HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Revelation 1:18-19 - Jesus said, "I AM He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I AM alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  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):"

PAST TENSE: 

Rev. 1:12-17 - John has seen the glorified Son of God!

This is not the first time John had the privilege of seeing Jesus in His glorified state.  John, along with his brother James, and Peter, saw Jesus transfigured before them (Mt. 17:1-2; Mk. 9:2-3; Lk. 9:28-29).  Ironically, while none of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels were actually present at the event, John, who was present, did not mention the previous experience in his Gospel.  However, Peter did mention the experience in 2 Peter 1:16-18.

PRESENT TENSE: 

Rev. 2:1-3:22 - John wrote to existing churches!

In Rev. 1:10-11 - John was to write to seven individual churches that existed at the time of his vision:  "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 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."

 

[Note:  Many students of God's Word believe the seven churches represent both real churches, and that each represents a period of Church History.  See the article by Elmer Towns in The David A. Wood, Tim Lahaye Prophecy Study Bible, p. 1365.  It is also mentioned in The Scofield Study Bible, p. 1353, and The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1921.  For example, the end of the Church Age is described as having two groups of "believers"; the Church in Philadelphia represents true believer who will experience the Rapture of the Church (Rev. 3:10), while the Church of the Laodiceans, a word meaning "the people rule," will remain on earth during the Tribulation because Christ is not a part of their superficial religiosity (Rev. 3:20)!]

FUTURE TENSE: 

Rev. 4:1-22:15 - The Tribulation, The Millennium, and Eternity!

With the removal to born again believers (Rev. 3:10; Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 4:13-18), The Tribulation, also known as "The Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7) and "Daniel's Seventieth Week" (Dan. 9:24-27) a period of seven years divided into two halves consisting of "a time, times, and a half time" (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14); "forty-two months" (Rev. 11:2; 13:5); and "one thousand, two hundred and three score days" (Rev. 11:3; 12:6); will take place (Rev. 6:1-19:11).

Following The Tribulation, Christ returns in Glory and destroys the enemies of His people, Israel (Rev. 19:11-21).  For the next 1000 years, The Millennium, Satan is bound and Christ rules on earth (Rev. 20:1-6).  Satan is then released to deceive mankind into turning on Israel; after he gathered the nations of the world together, "fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them" (Rev. 20:7-9)!

After Satan and his minions are defeated, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14), where the antichrist and false prophet were sent at Christ's Second Coming (Rev. 19:20).  The final event to take place on this planet, will be The Great White Throne Judgment; born again believers will not face this judgment, because our sins were paid for by the One in Whom we placed our faith, Jesus Christ at Calvary!  This judgment is for all of the dead who rejected God's free gift of salvation; their names will not be in the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 20:11-15).  Sadly, they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

The last two chapters tell of a New Heaven and a New Earth, where we will dwell with God forever!  Though we were no more worthy of heaven than those cast into the Lake of Fire, because we believed the Gospel which declared that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that God raised Him from the Dead, also according to the Scriptures, our sin was replaced by the very righteousness of God Himself (1 Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21)!  When we see Jesus face-to-face, we will be transformed into His very likeness, righteous and eternal (1 Jn. 3:2)!

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRIST'S RETURN?

ARE YOU DREADING HIS RETURN?

OR DO YOU REJECT THE IDEA ALL TOGETHER?

WHAT YOU BELIEVE WILL DETERMINE WHERE YOU SPEND ETERNITY!