3. What is the Book of Revelation ?

The word “Revelation” in the Greek is “apocalupsis”, hence the title “The Apocalypse” by which it is often called. It is from the verb “apocalupto” to unveil; from “apo”, away from; and “kalumma”, as veil.

Hence “apocalupsis” means a taking away of veil, as when a statue is unveiled, that what is behind the veil may be seen. It is not so much a revelation or unveiling of the Person of Christ, through it discloses His High Priestly and Kingly glory, as it is the unveiling of those events that shall precede and accompany His return to the earth.

The opening verses of the book state that "John" wrote it (1:1, 4, 9; cf. 22:8); but he is not the author or composer. The Author was the Lord Jesus Himself; the apostle was only a “scribe” and he said this twice in 1:1 and in 22:8. Most of the details of this revelation were undoubtedly new to John. However there are remarkable parallels between this revelation and the Lord Jesus' teaching (Matt. 24— 25; Mark 13; Luke 21).

The fact that the style of the Book differs so strikingly from the other writings of John, as the Gospel and Epistles is the strongest kind of evidence that John did not compose the Book, but that is was dictated or visualized to him. For this reason the Book of Revelation differs from all other books, and in fact it reveals Divine Authorship. Perfect example is in chapter 22, verse 16: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” The Book does not tells us who is this angel, but when John fell down to worship him, he said: “See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophet, and of them which keep the sayings of this book”. – Chapter 22, verses 8-9.

From the first century to the present day almost all orthodox scholars have concluded that this means the Apostle John is “the scriber”. Two noteworthy exceptions were Luther and Zwingli. Today many scholars who accept the divine inspiration of the book believe the Apostle John wrote it. Others, of course, believe some other John wrote the book. Some of the early church fathers (Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Irenaeus, and Victorinus) wrote that the Apostle John experienced exile on the island of Patmos during Domitian's reign. They wrote that the government allowed John to return to Ephesus after this emperor died. Domitian died in A.D. 96. Consequently many conservative interpreters date the writing of this book near A.D. 95 or 96. Perhaps more than any other book in the New Testament, the Apocalypse enjoyed wide distribution and early recognition.

The Book of Revelation clearly builds on that foundation and expounds it. The apocalyptic sections of certain books of the Old Testament— particularly Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Psalms—contain former revelation that God gave His prophets about the end times. John also alluded often to Exodus, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Zechariah.

There are 278 of the 404 verses in Revelation that contain references to the Old Testament. The United Bible Society's Greek New Testament lists over 500 Old Testament passages with these allusions; however, there are no formal quotations from the Old Testament (Second edition, pp. 897-920. See Gregory K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, for many allusions to the Old Testament.)

So let’s do the outline of the book:

(*)The following outline is from the hand down manuscript from the Serbian Theological Seminary, which was used in the early 50’s and late 60’s; I found this hand written manuscript from my wife uncle, who was the student at that time; later he became the priest, escaped the former Yugoslavian communist prosecution and came to Untied States;

I. The preparation of the prophet chapter 1

A. The prologue of the book 1:1-8

1. The preface 1:1-3

2. The address and doxology 1:4-6

3. The theme 1:7-8

B. The commission of the prophet 1:9-20

1. The first commission to write 1:9-11

2. The source of the commission 1:12-16

3. The amplification of the commission 1:17-20

II. The letters to the seven churches chapters 2—3

A. The letter to the church in Ephesus 2:1-7

1. Destination and description of Christ 2:1

2. Commendation 2:2-3

3. Rebuke 2:4

4. Exhortation 2:5-6

5. Promise 2:7

B. The letter to the church in Smyrna 2:8-11

1. Destination and description of Christ 2:8

2. Commendation 2:9

3. Exhortation 2:10a

4. Promise 2:10b-11

C. The letter to the church in Pergamum 2:12-17

1. Destination and description of Christ 2:12

2. Commendation 2:13

3. Rebuke 2:14-15

4. Exhortation 2:16

5. Promise 2:17

D. The letter to the church in Thyatira 2:18-29

1. Destination and description of Christ 2:18

2. Commendation 2:19

3. Rebuke 2:20-23

4. Exhortation 2:24-25

5. Promise 2:26-29

E. The letter to the church in Sardis 3:1-6

1. Destination and description of Christ 3:1a-b

2. Commendation and rebuke 3:1c, 2b

3. Exhortation 3:2a, 3

4. Promise 3:4-6

F. The letter to the church in Philadelphia 3:7-13

1. Destination and description of Christ 3:7

2. Commendation 3:8

3. Promise 3:9-11a, 12

4. Exhortation 3:11b, 13

G. The letter to the church in Laodicea 3:14-22

1. Destination and description of Christ 3:14

2. Rebuke 3:15-17

3. Exhortation 3:18-19

4. Promise 3:20-22

III. The revelation of the future 4:1—22:5

A. Introduction to the judgments of the Tribulation chapters 4—5

1. The throne in heaven chapter 4

2. The Lamb on the throne chapter 5

B. The first six seal judgments chapter 6

1. The first seal 6:1-2

2. The second seal 6:3-4

3. The third seal 6:5-6

4. The fourth seal 6:7-8

5. The fifth seal 6:9-11

6. The sixth seal 6:12-17

C. Supplementary revelation of salvation in the Great Tribulation chapter 7

1. The sealing of 144,000 Israelites 7:1-8

2. The salvation of the great multitude 7:9-17

D. The first six trumpet judgments chapters. 8—9

1. The first four trumpet judgments chapter 8

2. The fifth and sixth trumpet judgments chapter 9

E. Supplementary revelation of John's preparation for recording the remaining judgments in the Great Tribulation chapter 10

1. The appearance of the mighty angel 10:1-4

2. The announcement of the mighty angel 10:5-7

3. The instruction of the mighty angel 10:8-11

F. Supplementary revelation of the two witnesses in the Great Tribulation 11:1-14

1. The temple in Jerusalem 11:1-2

2. The ministry of the two witnesses 11:3-6

3. The death of the two witnesses 11:7-10

4. The resurrection of the two witnesses 11:11-13

5. The end of the second woe 11:14

G. The seventh trumpet judgment 11:15-19

H. Supplementary revelation of Satan's activity in the Great Tribulation chapters 12—13

1. The activity of Satan himself chapter 12

2. The activity of Satan's agent’s chapter 13

I. Supplementary revelation of preparations for the final judgments in the Great Tribulation chapters 14—15

1. Judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation chapter 14

2. Preparation for the bowl judgments chapter 15

J. The seven bowl judgments chapter 16

1. The commencement of the bowl judgments 16:1

2. The first bowl 16:2

3. The second bowl 16:3

4. The third bowl 16:4

5. Ascriptions of angelic and martyr praise 16:5-7

6. The fourth bowl 16:8-9

7. The fifth bowl 16:10-11

8. The sixth bowl 16:12-16

9. The seventh bowl 16:17-21

K. Supplementary revelation of the judgment of ungodly systems in the Great Tribulation chs. 17—18

1. Religion in the Great Tribulation chapter 17

2. Commerce in the Great Tribulation chapter 18

L. the Second Coming of Christ chapter 19

1. The praise of God in heaven 19:1-10

2. The return of Christ to earth 19:11-16

3. The destruction of the wicked on earth 19:17-21

M. The millennial reign of Christ chapter 20

1. The binding of Satan 20:1-3

2. The resurrection of tribulation martyrs 20:4-6

3. The final judgment of Satan 20:7-10

4. The judgment of the wicked 20:11-15

N. The eternal state 21:1—22:5

1. The vision of the new heaven and earth 21:1

2. John's first vision of the New Jerusalem 21:2-8

3. John's second vision of the New Jerusalem 21:9—22:5

IV. The epilogue to the book 22:6-21

A. The testimony of the angel 22:6-7

B. The testimony of John 22:8-11

C. The testimony of Jesus and John's response 22:12-20

D. The final benediction 22:21

To quickly summarize the theme of the book:

The purpose and meaning of human history…from Genesis to the end;
Personal and corporate destines;
Suffering and restoration;
True vs. false worship (4:9-11);
A war and/or struggle;

Going through the history the following people spoke about the book (just to mention few):

About 110 Ignatius of Antioch;
About 210 Origen;
About 320 Eusebius;
About 350-360 St. Basil (quote);
362 St. Athanasius;

The main question is: Does the Apocalypse have apostolic authenticity?

