Revelation, though it reveals a lot to us, can be confusing. Important concepts and terminology used in the book are explained here.
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Snapshot
Clarification of concepts, terms such as:
- The Great Tribulation
- Blood Moon
- Antichrist
- Rapture
- The 144000
- Armegeddon
- Millenial Rule of Christ
- Feast for Believers
- Fate of Unbelievers
- Eternal Death
The Great Tribulation
- It is referred to by Jesus, John, the prophets/ apostles in different ways
- Jesus uses “tribulation” in Mt 24 v 9 differently to “Great Tribulation” in Mt 24 v. 21
- The latter is the one under discussion
- It is the 7 year period of rapture, second coming, destructive events on earth, etc.
The Great Tribulation
- In Revelation, John refers to it (in some translations) as:
- Wrath or
- Disaster
- In the prophetic books and apostolic letters, it is also called:
- Trouble as never before
- Jacob’s trouble
- Day of wrath
- Day of the Lord
The Great Tribulation
Some verses:
- For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been …and never will be. Matthew 24:21 ESV
- ..after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, Mark 13:24 ESV
- “.. there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been .. at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 ESV
Also ref Mark 13:19 ESV and Matthew 24:29 ESV
The Great Tribulation
Verses cont’d:
- Revelation 7:13,14..behold, a great multitude ..from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,….
- “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ESV
The Great Tribulation
Verses cont’d:
- “How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.“ Jeremiah 30:7
- 2/3 Israel will die – “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it”. Zechariah 13:8
Moon Turning to Blood
- “Blood moons” are much talked about in Christian circles in recent times as the colorations resulting from eclipses, etc.
- These supposedly have occurred at certain rare intervals
- The bible associates it NOT as STANDALONE but with a number of other events like sun dark, sky being folded up, stars falling from sky, etc. – Mt 24
Antichrist
Referred to in the Bible as [2]:
- Little Horn – Daniel 7:8 (NLT)
- Fierce King, Master of Intrigue – Daniel 8:23 (NLT)
- Prince who is to come – Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
- Worthless Shepherd – Zechariah 11:17 (NLT)
- Man of Lawlessness – 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NLT)
- One Who Brings Destruction – 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NLT)
- Beast – Revelation 13:11 (NLT)
..And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. Revelation 13:5 ESV
Antichrist
He will exalt himself above all gods.
- ..so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV
The dragon
The dragon refers to Satan – who will be bound for 1000 years before and after which he wages massive wars against Christian believers, God’s people.
The First Resurrection
The bible talks of three separate events [3] when the righteous rise collectively called “The First Resurrection”
1.At the time of Jesus’ death (Matt 27:51-520)
2.When saints (dead then living) are snatched up in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16,17) –(the rapture – appearing to be towards the beginning of the “Great Tribulation)
3.The remaining saints who have stuck through, or came to Christ during tribulation (towards end of the Great Tribulation) – Rev 20:4
The first resurrection – phase 1
At the time of Jesus’ death
Matthew 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
The First Resurrection – Phase 2 Rapture and Resurrection
Among those in Christ:
- The dead will rise (resurrection).
- The rest who are alive will be caught up (rapture)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. I Thessalonians 4:16-17
The First Resurrection – Phase 3
This occurs soon after (what I term) the Second Coming (Rev 14:1), when Christ comes to win and rule.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded… They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4
The three great wars
- Before Christ comes – king of the north Dan 11
- Before Christ’s second coming – King of the north – Dan 11 – – Armageddon
- Before judgement – end of millenium – Ez 38,39
The First war – Before Christ comes
Daniel 11:21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.
31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
The second war – Armageddon
The place of the final battle between God and Satan:
- And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses…. … Revelation 19:11-21 ESV
- 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty…. 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Revelation 16:14–16 ESV
The Final War
When Israel is dwelling safely – during millenium.
- Ez 38:14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
The Final War
- Rev 20:7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea
The Two Women
The woman with 12 stars aon her head
- Revelation 12:1 …. a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
- Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus
The Two Women – The scarlet woman
The Scarlet woman
- Revelation 13:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
Scarlet Woman
Many scholars attribute her to the Church originated in Rome [5][6]. Just as Jesus was put to death by his own Jews, the church has killed many of their own. Israel was a represented as a prostitude in the Old Testament, In the New testament it appears to be the church behaving very much as Israel did. However there are the faithful few.
In my view:
- We could be part of the “scarlet woman” and called to come out towards the end… (Rev 18:4)
- We are also part of the other woman, Israel (Rev 12, 13) as her children (Rev 12:17)
Scarlet Woman
- Is the Scarlet woman the unraptured church? It is destroyed, while Israel is preserved. (ch 12, 18)
- The other view is that the scarlet woman could be religious organizations or other religions opposing the gospel.
- Possibly a combination.
- The remaining of God’s people from the church have already been raptured
- They (or some of them) will come down with Jesus and the saints in the Millenial kingdom
Millenial Rule of Christ
This rule occurs on the earth for a thousand years.
……the same horn was making war against the saints… and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. (Dan. 7:21-22)
9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11
Fate of Unbelievers
- But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. Psalms 37:20 – KJV
- People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Psalm 49:20 – NIV
- Fire and worm never dies of “bodies” – Isaiah 66
Eternal Death
- “For ever and ever” in Rev 20:10 in Greek eis tous aeonas ton aionon, ‘to the ages of the ages’.
- “And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet were. And shall be tormented day and night until the age of ages.”
- Satan and his followers will not endure everlasting punishing; he will have their existence terminated; [1]
Eternal Death
The Lake of Fire [1] is a :
- Physical place that burns with
- Physical fire (Matt.25:40-41; Rev.20:7-10) and turned to
- Physical ashes that will be trodden under the feet of the righteous (Mal.4:1-3),
Matt 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
The Final Frontier – The Eternal Kingdom
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
Discussion
- Why does the “new heaven” require to “heal the nations”?
- Will there still be sin?
- Other open questions..
References
1.http://www.bibleresearch.org/articles/a9pws.htm
2.http://www.end-times-bible-prophecy.com/the-antichrist.html
3.Bible.org
4.@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
5. https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/revelation-17/