The book titled, The Revelation to John or the Apocalypse, is the last book of the New Testament and therefore the entire Bible. The content of the book is a series of visions of heaven and earth in which God’s plan for the ages is worked out culminating in the second advent of Christ and the new heavens and earth. The theme concerns the events of the end times when God will vanquish evil and establish His kingdom of everlasting righteousness on earth. It concludes with the equally fallen planet earth’s ultimate renewal and recreation at His hands.
The Literal Message of the Apocalypse
There is much symbolism and visions of angelic activity in Revelation. We must be aware of precedent set in previously fulfilled prophetic visions to orient our interpretations of future visions. The Book of Daniel feeds directly into the Revelation narrative. The connection is made in the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel. The first sixty-nine bring us to the time of messiah. Along with the prophecy of Daniel and the further predictions of Isaiah, Micah, and the Psalms concerning the first coming of messiah, we discover that prophecy is fulfilled literally and not in vague figurative or symbolic form. Figurative and symbolic-only fulfillment of prophecy allow for gross misinterpretations of scripture. Prophecy must all coordinate chronologically as in Daniel represented by his vision and fulfillment of the four kingdoms of history and the details of the coming of messiah. The events of Daniel’s four kingdoms and his seventy weeks prophecy all follow a sequential pattern. This assumption is made for the events of the Book of Revelation which is ordered by seals, trumpets, woes, and bowls much as an outline does for the organization of a historical report. The identity of Daniel’s fourth kingdom with Rome, as it extends into the end time, is discussed in my blog, The Antichrist is Not a Pope. The takeaway from this is some form of the current European Union, after the planetary disaster of Revelation 6:12-17, will resurrect more in the form of the old Roman Empire with a charismatic leader, known in scripture as the beast or the antichrist. It will be a very literal experience.
Biblical Times Never Ended
The seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy, according to evidence from Daniel chapters 9 and 12, is set in the end times and revealed also in Revelation chapters 11 and 13. The first chapter of Revelation begins with a view of the glorified Jesus. He prepares John to give messages to the seven churches of Asia. The messages are given in chapters 2 and 3. These messages also extend as admonitions to the churches of the coming ages.
Chapter 4 takes us to a vision of the throne room of God. In chapter 5 we are introduced to the one who is worthy to break the seven seals of a document.
The first six seals are opened in chapter 6. Five of the six release a phase of the coming judgment of God upon the earth. Seals one through four are known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. These four beings and their steeds have been patrolling the heavens above the earth since the time of the prophet Zechariah in the 6th century B.C. Their missions are revealed in Zechariah chapters 1 and 6. They are referred to as the four spirits of heaven. After each mission they report back to the Lord in heaven on the condition of the world from each of the four points of the compass. Here in Revelation chapter 6, some six and a half centuries later, the four are given an assignment to orchestrate conquest, war, financial woes, death and disease. Some interpret this mission as taking place soon after the Revelation to John according to the verse at the beginning of the book which tells us these things must soon take place. Others believe they are only released at the beginning of the end times just before the last two seals are opened.
The End Times Take the World by Surprise
The sixth seal may seem at first symbolic with stars falling from heaven, but relying on past precedent of literal fulfillment, the falling stars are likely an event such as a storm of large meteors that hit the earth causing the darkening of the skies of the planet. In addition, the figure of Jesus, the Lamb of God appears in the heavens to those on earth during the onslaught. This is an important but often overlooked event. It will make perfect sense when the vision in Revelation 7:9-14 is revealed a few verses later. This chaos and disruption of the order of governments and society prepares the planet for the events to come during the seventh seal.
Chapter 7 of Revelation is a parenthesis of the action to take us to business in heaven. A group of 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed for God’s protection from dangers occuring during the seventh seal soon to begin. Next we view a group in heaven from every tribe, language, and nation on earth. These are those who have come out of the great tribulation that has just begun. This event was predicted in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 by the Apostle Paul. It is referred to as the catching up of the church from earth, also known as the rapture. It seems to coordinate with the appearance of Jesus in the heavens that just occurred at the end of Chapter 6. Few readers have ever made this important connection. Either the appearance of Jesus at the end of chapter 6 was in coordination with these who have come out of the great tribulation, or else Jesus is making a pretribulation appearance apart from the rapture of the church. It is not hard to see the connection.
