Revelation – Review of first 11 chapters:
I need to say from the outset that no matter how I conduct this review, some of you might be upset. I’m going to leave out the detail you thought was most important – if so, speak up! I cannot just repeat nine months’ worth of talks in one hour. I refer all of you back to the notes that I’ve emailed out and to our text ‘The End Times in Chronological Order’ as well as ‘Charting the End Times’.
And inevitably, I will focus too much on points you feel are irrelevant.
I’m not going to please everyone, so I’m not even going to stress over it.
If you are having a hard time understanding a passage, read it in a different version, such as the NLT or NKJV.
John MacArthur has a video called ‘A Jet Tour through Revelation’ in which he condenses the entire book into a one hour talk if anyone wants to check that out.
The first three chapters of Revelation are the most applicable to us now and therefore the most important.
Common mistake is to call it the book of Revelations. It is one revelation. Apocolypsis means ‘unveiling’, ‘revealing’, ‘uncovering’
*Note that it is ONE Revelation. The book is not called ‘Revelations’. Though the book contains multiple visions, some call it ‘revelations’, but it’s not a collection of revelations, it is a single unveiling of Jesus Christ.
(Middle English Apocalipse, from Late Latin Apocalypsis, from Greek apokalupsis, revelation, Apocalypse, from apokaluptein, to uncover : apo-, apo- + kaluptein, to cover😉
Revelation is full of code, symbols, and imagery but the clues to understanding them are found throughout the 65 books prior. So it is a treasure hunt!
*I once said there are over 800 allusions and references to the OT in Revelation. For anyone who doesn’t believe me, I brought the list here in Appendix C. Acts 17:11. ‘Cosmic Codes’ by Missler.
7 Beatitudes of Revelation are found in 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, and 22:14
and is another example of the ‘heptadic structure’ that occurs throughout Revelation,.
*Chapter one is the broad base of the pyramid.
1:1 ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,’
To whom is this Revelation given? It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him. Who did He give it to? Jesus Christ! Why was it shown to Him? To show unto Christ’s servants things that must come to pass quickly.
This passage helps illustrate the hierarchy of the Trinity – though Son is equal to Father, the Son has submitted to the Father in order to accomplish the Father’s will. They play different roles, if you will. Hearkens to the conversation among the Trinity in Psalm 2.
Similar to (but distinct from) the different roles outlined in the marital relationship described in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3. Also, hearkens back to Jesus’ submission in John 17 when He said, not My will, but Thine be done.
*Note in 1:1, it is not the Revelation of John, but the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to Him by God the Father, communicated by an angel to John.
It represents the consummation of all things – everything started in Genesis and everything is consummated in Revelation.
‘to show…’ – This is not a sealed book (Rev. 22:10)
10 And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
It is to be understood, in contrast to Daniel at the time…
(Daniel 12:4) 4 But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
‘to His bond-servants’ what is this notion of a bond servant? Where does it originate?
Exodus 21:4-6 – and Deuteronomy 15:16-17 –
4 If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
Deuteronomy 15
16 It shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; 17 then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.
[When an Israelite, for whatever reason allowed himself to become a servant or a slave within Israel, perhaps due to financial debts, by God’s law, he was able to be set free from his master and his debts cancelled on a particular hep-tad, or seven-year period. If he had married a wife during that time period, his wife would remain the property of the master as would any off-spring from the couple.
The man who was now to go free could choose to remain under his master and stay with his family as a permanent servant. He would do this especially if his master was a good man.
The boring of the awl through the ear lobe was the seal of the agreement between the master and the servant. They would go to a door post of the house where he would serve his master and the master would push the awl through the ear lobe into the door post. The man would say the following words: “I love I love my master, I will not go out free.”
From that moment on, the man would remain in the service of his master.
This is another practical illustration of the commitment a person makes on deciding to follow the Lord Jesus Christ as Master and Lord of their life. Except that it was Christ’s Blood that was shed to purchase our salvation rather than ours.
(Charles Spurgeon has a sermon on this topic explaining that this ‘slavery’ was so highly regulated by God to nearly abolish it. It is very different from what we think of as slavery from our own nation’s history.)]
‘soon take place;’ (other versions say ‘shortly’) ‘en taxei’ – rapidly in execution (same root as where we get the word for tachometer). Once things get rolling, they will conclude quickly.
(seven years is a drop in the bucket in God’s timetable).
‘sent and communicated it’ (other versions say ‘signified’ which broken down is ‘sign’- i- fied. Rendered into signs (codes).
*Lots of similes in Revelation
No prophecy is of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20)…
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
These prophecies in Revelation were not given just for a few people to understand. They were given to you, and me to understand. And we can. This wasn’t just for John.
2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
‘Testified’ = ‘who bore witness to”. John authored the gospel of John, which is what he is referring to here. (He also wrote 1, 2, and 3 John) (‘Word of God’ referencing John 1:1)
He saw – this was not a dream, he actually witnessed it, saw it, he was transported to Heaven during the period of time called the Day of the Lord.
