Life applications from Revelation's teaching on the future tribulation period

Revelation 6:1 "Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”
Introduction:

The Apocalypse of John (also known as "the Book of Revelation"), details the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ with respect to present realities and future events. We explored in the last post what we can expect to take place as we move forward in history. We noted in particular an event called "the rapture of the church" and distinguished it from its closely related larger event: "the second coming of Jesus". Readers may click on the following link to review the last post here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2019/02/grasping-future-events-of-rapture-and.html 

In that last post, mention was made of another future time period that, per this author's understanding of eschatology or "doctrine of last things", occurs in between "the rapture of the church" and "the second coming of Jesus", namely, "the tribulation period". One could define the tribulation period as follows:

"The tribulation describes a time, yet future, in which God will pour out wrath to judge the nations, defeat Satan's kingdom and prepare Israel for the arrival the Lord Jesus Christ."

In past posts on this site, I have written more detailed posts on the subject of the tribulation period, which the reader can click on here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2013/11/a-biblical-overview-of-tribulation.html

also, readers may click on another post-link concerning Jesus and Paul's teaching on the tribulation here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2013/11/a-biblical-overview-of-tribulation_13.html

How can a Christian find any encouragement for godly living or any relevance from the doctrine of the tribulation period. As noted in the last post, those believers who hold to a "pre-tribulation" view of the relationship of the rapture to the tribulation, assert the church's absence during that future cataclysmic event. Revelation 6-19 contains the most detailed description of this future seven-year period, expressed in a series of cyclical descriptions that retell the sequence of predicted events. How can Christians apply such texts to their lives to bring about godliness and encouragement today? Below are some thoughts on how one may apply the teaching of the tribulation period as it is expressed in the Book of Revelation.

Drawing applications from Revelation's teaching on the Tribulation

1. God's plan for dealing with the problem of evil. 

Revelation 6-19 is undoubtedly the fullest treatment we know of regarding the Tribulation period. The whole period is future, representing God's prophetic clock for executing final judgment on this world and, as seen in Paul's writings, the destruction of evil forces as personified by Anti-Christ. Revelation 6-19 unfolds a repetition of this time period in four prophetic visions that function as transparency slides on top of one another to complete a very detailed picture of the tribulation period. With respect to how God will deal with the problem of evil, we can note the first three of these visionary sequences....

a. Vision #1 - Revelation 6-11. 

The tribulation will be Jesus Christ's theater through which He will conquer the evils of the world. This particular depiction of the tribulation period is important because God, in His Ultimate Will, has ordained that time to deal with the world in justice. Acts 17:30-31 states:

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

b. Visionary sequence #2 - Revelation 12-14

Revelation 12 is the introduction to John's next revelatory sequence of the events of the tribulation. The tribulation will be Christ's way of preparing Israel to meet Him. In Revelation 12-14, Satan and his man, Anti-Christ, will conspire against Israel by leading a rebellion of unbelieving nations during the tribulation period. Like a set of transparency slides, Revelation 12-14 fits on top of the same time frame portrayed in Revelation 6-11.

c. Visionary sequence #3 - Revelation 15-19  

The tribulation (especially the final 3 1/2 years or Great Tribulation) will be the time in which Jesus brings an end to Anti-Christ and the system of evil which will had gripped the future world.  This fully functioning future world system, described in Revelation as: "Babylon the Great", will function in the tribulation as the religious, economic and political web spun out by Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet of Revelation 12-14. After the half-way point of the tribulation period, the world system will begin to grow hostile toward the Anti-Christ and his regime. A final war, (known as "Armegeddon"), will feature all the forces of evil arrayed against Jesus during His second coming at the end of that period. Like a transparency slide once again, Revelation 15-19:10 fits over the previous visions of Revelation 6-11 & 12-14, completing for us the most detailed treatment of the tribulation period in the Bible.

2. God's promises are true

We have observed how God will deal resolutely with the problem of evil and suffering which plagues the greatest minds and hearts in this current age. So what guarantee do Christians have in the "nasty-now-and-now" that God will keep His promises? One only has to look at how He will bring to pass His promises to Israel. 

In an Old Testament prophecy about the tribulation period, Ezekiel 20:38, we find the following promise:

"and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord." 

During the tribulation period, judgment of the earth will occur while God prepares and purifies Israel to anticipate her Messiah - Jesus Christ - right before the end of the tribulation. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament affirms this promise of Israel's restoration as a proof for the assurance of God's promises to Christians in Romans 11:25-26 - 

"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

 

The Great Tribulation will be a time in which the evils of man and the Anti-Christ's regime is brought to a close, with Christ's return marking the end of the tribulation -i.e "the day of the Lord". The church will be with Jesus in the marriage supper of the Lamb, protected from wrath and return with her Lord who Himself will fight and defeat the armies of the world in the battle of Armegeddon. We can therefore trust God's plans and promises. Now let's consider one final application for understanding the doctrine of the tribulation as found in Revelation 6-19....

