Panorama of the

New Testament(Part 2)

Introduction

XXXI.The Book of RevelationA. Introduction

1. John wrote the Book of Revelation so that believers would, as Peter said, “fix [their] hope completely on the grace to be brought to [them] at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 1:13) and to finalize all the special revelation that God had for the church.

Introduction

2. The key person in the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ.

3. The prevailing concept of the Book of Revelation is victory. We win in the end.

4. This prophetic book is God's last message to us. To understand it correctly, we must have a thorough pre-understanding of the Old and New Testaments.

Introduction

5. An easy division of the book is found in Revelation 1:19. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.a. Revelation 1 – … the things which you

have seen … John had seen a vision of the glorified Lord Jesus.

Introduction

b. Revelation 2-3 – … and the things which are … This refers to the Lord Jesus’ messages to actual churches in Asia, near where he was banished.

c. Revelation 4-22 – …the things which will take place after these things… This is about the Lord Jesus’ revelations concerning what is yet to come in the future.

Church Age Tribulation Millennium Eternity

Revelation 2-333 AD to present

Revelation 6-197 years

Revelation 4-5

Rev. 20:1-61000 years

Rev. 21-22Eternity

Revelation 20:11-14

Revelation 19:11-20

Book of Revelation Outline

The Things Which you have seen

B. Revelation 1:1-20 –A vision of the glorified Lord Jesus … the things which you have seen…1. Revelation 1:1-8 – Introduction

a. Revelation 1:1-2 – God the Father gave this revelation to Jesus so that Jesus’ bond-servants (believers) would know some of the “times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” Acts 1:7

b. Revelation 1:3 – Why read this book?

The Things Which you have seen

1) The Book of Revelation is the only book that promises a special blessing just for reading it.

2) The content of Revelation is urgent because “the time is near.”

The Things Which you have seen

c. Revelation 1:4-6 – John formed his greeting around all three members of the Trinity.

d. Revelation 1:7 – John used Scriptures that have Messianic terms to identify Jesus as the Coming One. Daniel 7:13, Zechariah 12:10

The Things Which you have seen

e. Revelation 1:8a – Although Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega in Revelation 21:6, God the Father referred to Himself here as the Alpha and Omega making them equal.

f. Revelation 1:8b – God’s eternal existence and dominion are emphasized throughout the book. The term the Almighty is PANTOKRATOR a compound word meaning “the One who has all dominion,” or “ruler of all.”

The Things Which you have seen

2. Revelation 1:9-20 – John saw a vision of Jesus Christ.a. Revelation 1:9-10 – John partook of three

things that we have in Christ: tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance.1) John’s tribulation was his exile on the

island of Patmos because of his stand for the truth.

The Things Which you have seen

2) In Christ we persevere through tribulation because our hope is set on the future kingdom of which we will be eternal participants. Daniel 7:18, 2 Timothy 4:18

The Things Which you have seen

b. Revelation 1:11 – Jesus Christ commissioned John to record his visions and send them to the churches in Asia.

c. Revelation 1:12-13 – John saw a vision of Jesus Christ but not as he remembered Him.

d. Revelation 1:14-16 – John’s description of Jesus is similar to Daniel’s. Daniel 10:5-6, 7:9

The Things Which you have seen

e. Revelation 1:17 – Although John had been a close friend of his Savior, Jesus in His resurrection body was awesomely different. Overwhelmed, John fell down at His feet.

f. Revelation 1:18 – God the Son has the keys to death and Hades because He is the resurrected One who was dead and has come to life. Revelation 2:8

The Things Which you have seen

1) Jesus has the keys of death and of Hades because through the cross he has disarmed the one who had the power over death – that is Satan. Hebrews 2:14

2) Jesus disarmed him by taking away Satan’s ability to condemn (the “certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us”) through the work on the cross. Colossians 2:14-15

The Things Which you have seen

g. Revelation 1:19 – This verse outlines the book of Revelation and provides the interpretive key for understanding its contents and literary structure.

h. Revelation 1:20 – The seven lamp stands and seven stars are real objects that are employed to represent literal realities. They were used symbolically in the prophetic literature of Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah.

