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Introduction 3-6

The Book of Revelation by John

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Index

S.No Name Page No

Introduction 3-6
Meaning 7
Historical background 8-12
Theme 13-15
Focus (Subject expanding) 16-33
Application to present day context 34-38
Reflection 39-50

Introduction

The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as "John the Elder." According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1.10). This has traditionally been taken to mean that he had been exiled there as a martyr for his Christian faith. Some scholars, however, have suggested that it might have been a regular stop on a preaching circuit. Next, the author says, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet" (Rev. 1.11), and this voice tells him to write what he is about to see. This begins the "revelatory" vision that is at the center of the book.

Ephesus was both the capital of the Roman province of Asia and one of the earliest centers of Christianity. The book next contains seven short letters of exhortation to the Christian churches in the seven leading cities of Asia Minor -- Ephesus (2.1-7, Smyrna (2.9-11), Pergamon (2.12-17) , Thyatira (2.18-29). Sardis (3.1-6), Philadelphia (3.7-13). and Laodicea (3.14-22). This region would become a key area for the expansion of Christianity into the Roman Empire. But it was precisely this intersection that created the problem for the author, as it called for Christians to treat the Roman administration as agent of the devil. But recognizing this comes from understanding how to read this kind of apocalyptic literature.

The Book of Revelation in the New Testament has the literal title in Greek, the "Apocalypse of John." The word apocalypse means revelation. That which is uncovered. It comes from the Greek word which literally means to pull the lid off something. So that which is revealed is central to the way that apocalyptic literature works. ... The word "apocalypse" refers to a genre of literature like the Book of Revelation itself. They are pieces of literature that start by revealing something or seeing visions or having individuals be taken up into heaven where they can see what's going on from that vantage point.

Introduction

Because of intricate and unusual symbolic language, the Book of Revelation is hard for modern people to read. They are not used to this kind of literature. Not so for people in the ancient world who would have been more accustomed to the complex nature of apocalyptic literature. The very fact that an apocalypse was a common type of literature meant that if followed certain conventions of style, and people knew more what to expect from it. Because there were many other examples of apocalyptic writing, these conventions would have seemed less strange and cryptic. Also, apocalyptic literature was almost always a kind of literature for "insiders," that is to say, it was written for people who already knew something of the situation

and of the symbols that were used to portray it. So, for the original audience of the Revelation of John, all these strange scenes would have been immediately intelligible. What the modern reader or biblical scholar has to do is to try to read the text with "ancient eyes," by being informed about the way the literature worked and the situation out of which it came.

So let's look briefly at the layout of Revelation. The book breaks naturally into five major visions plus a prologue and an epilogue on how these came to be written down. This yields our basic outline of the work, as follows:

The Prologue (1.1-3)
John's "Cover Letter" (1.4-20) and The First Vision
The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia (2.1-3.22)
The Second Vision: In the Throne Room of Heaven (4.1-11.19)
The Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets
[Third Vision] Three Great Signs In Heaven: The Cosmic War (12.1-16.21)
The Beasts, the war, seven plagues, seven bowls of wrath, and Battle of Armageddon
The Fourth Vision: The Judgment on Babylon [=Rome] (17.1-21.8)

Part I: The Allegory of the Great Whore - (17.1-18)
Part II: Babylon [Rome] is Fallen! (18.1-8)
Part III: Heaven is once again opened: the 1,000 years (19.11-21.8)
Part IV: A New Heaven and New Earth (21.1-8)

The Fifth Vision: The New Jerusalem (21.9-22.5)
The Epilogue: (22.6-21)

Introduction

Then in each of these visions, there is a literary device that provides for each new thing seen to propel the viewer on to the next vision. We can see this from the beginning of Vision 1, where John sees the seven lampstands, and then is told to write letters to the seven churches of Asia, for which they stand. But we see it even more clearly in the Vision II in the section that begins by seeing the scroll with seven seals, and then each of the seals is opened one at a time. But the opening of each seal does not result in the same amount of text: the first four are very brief, only two verses each. Then the fifth is longer, and the sixth is the most important, the climax of the sequence, followed by a longer vision. Finally, comes the seventh seal, but when we get there it turns out to be the seven trumpets, and the whole process starts over again as each of the trumpets is sounded in order.

What results from this is a kind of composite picture created by the cumulative effect of all the material laid out this way. It's been likened to "chinese boxes" where one opens up a box only to discover another box inside. In the final analysis one gets the sense that we (that is, the ancient "reader") are always in the sixth, just on the verge of the seventh thing happening. That's what gives the book its sense of urgency and feel that something important is just about to happen. The overall impact of Vision II, then, is to show the dire and precarious position in which the faithful are now standing, as they await the final things to take place. It is described as a time of famine, plague, oppression, and woe. But all of this probably comes out of retrospection on the First Revolt and the devastation that occurred when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. That is precisely the reflection that one sees in the description of the "two witnesses" (or martyrs) who are said to have been slain in the very city where Jesus was killed (11.1-13). So, the sense of desperation and suffering that is so central to Vision II is a direct commentary on the outcome of the War of 66-70 CE.

At the end of Vision II, when the seventh angel finally sounds his trumpet (11.15-19), then the heavenly throne room of God is once again opened, and now there appears a new scene. This is the opening of Vision III, the three Signs (or Portents) in Heaven, which are the centerpiece, both literarily and ideologically, of the entire work. For these three "signs" provide the explanation for why the woes and suffering described in Vision II have come upon the earth. The answer, we are now told, is that the war on earth is merely a continuation of a cosmic war begun in heaven between God and Satan (12.1-17).

Introduction

At the end Satan, the Great Red Dragon, is thrown down to earth with his evil angels, and now they begin to make war on the saints (12.18). For his henchmen, the Dragon chooses two helpers, who are called "the beast from the sea" (13.1-10) and "the beast from the land" (13.11-18), who proceed to force all humans to worship the Dragon and the first beast. The result is that God also sends his angelic army to earth, led by the "Lamb who had been slain," and they will now take on the army of the dragon and the beasts (14.1-20). Now we have seven angels pronounce their woes on all who side with the Dragon followed by seven bowls of wrath, which turn out to be seven plagues (15.1-16.21). Once again it is the sixth that is the most important; it is the Battle of Armageddon (16.12-16) which results in victory for the armies of God.

Now we see another important component of how Revelation works by thinking about its sense of the time-line of the story. The various visions of Revelation are not a linear progression, so that the events in chapter 12, for example, do not follow in time after the events in chapter 11. Quite the contrary. In the way they set up, the events described in chapters 12-13 are meant to explain how those circumstances in chapters 5-11 came about. So the time-line of the story moves in a kind of cyclical fashion so that we keep coming back to the "present situation" as it stood for the ancient readers of Revelation.

The result from this way of reading is that the ancient Christians were being told how God would ultimately triumph, and the faithful would be spared. So in Vision IV we see the final judgments against the evil forces of the Roman Empire, and the final rewards of the faithful. And it’s really only at this stage in the text (chapters 18-21) that it starts to look forward in a prospective way toward the near future. At the center of it all is the recognition of how Revelation is depicting the Roman Empire as the Great Whore, with the Emperor as the seven-headed "beast from the sea," who are the ones carrying out Satan's war against God on earth. So even Vision IV is carrying out the implications of the central scenes in Vision III. This made most clear when we are told explicitly that the Great Whore is Babylon, who is seated on the Beast with seven heads, as seven hills (17.9). This is both a clear reference to the "seven hills of Rome" and a reference back to the seven-headed beast of Rev. 13.3-10. Then it tells that the seven heads are seven kings (17.9-10), which finally give us the real clue that the "beast" is the Roman emperor himself. The visions continue to unfold information for the ancient reader in order to describe its current situation.

Meaning

The Book of Revelation, often known simply as Revelation or The Apocalypse, is the final book of the New Testament and occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text, apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament canon, although there are short apocalyptic passages in various places in the Gospels and the Epistles. The author names himself in the text as "John", but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Evidence for identifying the author as John the Apostle comes from second-century writers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito the bishop of Sardis, and Clement of Alexandria and the Muratorian fragment. Other scholars oppose this view, proposing that nothing can be known about the author except that he was a Jewish Christian prophet. The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the emperor Domitian (81-96 CE), and the external and internal evidence tends to confirm this.