3. God's powerful motivation to do missions

Revelation chapters 7 and 14 feature a group of Jewish evangelists called "144,000" who will share the Gospel with all the nations. In Revelation 7, we find multitudes of people getting converted during the tribulation. The consequence of converting to Christ will lead to their deaths for Jesus. Both chapters have statements that tie present motivation for sharing the Gospel to what will be that innumerable throng of people getting converted out of the nations. Revelation 7:10b records: "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb". Revelation 14:13 records an even more remarkable statement that has clear application to the church now and to the future tribulation martyrs: 

"And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”  

For those who evidence no concern about the pending tribulation period or spiritual matters in general, this truth can expose their false profession. The motivation to carry the Gospel to as many people as possible is reinforced by what the world can expect when it comes to the final moments of world history. We may wonder why God delays such events as He urges us to have an awareness about them. We know that God delays the return of Jesus to grant people everywhere the time and space to repent and turn to Him in faith (2 Peter 3:9). We also are told by Jesus Himself that the course of history is regulated by the amount of people that get to hear the Gospel in every nation (see Matthew 24:14).  

Closing thoughts

Today's post aimed to provide life-application of the Biblical doctrine of the tribulation period to current Christian living. We focused in particular on Revelation 6-19, since the Apostle John provides for us the most detailed treatment of the subject. We reached the following three applications:

1. The tribulation period reminds us that God has a plan for defeating evil and suffering.

2. The tribulation period reminds us that God's promises are true.

3. The tribulation period reminds us that God has provided a powerful motivator for sharing the Gospel.

Why Heaven Matters, And What Believers Can Expect To See And Do Once They Get There

Revelation 4:1-2 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

The story of a King who was fascinated by heaven on earth

The story is told of how the King of Russia, Vladimir the Great, brought Christianity to his Russian homeland in the year 988 A.D.  With a mixture of truth and fable, historians recount how this immoral, pagan prince was looking for a way to unite the empire over which he ruled. Vladimir felt the best way to achieve his goal was to select a singular religion. 

Vladimir dispatched ambassadors to investigate major world religions at that time. Upon their return, each of Vladimir's ambassadors relayed their findings. Some noted that they saw laws and prohibitions on what to eat and what not to eat. Another said that the religion he witnessed did not seem to convey any real benefit to the people one way or another. However, there was one ambassador who is recorded saying these words to King Vladimir:


“We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. We cannot describe it to you. Only we know that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. We cannot forget that beauty.” 

In our 21st century post-Christian culture, I wonder sometimes that whenever people visit our churches, should they not come away with a similar response: "We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth". How often have you heard it said: "That person is so heavenly minded they're no earthly good." The only response I can give is:
"Unless a Christian becomes more heavenly minded they cannot accomplish God's earthly good" (Matthew 5:16; Colossians 3:1-3). 

Why Heaven Matters: How the Moral Aspect Of Our World Points To The World To Come

It is undeniable that our physical universe isn't just composed of physical matter composed of quarks, atoms and molecules. There is a moral dimension to our world. Put another way, we all are aware of the universal sense of right and wrong that functions universally and has done so prior to humanity's appearance upon this globe. 

When the 20th century Christian writer and Oxford professor C.S. Lewis was atheist, he described how he would rail against all the injustice he saw in the world. When Lewis was converted to Christianity, he reflected back on complaints about injustice and noted that unless there was an ultimate standard of right and wrong (i.e. an ultimate good), then all his complaints about evil and injustice were but a waste of time. 

The moral qualities of creation demand an explanation that lies beyond the mere physical and temporal constraints of this space-time realm in which we occupy. A moral law of which we're all deeply aware can only make sense if there is a Moral Law-giver - God. Moreover, the playing out of the moral and spiritual struggle between good and evil in this present age can only make sense if there is an eternity in which both unimaginable evil is sectioned off from a far greater, unimaginable good. Such thoughts as these provide on-ramps for directing our minds to consider the passages in the Bible that speak about Heaven and Hell. 

In this particular post today, we want to focus upon the subject of Heaven and ask the following question: 

Why is Heaven and immortality so central to understand life in general and Christianity in particular? 

Today we will explore what the Book of Revelation and other scriptures have to teach us about Heaven.

What Believers Can Expect To See And Do In Heaven. 

We could nickname the Apostle John as the man who saw heaven by virtue of the fact that no less than eleven heavenly visions are recorded through the book of Revelation.1 Out of all the 66 books of the Bible (with the exception of Matthew), the book of Revelation exceeds all other Biblical books, accounting for roughly 10% of the total times we find heaven mentioned in the Bible. Author John MacArthur observes that the overall subject of Heaven is found in some 582 occurrences in 550 verses.

