Revelation Sunday School part 1

Revelation Sunday School Part 1

The book of Revelation has Biblical Scholars, the world and even secular resources are confused and wondering what everything means in this book.

Genre

There are many different genres that surround the book of Revelation. There is the same terms and Author done that is used in the other Johannine Literatures that we have covered previously. However, It is Apocalyptic Prophesy.

Style of writing

The book of Revelations has styles of writing borrowed from portions of old testament books like Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah.[1]

Date

Location

Author

So now that we know that there is some old Testament rooted. We dive into the timing of the writing of the Book of Revelation.

The Author is identified as his servant John in Verse 1 of the Book. The divine Author sent an angel to John to be the Human Author. John is on the island of Patmos making big rocks into small rocks. The reason why John was sent to the island is to attempt to stop him from spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The timing of the Writing of this I believe is in the end of his life when he is an old man around 85-95 A.D.

John Receives visions of these events and then writes them to communicate what is happening in the future to the seven churches of Asia. The seven churches that he is referring to are “Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."[3]

Outline

a) Prologue

1) The Books own introduction to itself ()

a) Seven churches which we look back into John we see that these are the churches of the Postal route in which letters were transported. Scripture is repeating itself and showing importance. Just like how my wife repeats things that are important and not something that I should forget or not remember.

b) 1st Ephesus {}

i) 2nd Smyrna (SMER na}{}

ii) 3rd Pergamum {}

iii) 4th Thyatira {}

iv) 5th Sardis {}

v) 6th Philadelphia {}

vi) 7th Laodicea {}

c) Seven Scenes in Heaven

i) 1st The elders around the Throne {}

God is showing John what is in store for his children that are believers. God shows John the Golden pearly Gates that we all in vision. John was given something that was only granted to the Apostle Paul, but he can tell others through chapter 4 and chapter 5 of the splendors of this awesome place.

There are 24 elders with white robes and gold crowns and they are seven lamps which represents the seven spirits of God. (Lord, wisdom, understanding , counsel , power, knowledge and fear of the lord)

ii) The four living creatures ()

(ESV)

Revelation 4:7–8 ESV

the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

The Four living creatures were of a Lion, Calf, Creature that had a face of a man and then a flying eagle. These animals that God has picked have a significant meaning.

The lion is a creature that shows strength and power

The calf is demonstrating that these beings are rendering humble service to God.

The creature with a face of a man shows that they are rational beings.

And the fourth the flying eagle shows that they fulfill the service to God with the swiftness of eagles wings. (Fast)

iii) The sealed scroll ()

(1) The Seals of the Scroll is something that is not new and ties back to how the Romans would seal their wills seven times to prevent someone that should not be looking at it get into it. That is one way to prevent unauthorized use. Additionally, the higher the amount of seals with the Hebrews who did the same thing meant that it was of more importance. More witnesses and more seals.

iv) The worthy lamb ()

(1) The Lamb is something that was used in the old testament but is making a way back. The lamb was used in the Passover, but it also signifies Jesus whom blood whipped away our sins.

(2) The seven spirits of God are sent out into all the earth and are mentioned previously in Chapter 4.

v) Song of the creatures and Elders ()

(1) The 24 elders fell down with a harp and a golden bowl of incense. This relates back to Old Testament rituals.

(2) Next we have heavenly song that is showing God Redemption. Everything that is going on is going back to Jesus on the Cross and how The blood of Jesus has washed away our sins. Without, understanding and keeping this paramount and the focal point we lose one of the most essential parts of doctrine that God wants us to keep in focus.

vi) Song of the angels ()

(1) After the song that opens the seals in verse 9 of Chapter 5 we have the angels that are singing and it is a sound that is so joyous. In verse 12 John states that there are 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands and thousands. This is meaning a number that John is stating is something you cannot count and the Greek expression is innumerable. This is the point where your calculator would say error 0001

(2) Everything goes back to Jesus and it is our job to be the slaves to God. He paid a price that cannot be figured out or even counted. He is our slave owner but also our father who guides and cherishes us. He encourages us but also corrects us when we need to change our ways.

vii) Song of the universe ()

(1) All the creatures and the elders are falling down to worship God. The elders continue to do this forever because they live forever. He demands our praise but it is not something that is not unrighteous since he paid the price of the lamb who was slaughtered who was Jesus.

