The Book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to Apostle John thus to us Christians. The book was written around 96 AD by Apostle John when Titus Domitian was the Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Apostle John
John was the youngest disciple of the twelve disciples of Jesus who became an apostle of the church. Apart from the Book of Revelation, John has written other Bible books which are; John (the gospel), 1 john, 2 john and 3 john.
The Book of Revelation is the last book he wrote around 96 AD. At this time, John was the leader of the Church and the only remaining disciple of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who were alive, others having been persecuted and killed by the Roman Empire, except Judas Iscariot who killed himself after betraying Jesus.
John was about 100 years old when Titus Domitian came to power and ordered Apostle John to be killed. Through orders of Titus Domitian, John was arrested and placed in boiling oil to fry him to death but miraculously John did not die.
So, Titus Domitian hearing this turn of events, he ordered John to be banished in an island called Patmos to die there.
Patmos is a Greek island. At this time of Apostle John, the island had no vegetation, so rocky, and people were banished there by the Roman Empire to die. But God preserved John in Patmos and in this isolation God appeared to Apostle John and gave him the Revelation of Jesus Christ (The Book of Revelation).
John survived in Patmos until Titus Domitian died and the next Roman Emperor who came to power allowed John to come out of Patmos. And he came out with the Book of Revelation.
How to study the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is so easy to read and understand. Many people say that the Book is in signs or coded thus only few people can understand it.
Yes! The Book of revelation is coded and was coded by the writer, Apostle John, for several reasons;
- Protection: – The Book of revelation was written during the times of great Church persecution. For Apostle John to protect himself, the Church and entire Christians, he had to code the book that if enemies get it they would not understand it. To the church and Christians, it is so plain, easy to comprehend and there is nothing new in it.
- Convey information: – Language changes across generations and culture but pictures and signs do not change but convey unaltered information across generations and cultures.
- Arouse emotions: – through its coding, emotions are aroused. It is one thing to say the economic system and another thing to say Babylon. It is one thing to say the Church and another thing to say The Bride of Christ.
The Book of Revelation is not primarily to enlighten you and me about prophecy but to encounter Jesus personally; with great intimacy. It is the Revelation of Jesus given by God to John then to us.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him…. (Rev 1:1).
It is the only Book in the Bible with blessings reading, hearing and keeping it. No wonder the devil keeps away Christians from reading it telling them that it is hard to comprehend.
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Rev 1:3). If you want blessings, read the Book of Revelation.
As I have said, there is nothing in the Book of Revelation which is new; which has not being revealed in the Old Testament. One of the reasons Apostle John coded the book is to be understood only by the church.
The book of revelation only puts all the Old Testament revelations of Jesus together as well as putting together all future prophesies from the Old Testament.
Apostle John pulls out all the strings of the Old Testament together and puts it in poetry to give us the entire Revelation of Jesus. If you have no knowledge and understanding of the Books of the Old Testament, you cannot understand the Book of Revelation.
Structure of the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is so easy to comprehend if you truly know and understand the books of the Old Testament. It is structured or arranged in a very simple way to help us get the revelation of Jesus. This is its structure;
Apostle John was told to ‘Write the things which you see, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter’ (Rev 1:19).
The things which you see
Chapter one deals with things which John was seeing.
The things which are
The line, ‘The things which are’ is in present tense. In other bible versions it is written as ‘What is’. What is, is the Church age (see the dispensations for further knowledge).
Chapter two and three deals with what is (the church age). Realize that when John was being presented with this Book in Patmos, he was living in the Church age which we are in today.
The things which shall be hereafter (future)
Chapter four to the last chapter deals with what is to take place (future). There are several things which shall take place in order of the chapters from chapter four.
Chapter 4 and 5 reveals the rupture and the church as seeing in heaven.
Chapter 6 to 18 reveals the tribulation; God pouring His wrath to a disobedient world.
Chapter 20 reveals the coming back of Jesus Christ (his third coming) and the Millennium Kingdom.
Chapter twenty-one to twenty-two reveals the new heaven and the new earth.
Apart from revealing Jesus Christ, the Book of Revelation presents the entire future prophecy given to us by God which we (Christians) must not ignore because there are consequences of ignoring God prophecy and prophets (See Ignoring prophecy and prophets).
Do not be deceived by the devil that the Book of Revelation is hard to understand because it is not. And Yes! To the world, the book is hard to understand
Jesus is coming
Repent Repent Repent
Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand
