Book of Revelation 101

Book of Revelation 101

Revelation 101 was written as a study guide to help me understand the final Book of the Bible--Revelation. As God’s documentation of the End Time, Revelation has fascinated me for 30+ years. It’s the only Bible Book that tells us what has not yet happened. My intrigue is rooted in climate change. Knowing that the End Time has to happen while the planet is still inhabitable, Revelation has become a crucial current subject. Revelation is confusing for many reasons. Over years of study, I realized that three factors add to the confusion. The 1st factor is Revelation symbolism. Among the astonishing characters and events described, which are literal and which are symbolic? The footnotes in the NIV Study Bible are a gold mine of symbolism explanations. I use these throughout Revelation 101. Time definitions are among many Revelation details that appear to be literal. I believe a year means a year. If a year in Revelation symbolizes 1,000 years or any unknowable time span, there is no framework on which to build an understanding. With a year being literal, we can know that Earth is destroyed over the 7 year Great Tribulation. It is vital to point out that some Revelation details are only known by God. He doesn’t reveal everything, but tells us enough to understand what’s soon coming. We don’t need to know the things He doesn’t tell us. God wants us to understand Revelation. It’s the only Bible Book that starts and ends with a promise of blessing for those who study and take it to heart. The 2nd confusion factor is event chronology. The Apostle John writes the Revelation events as God and His angels show them to him. But for reasons that only God knows, some of what John tells us is not in chronological order. For instance, the Earthquake that completely destroys the Earth happens at the end of the Great Tribulation as told in Chapter 16:18-21. However, John describes it after Jesus breaks the 6th Seal in Chapter 6:12-14. And the final portion of the 6th Seal quake description doesn’t happen until the end of the 1,000 year Millennial Reign as identified in Chapter 20:11. This is one of the many Revelation details that only God knows. The 3rd factor is that John describes all of these future happenings in the past tense. He saw them nearly 2,000 years ago. But they haven’t happened yet. It’s confusing. Revelation 101 is a verse-by-verse review of Revelation’s 22 Chapters. It’s easy to read. Key verses are quoted and explained. Groups of verses in between are summarized to provide context for the key verses. If you are interested in what’s soon coming, Revelation 101 will help you make sense of it all.