Chapter Eight – Revelation Unveiled!
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
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Monumental events will soon shock the entire world! Great prophecies in the book of Revelation—in fact, the greatest in all the Bible—show how and when these catastrophic events will occur.
In this chapter comes understanding that will completely change your outlook on the near future. But you must have the keys that unlock it! And you must examine every scripture quoted—along with the entirety of Revelation. This stunning book of prophecy is opened, revealed and explained—at last!
Many think they understand prophecy—and this is possibly most true of at least some parts of the book of Revelation. Yet the most common human interpretations of this book, at best, border on ludicrous. Usually, a very little truth is mixed with much error! They are almost unbearable to read—yet major magazines report that great numbers do believe these dangerous, counterfeit scenarios.
World trouble will soon greatly increase—intensifying to staggering proportions. This will be followed by unexpected and cataclysmic events that will shake the whole world!
But God has not left mankind without a source of answers that reveals in detail what lies ahead. Tragically, believing things will eventually “work themselves out,” many take the ostrich approach and bury their heads in the sand, choosing to pursue pleasure and the accumulation of material goods. But world conditions will become much more serious than most realize.
God understands human nature and where it always leads when left to its own devices. This allows Him to know, and to guide, the awesome future events that will occur from now on!
We saw it has become God’s time to reveal what lies ahead. The stage is set and He has lifted the curtain on the future. Revelation describes terrible plagues and truly earth-shattering events!
Mystery Book
Signs, seals, symbols, Satan, vials, visions, images, trumpets, thrones, plagues, angels, demons, destruction, beasts, heads, horns, women, witnesses, woes, wars, judgment, numbers, multitudes, messages and mystery! Revelation contains all of these terms. But what do they mean?
As we discussed from Isaiah in Chapter One, most believe the book of Revelation is sealed, closed from understanding. It is called a mystery book without meaning. Yet it is an entire book of important—vital—meaning. It is filled with answers. The above terms can be unlocked! They can be understood—and the next two eye-opening chapters contain the necessary keys!
You will be fascinated by the clarity of what can be known from Revelation. You can know that events are building to an unanticipated explosion!
Almost half the books of the Old Testament are included in the so-called “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) or “minor” prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, etc.).
Paul explained that the New Testament Church was “…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20). Recognize that, since the Church stands on the words of the prophets, Christians are expected to understand prophecy. Because God commands men to “live by every word of God” (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deut. 8:3), He would not exclude the full third that is prophecy!
We read that Daniel spoke of a time and of events “the wise shall understand” (Dan 12:10). Jesus directly paraphrased Daniel in the Olivet prophecy, where He answered the disciples’ question about the sequence of events to occur at “the end of the age.” He reinforced Daniel’s statements about those events by saying, “Whoso reads, let him understand” (Matt. 24:15).
What are the wise to understand? Important keys exist, which open up Bible prophecies, but the world knows nothing of them! No wonder so many claim that the meaning of Revelation cannot be explained. How could they understand without the keys?
Imagine. Forty-two percent of Americans actually believe that they can consult the dead about matters involving the future. But mankind refuses to seek and consult GOD! Only He can reveal the future. Men cannot, through intelligence, human reasoning or scientific discovery, know or discern events to come. And many “religious” people believe the book of Revelation offers no help anyway, because it cannot be understood.
Revelation Means a Revealing
God reveals a basic framework for understanding future events. This framework is primarily laid out in Daniel and Revelation. Daniel, recorded over 600 years earlier, sets the stage for the larger and more detailed book of Revelation, which describes events found nowhere else in the Bible.
The Greek word apocalypse is translated “revelation.” A fuller look at this English word starts with to reveal—not conceal, hide, veil or close up. The actual definition of revelation is: “The act of revealing or disclosing; something revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized” (American Heritage Dictionary).
We saw that Revelation closes with, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand” (Rev 22:10). Comprehend John’s words. The time for understanding Revelation IS now at hand!
We will see that this awesome revelation of future events was sealed with seven separate seals. It is crucial to understand another key point: The seven seals in God’s hand essentially span all but the last two chapters of the book! The seven seals are opened one by one, in sequence. Each reveals future events before they happen. Only Christ is qualified to remove the seven seals and open the book to understanding.
Revelation outlines a long series of events that relate to one another in a continuous flow—comprising an entire story. These occur in order of time sequence. (This chapter contains two overview graphs—an outline and a story flow—to which the reader may occasionally refer.) Also, Christ periodically insets certain events into the course of the Revelation. You now understand the first key to unlock the book!
Grasp this central, all-important point. While there are keys to understanding Revelation, the book itself is the single greatest key to understanding almost all other prophecies in the Bible!
An important point must be made. Many subjects in the book of Revelation that will be covered only briefly in the next two chapters command their own full chapter. Remember that the Table of Contents tells the reader which of these subjects reappear in greater detail.
The Signs of Christ’s Coming Parallel the Seven Seals
The basic rule of Bible study, that the Bible always interprets itself, is probably never truer than in the book of Revelation. This will be done as we progress through the opening of the seven seals.
Since John sees many symbols, we need to be able to understand the actual events that they represent. Otherwise, we will not know what is being described. How do we do this?
Mark 4:10-12 and Matthew 13:10-15 hold another key to understanding how Jesus teaches. In both places, He explained that He spoke in parables so that His servants would understand Him—but all others would not! Carefully read this: “And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable [Jesus had just told the parable of the sower]. And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them” (Mark 4:10-12).
Note exactly what Jesus said! Only His servants can understand His real meaning. Others might think they do—but they cannot!
Jesus never leaves His servants in the dark about matters He wants them to understand. But He does record them in ways that keep them hidden from the view of all others. This will help you see why so few understand a book that has been read by so many. Others may—and many do—sincerely seek to understand the many truths of Bible prophecy, but they are wasting their time. So says Christ.
Jesus explained, in plain, clear language, the key events of the last days preceding and leading to the time of His Second Coming. Central to your thinking and understanding is Jesus answering the disciples’ question, “…when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the [age]?” (Matt. 24:3; Luke 21:7).
We must briefly examine the critical Matthew 24:1-51 for vital clues, which explain the symbols that we will study in Revelation. Jesus gave a list of six different events that are to happen before His Second Coming. They precisely parallel what we will read beginning in Revelation 6:1-17.
First—false prophets and false christs (Mt 24:5). Second—wars ( Mt 24:6) throughout the age, culminating in the end time with world war ( Mt 24:7). Third—famines ( Mt 24:7). Fourth—pestilences ( Mt 24:7). It is at this point that Christ inserted a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, in AD 70, because this was a forerunner, or type, of the yet future siege of Jerusalem and final “battle of Armageddon” (review Matthew 24:17-28 with Luke 17:30-37).
Therefore, Matthew 24:9-28 (also Luke 21:12-24) applies to the period of AD 70—but only as a forerunning type of the final time of the end to which His warning refers literally!
Fifth, in Matthew 24:21-22, Jesus explains that the Great Tribulation occurs. Sixth are the heavenly signs (vs. 29)—when the stars fall and the sun and moon are darkened. The sign of Christ’s coming (vs. 30) occurs at this same time. His actual coming is right on the heels of it.
We will now examine Revelation, chapter by chapter.
Next Part Chapter 1: Christ the Revelator and the Books Theme