Most people revere the Bible. In fact, recent polls indicate that men and women everywhere wish to understand the Bible better. However, for a majority, the book of Revelation is a major problem. Its prophetic language and mysterious symbols seem to defy comprehension, so millions have given up ever understanding it.
Many feel that the book applies largely to either the past or the future, and that, furthermore, it is a closed, or sealed, book and not meant to be understood by people today.
But the truth is that the book of Revelation is not closed or sealed. God’s angel commanded that it not be sealed, (Revelation 22:10) (1825). Some of the most important messages that God has ever given are found in the book.
Revelation is an open book. It was written especially for our times – the last days of earth’s history (Revelation 22:10-12) (1825), and a very special blessing is pronounced upon all who understand and heed the counsel of the book, (Revelation 1:3) (1800); 22:7 (1825).
Revelation is really a summary of the entire Bible, in which the main themes of Holy Scripture are reviewed in order to stress their importance. As an acorn embodies the mighty oak, so Revelation embodies the great key points of the entire Bible.
Seminars are very popular, today. They are being conducted all over the world on virtually every subject. But this seminar is far more than the average seminar, which is planned to impart information, or to satisfy curiosity.
ELEVEN GREAT SEMINAR BENEFITS FOR YOU
- This Seminar will bring you face to face with Jesus Christ in a most startling manner. It will stop you right in your tracks. Suddenly, you will see Him in a new and wonderful light.
- It will have a tremendous impact upon your life.
- It will provide a new understanding of the history of this world since the cross. It is, in fact, the story of the centuries-long warfare between Christ and Satan.
- It will give unbelievable meaning to conditions in our world today.
- It will unveil for you the meaning of grand, climatic, shocking events about to take place upon the earth – events that will have a profound effect upon you and your loved ones.
- It will reveal to you the devil’s plans to ensnare people. This infuriates him. So, he will do everything possible to prevent your attendance at this Seminar. The night you miss could be the one you need the most.
- It will lead you to the most momentous decisions of your life.
- You will be astounded as the great God of Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, speak to you through the Holy Spirit. You will often be surprised at what you hear. But keep your mind open. God’s surprises are always for our good. You may not always agree with what is presented. But this need not prevent the Seminar from being a great spiritual high point of your life.
- The Bible is not like any other book. It was written by God and can only be understood as He helps us. Thus, it is absolutely imperative to spend time in prayer, asking God for His help. Unless we do this, the devil will see to it that we end up with erroneous conclusions.
- This REVELATION SEMINAR will bring into sharp focus the fact that both the Lord and the devil are asking for your worship. The tragedy is that millions are honoring Satan, and do not even know it. Revelation sounds an awesome warning against this, and shows you how to avoid it.
- It is not possible to cover every detail of Revelation in a short seminar like this, but the broad, basic, main points will be explained, so, when the seminar ends, you will understand the book of Revelation.
NOTE: In light of the preceding elven points, it is crucial that we stress again the importance of uniting our study of Revelation with much prayer. We should humbly ask the Lord to clearly reveal to us His important truths, and give us the faith and courage to follow where He leads.
NOW LET’S TAKE A QUICK PREVIEW OF THE BOOK:
Chapter 1 The hero of the book is introduced.
Chapters 2/3 Christ’s message to the seven churches.
Chapters 4/5 Opening a mysterious sealed book.
Chapters 6/7 The four horsemen of the apocalypse and the sealing of God’s people.
Chapters 8/9 The seven trumpets.
Chapter 10 Eating the bittersweet book.
Chapter 11 The two witnesses in sackcloth.
Chapter 12 The mysterious woman standing on the moon.
Chapter 13 The mark of the Beast.
Chapter 14 The puzzling message of the three great angels.
Chapters 15/16 The grapes of God’s wrath.
Chapters 17/18 Mystic Babylon, the great harlot.
Chapter 19 The Rider on the white horse defeats the beast.
Chapter 20 The dragon bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years.
Chapters 21/22 The city of God – The new heaven and new earth.
In 22 short, action-packed lessons, the book of Revelation will come alive for you. When the lessons are over, you will understand the book well enough to give a brief explanation of its contents, yourself. So, let’s begin.
YOU WILL IDENTIFY THE SCARLET WOMAN
HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BOOK OF REVELATION
1.The book of Revelation passed through five steps to reach us. What are they? Revelation 1:1-5,11,19 (1800)
Ans: a. God gave it to _____________________
Ans: b. Jesus gave it to ____________________
Ans: c. The angel gave it to ___________________
Ans: d. John _________________ it down. (v 19).
Ans: e. John* sent the book to the ___________________
*John wrote the book of Revelation on the small rocky island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9) in the Aegean Sea, where he had been banished by the Emperor Domitian because of his faith and forced to work in the mines as punishment. Patmos was an island prison, the “Alcatraz” of its day. John wrote Revelation under the most forbidding and discouraging circumstances.
2. God promises a special blessing to those who:
Ans: ____________________, ________________ and ______________ the things written in Revelation. Revelation 1:3 (1800)
NOTE: To read and study Revelation is not enough. To be blessed, one must follow its counsel.
3. Whom did Jesus say the Scriptures reveal? John 5:39 (1556)
Ans: ______________________________________________________
4. When explaining prophecy, what approach did Jesus use? Luke 24:25-27,32 (1544)
Ans: He _____________ unto them in ______________ the __________ the things concerning ______________________.