The book of Revelation itself is a Christ-centered book. Revelation 1-3 depicts Christ and His church. With reference to Revelation 4-5, we discover Christ and His Heavenly Throne. John's particular vision of heaven in Revelation 4-5 is the second heavenly vision of the book.  

With respect to what believers can expect to see when they get to the place called "Heaven", three observations are noted in Revelation 4:1-6 -

1. Thrill of seeing Jesus. Revelation 4:1
2. Throne of God. Revelation 4:2-3, 5-6
3. Throngs of saints. Revelation 4:4

The above three-fold summary of "what we will see in Heaven" threads its way through not only the vision we find in Revelation 4-5, but the other ten visions recorded in the book (see the end notes for verse references at the end of this post).

So then, in noting what we can expect to see in Heaven (mind you, other places in scripture spell out many other details, we're just getting a sketch of the details for now), the next question to consider is: "what can believers expect to do in Heaven?" Revelation 4:3-11 sketches out some of the amazing activities believers can look forward to in Heaven:

1. Gaze at the glory of God. Rev. 4:3-6

What is the glory of God? God's glory is the full display of all His goodness and greatness to His creatures. We find a rainbow encircling the throne of God, reminding us of His fidelity to His promises. Just as He promised Noah that He would never destroy the world again with a flood, such promise-keeping power operates in full measure in Heaven. All that believers hold to by faith will be made sight. 

As we gaze at the glories of His grace, we find in Revelation 4:4-5 the glories of His majesty. The holiness of God, as expressed by the Holy Spirit in His seven-fold wonder (i.e. the "seven-spirits of God" and what is expressed in Isaiah 11:1-2) is just as prominent in Heaven as His grace. The mirrored sea before the throne recollects back to the wash basin of the priests God revealed to Moses in the design of the Tabernacle (see Exodus 25; 30:18; 38:8) and represents the mirror of God's Word into which the believer behold's the glory of God (see 1 Corinthians 13:12; James 1:23-25).

Then, in gazing at the glories of God's grace and holiness, we will behold the glories of His beauty. In Revelation 4:6-7 we see mysterious creatures, known elsewhere as "Cherubim" and "Seraphim" (compare Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1). The beauty of these heavenly creatures are extolled, described as looking like four great creatures rolled-up into one. The beauty of these heavenly creatures - which occupy a level and rank of angelic existence not afforded to the numerous hosts of servant angels which serve God's people - are among the chiefest of God's beautiful created handiwork. 

God's uncreated beauty is an attribute which points to the splendor, majesty, glory and excellency of His essence and existence. All other created entities, such as Cherubim, Seraphim, human beings and mountains, derive their beauty from God - who alone is His own sense and reference-point of what it means to be beautiful. As Ravi Zacharias has noted:

"God is the only entity which can account for His own existence, whereas all other entities, being created, must look outside of themselves to account for why they exist."

All the attributes possessed by God (grace, holiness, beauty, for example) are the universal, objective sources and reference points for whatever grace, holiness or beauty we may observe in creation or in the Christian life. God alone possesses such qualities in-and-of-Himself. Christian writers of old write of how the ultimate destiny of Christians is when in Heaven, their created intellects will apprehend the excellencies of the beauty of Almighty God in what is deemed "the Beatific Vision". 

2. We Will Give Worship To God. Revelation 4:8-11

Revelation 4:8-11 details for us the sort of worship songs we will hear and sing in Heaven. Revelation 4:8 records -  

"And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” 

Then we find the next sample of joyous singing in Revelation 4:11 - 

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

The spill-over of worship and praise, from both angelic choirs and human-redeemed will reverberate and echo throughout eternity. We will gaze at God and glorify God in our worship. True worship of God is far from boring. A worshipper of anything is both captivated by the object of their affection and desires to somehow capture whatever they worship in the whole of their senses. True worship overflows into desiring others to enjoy the same sort of experience. To worship created things is idolatry, since such objects fail to deliver what only God alone could deliver - full satisfaction, full-life, full-love and fulfillment in the ultimate sense of the word. 

Worship of God, in Christ, is what we were created for but lost, and what believers are redeemed for and gain. True worship leads to the desire to want to serve God in love and fulfillment of His purposes for them. So, let's notice one final activity that will characterize what believers will do in Heaven....

3. Get to reign with Jesus. Revelation 3:21; 4:4

Some may be surprised by this last activity. Why work? Why reigning? Throughout the Bible, we find references to the spiritual inheritance which Christians can expect to enjoy in Jesus Christ (for example, Ephesians 1:18-20). Such inheritance is not only positional and spiritual, but will, in eternity future, be physical and actual. The occupancy of 24 thrones in Revelation 4:4 by 24 human beings represents what believers can expect - reigning with Christ and casting our royal crowns at His feet in perpetual praise. 