The book spans three literary genres, the epistolary, the apocalyptic, and the prophetic. It begins with John, on the island of Patmos (an island in the Aegean), addressing a letter to the "seven churches of Asia" (meaning Asia Minor). He then describes a series of prophetic visions, including figures such as the Whore of Babylon and the Beast, culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The obscure and extravagant imagery has led to a wide variety of interpretations: historicist interpretations see in Revelation a broad view of history; preterist interpretations treat Revelation as mostly referring to the events of the apostolic era (1st century), or, at the latest, the fall of the Roman Empire; futurists believe that Revelation describes future events; and idealist or symbolic interpretations consider that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

Scholars also talk about "apocalyptic" or "apocalyptic environment," or "apocalyptic outlook." In this sense the word "apocalyptic" has a slightly broader meaning, and it refers to the spirit of the age that especially became prominent roughly between the years 300 B.C. and 200 C.E., the very years in which Judaism itself went through some cataclysmic changes, when the Temple was destroyed once again and importantly when the Christian movement itself was born and Jesus was executed.

Historical background

Canonical history

Main article: Development of the New Testament canon

Revelation was the last of book to be accepted into the Christian biblical canon, and even at the present day some Nestorian churches reject it. It was tainted because the heretical sect of the Montanists relied on it and doubts were raised over its Jewishness and authorship, and it was not until 419 that it was included in the canon. Doubts resurfaced during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther calling it "neither apostolic nor prophetic", while it was the only New Testament book on which John Calvin did not write a commentary. Even today, it is the only New Testament work not read in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church, though it is included in Catholic and Protestant liturgies.

Texts and manuscripts

There are approximately 230 Greek manuscripts of Revelation. The major manuscripts are the Codex Sinaiticus (4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (5th century), and Codex Ephraemi (5th century). In addition, there are numerous papyri, especially that of (3rd century); the minuscules (8th to 10th century), plus fragmentary quotations in the Church fathers of the 2nd to 5th centuries) and the 6th century Greek commentary on Revelation by Andreas.

Alternate titles: Apocalypse of John; Book of Revelation

Revelation to John also called Book of Revelation or Apocalypse of John, last book of the New Testament. It is the only book of the New Testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical, indicating thereby its extensive use of visions, symbols, and allegory, especially in connection with future events. Revelation to John appears to be a collection of separate units composed by unknown authors who lived during the last quarter of the 1st century, though it purports to have been written by an individual named John—who calls himself “the servant” of Jesus—at Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. The text includes no indication that John of Patmos and John the Apostle is the same person.

Historical background

The book comprises two main parts, the first of which (chapters 2–3) contains moral admonitions (but no visions or symbolism) in individual letters addressed to the seven Christian churches of Asia Minor. In the second part (chapters 4–22:5), visions, allegories, and symbols (to a great extent unexplained) so pervade the text that exegetes necessarily differ in their interpretations. Many scholars, however, agree that Revelation is not simply an abstract spiritual allegory divorced from historical events, nor merely a prophecy concerning the final upheaval at the end of the world, couched in obscure language. Rather, it deals with a contemporary crisis of faith, probably brought on by Roman persecutions. Christians are consequently exhorted to remain steadfast in their faith and to hold firmly to the hope that God will ultimately be victorious over his (and their) enemies. Because such a view presents current problems in an eschatological context, the message of Revelation also becomes relevant to future generations of Christians who, Christ forewarned, would likewise suffer persecution. The victory of God over Satan (in this case, the perseverance of Christians in the face of Roman persecution) typifies similar victories over evil in ages still to come and God’s final victory at the end of time.

Although Christ is clearly the central figure of Revelation, an understanding of the text presupposes familiarity with Old Testament language and concepts, especially those taken from the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. The author uses the number seven, for example, in a symbolic sense to signify “totality” or “perfection.” References to “a thousand years” (chapter 20) have led some to expect that the final victory over evil will come after the completion of some millennium.

Historical background

These previous profiles of current New Testament scholarship on Revelation show what is the dominant view of how to interpret the work in its historical context. This approach is sometimes called the "preterist" (or "past history") view, meaning that the events described in Revelation all took place in the past and the work must be read in that ancient historical context. It is almost universally followed in both New Testament scholarship and by scholars of Christian history. It is also the view taken within many Christian denominations, although it is often amended to suggest that all the historical events are past and that Revelation was describing a situation in the Roman empire, but that the final judgment in some literal sense is still to come as a future event.

On the other hand, religious interpretations of Revelation throughout Christian history have not always followed this approach. We shall here profile some other ways that the book has been read by those who want to apply it to their own times. In each case, the difference is how the "historical content" of Revelation is understood.

b. The "Symbolic History" View.

This view holds that while the precise historical circumstances of Revelation pertained to the Roman world at the end of the Ist century CE, that it nonetheless has a kind of universal and timeless message for God's dealing with humanity in all generations. Thus it looks for symbolic elements that may apply across the ages. This symbolic or allegorical view is what lay behind St. Augustine's reading of Revelation, in which he argued that the 1,000-year reign was not a literal number at all but a figurative way of describing the "age of the church" on earth. This view has been the dominant one in most mainstream Christian interpretation, especially in Catholic tradition. It has also been influential in some philosophical appropriations of Revelation in western thinking.

Historical background

Structure and content

The Apocalypse of St. Sever, circa 1150.

The Angel Appears to John. 13th-century manuscript. British Library, London.

The angel gives John the letter to the churches of Asia, Beatus Escorial, circa 950.

Historical background

Literary structure

Divisions in the book seem to be marked by the repetition of key phrases, by the arrangement of subject matter into blocks, and around its Christological passages, and much use is made of significant numbers, especially the number seven, which represented perfection according to ancient numerology. Nevertheless, there is a "rather complete lack of consensus" among scholars about the structure of Revelation. The following is therefore an outline of the book's contents rather than of its structure.

Theme

The introduction of Revelation names the author, John, and explains the immediacy of the message, the end of days is at hand. John extends a greeting to the Christian communities in seven major Near East cities in the name of the God of history. On the Sabbath, John falls into a prophetic ecstasy. He sees a vision of a shining Jesus, surrounded by seven stars and seven lamp-stands; these represent the seven churches of Asia. In 2:1–3:22, John is given orders to deliver a message to each of the churches, addressing specific strengths and failings of each church, providing encouragement to some and driving others to repent before Judgment Day. Jesus reminds them that his coming is imminent. The first half of John’s revelatory experience begins with the opening of the heavenly door: “Come up here,” a voice calls to him, “I will show you what is to take place in the future” (4:1). John sees God enthroned and surrounded by twenty-four elders.

Lightning flashes and thunder sounds. Old Testament angels with six wings and many eyes sing praises to the Lord. God holds a scroll sealed with seven seals, and nobody is worthy of breaking the seals except Jesus, by virtue of his sacrifice. Jesus appears here as “a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered,” but also as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (5:5–6). Breaking the first four seals, Jesus releases the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; victory, war, famine, and pestilence. When the fifth seal is broken, the souls of martyrs cry out for justice, but they are urged to have patience until the appointed number of people have been martyred. The breaking of the sixth seal unleashes a massive cosmic upheaval that devastates the world.

Before the breaking of the seventh seal, an angel marks 144,000 people—12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel—with the seal of God to protect them from the coming devastation. Other righteous people, too, are to be saved; a “great multitude . . . [of people] from all the tribes and peoples and languages” have cleansed themselves and they, too, will be protected (7:9). Finally, it is time to open the seventh seal (8:1). But the opening of the seal is anticlimactic; when it is opened, it is revealed that there are seven trumpets that need to be blown. Four of the trumpets blow, each bringing with it disaster and destruction, with fire falling from the sky (8:6–12). With the fifth trumpet, the chimney leading out of the Abyss is unlocked, and bizarre locusts emerge in the smoke, stinging anyone unmarked by God’s seal. The sixth trumpet unleashes a vast troop of cavalry who kill “a third of humankind” (9:18). However, the survivors nevertheless refuse to stop worshipping idols and behaving immorally. An angel descends from heaven, announcing the imminent fulfillment of “the mystery of God” with the blowing of the seventh trumpet (10:7).

Theme

The prophet is ordered to consume a scroll, which will taste sweet but be bitter in his stomach (8:10). He is told that two prophets will arise to preach the word of God in Jerusalem, but will be killed after 1,260 days by “the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit” (11:7). God will revive these prophets, and will strike Jerusalem with a powerful earthquake. Finally, the seventh trumpet blows, and John hears voices shouting, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (11:15). The moment for justice, punishment, and triumph has arrived, with lighting, thunder, earthquakes, and hail.