The Things Which you have seen

1) The seven lamp stands represent the 7 churches of Asia Minor found in Revelation chapters 2-3.

2) The seven stars represent 7 spiritual representatives called angels (AGGELOS, can mean either human messengers or angelic messengers) of the seven churches of Asia Minor.

The Things Which Are…

C. Revelation 2-3 –The Lord Jesus’ messages to His churches … and the things which are …1. Introduction: The seven messages to the seven

churches follow a basic pattern with most of the following elements observed in this order.a. Information about Christ, the head of the

churchb. A commendation or praise for the churchc. A condemnation or rebuke of the churchd. A reward for the believer who overcomes

whatever is particularly condemned

The Things Which Are…

2. Revelation 2:1-7 – Jesus’ message to the church at Ephesusa. Revelation 2:1-6 – The Ephesian church

had endured well but had left (not lost) its first love for Christ. Jesus challenged them to remember the love that they had at the start and go back to that love.

The Things Which Are…

b. Revelation 2:7 – Important to note: The characteristics of these churches are similar to those of local churches throughout the whole of the church age. Your church could likely be compared to one or the other of these churches.

The Things Which Are…

3. Revelation 2:8-11 – Jesus didn’t rebuke the church at Smyrna but challenged it to not fear persecution because their suffering would be short.

4. Revelation 2:12-17 – Jesus gave the church at Pergamum a great commendation because they had held fast to the truth; however, some members were listening to false teachers. He challenged those believers to repent of all false teaching.

The Things Which Are…

5. Revelation 2:18-29 – The church of Thyatira had improved spiritually, but they were tolerating false teaching. Jesus challenged them to hold fast to the truth until He came.

6. Revelation 3:1-6 – Jesus gave the church at Sardis a short commendation since some of them had not soiled their garments. Since they were not spiritually vibrant, Jesus exhorted them to remember all they had learned.

The Things Which Are…

7. Revelation 3:7-13 – Jesus didn’t rebuke the church of Philadelphia but challenged them to hold fast, knowing that they would be removed before the hour of testing (the seven year Tribulation).

8. Revelation 3:14-22 – Jesus did not commend the church of Laodicea, instead he rebuked it strongly. He desired fellowship with them, but they had blocked Him from entering their meetings.

The Things Which Are…

9. One observation of the seven messages is that whenever Jesus rebuked a church; he charged them to change their minds (repent) and return to what they had first embraced.

The Things Which will Take Place After

D. Revelation 4-22 –The Lord Jesus’ revelation about what is yet to come… the things which will take place after these things…1. Revelation 4-5 – A worship scene in Heaven

a. Revelation 4:1 – After these things referred to the time after the end of the church age (the things which are).

The Things Which will Take Place After

b. Revelation 4:2 – A voice like a trumpet called John up to Heaven just as it will call all believers at the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

c. Revelation 4:3 – The One sitting on the throne is God the Father. Revelation 5:6

The Things Which will Take Place After

d. Revelation 4:4a – In the context of Revelation, the twenty-four elders are best understood as representing raptured and rewarded church age saints. Revelation 2:10, 3:11

e. Revelation 4:4b – From this point forward the church is in Heaven and so chapters 6-19 which depict scenes on Earth are not related to the church.

The Things Which will Take Place After

f. Revelation 4:5-6 –The sea of glass and the four living creatures remind us of other throne room visions. Exodus 24:9-10, Ezekiel 1:4-28

g. Revelation 4:7-11 – The living creatures and the elders sang praises to God, the only person worthy of our worship.