NOTE: Jesus pointed out what other writers of the Bible said on the subject. His method is, of course, the correct one: Let the Bible explain itself. Only as we study Revelation in light of what other Bible writers say on the same subject can we ever hope to understand it. Our personal opinions regarding prophecy do not count.
The amazing key to understanding Revelation is the study of other Bible writers especially those of the Old Testament. Revelation is a mosaic of Old Testament imagery. Taylor G Bunch, a renowned author says, “Twenty-six of the thirty-nine Old Testament books are quoted from in Revelation, and of the 404 verses in the book, 276 are borrowed or copied from other Bible authors”. The first five chapters of Revelation, for example, contain 27, 15, 13, 16 and 14 references respectively to the Old Testament. So, keep in mind that we unlock Revelation’s prophecies and symbols by finding out what other Bible writers say on the same theme.
What Jesus revealed to John … He invites us to understand.
COMMUNICATION BY SYMBOLS
5. What does Revelation 1:1 (1800) say the angel did to the message of Revelation as he gave it to John?
Ans: “And __________________ it by His angel unto His servant John.”
NOTE: “signify” means to “communicate by signs, tokens or symbols”. So Revelation prophecies are symbolic.
6. How does Revelation 1:1 (1800) say that God presented the message of Revelation to His servant?
Ans: To “____________ “ unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
NOTE: The word “shew” (show) in the context of Revelation indicates a panoramic view. As you read Revelation, it is easy to see that God was showing views to His servant with sound effects. In reporting on the visions, John says “I saw” or “behold”, or something similar, 73 times. In Revelation, God is presenting events, nations, religious movements and organizations in word pictures or cartoons. Revelation is God’s word-picture book or a vast word-picture gallery.
7. Why did Jesus speak in parables and clothe the book of Revelation in symbols?
Luke 8:10 (1505)
Ans: “That _________________ they might not _________________, and
________________ they might not ______________.”
NOTE: Jesus spoke in parables so that only the Spiritually oriented could understand. He clothed Revelation in symbols for the same reasons: Only those sincerely seeking truth and guided by the Holy Spirit can comprehend it.
Further, the enemies of God are unmasked, and God’s people are revealed in Revelation. Centuries ago, God’s enemies would have destroyed the book if it had been written in literal language. For this reason, it was necessary to present the messages of the book in language only God’s people can understand.
But the symbols need not hinder understanding. The Bible tells us what they mean in literal language. Listed below are three prophetic symbols with the Bible explanation of their literal meaning. Write your understanding of the literal meaning of these symbols in the blanks provided.
- Beast Daniel 7:23 (1310) ____________________
- Water Revelation 17:15 (1819) ____________________
- Day Ezekiel 4:6 (1213) _________________
NOTE: The Seminar provides a list of literal meanings for 88 of Revelation’s symbols to aid you in your study. Look for Exhibit 1.1.
AUTHORITY OF BIBLE PROPHECY
8. How reliable are the words of prophecy? 2 Peter 1:16,19 (1787)
Ans: “Were _____________ of His majesty … We have also a more __________ word of ___________.”
NOTE: prophecy is more reliable that an eyewitness account.
9. God gives two warnings in regards to interpreting prophecy. What are they?
Ans: 1. 2 Peter 1:20 (1787) “No ____________ is of any ___________ interpretation”.
Ans: 2. Revelation 22:18,19 (1826) We are not to ___________ to or _______ away from the words of this prophecy.
10. Since God says that Revelation is not now, and never has been, sealed, why is it that so many feel it is closed, sealed or impossible to understand? Isaiah 29:10-14 (1057)
Ans: Satan’s strategy is to claim that Revelation cannot be understood because “It is ______________ “ or because we are not ___________________.
NOTE: Satan does not want people to understand Revelation because it clearly exposes his snares, so he does everything possible to discredit it. Satan used this strategy in Old Testament days. He is doing it again very effectively, today.
11. How much of the Scripture is inspired? 2 Timothy 3:16 (1750)
Ans: _______________________________________________
12. If we twist the Scripture to fit our own opinions and preferences, what can be the result? 2 Peter 3:15-16 (1789)
Ans: _______________________________________________
FOUR IMPORTANT KEYS
13. Four things are essential, if I am to truly understand the Bible, including Revelation. What are they?
Ans: 1. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (1671) Spiritual things are ____________ discerned.
Ans: 2. Revelation 21:6 (1823) I must “__________________” for truth.
Ans: 3. 2 Timothy 2:15 (1748) and Acts 17:11 (1623) I must ___________ the Bible and _________ all _______________by its teachings.
Ans: 4. Revelation 1:3 (1800) and John 7:17 (1560) “If any man will _________________ he shall _______________ of the ________________ whether it be of ____________ “.
Jesus spoke in signs and parables, so the Spiritual Ones could understand.
NOTE: I must be willing to do God’s will as it becomes clear to me. Christ dedicated Revelation to “His servants” or followers. He gives no indication that others will understand it. The secret of understanding Spiritual matters is found in Daniel 12:10 (1320): “None of the wicked shall understand: but the wise shall understand”. To really understand prophecy, I must have spiritual illumination which is given only to those who love and serve God.
14. What promises does Jesus give to those who obey His word? Ans: a. Revelation 3:10 (1803) He will keep them from the ____________ of _________.
Ans: b. Revelation 22:14 (1825) They will have right to the __________ of ____________ and may enter in through the _______________ of the __________________ .
15. As the Holy Spirit of God shows you great truths about Jesus from the book of Revelation, are you willing to obey these truths? Ans: ______________________________________________
Will you accept the GIFT of Eternal Life?