Book of Revelation HIDEN TRUTH, JACOB GEORGE [free ebook reader for pc txt] 📗

and convinces people to worship the first beast (13:11). The prophet sees Jesus and his 144,000 righteous followers entrenched on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He hears the news that the Day of Judgment is at hand, and that Babylon the Great—probably symbolic of the Roman Empire—has fallen. Angels begin to spill out of the blood of the wicked like wine from a winepress. While the righteous sing hymns to Moses and Jesus, seven angels empty seven bowls of plagues across the Earth, bringing suffering and destruction to the wicked. People refuse to repent, and instead curse God. With the pouring out of the seventh bowl, “it is done” (16:17).

 

John is shown a vision of the Whore of Babylon, who symbolizes the Roman Empire. An angel announces the fall of Babylon and warns God’s faithful to abandon Rome, lest they be punished together with the wicked. Those wicked people who made their livings from Rome’s trade will mourn her downfall, but the righteous will rejoice. Many voices surrounding the throne of God sing his praises at the news, and announce that the Lamb, Jesus, is soon to be wedded to his “bride,” the faithful of God (19:7). John is ordered to write the wedding announcement: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (19:9).

 

 

 

Theme

 

In the final battle, the gates of heaven open, and Jesus, clad now as a warrior named “Faithful and True,” leads the hosts of heaven in a war against the beast and the kings of the Earth (19:11). The beast and his false prophet are hurled into a fiery lake, and the other opponents of Jesus are killed. Together with the saints, Jesus reigns for 1,000 glorious years. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan gathers his forces, Gog and Magog, and again leads them into battle against the saints, but they are consumed by fire. Satan, too, is hurled into the fiery pit.

 

On the Day of Judgment, which follows immediately, everyone is resurrected and judged “according to their works” (20:12). After Judgment Day, John sees a vision of “a new heaven and a new earth,” and a new holy city of Jerusalem descended from heaven (21:1). The New Jerusalem is a picture of shining perfection, carved of precious stones and lit by the glory of God and Jesus, who are present in Jerusalem instead of a temple. John is commanded to publicize the vision that he has received: “Do not seal up the words of the prophesy of this book, for the time is near” (22:10). In the conclusion of Revelation, Jesus himself promises that God will come soon to reward the righteous and punish the wicked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Focus

 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is communicated to John of Patmos through prophetic visions. (1:1–9)

John is instructed by the "one like a son of man" to write all that he hears and sees, from the prophetic visions, to Seven churches of Asia. (1:10–13)

The appearance of the "one like a son of man" is given, and he reveals what the seven stars and seven lampstands represent. (1:14–20)

 

Messages for seven churches of Asia

 

Ephesus: From this church, those "who overcome are granted to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (2:1–7)

Praised for not bearing those who are evil, testing those who say they are apostles and are not, and finding them to be liars; hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans; having persevered and possessing patience.

Admonished to "do the first works" and to repent for having left their "first love."

 

Smyrna: From this church, those who are faithful until death, will be given "the crown of life." Those who overcome shall not be hurt by the second death. (2:8–11)

Praised for being "rich" while impoverished and in tribulation.

Admonished not to fear the "synagogue of Satan," nor fear a ten-day tribulation of being thrown into prison.

Pergamum: From this church, those who overcome will be given the hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a secret name on it." (2:12–17)

Praised for holding "fast to My name," not denying "My faith" even in the days of Antipas, "My faithful martyr."

Admonished to repent for having held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel; eating things sacrificed to idols, committing sexual immorality, and holding the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans."

 

 

Focus

 

Thyatira: From this church, those who overcome until the end, will be given power over the nations in order to dash them to pieces with the rule of a rod of iron; they will also be given the "morning star." (2:18–29)

Praised for their works, love, service, faith, and patience.

Admonished to repent for allowing a "prophetess" to promote sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Sardis: From this church, those who overcome will be clothed in white garments, and their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life; their names will also be confessed before the Father and His angels. (3:1–6)

Admonished to be watchful and to strengthen since their works have not been perfect before God.

Philadelphia: From this church, those who overcome will be made a pillar in the temple of God having the name of God, the name of the city of God, "New Jerusalem," and the Son of God's new name. (3:7–13)

Praised for having some strength, keeping "My word," and having not denied "My name."

Admonished to hold fast what they have, that no one may take their crown.

Laodicea: From this church, those who overcome will be granted the opportunity to sit with the Son of God on His throne. (3:14–22)

 

Admonished to be zealous and repent from being "lukewarm"; they are instructed to buy the "gold refined in the fire," that they may be rich; to buy "white garments," that they may be clothed, so that the shame of their nakedness would not be revealed; to anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they may see.