The answer is yes.

Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD) who was acquainted with Polycarp, who had been mentored by John, makes a possible allusion to this book, and credits John as the source. Irenaeus (c. 115–202) assumes it as a conceded point. At the end of the 2nd century, it is accepted at Antioch by Theophilus (died c. 183), and in Africa by Tertullian (c. 160–220). At the beginning of the 3rd century, it is adopted by Clement of Alexandria and by Origen of Alexandria, later by Methodius, Cyprian, Lactantius, Dionysius of Alexandria. In the 5th century by Quodvultdeus. Eusebius (c. 263–339) was inclined to class the Apocalypse with the accepted books but also listed it in the Antilegomena, with his own reservation for identification of John of Patmos with John the Apostle, pointing out there were large differences in Greek skill and styles between the Gospel of John, which he attributed to John the Apostle, and the Revelation. Jerome (347–420) relegated it to second class.

Earlier I said that, the book was composed near the end of Domitian's reign, around the year 95 AD and that others contend for an earlier date, 68 or 69 AD, in the reign of Nero or shortly thereafter; but however we do have the testimony of St. Irenaeus (c. 150-202), who wrote that he received his information from people who knew John personally. Domitian, according to Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263–339), started the persecution referred to in the book. While some recent scholars have questioned the existence of a large-scale Domitian persecution, others believe that Domitian's insistence on being treated as a god may have been a source of friction between the Church and Rome. Doing some research, I found out that there was attempt, by some scholars (Paul Touilleux, Albert Gelin, André Feuillet), to reconcile the two dates by placing the visions themselves at the earlier date (during the 60s) and the publication of Revelation under Domitian, who reigned in the 90s when Irenaeus says the book was written.

Looking into the Councils of Carthage, also referred to as Synods of Carthage, were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the town of Carthage in Africa, we can see that on 28 August 397 council issued a canon of the Bible quoted as: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, 4 books of Kingdoms, 2 books of Chronicles, Job, the Davidic Psalter, 5 books of Solomon, 12 books of Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Tobias, Judith, Esther, 2 books of Ezra, 2 books of Maccabees, and in the New Testament: 4 books of Gospels, 1 book of Acts of the Apostles, 13 letters of the Apostle Paul, 1 letter of his to the Hebrews, 2 of Peter, 3 of John, 1 of James, 1 of Jude, and one book of the “Apocalypse of John”.

(186 92 (Placuit,) ... ut praeter scripturas canonicas nihil in ecclesia legatur sub nomine divinarum Scripturarum. Sunt autem canonicae scripturae: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Iesu(s) Nave, Iudicum, Ruth, Regnorum libri quatuor, Paralipomenon libri duo, Job, Psalterium Davidicum, Salomonis libri quinque, duodecim libri Prophetarum, Esaias, Ieremias, Daniel, Ezechiel, Tobias, Iudith, Hester, Hesdrae libri duo, Machabaeorum libri duo. Novi autem Testamenti: Evangeliorum libri quatuor, Actus Apostolorum liber unus, Pauli Apostoli epistolae tredecim, eiusdem ad Hebraeos una, Petri duae, Ioannis tres (comp. DS 180), Iacobi una, Iudae una, Apocalypsis Joannis. (Additur in quodam cod. :) ... ut de confirmando isto canone transmarina Ecelesia consulatur - http://catho.org)

It appears that Apocalypse was the last of the traditional books to be accepted as part of the biblical canon, up to 100 years later than the other books.

On the other hand, second century Christians in Syria rejected the book because it was relied heavily upon by Monotheist, a sect which was deemed to be heretical by the mainstream church.

Further, in the 4th century, Gregory of Nazianzus and other bishops argued against including Revelation because of the difficulties of interpretation and the risk of abuse.

Going into the 16th century, Martin Luther initially considered it to be "neither apostolic nor prophetic" and stated that "Christ is neither taught nor known in it", and placed it in his Antilegomena (his list of questionable documents), though he retracted this view in later life.

In the same century, John Calvin believed the book to be canonical, yet it was the only New Testament book on which he did not write a commentary.

For us Orthodox Christians, it remains that this is the only book that we do not read within Divine Liturgy, but in Catholic and Protestant liturgy it is.

The Apocalypse is not the “historical” book but “prophetic” one; it does not record the past but reveals the future as we see in 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”.; and four more times in chapter 22:7, 10, 18 and 19. This is the summary and consummation of all prophecy – all unfulfilled prophecy is fulfilled. Above passage nothing says about understanding, but blessed is he that “readeth” or if too illiterate to read, bless are they that “hear”, that is listen to its reading.

The Apocalypse is not only a “prophetic” book as I stated above but it is a “symbolic” as well; because it is written largely in “symbolic” language; that is the meaning of the statement in the Title – “He sent and “signified” it by His Angel unto His Servant John”. Here, the word “signified” means given in “signs” and “symbols”. If you read the whole Bible, you would notice that in the Book of Revelation there are more “signs” and “symbols” than in any other books; but if you understand the Book of Daniel you might be able to understand the Book of Revelation. In the Book of the Daniel, Chapter 12, verse 9: “But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” and in verse 9: “He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.” From this we see that Prophet Daniel was told to “seal up” the words of his prophecy until the “Time of the End”, not the “end of time”; but the end of the “Times of the Gentiles”. John on the other hand was told to “seal NOT” the sayings of the Book, for the “time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10).

This symbolic book was written for a “special class”, meaning for those who are acquainted with the “Word of God”, and who have “spiritual discernment” and defiantly not for the carnally minded reader. In Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Emphasis on “revealed”). Therefore the Book of Revelation is written to reveal or disclose the purpose of God as to the earth and nations and we are not praying into God’s secrets when we read and study.

Observing the Book further we can say that Book is largely Jewish because we see in its “sign” and symbols such as the Tabernacle, the Ark, the Altar, the Trumpets and Plagues and the sealing of the 144,000 of Israel. The primary reason why it is Jewish is because God, after the Church is taken out, deals with Israel (chapters 6 to 19 inclusive). God reveals what shall take place during the last or “Seventieth Week” (compare this to Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks”).

Summary of the Symbols in the Book:

The seven lampstands (1:12) are seven churches (1:20).
The seven stars (1:16) are seven angels or messengers (1:20).
The morning star (2:28; 22:16), the male child (12:5), and the root and offspring of David (22:16) are Jesus Christ (19:15; 22:16).
The Lamb (17:14) is Lord of lords and King of kings (17:14) and Jerusalem's lamp (21:23).
The white horse rider (19:11) is Faithful and True (19:11), the Word of God (19:13), and King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16).
The city of my God (3:12), the Lamb's bride (19:7; 21:9), and the holy city (21:10) are the New Jerusalem (3:12; 21:10; cf. 21:2).
The seven lamps of fire (4:5) and the seven eyes (5:6) are the seven spirits of God (4:5; 5:6).
The incense in the golden bowls (5:8) is the prayers of the saints (5:8).
The fallen star (9:1) is the angel or messenger of the abyss (9:11).
The great city (11:8), Sodom (11:8), and Egypt (11:8) are Jerusalem (11:8).
The stars of heaven (12:4) are the angels or messengers of Satan (12:9).
The great dragon (12:9), the old serpent (12:9), and the devil (12:9) are Satan (12:9).
Time, times, and half a time (12:14) are 1260 days (12:6).
The beast out of the earth (13:11) is the false prophet (19:20).
The waters (17:1) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (17:15).
The woman (17:3) is Babylon the great (17:5), the great city (18:10) that reigns over the kings of the earth (17:18).
The seven heads (17:9) are seven mountains (17:9) which are seven kings (17:10).
The beast (17:11) is the eighth king (17:11).
The ten horns (17:12) are ten kings (17:12).
The fine linen (19:8) is the righteous acts of the saints (19:8).
The faithful souls come to life (20:4) is the first resurrection (20:5).
The lake of fire (20:14) is the second death (20:14).
The Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb (21:22) are the temple in Jerusalem (21:22).

