Rev
THE UNVEILING OF JESUS CHRIST COMMONLY CALLED THE REVELATION
THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE UNVEILING
The title of this scroll, "The Unveiling of Jesus Christ," is an epitome of this whole prophecy. Hitherto Christ has hid himself. Here He is about to throw off the covering and take His public place in he affairs of mankind. He must be unveiled. His name and title are the clue to the character of this unveiling. Our Lord's personal name, Jesus, means Jehovah the Saviour. Jehovah is the God of Israel. Hence Christ is presented in this prophecy as the Saviour of the people of the covenant. The name Jehovah is emphasized by its translation into "Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is coming" (Rev_1:4). Our Lord's official title, Christ (the anointed), is the key to His unveiling, for it contains within itself the three characters in which He appears. Just as our realization of the beauties and blessings of light is greatly enhanced when we see it refracted into its three primary colors, yellow, red and blue, so the three-fold elements of the title Christ are presented to us separately, yet mingled now and then, that we may get a clear and cordial appreciation of the blessings and beauties which will be seen when He rises as the Sun of Righteousness upon this dark and dismal world. Of old three classes were anointed: prophets, potentates and priests. Each of these received the holy anointing oil upon entering his office. Samuel the prophet,
David the king, and Aaron the priest, were all "christs" by virtue of their anointing. Jesus Christ combines these three offices in Himself. In this prophecy He is first unveiled as Prophet to His people (Rev_1:4, Rev_3:22), then as King (Rev_4:1 - Rev_11:18) as Priest (Rev_11:19 - Rev_20:15). After the climax is reached at the new creation (Rev_21:1) these titles are rehearsed in reverse order in the concluding division. The Temple (Rev_21:1-27) and the Throne (Rev_22:1-5) occupy us first and then the Prophet reappears with His closing message (Rev_22:6-17). The literary structure divides this book into two grand divisions, one staged on this present earth and the other on the next. The first deals with the day of Jehovah, the second with the day of God. The time occupied by this is called the eons of the eons or ages. The first division covers the first of these eons, the second is in the last, which is called the eon of the eons. The second division may last a long time, but is very briefly told; while the first division, if we except the thousand years, of which little is said, occupies the bulk of the book, though it is a very short period. This is the great judgment era which prepares the earth for the advent of Messiah.
The judgments of this book are for the purpose of enforcing the right of Christ to be its Potentate and Priest. Judgment must begin at God's house, hence He first presents His claims as Prophet among the synagogues of His own people Israel in the messages to the seven ecclesias. Then heaven's throne is set and His regal rights are established. The world He ransomed as the Lamb will be redeemed by the Lion. The Throne Judgments are divided into three closely related yet distinct sections; the Seals, the Trumpets and the Thunders. The opening of the Seals gives us a general record of the whole period right up to the establishment of the kingdom. The judgments, especially the first four, are providential in character and affect saint and sinner alike. The fifth seal calls for vengeance on Israel's foes. The Trumpets are the answer to this cry. The intervening section makes provision for the protection of the saints during the sounding of the trumpets, the 144,000 being sealed and shielded from them. These judgments result in the kingdoms of this world coming under the sovereignty of our Lord's Anointed. The temple Judgments are twofold. First God's covenant with Israel is in view and Jerusalem is shielded from the wild beast. When the law is exposed and its curses are poured out, especially upon those of the apostate nation who enjoy a false sovereignty over the earth in Babylon. This is followed by the marriage of the Lambkin, and the millennium. The section ends with the Great White Throne judgment, which winds up the affairs of this present earth. In the last grand division God is reconciled to all mankind. Priesthood vanishes but rule continues to the consummation.
THE LITERARY FRAMEWORK OF THE UNVEILING
Fourfold Reversion
INTRODUCTION (Rev_1:1-3) The Swift Unveiling of Jesus Christ. Blessing on the Reader, Hearer and Keeper.
MESSAGES TO THE ECCLESIAS (Rev_1:4 - Rev_3:22)
Reward according to acts (Rev_2:23, etc.)
THE THRONE (Rev_4:1 - Rev_11:18) The Political Deliverance of the Earth.
Preparatory Vision: The Throne, the Scroll and the Lambkin (Rev_4:1 - Rev_5:14).
THE SEVEN SEALS restore Earth's Sovereignty to God.
The Four Horses (Providential): Distant Conquest, War, Famine, Pestilence (Rev_6:1-8).
The Saints Slain. The Great Convulsion. (Rev_6:9-17)
Preparatory Vision: The 144,000 and the Vast Crowd (Rev_7:1-17)
THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
The First Four
The Land, the Sea, the Waters, the Sun (Rev_8:7-12)
The Three Woe Trumpets, the Abyss, the Euphrates
Preparatory Vision: The Messenger and the Open Scroll (Rev_10:1-3)
THE SEVEN THUNDERS
The Little Scroll Eaten
The Temple Measured. The Two Witnesses (Rev_11:1-14)
The Seventh Trumpet (Rev_11:15-18).
THE TEMPLE (Rev_11:19 - Rev_20:15) The Religious Deliverance of the Earth
The Ark of the Covenant in View (Faithful Israel
Redeemed Rev_11:19).
The Star-Crowned Woman and her Male Son
(Rev_12:1-2; Rev_12:5-6; Rev_12:14-16).
The Dragon and his Messengers
(Rev_12:3-4; Rev_12:7-12; Rev_12:17).
The Wild Beast and his Prophet (13).
The 144,000 and the Blessed Dead (Rev_14:1-13).
The Harvest, blessing (Rev_14:14-16)
The Vintage, judgment (Rev_14:17-20)
The Tabernacle of the Testimony in View
(Apostate Israel Destroyed).