 

Before the Throne of God

 

The Throne of God appears, surrounded by twenty four thrones with Twenty-four elders seated in them. (4:1–5)

The Four Living Creatures are introduced. (4:6–11)

A scroll, with seven seals, is presented and it is declared that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, from the "Root of David," is the only one worthy to open this scroll. (5:1–5)

Focus

 

When the "Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes" took the scroll, the creatures of heaven fell down before the Lamb to give him praise, joined by myriads of angels and the creatures of the earth. (5:6–14)

 

Seven Seals are opened

 

First Seal: A white horse appears, whose crowned rider has a bow with which to conquer. (6:1–2)

Second Seal: A red horse appears, whose rider is granted a "great sword" to take peace from the earth. (6:3–4)

Third Seal: A black horse appears, whose rider has "a pair of balances in his hand," where a voice then says, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (6:5–6)

Fourth Seal: A pale horse appears, whose rider is Death, and Hades follows him. Death is granted a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (6:7–8)

Fifth Seal: "Under the altar," appeared the souls of martyrs for the "word of God," who cry out for vengeance. They are given white robes and told to rest until the martyrdom of their brothers is completed. (6:9-11)

Sixth Seal: (6:12–17)

There occurs a great earthquake where "the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon like blood" (6:12).

The stars of heaven fall to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up (6:13–14).

Every mountain and island is moved out of place (6:14).

The people of earth retreat to caves in the mountains (6:15).

The survivors call upon the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, so as to hide them from the "wrath of the Lamb" (6:16).

Interlude: The 144,000 Hebrews are sealed.

144,000, from the twelve "tribes of Israel," are sealed as servants of God on their foreheads. (7:1–8)

A great multitude stand before the Throne of God, who come out of the Great Tribulation, clothed with robes made "white in the blood of the Lamb" and having palm branches in their hands. (7:9–17)

Focus

 

Seventh Seal: Introduces the seven trumpets (8:1–5)

"Silence in heaven for about half an hour" (8:1).

Seven angels are each given trumpets (8:2).

An eighth angel takes a "golden censer," filled with fire from the heavenly altar, and throws it to the earth (8:3–5). What follows are "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake" (8:5).

After the eighth angel has devastated the earth, the seven angels introduced in verse 2 prepare to sound their trumpets (8:6).

 

Seven trumpets are sounded (Seen in Chapters 8, 9, and 12).

 

First Trumpet: Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to the earth burning up a third of the trees and green grass. (8:6–7)

Second Trumpet: Something that resembles a great mountain, burning with fire, falls from the sky and lands in the ocean. It kills a third of the sea creatures and destroys a third of the ships at sea. (8:8–9)

Third Trumpet: A great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven and poisons a third of the rivers and springs of water. (8:10–11)

Fourth Trumpet: A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened creating complete darkness for a third of the day and the night. (8:12–13)

Fifth Trumpet: The First Woe (9:1–12)

A "star" falls from the sky (9:1).

This "star" is given "the key to the bottomless pit" (9:1).

The "star" then opens the bottomless pit. When this happens, "smoke [rises] from [the Abyss] like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky [are] darkened by the smoke from the Abyss" (9:2).

From out of the smoke, locusts who are "given power like that of scorpions of the earth" (9:3), who are commanded not to harm anyone or anything except for people who were not given the "seal of God" on their foreheads (from chapter 7) (9:4).

The "locusts" are described as having a human appearance (faces and hair) but with lion's teeth, and wearing "breastplates of iron"; the sound of their wings resembles "the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" (9:7–9).

 

Focus

 

Sixth Trumpet: The Second Woe (9:13–21)

 

The four angels bound to the great river Euphrates are released to prepare two hundred million horsemen.

These armies kill a third of mankind by plagues of fire, smoke, and brimstone.

 

Interlude: The little scroll. (10:1–11)

 

An angel appears, with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, having an opened little book in his hand.

Upon the cry of the angel, seven thunders utter mysteries and secrets that are not to be written down by John.

John is instructed to eat the little scroll that happens to be sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach, and to prophesy.

John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

Outside the temple, at the court of the holy city, it is trod by the nations for forty-two months (3 1/2 years).

Two witnesses prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. (11:1–14)

Seventh Trumpet: The Third Woe that leads into the Seven bowls (11:15–19)

 

The temple of God opens in heaven, where the ark of His covenant can be seen. There are lightning’s, noises, thundering’s, an earthquake, and great hail.

 

The Seven Spiritual Figures. (Events leading into the Third Woe)

A woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars" is in labor with a male child. (12:1–2)

A great, fiery red, seven-headed dragon drags a third of the stars of heaven with his tail, and throws them to the earth. (12:3–4). The dragon waits for the birth of

The child. However, sometime after the child is born, he is caught up to God's throne while the woman flees