A REVIEW OF REVELATION CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH 11

INTRODUCTION Written by JOHN – (Not the Baptist…the Disciple). The youngest of the disciples, the “beloved,” a part of the inner 3. Written – about AD. John would have been in his 80’s. He was on the Island of Patmos – a Roman Prison Camp Island. He was there for his preaching of Jesus! (Rev. 1:9) IT IS FROM: -Verse 1. THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST! From Jesus, through His angel (messenger). In the book – The angel speaks to John, and Jesus speaks to John. It is all about JESUS! IT IS TO: -V1 – His “servants” - Christians…individually – them and US! V4 – To the 7 Churches - them and US!

CHAPTER 1 FOUR major keys in properly interpreting Revelation: Key One – The book is divided into two major sections – “What is” - Chapters 1-5 and “What is to come” - Chapters Key Two – The book is NOT in a perfect Chronology. It is a series of vignettes beginning and ending at different points, highlighting different features of the future along the same line. Most of this is centered around the 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Bowls. THIS IS A MOST IMPORTANT KEY! Key Three - We MUST understand – IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS and HIS ultimate VICTORY! Key Four - You must be saved and serious!

CHAPTERS 2-3 THE SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES The NUMBER SEVEN “7” The Biblical number of COMPLETION. 7 Oceans, 7 Continents, 7 Chords of a musical scale, 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, 7 Bowls, 7 Angels, 7 Days in a week, The 7 th Day is HOLY, The 7 fold Spirit, 7 things God hates (Prov. 6:16), There are 7 colors in the rainbow and 3 primary colors, The 7 last “words” of Jesus, the 7 CHURCHES! THIS BOOK IS THE BOOK OF COMPLETION! IT IS TO THE 7 CHURCHES - THEM and US!

The 7 Churches of Revelation 1. Ephesus –The Loveless Church 2. Smyrna – The Lasting Church 3. Pergamum – The Lenient Church 4. Thyatira – The Licentious Church 5. Sardis – The Lifeless Church 6. Philadelphia – The Loved Church 7. Laodicea – The Lukewarm Church

REVELATION – CHAPTERS 4-5 THE WHOLE SCENE is WORSHIP! W.I.S.A.T. ! Isn’t amazing – everybody wants to go to heaven and everybody ultimately believes that they will go to heaven! ( over 90% of American population when polled) – Yet only less than 40% are actively and consistently in Church on Sunday Mornings! If you are not happy in church NOW…you won’t be happy in Heaven for ETERNITY! If you can’t bear to WORSHIP now…how will you do it with JOY for ever and ever? It all is about your RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!

REVELATION – CHAPTER 5 THE FOCAL POINTS 1. Throne of God – The focal point of the entire Bible! 2. Scroll – 7 seals 3. Who can open - The LION/LAMB - “no one in Heaven or on Earth” 4. The Lamb - 7 horns, 7 eyes, Standing in the center of the THRONE 5. The opening of the seals - will and can be done by - only ONE –

REVELATION – CHAPTERS 6-7 THE 7 SEALS Chapters 4 and 5 – building to THIS! The focus is on the SCROLL and the LAMB – the unfolding… “REVELATION 7’s” Each set of seven -“unfolds” into the other Not Chronological – 3 vignettes interspersed with other vignettes, signs and scenes. The 7 Seals – unfolding of general history The 7 Trumpets – unfolding of “last days” The 7 Bowls – The outpouring of God’s Wrath after the rapture.

REVELATION – CHAPTERS 6-7 Just as Jesus told his disciples while He was here on earth with them…the “general” unfolding of history right down to the last days…Again in Revelation, He tells John in more detailed imagery. MATTHEW 24 COMPARED WITH REVELATION 6 - THE 7 SEALS Seal One – Rider on the White Horse – “bent on conquest” – False Christs and religious systems. Seal Two –Rider on the Red Horse – wars and rumors of wars… Seal Three –Rider on the Black Horse – famine – poverty. Seal Four - Rider on the Pale Horse – disease, plagues, terrorism, dread. Seal Five - The martyrdom of the saints - increasing in the last days. Seal Six - The harvesting of the earth (rapture) and the beginning of the outpouring of God’s Wrath!

