Finding Clarity and Insight into God's Ultimate Plan - the Book of Revelation

Perhaps the best way to understand this book is to review its characters and events.

Nothing could be more timely than an understanding of the Book of Revelation. Why? Because its execution is close; we are in the "last days." Perhaps the best way to understand this book is to review its characters and events, and that is what this post does.

Introduction

The Book of Revelation is a story of good versus evil, restoration and redemption, and destruction and re-creation. It begins with a letter to the churches and continues with the restoration of Israel and God’s mercy in a remarkable redemption of Tribulation and Millennium Saints. Next, it demonstrates Satan's judgment, punishment, destruction, corrupt world system, Fallen Angels, and all “who dwell on the earth” rejecting Christ. It also affirms the reward and comfort of the Saints and heralds the return of the earthly kingdom to Jesus Christ, its rightful heir. Finally, it describes the cessation of our current world and system and the creation of a New Heaven, a New Earth, a Lake of Fire, and the eternal state.

Chapter Outline

• Chapters 1 – 3:  Letter to the churches – from Christ to the Rapture

• Chapters 4 – 19:  Judgment and Redemption – The Seven-Year Tribulation to the Second Coming

• Chapter 20:  Kingdom Age – The 1,000-Year Millennium

• Chapters 21 – 22:  Eternal Age – New Heaven, New Earth, and the Lake of Fire

Letter to Seven Churches

Jesus addresses seven explicit Churches that existed when Revelation was composed. It is evident that Christ knew intimate details of these specific churches; however, they are universal throughout history. Additionally, their historical parallels may more comprehensively explain the significance of these church letters.

1. Ephesus (Zealous) – parallels the Apostolic Age – before A.D. 100

   • the time of Acts and the Apostles

   • Smyrna (Persecuted) – the Age of Persecution – 100 – 313

     • Inside persecution through heresies

       • Gnosticism – secret knowledge of salvation (false gospel)

       • Marcionism – rejection of the physical universe and Old Testament (which prompted the Canon of the Bible)

       • Modalism – denial of Trinity

       • Montanism – women and special revelation from the Holy Spirit

       • Outside persecution of Roman emperors from Nero to Diocletian (which God used to spread Christianity).

   • Pergamos (Infiltrated) – the Imperial Church Age – 313 – 590

     • The Roman Emperor Constantine, via the Edict of Milan, to Theodosius the Great, makes Christianity the state church, which floods it with false believers.

   • Thyatira – (Adulterous) – the Rise of Papacy – 590 – 1517

     • Middle age rise of Papacy to whom Kings bowed before.

   • Sardis – (Dead Orthodoxy) – the Reformation Church – 1517 – 1730

     • Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (on Indulgences), Calvin, Knox, the New World’s Pilgrims, and Puritans (1620)

   • Philadelphia – (Open Door) – the Missionary Age – 1730 – 1900

     • Jonathan Edwards, John and Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield set the stage for an Evangelical Revival in England and a Great Awakening in America.

   • Laodicea – (Neutral) the Age of Apostasy – 1900 – 2nd Coming

     • The rise of Rationalism (human reason) and Empiricism (the scientific method) begins to replace religious traditionalism. Known as the Age of Enlightenment.

     • Theological liberalism rejects the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, recorded miracles in the Bible, the substitutionary atonement, and the bodily resurrection of Christ. (This was Martin Luther King’s position in his doctoral thesis.)

     • New Evangelicalism, through leaders such as Billy Graham, who pursued universalism.

     • Rise of False Prosperity teachers such as Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation Churches.

It is interesting to note that we are at the time of the final church letter.

Additionally, from a “young earth” viewpoint, which derives its chronology from the genealogy described in the Bible, there were 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham, 2,000 years from Abraham to Christ, and 2,000 from Christ to the present time. In other words, the world is only 6,000 years old, and we are at the end of these 6,000 years.

Many places in the Bible reveal a 6, 7 progression. For example, Jesus created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Israel worked for six months and celebrated on the 7th. For six years, the Jews worked their fields and allowed the fields to go fallow on the 7th.

