Hey!
I'm not a new christian anymore - I've had living faith or the last five years now. However I think I would still appreciate some insight on the purpose of having Revelation in the Bible, as well as how it were reasonable to read it. I have read through it twice and to me, it seemed to be a prophecy about the end times. The problem is that it seems really hard to see what things it's supposed to mean or not mean - every single age so far has thought that it's all about their time in particular and we still haven't seen the world end, have we? And if it's not supposed to help us see when the end approaches then what function does it serve to know all about it?
Another interpretation I've heard is that it would have been a form of giving consolation to the early Christians who were severely persecuted and that it were written in a secret code language of some sorts so that others wouldn't understand... But how can we then know that it is exactly that and not what it seems to say? Because that just sounds confusing... And then I also don't feel very persecuted, so I don't think it would matter to me if this theory were true. [I understand the Bible is written for others then me too but shouldn't it's content be somewhat relevant to every christian?]
It really doesn't have a code per say, it's organized in three parts, each having at the heart of the emphasis judgment rained down on the armies of the Antichrist. I always thought it was helpful got get an overview before trying to take it verse by verse or word for word.
Persecution During the Tribulation Period:
My view of Revelations is pretty straight forward, seals at the beginning (Rev. ch. 1-7). Trumpets in the middle (Rev. ch. 8-14), vials of wrath toward the end (Rev. ch. 15-21). Of course there are a lot of other things going on obviously, but that's a general outline. Toward the end of the Trumpet blasts the two witnesses finish their testimony in Jerusalem that ends after 3 1/2 years. Between the seals and the Trumpets, the Trumpets and the Vials are considerable periods of time. During those times it's all conquest and plunder
The Four Horsemen are the same guy, the first four seals represent the rise of the Antichrist. The fifth seal reveal the martyrs beneath the alter asking how long will God wait to avenge their blood. The sixth seal is cataclysmic wrath and they all hide in the dens and caves of the rocks to hid from the 'Lamb'. In the opening scenes the Antichrist is seen as the World Conqueror, followed by World War, World Famine and finally World Plague. It's all the same guy but at the same time he is raising an army and creating a terrible mess.
It sounds like a campaign, Napoleon was suspected in his day of being the Antichrist. His reign didn't start out with battles and conquest, it actually started out with parades and ceremonies. Eventually all of Europe was drawn into terrible conflict but it started with Napoleon rallying the crowds to what they imagined would be a glorious conquest. It goes from a kind of triumphant procession, the Antichrist sporting the bow which is some kind of a ballistic weapon. It reminds me of the parades by the Soviets and North Koreans driving their missiles as part of a parade. War doesn't come until the second seal, a great sword is given him, which seems to imply not ballistic missiles but the sword is an infantry weapon. In the wake of a third of the people of earth now dead, famine and rationing are indicated by the scale that measures out wheat and barley for a days wages. That sounds like slave labor. Always in the wake of war there is cataclysmic devastation, the fourth horseman is at an unparalleled level.
The devastation unleashed with the opening of the sixth seal has this curious description:
The stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (Rev. 6:13,14)
That sounds a lot like ICBMs, of course there are other explanations but the heavens receding like a scroll, stars falling from heaven. One has to wonder, with the devastation with so many ground forces could the nations be resorting to nuclear strikes, the rest of the description perhaps describing nuclear winter. It could account for why they are in the dens and caves of the rocks, fall out bunkers perhaps?
What is puzzling here is how they know this is the wrath of the Lamb, especially if the cataclysm of the sixth seal are man made weapons. Unless of course, the martyrs slain in the Antichrists bloody inaugural rampage prophesied the cataclysm that would follow. Whether the church is raptured before this happens or not, there is a witness, the literal meaning of martyr, that proclaims the Word of God in the midst of persecution.
