Revelation is a complex and highly symbolic book. For many, it can seem “closed.” Our job here is to help it seem just a little more “open.”

 

This study is organized in three sections. In this first chapter we will try to give a “big picture overview” of Revelation. Along the way we will suggest a framework for understanding Scripture that hopefully will seem intuitive. If it does not seem intuitive to you, please read along with us. In the second section we will try to go through the Revelation timeline in more detail, which hopefully will make things clearer. Finally, in the third section, wherever more detail is needed we will break out special topics by chapters.

 

Revelation is both frightening and exciting. It speaks of events that will not be pleasant to bear in the flesh. However, if we understand the timeline Revelation describes it can really help build our faith, because it helps us make sense of what is going on in the world around us.

 

All of us are born as babes. As babies, our focus is on ourselves. Whenever we want something, we cry, and we keep crying until someone takes care of our needs. Slowly we grow to adulthood; and over time, hopefully we learn the importance of caring for (and taking care of) others. This is often referred to as “maturity,” and in the Nazarene Israel study we talk about how Yahweh has helped lead and grow Israel to spiritual maturity over the years.

 

Yet even as mature as we might become, and as much as we might seek to put others before ourselves, as long as we inhabit fleshly bodies we still have fleshly needs to be met. If we don’t get enough food, we starve. If we don’t have enough clothing, we can die of exposure. And if someone cuts our head off, or burns us at the stake, we die.

 

It is not fun to think about, but just as Yahweh asks us to grow in our maturity as human beings, He also asks us to grow in our level of trust. We are told that there will come a day when many of us will be asked to give the proof of our faith, by electing to die rather than renounce our faith in Yeshua.

 

 

At the time of this writing (2011 CE) we can already see the beginnings of a day like this. While we do not know the specifics, some things are logically inevitable. As the world grows closer together and more nations develop nuclear weapons, there is ever-increasing pressure to form a one world government, with one single currency, and a united world religion. The hope is that by forging one single “official” faith, the kinds of religious wars that have historically torn continents apart can be averted in a nuclear age.

 

Yet it will not be an easy thing to overcome national and ethnic boundaries. The irony is that it will likely take a nuclear exchange of some kind, before a one world government can be formed. Yet if there is such a nuclear exchange, it would likely call the masses of earth to demand the formation of such a one world government and a one world religion at any price, including the death of anyone who stands in the way of the formation of this new world order.

 

Because Islam teaches that their Mahdi (Islam’s messiah) will arrive as a result of an apocalypse, the more fundamentalist Muslims look forward to a nuclear conflagration. Thus as nuclear technology spreads it is almost a given that the kind of nuclear exchange that will lead the people of earth to demand a one world government (along with a one world religion) will sooner or later take place.

 

While we cannot know the details in advance, neither the Catholic Church nor Islam are strangers to forced conversions. If the new united religion was to be a blend of Catholicism and Islam, this would satisfy a great many prophecies (which we will detail later in this book). And if the world sees belief in Yeshua as being a major stumbling block to the establishment of this new united religion (which they believe will give them “peace and safety”), this could easily lead to a scenario in which we are forced to convert, or die.

 

In Revelation 13, imagine the beast that comes up out of the earth is a manifestation of Satan with two facets: The United Nations (UN) and its United Religions Initiative (URI). As we will see, the “first beast” refers to a succession of Babylonian-style empires, the most recent of which is a combination of Roman Catholicism and Islam. If the URI is also based on Catholicism and Islam, this could serve as the “image of the beast,” to which all must either “bow down,” or die.

 

 

But why would Yahweh create a world in which we have to prove our faith, by being willing to lay down our lives here on earth? What does He get out of that? In Nazarene Israel we explain how many scholars believe Yahweh originally chose Satan as His bride, but that Satan rose up in rebellion against Yahweh, trying to take over in heaven.

 

 

Many scholars also believe that Satan led a third of the messengers (angels) away from Yahweh in his rebellion. They believe these fallen messengers are called “demons,” and they are likely what the “stars” in this passage represent.

 

 

If this theory is true, then it would seem perfectly logical for Yahweh not to give immortality to anyone who has not first been greatly tempted in the flesh, but who has proven his loyalty in the face of temptation by doing good works borne of His Spirit.

 

 

Another way a man can show his devotion is to make a conscious decision to forfeit his life rather than serve a false elohim (false g-d), such as the Image of the Beast. Then it should be clear that his devotion to Yahweh exceeds his devotion to himself.

 

It does not promise to be an easy time, but Yeshua tells us that even if we lose our lives, on the far side eternal life awaits for His faithful ones.

 

 

As we will see, there are at least two resurrections in Scripture. The first resurrection comes at or just after the great tribulation (while the second resurrection comes a thousand years later, after what is known as the millennium). In verse 18, Yeshua tells us that even if we are put to death, not a hair of our heads will be lost. This is because those who are faithful unto the death will be judged as being faithful, and in the first resurrection they will be given immortal spiritual bodies, and will sit on thrones in the heavenly realm.

 

 

The apostles will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Because they sacrificed, and laid down their lives for Him, and did not love their lives to the death, they have proven themselves worthy of eternal spiritual life. They are part of His bride.

 

 

Although Scripture tells us that some people have been physically resurrected, the key to understanding the end times is to understand that the first and second resurrections are not physical, but spiritual. That is, those who are raised are given immortal, incorruptible spiritual bodies, but they do not reside here on earth. Yeshua tells us that when He comes He plans to take His bride back to His Father’s house, in which there are many mansions. That is where He resides.

 

 

As we will see, a major change happens at the time of the seventh trumpet. While Yeshua or His sign will appear in the clouds at the sixth seal, the time of Yeshua’s physical return is at the seventh trumpet. This is also when the wedding takes place (and as we will see, Armageddon/1 Gog serves as the wedding feast). Because the wedding is now past, those saints who sleep in Messiah will be given immortal spiritual bodies, and will be caught up to be with Him, and will always be with Him, from then on. However, those who are still alive do not get to go be with Him until such time as they die (and are “released from duty”).

 

 

The seventh trumpet opens the cup (bowl) judgments, which are essentially poured out all at once. The cup judgments essentially “break” the harlot Babylon and her Babylonian system, and this is one more reason why they lose to Yeshua and His forces at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11). This ends the time of the great tribulation.

 

One might easily conclude that those saints who have been caught up to be with Yeshua at His return are the “elect,” but Yeshua tells us that the tribulation will be shortened for the elect’s sake. This tells us that the elect will continue on, on earth.

 

 

We know that those who are raised with immortal spiritual bodies will neither marry, nor give in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they will become like the messengers in the heavens.

 

 

Yet we know that those who are not classified as “saints,” and who are not taken out at Yeshua’s coming will continue to marry and give in marriage. We know this because the nasi (prince or prime minister) of Ezekiel’s temple will marry, and have earthly sons. That is incompatible with Yeshua’s description of the sons of the resurrection.

 

 

We also know that there will be marrying and giving in marriage in the new earth, because Isaiah speaks of infants dying young, and offspring.

 

 

If there are sons on earth during the millennium, and there also offspring in the new earth, then where will those with immortal spiritual bodies live? They will live in the spiritual realm, as they always have.

 

There is also the “dry bones” resurrection of Ezekiel 37, which we will explain later. It may also be that certain individuals (such as King David) are raised up in bodily form. We will discuss these in later chapters.

 

If these things are not intuitive, or if they leave issues in your mind, please bear with us. We will now attempt to discuss the seven assemblies of Revelation, and then we will go through the timeline in detail, to explain how everything fits together.