The Things Which will Take Place After

h. Revelation 5:1 – This sealed book (scroll) is best understood as the property ownership record or title deed to the earth and with it the right to rule. As it is unfurled, judgments fall on the earth all as part of Christ’s domination and progressive supremacy over creation. Jeremiah 32:9-14, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28,Daniel 7:13-14

The Things Which will Take Place After

i. Revelation 5:2-3 – Only one person in the entire universe is qualified to open the sealed scroll, the Lord Jesus Christ, Earth’s creator-owner. Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:16-17

j. Revelation 5:4-5 – The elder stopped John’s weeping by pointing out Messiah from David’s line as the One who had overcome and was qualified to open the scroll. 1 John 5:4-5

The Things Which will Take Place After

k. Revelation 5:6 –The seven horns symbolize Christ’s authority and right to rule; the seven eyes typify the complete awareness of His omniscience (Hebrews 4:13). In prophetic writings horns typically represent authority or right to rule. Daniel 8:3-9

l. Revelation 5:7-14 – Jesus took the scroll out of the hand of God the Father, prompting the singing of a new song of praise. Daniel 7:13-14

The Things Which will Take Place After

2. Revelation 6:1-17 – Jesus Christ opened six of the seven seals.a. Revelation 6:1-8 – The first four seals are

the four horsemen of the apocalypse.b. Revelation 6:9-11 – The fifth seal relates

to the martyred individuals who will believe and become martyred after the rapture of the church during the Tribulation. Revelation 7:13-14

The Things Which will Take Place After

c. Revelation 6:12-17 – The sixth seal will unleash geographical calamities that men will recognize as coming from the hand of God, but they will refuse to cry out to Him for salvation.

RevelationRevelation 6

First 21 Months

ColdWar

Open War

Famine

Death

Martyrs

Upheaval

Daniel9:27

RevelationRevelation 6

First 21 Months

Holy Hush

The Things Which will Take Place After

3. Revelation 7:1-17 – The interlude describes the sealing of 144,000 Jewish men.a. Revelation 7:1-8 – These 144,000 sealed

individuals, all from the twelve tribes of Israel, must be redeemed (Revelation 14:3) and sealed before God unleashes more judgment on the earth.

The Things Which will Take Place After

1) Revelation 7:3 – They are described as His servants. And they will not be killed during the Tribulation. They follow Jesus Christ in purity. Revelation 14:1-5

2) Revelation 14:5 – They are never specifically called “witnesses” but they will not tell lies. Obviously these will speak the truth. John 17:17

The Things Which will Take Place After

a) Matthew 24:14 – The gospel preached during the Tribulation is the gospel of the kingdom which says; believe in Christ who died for our sins and rose again and is soon coming to set up His kingdom. It will be preached on the whole earth.

b) Matthew 25:34-40 – Those who are kind to the 144,000(and other believers) during the Tribulation will be blessed since it will be as though one is helping Jesus Christ.

The Things Which will Take Place After

b. Revelation 7:9-17 – Many will be saved in the Tribulation since they will believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and will spend eternity with God.

The Things Which will Take Place After

4. Revelation 8-9 – The seventh seal will begin the trumpet judgments, which will increase in intensity and horror with each successive blast (trumpet).

5. Revelation 10:1-11:14 – An interlude before the bowl judgments.a. Revelation 10:1-7 – An angel will

announce the seventh trumpet and the bowl judgments to follow. Revelation 11:15

RevelationRevelation 6

First 21 Months

Holy Hush

RevelationRevelation 8-9

First 21 Months

Hail and fire

uponearth

BurningMt.

uponsea Wormwood

uponwaters

Sun, moonstars

uponheaven

Demonlocusts

uponpeople

uponpeople

Announcementof the Seven Bowls

The Things Which will Take Place After

b. Revelation 11:3-4 – Two witnesses will begin ministering early in the Tribulation; forty-two months later, near the midpoint of the tribulation, they will be murdered. Revelation 17:6

The Things Which will Take Place After

6. Revelation 11:15-19 – The seventh trumpet will announce the woes with the final woe being the bowl judgments.a. Daniel 9:27 – The midpoint of the

Tribulation will be characterized by the breaking of the contract between the antichrist and Israel.

b. Revelation 11:2-3 and 7 – The antichrist will murder God’s two witnesses around the midpoint as well.