In addition the Book is full of actions: earth and heaven are brought near together; the clouds roll away, thrones, elders and angelic forms are seen; harps and trumpets cry from disembodied souls and choruses of songs are heard; earth touches heaven and alas it touches hell also; good and evil meet.

Now we will jump to interpretation.

Historically there have been four major divisions of interpretation (with many variations):

The preterit‐‐everything has already been fulfilled;
The historical‐‐the predictions are in the process of fulfillment;
The futurist‐‐all predictions are in the future;
The spiritual‐‐the events described are only symbols of spiritual realities and struggles, without any literal or historical application;

John was told: “Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter” (1:19). After the letters to the seven churches he is told: “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this” (4:1). As the author considers the text, he finds it necessary sometimes to hold the preterit view (this was fulfilled in the first century or shortly thereafter); sometimes the historical view (this was fulfilled in the middle ages, or is in the process of fulfillment); sometimes the futurist view (this is still yet to come); or perhaps even the spiritual view (that these events are symbols of spiritual realities and struggles).

Principles of Interpretation

The Revelation is rooted in contemporaneous events and circumstances. Its symbols should be interpreted in light of the conditions which prevailed when the book was written;
Revelation shares a characteristic of Bible prophets, in that contemporary historical events are seen as a type of, or a prelude to, the great Day of the Lord in the latter days. Often they do this without a chronological distinction between the two.
John is an artist in words and symbols. We are to look for the meaning conveyed by each symbol in that symbol. It doesn’t really matter whether or not the symbols can be visualized or reconciled;
Be hesitant to speculate which, if any, current events, nations, or political figures are referred to in Revelation. The history of interpretation is littered with hundreds of mistaken identities. Rather look for the basic structure of events and principles of faith and action for Christians in the End Times.
Revelation may not be a simple chronology of events from chapters 4 through 22; rather a series of visions which may parallel each other chronologically, but which emphasize different aspects of divine truth. This view is called “parallelism”.
We can learn much from Revelation, even though there are parts we do not understand. God will reveal some of the hidden parts of Revelation to us only when we need to know them. Until then, all our speculations are a waste of time and can get in the way of learning.

I believe a proper interpretation of the book incorporates some of all these views. In my estimation, the “preterit” view has the most merit for the following reasons:

The book was written specifically to seven churches in Asia (modern Turkey) - 1:4
Its purpose was to uncover or reveal “things which must shortly come to pass” - 1:1, 3; 22:6,10
John was told, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand” - 22:10

Compare the last two points with Daniel 8:26, where Daniel was told to “seal up” his vision, “for it refers to many days in the future”. Yet we know that his vision was fulfilled within several hundred years. John, however, was told “do not seal” what he had seen, “for the time is at hand”. How could this be, if the bulk of Revelation refers to what has yet to occur almost two thousand years later? This is a problem I see with the “futurist” view, which places primary fulfillment of the book thousands of years since its completion. Place yourself in the position of those Christians in the churches of Asia in the first century. They were told that the things described in the Revelation would “shortly come to pass”, which should comfort them. But according to the “futurist” view, it has been nearly 2000 years and much of the book has yet to be fulfilled! That would be like someone today writing that something is soon coming to pass, when in reality it will be 4000 A.D. before it does! How would a book depicting events to occur thousands of years in the future comfort those who were suffering in the first century A.D.? This is not to say there are no “futurist” elements in the book. I understand chapters 20-22 to deal with the ultimate destiny of the redeemed, which would have been of great interest and comfort to the Christians suffering in the first century.

Due to space limitation of this thesis, I will review the principal thoughts of the Book. As I said earlier the Book is primarily rated as “prophetical”.

Chapter 1: The Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with a clear statement of origin and purpose. Given to Jesus by God to show His servants things which must soon take place, it is designed to bless those who read, hear and keep the words of the prophecy (1-3). John then addresses the seven churches in Asia (western Turkey), offering grace and peace from each member of the Godhead with descriptive terms which become more significant later in the epistle (4-6). His greeting is followed with a declaration concerning the Lord's coming, and a self-designation as expressed by the Lord Himself (7-8). At this point John explains how he was commissioned to record the Revelation. While on the island of Patmos (likely in exile for preaching the word of God), he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day when he heard a loud voice behind him. The voice identified itself as “the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last”, and then charged him to write what he saw to seven churches in Asia (9-11). Turning to see the voice, John saw seven golden lampstands and in their midst the Son of Man. Describing the awesome appearance of the Son of Man and his own reaction, John then records how Jesus comforted and then charged him to write what he has seen and will see (12-19). The chapter ends with the Lord's explanation that the seven stars in His right hand represent the angels (messengers?) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands signify the seven churches themselves.

In chapter 2: John is instructed to write to four churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. The Lord generally follows the same format: His self-designation, commendation, condemnation and related warning, exhortation and promise. Each letter closes with the admonition, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This suggests the letters were not just for the personal benefit of the churches addressed. The church at Ephesus is commended for its steadfastness, especially against false apostles. But while standing for the truth, they had lost their first love. Exhorted to repent and be restored by doing the “first works”, they are warned that their “lampstand” would be removed if they did not repent (1-7).

The church at Smyrna is commended for being “rich” despite their tribulation and poverty. Unlike most churches, there are no words of condemnation directed toward it. While they would experience a little persecution, they are exhorted to remain faithful to death (8-11). The church at Pergamos is also praised for its steadfastness, but faulted for allowing false teachers in their midst. The Lord threatens to come and fight with the sword of His mouth if there is no repentance (12-17). The church at Thyatira is also commended, for their last works are more than their first. But they too have a false teacher and followers which jeopardize the condition of the church. Despite giving this “Jezebel” time to repent, she has not and so the Lord intends to make her and her followers an example before the other churches (18-29).

In chapter 3: The Lord continues His letters to the churches in Asia, with this chapter containing those written to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The church in Sardis is rebuked for having a name that they are alive, when in reality they are dead. With their works not perfected before God, they are exhorted to be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain. They are also told to remember how they had received and heard in the past, to hold fast and repent. Otherwise, the Lord will come upon them as a thief in the night. Notice is taken, however, of a few in Sardis who had not defiled their garments and are still worthy, who are promised to walk with the Lord in white (1-6). The church in Philadelphia is promised an open door that none can shut because they had kept the Lord's word and not denied His name. Their enemies, those who claim to be Jews but are not, will be made to worship before them, and the church will be kept from the trial that was about to test those on the earth. With an announcement of His quick coming, they are exhorted to hold fast what they have that none take their crown (7-13). The church of the Laodicea’s is then described as lukewarm, for which the Lord threatens to spew them out of His mouth. While claiming to be rich, they are blind to their true condition. Therefore the Lord counsels them to buy from Him those things they truly need. His strong words are indicative of His love for them, and the fact that He stands ready to re-enter their hearts if they will open to Him (14-22). As before, each letter ends with wonderful promises to those who overcome. In most cases, the manner in which the promises are to be fulfilled is illustrated in the visions to come. “There is an interesting, often overlooked parallel between the five warnings in the Book of Hebrews and the seven overcomers' promises in the Book of Revelation. The warnings and the overcomers' promises both have the same end in view. The last warning has to do with the birthright (Heb. 12:14-17), and the last overcomers' promise has to do with the throne (Rev. 3:21). The successive thought in the warnings in the Book of Hebrews is that of Christians ultimately realizing their birthright—sons exercising the rights of primogeniture. The great burden of Hebrews is 'bringing many sons into glory' (Heb. 2:10). And the successive thought in the overcomers' promises in the Book of Revelation is that of Christians ultimately ascending the throne—co-heirs, companions, exercising power with Christ. The great burden of Revelation, chapters two and three is that of placing equipped Christians upon the throne with Christ." [Chitwood, Arlen L. Judgment Seat of Christ. Norman, Okla.: The Lamp Broadcast, Inc., 1986].

