist?
• What will happen during the millennium?
• Will the human race survive in the future?

Designed for readers at all levels of Bible study, this important prophecy reference includes thought-provoking study questions to further illuminate God's picture of the end times.