Bear in mind the word translated 'tribulation' is more often used in Scripture to speak of persecution:
Tribulation (θλῖψις, thlē'-psēs
G2347) In
Revelation 7:14, “the great tribulation”, RV, lit., “the tribulation, the great one” (not as KJV, without the article), is not that in which all saints share; it indicates a definite period spoken of by the Lord in
Matthew 24:21;
Mark 13:19; where the time is mentioned as preceding His second advent, and as a period in which the Jewish nation, restored to Palestine in unbelief by gentile instrumentality, will suffer an unprecedented out burst of fury on the part of antichristian powers confederate under the Man of Sin (
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12;
Revelation 12:13-17); in this tribulation gentile witnesses for God will share (
Revelation 7:9), but it will be distinctly “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (
Jeremiah 30:7), its beginning is signalized by the setting up of the ‘abomination of desolation” (
Matthew 24:15;
Mark 13:14, with
Daniel 11:31;
Daniel 12:11)
Note: For the verb thlibo, in the passive voice rendered “suffer tribulation: in
1 Thessalonians 3:4, KJV (RV ‘suffer affliction’) (Vine's Expository Dictionary)
The tribulation that comes upon the earth, is precluded by the persecution 'anguish, suffering' of believers. Before the seals in
Revelation 6:9-11 the martyrs cry for God to avenger their blood. Before the trumpet blasts in
Revelation 8:5 a censor that represents the prayers of the saints is cast to the earth, a symbol of impending wrath. Then the prelude to the vials is a song:
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 16:3-4)
Revelations
The Seals (S):
S-1 World Conqueror
S-2 World War
S-3 World Famine
S-4 World Plague
S-5 The Martyrs
S-6 Wrath
S-7 Silence
After the vision of the Son of Man and his words to the churches, the seals begin to be open. The first rider is wearing the wreath of a conqueror with a bow, the bow is probably some kind of a ballistic weapon. He may well assume control of the whole world with the threat of a weapon. Eventually a world war does erupt, which is what the red rider with the big sword represents. In the wake of this warfare there is rationing, which is what the scale in the hand of the black rider is showing us. Finally there is the ghastly rider, often refereed to as plague. In the wake of this bloody infamous rampage martyrs are revealed beneath the altar, these are the victims of the Antichrist who stood for the word of God. The sixth seal is something that looks a lot like a nuclear war, everyone is under ground and know this is God's wrath. The martyrs have been warning that this judgment is coming so when it hits it comes as no surprise to anyone. This is how the tribulation period begins, the seals represent the rise of the Antichrist.
The Trumpets (T)
T-1 1/3 of the earth
T-2 1/3 of the Sea
T-3 1/3 of the fresh water
T-4 1/3 of the heavens
T-5 1st Woe: Abaddon
T-6 2nd Woe: Euphrates
T-7 3rd Woe: Kingdom comes
About half way through this 7 year period God brings judgment on the earth. I follows a similar process to the way the earth was prepared for life during creation week over the first four trumpet blasts. This is right around the time that the two witnesses are concluding their ministry in Jerusalem. The Antichrist enters the Temple and sets up an idol of himself, telling everyone to worship the image. The Jews repent and flee the wrath of the Antichrist probably fleeing to the south. An abyss is opened that apparently has contained a demonic host that is released on those that dwell on the earth. The Euphrates is prepared for the crossing of the kings of the east, who will descend into the valley of Armageddon for the final battle. According to the Revelation at this point the kingdoms of heaven have become the kingdom of God.
The Vials (V)
V-1 Sores on 666
V-2 Sea life dies
V-3 Water to blood
V-4 Sun Scorch
V-5 Utter darkness
V-6 Armageddon
V-7 Earthquake and hail
For 3 1/2 years the armies of the Antichrist run wild, then toward the end of the tribulation period a series of vials of wrath devastate his forces. Somehow they manage to survive and are still standing in the valley of Armageddon now having joined forces with the kings of the east. Christ returns and levels the battle field with the words of his mouth, the Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the lake of fires.
Outline By Chapter:
1) The Vision of the Son of Man
2) The 7 Churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos , Thyatira
3) Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea
4) The Seven Lamps of fire burning before the throne
5) The Lamb prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals.
6) Seals opened: S-1 World Ruler, S-2 World War, S-3 World Famine, S-4 Plague, S-5 Martyrs.
7) The 144,000, S-6 Wrath (Everyone hiding in caves from the Lamb).
8) S-7 Silence, Trumpets: T-1 Earth struck, T-2 Sea struck, T-3 Water struck, T-4 Heavens struck.
9) T-5 Locusts from the Abyss, T-6 The four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
10) The Angel and the little book
11) The Two Witnesses prophecy 1260 days (3 1/2 lunar years). T-7 The reign of Christ proclaimed.
12) The Woman, the Child and the Dragon
13) The Beast from the sea and the Beast from the land.
14) Three Angels Proclaim: 1) The 144,000. 2) The Gospel. 3) God's wrath on those who receive 666.
15) Seven angels having the seven last plagues
16) The pouring out of the Vials of Wrath
17) The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast
18) The Fall of Babylon the Great
19) The Beast and His Armies Defeated
20) 1000 Years and the Great White Throne
21) New Heavens, Earth and Jerusalem
22) Closing Invitation
The book is not really all that complicated, the imagery is fairly simple to interpret if you are able to let it interpret itself.
Grace and peace,
Mark
