The Drama of the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the theological drama of the entire Holy Bible. Every doctrine of holy truth that we see revealed and taught in the Bible is dramatized in this “Masterpiece” of literature. In the first sixty-five books truth is taught, but in the sixty-sixth book, truth is manifest in a living picture of the final days. While there is no doubt that this book (Book of Revelation) is absolute truth, this great fact makes it even more powerful. The Book of Revelation is God’s final display of truth that puts an “Amen” over the entire Scripture. The Book of Revelation is a “Masterpiece” that finishes an even greater “Masterpiece.”
The following great doctrines of the Bible are all on display in the Book of Revelation for the church to enjoy. You may like to order our DVD of this great presentation showing twenty major doctrines as seen and revealed. This is not intended as a complete study because many other wonderful truths are also clearly displayed. LetÂ’s look at these principal theologies that are foundation stones of Scripture. When we finish, the literalness of the Book of Revelation will be seen beyond a doubt. It also proves beyond question the End Time teachings of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the seven years of the Great Tribulation, and the literal One Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ on this earth.
The Eternal Existence of God
The Book of Revelation is a dynamic picture of the eternal God and His overarching existence over His universe. In the first chapter John identifies Him as He introduces this book, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from HIM WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne” (Revelation 1:4). When the triumphant church arrives in Heaven, the first scene is God the Father on His rainbow-arched throne. John describes His appearance as “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone…” (Revelation 4:3a).
The Godhead Manifest in Three Person
Distinctive offices and expressions of the triune God fill this Masterpiece. It reaches a crescendo as the saints celebrate their presence around the throne and the Father steps forth with the seven-sealed book. “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6). There is the Father, the Son of God (Lord), and the Holy Spirit (Seven Spirits of God).
The Infallibility of the Holy Bible
A dire warning is issued at the end of this book to anyone that removes or adds words to the great revelations of God. The warning specifically says “words.” The Bible is infallible and no man has a right to change one word from the ancient manuscripts. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
The Vicarious Death of Jesus Christ
The title, “Lamb of God,” is both a divine endorsement of the Lamb that was slain at the Passover in Egypt – a great Old Testament prophecy and reality – and the divine death on the cross for the sins of the world. The “Lamb” is God’s star personality of this entire book. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5).
Jesus Christ, The Way, The Truth, and The Life
There is not any book of the Holy Bible that more perfectly removes all ideas of salvation apart from the Son of God. The search that was made for a worthy Redeemer to open the “Book of all Final Redemption of God’s Creation” is the perfect witness. In Heaven, in earth, and even under the earth, no hope was found until a “Lamb” appeared. “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Revelation 5:5).
The Church as the Body of Christ
The “Church of the Firstborn” was the primary purpose for this Book of Revelation. It is addressed unquestionably to the Body of Christ, the Church. It opens with the Son of God walking in the midst of His Church and ends with His Church – now His Bride – walking in the midst of His city, New Jerusalem. The church moves from the church to His elders, to His army, to His kings and priests, and, finally, to His Bride. “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (Revelation 2:1). “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16).
The Eternal Covenant to the Jewish People
God will never forget Israel. This great Masterpiece brings the nation of Israel right into the mix of the End Time prophecy without confusing the church as a separate and chosen people with the Jews as His first chosen. Immediately after the Rapture, as the Great Tribulation begins, the one hundred and forty-four thousand from the Tribes of Israel are sealed or marked and will be ready to help prepare the entire nation of the Jews for their salvation at the end of the darkness. The Word says, “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Revelation 7:3-4). We also see a large company of the Jewish people in Heaven prior to the Marriage Supper to be His kin at the wedding.
The LordÂ’s Day Set Apart For His Church
I often hear people say that one of the Ten Commandments – the one that says to keep the seventh day holy – is not reaffirmed in the New Testament. That is incorrect. John, the writer of this masterpiece, was writing from a prison sentence on the Isle of Patmos. It is absolutely clear that He honored a seventh day of rest because of his own statement. He said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet” (Revelation 1:10). There is no better way to teach truth than by example or drama.
Endless Confirmation of All First Testament Truth
The Book of Revelation dramatizes the teaching of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, Malachi, and basically touches every book in the Old Testament. I shared with a Jewish man recently and told him that the Book of Revelation was about half Old Testament teaching. The record of the Purchased Possession (chapter 5) is Jewish to the roots. Chapter nine comes straight out of the Book of Joel. The seventh week or Seven Years of Tribulation comes from Daniel. These words from Daniel and Revelation show the perfect connection. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44). “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
The Incredible Ministry of Angels
There is not one place in the Holy Bible in which angels are not active in their appointed roles. The display of their incredible power comes to a full sway in the Book of Revelation. From the opening verse, His angel – a specific angel of the Lord Jesus Christ – is given the task of taking this book directly from Jesus Christ and then giving it directly to John. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). The four beasts are living creatures or cherubim, a high and lofty order of angels. In chapters fourteen through fifteen, there is an order of priestly angels that proceed out of the Heavenly Temple to pour out the seven last plagues directly onto the Antichrist Kingdom. Angels play a breathtaking role in this book. The word angel appears seventy-five times and the word cherubim (beast) appears twenty times.