Could it be that the world has toiled for 6 thousand years and that the 1,000-year millennium will be the 7th, a period of rest? Of course, this is pure speculation but certainly food for thought.

The Main Characters

The Book of Revelation depicts a remarkable cast of characters, each playing an essential role in this real live story of the end times.

Jesus Christ

Christ, the Lamb and the Lion of Judah is the central character in the Book of Revelation – Revelation 1:8 proclaims, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Since the Garden of Eden, Christ has endeavored to establish His Kingdom. He was rejected by Adam and Eve and later rejected by His chosen people, the Jews, at His first coming. Finally, His kingdom will come to pass after the Second Coming (at the end of the Tribulation) with the establishment of the Millennium.

John the Apostle

John the Beloved, and the only Apostle not to die as a martyr, is exiled around 96 A.D. to the Isle of Patmos, given a vision, and commanded in Revelation 1:11  to “… ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches…’”

Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet–The Unholy Trinity

In an earlier Doctrine post on Angels, I discussed the reality of a spiritual battle to destroy believers, Israel, and the Lord as 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Finally, Revelation 19:20, 20:1-3 and 20:7-10 address their demise: “…the beast (Antichrist) was captured and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire…”  “Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon…who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit…after that he must be released for a little while…”  “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released…and will come out to deceive…but fire came down from Heaven and consumed them. The devil who had deceived them was thrown in the Lake of Fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Those Who Dwell On the Earth

In addition to the Unholy Trinity, “those who dwell on the earth” are the objects of God’s wrath, punishment, and vengeance because they continue to reject Christ and refuse to repent.

Much like Luke 17:27, where the people at the time of Noah “were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all,” mankind at the time of the Tribulation will respond similarly as Revelation 11:10 records, “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them (the death of the two witnesses), make merry, and send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented [by sharing the gospel] those who dwell on the earth.”

“Those who dwell on the Earth” are portrayed as rebellious humans who love their sin and refuse to repent, as expressed in Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols…nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries [drugs] or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

Mystery Babylon

Babylon refers to the corrupt systems–religious, political, and economic that flourish under the Unholy Trinity and which incorporate “those who dwell on the earth.” Described as a harlot and prostitute, Revelation 17:5 illustrates this, “And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations.” Revelation 18:2-3 continues, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons…for all the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings…and the merchants….”

Angels

From the “angels of the church” in Revelation 2:1 to the four living creatures in Revelation 4:6, “…and around the throne…are four living creatures…” to Revelation 8:2, “then I saw the seven angels …and seven trumpets…” to one of the three witnessing angels in Revelation 14:6 “then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth…” to Revelation 12:7 where “Now a war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon…” to finally in Revelation 5:11 “around the throne…the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands…” angel/messengers are everywhere in the Book of Revelation administering to Christ and to believers.

The Two Witnesses

In Revelation 11:3, Two Witnesses “…will prophesy for [the first] 1,260 days [3 1/2 years] …” sharing the gospel until they are killed midway through the Tribulation in Revelation 11:7, and prompt Happy Dead Witness celebrations. They are raised from the dead and miraculously lifted into Heaven after 3 1/2 days. We can only speculate about who these men will be, maybe “Enoch and Elisha” or possibly “Moses and Elisha. Regardless, they are part of the restoration of Israel and God’s merciful redemption efforts during the Tribulation. They will also undoubtedly be followed and mocked daily by all the mainstream media outlets (particularly since they’re white, male, and Jewish).

The 144,000 Jewish missionaries

The 144,000 Jewish witnesses are pictured in Revelation 7:4: “And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes) and are tasked with bringing about a great revival. There are approximately 50,000 missionaries worldwide today, which speaks to the magnitude of 144,000. They will survive the Tribulation as revealed in Revelation 6:17, where it is asked, “…the great day of their Wrath has come, and who is able to stand [live]?” Revelation 14:1 answers this: “…the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion and with Him 144,000…” Although Hebrews 12:22 refers to Mount Zion as the “heavenly Jerusalem,” Isaiah 24:23 and Psalm 2:6 refer to Mount Zion as Jerusalem on Earth, “My holy mountain.”