Chapters 4—5 may be viewed as the fulcrum of the Revelation. In relation to what has gone before they provide a fuller understanding of him who dominates the letters to the churches. In relation to the rest of the book they serve the double purpose of initiating the series of judgments which lead to the final advent and descent of the city of God to earth, and of supplying the form for the series of messianic judgments (the seven seals) which immediately follow. In this respect these chapters constitute the pivot of the structure which holds the book together, for the rest of the visions dovetail into this main structure. Yet the vision of chapters 4—5 is also a self-contained whole, serving a highly important function regarding the message of the book. It reveals the ground of assurance that God's gracious purpose for the universe will come to pass, and so it is dominated by praise and adoration. The pastoral purpose is to assure suffering Christians that God and Jesus are sovereign and that the events that the Christians are facing are part of a sovereign plan that will culminate in their redemption and the vindication of their faith through the punishment of their persecutors.

In chapter 4: The visions of Revelation now begin in earnest. Upon seeing a door standing open in heaven and hearing a trumpet-like voice promising to show him of things which must take place, John is transported to the throne room of God. He describes what he sees and hears with vivid and colorful imagery. The One on the throne radiates like white and red sparkling stones and is surrounded by an emerald rainbow. The colors may reflect the characteristics of God, such as His holiness, righteousness, justice, and mercy (1-3). John takes special note of twenty-four elders clothed with white robes and crowns of gold, sitting on thrones around the throne of God. Summers and Hailey suggest that they depict the twelve patriarchs of Israel and the twelve apostles, who represent the redeemed of both covenants now united in Christ. Note that in 5:8-9 they do seem to speak in behalf of the redeemed. From the throne proceed lightning’s, thundering’s, and voices, which may illustrate the divine power and judgments coming from God. Before the throne are seven lamps of fire, explained as the seven Spirits of God. This likely symbolizes the Holy Spirit in His work of illumination and revelation of God's word to man. A sea of glass like crystal is also before the throne, perhaps symbolizing the transcendence of God that presently separates God and His people (5-6a). Then there are four living creatures, similar in some respects and yet different in others, united in their constant praise of God for His eternal holiness. Though not exactly like the cherubim seen by Ezekiel (cf. Ezek. 1, 10), they appear to serve similar functions. Hailey suggests they may be a special order of heavenly beings, perhaps the highest and closest to the throne, who serve God's majestic will (6b-8). As the four living creatures praise Him who sits on the throne, the twenty-four elders join in by falling down, casting their crowns before the throne, and praising God as the Eternal Creator (9-11). This scene, along with the one in chapter five, appears designed to set the stage for what follows. At the outset, we are shown the first guarantee of ultimate victory: God is on His throne! The praise offered by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders reinforce the truth that the One on the throne (and therefore in ultimate control) is none other than the Lord God Almighty, Eternal and Holy, the Creator who holds all things together. He is therefore worthy of glory, honor and power! He is the one to revere, not man!

In chapter 5: The scene that began in chapter four continues. Whereas the theme of chapter four can be stated as “God is on His throne!” the theme of this chapter may be called “Worthy is the Lamb!” John's attention is drawn to a scroll in the right hand of God. Written on the inside and on the back, it is sealed with seven seals. A strong angel proclaims “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” and at first there seems to be no one in heaven and earth deemed worthy to open the scroll or look at it. This prompted John to weep (1-4). But one of the twenty-four elders tells him not to weep for One described as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (cf. Gen 49:9-10; Isa 11:10) has prevailed so to be able to open the scroll and loose its seals. In the midst of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders, John sees a Lamb standing as though slain (i.e., Jesus - cf. Jn 1:29), with seven horns and seven eyes. The seven eyes are explained as the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth (cf. Zech 4:10). As seen before (cf. 1:4; 3:1; 4:9) they represent the Holy Spirit, while the seven horns are indicative of great strength (cf. Deu 33:17; 1 Sam 2:10). The Lamb is then seen as taking the scroll out of God's right hand (5-7). Taking the scroll prompts the four living creatures and twenty-four elders to fall down before the Lamb. Each possessing a harp (perhaps symbolizing praise) and golden bowls of incense which depict the prayers of the saints, they sing a new song praising the Lamb as worthy to take the scroll. They proclaim His worthiness on the basis of being slain and redeeming by His blood those from every nation who are made kings and priests to God who shall reign on the earth (cf. 1:5-6; 1 Pe 2:9). The voices of many thousands of angels around the throne then join in with their praise of the Lamb who was slain as worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing. Finally, every creature in heaven, earth, and sea join in with praise for both Him who sits on the throne (God) and the Lamb. To which the four living creatures say “Amen!” and the twenty-four elders fall down and worship (8-14). This awesome scene should certainly encourage the faithful Christian. Such a scene was calculated to bring new courage and new hope to the hearts of John's first readers, the persecuted Christians of Asia; it brings the same cheer to Christian hearts in any age. Believing in the power of God (ch. 4) and the redeeming love of God (ch. 5), there is no enemy or force of evil which Christians need to fear. They can enter the conflict or endure the evil knowing that God is still on his throne; he has not laid aside his scepter; he has not abandoned his throne to any other. And what does the scroll represent? This scroll is the book of the destiny of mankind. In it could be found the fate of the suffering saints, the outcome of Rome's (and I would add Jerusalem's, mac) machinations against the church, and an outline of the future from John's time through the resolution of the particular battle raging between his brethren and Satan's forces. The things revealed in the subsequent visions of the Revelation were bound up in this scroll i.e., the scroll reveals how God would manifest his righteous indignation upon those who rejected His Christ and persecuted His people. Also, how the suffering saints would eventually overcome. As long as the scroll was sealed, the working of God was still a mystery. But as the seals are broken (6:1-8:1), we have: “the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place.” (1:1) At the end, these chapters (4—5) present heaven, God's dwelling place, as a real place. John saw God receiving great honor there surrounded by innumerable angelic worshippers. Even though John saw a vision, it was a vision of something that truly exists. We may be able to see it and the individuals said to be there someday.

In chapter 6: In this chapter the Lamb loose’s six of the seven seals on the scroll. I view the first four seals as revealing forces God would use to bring judgment upon the oppressors of His people (1-8). Notice what is said about the different riders: “...a crown was given to him...” (the rider on the white horse) “...it was granted to the one...there was given to him...” (the rider on the red horse) “...a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying” (the rider on the black horse) “...power was given to them...” (riders on the pale horse - Death and Hades) Who had the power to give a crown, or to grant such authority? Who in the midst of the four living creatures might have spoken? Who had the power to give to Death and Hades? When we consider that Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth (1:5), that He has the keys of Hades and of Death (1:18), and that He was in the midst of the four living creatures (5:6), it seems apparent that the answer is Christ! I.e., the horses and their riders were acting upon the authority and power given them by Christ.

Let’s assess the following explanations for the first four seals:

-The white horse and its rider - Represents military conquest, such as God used to bring judgment upon Assyria (Isa 10:5-7,12-13,15-16) and Babylon (Isa 13:17-20). Here, the rider with the bow depicts a Parthian warrior, renowned for their use of the bow as a weapon, and who were dreaded enemies of the Romans.

-The red horse and its rider - Represents civil war, in which people would kill one another, such as God used in His judgment against Egypt (Isa 19:1-4).

-The black horse and its rider - Represents famine, where necessities (wheat and barley) would be scarce, while luxuries (oil and wine) might be in abundance but of little interest to the hungry. God had used famine in His judgment upon Israel (cf. Jer 14:11-12).

-The pale horse and its riders (Death and Hades) - Represents death brought about by the sword, hunger, death (pestilence), and beasts of the earth. Such severe judgments God had brought upon Jerusalem in the past (cf. Ezek 5:17; 6:12; 14:21). With the fifth seal, we are told why God would bring such judgments. Souls have been slain for the word of God and their testimony, and when the time is right the judgments will begin. In the meantime, the souls of the slain are comforted with white robes and told to rest (9-11). The sixth seal describes cosmic disturbances and the despair of those trying to hide from God's wrath. Is this scene depicting the end of time (cf. 2 Pe 3:7-12)? The language is reminiscent of that used to describe God's judgment upon Babylon (Isa 13:1-22) and Samaria (Hos 10:7-8). Jesus used similar language to warn the people of His day of the impending destruction of Jerusalem (Lk. 23:28-30).