Revelation is the ONLY book of the Bible that has the audacity to promise a special blessing to anyone studying it. ‘Look at me, I’m special!’
1:3 ‘Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.’
1:10 ‘I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day’ – this is not likely talking about Sunday or the Saturday Jewish sabbath, but is saying John was taken to observe a time referred to frequently throughout the Bible as ‘The Day of the Lord’, in other words, John was taken to the end times.
Revelation also gives an outline of itself at its beginning:
1:19 ‘Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. (meta tauta)
Chapters 2-3
The church is not an organization or a building. Biblically, the church is an organism. It grows.
The book of Acts is a portrayal of the first 30 years of the church, from chapter two onward.
But whose ‘Acts’ does it document? Some say the apostles (though one of the three people prominently featured (Philip, Peter and Paul) was not an apostle – Philip – was a deacon (this is not the apostle Philip)), most say it documents the acts of the Holy Spirit. But throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit never brings attention to Himself. Jesus says this Himself in John 16:13-14. The Holy Spirit points people to Jesus. And every page, every sermon of Acts is centered on Jesus Christ and His resurrection. And when the Holy Spirit is in a metaphor, He is always the ‘unnamed Servant’ (In Genesis 24 an unnamed servant introduces Rachel to Isaac (though you can tell his name by going back to 15:2 where he is named as Eliezer which means ‘comforter’).
*So the first 30 years of the Church are documented in Acts. The next 2000 years are summarized in seven letters to seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, written (dictated) by none other than the Lord Jesus Himself.
Revelation has 404 verses, 22 chapters (same number as letters in the Hebrew aleph-bet), and over 800 allusions from the Old Testament.
*The reason Revelation sounds so strange to our ears and is so intimidating for a lot of people to study, is that we haven’t done our homework. Again, Revelation is written in code, but every code is revealed elsewhere in scripture, mostly from the Old Testament.
If you track down each of the idioms or metaphors used, you will realize there are over 200 kinds of figures of speech and rhetorical devices used in the Bible (these are catalogued in the book ‘Cosmic Codes’ available at khouse.org)
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 can be called ‘the ultimate report card’.
Who can recite all seven churches in order?
Each of the seven letters to the churches is composed of seven elements in a pattern.
- Each one starts with the name of the church, and the name of each church is a clue to the key message to that church. Each church has a unique set of situations and the name of each typifies that.
- Jesus selects a title of Himself as the sender. He picks a title that emphasizes the message He is getting across to that particular church.
- There is a commendation – here’s what you’ve done well,
- There is a criticism – here’s what you haven’t done so well,
- Exhortation – coaching – here’s what you need to do differently
- Promise to the Overcomer
- ‘He who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
*It’s a performance review for these churches. Now take a moment and imagine Jesus giving you, personally, a similar performance review. Then think of what kind of review He would give Village Church.
Ecclesiology is the study of church doctrine.
Ephesus means ‘the desire one, darling’ and that is how Christ sees you
Smyrna implies ‘death’ with its root ‘myrrh’
Pergamum refers to ‘perverted marriage’ with its root ‘gamy’ -marriage to the world
Thyatira from ‘thygater’ (daughter) as one of Alexander’s four generals, Nicator (aka Seleucus I) was told his wife had just given birth to a daughter. Interestingly he named the daughter Jezebel, and the Jezebel of the OT is referenced in this letter.
Sardis red stone (used for official seals)
Philadelphia from adelphos – brother + phileo – one type of ‘love’ in Greek (of four)
Laodicea “The people rule” (aka ‘the self-satisfied church’)
Contains 7 Letters to 7 Churches. Each letter was to be given to all seven churches. (every church could read everyone else’s report card).
These count as additional New Testament epistles, whose Author is Jesus Christ Himself, bringing the total to 28 New Testament epistles.
Revelation has 404 verses over 22 chapters (same number as letters as in the Hebrew alphabet (or, better, aleph bet) and over 800 references from the Old Testament (Tanakh). To understand Revelation, you need to understand the Old Testament, with special emphasis on Genesis, Ruth, Joshua, Isaiah, and Daniel.
Churches of whom no criticism is given: SMYRNA and PHILADELPHIA
Churches of whom no praise is given: SARDIS and LAODICEA
‘To him who has an ear’ – if you have ears, this was written to you! You can find elements of all seven churches to varying degrees in any congregation today. But all seven letters were to be read by all the churches and all readers. These are the words of Jesus Christ Himself. John was simply the amanuensis.
These were seven actual churches. Why not the church in Jerusalem or at Antioch? Why these relatively obscure congregations? Each letter mirrors the ‘church’ history throughout time, culminating in our present day, the church of Laodicea. If they had been written in any other order, that would not be true.
7 Kingdom parables of Matthew 13 with the churches of Revelation 2 and 3
Revelation 3:14-22
Message to Laodicea
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
V 15: ‘I wish you were useful in some way.’ NOT that He’d prefer them spiritually cool.