The Great Multitude

Even amid the Tribulation punishments, Christ continues to demonstrate mercy, and a large number of people will be redeemed, albeit with many martyrs. This is discussed in Revelation 7:9,13-14: “…a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…Who are these…these are the ones coming out of the great Tribulation [martyrs]; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” In Revelation 6:10, “They cried out…O Sovereign Lord…how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” In Revelation 19:1-2, God answers their prayer: “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in Heaven, crying out, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the Earth with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Finally, we see this same group in Revelation 20:4: “…I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus…they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

The Armies Assembled to Make War

The Antichrist convinces the unbelieving globalized world to oppose God and attack Jerusalem at the end of the Tribulation. This confrontation is expressed in Revelation 19:19: “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with Him who sits on the horse and with His army.” These are the military earthly participants in the Battle of Armageddon.

The Future Events

The following is the sequence of events that engage the above cast of characters. Starting with the Rapture, God will bring about the end of the world as we know it, the re-creation of a New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem for those who believed in Christ Jesus, and the activation of a Lake of Fire for those who refuse to repent and accept Christ Jesus.

The Rapture

The Rapture of the Saints is the next significant event on God’s calendar. Although this is alluded to in Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” The Rapture is more fully detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18  “For the Lord, Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who remain alive will be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 also documents this Rapture. Finally, see below the connection of the Rapture with the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.

The Bema Seat Judgment

The Bema Seat Judgment of 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 and Romans 14:10-11 occurs after the Rapture and is a reward ceremony in Heaven for Church Age believers based on their faithfulness and obedience as stated in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Later, in Revelation 4:10, “they cast their crowns before the throne….” indicating that as opposed to personal glory, these crowns are symbolic of the believers’ faithfulness and loyalty to Christ.

Additional verses indicate these crowns are related to, for example, the crown of life for those who persevere under trial according to James 1:12, the crown of glory for those who faithfully minister God’s Word according to 1 Peter 5:4, and other acknowledgments.

7-Year Tribulation Period and the Judgments

Back on Earth, there are Seven Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments throughout a seven-year Tribulation, beginning with the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, which Revelation 6:2 describes as the revealing of the Anti-Christ, “…a white horse. And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.” This demonstrates the eventual achievement of globalism, with many of the ensuing judgments paralleling the plagues of Moses on Pharoah and Egypt.

The Four Horses of the Apocalypse symbolize the following: the white horse—the AntiChrist; the red horse—war; the black horse—famine; and the pale horse represents death.

The Anti-Christ will establish a peace treaty with Israel, but it quickly falls apart at the halfway point (3 1/2 years). This is recorded in Daniel 9:27, which reports, “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week [7 years], and for half of the week [3 1/2 years] he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Also, at the mid-point, the Antichrist will execute the Two Witnesses according to Revelation 11:7, “…the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,” while persecuting and martyring both Christians (Revelation 13:7: “Also it was allowed to make war on the saints…”) and Jews (Revelation 12:13 “And when the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman [Israel] who had given birth to the male child.”)

Many will be saved during this period, as others will suffer God’s wrath because they refuse to repent and will experience His judgments in increasing intensity and rapidity.

The Restoration of Israel

Jeremiah 30:3 predicts, “…behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel, and Judah….” In addition to the Two Witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish Witnesses, Israel is depicted as “the women” in Revelation 12:6, where it is recorded that “and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days [3 1/2 years].” This refers to the second half of the seven-year Tribulation in which 1/3rd of Israel is restored and protected according to Zechariah 13:8-9, which states, “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one-third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Christ’s 2nd Coming and Armageddon

We see the 2nd Coming in Revelation 19:11-21 at the end of the Tribulation, where “I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He [Jesus Christ] who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war…and the armies (angels and believers) which are in Heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the Nations…then I saw the beast and the kings of the Earth and their armies assembled to make War with Him who sits on the horse and with His army. And the beast was seized and with him the false prophet…These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire…and the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sits on the horse….” This depicts the destruction of the Armies Assembled to Make War.