The second half of Revelation begins with the opening of God’s sanctuary in heaven. A woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,” gives birth to a child who is almost eaten by a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns (12:1). The child is saved from the dragon and brought to heaven. The archangel Michael makes war on the dragon, who is Satan, defeats him, and drives him from heaven. The dragon continues to pursue the woman, who yet again escapes him. Instead, he makes war on her children. The dragon delegates his power to a fantastical creature identified only as “the beast,” who makes war on the saints and curses God (13:4). A false prophet, “another beast,” arises and convinces people to worship the first beast (13:11). The prophet sees Jesus and his 144,000 righteous followers entrenched on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He hears the news that the Day of Judgment is at hand, and that Babylon the Great—probably symbolic of the Roman Empire—has fallen. Angels begin to spill out of the blood of the wicked like wine from a winepress. While the righteous sing hymns to Moses and Jesus, seven angels empty seven bowls of plagues across the Earth, bringing suffering and destruction to the wicked. People refuse to repent, and instead curse God. With the pouring out of the seventh bowl, “it is done” (16:17).

John is shown a vision of the Whore of Babylon, who symbolizes the Roman Empire. An angel announces the fall of Babylon and warns God’s faithful to abandon Rome, lest they be punished together with the wicked. Those wicked people who made their livings from Rome’s trade will mourn her downfall, but the righteous will rejoice. Many voices surrounding the throne of God sing his praises at the news, and announce that the Lamb, Jesus, is soon to be wedded to his “bride,” the faithful of God (19:7). John is ordered to write the wedding announcement: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (19:9).

Theme

In the final battle, the gates of heaven open, and Jesus, clad now as a warrior named “Faithful and True,” leads the hosts of heaven in a war against the beast and the kings of the Earth (19:11). The beast and his false prophet are hurled into a fiery lake, and the other opponents of Jesus are killed. Together with the saints, Jesus reigns for 1,000 glorious years. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan gathers his forces, Gog and Magog, and again leads them into battle against the saints, but they are consumed by fire. Satan, too, is hurled into the fiery pit.

On the Day of Judgment, which follows immediately, everyone is resurrected and judged “according to their works” (20:12). After Judgment Day, John sees a vision of “a new heaven and a new earth,” and a new holy city of Jerusalem descended from heaven (21:1). The New Jerusalem is a picture of shining perfection, carved of precious stones and lit by the glory of God and Jesus, who are present in Jerusalem instead of a temple. John is commanded to publicize the vision that he has received: “Do not seal up the words of the prophesy of this book, for the time is near” (22:10). In the conclusion of Revelation, Jesus himself promises that God will come soon to reward the righteous and punish the wicked.

Focus

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is communicated to John of Patmos through prophetic visions. (1:1–9)
John is instructed by the "one like a son of man" to write all that he hears and sees, from the prophetic visions, to Seven churches of Asia. (1:10–13)
The appearance of the "one like a son of man" is given, and he reveals what the seven stars and seven lampstands represent. (1:14–20)

Messages for seven churches of Asia

Ephesus: From this church, those "who overcome are granted to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (2:1–7)
1. Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans; having persevered and possessing patience.
2. Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love."

Smyrna: From this church, those who are faithful until death, will be given "the crown of life." Those who overcome shall not be hurt by the second death. (2:8–11)
1. Praised for being "rich" while impoverished and in tribulation.
2. Admonished not to fear the "synagogue of Satan," nor fear a ten-day tribulation of being thrown into prison.
Pergamum: From this church, those who overcome will be given the hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a secret name on it." (2:12–17)
1. Praised for holding "fast to My name," not denying "My faith" even in the days of Antipas, "My faithful martyr."
2. Admonished to repent for having held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel; eating things sacrificed to idols, committing sexual immorality, and holding the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans."

Focus

Thyatira: From this church, those who overcome until the end, will be given power over the nations in order to dash them to pieces with the rule of a rod of iron; they will also be given the "morning star." (2:18–29)
1. Praised for their works, love, service, faith, and patience.
2. Admonished to repent for allowing a "prophetess" to promote sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Sardis: From this church, those who overcome will be clothed in white garments, and their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life; their names will also be confessed before the Father and His angels. (3:1–6)
1. Admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works have not been perfect before God.
Philadelphia: From this church, those who overcome will be made a pillar in the temple of God having the name of God, the name of the city of God, "New Jerusalem," and the Son of God's new name. (3:7–13)
1. Praised for having some strength, keeping "My word," and having not denied "My name."
2. Admonished to hold fast what they have, that no one may take their crown.
Laodicea: From this church, those who overcome will be granted the opportunity to sit with the Son of God on His throne. (3:14–22)

Admonished to be zealous and repent from being "lukewarm"; they are instructed to buy the "gold refined in the fire," that they may be rich; to buy "white garments," that they may be clothed, so that the shame of their nakedness would not be revealed; to anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they may see.

Before the Throne of God

The Throne of God appears, surrounded by twenty four thrones with Twenty-four elders seated in them. (4:1–5)
The Four Living Creatures are introduced. (4:6–11)
A scroll, with seven seals, is presented and it is declared that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, from the "Root of David," is the only one worthy to open this scroll. (5:1–5)

Focus

When the "Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes" took the scroll, the creatures of heaven fell down before the Lamb to give him praise, joined by myriads of angels and the creatures of the earth. (5:6–14)

Seven Seals are opened

First Seal: A white horse appears, whose crowned rider has a bow with which to conquer. (6:1–2)
Second Seal: A red horse appears, whose rider is granted a "great sword" to take peace from the earth. (6:3–4)
Third Seal: A black horse appears, whose rider has "a pair of balances in his hand," where a voice then says, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (6:5–6)
Fourth Seal: A pale horse appears, whose rider is Death, and Hades follows him. Death is granted a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (6:7–8)
Fifth Seal: "Under the altar," appeared the souls of martyrs for the "word of God," who cry out for vengeance. They are given white robes and told to rest until the martyrdom of their brothers is completed. (6:9-11)
Sixth Seal: (6:12–17)
1. There occurs a great earthquake where "the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon like blood" (6:12).
2. The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:13–14).
3. Every mountain and island is moved out of place (6:14).
4. The people of earth retreat to caves in the mountains (6:15).
5. The survivors call upon the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, so as to hide them from the "wrath of the Lamb" (6:16).
Interlude: The 144,000 Hebrews are sealed.
1. 144,000, from the twelve "tribes of Israel," are sealed as servants of God on their foreheads. (7:1–8)
2. A great multitude stand before the Throne of God, who come out of the Great Tribulation, clothed with robes made "white in the blood of the Lamb" and having palm branches in their hands. (7:9–17)

Focus

Seventh Seal: Introduces the seven trumpets (8:1–5)
1. "Silence in heaven for about half an hour" (8:1).
2. Seven angels are each given trumpets (8:2).
3. An eighth angel takes a "golden censer," filled with fire from the heavenly altar, and throws it to the earth (8:3–5). What follows are "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake" (8:5).
4. After the eighth angel has devastated the earth, the seven angels introduced in verse 2 prepare to sound their trumpets (8:6).

Seven trumpets are sounded (Seen in Chapters 8, 9, and 12).

First Trumpet: Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to the earth burning up a third of the trees and green grass. (8:6–7)
Second Trumpet: Something that resembles a great mountain, burning with fire, falls from the sky and lands in the ocean. It kills a third of the sea creatures and destroys a third of the ships at sea. (8:8–9)
Third Trumpet: A great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven and poisons a third of the rivers and springs of water. (8:10–11)
Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened creating complete darkness for a third of the day and the night. (8:12–13)
Fifth Trumpet: The First Woe (9:1–12)
1. A "star" falls from the sky (9:1).
2. This "star" is given "the key to the bottomless pit" (9:1).
3. The "star" then opens the bottomless pit. When this happens, "smoke [rises] from [the Abyss] like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky [are] darkened by the smoke from the Abyss" (9:2).
4. From out of the smoke, locusts who are "given power like that of scorpions of the earth" (9:3), who are commanded not to harm anyone or anything except for people who were not given the "seal of God" on their foreheads (from chapter 7) (9:4).
5. The "locusts" are described as having a human appearance (faces and hair) but with lion's teeth, and wearing "breastplates of iron"; the sound of their wings resembles "the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" (9:7–9).

Focus

Sixth Trumpet: The Second Woe (9:13–21)

The four angels bound to the great river Euphrates are released to prepare two hundred million horsemen.
These armies kill a third of mankind by plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone.

Interlude: The little scroll. (10:1–11)

An angel appears, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, having an opened little book in his hand.
Upon the cry of the angel, seven thunders utter mysteries and secrets that are not to be written down by John.
John is instructed to eat the little scroll that happens to be sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach, and to prophesy.
John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
Outside the temple, at the court of the holy city, it is trod by the nations for forty-two months (3 1/2 years).
Two witnesses prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. (11:1–14)

Seventh Trumpet: The Third Woe that leads into the Seven bowls (11:15–19)

The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of His covenant can be seen. There are lightning’s, noises, thundering’s, an earthquake, and great hail.

