GRASP WHAT THE LORD REVEALS TO YOU FROM HIS WORD

The Book of Revelation can be very difficult to understand, and to be quite honest, I seriously doubt that those who have written commentaries on it, fully comprehend what it reveals.  The writers often use the words:  "could mean,"  "might mean," "perhaps," "I believe it is telling us," etc.; words which, in themselves, show they are often just making educated guesses as to the meaning of the texts.  In saying that, let me be very clear that I do not profess to know enough about what the Lord revealed to us through the Apostle John's vision, to even begin to be dogmatic about it!  What I am about to write are merely observations that I believe to be true.

To begin, I believe the book describes two separate locations.  Most passages refer to events that will take place on earth, and they are written chronologically.  On the other hand, there are what I see as parenthetical passages, which have to do with events taking place in heaven, and they are not governed by time.  Let me explain.

There are transitional words throughout the book, such as "after" (4:1; 7:1, 9; 11:11; 15:5; 18:1, 14; 19:1; 20:3).  In fact, Revelation 1:19, the key verse in understanding how the book is divided by time, says:  "Write the things which thou hast seen (past tense), and the things which are (present tense), and the things which shall be hereafter (future tense)...."  I, like most students of the book, believe that to John, Chapter One is past tense; Chapters Two and Three have to do with the present Church Age (some believe the seven churches also represent the history of the Church throughout its time on earth); and Chapters Four through Twenty-two describe future events.

However, within the chronological passages addressing earthly events, are passages focused upon things occurring in heaven (4:1 - 6:1; 7:1-3; 9-17; 10:1-11; 14:1-20; 19:1-10).  These passages should not be viewed as time-bound; some obviously are not occurring where they are placed in the text (compare 14:8 with 18:2, 10, 21; and 16:17 with 21:6; etc.).

It has often been said that the best way to interpret the Scriptures is by comparing Scripture with Scripture.  This is especially true for the Book of Revelation.  There are two key passages needed to rightly divide John's Revelation:  Daniel 9:24-27 reveals that there is a parenthetical period between the Sixty-ninth "week" (483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the Crucifixion of the Messiah), and the Seventieth "week" (the Tribulation or Time of Jacob's Trouble).  In addition, one must consider Matthew 24:1-29 to understand the events which take place before the Abomination of Desolation, and after it.  This division is seen in Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15.  Note also that after Chapter Three of Revelation, the Church is not mentioned a single time between 4:1 and Christ's Second Coming (Chapter 19).  Verse 4:1 appears to be a picture of the Rapture of the Church (see Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Th. 4:16-17).

While I have been blessed to be saved, to have lived long enough to study Bible Prophecy for over forty years, my understanding has barely "scratched the surface!"  The Apostle Paul wrote, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  Anyone who claims to be an expert on the believer's future, is only fooling himself!