Overview of the Book of Revelation

Posted July 20th, 2013 at 3:23 pmNo Comments Yet

Session 1 Overview of the Book of Revelation
I.               the Book of Revelation: Jesus’ End-Time Battle plan for the Church
A.            The book of Revelation reveals the glory of Jesus (Rev. 1:1) and His specific plan to transition the earth to the age to come. These events require our deep involvement.
B.             There are four parts in the structure of Revelation. The fourth part has five chronological sections in which the events occur in sequential order. There are seven main symbols in the book.
C.             The main theme of Revelation is Jesus’ return to earth to rule all the nations. Evil governments will resist this. His end-time battle plan is to physically destroy all the evil governments on earth by releasing His judgments on them during the Great Tribulation as described in Revelation 6-19.
D.            As the book of Acts describes the power of the Holy Spirit that was released through the early Church, so the book of Revelation describes the power of the Holy Spirit that will be released through the end-time Church. I refer to Revelation as the “end-time book of Acts.” It is a “canonized prayer manual” that informs us of the ways in which Jesus will manifest His power.
E.             As Moses released God’s judgments on Pharaoh by prayer (Ex. 7-12), so the Church will release the Great Tribulation judgments on the Antichrist by prayer. The miracles and judgments in Exodus and Acts will be multiplied and released worldwide through prayer. The greatest demonstrations of power in history will be openly manifest by Jesus and Satan (Rev. 12:9; 13:2).
18“I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [authority of hell] shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 16:18-19)
F.             Revelation is Jesus’ battle plan to allow the sin in man’s heart to fully come to the surface and then to drive evil off the planet through the praying Church. These judgment events do not happen to us as helpless victims of Satan, but are released through us as participants with Jesus. Jesus’ judgments are released to remove all that hinders love. He is at war to have His wedding.
G.            The seven main symbols: all events and numbers in Revelation are to be taken in their plain meaning (literal) unless specifically indicated not to (Rev. 1:20; 5:6; 11:8; 12:1, 3, 9; 17:7, 9, 15-18, etc.).
1. Dragon: is symbolic of Satan (Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4; 16:13; 20:2).
2. First Beast: is symbolic of the Antichrist (Rev. 13; 14:9-11; 17:3-17; 19:19-21; 20:4, 10).
3. Another Beast: is symbolic of the False Prophet called “another beast” just once (Rev. 13:11).
4. Seven Heads: are seven empires from history that persecuted Israel (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, revived Roman Empire of Dan. 2:41-42; 7:7; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-16).
5. Ten Horns: represent a ten-nation confederation that serves the Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-13).
6. Harlot Babylon: will be a worldwide, demonically-inspired religious and economic system
based in the re-built city of Babylon, near Baghdad in Iraq (Rev. 17-18; Jer. 50-51).
7. Woman with a Male-child (Jesus): is the faithful remnant of Israel through history (Rev. 12).
II.             Structure Of Revelation: FOUR Parts and FIVE sections (in the 4th  part)
Rev. 1   Pt. 1 John’s CALLING to prophesy about the end times: John gives truths about Jesus’ majesty —truths that form the way he prophesies about the end times, that are meant to equip us.
Rev. 2-3  Pt. 2 Jesus gave 7 LETTERS to 7 churches: The instructions Jesus gave to these 7 churches
about overcoming sin give us practical insight into what we must also overcome today.
Rev. 4-5  Pt. 3 Jesus takes the SCROLL: The scroll represents the earth’s title deed and Jesus’ battle plan to cleanse the earth in preparation for His rule. His plan is seen in the events of Rev. 6-22.
Rev. 6-22  Pt. 4 Jesus’ BATTLE PLAN is written in the scroll and includes the Great Tribulation judgments against Babylon and the Antichrist’s empire. Jesus reveals His main storyline of love to cleanse the earth of evil. His battle plan is described in five chronological sections describing the judgment events, each followed by an angelic explanation.
The 5 Chronological Sections: Tell us what happens to the Antichrist’s followers in 21 judgment events (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls). These intensify in severity as they unfold.
The 5 Angelic Explanations: Function as a parenthesis, putting the storyline on “pause.” They answer questions arising from the chronological sections: Why is God’s wrath so severe? What will happen to us? Angels explain to John what happens to God’s people, including what Jesus will do to help the saints and how the Antichrist will persecute them.
Rev. 6      Chronological section #1: The SEAL JUDGMENTS against the kingdom of darkness.
Rev. 7      Angelic Explanation #1: We receivePROTECTION from judgments and falling away.
Rev. 8-9    Chronological section #2: The TRUMPET JUDGMENTS against the Antichrist’s empire.
Rev. 10-11 Angelic Explanation #2: We receive DIRECTION by the increase of prophetic ministry.
Rev. 11:15-19 Chronological section #3: The SECOND COMING PROCESSION and the rapture of
the Church. The seventh and last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16; Rev. 10:7): Jesus will
replace all governmental leaders on earth in a hostile takeover. He will lead a royal procession
across the earth. He will first travel across the sky to rapture the saints (every eye will see Him;
Rev. 1:7), then through the land of Edom (modern-day Jordan; Isa. 63:1-6; Hab. 3:12)
destroying His enemies, then to Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:2-5).
Rev. 12-14  Angelic explanation #3:Antichrist’s violentCONFRONTATION against the saints and all
that is good in society requires that all his evil governments be replaced.
Rev. 15-16  Chronological section #4: The BOWL JUDGMENTS destroy evil infrastructures in society
Rev. 17-18  Angelic explanation #4: TheSEDUCTION of society by Babylon’s evil religion will
permeate and infiltrate every social structure, requiring that Babylon be totally destroyed.
Rev. 19-20  Chronological section #5: Jesus’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY into Jerusalem (Rev. 19:11-21:8)
Rev. 21-22  Angelic Explanation #5: The RESTORATION of all things (Acts 3:21; Rev. 21:9-22:5)

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