The Seven Spiritual Figures. (Events leading into the Third Woe)
1. A woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars" is in labor with a male child. (12:1–2)
2. A great, fiery red, seven-headed dragon drags a third of the stars of heaven with his tail, and throws them to the earth. (12:3–4). The dragon waits for the birth of
3. The child. However, sometime after the child is born, he is caught up to God's throne while the woman flees into the wilderness for one thousand two hundred and sixty days (3 1/2 years). (12:5–6).

Focus

War breaks out in heaven between Michael and the Dragon, identified as the Devil, Satan.(12:9) After a great fight, the Dragon and his angels are cast out of heaven for good, followed by praises of victory for God's kingdom. (12:7–12). The Dragon engages to persecute the Woman, but she is given aid to evade him. Her evasiveness enrages the Dragon, prompting him to wage war against the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (12:13–17)

A seven-headed leopard-like beast emerges from the sea, having one mortally wounded head that is then healed. By the Dragon, he is granted power and authority for forty-two months. (13:1–5)
The Beast of the sea blasphemes God's name, wages war against the Saints, and overcomes them. (13:6–10)
Another beast appears, but from the earth, having two horns like a lamb and speaking like a dragon. He directs people to make an image of the beast, breathing life into it, and forcing all people to bear "the mark of the Beast," "666" or in one source "616." Events leading into the Third Woe:
The Lamb stands on Mount Zion with the 144,000 "first fruits" who are redeemed from earth. (14:1–5)
1. The proclamations of three angels. (14:6–13)
2. One like the Son of Man reaps the earth. (14:14–16)
3. A second angel reaps "the vine of the earth" and throws it into "the great winepress of the wrath of God... and blood came out of the winepress... up to one thousand six hundred furlongs." (14:17–20)
4. The temple of the tabernacle, in heaven, is opened(15:1–5), beginning the "Seven Bowls" revelation.
5. Seven angels are given a golden bowl, from the Four Living Creatures that contains the wrath of God. (15:6–8)

Seven bowls are poured onto Earth:

First Bowl: A "foul and loathsome sore" afflicts the followers of the beast. (16:1–2)
Second Bowl: The sea turns to blood and everything within it dies. (16:3)
Third Bowl: All fresh water turns to blood. (16:4–7)
Fourth Bowl: The sun scorches the Earth with intense heat. (16:8–9)

Focus

Fifth Bowl: There is total darkness and great pain in the Beast's kingdom. (16:10–11)
Sixth Bowl: Preparations are made for the final battle at Armageddon between the forces of good and evil. (16:12–16)
Seventh Bowl: A great earthquake: "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." (16:17–21)

Aftermath of Babylon the Great

The great harlot who sits on many waters: Babylon the Great. (17:1–18)
Babylon is destroyed. (18:1–8)
The people of the earth mourn Babylon's destruction. (18:9–19)
The permanence of Babylon's destruction. (18:20–24)

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

A great multitude praises God. (19:1–6)
The marriage supper of the Lamb. (19:7–10)

The Judgment of the Beast, Devil and Dead (19:11–20:15)

The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. (19:11–21)
Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. (20:1–3)
The resurrected martyrs live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. (20:4–6)
After the Thousand Years
1. Satan is released and makes war against the people of God, but is defeated. (20:7–9)
2. Satan is cast into the lake of burning sulfur. (20:10)
3. The Last Judgment: the wicked, along with death and Hades, are cast into the lake of fire. (20:11–15)

The New Heaven and Earth, and New Jerusalem

A new heaven and new earth replace the old. There is no more suffering or death. (21:1–8)

Focus

God comes to dwell with humanity in the New Jerusalem. (21:2–8)
Description of the New Jerusalem. (21:9–27)
The river and tree of life appear for the healing of the nations. The curse is ended. (22:1–5)

Conclusion

Christ's reassurance that his coming is imminent. Final admonitions. (22:6–21)

Interpretations

Revelation has a wide variety of interpretations, ranging from the simple message that we should have faith that God will prevail (symbolic interpretation), to complex end time scenarios (futurist interpretation), to the views of critics who deny any spiritual value to Revelation at all.

Religious interpretations

Most of the interpretations fall into one or more of the following categories:

Historicist, which sees in Revelation a broad view of history;
Preterist, in which Revelation mostly refers to the events of the apostolic era (1st century), or—at the latest—the fall of the Roman Empire;
Futurist, which believes that Revelation describes future events (modern believers in this interpretation are often called "millennialists"); and
Idealist, or Symbolic, which holds that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.

Focus

Eastern Orthodox interpretation

Orthodox icon of the Apocalypse of St. John (16th century)

Eastern Orthodoxy treats the text as simultaneously describing contemporaneous events (events occurring at the same time) and as prophecy of events to come, for which the contemporaneous events were a form of foreshadow. It rejects attempts to determine, before the fact, if the events of Revelation are occurring by mapping them onto present-day events, taking to heart the Scriptural warning against those who proclaim "He is here!" prematurely. Instead, the book is seen as a warning to be spiritually and morally ready for the end times, whenever they may come ("as a thief in the night"), but they will come at the time of God's choosing, not something that can be precipitated nor trivially deduced by mortals. This view is also held by many Catholics, although there is a diversity of opinion about the nature of the Apocalypse within Catholicism.

Book of Revelation is the only book of the New Testament that is not read during services by the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the Coptic Orthodox Church (which is not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox church but is liturgically similar), the whole Book of Revelation is read during Apocalypse Night or Bright Saturday (6 days after Pascha).

Paschal liturgical interpretation

This interpretation, which has found expression among both Catholic and Protestant theologians, considers the liturgical worship, particularly the Easter rites, of early Christianity as background and context for understanding the Book of Revelation's structure and significance.

Focus

This perspective is explained in The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse (new edition, 2004) by Massey H. Shepherd, an Episcopal scholar, and in Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth (1999), in which he states that Revelation in form is structured after creation, fall, judgment and redemption. Those who hold this view say that the Temple's destruction (70 AD) had a profound effect on the Jewish people, not only in Jerusalem but among the Greek-speaking Jews of the Mediterranean. They believe The Book of Revelation provides insight into the early Eucharist, saying that it is the new Temple worship in the New Heaven and Earth. The idea of the Eucharist as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet is also explored by British Methodist Geoffrey Wainwright in his book Eucharist and Eschatology (Oxford University Press, 1980). According to Pope Benedict XVI some of the images of Revelation should be understood in the context of the dramatic suffering and persecution of the churches of Asia in the 1st century.

Accordingly, the Book of Revelation should not be read as an enigmatic warning, but as an encouraging vision of Christ's definitive victory over evil.

Seventh-day Adventist interpretation

Main article: Historicism (Christianity) Seventh-day Adventists

Adventists maintain a historicist interpretation of the Bible's predictions of the apocalypse.

Bahai Faith interpretation

'Abdu'l-Baha has given some interpretations about the 11th and 12th chapters of Revelation. The 1260 days spoken of in different forms refers to the 1260 years of Islam that lasted until the beginning of the Revelation of the Bab in 1260 AH or 1844 AD. The "two witnesses" spoken of are Muhammad and 'Ali. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." The seven heads and seven crowns are the seven countries and dominions that the Umayyads had control over, while the ten horns were the ten names of the Umayyad leaders. A more detailed explanation can be found in the references.

Focus

Radical discipleship interpretation

The radical discipleship interpretation asserts that the Book of Revelation is best understood as a handbook for radical discipleship; i. e., how to remain faithful to the spirit and teachings of Jesus and avoid simply assimilating to surrounding society. In this interpretation, the primary agenda of the book is to expose as impostors the worldly powers that seek to oppose the ways of God and God's Kingdom. The chief temptation for Christians in the 1st century, and today, is to fail to hold fast to the non-violent teachings and example of Jesus and instead be lured into unquestioning adoption and assimilation of worldly, national or cultural values – imperialism, nationalism, and civil religion being the most dangerous and insidious. This perspective (closely related to liberation theology) draws on the approach of Bible scholars such as Ched Myers, William Stringfellow, Richard Horsley, Daniel Berrigan, Wes Howard-Brook, and Joerg Rieger. Various Christian anarchists, such as Jacques Ellul, have identified the State and political power as the Beast.