2) Times of Tribulation () { 7 years}

(1) The seals that were broken releases the seven trumpets that contained the seven bowls. Each of these seals is a form of really intense judgement and is the Great Tribution.

b) Seven Seals

i) 1st seal – White horse of earthly conquest and dominion ()

(1) First seal is opened a white horse which significates peace but a false sense of peace. This is the start of false prophets, messiahs and the anti-Christ.

ii) 2nd seal-Red horse of slaughter and bloodshed ()

(1) There is a second horse that is released that is bright red and is showing the wages of war. This is just the beginning of God’s Wrath.

iii) 3rd seal-Black horse of commerce and economic crisis ()

(1) The war that started in the 2nd seal has caused a shortage of food and a famine. This is nothing compared to what we hear about in Africa and will lead to fighting for food and images that we have seen in movies.

(2) The mention of oil and wine is meaning that these items that seem normal and everyday will seem to be like your fancy steak that you get from the steak house. It will be rare and something that will happen never. The key basically is that it will not be the norm and the people during this time will have low nutrients of food.

iv) 4th seal- pale horse of death ()

(1) This pale horse has the Authority by God to bring death to 25 percent of the world.

v) 5th seal- the little while ()

(1) The Souls of the Christians who have fought for the word of God and are crying for justice for those that have killed them and their fellow Christians.

vi) 6th the day of God’s wrath ()

(a) God starts intervening in the events

(b) Earthquakes that have nothing to do with those that are in California and then the sun becomes black the moon red like blood.

vii) The multitudes of saved ()

(a) This is the 12 tribes of Jews. People that God has placed mercy on them. Chapter 7 opens with 144,000 people that are called. 12,000 people from the 12 tribes that are mentioned. Now these 144,000 people were not believers when the raptured happed. They were sinners and in the ways of the world and not of God. When they realized that without, God they are nothing and the way of the world is not the way to go then they become believers. This is the first time that they have been redeemed but if you look at the overall sense then it is the 3rd life-line that God has given them. The Flood was one. When Instead of just ending the world then God provides a reboot of his creation. Next we have God sending his son Jesus to die on the Cross for our sins in which he did not commit and then we have the Tribulation Christians which are given the Opportunity and mercy of God having them saved. . This is God showing Mercy on Man even though we do not deserve it especially when the judgment of the Tribulation happens.

viii) 7th seal is broken ()

This is the end of the first three and half years of the start of the tribulation. This is nothing compared to the ending. The 7th seal is opened with the lamb in (ESV)

(1) 8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. However, Using Scripture to Interpret Scripture and we backtrack a little there is a mention of the lamb in

(ESV)

Revelation 6:1 ESV

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”

6 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”

We have no reason why it is silence for half an hour since scripture does not provide any real reasoning or idea why there is nothing for this half hour. But, things are about to get real and the anticipation means things are going to get much worse. Additionally, when this seventh seal is opening this is the beginning of the suffering of man during the tribulation

2) {} We have the symbols of the Trumpets. This happens after there is silence that I just mentioned. There are seven angels with seven trumpets that God has given them. Keep in mind that there are also seven churches that we mentioned before. This is covered in verse 2. Next in verse 3 and 4 we have an angel that is having a censor, or a gold pan used to transport coals in the alter. Prayers are of Gods People are presented to God.

3) In Verse 5-6 we have the punishment that men deserves that is about to start in which the angels prepare to sound the trumpets and the angels doing the Work of God without, question or wavering from what he has required of them. This throwing of this fire upon this alter unleashes some major natural weather events. There are earthquakes, thunderstorms and I believe many other natural disasters. Studying this part of Revelation made me think of the End of the world movies where there is some weather event where everything is all messed up. You have earthquakes, hail, snow in south Florida. The key think is it is bad, much worse than the green slim that is going on with our beaches and waterways from Lake O .The wrath of God is unleashed upon the earth when this fire is thrown towards earth.

