Over the next few days I am going to present my study on the book of Revelations. Before we begin our study in Revelation there is one thing we must remember that is very important. Revelation was given to John in visions as prophecies that had their beginnings in the Old Testament, being fulfilled in the New Testament and yet much to be fulfilled in future events before the great and terrible day of the Lords return.
Revelations is given to all nations and tongues that live throughout the whole world as in Jew and Gentile. Israel is mainly mentioned, but not all of Israel is Gods chosen people. Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb are joined as a branch with Israel as God is the root of that branch and those who are sealed by His Holy Spirit are His own who find favor in Him, Romans 11:11-31. Therefore, our attention needs to be on those things that are happening in Israel especially Jerusalem as being Gods Holy City.
Within Gods final chastisement on man He continues to call them to repentance and one has to take into consideration during the time of the seven trumpets sounding what God pours out that destroys man will be a third part of every nation simultaneously being destroyed unless they repent and turn back to God. This also includes those who call themselves a Christian, but by name only as they have not Gods Holy Spirit dwelling in them and will also be destroyed, Matthew 7:21.
I have intentionally left out numbering the verses as these revelations given by Jesus to John to write them down were written as many individual letters in chronological order that were carried to the seven Churches in the Roman province of Asia and now revealed to the whole world.
From the very beginning of time starting with Adam man has allowed themselves to lose that Spiritual fellowship with God as Adam did when he fell to temptation through Satan’s deceit. Through the sin of Adams disobedience, we have all allowed ourselves to be deceived causing us to fall short of Gods glory and became children of disobedience as we continue to allow Satan to deceive us unaware of his devices. God will chastise his children as a Father that disciplines his children. He only wants the best for them, but many have a rebellious heart that will not heed His warnings and have turned a deaf ear towards Him as they love their own lives unto death and will perish never knowing Gods mercy and grace.
Wars and rumor of wars, nation against nation and kingdoms against kingdoms, famines, pestilences and earthquakes are all results of mans sin as they continue to fall from Gods grace as they become lovers of self, 2 Timothy 3:2-4. The fulfillment of prophecy is in that of Jesus life, death and resurrection that we can reconcile ourselves back to God through His grace before the return of Jesus. Our covenant promise from God is that we will have eternal life with Him, John 10:27, 28, through grace that we can reconcile ourselves back to the Father and live our lives according to His will.
What you are about to read and have revealed to you in these revelations are those things that are yet future compared with that of the past. It has always been kingdom against kingdom and nation against nation. There are only two kingdoms as one is Gods kingdom that is taught in all truths through Gods Holy Spirit and the other a ruling kingdom of Satan who uses a Jezebel spirit that speaks a deceptive word to deceive the nations, Revelation 2:20.
Revelations is full of symbolism that is literal where it needs to be and Spiritual where it needs to define that of the literal. These revelations are given as a warning to those who have yet to accept Jesus as Messiah. Gods chastisements are to draw those back to him in repentance before that door of salvation is closed forever when Jesus returns and Gods true Church is gathered up to be with the Father forever.
The focus in Revelations would seem to center around Israel only and the nations that come against her for this is how John would recognize it to be since all other nations were not yet developed in his time. Revelations is about all of us, Jew and Gentile, past, present and future that by faith keep Gods commandments. We are Gods witnesses that testify of His mercy and grace as we take His word out into the world to those who have ears to hear.
Israel lost her right to be called Gods chosen people, (God did save a faithful remnant), as they fell into idolatry worshiping other gods as they allowed themselves to fall from Gods grace as they followed the lust of their own hearts as they practiced Judaism, 1 Kings 9:1-9. God’s judgment against them led them to be captured, 605 – 537 B.C., by Nebuchadnezzar and taken into Babylon for seventy years while Nebuchadnezzar’s army killed many Jews in Judah and Jerusalem destroying the whole city of Jerusalem including the first Temple that was built through King Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem.
The second Temple was built under Ezra’s leadership and Israel continued practicing Judaism and their Temple was desecrated as part of an effort to impose Greek-oriented culture and customs on the entire population. Roman rule refurbished the temple as Herod, Romans vassal king, rules the land of Israel. In 70 A.D. the Temple is once again destroyed. The Temple Mount was taken over in 691 A.D. as the Arab nation built the Dome of the Rock and there has not been any other Temple built since that time on the original Temple Mount.
God gave Israel 490 years to repent. They were set free from Babylon when the Medes and Persian conquered Babylon (Chaldean) around 538 B.C. They were allowed back in the land and to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, however, they still did not repent for their sin of idol worshiping and they continued to receive punishment from God as the kingdom was taken away and eventually taken over by the Roman Empire. Malachi Chapter 1-4.
The 490 years were up and many of the Jews not only did not repent but they killed the very Messiah they had been waiting for as well as in 24 A.D. they made an opened display of rejecting the Gospel message as they stoned Stephen being the final messenger that was sent to give them their last chance to repent. The Jews were now rejected as God’s chosen people and were no different from the Gentiles as from that time forth each individual, Jew and Gentile has to make their own decision to accept or reject Jesus as Lord and Savior, John 3:3-7; Romans 10:9, 10.
The disciples were called first to preach to the Jews, Matthew 10:6, and Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles, Acts 22:21. God has saved a remnant out of the twelve tribes of Israel even up to a thousand generations that have always been faithful to Him, Exodus 20:1-6; Psalms 105:7, 8, but those who have yet to accept Jesus as Messiah God will continue to cut them off.
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The Disciples who sat with Jesus on the Mt. of Olives in Matthew 24:3 asked Him three questions, when shall these things be, what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? These three questions are now revealed to us as the Spirit of God has revealed them to John who told him to write these visions down and give them to the Church for instruction and understanding.
May God bless you as you allow your Spiritual eyes and ears to be opened as the Holy Spirit reveals all truths and gives us wisdom and understanding of the word of God. We are not to fear that which has to come, but be prepared for when it does so we will not be taken as a thief in the night, but to be a faithful watchman waiting patiently for that great and terrible day of the Lords return.