Aesthetic and literary interpretations

Many literary writers and theorists have contributed to a wide range of theories about the origins and purpose of the Book of Revelation. Some of these writers have no connection with established Christian faiths but, nevertheless, found in Revelation a source of inspiration. Revelation has been approached from Hindu philosophy and Jewish Midrash. Others have pointed to aspects of composition which have been ignored such as the similarities of prophetic inspiration to modern poetic inspiration, or the parallels with Greek drama. In recent years, theories have arisen which concentrate upon how readers and texts interact to create meaning and which are less interested in what the original author intended.

Charles Cutler Torrey taught Semitic languages at Yale. His lasting contribution has been to show how much more meaningful prophets, such as the scribe of Revelation, are when treated as poets first and foremost. He thought this was a point often lost sight of because most English bibles render everything in prose. Poetry was also the reason John never directly quoted the older prophets. Had he done so, he would have had to use their (Hebrew) poetry whereas he wanted to write his own. Torrey insisted Revelation had originally been written in Aramaic. This was why the surviving Greek translation was written in such a strange idiom. It was a literal translation that had to comply with the warning at Revelation 22:18 that the text must not be corrupted in any way.

Focus

According to Torrey, the story is that "The Fourth Gospel was brought to Ephesus by a Christian fugitive from Palestine soon after the middle of the first century. It was written in Aramaic." Later, the Ephesians claimed this fugitive had actually been the beloved disciple himself. Subsequently, this John was banished by Nero and died on Patmos after writing Revelation. Torrey argued that until 80 AD, when Christians were expelled from the synagogues, the Christian message was always first heard in the synagogue and, for cultural reasons, the evangelist would have spoken in Aramaic, else "he would have had no hearing." Torrey showed how the three major songs in Revelation (the new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb and the chorus at 19: 6–8) each fall naturally into four regular metrical lines plus a coda. Other dramatic moments in Revelation, such as 6: 16 where the terrified people cry out to be hidden, behave in a similar way.

Academic interpretations

Modern biblical scholarship attempts to understand Revelation in its 1st century historical context within the genre of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature. This approach considers the text as an address to seven historical communities in Asia Minor. Under this interpretation, assertions that "the time is near" are to be taken literally by those communities. Consequently, the work is viewed as a warning to not conform to contemporary Greco-Roman society which John "unveils" as beastly, demonic, and subject to divine judgment. There is further information on these topics in the entries on higher criticism and apocalyptic literature.

Although the acceptance of Revelation into the canon has from the beginning been controversial, it has been essentially similar to the career of other texts. The eventual exclusion of other contemporary apocalyptic literature from the canon may throw light on the unfolding historical processes of what was officially considered orthodox, what was heterodox, and what was even heretical. Interpretation of meanings and imagery are anchored in what the historical author intended and what his contemporary audience inferred; a message to Christians not to assimilate into the Roman imperial culture was John's central message. Thus, his letter (written in the apocalyptic genre) is pastoral in nature, and the symbolism of Revelation is to be understood entirely within its historical, literary, and social context. Critics study the conventions of apocalyptic literature and events of the 1st century to make sense of what the author may have intended.

Focus

Figures in Revelation

In order of appearance:

John of Patmos
The angel who reveals the Revelation of Jesus Christ
The One who sits on the Throne
Twenty-four crowned elders
Four living creatures
The Lion of Judah who is the seven horned Lamb with seven eyes
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four angels holding the four winds of the Earth
The seal-bearer angel
Seven angelic trumpeters
The star called Wormwood
Angel of Woe
Scorpion-tailed Locusts
Abaddon
Four angels bound to the great river Euphrates
Two hundred million lion-headed cavalry
The mighty angel of Seven thunders
The Two witnesses
Beast of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns
The woman and her child
The Dragon, fiery red with seven heads
Michael the Archangel
Lamb-horned Beast of the Earth
Image of the Beast of the sea
The False Prophet
Whore of Babylon
Death and Hades

Focus

Christianity portal

Alpha and Omega
Apocalypse of John - dated astronomically
Apocalypse of Peter
Apocalypse Revelation
Apocalypticism
Arethas of Caesarea
Biblical numerology
Christian eschatological differences
Events of Revelation
Horae Apocalypticae
New Earth
Number of the Beast
Second Coming
The Beast (Bible)
Textual variants in the Book of Revelation
Woman of the Apocalypse
English Apocalypse manuscripts

Notes

Other apocalypses popular in the early Christian era did not achieve canonical status, except 2 Esdras (also known as the Apocalypse of Ezra), which is recognized as canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches.

Book of Revelation

Apocalyptic Epistle

Preceded by General Epistle of
Jude

New Testament
Books of the Bible

End

Focus

Main article: Events of Revelation

Revelation 6.2: And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. White Rider from Tolkovy Apocalyps, Moscow, 17th century

Focus

Apocalypse 7, the 144,000 elect. Beatus d'Osma, 11th century

The Fourth Angel sounds his trumpet Apocalypse 8. Beatus Escorial, circa 950.

Apocalypse 12, the Woman and the Dragon. Beatus d'Osma, 11th century

Focus

A seven-headed leopard-like beast Apocalypse 13, Beatus Escorial

An 1880 Baxter process colour plate illustrating Revelation 22:17 by Joseph Martin Kronheim

Focus

"Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." (14:15), Escorial Beatus.

Application to Present day Context

While the "symbolic history" view (above0 was more-or-less the official view of Revelation adopted by the medieval church, there continued to be literalist readings throughout the Middle Ages. In general, these views took a literal view of the 1,000 years as being the current age of the church. As a result this way of looking at Revelation led some to look to it for ongoing events in the history of Christianity. This mode of interpretation, which sees later events in Christian history as fulfilling "predictions" in the Book of Revelation, is known as the "continuous history" view.

The first major interpreter to develop this view into a system of reading Revelation with current predictive value was Joachim of Fiore (1132-1202 CE). Based on the number 42 months (Rev. 11.2), the duration of the "trampling of the temple," Joachim concluded that this was period equal to the 42 generations in Matthew's genealogy from Adam to Jesus (Matt. 1.17). So, he said that these 42 generations (or 1,260 years) marked the period from the birth of Jesus until the end he saw predicted in Revelation. He then looked identified particular events and individuals in Christian history as fulfilling elements in Revelation in a continuum from the days of Jesus until his own time. So, for example, the beast with seven heads (Rev. 13.1), which are explicitly identified as seven kings (Rev. 17.10) he identifies as evil rulers beginning with Herod the Great and continuing to Saladin, the Turkish leader who had only a few years earlier repulsed the Crusaders from the Holy Land. Joachim thus saw, a figure of his own day, as predicted in Revelation's unfolding of history from ancient to contemporary times.

From Joachim's day down to the mid-XIXth century, this pattern of calculation became the most common form of literalist interpretation of the "predictive" capacity of Revelation. It is therefore the most common mode of interpretation within literalist postmillenial expectation. It was a prominent feature of many end-time calculations and interpretations during the Reformation period in Europe. It was also used by Cotton Mather and others in colonial America and England; they regularly looked for current events that might be fulfillment of Revelation within this scheme, inevitably looking for elements that pointed toward the nearness of the end of time.

Application to Present day Context

A new mode of interpreting Revelation beginning in the early XIXth century. It grew mostly out of Protestant theology with a strong reforming element, both in Britain and America. It also drew on the strong tradition of literalist interpretation of Revelation as predicting contemporary events that had become popular in these areas through the "continuous history" view. But this new mode began to look at the past history of Christianity from the New Testament through the Middle Ages and down to its own time in a different light. From this perspective, it was hard to compute how the 1,000 years, if taken literally, could refer to the past history of the church, since that would place the inauguration of the Millenium within the timeframe of the medieval Catholic Church. The new view, therefore, began to argue that none of the events described in the Book of Revelation after chapters 1-3 (i.e., John's vision and the letters to the seven churches of Asia) had yet come to pass. All the florid images of Revelation 4-22 were instead considered to be predictions of future events that would come to pass in literal terms as the return of Christ and the end approached. Thus, this view looks at Revelation as prediction of "future history."

Central to this mode of interpretation is the view that Revelation, along with most of the rest of the Bible constitutes a similar type of "prophecy" of the future, and it often refers to this overall scheme of interpretation as "Bible prophecy." Much of the interpretation that comes from this perspective involved linking various passages from different parts of the Bible to form a composite that fits current and future expectations. This mode of interpretation is also directly connected to the rise of pre-millenialism, the view that the 1,000 year reign of Christ will be a literal event that will occur only after Christ returns. Thus, the emphasis on interpreting Revelation, lies in equating its images with those events surrounding the return. Several different versions or systems have been proposed for how the actual events will work out.

