UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

THE KEY TO RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

*  Revelation 1:19 - "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."


- Revelation Ch. 1 - "the things which thou hast seen."
         - 1:17 - "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last."


- Revelation Ch. 2 - 3 - "the things which are." [The Church Age]
        - 1:11 - "Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."


- Revelation Ch. 4 - 18 - "the things which shall be hereafter." [The Tribulation]
        - 4:1-2 - "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:  and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.  And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne."


- Revelation Ch. 19 - "the things which shall be hereafter." [Christ's Second Coming]
       - 19:11 - "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war."


- Revelation Ch. 20 - "the things which shall be hereafter." [The Millennium Kingdom]
       - 20:4 - "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."


- Revelation Ch. 21-22 - "the things which shall be hereafter." [The New Heaven and New Earth; Eternity]
       - 21:1-3 - "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:  for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God."