In chapter 7: Between the sixth and seventh seals, there is an interlude in which John sees two visions. They may be designed to answer the question raised at the end of the previous chapter: “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (6:17) Yes, who will be able to stand? In the first vision John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds from blowing on the earth, sea, or on any tree. An angel arises from the east having the seal of the living God, who cries out to the other four angels not to harm the earth, etc., until the servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads. John then hears the number of those who are sealed. They are 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel, with 12,000 from each tribe. Of interest is the fact that Ephraim and Dan are not mentioned, while Levi and Joseph are counted as tribes. This suggests too many that the 144,000 of Israel is symbolic (1-8). The second vision reveals a large innumerable multitude of all nations standing before the throne and the Lamb. Clothed with white robes and palm branches in their hands, they cry out “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They are joined in their praise by angels, the elders, and four living creatures. John is then told by one of the elders that those arrayed in white robes have come out of the great tribulation, with their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Before the throne of God, they serve Him day and night in His temple. Future blessings are then described: God will dwell among them; they shall be free from hunger, thirst, and the heat of the sun. The Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to fountains of living waters, and God will wipe all tears from their eyes (9-17). What do the two visions represent? 144,000 sealed on earths represent the church “militant”, i.e., the redeemed on earth. While they may be on the earth when God's judgment and wrath is outpoured, they are sealed and thereby spared from God's wrath (cf. Ezek 9:1-11). This does not mean they will not suffer tribulation, for while they may escape God's wrath they may still face the efforts of Satan (12:17; 13:7ff). But the second vision provides hope for those who must pass through “the great tribulation”. Provided they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, they are assured that they will serve God in His temple in “the intermediate state” (between death and the resurrection). They are also promised future blessings in “the eternal state” (after the resurrection and judgment, cf. 7:16-17 with 21:1-4). Thus the great multitude in heaven represents the church “triumphant”, i.e., the redeemed in heaven. It is the church militant and then triumphant that will be able to stand in the day of God's wrath!

In chapter 8: Following the “interlude” of the previous chapter, in which reassuring and comforting scenes concerning the saints were seen, the seventh seal is now opened. For about a half hour, there is silence in heaven In contrast to all that happened before, the silence must have been striking! Possibly it signifies the awe in heaven for what has already been revealed, or for what is about to be revealed. When God acts, those on earth should be in awe (cf. Hab 2:20; Zeph 1:7; Zech 2:13); should we not expect a similar reaction from His creatures in heaven? Seven angels are then seen standing before God to whom were given seven trumpets. Before they sound the trumpets, another angel with a golden censer comes and stands before the altar. To this angel was given much incense to offer along with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense and the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. Noises, thundering, lightning and an earthquake followed, and the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to sound (2-6). This scene appears to suggest that the sounding of the seven trumpets and the things to follow is God's response to the prayers of the saints. It is reminiscent of what Jesus taught in His parable of the persistent widow: “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” (Lk 18:7). As the first four angels sound their trumpets in turn, the environment in particular is impacted:

-The first trumpet - Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to earth; a third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up.

-The second trumpet - Something like a great burning mountain is thrown into the sea, turning a third of it into blood; a third of the sea creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed (8-9).

-The third trumpet - A great burning star named Wormwood falls on a third of the rivers and springs of water; a third of the waters became wormwood (a bitter wood) and many men died from the bitter water (10-11).

-The fourth trumpet - A third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck, so that a third of them were darkened; thus a third of the day and night did not shine.

The first four trumpets may signify natural calamities that God would use in His judgment against those who oppressed His people. That only a third is affected, along with the symbolism of the trumpets, suggests that the purpose of these judgments would be to warn people, giving them time to repent before God's full wrath is poured out (cf. the “bowls of wrath”, 16:1-21). Before the final three trumpets sound, an angel (some manuscripts suggest an eagle) flies through the midst of heaven with loud voice proclaiming a three-fold woe on the inhabitants of the earth. While the first four trumpets appear bad enough, the worst is yet to come!

In chapter 9: Following the ominous warning of the angel (eagle) in the previous chapter, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet. John sees a star fallen from heaven, to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit. As the pit is opened, smoke arises that darkens the sun and air. Then locusts with power like scorpions came out of the smoke, to whom was given power to harm only those who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. Their power was limited only to torment, not kill, and only for five months. Even so, men wished they could die. John describes the appearance of the locusts, and identifies their king as the angel of the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is “Abaddon” and in Greek is “Apollyon”, both meaning “destruction”. Thus ends the first “woe”, with two more to come (1-12). When the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, John hears a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God. It tells the sixth angel to release four angels who have been bound at the river Euphrates. These angels had been prepared for the hour, day, month and year, to kill a third of mankind. At this point John hears the number of an army of two hundred million horsemen. Describing the colorful breastplates of those on the horses, he also relates how the lion-like heads of the horses blew fire, smoke and brimstone which killed a third of mankind. They also did much harm with serpent-like tails. Despite these two “woes”, the rest of mankind did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual immoralities and thefts (13-21). As one can imagine, attempts to interpret these visions have been many and some quite fanciful. Together with the first four trumpets, the fifth and sixth trumpets signify tools at God's disposal to bring wrath upon the persecutors of His people. Though allowed to go only so far, Satan's influence can have the effect of weakening a nation from within. There is also the threat of external invasion by enemy forces. Therefore the vision of locusts from the bottomless pit symbolizes the hellish rottenness and internal decadence that would weaken the Roman Empire from within. The two hundred million horsemen symbolizes external invasion as another instrument God would use. Together with natural calamities, (depicted in the first four trumpets), these three instruments combined to bring down the Roman Empire. As Christians in John's day were oppressed by what seemed to be invincible opponents, visions like these would remind them that those “who do not have the seal of God on their forehead” would be susceptible to God's wrath.

In chapter 10: Just as there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals that included two visions designed to comfort the saints, so we find an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets with three visions that would have similar effect. Chapter ten contains the first vision in this second interlude, in which John describes a mighty angel coming down from heaven and standing with his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. Of particular note is a little book in the angel's hand. When the angel cried out with lion-like voice, seven thunders uttered their voices, but John is forbidden by a voice from heaven to write the things which the thunders uttered. At this point the mighty angel swears by God that there will be delay no longer, for when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet the mystery of God will be finished, as God declared to His servants the prophets (1-7). Then the voice from heaven tells John to take the book from the angel. As he does so, the angel tells him to eat the book, with a warning that while it will be sweet as honey in his mouth, it will make his stomach bitter. When John eats the book, he is told that he must again prophesy about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings (8-11). The significance of eating the little book is clear enough, for it symbolizes John mastering the contents of the message (cf. Ezek 2:1-3:11). As to its contents, it may pertain to the prophecies of chapters 12-22, which certainly contains prophecies of peoples, nations, kings, etc. While the sounding of the seventh trumpet would indicate the mystery of God was finished as declared to the Old Testament prophets (cf. “My servants the prophets”, Zech 1:6), John would expand upon the revelation of that mystery by recording what will be seen starting in chapter 12. The significance of the seven thunders may forever remain an enigma. Maybe John was forbidden to record their utterances because there would be delay no longer and the time for warning was over.