Application to Present day Context

The most popular has been that of John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), which is known as Dispensationalism, a view made popular in England and America in the early XXth century through the publication of Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921). First published in 1909, it came to be known as The Scofield Reference Bible. On each page it printed the King James translation of 1611 alongside of Scofield's own copious "notes" on how to read each passage of the Bible in conjunction with other "prophecies." It thus provided a chainlink interreferencing system to the Book of Revelation, by which one could jump from passage to passage to follow the "true" meaning. The Scofield Bible continued to be popular among certain Protestant Christian groups. From 1909 to 1967 it sold more than 10 million copies; reprinted in 1967, it is said to have sold another 2.5 million copies by 1990. More than any other "future history" interpretation, this one has had the most impact on current literalist interpretations of Revelation.

Prophecy and apocalypticism share a hope on the future, and theologically speaking, in the twentieth century, many mainstream or liberal pastors and theologians have argued that prophecy is not primarily prediction of the future, it's much more an advocacy of certain moral positions. For example social justice for the poor. But I think that prediction of the future is an important element in prophecy. ... That's not all they are, but that's an important element.

John's Apocalypse also relates to the future, but not a future historical event. ... The Book of Revelation has come to be read as prophesying the events of the end of history. A general resurrection, a general judgment and a new age.

Knowing that Lucifer would grow bolder and bolder in his dealings with the people that would also eventually be there as well, the Lord allowed for a warning for all, through His apostle John, that a show down would finally have to take place. Hence, we the people of earth will be caught up in that final struggle between good and evil.

Application to Present day Context

Because the Lord loves us so much, remembering that the Bible says He knew us before we were born, in the end of times He is more than willing to bend over backwards to allow us the choice to continue on with Him. That is what Revelation is all about from our perspective, that of His children. In Revelation He lets us know what is to come through His prophesy to John, and He does such twenty-one times before the very end. That prophecy could only have begun with the forming of Israel as a country in and of itself in 1948. The next indication that the final phase of the Lord's disdain with Lucifer and the evil he has spawned has begun, will be the calling back to heaven of all those that believe in Him and His son Jesus as the risen Christ, and the ones either too young or incapable of making such decision between good and evil. That is referred to as "The Rapture".

Just prior to the instantaneous calling of His believing flock to heaven He will be giving all those on the edge of decision chance after chance to come under His wing. Why? Because after the calling, those left behind will be facing extremely trying times, the price for their folly. If one looks at what is now happening around all of us, with the greed of some of the rich and powerful and those that kill without remorse in the name of religion, it becomes easy to see why the Lord might not be very happy with what He sees down here.

There comes a time when a cutoff date must be set in order to proceed with what is to be. That time is called "The Rapture" and the bible says it will come in an unknown instant, like a thief in the night leaving just one's clothing and such in their place. The LORD holds the day and hour of that moment to himself, not even letting any of his Prophets or Angels know of it. Though the "Left Behind" book series has the Rapture as a silent happening, believe that the "thief in the night" part of that only implies as to the surprise of the event and not the sound or sight of the event. For that part of the Rapture, we go to Paul in First Thessalonians 15, commenting on the end of times.

Paul says that when the "caught up" (later referred to as the Rapture) occurs, the LORD himself will descend with a shout, with the voice of an archangel (probably Michael), and with the trumpet of GOD. That particular section does not say he sets foot on the earth, only that he descends to call up first those already dead in Christ, and then those that are believers at that time. I do believe those three noises, worldwide shout, the voice, and the trumpet will get everyone's attention as it will be worldwide. He lets us know though when it is near through the converging of all kinds of calamities.

Application to Present day Context

The Prophets and John were told that countries and people worldwide would be in perplexed. The only requirements for this to begin was for Israel to be a nation again and that it control Jerusalem, which has come about. Some follow the bible and others try to tear it down. There will be much deception in the last days intended for people to buy into it. The book "The Da Vinci Code" tells you right on the cover that it is a NOVEL (made up) yet people don't talk of that; they talk of what the author has supposedly found inside. Remember, Satan has had thousands of years to plant all kinds of seeds of deception that will sucker in all kinds of people seeking to stand out in their fields without having to do all the necessary background work needed to be a true professional in any given field. As more and more earth changes take place, as diseases get out of control, as computer hackers disrupt things, and nations go to war with each other, we get closer and closer to that time when the LORD calls his church home so those remaining will have to reap what they have sown.

Remember that it's the Rapture that immediately brings on the really hard times prior and during the Tribulation period that follows. Either way, the people that are left will begin to pay an unbelievable price for their folly. Many will do "hard" time as some might say, while others will have it much easier. The key to doing hard time or easier time lies in how soon one accepts Jesus as their savior. The coming 21 judgments to befall the earth, as all prophesied, clearly show that it now is the Lord's time and each judgment is there to more or less persuade each of those left to make his or her own decision to join the fold or remain outside the fold. Some will see the light in the first few judgments while others will take in most of the judgments before they too see the light. For the rest though, their arrogance will doom them to unfathomed misery for eternity.

Reflection

Read the first book in the "Left Behind" series, which deals with Revelation. After read that first book. The following is a simple explanation or condensed version of "The Book of Revelation". But for some say that Rapture will come before the Tribulation period. As one pre-tribulation site said, if the Lord saved Noah and his family (the only believers) from the flood and Lot and his family (the only believers) from the devastation of Sodom & Gomorrah, then believe he would not leave his church (believers) here to suffer that type of fate as well. Remember as well that the Bible has gone through some 13 or so revisions now, and in doing so certain words seem to take on new meanings. What refer to in this work is my view, having studied this topic from the view of an amateur. Besides, think you would rather believe in being taken BEFORE the LORD'S wrath begins instead of at the end of it all. For now, this work is the pre tribulation view.

Because of the extensive symbolism the apostle John uses in his writings of what the LORD allowed him to see concerning the end of time, "Revelation" is one hard book of the Bible to understand. It gets even more confusing because he skips around a bit as well. You must remember, though, that John wrote Revelation, after his visit with the Lord, while a prisoner on the island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. Understand as well that John was seeing things way into the future, so describing what he saw was a real problem. Though he had limited mail privileges, he had to sort of "code" everything so it would get past the "sensor" guards, to his 7 churches. Only those elders could understand his writings and then pass them along. This was instructed by the Lord. The following is a simplified version of all that, which makes it much easier to understand.

When the LORD created the universe He did such out of the goodness that filled His spirit. In doing so He did not force any of his creations, people or angels, to abide in Him, He gave all a choice. Of the apparently seven Archangels He created to sort of oversee things (Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer whose names most of us know), Lucifer was the only one that felt he could do things better his way. This appears to be the beginning of "Good versus Evil." When the Lord apparently had enough of Lucifer and the 1/3 of Heaven's angels that followed him, they were expelled to Earth to wallow in their misdoing and more than likely to be observed as an example by the others in Heaven.

Reflection

The bible gives us no time table between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation period, though most imply that the Tribulation period begins almost immediately after the Rapture. It makes sense that for those left behind, the passing of the rapture will bring in chaos like never before. With all those people gone, business as we know it will come to a virtual standstill, so you better get your money out of the bank ASAP. The paper money flow will be forced to a trickle, which in turn means a lot of people will be out of work, and worse yet, the people relying on government funds will not be getting their money. Those people with all their riches tied up on paper will more than likely find themselves broke as broke can be while those with tangible assets will find the going much easier.

The loss of all those believers also means that the percentage of unscrupulous people willing to "put-it-to" the less fortunate will be greatly increased. There may not be many sympathetic businessmen and such left, which in turn means some stand to reap a windfall, such as mortgage foreclosures. With so many people out of work, goon squads should be relatively easy to come by for eviction purposes. Remember there will be quite a few less police officers around as well and that should mean crime will become rampant. In a very short time bartering, especially after the great upcoming earthquake, will become the means with which to acquire things you need. Cigarettes, feminine products, salt, pepper, cooking & heating oil, propane tanks, guns & bullets, camping gear, and such will become your trading materials. Now empty homes and stores will be ransacked. The bartering system all this spawns will be the means, which will allow people to survive in the Tribulation period. Remember as well that most of the farmers will probably be gone too and will that ever put a kink in the food supply system.

Right after the rapture, for a while at least, there should be a whole lot less people attending church. The church-goers that will be left will then, shamefully, find their way to church once again because they realize what has just happened and, though embarrassed as all get out, will wish to get right with the Lord and will be looking for a way to do that. It will be at this time that a few will find it in themselves to become true believers and begin leading the way for others to be saved as well. As the word gets out that the Bible foretells all this and what is yet to come, more and more people looking for answers will search out the church. This is the time when most will see the light and realize that what the Bible says is true and has now begun. This time and the time just after the coming tremendous earthquake that is predicted, are the times that most of the remaining souls will be won over. The churches will be packed.