Judgments of Sheep and Goats and of Israel

Those remaining alive on Earth will partake in the Judgment of Sheep and Goats, which occurs right after this Second Coming of Christ and is described in Matthew 25:31: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people [survivors of the Tribulation] one from another as a shepherd separates the Sheep from the goats.” God separates the living Tribulation saints who have accepted salvation [Sheep] from the remaining non-believers [goats] described in Matthew 25:33,41,46 “…and the goats on the left…then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…and these will go away into eternal punishment….”

Although the Judgment of Sheep and Goats pertains to the Gentiles, the Judgment of Israel will be directed to the Jews as Ezekiel 20:33-38 declares, “As I live, declares the Lord God, …I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered…and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face [one on one]…I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Clearly, the Lord will specifically address those surviving the Tribulation, both Gentiles and Jews, even on an individual basis.

The Marriage Feast of the Lamb

The Marriage Feast or Supper pertains to church-age believers. Hebrew weddings include three phases: First, the bride, or church-age believers, is betrothed to the bridegroom, as we see in 2 Corinthians 11:2, which states, “…I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” Second, the Bridegroom [Christ] comes to claim His bride, which is shown in the Rapture and foretold in John 14:1-3 which promises, “…In my Father’s house are many rooms…I will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Finally, the marriage supper is celebrated—a feast lasting for an extended time. The marriage supper of the Lamb apparently takes place on earth during the interval between the end of the tribulation period and the beginning of the millennial kingdom, as Revelation 19:7 announces, “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready….” This celebration may well extend into the Millennium and includes Christ as the Groom, the Church Age Saints as the Bride of Christ, and the Old Testament Saints and Angels as guests.

1,000-Year Millennial Kingdom

Revelation 20:1-4 describes the Millennium Kingdom whereby in vs. 2, “he laid hold of the dragon…who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years…then I saw thrones…and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded…, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” The absolute peacefulness of this Millennial Kingdom is further alluded to in passages such as Isaiah 11:8: “The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.” During the Millennium, the 144,000 Jewish missionaries, those believers who survive the Tribulation period [Sheep] and their offspring, will populate a partially renewed earth and work in unison with God, His Angels, and both the Old and New Testament resurrected saints.

Satan’s Final Insurrection

Satan is granted one last insurrection at the end of the Millennium, recorded in Revelation 20:7-10 “…when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released…and will come out to deceive the nations…to gather them together for the War; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the Earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from Heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Via this final insurrection, Satan will still deceive some who have been born during the Millennium. Regardless, they will also face eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire for their unrepentance and rejection of Christ.

Great White Throne Judgment and the Lake of Fire

After Satan’s final insurrection, Revelation continues with the Great White Throne Judgment. Here, all those who have denied Jesus throughout history are given a body fitted for destruction and will be finally judged and punished according to their deeds. This is described in Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it…I saw the dead…standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds…Then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire…and if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.”

Creation of New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem

Revelation 21 describes the creation of a New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first Heaven and the first Earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from Heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Although many incorrectly perceive the eternal state to be that of floating on clouds and playing harps, the reality is that believers will participate in and enjoy a New Heaven and a New Earth with all nations under the rule and authority of Christ Jesus and an occupancy in the city of New Jerusalem. They will work and worship together in harmony and total fulfillment forever and ever.

Conclusion

A Christian Worldview explicitly holds that (1) God exists – Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth,”(2) salvation is only through Christ – John 14:6 says “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” and (3) His word is truth – 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable…” and John 17:17“…your word is truth.”

The Bible must be interpreted literally unless an allegorical meaning is clearly implied. This is only logical since if the Bible were understood allegorically, there would be infinite meanings without clear direction. Nowhere is this more important than in understanding the first and last books of the Bible – Genesis and Revelation.

Revelation offers comfort for believers who will be raptured before judgment begins. But, as reassuring as this is, we should be burdened and committed to sharing the message of the Gospel of Hope. As true as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, He will surely destroy the world and punish those who continue to deny Him. Additionally, God will continue to offer salvation to those who turn to Him but wrath and judgment to those who turn from Him.