The Apostle John wrote this, the final book of the Holy Scriptures, while exiled on the Greek island of Patmos. It is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (not of John), “which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John” (Rev. 1:11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)). The use of the verbs “show” and “signify” mark its uniquely symbolic nature.
Peculiar blessing is attached to its reading: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:33Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Revelation 1:3)). Just as Belshazzar’s gifts had no appeal to Daniel, the rewards of this world cannot entice us if we grasp the significance of this book (Dan. 5:16-1716And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. (Daniel 5:16‑17)). Banished by the emperor, the Apostle describes himself as a “fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience, in Jesus” (Rev. 1:99I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9) JND), a position that is ours also, as we await the call, “Come up hither” (Rev. 4:11After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1)).
Outline
The Revelation may be divided into three parts: the things that John saw, chapter 1; the things which are, chapters 2-3; and the things which shall be hereafter, chapters 4-22. The first eleven chapters are, for the most part, chronological, taking us from the Apostle’s day through the history of Christendom (ch. 23) to the closing judgments. Chapters 7, 10 and the first thirteen verses of chapter 11 provide us with parenthetical detail. From chapter 11:19 to the end of the book we have various sketches detailing Israel’s history, apostate Christendom, this earth, the millennium and the eternal state. It is important to understand that the events of these chapters overlap the history of the earlier chapters.
The Seven Churches
In the first chapter Christ is seen as the Son of Man, not in the character with which the Apostle was familiar, but clothed for judgment (vss. 13-16). John sees Him in the midst of seven candlesticks, which are the seven assemblies to whom the portion is addressed, presented here in responsibility as light bearers (vs. 20).
In chapters 23, each assembly is addressed in turn. The choice of seven (completeness) and the language used throughout (ch. 2:25; “hereafter” in ch. 4:1) cause us to understand that a historical outline of Christendom is being presented, not simply seven letters to first-century churches.
The first three assemblies describe successive periods. Ephesus, the church of the first century, is characterized as having left her first love (ch. 2:4). Smyrna is the persecuted church of the second and third centuries, which Satan as a roaring lion sought to devour. In Pergamos we see the activity of the deceiving serpent. Under Constantine, Christendom united with the pagan political world.
At Thyatira that system over which Rome holds sway there is a change. We now have the exhortation to “hold fast till I come” (vs. 25), and “he that hath an ear” is no longer addressed to the church as a whole (vss. 26,29). The final four churches represent successive overlapping states that continue until the Lord’s coming. Thyatira is followed by Protestant Sardis. Philadelphia is a moral state; they have kept His Word and have not denied His name (ch. 3:8). The hope of the rapture has been restored, for they are kept “out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world” (ch. 3:10 JND). Laodicea describes the moral state of Christendom today; claiming to be rich and in need of nothing, its wretched condition is exposed. The Lord is seen as outside the assembly knocking (vs. 20). Apostate Christendom will ultimately be spued out of His mouth.
The Seventieth Week of Daniel
The historic events described in chapters 4-11 Come after the rapture. The church, as with John, awaits the call “come up hither” (ch. 4:1). In chapter 4, God’s judicial throne appears; all are His by right as Creator. In chapter 5 we see the Lamb as Redeemer; He alone is worthy to open the book with seven seals the counsels of God concerning this earth. The twenty-four elders are the Old and New Testament saints; only they can sing the new song of the redeemed. Their presence is accounted for by the rapture.
The events that unfold with the opening of the seals (chapters 6 and 8) and the sounding of the trumpets (ch. 8-9) form the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-2724Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24‑27)). This final terrible week of seven years may be divided into two 3½year periods.
The beginning of the week is marked by a covenant between Israel and the revived Roman Empire—a united Europe under ten rulers, supported by the papacy, Babylon the Great (Dan. 7:77After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7:7); Rev. 13:1; 16:2; 17:31And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)
2And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. (Revelation 16:2)
3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3)). This period is marked by political conquest, sword, famine, pestilence and political chaos (Rev. 6). Many faithful to the Word of God will be martyred (ch. 6:9-11; 17:6).
The rise to prominence of the little horn (the Beast) marks the middle of the week (Dan. 7:7-8,19-257After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7‑8)
19Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:19‑25); Rev. 13:1-101And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:1‑10)). All remaining vestiges of apostate Christendom (Babylon the Great) will be thrown off and destroyed (Rev. 17:16-1716And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. (Revelation 17:16‑17)). Jewish laws will be changed and the temple profaned (Dan. 7:25; 12:1125And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:25)
11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)). The Beast will be worshipped (Rev. 13:44And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:4)), while the Antichrist “opposes and exalts himself on high against all called God, or object of veneration; so that he himself sits down in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:44Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4) JND). The giving over of man to satanic power marks the second half of the week. With the sixth trumpet, the king of the North will begin his mobilization with attacks against the kingdom of the Beast (Rev. 9:13-1913And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. (Revelation 9:13‑19)). The seventh trumpet portends the time of God’s wrath against His enemies and the establishment of His eternal reign (ch. 11:15-18).
Prophetic Scenes
Chapter 12 takes up the history of Israel the woman and the man-child she bore Christ—whom Rome sought to destroy. The chapter resumes her history with the last three years of tribulation, a time when the dragon the devil will sorely persecute the Jewish remnant.
Along with the dragon, the two persons described in chapter 13 complete a trinity of evil. The Roman Empire in its final form will rise as a beast out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns. In the middle of the week, power is consolidated in a single individual—the Beast (vs. 5). From verse 11 we have the Antichrist, who will work in concert with the Beast. Having two horns like a lamb, he speaks as a dragon (vs. 11). While this evil trio acts out their final script, God, ever in control, intervenes in grace and judgment (ch. 14).
Seven Vials
The seven vials of chapters 15-16 are poured out during the last half of the week and overlap the sounding of the trumpets. They are the seven last plagues; in them God’s fury is completed (ch. 15:1). The vials, in contrast to the trumpets, are not limited to the “third part” and are poured upon the earth, the sea, the rivers and the sun. Although religious Babylon is thrown off in the middle of the week, Babylon as a symbol of the Gentile dominion that began with Nebuchadnezzar is not destroyed until the end of the week with the last vial (ch. 16:17-21).