Introduction - for Revelation

A must read tool for Getting the Real meaning from the Book of Revelation

INTRODUCTION to The Book of Revelation

For Revelation to be a revelation, it has to be a revelation.

If it cannot be understood, then it can never be a revelation! AND �" the bible makes it very Clear, doesn’t it?

"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, (Revelation 1:1).

This Book Belongs to You and I, Yes, We can understand it.

Apocalypse, 666, battle of Armageddon. If you are acquainted in the least way with Church, the bible or almost any individual Christian, you recognize the mystic language that comes straight off of the pages of the book of REVELATION. This book has left countless people spellbound only to come to a dead end in their studies of end time events. Of the 66 books that makeup the protestant Holy Bible, none other comes across the way the Revelation does.

The book of Revelation at first glance, seems to be a book of deep secretes about world leaders and wicked empires that are planning an all-out war to conquer Christ and His followers. It is a book that has brought fear into the hearts and minds of millions over the past two thousand years. It is dripping with blood and filled with the most horrible events to have ever imagined take place. I have listened to older Christians as they warn others to not even try to read or understand this book.

Have you ever wondered if that is in fact was that the original intention that God had for this book? Why would God move His Spirit upon the Apostle John to write something that is not meant to be understood. We have the gospels that were written years after the actual words of Christ were spoken. They describe in detail the many works of Jesus Christ during His ministry with a finale of the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of mankind, the offering up of God’s Son on an ugly tree to pay the price for the sins of man. They are the books that gives us a glorious Hope and good news of the Grace of God shed on the lives of those who received His Son as both Lord and Savior. The gospels were intended to not only be heard and read, but in the simplicity that a child could understand and react to. Then we have the book of Acts, which are the actual acts or deeds and labor of the Apostles with the recorded details of the early believers as they were busy spreading that Glorious Good News to all the people of that day. Next we have the Epistles that were given to encourage the early Church to be faithful and courageous as they were exposed to some of the cruelest enemies ever, plus to correct and instruct the Church in righteousness. No problem so far, God moved on men and inspired them to write all these books for our learning and edification (2 Tim. 3:16). But here in this book, we have the words of Jesus recorded as He was speaking directly to John, while John pinned it down immediately as they were given to him. We would be correct if we placed quotation marks in front of and in behind of the entire book of "Revelation".

Martin Luther, Germany’s rebellious protester, at first rejected the book of Revelation as being a part of The Holy Scriptures. His concern was that the book was supposed to reveal something, but after reading it, most people either did not know what it was that was revealed or were more confused than before. Martin arrogantly stated that "Again, they are supposed to be blessed who keep what is written in this book; and yet no one knows what that is, to say nothing of keeping it. This is just the same as if we did not have the book at all. And there are many far better books available for us to keep" (Luther's Treatment of the 'Disputed Books'). I believe a lot of people today would agree with Luther. However, the book of Revelation does say something, maybe it’s just that we in this modern day and with our western language, look in the book with the wrong questions.

Yes, I agree that there were times that certain things were hidden from people. Christ spoke in parables alot too. There is and were reasons behind it though. The Gospel was given to the Jewish people first and hidden from the Gentile. Jesus clarifies that for us. "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables" (Mark 4:11). Long before that though, God opened things to those who put all their confidence and trust in Him. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law"(Deut. 29:29). The book of Revelation is just that, secrete things that were kept from those outside, namely the Romans, but opened to the Christians in the seven Churches.

We have a tendency to look into the book like a crystal ball and ask it, tell us the exact time that Jesus will return? Or some would ask, can we have a name for who will be the anti-Christ. Over and over the book shout back at us, NOT! - Wrong question, try again. It keeps silent on the things that interests us the most, don’t it? But should we ask the book for instance, to show us Jesus, the book of Revelation grabs the intent from the Psalms (Psalm 40:7) and declares from the beginning to the very last page Jesus Christ displayed in many descriptions, types, and shadows. "In the volume of the book it is written of Me" said The Lord (Hebrews 10:7).

The Main Purposes of Revelation

#1 To SHOW JESUS. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Not of satan, the devil, the anti-christ, or even the beast. The intent was to Show Jesus and His finished work. The finale of God’s plan carried out through His Son Jesus the Messiah.

