Revelation Made Easy

Note on Revelation by Jim Parkinson

 Revelation is not a revelation of its own self, but of the rest of the Bible.  Therefore we need to know about the rest of the Bible.

• Rev 1:1-3a       The expositors of Revelation we have seen – Are they evidently blessed?  or do they appear to be drunk with Revelation?  
  Consider Rev 1:3b.

• 1:4-7, 8     1st and 2nd Advents both necessary, before God will be all in all.

• 1:9-20       Symbolic description of the character of Jesus Christ.  [Cf. Ezek 1]

Sevens

• O.T. (Hebrew):  ‘sheba’ [pronounced ‘shĕvä’] is like German ‘sieben’ and English ‘seven’ and means both ‘seven’ and ‘oath’.  So connect ‘seven’ with the oath-bound covenant.  [See Genesis 21:27-32a; 22:16-18] 

• Rev 2-3:           7 churches.   To which covenant does this ‘seven’ pertain?
  Consider 7 seals (Rev 6:1-8:1a);      7 trumpets (8:1b-11:19);    7 last plagues (15:1-16:21).
  Compare with Jericho (Joshua 6:)  [We should now understand ⅓ of Revelation!]

• Rev 4-5            We are given a sketch from eternity to eternity.  The spirit (which spoke seven times in the previous two chapters) is dormant before the throne in chapter 4 but sent out by the lamb to develop His church in chapter 5.  We are introduced to God’s four attributes in 4:7, corresponding to the four attributes identified in Psalm 89:14.  We are introduced to the scroll with 7 seals, showing that they begin to be loosed only after Jesus Christ has given Himself in sacrifice.

• Rev 6:1-8:1a    The 7 seals show seven periods for the plan of God for the Gospel Age.

• Rev 8:1b-11:19 A reference to the tabernacle (8:5; Lev 16:12-14), as well as the 7 trumpets of the 7 priests at Jericho, show us that the trumpets begin at Pentecost.  These trumpets then also cover the Gospel Age (but this time from the viewpoint of those inside Jericho/Babylon, as the view is now from inside the scroll).

• Rev 12-13, 17  Daniel 7: shows us four beasts which collectively have 7 heads and 10 horns, giving us the background to identify the 7 heads and 10 horns in Revelation.  Chapter 12 shows the true church until the 2nd Advent; chapter 13 the false church-state until the 2nd Advent.  Chapter 14 shows both true and false during the 2nd Advent.

• Rev 15-16        Joshua at Jericho gave us the background to understand that the last day of the Gospel Age is also divided into 7 periods of time.  The Temple (the faithful church – the bride of Christ) is dedicated (opened, 15:5, 8) before it is completed (16:17), just as was Solomon’s Temple (7th and 8th months; 1Kings 6-8).

• Rev 17-18        Babylon’s sins of the Gospel Age (ch. 17) are dealt with at our Lord’s return (ch. 18).

• Rev 19-20        The great multitude, as the bride of Christ, are associated with heaven.  Satan will be bound for the thousand years.  [Note the manuscript problem in 20:5a; Gog and (or, even) Magog (cf. Ezek 38) in 20:8, and translation in 20:10.]

• Rev 21:1-22:5  A reference to Ezekiel’s Temple (chs. 40-48) and its benefits to humanity.

• Rev 21:6-21     Now put Revelation into practice!  [This is Revelation made difficult.]