Reflection

After the Rapture things will be in chaos for quite a while, and it is during this time that the Antichrist begins his climb to his intended throne. He cannot make his move, though, until after the Rapture, or people will see right through him; he needs the calamity the Rapture produces for him to begin his thing. It may be several months or even several years before he steps forward though.

Because the Antichrist is one heck of a slick talker and because of his exceptionally smooth ways, he will be swept into power. He is a person that has been groomed by Satan from birth. The vast majority of earth's people will have no idea the Bible warns, of not only of him, but of what will come and why the rapture has happened in the first place. Remember also that the Tribulation period STARTS only after he has come to power and signs the 7 year peace pack with Israel. His goals are all those remaining souls and a one world power with him in charge. After he signs that treaty with Israel, the first four of the seven sealed judgments (the four horsemen) will now begin. During the twenty-one months allowed for these first seven judgments to take place, 25% of the people on earth will die.

John was told that the identification of the Anti-Christ was in the number 666. The bible says; Rev 13:18 here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. If you look 666 up on the Internet, you can spend a lifetime going over all the different variations the number crunchers have come up with for that number. There are also sites that dig deeply into the spiritual realm of what 666 could mean. Then again there are also quite a few sites that make the Pope out as the bad guy here. As a child I always thought of it as a tattoo or hidden birthmark that would identify the man. Find that tattoo or birthmark, kill the man, and the world would be saved. If you did that, you would be killing the wrong man because prophecy says he WILL come into power. It all doesn't really matter, because it will be after the fact that those left behind will actually find out. The fact is he WILL come into power and all 666 does is confirm that. Prophesy will be prophesy.

Reflection

Now have always had a problem understanding the Bible where it says "ALL" nations will come against Israel in the latter days. How could the U.S. do such a thing? Where went wrong in my thinking was that I was assuming the U.S. would stay pretty much as it is now, and that people like myself, with a moral conscience, would still be in great influence. The fact is, that because we live in such a religiously free country, many more of us will be taken in the Rapture than in other super power countries like Russia and China. Our numbers will be decimated and that includes our military as well. That leaves virtually all the US, Canada, and South and Central America in a very vulnerable position. While industrial based economies like ours falter, the agriculture based economies that are still prevalent in some countries will fare much better. It won't take long before they figure out the tables have sure turned, and now there is no one to confront their evil ways. We will be but a paper tiger and they will surely take advantage of that.

After the rapture some time is needed while the people left behind try to figure things out and begin to screw things up even more. The period between the rapture and the Antichrist coming to power will more than likely take several years. This is because the Prophet Ezekiel foretells of a future prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. The Prophet Ezekiel foretells that the nations to Israel's north will attack her with a massive force (Ezekiel-39) but the Lord will intercede and not one person in Israel will be hurt in the attack.

The attackers will be completely destroyed by the Lord and the supplies/remnants from such a massive invasion will supply Israel with all its fuel needs for 7 years. This defeat more than likely lays the groundwork for the Antichrist to mediate the 7 year peace pack with Israel and its enemies. The day this peace pact is signed is the exact day that the 7 year timetable to the last day, when Jesus returns as foretold, begins. Several years, though, will be needed in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled. After then the twenty-one biblical judgments begin, with the first of those judgments being the four seals pertaining to the Anti-Christ’s coming to power.

Reflection

The First Seal (the white horse) deals with the Antichrist coming to power on a platform of "peace". That is why he is depicted as being on a white horse with a bow but no arrows. The Antichrist is to be a person of European descent with ties to the Romans. A short time later, a second person (religious in nature) is brought into power and he is referred to as "The False Prophet." The False Prophet will prosper in his duty to form a one world religion and to promote the Antichrist as much as he can. Both will be given the power to do miracles by Satan and will use such in their attempt to convince earth's remaining people that he, the Antichrist, is the one real savior.

The Second Seal (the red horse) deals with the start of WW3 as various countries resist his takeover. It is at this time that people begin to pay with their lives, and if they die without becoming a true believer, they will not be with the Lord. People who die from then on and have become believers will be called "Tribulation Saints," and will immediately be taken to heaven and be given a white robe, there to wait for the end of times, just a short time down the road.

The Third Seal (the black horse) deals with soaring prices for goods in very short supply. People will work a full day for just enough food for one person. This will force many into acquiring the things they need to survive in a different or less horrible manner. Many will not make it through this time.

The Fourth Seal (the pale horse) deals with the world wide death that will come about due to famine and plague. With supply chains still in dismay, much needed products like food and medicines will no longer be readily available.

The remaining three seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls all bring harder times, but each in turn allows those left to see the truth. As each of the above punishments - as you might call them - come about, more and more of the non-believers will see the light and become believers. Why does the Lord give those remaining so many chances? I think it is because the alternative is far too gruesome just to let go of even one of his creations just like that; it is his way of bending over backwards for us. There are many levels of ignorance and arrogance to be overcome, and more than likely the last ones to be saved during the very last of the judgments will be those of deep religious belief that just happen to have someone other than Jesus as the mainstay of their religion.

Reflection

Some religions keep their followers naive about other religions out there with the threat of severe consequences should one wish to stray. Many people have only heard of the Bible in passing and know nothing of its content. Word will get out though for those willing to question the calamities happening around them and some will reason or figure out they were in the wrong religion. The protected 144,000 will have a lot to do with showing those that have been kept naive by their religions, the true path. I don't believe the Lord is asking all to form one religion as the Antichrist will do. The Bible says He has many flocks and believing in Him and His son Jesus as the savior is the key to salvation. The strictness of some religions will prevent that and it looks like those people will be lost for all time.

The Fifth Seal, the acknowledgment of those already slain because of the word of GOD, (the cries of the martyrs) is more or less the separation point between what man brings upon himself and what GOD then brings upon man. Their cries are heard and it is at this time that all those who gave their life for the LORD are given immaculate white robes and told to wait just a while longer as a multitude of others are about to join them.

The Sixth Seal, a massive worldwide earthquake and its aftermath, comes about very shortly after the appearance of the Antichrist has put the world in dire turmoil. The earthquake will be felt by all the people on earth and it will bring about massive destruction. Many will die. For a time the moon will turn red and the sun will turn black, and people will think it is the end of them all. This earth wide earthquake may be considered the first of the judgments induced by the Lord, whereby the first four judgments were attributed to the Antichrist and the fifth judgment being up in Heaven, with the calling for revenge by those believers taken to date.

After this massive earthquake, the Lord does something special for those who have become true believers. He provides for a seal on the forehead of all true believers that only other true believers can see, though one cannot see his or her own seal. This seal is to be the sign of the cross and it will prove the immediate presence of the Lord. Having this seal is the Lord's way of making things easier for those that are true believers and to protect them from some of the ill effects of judgments yet to come. As the judgments proceed, the seal will only be awarded at the exact time one becomes a true believer in Jesus the Christ. From that time on they will be assured a place in heaven though many will only get there as martyrs for the Lord.

Reflection

Dying with the seal gets you straight into heaven, where you will be given a white robe and told to wait with the others until their numbers reach the point only known to the Lord. For many, their only choice will be to die now for the Lord and then live again forever, or live a few more years under and as part of the reign of evil and then join Satan in the lake of fire for all time.

At about this time the Lord brings about 144,000 witnesses who will go throughout the world and proclaim his teachings. They will come from the 12 Jewish tribes of Israel, which originally settled the Holy Land. Each will have a definable mark on his forehead that will provide them safety as they proceed to win those left over to the Lord. They will be a real "pain-in-the-butt" to the Antichrist, but he can't do a thing to them because they are protected by the Lord.

The Seventh Seal ushers in the first of the seven "Trumpet judgments" which are so devastating that there is silence in heaven for 1/2 hour. First, though, a special angel hurls to earth thunder, lightning, and an earthquake, which may be the warning that bad times are ahead. The seven trumpets, which will take place over the next twenty-one months and take the lives of one-third of the remaining people, are then allowed to take place.

The angel holding The First Trumpet is then allowed to hurl down upon the earth hail and fire, mixed with blood, which burns up one-third of the earth. Because ALL the grass is also burned up, this catastrophe seems to cover the entire earth. A certain amount of time then passes by, intended to let the judgment sink in to those close to becoming believers while the Antichrist turns the devastation around for his advantage.