CHAPTERS 8-9 The 7 TRUMPETS = a closer, more focused look at the specific end time generation(s) – these are “warnings” and “announcements” – especially to GOD’S PEOPLE (as ALL the trumpets of the Bible are) BUT…also – a revelation to the world of the TRUTHFULNESS of God’s Word – so that some, in this end time would REPENT and turn to Jesus! These are “mile-markers” or “signs” along the way of history that declare – “THE TIME OF THE RETURN OF JESUS IS NEAR”!

WHAT DID WE DISCOVER THAT THE SEVEN TRUMPETS POSSIBLY ARE? 1945 Trumpets One and Two – Speak of the devastation, human loss, destruction and the Nuclear Bomb of WWII. This signaled to the World that the End Time Generation(s) were here! -literally – 1/3 of all who fought and involved in WWII were killed. -literally - 1/3 of all ships used in WWII were destroyed. -literally – hail and fire mixed with blood fell from the heavens. -literally – a burning mountain, huge and all ablaze was thrown “into the sea”. THE LARGEST WAR IN HUMAN HISTORY THE MOST KILLED IN HUMAN HISTORY THE MOST NATIONS INVOLVED IN WAR IN HUMAN HISTORY THE FIRST USE OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN HISTORY

1986 TRUMPET THREE THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR PLANT EXPLOSION The FIRST nuclear accident in the history of the world The LARGEST amount of radiation released into the atmosphere, water and soil in human history (10X the amount of Hiroshima) Hundreds of thousands dead – and MILLIONS more poisoned and dying as we speak! - “Wormwood” = CHERNOBYL in Russian – GOD GAVE THE NAME! – He could not have been more CLEAR! Literally fell blazing from the sky to the earth. Literally poisoned the waters (turned them bitter).

1991 – PRESENT! TRUMPETS 4 and 5 – Began with invasion of KUWAIT / GULF WAR – Continued with a 10 year man hunt for Saddam and we are back there NOW! (Operation Iraqi Freedom) - Desert Storm - THE SHORTEST WAR OF ITS SIZE in HUMAN HISTORY – with the LEAST killed! The FIRST WAR in HUMAN HISTORY to be watched LIVE by the entire world! THE FIRST USE OF SMART BOMB technology and a myriad of other weapons technologies the world had never seen before! Operation Iraqi Freedom – The SHORTEST, SWIFTEST conquering of an entire nation with the most massive forces used in HUMAN HISTORY. The largest, longest, most expensive manhunt in human history – unsuccessful for TEN YEARS! SADDAM = “THE DESTROYER” in Arabic Literally 1/3 of day and night darkened by THICK SMOKE – (for eight months – 700 oil wells) The invasion of Kuwait lasted exactly 5 MONTHS The “locusts” (helicopters) came out of the “smoke” and “stung” “like scorpions” Saddam’s troops were not allowed to “kill” (conquer) Kuwait – only “torment” them for 5 months Saddam did not want to destroy the “trees, grass” (the land) – he wanted the land and its oil! We sought “the death” and longed for “the death” to die, but he kept alluding us – for 10 years. The people under this torment? – MILLIONS of them! – MUSLIM! – Not the “sealed”!

WHAT DO THE FIRST THREE “SIGNS” (first 5 trumpets) HAVE IN COMMON? 1. First, Longest, Shortest, Most, Largest – in HUMAN HISTORY! 2. Each event was witnessed and participated in - in one way or another – by the ENTIRE PLANET! 3. EACH OF THE ELEMENTS WERE NAMED BY THE LORD AND/OR GIVEN an UNMISTAKABLE DESCRIPTION! Wormwood = Chernobyl (Russian Bible) Destroyer = Saddam (Arabic Bible) Huge mountain – all ablaze – thrown into the sea -

Trumpet 6 IT IS STILL IN THE FUTURE POSSIBLY – a coming Middle Eastern WAR – centered in IRAQ? Along the Euphrates – (Bible starts here – Eden – 1 st murder – 1 st Sin – 1 st war counsel – 1 st worldwide revolt against God (Babel) – nations scattered from here – ABRAHAM called from here (Israel born from here) – last war on earth fought HERE (Armageddon – Revelation 16:12) The United States of America is THERE NOW! IT IS THE FOCUS OF THE WORLD NOW! IT IS THE FOCUS OF THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – NOW! Horses and their riders “looked like” lions heads with tails that had heads that shot fire!