Just as God had placed Adam and Eve in the original Garden of Eden to work and tend it so as to exercise dominion over His creation as His co-regents, believers will resume that God-given mandate - only on a more grander scale. The details of what will all entail the believer's work of reigning with Christ is sketched-out elsewhere (for instance, 1 Corinthians 6:3; Ephesians 3:10-20; 1 Peter 2:9-11).  Just as powerful worship of God in this present age motivates the believer to go and do God's bidding, the spill-over effect of gazing at God's glory and giving Him worship will translate into doing His will with unspeakable joy. Again, such thoughts as these are but skimming the surface. However, may we all be more inclined to look forward to seeing the Savior in the days to come. 


Endnotes:

1. Revelation 1; 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:10-13; 11:15-17; 12:10-12; 14:2-3; 15:3-4; 19:1-10; 21:1-9 and 22:16-21. 

An Antidote For Defeating Double-Mindedness In The Christian Life - Revelation 2:18-29

Revelation 2:18-20 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."

Introduction: 

There was a very sad news story that made headlines just this past week. A woman was walking her little dog near a lagoon adjacent to lush golfing resort community at Hilton Head, SC. She was on a get-away with her husband at their vacation home. Everyone who lives in that resort area are aware of the alligators that lurk in the water hazards around the golf course. The lady went out to walk her dog one morning, when suddenly, both she and the dog were confronted by an alligator.  Despite her best attempts to defend her dog, the poor lady ended up losing her own life. She thought she was safe. She was aware of alligators, but took the risk. The tragic result was fatal. 

This sad story got me to thinking about the situation we read about concerning the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. When we attempt to court sin, it's like the situation with the alligator. When we tolerate what we know is not right, we feel we're safe. After all, we often will say to ourselves: "since its not hurting anyone now, how bad can it be?" But then, at a moment we don't expect, the jaws of sin catch us. If were not vigilant enough, our cravings will attempt to pull us under sin's chilly waters. As the old saying goes: 

"sin will keep you longer than you intended to stay, cause you to lose more than you intended to pay."

Summary of today's post 

There are points throughout Christian experience where a Christ-follower can stand at certain crossroads. The choice we must make is this: 

"go forward with Jesus or choose the lesser path". 

Whenever we’re tempted to “straddle the fence” or “be double-minded”, such enticements can spell much danger. Today’s aims to equip readers on how to avoid a double-minded life. So, where do I get this phrase "double-minded"? James 1:5-7 informs us of the sort of mindset that we see lurking in Thyatira: 

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” 

The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:2 uses a different term (i.e. "carnal") to convey the danger of such compromises:

“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able.”

How can the follower of Jesus Christ avoid double-mindedness? Consider the following thoughts as we tour through Jesus' fourth letter in Revelation 2:18-29.

1. Turn your eyes on Jesus. Revelation 2:18-19; 25-27

There is a villain afoot at the church of Thyatira by the name of Jezebel.  Now we won’t focus too much on this N.T Jezebel, since we want to focus our attention on Jesus. Like her O.T counterpart, the N.T. Jezebel's name means “without honor”. Interestingly enough, whenever you compare these two Jezebels, their respective bios mirror one another: 

A. Both sought evil. (1 Kgs 16:31; Rev 2:20).

B. Both celebrated evil.  (1 Kgs 21:25; Rev 2:21-24).

C. Both suppressed God's word. (2 Kings 9:7; Rev 2:20)

D. Both were self-centered.  2 Kgs 9:30; Rev 2:20).

Is it no wonder that things were such a mess in this first-century church. The church at Thyatira was located in the smallest city of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and yet, Jesus issued the longest of the seven letters we find in Revelation 2-3. Jesus is devoting such attention because of the precarious position of the double-minded church. Thyatira was in the smallest city, yet she has the most words from Jesus. We're reminded of the fact that Jesus only sees churches, not how "big" or "small" they may be. This little letter also has the most space devoted to Jesus (next to Philadelphian and Laodicean letters).

So what's the point? When we’re in spiritual high-cotton (like the church at Philadelphia, Revelation 3:7-13), we’d better look to Jesus. When the ship is sinking (like the church at Laodicea, Revelation 3:14-22), we’d better to look to Jesus. When we're double-minded (like at the church of Thyatira, revelation 2:18-29), we need Jesus. What about Jesus enables us to break free of the rut of double-mindedness?

A. Support of Jesus. Revelation 2:18 

When we slip, Jesus is there ready to catch us and supply firm footing. Psalm 94:18-19 reminds us:

"If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” 


B. Supremacy of Jesus. Revelation 2:18

When sin looks good, focus on Jesus, who outdoes all. Consider how Revelation 2:18 describes the Lord Jesus Christ....

i. Jesus is omnipresent. Revelation 2:18  “eyes like fire”. This attribute corresponds with what we see described of God in 2 Chronicles 16:9a 

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

ii. Jesus is omnipotent. Revelation 2:18 “Son of God” and “feet of bronze”. This metal was used in the Old Testament temple’s construction of the brazen altar. Daniel 10:6 has similar description, wherefore Daniel encountered Yahweh, hence reinforcing the truth of Jesus' deity.

iii. Jesus is omniscient Revelation 2:19. “I know”. Jesus knows all things, including our trials, our thoughts. 
Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us of the benefits of focusing on Jesus. 2 Peter 3:18 commands us to know Jesus better. In terms of the emphasis on Jesus in the New Testament, we can summarize as follows: The Gospels = show who Jesus was. Acts and Epistles and Rev 1-5 = show who Jesus is. Revelation 6-22 = show Jesus to come.