#2 Second purpose was to encourage the readers to do something. The book of Revelation is not only informative, but also performative. I recall my mother walking in my room and declaring "Would you just look at this room, it’s a mess". Now she already knew that I knew it was a mess. She didn’t say that to inform me it was, she said it to provoke me to do something about it. Revelation was given to the Church not only to inform them, but to provoke them to do something.

Revelation is the English word for the original Greek term apokalupsis, which is where we get out word apocalypse. The meaning of the word is, "a disclosure of knowledge; laying bare; to expose to full view what was before unknown, hidden, or secrete; unveiling" (602- Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon). The very first occurrence of this word in the New Testament is found when Simeon took the baby Jesus up in his arms and blessed Him. He then prophesied over Jesus as one who will be "a light to lighten the gentiles, and the Glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:32). A light to expose to full view what was before hidden. To the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery Jesus said "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). In the Hebrew text (Old Testament) this same word can be found in the statement "where there is no vision, the people perish," (Proverbs 29:18). Most today use the word vision as a building project or a type of ministry in the Church that they have either dreamed up or copied and pasted from an outside source. However, the word is equivalent to that of revelation, and means a divine communication. So, if we reread that verse correctly as was intended, we would read "where there is no divine communication or revelation of God, the people will perish".

God’s intent was for the book of Revelation to bring light or understanding to His people by divine communication concerning Jesus Christ. As some have proposed revelation to be the exposure of the anti-Christ or that of satan. Revelation is really that of a revealing of Christ and His finished work and His ministry. The purpose all the way through the scriptures is to reveal Jesus Christ. From the first book "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth", we don’t even get three words till we find Jesus. (Genesis 1:1). The word beginning in your Strong’s Concordance is the number 07225 and literally means First Fruit. Paul gave hope to his listeners as He wrote down by inspiration of The Holy Spirit these words. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). Creation is in Christ. Does this correspond with the context of the rest of the bible? Well let’s see, Paul wrote to those in Colosse and recorded for us concerning Jesus that "all things were created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). The Gospel of John tells us that "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John1:1-3). Jesus told the multitude of Jewish priest and law makers along with the crippled and downcast to "search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). In another place Jesus said, "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" (Luke 24:44). Phillip told Nathanael that "they had found who Moses in the Law and Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45).

Many want to read and try to understand the bible, especially the book of Revelation without having a relationship with the giver of it. The bible teaches us that the things pertaining to the instructions of God are spiritually discerned, including His word. The only way to understand spiritual matters, is to be controlled by or indwelled by that same Spirit. In verse ten of the first chapter of Revelation John was "in the Spirit" (Rev. 1:10). That means that if we are to understand what was given to John, we too must be fixed in that same Spirit as John was. When the unsaved try to discern or understand things pertaining to God, they will always be off-track. That is why there have been so many false prophets and heresies. Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth concerning these things. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:12-14). IN the Spirit:; In means (with, amoung, through) " God the Spirit " ( Now God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in Sprit and Truth) Spirit: (Holy Ghost, spirit of the Lord, Spirit of God ) ok, Now let’s put it together, " I John, was IN Christ " Christ IN us, the Hope of Glory ! NOT - some magical thing that someone can put themselves into on a certain occaision or during an event of some sort.

Not even something we can sing down or coax to show up, but what a Saved Person is all the time. In Christ, In His Spirit "controlled by the Spirit, of God, Jesus, his Holy Spirit" Under the Influrence of God. Instead of DUI, we are LUI (Living under the Influence of ). John was Living Under the Influence of Christ talking and witnessing about His saving power and that got him banned to Patmos. They couldn't shut him up.

As usual, we must stay within the context of the entire bible, including the book of Revelation. First and foremost we must look for Jesus. If we get off-balanced in this task, then everything else will be off too. The book of Revelation was never intended to be hidden from those it was written to. It is not a riddle, it’s a revelation. It was given in a fashion that the unsaved and enemy could not understand, but the saved would not only understand it, but they would also recognize the Savior in it. Actually, the book has somewhat of a "money back guarantee", that if we read it, hear it, and keep it or hold to it carefully those things written, we will be blessed (Rev. 1:3).