4) In Verse 7-13 of Chapter 8 we have the sounding of the Trumpets.

(1) The first trumpet in Verse 7 is the Curse upon nature.

(ESV)

7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

We had Earthquakes and other natural events going on in Verse 5 but now in Verse 7 we have fire. God said that he would never flood the earth again, but he never said that he would not use fire. The earth is the total land surface area of Earth is about 57, Billion square miles. A 3rd or 30 percent of this is burned up. That is 17 billion and change square miles that is taken away. That leaves 40 Billion square miles left and keep in mind that not of all that is usable. The reason why I went through this math equation is that this is a lot of land and is just the beginning of the wrath of God.

2) The Second Trumpet by the second angel is sounded in Verse 8-9 of Chapter 8.

a) A great mountain burning with fire. This sounds like a meteor that will fall out of the sky will create a massive wave of water that would have disastrous effect on all the marine vessels and the area surrounding the coasts of water. Fort Myers and California are gone.

b) Next, we have in this verse that the Sea will become blood and John MacArthur believes that this is referring to red tide which kills the micro-organisms However, I believe that this is a repeat of when the water of the Nile was turned into Blood in . Either way the marine life will be dead if it was red tide or water turned into blood.

3) The third trumpet in verse 10-11 of Ch. 8

a) A falling star or meteor falls onto earth on the rivers and bodies of water where men drink from. Wormwood is mentioned as the name of the star but also In Biblical times as a poisonous substance that was apart of a root that caused death. ( , )

4) Fourth Trumpet blown by the fourth Angel in Verse 12 of Chapter 8. 3rd of the sun, moon becomes dark. Without, the sun we have many items can go wrong. Go back into the times of the Salem Witch trials in which during this time in the winter they did not get enough Vitamin C and caused many issues including mental and physical issues. The Natural balance of light is out of whack. When it is supposed to be dark it is light and when it is supposed to be light it is dark.

5) The Fifth Trumpets is mentioned in the start of Chapter 9. The fifth Trumpet is blown by the fifth angel and a star falls from heaven to earth and a bottomless pit opens. This sounds like the pitts of hell are opened. The sun and the air is dark and think because of the smoke.

(ESV)

3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

a) We just read that Locusts will swarm the earth but will not harm anything green and leave those that have the seal of God on their foreheads alone. Those that have the seal are The Tribulation Christians.

b) These Locusts that are tormenting those that are not the Christians live for five months and they will not kill them but will inflict severe spiritual, physical pain that the person will be begging for death but will not be spared. We learn in verse 7 of Chapter 9 that these locusts were massive and had faces of men. This sounds very familiar of demons that are possessing these locusts that are massive as horses which are intelligent beings. John MacArthur agrees and states that these creatures in verse 15-19 that God controls this demonic force and they are bound or freed at his command.

(ESV)

Revelation 9:11 ESV

They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

c) Verse 11 there will be a king over the Locusts. whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, The Angel of Death." (Ἀβαδδὼν), and then translated ("which in Greek means the Destroyer" (Ἀπολλύων, Apollyon)). The Angel of Death will control the tournament of man for five months. This is not pain like a bee sting or sunburn but the worst pain imaginable. This is one of Satan’s most trusted leaders and is nothing compared to Satan in amounts of Torture. We have to keep in mind while we are reading this and chewing it over is that these things are foreign to the Apostle John and that he does not know what these images are so he is using words that he knows to convey them to us.

6) The sixth seal with the sixth Angel and the sixth Trumpet. The four horns of the golden alter. This was normally a place of mercy but is a where God would respond to our prayers but God says to the sixth angel to release the four angels that are bound at the river Euphrates. Here is the key thing that these angels that is mentioned are not our image of angels but are fallen angels. They are demons that have been preparing a long time to kill a 3rd of mankind.

a) There is a mention of any army of horseman in Verse 16. This is connection to the seventh trumpet. This is a demonic force where the horses heads were like lions and their mouths had fire , smoke and brimstone. Verse 15 and 16 are connected and wrapping it up to prepare for the next and final trumpet and seal.

7) Next appears to be happening is the plague that kills the next 3rd of mankind.

a) WE still have some people left over where they are still worshipping false idols and demons. They did not repent or change their ways.