So if you and I are going to defeat double-mindedness, we need to focus on Jesus in order to show the folly of our compromising with sin. But now lets consider the second main point of Revelation 2:18-29....

2. Trust Him For Your Future. Revelation 2:25-29

Why is it we find compromise so easy? Why do Christians find the trap of "double-mindedness" so enticing? One word: "distrust". We simply waver in our trust of God. We somehow get convinced that He may not have our best interest in mind. Worse yet, we may think our way is better than His. Two areas of trust are covered in Revelation 2:25-29 that urge us to trust in Jesus...

A. Trust Him for tomorrow. Revelation 2:25

Lamentations 3:22-24 reminds us: 

"The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

The Lord gives the believer enough grace for today. All sorts of mercies are laid out by God at the beginning of each day. We have what we need to accomplish whatever comes across our path for today. Once today is done, tomorrow begins with a new set of mercies. 

b. Trust Him for beyond tomorrow. Revelation 2:26-29

We can trust Jesus for the short-term of today and tomorrow. But what of the long-term? Matthew 6:33-34 quotes Jesus own words:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

How many of us can say "amen" or "I agree" with Jesus' statement? A great follow-up text to these point comes from the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 - 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Closing thoughts:

In today's post we discovered ways in which we can defeat "double-mindedness" or that Christian propensity to "straddle the fence" when it comes to moral and spiritual matters of life. We discovered from Jesus' letter to the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29 the following antidote:

1. Turn your eyes on Jesus
2. Trust in Jesus for tomorrow

How One May Outline The Book Of Revelation

Revelation 1:19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

Introduction:
In the last couple of posts, we have introduced readers to the variety of issues surrounding the standard approaches and interpretations of the Book of Revelation. How we interpret the contents of John's Apocalypse will steer how we read it and apply it to our lives. In today's post, we want to consider ways in which we can outline the Book of Revelation. Outlines of the books of the Bible can aid greatly in teaching or preaching situations. Also too, having an outline of a Book like Revelation can help the reader have a "map" as they work their way through its contents
Methods For Outlining For The Book Of Revelation

Whenever you consider the 22 chapters of Revelation, most people will take as their point of departure Revelation 1:19. Revelation 1:19 gives the reader a three-fold outline:

1. "The things which you have seen" Revelation 1-3

2. "The things which are now/are yet to come" Revelation 4-5

3. "The Things yet to come" Revelation 4-22

In some instances, you may see even a two-part outlining approach:

1. "The things which you have seen"  Revelation 1-3

2. "The things which are to come"  Revelation 4-22

Since we had covered various theological approaches to the Book of Revelation in the last post, I will simply ask readers to click on the following link to review in the footnotes of the previous post the terms that follow in the next two paragraphs: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2018/06/surveying-various-interpretations-of.html. If readers would rather skip the next two paragraphs, they may do so and go onto the heading that features a proposed outline of the Book of Revelation. 

Both Classical and Dispensational Premillennialists will typically see the Book of Revelation (particularly chapters 6-20) unfurling in a sequential, step by step fashion. Hence, the relationship between the various seal, trumpet and bowl judgments tend to represent a linear unfolding of future prophetic events. Other Pre-millenialists tend to see the book, especially in Revelation 4-22, unfold in more of a "winding staircase" fashion, meaning that the Apostle John is presenting the same sequence of history over and over again in greater and more intense detail through the respective seal, trumpet and bowl judgments of Revelation 6-19. 

When we consider Amillennial and some Post-millennial interpreters , the staircase model tends to be the preferred outlining approach.  Other types of Post-Millennial interpreters tends to view Revelation 6-19 as a summary of God's overall program for history, with no immediate connection to any one history or event (also called the idealist view of Revelation). These are but samples of the various ways people have attempted to outline and understand the book of Revelation.

A Proposed Outline Of The Book Of Revelation

This author finds the Book of Revelation presenting God's truth as follows:

1. Christ and His Church. 1-3
2. Christ and His Throne. 4-5
3. Christ and Human History. 6-18
4. Christ's Return to Reign. 19-20
5. Christ in Eternity. 21-22

The first five chapters tend to take the reader back and forth between the heavenly upper story of God in eternity (chapters 1, 4&5) and the details of what is happening to the seven churches here on earth (chapters 2&3). This author finds the seven churches to be seven, literal churches situated in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) that also provide some instructive patterns for church-life today.  

