Revelation: Introduction

Bible Study with Hal Lindsey

Background

- The Book of Revelation is written around 160 AD, near the end of the reign of Caesar , who wanted to stamp out evangelism.

- The Temple in Israel was no longer standing, suggesting this Book was written after the Romans destroyed Israel.

Book of Revelation

- It is a book that focuses on the unveiling of who Jesus Christ really is

- It is a book of prophecy

- The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ

Daniel 12:4

Book of prophecy was to be remained concealed or encrypted until the end of time. The fact that we can now understand the Book is supporting evidence (amongst others) that we are nearing the end of time.

- Since 1948, when Israel regained independence, the countdown to the end of time began.

- The reason why the Book of Revelation cannot be understood until the end of time is because the Book was written to become more clear with the unfolding of current events. As the events predicted unfold, these events therefore provide the clues needed to understand prophecy.

Revelation 1:19

- John, a first century man, was brought to the future by God to bear witness to the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ. The things he saw was therefore extremely foreign to him, and as we read on, we will see how he does his best to describe the futuristic things that he saw.

- John was told to write about...

1. Things which he's seen

2. Things which are: the Church age

3. Things which shall happen after these things (meta tauta = after these things): after the Rapture, about the Tribulation and the War

Revelation 4:1

Starts with "meta tauta" (After these things)

The sentence begins and ends with "After these things"

John was then raptured to heaven to see the future, which is our present time ( God said, Come up here! And John was in heaven--very much like the way we will be caught up with Christ when we, the church, get raptured)

Meaning of Numbers:

1 = perfect unity

2 = division

3 = perfect harmony

5 = grace

6 = man, man was created on the 6th day

7 = perfection and completeness

8 = resurrection

Sources of Revelation

1. God

2. the Holy Spirit: the implementer, the one that makes things happen

3. Jesus Christ: the faithful witness

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is God breathed