In chapter 11: As the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets continues, two more visions are seen. The first involves John himself as he is given a reed and told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those worshipping there. He is instructed, however, not to measure the court outside the temple, for it has been given to the Gentiles who will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months (1-2). This vision may illustrate that while the church will undergo great persecution, and outwardly appear to be trodden underfoot, its inner spirit will not be harmed. Then there is the vision of the two witnesses, which falls into three sections. With power they prophesize 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. Identified as the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the throne of God, they have the power to devour with fire from their mouths those who wish to harm them. They also have the power to stop the rain during the days of their prophesying, to turn water to blood, and to strike the earth with plagues (3-6). But when their testimony is completed, the beast from the bottomless pit makes war with them and kills them. For three and half days their bodies’ lies in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt (where Jesus was crucified). Those who had been tormented by the two prophets rejoice, make merry and exchange gifts (7-10). However, after three and a half days they are raised to life and ascend into heaven, bringing great fear on those who saw them. In the same hour a great earthquake occurs in which a tenth of the city fell and 7000 men were killed. The rest were afraid and gave glory to God (11-13). The two witnesses are certainly reminiscent of Moses and Elijah, (but they portray two literal persons). Rather, they represent the witness of the church, with the number two signifying the strength of their witness (e.g., “two or more witnesses”). The first period may be the apostolic age during which the witnesses could not be destroyed. When their testimony is completed, there will be a time of persecution by “the beast” and those of “the great city” (who will be identified later). Ultimately, however, the witnesses (i.e., the church) will be victorious, symbolized by their resurrection and ascension to heaven. The interlude ended, it is time for the third woe, and the final trumpet. As the seventh angel sounded, loud voices in heaven proclaimed “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” The twenty-four elders then fell on their faces and worshiped God, giving thanks to Him for having taken His great power and reigned. While the nations were angry, His wrath has come. So has the time for the dead to be judged, for His servants the prophets and the saints to be rewarded, and for the destruction of those who destroy the earth. Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, with the Ark of the Covenant in the temple, accompanied by lightning, noises, thundering, an earthquake and hail (15-19). With the seventh trumpet we reach the climax of the first half of the Revelation, in which we have been shown an overall look at the conflict. In general terms, the conflict between the Lamb and His enemies has been described, without really mentioning who those enemies are. What has been stressed is that the wrath of God and His Lamb was coming! Through the visions of the seven seals and seven trumpets we learn of the arsenal at God's disposal: military conquest, civil war, famine, pestilence, natural calamities, internal and moral decay, external invasion. Just as God used such instruments in His dealings with the nations in the Old Testament, so His Son would use His power to reign over the nations with a rod of iron (cf. 1:5; 2:27; 3:21). We have also seen visions designed to comfort the saints being oppressed by their enemies. God has taken notice of their suffering, and while persecution may temporarily be their lot, victory will ultimately be theirs! Even those who suffer death at the hands of their enemies are promised salvation and the blessing of being in the presence and care of the Lord. But nothing can totally stop their witness, and nothing can keep God from remaining true to His covenant with them!

In chapter 12: With this chapter we learn that Satan was the primary force behind the persecution that was about to befall God's people. We are told of his failed attempt to prevent the male Child from being born and assuming His rightful place of authority as ruler of the nations (1-6). An effort to usurp that authority by waging war in heaven is thwarted, resulting in the devil and his angels being cast to earth. That prompts a loud voice in heaven to proclaim that salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of His Christ has come. Because the accuser (i.e., the devil) has been cast down, those in heaven who overcame by the blood of

Jesus and their testimony, and who did not love their lives to the death, could rejoice. But woe is proclaimed to those on the earth, because now the devil has come down to them and he knows his time is short (7-12). At first the dragon's efforts are directed toward the woman who gave birth to the child. However, she is given wings to fly to her place in the wilderness where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time (1,260 days, cf. v.6). Even the earth helped the woman, so enraging the dragon that he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, identified as those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (13-17). While the identities of the male child and the dragon are rather evident, who is the woman and the rest of her offspring? The woman represents the spirit of faithfulness in God's messianic community (perhaps best exemplified by Mary) who kept covenant with God. Called “the daughter of Zion” in prophecy (cf. Mic 4:10; 5:2ff; Isa 66:7ff), she produced not only Christ, but His disciples as well (her offspring, 12:17). Like the temple of God representing the inner spirit of the church which cannot be harmed (cf. 11:1), the spirit of faithfulness cannot be destroyed by Satan. But just as the holy city being trod under foot for forty-months represented the outward persecution of the church (cf. 11:2), so the devil would persecute the woman's offspring, i.e., the disciples who were still on the earth. Thus the chapter reveals why a period of great tribulation was about to come upon Christians (cf. 2:10). Satan was frustrated by being thwarted at every turn. Cast down to the earth, he would attempt to destroy the disciples of Jesus. The instruments he would use are introduced in the next chapter.

In chapter 13: This chapter reveals two agents in which the dragon (Satan) would use in carrying out his war against the people of God. The first is the beast from the sea described by John as having seven heads and ten horns; there were ten crowns on his horns and on his heads a blasphemous name. The beast was like a leopard, with feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. One of the heads of the beast appeared mortally wounded, but was healed. To this beast the dragon gave his power, his throne, and great authority, and all the world marveled and worshiped the beast. Given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies against God, His name, His tabernacle, and those dwelling in heaven, the beast was also granted to make war against the saints for forty-two months. All on the earth worshiped him, except those whose names were in the Lamb's Book of Life. With this description of the beast and his activities, John gives a word of caution to the saints (1-10). John then saw the beast from the land, having two horns like a lamb and speaking like a dragon. With the same authority as the first beast, this second beast causes all to worship the first by deceiving them with great signs. Telling them to make an image to the first beast, he was given power to make the image speak and put to death those who would not worship it. This second beast also causes all to receive a mark on their right hands or on their forehead, without which they cannot buy or sell. John then adds a word of wisdom, in which he tells those with understanding to calculate the number of the beast, which is the number of a man: 666 (11-18).

The identity of the first beast from the sea becomes clearer when we get to chapter seventeen. This beast from the sea is the Roman Empire, especially as personified in its persecuting emperors. The beast from the earth or land may represent the Roman Concilia, a committee that was set up in Asia Minor where the seven churches were located to enforce emperor worship at the time the Revelation was given. The significance of 666 should not be underestimated, as John encourages those with understanding to calculate the number. Unfortunately, through many ingenuous and fanciful ways people have come up with the number to represent just about anyone (e.g., Nero, the Pope, Hitler). Keeping the context of the Revelation and its time in view, the number 666 may refer to “Lateinos” (which in Greek can be calculated to 666); and in turn points to the ruler of the Latin or Roman empire (Schaff, History Of The Christian Church, Vol. 1, p. 177). Taken more symbolically, the number may simply signify evil rose to its highest power as was the case in emperors like Nero and Domitian.

In chapter 14: Following the troubling description of the beasts in the previous chapter, this chapter provides scenes which appear designed to reassure the saints to remain faithful to God. First there is the Lamb and 144,000 having the Father's name written on their foreheads, standing on Mount Zion. Singing a new song before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, the great company is described as male virgins, redeemed from the earth as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes, and are without fault before the throne of God (1-5). This is a picture of the saints triumphant in heaven. Both the number and descriptive terms are symbolic, illustrating the blessedness promised for those who will persevere in their faithfulness to God. Next comes three angels and their proclamations. The first angel and his proclamation may indicate that the gospel will continue to be spread (despite the efforts of the dragon and the beasts). People should therefore fear God and worship Him (not Caesar), for the hour of God's judgment has come (6-7). The proclamation of the second angel announces the fall of Babylon, described later in great detail (8). The third angel proclaims the terrible judgment and eternal torment to befall those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark (9-11). The three proclamations are then followed by an explanation that the patience of the saints consists of keeping the commandments of God and the faith of

Jesus, with a voice from heaven, telling John to write of the blessedness of those who die in the Lord (12-13). The chapter concludes with a depiction of two harvests. The first shows the Son of Man on a white cloud reaping the harvest of the earth (14-16). The second depicts an angel reaping the grapes of the vine of the earth, which are then thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God, producing a river of blood almost two hundred miles long (17-20). These two harvests may be different ways of describing the same judgment about to come upon those who follow the beast, or the first may depict that Jesus will safely harvest His own while God's wrath is being poured out on His enemies.