With respect to chapters 6-18 of Revelation, this author would favor seeing the sequence of judgments as a repeated retelling of the same seven-year future time-frame called the Tribulation period. Without diving into inordinate detail, Revelation 6-18 could be sub-divided as follows:

A. How Christ will deal with the nations. Chapters 6-11

B. How Christ will deal with Israel. Chapter 12

C. How Christ will defeat the anti-Christ and the rebelling nations. Chapters 13-18

Revelation 19-20 serves to bring to a conclusion the future historic cycle God will unleash on planet earth. Again, readers can appeal to the last post to get a grasp on how various interpreters have viewed Revelation 19-20. This author sees history (this present age) closing with Christ's return, at which point He will return with an already raised and glorified church to restore and purify the nation of Israel (see Daniel 12:1-3;  Romans 11:25-26). These particular events will comprise Jesus' 1,000 year reign upon the earth, concluding in the Great White Throne Judgment, the resurrection of the wicked to judgement and final judgement of Satan into the Lake of Fire (see John 5:24-25; Revelation 20).

Once the thousand-year reign of Christ concludes, Revelation 21-22 takes the reader into the future eternal state. These two final chapters of Revelation (and the Bible) describe the glorious "New Heavens and New Earth" spoken 
of in 2 Peter 3:13, wherein Peter writes: 

"But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."

Closing thoughts:

These last few posts have dedicated time to introducing readers to the various interpretive questions surrounding how we read the Book of Revelation. The value of considering the interpretive issues is in knowing the right questions to ask. If we ask the appropriate questions, we will then arrive at the appropriate conclusions. Thankfully, the Christian has the Holy Spirit to aid them in wading through the many options. The differing viewpoints represent the need of every generation of God's people to expound and explain the contents of this book to the next generation. The point of offering an outline in today's post was to provide a map by which we may navigate through the Book of Revelation. Although Revelation can at times present challenges, it comes with the promise of blessing to those who take the time to read it, hear it and live it (see Revelation 1:1-3). 

Four Reasons To Study The Book Of Revelation

Revelation 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Introduction:

In today's post we want to suggest four reasons why it is valuable to study the Book of Revelation. The Apostle John introduces his series of visions with a formal introduction in Revelation 1:1-8. It is in that introduction that we discover four reasons for studying the Book of Revelation and Bible prophecy in general. Notice if you will the first reason....

1. Re-emphasizes Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:1, 4-6

In Revelation 1, we find nearly 40 titles ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation is all about Jesus! A brief review of a few verses in this opening section will underscore this point.

A. Revelation 1:1 ”Jesus”, as touching the manhood and ”Christ”, as touching His office as Israel’s Messiah, the chosen One”. The latter part of Revelation 1 highlights Christ in His majestic deity.

B. Revelation 1:5 “faithful witness”, points us to His Real Deity. He speaks what He sees. As a Truly Divine Person, only the Son could directly behold the Person of the Father, which no mere creature (angel or human) as ever beheld. We can cross reference John 1:18, which notes: “No one has seen God, save the only begotten”. Revelation 1:5 also mentions additional titles of Jesus. We find Him described as “The Firstborn”, meaning: Raised, triumphed over death. The third title of Jesus in Revelation 1:5 is: “Ruler of Kings”, which points to His Royal ascension. Fourthly, we discover that Jesus “loves us”, by way of His rich self-sacrifice. In 1 John 4:19 we are reminded: "we love Him because He first loved us". Lastly in Revelation 1:5, we read of how Christ “Released Us”.

C. In Revelation 1:6 we find out that Christ came and “made us to be a kingdom”. This speaks of the believer's rich inheritance in Christ, a fond theme found elsewhere in the New Testament (see Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:1-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10).

This re-emphasis of Jesus Christ explains why John broke into doxology at the end of Revelation 1:6, wherein he writes: 

"to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." 

So, studying the Book of Revelation inclines us to re-emphasize Jesus Christ, but now notice the second reason....

2. Revives godly living. Revelation 1:2-3

Whenever my wife and I courted, I made many trips to go see her. At the beginning of our relationship, I found my interest in my own cleanliness heightened. Whenever we read the Book of Revelation, its tone and contents incline us to desire godly living. A quick review of Revelation 1:1-3 will bear out this point.

A. In Revelation 1:2, John's use of the word "testified" urges us to give ourselves to the book. 

B. In Revelation 1:3a, we find further exhortations leading us to give ourselves to obey the book.

C. Lastly, in Revelation 1:3b, we discover the urgency to give ourselves to expect the Christ of the book.

The Apostle John, the author of Revelation, combines the need for godly living with the truths of Christ's second coming elsewhere in his writings. For instance, we read in 1 John 3:2-3 -

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

So, studying Revelation and Bible prophecy re-emphasizes Jesus Christ and revives godly living. Notice the third reason for taking the time to study this Book of the Bible...