THE SEVEN BOWLS
The Unfaithful Woman (Rev_17:1-6)
The Scarlet Wild Beast (Rev_17:7-11)
The Ten Horns (Rev_17:12-13)
Great Babylon (18- Rev_19:5)
The Marriage of the Lambkin,
blessing (Rev_19:6-10).
God's Great Dinner, judgment (Rev_19:11-21).
Satan Bound: The Millennium (Rev_20:1-4).
The Former Resurrection: Judgment of Saints (Rev_20:5-6).
Satan Loosed: The Brief Era of War (Rev_20:7-10).
The Latter Resurrection: Judgment of Sinners (Rev_20:11-15).
THE TEMPLE (Rev_21:1-27) The Lord God Almighty and the Lambkin (Rev_21:23)
The Holy Jerusalem Descends from Heaven.
THE THRONE (Rev_22:1-5)
The River of Life (not lightning and thunder) Issues out of the Throne bringing Blessings (not wrath).
MESSAGES TO THE ECCLESIAS (Rev_22:6-17)
Pay according to work (Rev_22:12)
CONCLUSION (Rev_22:18-21) Curse on him who Adds or Subtracts from this Scroll.
The Swift Coming of the Lord Jesus
THE TIME PERIODS OF THE UNVEILING
The chart is designed to give, at one glance, all the time periods mentioned or referred to, from the grand eons or ages down to the days of Daniel's visions. In order to accomplish this the short era of judgment at the inception of the Lord's Day is expanded, as indicated by the oblique lines. In this era most of the events in this scroll occur. The Eons or Ages are five in number. This scroll is a prophecy covering the last two, which, as they spring out of the first three, are called "the eons of the eons" (Rev_1:6; Rev_1:18, Rev_4:9-10,
Rev_5:13, Rev_7:12, Rev_10:6, Rev_11:15, Rev_14:11, Rev_15:7, Rev_19:3, Rev_20:10, Rev_22:5). The first of these two eons includes the day of the Lord, the second the Day of God. The present is Man's Day (1Co_4:3). The Seventy Heptads, or "Weeks", are foretold in Daniel (Rev_9:24). From the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Neh_2:1; Neh_2:5), to Christ's entry into Jerusalem (Luk_19:37; Luk_19:44) was a period of exactly 173,880 days, or 69 heptads of years, counting 360 days to a year. The seventieth heptad is still future (Dan_9:26). Daniel divides it in half by the breaking of a treaty when the sacrifice and gift offering are stopped (Dan_9:27). This leaves us the period often referred to in this scroll of 42 months (Rev_11:2; Rev_13:5), 1260 days (Rev_11:3, Rev_12:6), and "season, seasons and half a season" (Rev_12:14). These are principally in the last half of the heptad. The middle of the heptad is the beginning of most of the movements in this scroll and the end closes them. This prophecy is not given in chronological order, but gives a general view under the Seals, expands the seventh seal under the Trumpets, and probably expands the seventh Trumpet under the Bowls. The end of the seventieth heptad is reached at least five times, and the narrative goes back again to fill in further details. The days after Christ's epiphany are taken from Daniel's prophecy.
THE DAY OF JEHOVAH
The day of the Lord, or Jehovah (Isa_13:9), is a day of destruction, a cruel day with wrath and anger (Isa_13:13; Zep_2:2-3), in which the stars and constellations, and the sun and moon will be darkened (Joe_2:10; Joe_2:30-31; Joe_3:15 cf. Rev_6:12), in which He punishes the inhabitants of the world for their evil, in which Babylon will be overthrown (cf.Rev 18), and when Jehovah sets His people Israel in their own land and gives them rest (Isa_14:1; Isa_14:3). It is a day of battle (Eze_13:5), a day of famine (Joe_1:16; cf. Rev_6:6), and fire (Joe_1:19 cf. Rev_8:7), a day of thick darkness and subterranean horrors (Joe_2:2; Joe_2:4 cf. Rev_9:17), a great and terrible day (Joe_2:11), when He roars out of Zion (Joe_3:16), a day of woe (Amo_5:18; Amo_5:20 cf. Rev_8:13). It will judge the nations (Oba_1:15; Oba_1:21; Eze_30:3), and in it He will take the kingdom (Rev_11:15). It is a day of wrath (Zep_1:14-15 cf. Rev_6:17), of trouble and distress (Zep_1:15 cf. Rev_7:14). In that day Jerusalem will be besieged and taken by an army from all nations (Zec_14:2 cf. Rev_16:14), and His feet shall once more stand upon the Mount of Olives (Zec_14:4; Act_1:10; Act_1:12). In it "The eyes of the haughty human are low, And prostrate is the highness of mortals, And impregnable is Jehovah alone in that day." (Isa_2:11-12) This is in contrast with the present, which is "man's day" (1Co_4:3), when men are haughty and high and self-sufficient. The day of Jehovah will come as a thief in the night (1Th_5:22; 1Pe_3:10, 2Pe_3:10). It cannot come until after the apostasy (2Th_2:3). It closes with the dissolution of the heavens and the earth (2Pe_3:10; 2Pe_3:13 cf. Rev_20:11) and the creation of a new heavens and a new earth (Isa_65:17; 2Pe_3:13 cf. Rev_21:1-5). Those under Paul's preaching were promised deliverance from that day of wrath (1Th_1:10; 1Th_5:1-11; 2Th_2:2; Rom_5:9). Before it comes they will be assembled together to the Lord at His presence (2Th_2:1). At the end of Jehovah's day the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt with heat because of the presence of the day of God (2Pe_3:12). Then there will be a new heavens and a new earth (2Pe_3:13 cf. Rev_21:1).