In chapter 15: With the main adversaries identified (the dragon, the sea beast, the land beast, and Babylon) and the people of God reassured of ultimate victory (chs. 12-14), the full out-pouring of God's wrath is about to be shown. Chapter fifteen is a “prelude” to the seven bowls of wrath described in the next chapter. We are introduced to seven angels who have the seven last plagues in which the wrath of God is complete. Before the seven angels are given their bowls, however, John sees those victorious over the beast standing on a fiery sea of glass having harps of God. Singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, they praise God for His righteous judgments (2-4). This scene is reminiscent of the Israelites praising God for their victory over the Egyptians after crossing the Red Sea (cf. Exo 14:30-15:21). The seven angels with the seven plagues then proceeded out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven, clothed in bright linen and chests girded with gold bands. One of the four living creatures gave them seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. At that point the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power, preventing anyone from entering the temple until the seven plagues were completed (5-8). Perhaps this scene was designed to convey that the time of God's longsuffering was over, and the outpouring of His wrath was the result of fulfilling the covenant He had with His people. God is about to avenge His saints!

In chapter 16: In this chapter the full outpouring of wrath upon the enemies of God is depicted. The seven angels with the seven bowls pour out “the seven last plagues” (15:1). Notice that these are not partial judgments, as with the seven trumpets described earlier (chapters 8-11). In the pouring out of these plagues “the wrath of God is complete” (15:1). In the first four bowls, God's wrath is poured out on the earth, the sea, the rivers and springs, and the sun. Affected by these plagues are those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. God's judgment upon them is proclaimed righteous and just, because they had been guilty of shedding the blood of saints and prophets. Amazingly, their response is to blaspheme God, and refuse to repent and give Him glory (1-9). The fifth bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast and his kingdom, resulting in darkness. The painful sufferings of the wicked continue, as does their blasphemy and refusal to repent of their deeds (10-11). The sixth bowl is poured out on the river Euphrates, preparing the way for the kings from the east. John then saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and earth to the place called Armageddon, for the battle of the great day of God. At this point Jesus speaks both a warning and blessing, for those who watch and keep their garments will be blessed, as He is coming as a thief (12-16). The seventh bowl is poured out and a loud voice from the temple in heaven cries out, “It is done!” The declaration is followed by thundering, lightning, and a great earthquake. The great city was divided into three parts, and cities of the nation’s fell. Great Babylon was remembered by God, to give her the cup of the wine of His wrath. Every island fled away, the mountains were not found, and great hail from\ heaven fell upon men. The latter caused men to blaspheme God (17-21). Chapters 17-19 will elaborate upon the judgments upon the beast, the false prophet, and Babylon, identifying them in more detail, and describing their ultimate downfall. The import of chapter 16 appears to be that the judgments upon them will be final and just, for even with these outpourings of wrath there is no willingness on the part of the beast and those who worship him to repent of their evil deeds!

In chapter 17: This is a key chapter, for the mystery of the great harlot and the beast is explained, and one's understanding of this chapter will affect their interpretation of the rest of the book. John is carried away into the wilderness where he is shown the great harlot “Babylon”, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were drunk with the wine of her fornication. She is seen sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. She is dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls. In her hand is a gold cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. On her forehead is written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Seeing the woman drunk with the blood of the saints (Old Testament saints?) and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, John marvels with great amazement (1-6). The angel then proceeds to tell John the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her. He begins with the beast first, described as one who “was, is not, and is about to come”. This beast will ascend out of the bottomless pit (cf. Re 11:7) and go to perdition (cf. Re 19:20). The seven heads of the beast represent seven mountains upon which the woman sits. There are seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, and the other has yet to come. The beast is then described as the eighth king, though of the seven. The ten horns represent ten kings who give their power and authority to the beast, make war against the Lamb, and eventually turn on the harlot herself. The harlot is finally described as that “great city” (cf. Re 11:8;14:8; 16:19) which reigns over the kings of the earth (7-18).

In chapter 18: In this chapter we find the fall of “Babylon the great” proclaimed, and the great mourning over her by those in the world. The fall of Babylon is proclaimed by an angel with great authority, who illuminated the earth with his glory. The reasons for her fall include how the nations and kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and how the merchants have become rich through her abundance. Meanwhile, a voice from heaven calls for the people of God to come out of her lest they receive the plagues to come upon her. Her judgment will involve death, mourning, famine, and utter destruction by fire, for it is the Lord God who judges her (1-8). The fall of Babylon is mourned by the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her and the merchants and sea-traders who had become rich by her. They all cry out “Alas, alas, that great city...” as they observe her judgment. They bemoan that in just one hour her riches came to nothing and she has become desolate. On the other hand, heaven itself, along with the apostles and prophets, are called to rejoice, because God has avenged them on her (9-20). Finally, a mighty angel throws a large stone into sea to depict with what great violence Babylon will be thrown down. The sounds and sights of music, crafts, even weddings will be gone. The fall of Babylon is justified, for her merchants were great, by her sorcery the nations were deceived, and in her was found the blood of prophets, saints, and all those slain on the earth (21-24). What is this chapter describing? If the date of the book suggested in the introduction is correct (spring, 70 A.D.), and Jerusalem is indeed the “harlot”, then this chapter likely refers to the destruction by the Romans in August, 70 A.D. This would be in harmony with 17:16, where those who first supported the harlot eventually turned on her. So it was with Jerusalem, who depended upon the approval of the Roman authorities to persecute the church, and later became the object of Roman persecution herself.

Very fitting is the depiction of Jerusalem as a harlot, for she who should have been a great spiritual city had become a great commercial center by virtue of the roads that passed through her between Europe, Asia and Africa. Her spiritual adultery was also manifested by rejecting the many prophets and apostles sent to her (cf. Mt 23:31-39 with Re 17:6; 18:20,24; 19:2).

In chapter 19: This chapter illustrates the ultimate defeat of the enemies of God's people. John hears a great multitude in heaven rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. The multitude is joined by the twenty-four elders and four living creatures, and a voice from the throne calling upon all God's servants to praise Him (1-5). John then hears heaven rejoicing in preparation for the marriage of the Lamb. His wife has made herself ready, and she is adorned in fine linen, signifying the righteous acts of the saints. John is then\ told to write that those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb are truly blessed. John falls down to worship the one speaking to him, but is immediately rebuked and told to worship God (6-10). The scene quickly changes as John sees heaven opened and Christ the warrior king on a white horse, followed by the armies in heaven on white horses. Described in terms reminiscent of His appearance in the first three chapters, He is ready to strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron, even as He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God. As inscribed on His robe and His thigh, Jesus is truly “King of kings and Lord of Lords” (11-16). With an angel standing in the sun and inviting the birds to gather for the supper of the great God, John then sees the beast and his forces gathered to make war against Christ and His army. But immediately the beast and the false prophet (the earth beast of 13:11-18) are captured and cast alive into the lake of fire. Their armies are killed with the sword proceeding from the mouth of Christ, and all the birds were filled with their flesh (17-21). This chapter appears designed to reinforce the idea that Christ in His kingly rule will defeat those who have been persecuting His people. Just as Babylon the harlot would be destroyed, so the beast and false prophet would be overcome. If the latter two represent the Roman Empire in its persecution against the church, this section with its vivid imagery would have been fulfilled by 313 A.D. when Constantine brought an end to Roman persecution.

In chapter 20: Previous chapters have illustrated the defeat of agents used by Satan to persecute God's people. One by one we have seen the fall of Babylon, the beast, the false prophet, and the armies they had gathered. What about Satan, the dragon who gave authority to the beast in his efforts to wage war against the saints (12:17-13:7)? And what of those killed by the agents of Satan? This chapter reveals the binding of Satan for “a 1000 years”. It most likely depicts a long period of time in which Satan is no longer able to deceive the nations as he did during the time of the Roman empire (cf. 13:14; 20:3). It began following the end of Roman persecution and would continue for some time in the future. During this period, John sees souls reigning with Christ, who were beheaded for their faithfulness to Jesus and the word of God. No mention is made of reigning on the earth, so my conclusion is that they reign with Christ in heaven during this period (cf. 2:26-27; 3:21). This “first resurrection” may be a special blessing for the martyrs of Christ during the intermediate state (between death and the bodily resurrection at the end of time), while 7:9-17 may describe the intermediate state for the average Christian. Truly those who had been beheaded for the witness of Christ are “blessed and holy” (1-6)! After the “1000 years” are over, Satan is released for a short time where he once again seeks to “deceive the nations” to persecute the people of God (cf. 13:14; 20:3, 8, 10). The mention of “Gog and Magog” is likely an apocalyptic reference to forces of evil at Satan's disposal during this time, not any particular nation or nations. But the final attempt of Satan is quickly thwarted by the Lord, and the devil is cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and false prophet were (cf. 19:20). If any section of Revelation pertains to the time just prior to the Lord's final coming, I believe it is this one. The description is brief, for the book was written for the benefit of Christians in Asia Minor about things to shortly come to pass (cf. 1:1-4; 22:6, 10). These Christians would not experience this last attempt of Satan. But to assure them (and us!) that Satan would ultimately be defeated, we have the description found in these few verses (7-10). The chapter closes with a description of the final judgment. Before the great white throne and Him who sat on it, all the dead are judged. Books are opened, including the Book of Life, and judgment is based upon their works. None escape the judgment, for the sea, Death, and Hades give up all the dead that are in them. Death and Hades are cast into the lake and fire, described as the “second death”. The same end is given to those whose names were not written in the Book of Life (11-15).