V 20: Why is He standing outside? He should be inside, where the people are. Commonly used as an altar call, but this is a misapplication.
Critics often argue that the whole ‘pretribulation rapture’ idea started with John Darby in 1820. These critics are ignorant of the fact that a pretribulation rapture was understood by the early church, and beyond that recognized by all the sources found under ‘Pre-Tribulation Eschatology’ below, long before John Darby was even born! Darby and others simply ‘rediscovered’ the arguments for a pre-trib rapture and worked to popularize it.
Chapter 4
4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
- ‘After these things’.
After what things? The things of the churches in chapters 2 and 3. When the business of the churches is complete.
- ‘I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven’
Remember from 3:8? ‘ I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut,’ Speaks to eternal security of our salvation?
- “Come up here…’
This is a rapture as well. actually the word anaballo is used, but it implies the same action as harpazo.
- ‘and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Meta taute. After these things, again after what things? The things of the churches.
When the business of the churches on earth is complete, then these things take place afterwards.
*I DO think the 24 elders most likely represent the redeemed of the church, because of the preponderance of the evidence – they are sitting, singing a song of the redeemed, wearing crowns (which the church is promised), they are not mentioned in Isaiah or Ezekiel’s visions of the throne room of God (Isaiah 6:1-3 and Ezekiel 1:1-28), and if you use a Strong’s concordance, the word ‘church’ (ekklesia or other) is not mentioned in chapters 4-21.
Revelation 4:5.b ‘And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God’ .
Remember we talked about this when discussing Revelation 1:4: (See passage in Isaiah 11:2 the seven spirts of God…)
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Revelation 4:7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Revelation 4: 8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out.
Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” (Just like in Isaiah 6)
Where have we seen similar scenes?
In several places actually.
Isaiah 6:1-3
In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies.
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
*Ezekiel 1 is a bit different than Isaiah’s account for the angels there only have four wings and they don’t call out holy, ,holy, holy
Ezekiel 1:4-14
4 As I looked, behold, a high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like gleaming metal in the midst of the fire. 5 And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like polished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ]all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
*In Ezekiel each has four faces, in Revelation they appear as four separate beings. But perhaps John only saw the one face that was turned toward him? Some say the angels in Ezekiel are Cherubim as the ones in Isaiah are clearly called Seraphim. The ones in Revelation have six wings as well, but DO have four presentations. Maybe there is a wide assortment of angels, as the non-canonical Book of Enoch implies.
NOTE what was missing in Ezekiel’s and Isaiah’s visions of the throne room of God – the 24 elders!
Also recall from Numbers chapter 2:1-2
2:1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own flag, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.
2:34 So the sons of Israel did all this; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their flags, and so they set out, everyone by his family according to his father’s household.
Chapter 5:
The Kinsman Redeemer, references to the book of Ruth and Jeremiah 31.
Only Christ was found worthy to open the seals on the scroll, indicating that all of the seal judgments are God’s wrath. Refutes the ‘pre-wrath’ point of view.
7-year Tribulation starts with the signing of a peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27)
Titles of Antichrist include ‘Son of Perdition’ which Judas also had. Likely because Satan possesses both Judas and the Antichrist.
Chapter 6:
The first six seals:
- First seal – AC on white horse with bow, crown given to him to conquer
Second seal – Red horse – war – great sword, take peace from the earth, *many slain*
Third seal – Black horse – famine and death – scales – wheat/barley / oil and wine
Fourth seal – Ashen / livid horse with Hades: ¼ of earth killed sword, famine, wild beasts, pestilence ** WORLD POPULATION NOW 4.5 BILLION**
Fifth seal – Trib saints under Altar
Sixth seal – Terror – Earthquake #1, sun black, moon blood, sky split, kings hide in caves
- Pause – 144,000 Jewish Witnesses sealed, 12000 from every tribe. Many trib saints now in heaven
- Seventh seal – silence for half hour, Earthquake #2
Judgement of the thirds – cf Ezekiel 5
First trumpet – hail, fire, blood, 1/3 of earth/trees and all grass burned
Second trumpet – burning mtn in sea, 1/3 sea blood, 1/3 sea creatures die, 1/3 ships destroyed
Third trumpet – burning star Wormwood, 1/3 fresh water fouled – *many die*
Fourth trumpet – stars, moon, and sun darkened by 1/3 *ANGEL ANNOUNCES 3 WOES*
- Fifth trumpet – bottomless pit opened, scorpion locusts torment for 5 months
*This is a preview of eternal hell, where also, the residents will seek death but will not find it*
Sixth trumpet – demon army of 200M, 1/3 of earth killed **POP NOW 2.9 BILLION**
- Pause – Mighty angel (not Christ – allos vs. heteros) with little book John eats, seven thunders – John is told NOT to write what the seven thunders say
- The Temple and the Two Witnesses – we have discussed these the last two weeks