Can We Understand the Book of Revelation?
The Book Revelation, is a source of much confusion and despair to the average Christian. Many try to read the book and get quickly become discouraged by all the symbolism and supernatural descriptions related to "beasts" having numerous "heads", "horns" and "crowns". Added to that is the difficulty with phrases about horns speaking, beast having names and numbers assigned to them and imagery that makes little sense to our mind of logic and intellect. We read the verses but often find that they appear to be too difficult to follow and impossible to comprehend.
NOTE: We will use the New King James Version for our text to help with understanding, but know that it is the opinion of the author that the King James Version of 1611 is much better for any serious study of the book as it contains a better "numerical" map of the text; and Revelation is a book of numbers and their meanings.
Yet this "perceived" difficulty in understanding is not necessarily the case. You see, their are three interesting things about the Book of Revelation that makes it unique to the Bible in general: First, it is not the Revelation of the Antichrist, it is The Revelation of Jesus Christ! Secondly, it is the only book of the Bible that offers a blessing to those who study it! And lastly, it is the only book of the Bible that has it's own outline! Before we get into the chapter of our text, Revelation 13, let's look at these three unique characteristics in detail:
1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ - "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw." (Revelation 1:1-2)
2) The Blessing of the Book of Revelation - "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." (Revelation 1:3)
3) The Outline of the Book of Revelation - "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this." (Revelation 1:19)
First we see that the main character of the book is Jesus! In Fact, the title of the book in many past translation is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (the first 5 words of the book). While it contains a ton of information about the "Last Generation", the "Antichrist", the "Mark of the Beast (666)", the "Wrath of God" and the "Events in Heaven & on Earth", the main purpose of the Book is to reveal the True identity, characteristics & authority of Jesus Christ! All other teaching are simply to show the Works of Jesus in relationship to His creation, the world, angels, Satan, Heaven and earth. The primary purpose is to provide the reader with a concise understanding of WHO Jesus is and HOW He will be revealed to the universe at His Second Coming as "King of kings and Lord of lords"!
Next we see the blessing that comes to all who study the book! The Greek word translated "Blessed" is the same Greek word (makarios) used in Jesus sermon of the "Beatitudes" (Matthew 5:1-12). It is defined by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance as supremely blessed; by extension, fortunate, well off:-- blessed, happy(X -ier). It modern English we might say it as "oh the happiness of" those who study this book! Those who study the book of Revelation will be rewarded both in this life, and in the one to come! Why? Because it is about our Lord God and those who study it are serious about their love and commitment to Him!
Lastly, it gives us an Outline! How AEWSOME is that? Jesus gives us something here to make our task of studying it soooo much easier: an outline. No other book of the bible does that! Do you get the idea that maybe you should take this book seriously? Do you get the idea that God takes this book EXTREAMLY serious? Do you get the idea, WHY it has a blessing (and a curse to those who abuse it: For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)? God IS VERY SERIOUS about the book! And you should be too! Study it often, pray over it's meanings much and "LISTERN"!
Outline of the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:19):- "Write the things which you have seen,
- and the things which are,
- and the things which will take place after this."
If you look at the book, every chapter begins with the word "And" except for three! These are the divisions of the book which are Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 4! You will only notice this in the KJV version of the bible as most modern translations are very liberal and weak at best. Yet if you read them, you can still see the divisions via the text changes in these three main chapters.
The Outline deals with 3 states: Past, Present and Future WOW, not only is it the only book that gives us an outline, but the outlins is complete. It is three points representing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! It Reveals Jesus in three states, Jesus from eternity "Past", Jesus in the "Present" dealing with His Church, and Jesus in the "Future" as He returns to judge and take possession of His Creation! How Powerful is Our God, and His ways past finding out! His Wisdom is beyond our frail comprehensions!
Chapter 1 Presents Jesus from Eternity Past: LORD God Almighty (Revelation 1:8) "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:11).
Chapter 2 & 3 Presents Jesus in the Present: the ("Great Shepherd of the Flock" to His Church) "Unto the angel of the church...write..." (Revelation 2:1,2:8,2:12,2:18,3:1,3:7,3:14)
Chapter 4-22 Presents Jesus into Eternity Future: LORD God Almighty (Revelation 4:8) "...Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (Jesus' 2nd Coming)." (Revelation 4:8).
It is worth noting that Revelation 4:1 begins with:
"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here'..." (Revelation 4:1) This is a picture of The Rapture! Notice it happens BEFORE the Tribulation begins! That shoots many holes in the beliefs of those who teach the church will enter the tribulation period. We leave in vs 1 and are in heaven through the outpouring of God's Wrath on the world!
Conclusion and Closing Remarks
As you study the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ, remember this one key point about all of scripture that is essential to any study of God's Word The Bible: You Don't"T Interpret Scripture, You Associate it! This is brought out clearly in scripture. Consider these three biblical references for clarification of this All-Important Truth!
1) Scripture Is Not to be Interpreted - "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21)
2) Books Can Be Closed to Understanding by God - "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." (Daniel 12:4)
3) Books Can Be Closed to Understanding by God - "And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand." (Revelation 22:10)
The Error of Many who Study the Book of Revelation We see from the verses above that we do not interpret scripture. Instead we are taught in the next 2 verse references that Only God can reveal His Word to us, and that it is by relating scripture to scripture that we can understand it's True Meanings! Daniel is a prophetic book but notice that it is a closed book. Daniel wanted to know what the meaning of the book was, after all he wrote it. Yet he did not understand anything he was writing?!? Why, because as God told him, it was a sealed prophecy until the "last days". It is only in relating Daniel's prophecies to those of John in the book of Revelation that the understanding unfolds before our eyes! The reverse is also true as Daniel's prophecies are the "KEY" that unlock the meanings in the book of Revelation. What a Wise and Resourceful God! He gives us such Riches in His Word in accordance with "His Great Plan for the Ages"!
Their is one additional verse that brings out the relationship of scripture more clearly in the light of these revelations: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15). Here Paul tells young Timothy to "rightly" divide the "word of truth" (the Bible). It is this dividing of truth and comparing truth to truth that we gain a proper understanding of scripture. It is this approach that this author endeavors to carry out in all his teachings of scripture. Failure to do so leads to disastrous results and heresies of the worst deceptions to mankind. And God WILL judge those who cast a stumbling block before God's TRUE children; His born-again children! Remember the curse we discussed above, notice that it is not only in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation, but in the Very Last Chapter of the Bible! God is Serious!
Stay Tuned In . . . Next Blog Post: Revelation 13
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