The World Has Changed for Good
The seventh seal is the theme of the rest of the Book of Revelation. It is opened in chapter 8. Each of the disastrous events during the seventh seal are announced by the blowing of trumpets. The seventh trumpet will introduce the bowls of God’s wrath in chapter 16. A second onslaught of disaster falling from the heavens creates continued chaos on the planet.
In chapter 9, two disasters follow. The first is a plague of stinging locusts which have apparently been breeding under ground for many ages. Whether there is a supernatural source for the plague is not made clear, but they have power to cause a sting that will torment anyone without the seal of God on their forehead for five months. Following this, during all the great world chaos, a great war occurs, and one third of those on the planet perish.
Chapter 10 follows. Here there is then a short parenthesis in heaven where John is given a secret revelation not to be revealed to anyone else.
Week Seventy – part 1
Revelation chapter 11 introduces two God empowered witnesses sent to preach the gospel to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They prophesy for three and a half years, the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week. Many will come to faith through these two and the witnessing of the 144,000 mentioned previously. It is clear by this point, if not earlier, that there is supernatural influence behind the scene. These witnesses have powers to slay their enemies with fire proceeding from their mouths to shut up the heavens and turn the waters to blood as Moses did to the Egyptians in the Book of Exodus. After three and one-half years of their preaching, the beast, also know as the antichrist, will make war with them and overcome them. Their bodies lie in the street for three and a half days to the cheers of those unbelievers remaining on earth. Following this, they are resurrected and taken to heaven. This causes great fear among those who have viewed their bodies lying in the streets. Following this is a great earthquake in the city in which 7,000 die. Many see the hand of God at work and give Him glory.
Next comes chapter 12 which is a parenthesis to view the saga of the ages of God’s plan working out through Israel in symbolic form.
Week Seventy – part 2
The reign of terror of the antichrist gets into full swing in Revelation 13 where the second period of three and a half years of Daniel’s week seventy begins. The beast requires everyone in his kingdom to receive a mark, possibly digital, on their hand or forehead. Anyone who will not serve the beast in this way will be killed. This will be a very difficult path for these recently converted believers who now recognize God’s plan for earth. This reign of terror will continue through chapter 19.
There is another parenthesis to heaven’s view in chapters 14 and 15.
Chapter 16 begins with more of the wrath of God being poured out from heaven. These next seven events, referred to as bowls, are poured out upon the earth to prepare the world for the coming conflict. The war of the great day of God the Almighty is then introduced. The nations of the earth are gathered to a location called Har-Magedon, usually referred to as Armageddon. Simultaneously, the judgment of a nation known as Babylon the great is announced. This is a nation that has corrupted the world with her immorality and luxurious lifestyle and exerted unwanted influence on the antichrist’s kingdom. God will use the beast to execute this judgment.
The next two chapters, 17 and 18, detail the destruction of Babylon the Great.
Finally, in chapter 19, the beast, antichrist, and his forces are destroyed at the conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon by the second appearing of Christ along with the armies of heaven following behind Him.
In chapter 20, Satan is bound for a period of a thousand years, called the millennium. In this period God will rule the planet through the presence of the resurrected martyrs of the tribulation. These are those who did not accept the mark of the beast or worship him but were slain for their faith. These martyrs are referred to as the group known as the first resurrection. After this period of testing of a world without the presence of Satan to influence it, he will be loosed for a short period of time in which he bring nations from the north, by the symbolic names of Gog and Magog, who will make a final attack on Jerusalem. They will not succeed. Fire from heaven will consume them, and the devil will be cast into the lake of fire. Then will come the final judgement when the books are opened. The Book of Life is also opened. Those not found in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire.
A New Beginning
A new heaven and new earth are created by God’s hand in chapter 21. Its glorious description is given in the remainder of the chapter.
Chapter 22 opens with a brief view of the inside of the holy city of God which has come down to earth. The rest of the chapter is a farewell and the reminder that, as he warned in Revelation chapter 1 and now in the final chapter, “I am coming quickly.” And so He did, beginning with the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. We are now resting under the fifth seal. The sixth seal is not far off. The Apocalypse continues.