I. Revelation Chapter 10

(ESV)

Revelation 10:1–2 ESV

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land,

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land,

During Chapter 10 we still have Satan in control, but we have Jesus explaining some things to john and to not allow us to be in the dark but to understand what will happen in the future if we are not believers of Jesus. In this chapter we have A mighty angel that comes from heaven in a cloth of a cloud and a rainbow, the face as the sun in which we are not able to look upon. Next the feet as fire. His right foot on the sea and the left on the earth or land. The image of a rainbow the sign that God remembers his promise or covenant that he would not flood the earth. God keeps his promises, but man has always fallen short of the Glory of God. He is telling us that yes Satan is in control but Jesus is in control of Satan and God is sovereign. There is nothing that happens without, God allowing it this includes the fires and plagues and all the events that we have gone over. We must keep in mind that God is doing this because of the sin of man and this is our consequences of our actions of this earth. If we disobey God and do what we want and the ways of the world than we deserve the Locusts, meteors and falling stars.

Chapter 10-11:4 is an interlude or a intermission where John get hears the seven thunders could be God response to Jesus lifting his hands toward heaven and showing his authority and power in verse 5.

Next in Verse 8 we have John hearing from Heaven whom I presume is God telling him to take the book that the is in the hands of Jesus that is mentioned in Verse 2. The voice (God) tells John to eat this little book that Jesus is holding. The little book is the seven sealed scrolls that is the certificate of stock of ownership to earth. It is going to be Bitter to his stomach but tastes as sweet as honey. Eating of this book is Scripture this is us reading and spending time with God. Learning, memorizing His word and is much more than just listening to a Biblical Teacher but truly Learning and Living God’s words. It is Bitter because John realizes that all the things that have happen to man because of their sin.

a) In verse 11 John is told to Prophesy among people of many nations, tongues and kings. He is told to warn others about the bitter judgement.

II. Chapter 11

1)

a) Verse 1-John after eating the Scrolls and he is given a rod or a reed which was like bamboo grown in the Jordan Valley to measure the temple which is showing ownership that it is God’s. (Also mentioned in )

b) Verse 2 - John is to measure just the holy of the holies of the temple of God and not the entire complex. This temple will be rebuilt during the Tribulation. It was destroyed in 70 A.D. However, we do not know if it will be rebuilt before the Tribulation. One of the many mystery’s of Revelations.

i) The Courtyard that John mentions was where he was told not to measure was the rejection that he received from the unbelieving Gentiles who have opposite his people.

c) Verse 3-Two Witnesses – The Two witnesses mention 1260 days or 42 months or 3 and half years the second half of the tribulation. These two witnesses will bring fire into a revival. They will be like Billy Graham, but they will have a defense against those that try and hurt them. They will breath fire like dragons.

d) Verse 4- A drought of this time period while there are disasters going on and the world will hate these witnesses that are preaching God’s word.

e) Verse 9- 11 The world will worship the Anti-Christ and the bodies of the Two Witness laying in the Street. The Beast that comes out of the bottomless pit in Verse 7 kills the witnesses but they fought hard but lost. The world still has not learned that this is not the way and they are signing their own fate with these deeds. Even though our God is a forgiving and merciful God. The Disturbing thing is that the world turns the day that these Two witnesses die into a world-wide holiday with presents and festivities.

f) However, we learn in Verse 12 that God tells them to come up here and they go into Heaven and the enemies see this. All the while there is an earthquake that is killing members of the anti-Christ minions. 7,000 people die and the rest that is mentioned

g) in Verse 13 is the Jews that have not come into faith, but God is giving them another chance to become Believers. This really shows that our God is one that will give us mercy and chances when he knows what is inside of our heart. They are worshipping God, and therefore God has not killed them. The others are still following their own ways and refuse to worship God.

This is the end of the Sheet given to everyone

[1] John Walton, Victor Harold Matthews, and Mark William Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament (Downers Grove, Ill. InterVarsity Press, 2004), https://www.worldcat.org/title/ivp-bible-background-commentary-old-testament/oclc/248088375.