“Revelation” — The Veil Rolled Aside.
The book was written and the visions seen by the beloved John in the island of Patmos about A.D. 96.
Two Parts
The book is in two distinct and equal parts.
1. From Revelation 1 to Revelation 11:18, in which the general condition of things and events is prophetically sketched from the close of the first Christian century till the introduction of the eternal state. Compare “the time of the dead that they should be judged” (Rev. 11:18) with “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne” (Rev. 20:12).
2. From Revelation 11:19 to Revelation 22:21, in which details are furnished connected with Israel and Christendom in the future awful crisis of their history.
Three Divisions
The threefold division of the prophecy is noted in Revelation 1:19. This verse is the key to the interpretation and understanding of the book. It contains a past, a present, and a future.
1. “Write the things which thou host seen.” This constitutes a vision by itself, comprised within verses 10-18, in which Christ in the midst of the seven golden lamp-stands is the central object. PAST.
2. “Write the things... which are.” These are embraced in Revelation 2 and 3, in which the professing Church is traced through contemporary and successive stages of her history, from her decline (Rev. 2:4) till her rejection (Rev. 3:16). PRESENT.
3. “Write the things... which shall be hereafter,” or after these things. This division commences with Revelation 4, and runs on to Revelation 22:5. This is essentially the prophetic part of the book. FUTURE. The Seals, Trumpets, and Vials; Babylon, the Marriage, the Reign, and so forth, are each and all FUTURE.
Twelve Sections
There are twelve sections into which the whole contents of the Apocalypse is distributed, and which if carefully noted and mastered will greatly facilitate the study of the book.
1. A general introduction, Revelation 1:1-9.
2. Christ in judicial glory in the midst of the seven Asiatic Churches, Revelation 1:10-18.
3. The Church in profession as God’s witness on earth. Her growing departure from love and truth, Revelation 2-3.
4. The heavenly saints enthroned and glorified, including all embraced in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Revelation 4-5.
5. The seven Seals successively opened by the Lamb, Revelation 6, 8:1. The Revelation 7 is a parenthetical one of deep interest.
6. The seven Trumpets successively 8:2, 11:18. Here the revived Roman empire is in the forefront in these judgment prophecies.
7. Three Sources (Rev. 12), two Actors (Rev. 13), and seven Results (Rev. 14), Revelation 12-14.
8. The seven Vials of God’s wrath successively poured out, Revelation 15-16. The closing dealings of God upon the empire, Israel, and the earth.
9. Babylon, the mystical, in her political and ecclesiastical associations, and utter destruction, Revelation 17-18.
10. Chronological sequence from the fall of Babylon till the eternal state, opening with rejoicing in Heaven, and closing with a picture of eternal misery in the Lake of Fire, Revelation 19, 21:8.
11. The Bride of the Lamb in governmental and Millennial splendor. A thing of love, of life, and of beauty forever, Revelation 21:9; 22:5.
12. Warnings, threatenings, and encouragements, Revelation 22:6-21.
Chronological Order
Revelation 2 and 3 unfold the moral history of the Church in successive periods of her history, from the close of the first Christian century to its final rejection. Then Revelation 4 and 5 are chronological in so far that Heaven and not earth is the scene of action, the heavenly saints having been removed to their home above. The fact of the Rapture is not mentioned in the Apocalypse, but assumed as having taken place in the time between Revelation 3 and 4. Paul unfolds the Rapture, John follows on assuming it has occurred. We place, therefore, the Rapture of the saints after the Church ruin shown in Revelation 3, and before the glory witnessed in Revelation 4.
The history on earth is then resumed from the close of Revelation 3, but it is the history of the apostate world-Israel, the revived Roman empire, and Christendom generally. This will be found in Revelation 6; 8; 9; 11:14-18; 15:5; 16:21; 19:11; 21:8.
Parenthetic Portions
There are six distinctly marked parentheses in the book, which are as follows:
1. Revelation 7, between the sixth and seventh SEALS.
2. Revelation 10, 11:1-13, between the sixth and seventh TRUMPETS.
3. Revelation 11:19; 15:1-4, between the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the pouring out of the bowls of wrath.
5. Revelation 16:13-16, between the sixth and seventh VIALS.
6. Revelation 17-19; 1-10, between the pouring out of the seventh Vial and the personal advent of the Lord in power and glory.
Revelation 21:9; 22:1-5, between the description of the eternal state and the concluding section of the book. The longest parenthesis is the third in which the hidden sources of good and evil are disclosed (Rev. 12), the agents and chief instruments of evil named (Rev. 13), and the results in grace and judgment fully stated (Rev. 14).
General Notes
The strictly prophetic part of the book commences with Revelation 6 and concludes with verse 5 of Revelation 22.
The chronological events under the Seals, Trumpets, and Vials transpire after the Rapture and before the Appearing in glory. It will be impossible to understand the Revelation if this is not clearly seen.
No date can be fixed for the opening of the Seals. The Roman empire may be forming while the Seals are being opened one by one. The empire is not recognized as existing under the Seals. It may be that under the throes of the sixth Seal (Rev. 6:12-17) the empire emerges out of the general chaos, but we cannot pronounce with certainty.
The first four Trumpets (Rev. 8) specially concern the Roman world. The three “Woe” Trumpets announce judgment respectively upon apostate Israel, apostate Christendom, and upon the guilty world. The Trumpets succeed the Seals, and the Vials succeed the Trumpets. The Seal judgments are comparatively light but widespread, with but one exception (Rev. 6:8). The trumpet-chastisements are heavier in character; the first four are more limited in extent, while the three last are “woe”—judgments.
The martyred company of Judah on the glassy sea harping and singing are noted in Revelation 14:2; 15:2-4.
The preserved company of Judah on Mount Zion alone can learn the song of their brethren above, Revelation 14:1-5.
The sealed company of Israel (Rev. 7) are not said to emerge out of the Tribulation, and are a distinct company from that of Revelation 14. The hundred and forty-four thousand of Revelation 7 are of all Israel, whereas the hundred and forty-four thousand of Revelation 14 are of Judah only.
The apostate part of Israel is specially in view in Revelation 9:1-11. Thus all Israel is fully accounted for.