Secondly, after we see Jesus in it, we look for clues and evidence of what it was that He said would shortly come to pass. The book gives us the Author as God who gave to John, things concerning Jesus and the things that would soon come to pass, so that John could give to the Churches in order that they would know what to do. Whew! That’s a mouth full. We know that this was "sent and signified by His messenger" to the Churches through the apostle John (Rev. 1:1). To signify means to sign it. Not as in a written signature, but to give a sign like describing something using another object or image, to indicate or make known by using a sign (Strong’s Concordance #4591). For a good example we can read where Jesus said, "now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:31-33). This he said, the writer states, signifying what death he should die. The followers heard Jesus talk this way before and even more later, but never really grasped what He meant. He signified by his statement of being "lifted up" how he would die. He was lifted between earth and heaven on an old rugged cross as the death of sinful man. That is how our study begins of the book of Revelation, using the rest of the scriptures for a commentary and signifier. Someone once said "the best commentary for the Old Testament, is the New Testament; and for the New Testament the Old Testament" (Author unknown). The audience of listeners and readers when this book of Revelation was given, was very well versed in the Old Testament. It was very common for the writers of the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles to quote from, or use for evidence The Old Testament. Without knowledge of the Old Testament, it would be very difficult to understand these books including especially Revelation.

I am not a prophecy teacher, there is enough of them out there already. I try to teach every word of God as it is recorded by inspiration of God. The word of God, including the last book, is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

The first clue is found in Isaiah. God said that He declared the end, from the beginning. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" (Isaiah 46:9-10). So where do we look for answers to understand the Last book of the bible? From the beginning.

I hope that as this book continues you will be open and willing to at least give some thought and ponder upon what I have researched and compiled for the better part of 20 plus years to benefit the reader.

Dating the Book of Revelation

One of the most important items in terms of interpreting the Bible is to understand the historical context in which it was written. Much of the debate concerning this Bible Prophecy hinges on when the book of Revelation was written. While some insist that John wrote his apocalypse in the mid 90’s AD, there is a very convincing argument to be made for a much earlier date, around 65-66 AD. What difference does it make? Well, finding a date to when this book was written is crucial to the understanding of the book. To stumble on this investigation and you will probably misread or misunderstand the entire book. One thing I trust we all have in common is that we want truth. We all want to know the truth about the contents of this book. 10 years can make a big difference in the history of a nation. Look at Germany and Japan. In 1950 they were quite a bit different than they were in 1940. Think about a 30 year span between nations, what kind of a difference would that make? In 1981 Ronald Wilson Reagan was president of the United States. One of His quotes while in office was, "If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under". Compare Ronald Reagan with our present President 30 years later and listen to his quote. President Obama, "Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation �" at least, not just". We are "also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers." (These were taken out of a speech June 28, 2006 I have not fact checked them.

In the same way, Rome and Jerusalem, the two main players in the Book of Revelation, were much different in 96 AD then they were in 66 AD. Thus the dating of the Book of Revelation becomes crucial in properly interpreting the book. An early date from mid 60’s to 69 AD of the book Revelation, links the book together with the other 65 books of the bible. Should we study by placing our own ideas which is by eisegeses [ahy-si-jee-seez] style, that is reading into the text a predetermined thought or idea, (an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text). It would be fairly easy to just make it up as we go. However �" as we do this study by means of EXEGESIS, which is compiling all the text to get the same meaning out of the scriptures, we must ignore out own predetermined thoughts and ideas to gain from the entire bible what was the intent of the Revelator to His hearers and readers during the time period it was given. The Book of Revelation itself specifically mentions that this revelation was given for the benefit of the seven churches in Asia, and that John wrote it and had it sent to those churches by messengers (Rev 1:4).

Although many think Revelation was written around AD 95. Obviously, if Revelation was written after AD 70, then the book could not be a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem. Revelation 17:10 actually tells us when the book was written. "There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time" (Revelation 17:10). This verse is referring to seven kings, who are the emperors of Rome. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has yet to come. This means that five have died. The sixth is currently reigning. The seventh is not yet ruling. Claudius was the fifth emperor of Rome, and he died in AD 54. Nero was the sixth emperor, and he reigned from AD 54-68. The book of Revelation was written during his Nero’s reign. Kenneth Gentry has written an entire book, Before Jerusalem Fell, defending a pre-AD 70 dating of the book of Revelation. He compiles a ton of evidence that many find convincing.It is best to keep an open mind, to study the contents of all other books of the bible and Revelation together and to see what the book points us toward.