CHAPTER 10 Chapter 10 declares that the SEVENTH TRUMPET – signals the very last “days” and particularly - the “hour” of the rapture. Rev 10:7 and I Corinthians 15:51 make this extremely clear. Rev. 10:7 “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished…” 1 Corinthians 15: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

THE FOCAL POINTS OF CHAPTER THE MIGHTY ANGEL – who is he, why is he significant? Dan 10:5-8, Dan 12:7-10 – Same angel Raises hand and swears by “Him who lives forever” Both tell listener to “seal up” part of what they are shown Both – speak of: End times, Anti-Christ appearance, Anti-Christ persecution of God’s people, the rapture. THE EARLY CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS! 2. THE LITTLE SCROLL – what is this “little” scroll – why is it significant? “little” – as opposed to the 7 sealed scroll of Chapter 5 “open” in his hand – for all who care to see, read, hear. “one foot on land, one on sea” – available to the world – “take the scroll and eat it – sweet as honey in mouth” – Same as in Ezekiel 2 and 3! Ezekiel’s job with the scroll was to be a “watchman” – to warn of sin and judgment! THE EARLY CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!

THE MAIN STORY LINE OF CHAPTER The Holy City (Jerusalem and/or the Church) will be “trampled” by Gentiles (profane or unbelievers – particularly the antichrist) for 3 1/2 years. He will set up some of his authority here. This corresponds exactly with Daniel 7:25-27, Daniel 8:11-12, Daniel 9:26-27 – The antichrist will rule from here. (See also Luke 21:24) 2. “TWO WITNESSES” from the Lord – will preach during this 3 ½ years and will infuriate the ANTI-CHRIST. 3. The two witnesses are ISRAEL (National and Spiritual) and the CHURCH! Chapter 11:4 “These (two witnesses) ARE the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” (Zechariah Chapter 4, Revelation 1:20, Eph.3:4-6, Romans Chapters 8-11)

THE MAIN STORY LINE OF CHAPTER 11-continued 4. The anti-Christ will show his rage towards these two “witnesses” at about the 3 ½ year mark of his rule! 5. These two witnesses will be “killed” (silenced, stopped, put-down – outlawed). This decree of “killing” them will come from the anti- Christ himself. (Again… both of the above correspond exactly to Daniel 7:25) 6. For 3 ½ days – they will appear to be completely “put down” – “dead”. The unbelieving - profane and vile world will celebrate the putdown of (Biblical) Christianity. 3 ½ days corresponds to 3 ½ years – in other words… ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME! 7. After this short time – of apparently being finally “put down” – THEY ARE RAPTURED! 8. There is celebration in Heaven…and the Wrath of God is about to be poured out on the unbelieving world.

DO YOU SEE A PATTERN? Chapter ONE – John “in the Spirit” – future revealed – The message is especially to the CHURCH Chapters TWO and THREE – Letters (completion) to the CHURCHES Chapters FOUR and FIVE – all about WORSHIP – and that JESUS alone is worthy to unlock the seals to the future and reveal the future to the CHURCH Chapters SIX and SEVEN – The 7 seals are opened…THE CHURCH is shown the signs of the last days generation and warned of persecution in the last days…but also told … “hang on!” Jesus is coming soon! Chapters EIGHT and NINE – 6 of the 7 Trumpets are blown and revealed – a sound of “GET READY” for the CHURCH…The King is coming! Chapters TEN and ELEVEN – The CHURCH is told that WE are the Witnesses, WE have the GOSPEL, WE are the “Watchmen” in these last days! AND….the CHURCH is told – “hang on!” – The 7 th TRUMPET is going to be blown SOON!