The Things Which will Take Place After

c. Revelation 11:15-19 – The sounding of the seventh trumpet seems to coincide with the events surrounding the midpoint.

The Things Which will Take Place After

7. Revelation 12 – Persecuted Israela. Revelation 12:1-6 – Symbolism is used to

show the reality of persecuted Israel through the centuries.

b. Revelation 12:7-17 – A war in Heaven will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation and Satan will be cut off from ever entering Heaven again.

The Things Which will Take Place After

8. Revelation 13 – The beast out of the sea is the antichrist (the little horn of Daniel 7:8). The beast from the earth is the false prophet, who will prepare the world to accept the antichrist.

Exile Church Age Tribulation

Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24)

The Times of the Gentiles

586 B.C. 538 B.C. 330 B.C. 63 B.C.

The ThreeReturns

536 B.C.

457 B.C.

444 B.C.

Silent Years

69 of Daniel’s 70 weeks

Daniel’s 70th Week

Messiah cut offDaniel 9:26a

Temple Destroyed

Daniel 9:24-26aDaniel 9:26b-27

The Things Which will Take Place After

9. Revelation 14 – Here there are six messages of hope. Some of them look forward to the end of the Tribulation while others deal with events during the Tribulation.

The Things Which will Take Place After

10.Revelation 15-16:12 – Six of the seven bowls, which will also grow in intensity, will be poured out. Several will be similar to the plagues of Exodus.

11.Revelation 16:13-16 – This passage describes the preparation of the nations for the Battle of Armageddon, a battle that will occur when Christ Jesus our Lord first appears in the second coming. Zechariah 12:4-9

The Things Which will Take Place After

12.Revelation 16:17-21 – The seventh bowl will be poured out on Earth just before Jesus comes at the Second Advent to end the Tribulation.

RevelationRevelation 16

The Great Tribulation

Boilsuponearth

Bloodinto sea

Bloodinto

rivers

Sunscorches

man

Darkness

Euphratesdried

Earthquakeand hailDaniel

9:27

Matthew 24:21-22

The Things Which will Take Place After

13.Revelation 17:1-19:6 – The literal, swift destruction (Revelation18:8) of religious Babylon (Revelation17) and economic Babylon (Revelation18) follows prophecies in Jeremiah 50-51 and Zechariah 5:5-11.

The Things Which will Take Place After

14.Revelation 19:7-21 – The heavens will rejoice with the destruction of Babylon. The bride of Christ will be made ready and follow the Messiah as He returns to Earth to destroy Israel’s enemies. Zechariah 14:1-8

15.Revelation 20:1-10 – The Messianic Kingdom will last for 1,000 years at which time Satan will be released to lead one final revolt against God.

The Things Which will Take Place After

16.Revelation 20:11-15 – At the Great White Throne Judgment, Jesus will sentence anyone not written in the book of life to the Lake of Fire for all eternity.

The Things Which will Take Place After

17.Revelation 21:1-37 – The new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem will be inhabited only by those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The Things Which will Take Place After

18.Revelation 22:1-9 – The river that flows from the throne of God reminds us of the Genesis river in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:10-14

19.Revelation 22:10-21 – The book of Revelation marks the end of God's special direct revelation to mankind until the coming of the two witnesses in the Tribulation period. Revelation 11

Revelation

E. Key Observations1. It is of vital importance to gain an

understanding of prophetic writings in order to learn the whole counsel of God in Scripture. Acts 20:27

2. We must interpret prophecy literally while keeping in mind that in prophecy God uses symbols, figurative language and word pictures to describe people, places and events.

Revelation

3. God gave His word (special revelation) in a way that allows man to readily understand it through careful study under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit.

4. Consider attending a future DM2 Panorama of the End Times workshop where we plan to study verse by verse through Revelation, Daniel and Zechariah!