During Paul's ministry in the 50’s, there had been nine churches established in Asia. At about 60/61 AD there was a large earthquake in which, as we can read in secular sources, the cities of Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea were totally destroyed. Laodicea was the only city of these three which was rebuilt soon afterwards, which then left seven cities with churches in Asia. The period of time where there were only seven churches in Asia was only during the few years from the early 60ies AD to the time prior to the Jewish war.

(http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/revelation.html).

Historical facts about the tri-city earthquake and its aftermath); Eusebius is said to have chronicled an earthquake destroying Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis (Chron. Olymp. 210.4) in the 10th year of Nero [AD 64]. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible: "That this city [Colossae] perished by an earthquake, a short time after the date of this epistle, we have the testimony of Eusebius..."

Tacitus records the quake in the 7th year of Nero (Nero was Emperor of Rome from AD 54-68, putting the earthquake around AD 61�"Annals 14.27. Tacitus recorded that Laodicea was also destroyed in the quake, but was later rebuilt apparently without Roman assistance. Note that Jesus wrote to Laodicea, but Colossae was not mentioned among the letters of Revelation. By this time (AD 96), Colossae in large part no longer existed (Scripture Studies An outreach of Scripture Institute Dr. Denis May 15th 2013). It links the Book of Revelation to the Olivet Discourse that Jesus spoke of which has a clear context of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple in 70AD (Mat 24:1-44).

As stated before, an early date links the Book of Revelation to prophetic books of the Old Testament as well. Most of the Book of Revelation is drawn directly from Old Testament Prophets such as Joel, Daniel and Ezekiel. These Old Testament sources from which John and the Holy Spirit draw, have the historical context of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple which took place in 587 BC. If that was the original context of the texts from which John borrows, then it is strongly probable that John is saying, what happened then (in 587 BC) will happen again unless there is Jewish repentance and faith. This is what the passages meant in the Old Testament time and now John borrows them for the current time of 70 AD, wherein the Temple and Jerusalem were prophesied by Jesus to be destroyed again. So these parallel events are being described and point to the context in which John writes.

An early date of the writing of Revelation stays in context with the tradition of Old Testament prophets in terms of the use of the word "harlot". In the Old Testament, Jerusalem, and the people of Israel are called the "harlot" since they have committed adultery, forsaken the Lord, and are sleeping with false gods. Nowhere in the Old Testament is Rome or any pagan city called a harlot. However, Jerusalem repeatedly is. For example, "How the faithful city has become a harlot, she that was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers" (Isa 1:21); and "Your wickedness will chasten you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God; the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts. For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, ‘I will not serve.’ Yea, upon every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down as a harlot" (Jer. 2:19-20). Once again, "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust; and they shall deal with you in hatred, and take away all the fruit of your labor, and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your harlotry have brought this upon you, because you played the harlot with the nations, and polluted yourself with their idols" (Ezek. 23:28-30).

An interesting message to the church at Philadelphia ( Rev 3:7) gives a possible time of writing. The believers at Philadelphia are warned by Christ in this revelation that an "hour of temptation" was imminent and "about to come upon all the world [the Roman empire]" and that they should hold fast and remain faithful as he [Christ] was coming ( bringing his wrath) soon. This is important and significant in that it is addressed to believers of a church in the 1st century AD and in that the first persecution of Christians all over the Roman empire took place under Nero Caesar in 64 AD. If this warning to the believers in Asia about an imminent temptation and the encouragement to hold fast related to this persecution, then the book seems to have been written even prior to 64 AD.

Another evidence in the book itself is in Rev 10:11, John is told that he "must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings". Now, if John would have received this revelation in 96AD and written it at that time, then these words which he was told did not come to pass, seeing that he was a very old man at that time and hardly able to walk and travel. But, if John did receive this revelation and write it down during the time of Nero approximately 65-66 AD, then he could fulfill what he was told. He would have been able to prophesy and to teach during the reigns of Caeasars Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and also Domitian (spanning the time from 68-96 AD).

So, read this book of Revelation from the standpoint of an early Christian Jew living about 65 AD. Witnessing the cruel brutal treatment of believers in Christ Jesus being the promised Messiah by the hands of non-believers. Some were crucified, possibly upside down for the testimony of Christ. Some �" stoned to death as Stephen was for preaching salvation only through Christ Jesus. Many burned at the stake, pulled apart with horses and rack torture. Starvation, brutal attacks and beatings, ALL for Christ sake.