3. Re-energizes evangelism. Revelation 1:7

Every year when my children are getting ready to finish school, I notice and increase in their energy. Why? Because they know that year is almost done. Biblical prophecy or eschatology serves emphasis not only to believers, but unbelievers. Some observations from Revelation 1:7 and other New Testament verses will demonstrate this truth.

A. The Mission almost complete. 

John writes in Revelation 1:7 - “Behold, He is coming…”. Jesus notes in Matthew 24:14 

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."

B. The Message is urgent. 

We read again in Revelation 1:7 - “Every eye will see Him….”. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 "For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night."

C. Make your choice, now! 

John's closing phrase in verse seven communicates the definiteness of the second coming of Christ and thus the need to make a choice for Him: “So it is to be. Amen”. 

The urgency of sharing Christ with the unconverted is dependent upon our keeping in mind the brevity of time. In other words: time is short! We've seen then that the following reasons for studying Bible prophecy in general and Revelation in particular are as follows: re-emphasizes Jesus Christ; revives godly living and re-energizes evangelism. Now lets consider one last reason....

4. Re-awakens us to His 2nd coming. Revelation 1:8 

I’m amazed at how early Christmas shopping begins. People are ready! One will see or here the following: "Christmas in June" or "Door-buster sales!" The alertness of people to these sorts of events is amazing, considering that their efforts are six-months before Christmas. We need to exercise a much greater anticipation when it comes to Christ's return. John writes in Revelation 1:8 - 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

The Apostle Paul urges us in
Philippians 3:20-21 -

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."

Closing thoughts:

As one final thought, I often think of how I need to remind myself in a given week to pray for the return of Jesus. The short little one-word prayer in 1 Corinthians 16:22, "maranatha", literally means: "come Lord". As we give of ourselves to studying Bible prophecy in general and the Book of Revelation in particular, let us recall the four reasons we discovered in today's post as to why we ought to pursue such a project:

1. Re-emphasizes Jesus Christ
2. Revives us for godly living
3. Re-energizes evangelism
4. Re-awakens us to His second coming

Surveying Various Interpretations Of The Book Of Revelation

Revelation 1:19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

Review: Directing our thoughts toward interpreting the Book of Revelation

Like the last post, we are concerned with better understanding how to approach our interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Readers may review that last post by clicking here: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2018/06/a-survey-of-how-to-interpret-book-of.html 

In that last post, we proposed that four standpoints must be addressed when approaching the Book of Revelation:

A. First, looking at Revelation from a literary point of view. That is, what sort of literature is Revelation (we discovered at least three: epistle, apocalyptic and prophetic).

B. Second, looking at Revelation from a historical perspective. That is, the setting, the background and dating of the book. We also attempted to discern how much of Revelation is speaking of events current in the first century versus events that are yet-to-come.

C. Thirdly, we noted the doctrinal perspective. How have Christians of the past 2,000 years interpreted the Book of Revelation? What sort of theological perspectives exist in understanding how all of the various details of John's Apocalypse fit together? 

D. Then finally, we mentioned the importance of outlining the Book of Revelation. 

We considered the first two of these standpoints in the last post. In that post we, noted the following literary features of Revelation:  

A. Revelation is composed of Epistles (Revelation 1-3)

B. Revelation is also composed of symbols and sweeping visions the portray how God will defeat the evil powers of this world (called "apocalyptic literature, Revelation 4:22). 

C. Revelation contains prophetic elements that serve to predict what is to come as well as to encourage believers in the present moment (Revelation 4-22).  

Furthermore, we also covered the second standpoint that must be addressed when interpreting Revelation - namely the historical standpoint.  How much of Revelation is about the future, the past and the present?  Four responses were examined, which I will list only by name: 

A. Preterist = the view that Revelation is primarily about the events of the 1st century.

B. Idealist = the view that Revelation depicts, in general, the ongoing battle and eventual defeat of evil by God.

C. Historicist = the view that Revelation (particularly chapters 2 & 3), lays out various historical epochs of the last two thousand years of church history.

D. Futurist = Most of Revelation is predicting the future and serves as a warning to sinners and a comfort to believers.

In today's posting, we will explore some standard theological approaches to the Book of Revelation. Hopefully, in the next post, we will consider a proposed outline of the Book of Revelation.   

The Book of Revelation from a doctrinal standpoint

The doctrinal standpoint is mainly focused on one chapter in Revelation: Revelation 20. The phrase "1,000 years" is mentioned six times in Revelation 20. This particular chapter has led to much discussion and debate among students of scripture over the history of the church. Thankfully, in the history of the church, there have emerged only four main responses given to these big questions. These four positions are respectively called: 

A. Historical Premillennialism.
B. Dispensational Premillennialism C. Amillennialism.
D. Post-millennialism. 

To avoid making today's post into a book-length document, I have included information and diagrams in the end notes for those who may want to know more information.1

The above four main positions will vary in how much they view prophecy as either literal (Dispensational Pre-millennial and somewhat Classical premillennial) or more symbolic (Amillennial and Post-millennial). Again, the reader is invited to consider the end notes section of today's blog to get more detail on these four major viewpoints of Revelation 20. 

