RRevelation

REVELATION

Lesson 1

I.       There has been four different major approaches to understanding this book, some books lists as many a seven.

1.      Preterist Theory – All of Revelation has been fulfilled in the pasted. This was held by Renan and German scholars. (Fulfilled during John’s days).

2.      Historical Theory – Fulfillment of Revelations is going on in history, and Revelation is the prophetic history of the church, according to this theory.

3.      Historical-Spiritual Theory – This theory states that the two beasts are Imperial and Provincial Rome. The point of this book is to encourage Christians. According to this theory, Revelation has been largely fulfilled and there are spiritual lessons for the church today. The theory was founded by Sir William Ramsay and held mostly be the Amillennialist.

4.      Futurist Theory – believes that the book of Revelation is primarily prophetic and still in the future, especially from Revelation 4 on the end of the book.

II.      Six important features about this book.

1.      It is the only prophetic book in the New Testament, the Old Testament has 17.

2.      John speaks about farther back in the past than any other writer (John 1:1-3).

      In Revelation John speaks about farther into the future than any other writer.

3.      Special blessings are promised to the readers of this book, (Rev. 1:3) as well as warnings to those who tamper with its contents (Rev. 22:18,19).

4.      Revelation is not a sealed book (Rev. 22:10) contrast (Daniel 12:9). It is a revelation of (apocalypse), which is an unveiling.

5.      It is a series of visions expressed in symbols.

6.      This book is not a book of beginnings, but a book of endings. There are least 10 great subjects of prophecy, which find their ending here.

a.The Lord Jesus Christ. (Gen. 3:15)

b.      The Church (Matt. 16:18)

c.The resurrection and Translation of the Saints.

   (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51,52).

d.      The Great tribulation (Deut. 4:30,31)

e.Satan and Evil (Ezek. 28:11-18)

f.  The “Man of Sin” (Ezek. 28:1-10)

g.The course and End of Apostate Christendom (Dan. 2:31-45; Matt. 13)

h.The beginning, Course, and End of the “Times of the Gentiles”            (Dan. 2:37-45; Luke 21:24)

i.   The Second Coming of Christ (Jude 14,15).

j.  Israel’s Covenants (Gen. 12:1-3), five things promised Israel]

III. Rev. 1:18-19

         Past                 Present         Future

         Rev. 1              Rev. 2-3         Rev. 4-22

Christ in Glory          Church in the World         Crisis in the future

IV. Outline of Revelation

1.      Ch. 1 – The person of Jesus Christ.

2.      Chs. 2-3 – The Possession of Jesus Christ – the Church in the World.

3.      Chs. 4-22 the Program of Jesus Christ – the Scene in Heaven.

a.The Church in Heaven with Jesus. Chs. 4-5

b.      The Great tribulation in the World. 6-18

1.      Opening of the Seven Sealed Books chs. 6-8:1

2.      Blowing of the Seven trumpets. chs. 8:2-11:19

3.      Seven Performers During the Great Tribulation chs. 12-13

4.      Looking to the End of the Great Tribulation. Ch. 14

5.      Pouring out of the Seven Mixing Bowls of Wrath. Chs. 15-16

6.      The two Babylons Judged chs. 17-18

c.Marriage of the Lamb and the return of Christ in Judgment. Ch 19

d.      Millennium ch. 20