In chapter 21: Following the Judgment scene at the end of the previous chapter, the eternal destiny of the redeemed is now revealed. The motif of a new heaven and new earth, along with the New Jerusalem, is used to provide great hope and comfort to Christians. This is certainly nothing new, for both the Old and New Testaments provided similar pictures to increase anticipation of the future (cf. Isa 65:17-25; 66:22-24; He 11:10,13-16; 13:14; 2 Pe 3:13). In each case, the eternal destiny of God's faithful is described in terms that provided the greatest meaning and encouragement to the people of that dispensation. Here we see the destiny of the redeemed in terms depicting fellowship with God and protection by God. John first sees all things made new. There is a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth are no more (cf. 20:11). He sees the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. A loud voice from heaven declares that God will dwell with His people and be their God. God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, will comfort His people by removing all that causes pain, and provide the fountain of twater of life freely to him that thirsts. While those who overcome inherit all things and enjoy the blessings of being God's children, the wicked and unfaithful have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone (cf. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15) which is defined as the second death (1-8). One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls (cf. 15:7; 16:1) then carries John to a great and high mountain, to show him “the bride, the Lamb's wife”. This is none other than the great city, the New Jerusalem, which is seen descending out of heaven from God. It is a city having the glory of God, and the bulk of the chapter describes its prominent features. A great and high wall surrounds the city. Standing about 72 yards high and made of jasper, the wall has twelve pearly gates upon which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, with an angel at each gate. The wall has twelve foundations, made of precious stones, upon which are the names of the twelve apostles. The city itself, made of pure gold like clear glass, is 1500 miles long in its length, breadth, and height. The street of the city is also pure gold, like transparent glass (9-21). The glory of the holy city is described further by noting that there is no temple, for God Almighty and the Lamb is its temple. There is no need for the sun or moon, for the glory of God and the Lamb illuminate the city. Its gates are never shut, there is no night there, and the nations of the saved along with the kings of the earth bring their honor and glory into it. Only those written in the Lamb's book of life enter this glorious city, ensuring that it remains free from any abomination and defilement (22-27).

In chapter 22: In the previous chapter John described the glory of the New Jerusalem as the eternal destiny of the redeemed was revealed. In the first six verses of this chapter, John's vision of the glorious future for the people of God is completed with a brief description of the river of life, the tree of life, and the throne of God and of the Lamb. With the river of life proceeding from the throne, and the tree of life bearing fruit every month along with its healing leaves, the picture is one of provision from God. Eternal fellowship with God, stressed in the previous chapter (cf. 21:3-4, 7), is emphasized again with the promise of seeing His face and having His name on one's forehead. With no more curse (cf. Gen 3:17-19), the redeemed shall serve God and the Lamb on the throne. There is neither night nor need for the sun, for the Lord God gives them light (cf. 21:23). The redeemed will also reign forever and ever (1-5). The remainder of this chapter contains the grand conclusion of this wonderful book. The angel who showed John the holy city stressed that the events described in this book were soon to take place, such that John is not to seal the book (cf. 22:6,10; contrast this with Dan 8:26). Jesus Himself states three times that He is coming quickly (cf. 22:7, 12, 20), which I take to refer to His coming in judgment as described throughout this book (cf. 3:10-11). With a reminder of the blessedness of those who do His commandments, Jesus, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star, declares that He sent His angel to testify of these things to the churches. The Spirit and the bride join in with an invitation to let those who thirst come to drink of the water of life freely. The book ends with a fearful warning not to add to or take away from the book, a final promise of the Lord's coming, and a two-fold prayer calling for the Lord Jesus to come, and for His grace to be with all the brethren (6-22).

NOTES

http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org
Josephus, Bellum v.210 - http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
http://orthodoxwiki.org
http://www.biblegateway.com
(186 92 (Placuit,) ... ut praeter scripturas canonicas nihil in ecclesia legatur sub nomine divinarum Scripturarum. Sunt autem canonicae scripturae: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Iesu(s) Nave, Iudicum, Ruth, Regnorum libri quatuor, Paralipomenon libri duo, Job, Psalterium Davidicum, Salomonis libri quinque, duodecim libri Prophetarum, Esaias, Ieremias, Daniel, Ezechiel, Tobias, Iudith, Hester, Hesdrae libri duo, Machabaeorum libri duo. Novi autem Testamenti: Evangeliorum libri quatuor, Actus Apostolorum liber unus, Pauli Apostoli epistolae tredecim, eiusdem ad Hebraeos una, Petri duae, Ioannis tres (comp. DS 180), Iacobi una, Iudae una, Apocalypsis Joannis. (Additur in quodam cod. :) ... ut de confirmando isto canone transmarina Ecelesia consulatur - http://catho.org)
СВЕТИ АНДРЕЈ КЕСАРИЈСКИ ТУМАЧЕЊЕ ОТКРИВЕЊА
НОВИ ЗАВЈЕТ ГОСПОДА НАШЕГ ИСУСА ХРИСТА
CRKVA I SEKTE - Zoran Jovanović (3) SVETO PISMO ILI SVETO PREDANjE
ПРЕПОДОБНИ ЈУСТИН ЋЕЛИЈСКИ ДОГМАТИКА ПРАВОСЛАВНЕ ЦРКВЕ
ЧОВЕК ЈЕ ВИШИ ОД ЗВЕЗДА Oкултизам, астрологија, магија (ПРАВОСЛАВЉЕ И СЕКТЕ, КЊИГА VI)
http://www.svetosavlje.org
Свети Јован Шангајски БЕСЈЕДА О СТРАШНОМ СУДУ
MIROSLAV RADOŠEVIĆ 20 PISAMA JEHOVINOM SVEDOKU ČOVEK JE VIŠI OD ZVEZDA Okultizam, astrologija, magija (PRAVOSLAVLJE I SEKTE, KNJIGA 6)
Protojerej Jovan Brija REČNIK PRAVOSLAVNE TEOLOGIJE
Slovo o Apokalipsi Andreja Tarkovskog
http://www.manastir-lepavina.htnet.hr/krajsvetacarstvoantihrista.html
http://www.pouke.org
АПОКАЛИПСА - Тумачење Откривења Јовановог Свети Оци о Другом доласку Христовом и Царству Небеском
http://www.istokpravoslavni.org/files/pravoslavno%20vidjenje%20apokalipse%20IP.pdf
ПРАВОСЛАВНО ВИЂЕЊЕ АПОКАЛИПСЕ Протојереј Борис Молчанов
http://www.biblija.info/pit/spisak/00181.htm - Tumacenja Apokalipse
http://istinoljublje.wordpress.com/ - Андреј Горбунов ПОКУШАЈ РАЗОТКРИВАЊА АПОКАЛИПСЕ

Apokalipsa - tumačenje Otkrivenja Jovanovog-Andrej Kesarijski (sveti.), Jovan Srbulj, Antonina Pantelić, Danilo Krstić, Zoran Jelisavčić, Matej Arsenijević, Ksenija Končarević, S. Jakšić, Mladen Stanković, Zoran Buljugić

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3. What is the Book of Revelation ?

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