The second angel then sounds The Second Trumpet, and something similar to a huge mountain that is ablaze is hurled down and crashes into the sea, turning one-third of all the seas to blood, which in turn kills one-third of all the sea creatures and one-third of all ships are destroyed. Because this is a single item, I do not believe this will happen in an area that will involve the Americas to a great extent. The people there will learn about it soon enough and surely take it in heed. I believe the LORD will put it right smack in the middle of the ocean area of earth that has the most non-believers of Christianity and Jesus, and that would probably be the Indian Ocean. The religions and beliefs in that part of the world run very deep, and those folks will more than likely be the last to see what is happening and why.

Reflection

Those people will probably be the last to convert. The Lord then again gives those who are left time to decide their fate while the Antichrist again tries to turn what has happened to his advantage.

The third angel then sounds The Third Trumpet and that angel then sends a blazing star known as "Wormwood" to the earth. Wormwood puts a bitter taste in one-third of the rivers and springs of earth, such that many will not drink of such or became gravely ill and even die from the bitterness. Here again a single item is hurled to earth but this time, because the rivers and springs are effected, it sure sounds like it hits land. Again, I do not believe "Wormwood" will hit the Americas. I believe the LORD will put it right smack in the middle of the land area of earth that has the most non-believers of all of Christianity and Jesus. That would probably be on the western edge of Mongolia, thereby effecting Russia, China, India and the other smaller countries in that area. And again, the Antichrist does his thing by turning all this around and fooling the people.

The fourth Angel then sounds The Fourth Trumpet and one-third of the sun will be struck taking one-third of the moon's shine and one-third of the stars with it for a time. The resulting "winter" devastates the entire planet as well as all the animals, crops, and those in warmer climates not accustomed to such cold weather. Once again, some of those realizing that such was foretold in the Bible turn to the Lord and receive their cross on the forehead. Many more, though, are still aligned with the Antichrist and will need further convincing of their folly.

The fifth angel then sounds The Fifth Trumpet and a star will strike the earth with such force that it digs deep into the interior of the earth. The sun and sky will be darkened by the smoke that arises from the hole, and out of the smoke will come locust-like creatures with faces like people, teeth like lions and stingers like scorpions. These creatures are only allowed to attack, for five months, (the same exact time between the beginning of the flood of Noah's time and when the ark settled on ground), those without the Lord's seal upon their forehead (Revelation 9:4). Though their sting is not allowed to kill, the sting's pain is so great that one stung will wish to die and many will try, but the LORD will not allow that to happen; they will have to live with it. It is during times like these that believers, now being hunted by the Antichrist's henchmen, could venture out in relative safety to forage because the mark of the Lord on their foreheads protects them from the attacking swarms of these locust-like creatures.

Reflection

The sixth angel will sound The Sixth Trumpet and a massive army of fierce horsemen will descend upon the earth. Fire, smoke, and sulfur will come from the horses' mouths and kill one-third of those now left. It is presumed that these horsemen can be seen only by true believers and that those killed are of the very wicked that would not come to believe no matter what. Those with the LORD's mark are again protected from this devastation.

The seventh angel will sound The Seventh Trumpet and ushers in the remaining seven angels holding bowls of wrath to be dispensed at the appropriate time. These judgments will last 42 months. Well before the first angel was released to pour his bowl on mankind, the Lord had sent down to earth two Witnesses (some believe Moses and Elijah while others believe them to be Elijah and Enoch, the only two biblical people not to have yet died) who would prophesy, in Jerusalem, for 1,260 days. Because these two witnesses were protected by the Lord until their foretold time and their prophesy was heard by so many, many were converted to the great disdain of the Antichrist. The two witnesses were given the power to withhold the rain over Israel for their 1,260 days and to turn water into blood, which they did.

At about this time the Antichrist is slain by a sword and dies, only to come to life again in three days. There is now one big difference, though, and that is the fact that Satan himself has now taken over the body of the previous Antichrist. In mimicking Jesus, he tells all that he is the true GOD and his rising from the dead now proves such and he is believed and hailed as GOD by most. It is at this time that the boldness and arrogance in him emerges to its fullest and he has HIS mark forced on all those left. His mark is to be placed on one's forehead or right hand and with it, that person is allowed to buy and sell as needed. Though Satan thought virtually everyone would jump at the chance to get the mark, many will resist. To solve this problem Satan will then bring in guillotines to help "persuade' those unwilling to take the mark, to take the mark. Just seeing all those guillotines will bring many more to the side of Christ. Satan will then order that all those without the mark could be killed on site by anyone with the mark and be rewarded for such. The guillotines will then be used to their fullest, with many becoming martyrs for Christ.

Reflection

Around this time a Sanctuary is provided the people of Israel (Revelation 12:6) and others to which they could flee to, not to be touched by Satan, and to be provided for, for 1,260 days. Though this sanctuary is not named in the bible it could very well be, and many people believe it to be so, a place called "Petra" (see map below). Petra is about 10 miles across Israel's southern border in the country of Jordan. Many people will flee to the sanctuary, wherever it may be, for the safety it will provide. Try as he might, Satan will not overcome the LORD's protection over such a place or those en route to it. Now comes the Bowl Angels.

The First "Bowl" Angel then pours out its bowl and terrible sores will come upon all those that now bore the mark of the beast. The sores will produce such pain that those with such will be rendered incapacitated, which in turn again allows those still left without the mark of the beast to forage. It also allows many of those still in doubt to come over to the Lord's side. Still there are many that will not believe, but the Lord again will not give up on them, for he knows with each additional judgment, he will get more converts.

The Second "Bowl" Angel then pours out its bowl, which then turns all the seas to blood, killing all creatures in its waters. The vast numbers of dead sea creatures that then wash upon the shores will cause such smell and disease that those living in the immediate area will have to move inland. And again the Lord gives time for more to see the folly in their ways because He so loves His people. And an angel in Heaven proclaims that the blood in the sea was in response to the blood shed by believers at the hands of evil.

The Third "Bowl" Angel then poured its bowl, and all the rivers and springs also turned to blood. And though the number of converts was now diminished, the Lord still waits for those few more to join in His belief. Those with the mark of the LORD will have clean water to drink.

The Fourth "Bowl" Angel then pours its bowl, and the sun will grow so hot it will scorch the people with fire and still the vast majority of those left will refuse to repent. Those with the mark of the Lord will be unaffected by the scorching heat.

Reflection

The Fifth "Bowl" Angel then poured it's bowl, which has a specific purpose and that was to plunge the domain of the Antichrist (Babylon, the hub of all Evil) into complete and total darkness. No light whatsoever is allowed to shine in the entire city, and that even includes matches. People in such darkness tend to go crazy in but a few hours. The city of Babylon will now be useless. With this judgment the Lord will begin preparing for the final battle between good and evil about to take place.

The Sixth "Bowl" Angel then pours its bowl on the great river Euphrates, which in turn dries it completely up, thus preparing an easy route for the Kings of evil and their many millions to proceed from the place of their gathering to the vast Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon) for their attack on Israel/Jerusalem. This will allow Satan to show his arrogance to prophecy.

The Seventh "Bowl" Angel then pours its bowl, which will be the last of the bowl judgments. Jesus will then emerge on a magnificent white horse as will his legions of mounted angels and will descend upon the evil forces gathered at Armageddon. At the same time an earthquake much greater than that which had previously devastated the earth, flattens all the mountains and takes away all the islands and seas. A vast hail storm then sends hail stones weighing 100 lb. and more that devaste the remaining armies amassed at Armageddon while Jesus and his angels cut the remainder to pieces. Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet who worshiped him will all be judged and thrown into the "Bottomless Pit" for the next 1,000 years. Jesus and His army of angels will then finish off the remaining forces of evil.

A short time later Jesus will descend in all His glory, on the Lord His father's behalf, with the new city of Jerusalem upon the very spot from which He had ascended into heaven after His death and resurrection, which in turn redeemed mankind. And there will be no more sun light because the goodness of the Lord will illuminate everything. All the remaining people on earth will be judged and those that took the mark of the beast (the unpardonable sin) are reunited with Satan in the Bottomless Pit.

Reflection

Jesus will reign for 1,000 years at which time Satan will be let out but for a short time, then thrown into the Lake of Fire for eternity. Why the 1,000 years? Because children will have been born during the preceding time and they too will be given the chance to choose between Jesus and Satan. Those that choose Satan and some will, will then be defeated once again and then will be permanently thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The judgments are there to show man his folly and to win those remaining souls by persuading all that the path of evil has but one judgment, a judgment so terrible that, should you experience it for but for a few seconds, you too would do your best to save others, even your worst enemy, from such a fate.

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Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 24.08.2015

Widmung:
My intension of writing this book is only to Praise GOD and give thanks to Him, who is Almight and all powerful. I personaly have recived many bessings by Praising GOD. I spoke to many persons who have been blessed when they Praised GOD. Our God will do great things for You.

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