Five things that Revelation 20 is focused upon and its connection to the whole book

For one thing, Revelation 20 focuses upon five key events: 

1. The coming of Christ.
2. The reign of Jesus Christ.
3. The resurrection/reign of the saints.
4. The judgment of the wicked.
5. The judgment of Satan.  

Almost all interpreters affirm that Revelation 20 represents the final chapter of history before the Eternal State of Revelation 21-22.  

Eight Questions That Explain How The Differing Views Over Revelation 20 Occur

Where the differences among believers begins to arise entail the following:

1. Is the reign of Christ occurring now, in the future, or both now and the future?

2. Are the resurrections in Revelation 20 literal and thus future; more so spiritual and now; or somewhat spiritual and future?

3. Is Christ and His saints to reign mainly in Heaven now; to reign on the earth in the future; or a little bit of both?

4. Is the 1,000 year period (Millennium) in Revelation 20 a symbolic number or literal number referring to Christ's future establishment of His kingdom upon earth for 1,000 years?

5. Is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ depicted in Revelation 20 a Heavenly Reign now, a future earthly reign or a little bit of both?

6. Is Satan's judgment occurring now, future or a little bit now and ultimately in the future?

7. Will Christ come back to set up a kingdom on earth for a 1,000 years; or is He reigning in Heaven now and waiting to come back to usher in Eternity; or is Eternity to be ushered in by the church's preaching of the Gospel, with Christ coming back to usher in eternity?

8. Are Bible Prophecies to be interpreted as being literally fulfilled, symbolically fulfilled or a little bit of both?

How one answers those eight questions does impact how one interprets Bible prophecy.  It must be remembered that the answers given do not carry the weight of importance as one's view on the Trinity, Christ's Deity, Salvation or view of the Bible as God's Word.  However, prophecy and one's view of it, can affect how one views God's final goal for our world and the carrying forth of the Great Commission. 

In the next post, we will look at some ways one can outline the book of Revelation. 


EndNotes_______________

1. Four key viewpoints on Revelation 20.

A. Historic Pre-millennialism. (Christ returns before 1,000 year literal kingdom) This first view is the oldest view of all four viewpoints. Historic Premillennialists believe that the 1,000 year reign of Christ will be literal, will be on earth, will be future and will last for 1,000 years. Below we can see a summary pictorial illustration:


Present Age------------Christ's-----1,000 year reign---Final-Eternity---->

                                   Return                               Judgment

                                Righteous raised               Wicked raised

                                  Satan Bound                    Satan Judged

B. Dispensational Pre-millennialism. (Christ returns before 1,000 year literal kingdom) This second view tends to divide God's dealing with history into periods called "dispensations". Though similar to Historic Pre-millennialism in how it views the term "1,000 years", Dispensational pre-mills tend to distinguish Israel from the church and place more emphasis on Christ's gathering of the church (the rapture) as being separated by a seven year tribulation period before His Return. Again we lillustrate:


Present Age----Rapture 7yr Trib Christ's-1,000 year reign-Final-Et-->

                                                  Return Judgment

                                                  Saints Jewish saints Wicked raised

                                                  raised raised

                                                  Satan Bound             Satan judged

C. Amillennialism. (There is no 1,000 year millennium, thus the term "a-millennialism". Right now is the millennial age and the Kingdom is all spiritual) This third view views the millennium as a symbolic number that describes Christ's reign from His ascension in the Book of Acts until when He comes back to usher in Eternity. The first resurrection speaks of people being saved or converted now, with the final resurrection referring to the raising of both the righteous and the wicked. Below we see a summary:


Christ Began reign--Present age/"millennium"--Christ returns-eternity

when he ascended unknown length of time       Resurrection

                                                                           of saints &

                                                                           wicked

D. Post-Millennialism. (Similar to A-millennialism in how it views the number 1,000, except it believes there is a golden age yet to come of indeterminate length that will conclude with Christ's return, hence "post" or "at the end") This fourth view believes that Christ went into heaven to begin His reign and will not return until the Gospel has been fully preached and most of the world (not all) has been Christianized and converted by the power of the Gospel.  Post-millennialism is a very optimistic viewpoint and takes seriously the Great Commission. Its summary is as follows:


Christ began-----Church right now----------------Christ returns-eternity

Ascended           preaching Gospel, turns into   raises righteous

                           Millennium as world becomes  & wicked

                           Christianized, Christ then will   Satan

                           turn at the end of this                Condemned

                           "Millennium" hence

                           "post'Millenialism.