The Revelation to John

It is amazing to me how people are all over the map as to the ebb and flow of the last book of the Bible, John’s Revelation.  I take it literal unless clearly otherwise and I take it chronologically as laid out to John.

It is also amazing to me that so many either shy away from that book or relegate it to symbolism or figuration and thus hard to grasp when God declares in its very opening:  Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, Revelation 1:3.  I personally want to be blessed!

The Revelation to John of the future starts with the apostle John in exile on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea likely around 90 AD.  While alone – NOT!  For God was aware and visited.  One day while working through a day’s routine, the resurrected Jesus showed up in a visible yet unnatural form.  The book begins with the apostle John in this life waiting his death day.

If we go to the back end of the book we read about a recreated earth and heaven followed by a description of an eternal life with God on His beautiful renewed earth.  It will be freed of sinners, Satan, and sin (no idolatry and no lying, to name two).  It will feature a fabulous palace – the New Jerusalem (read the description in 21:10-21).  It will have no temple for God will be present and that being true, there will be no need for the sun.  The world will be subdivided into groups each with a “king” who all will be fully submissive to the King and joyfully bring worship and praise to God.

From God’s throne will flow a crystal clear river of water with the tree of life bearing a different fruit each month (OK, there will be an element of time even in eternity – likely a call for special worship each month).  God’s people, those who have embraced the Messiah as their Savior and Lord today, will be forever there living in unbelievable joy, peace, love and beauty and fully fulfilled as they give God glory knowing His great love, majesty and power. That revelation of the distant future caused John to fall down in worship (22:8) and a cry for this to happen quickly (22:10).  So I’m blessed already knowing of my future after this life.

Between those two points – John on Patmos and what John would experience for eternity on the earth with God – is a revelation of God’s future doings with men.  What lay ahead:

> The church age – Jesus talked about 7 churches in existence in John’s day and a revelation of the types of churches that will mark the entire church age.

> Then John was called to Heaven – “Come up here!” and immediately he was in the presence of God and Jesus.  John describes Heaven, then sees the beginning of a horrific time on earth as pre-declared by God and sealed in a document.  The opening of that scroll will release and allow an unfolding of many bad events on earth.

> Jesus will utter 7 declarations of judgment – 7 vial judgments that set up His return.

> Jesus then returns to earth to the place from where he left – the Mt of Olives – which will split in two giving the Jews trapped in Jerusalem an escape from the wrath of Satan and his antichrist.

> Then Jesus will remove all those who do not like Him or accept Him as their Lord.  He will be crowned King of the earth and will rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.  His rule will be firm and with Satan removed and sinners controlled, it will be one of worldwide peace.

> At the end, Satan will be released to serve as a catalyst to gather rejectors of Jesus (there will be such who, even living in Jesus’ just and sinless reign, will not accept Him) and need removed.

> Jesus will then judge all non-believers at the Great White Throne and banish them to Hell.

> Then to that purged and recreated perfect world God will dwell with His people forever in a glorious state.

I find no reason to not take The Revelation in the order as revealed to John and I find no reason to not take it literally.