The Eternal Holiness of His Ten Commandments
The Book of Revelation is one of the strongest supports for God’s Ten Commandments of all sixty-six books of the Bible. It is clear that no one can have a part in the victories of this Revelation who does not keep His commandments. Christianity without obedience to God’s holiness is without merit in any part of this Book. The message of this Masterpiece is that no one will inherit the promises of these prophecies that has rejected pure living according to God’s standards. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
The Infallible Promises For a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Jesus Christ’s love for His Bride leaves no doubt of a definite Pre-Tribulation Rapture. The judgments that are about to occur are not judgments of saints, but judgments of sin, the devil, his Antichrist, and his worshippers. It’s unthinkable to have God’s saints on earth during the coming judgments when the saints have long been in preparation to help Christ judge wickedness. The seven years of Daniel’s prophecy is the final end of the wicked, not the righteous. This great drama shows God’s elders with Him in Heaven while He puts an end to the wickedness of the earth. He promises this to the church in Philadelphia. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
The Dark Judgment of the Great Tribulation
The coming judgment and cleansing of this earth is a truth that made its debut in the Garden of Eden. The Father did not take the defiling of His creation lightly. The devil was told that a person from the seed of woman would smite his head — authority and action. It was woman that Satan first deceived and God made it plain that Satan’s action would fall on his head right out of his own deception. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The seven years of the Great Tribulation is the fulfillment of this prophecy from the Father’s own words. Revelation shows this finality. “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17).
The Final Manifestation of the Antichrist
An Antichrist person and spirit has been evident throughout history and is seen repeatedly in the Holy Bible. Secular history is full of this same fact as men and women have tried to replace the Christ or build their own New World Order. Daniel described him best in his prophecy of the future. “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things” (Daniel 11:36-38). In his epistle, John said, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). This time of the Antichrist’s coming is only talked about until the drama unfolds in this Masterpiece of the Book of Revelation. We see him in his furor as he rises out of the Middle East in Revelation chapter thirteen. He will be the most vicious character ever seen in human history with all of his forerunners’ characteristics compiled into one person.
The Eternal Fact of Hell and the Lake of Fire
The Bible talks about Hell and the Lake of Fire, but they appear to be in two different locations. In the Book of Revelation, they merge into one as Isaiah promised. He stated, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:9-12). The area of the City of Babylon is destined to be the location of this final abode of the wicked. Revelation is the picture of the end of sin and evil and its final dwelling place right beneath Babylon. “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2).
Satan – the Fallen Prince – and His End
The end of Satan is at the door. We often wonder why he has had the right to continue to this hour. Our God is just and His family must be the highest of all creation. We were created with the right of choice, and there is no choice unless there is a literal world of darkness. Satan has been on a leash since the Garden of Eden. The world’s saints are gathering evidence to present at his trial. We will judge him and he will be cast into the place prepared for him and his angels. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
The Millennium Kingdom on Earth
The Jewish mind was so enamored with the promise of an earthly kingdom that they could not see Jesus as a sacrifice. The Messiah they looked for had to cast off the enemies and establish a Heaven on earth. After His resurrection, His disciples asked Him if the time had come for the Millennium. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8). There was not one time in human history in which some great leader was not trying to establish a utopia on earth. It is deep in the heart of all creation to move beyond sorrows into something glorious that is beyond our power to conceive. But, it is coming and only Christ can establish this kingdom. Daniel called Him a stone cut out of the mountain. “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35). John described it like this, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
The New Jerusalem Descends In Glory
Abraham was looking for this city. “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Apostle Paul spoke of how His saints knew that He had prepared for them a city. “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16). This future kingdom that will fill the earth is the highlight of all Scripture. It is talked about plainly and oft times mysteriously; but, the Book of Revelation is a picture of the final drama. John was the one saint commissioned to write a description of the city. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:1, 10-11). What a home in which to spend eternity!
The New Heaven and the New Earth
It all began on an earth that was created in perfection. The beauty of this previous world can only be seen in our imagination. What we do know is perfectly beautiful and so full of life that, even after sin, man could live to be over nine hundred years old. Finally, sin has had such a devastating effect that man’s lifespan dropped to seventy years old. That’s a 1,000 plus percent decline in longevity. The New Heaven and the New Earth will restore God’s world back to its beauty before man’s fall into sin. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful” (Revelation 21:4-5). The Bible begins in a garden and it will end in a garden. The glory to come is a glory that will never fade.
The Father Returns to His Garden of Eden, But Now a Garden of Eternity
In the beginning the Father would step down out of His glorious city that we call Heavenly Jerusalem and walk with His created couple. The sadness of that day when God found them hiding from Him is almost too much to consider. He removed Himself and provided a sacrifice for them to continue to worship, but at a great distance. That sacrifice was fulfilled in Christ, but distance still bars the kind of fellowship for which the soul longs. The New Heaven and New Earth will be the scene of the Father once again in the very midst of His saints – never to be separated. He and His Son will be the heart of this New World and we that live in New Jerusalem will be His family. The whole earth will have the right to visit the city and He will be there to be our God and Heavenly Father.
Conclusion
What a drama the Son gave us in this Masterpiece of literature! It is a word picture, not teaching us, but dramatizing for us the future. The whole Bible talks about it, but the Book of Revelation reveals it in glory. The devil has fought this book from the days of John’s testimony and revelation. Most of the church refuses its beautiful truth, but it is so perfect with the rest of the whole Bible that such a position is foolish indeed. The Bible is true – every word of it – and the Book of Revelation is its capstone.