Overview of the Book. Revelation furnishes us with an outline of prophetic events. We might wonder why this book is necessary given that we have great books like Daniel and Isaiah in the Old Testament. There are a number of reasons that the Spirit of God may have had to include this New Testament prophetic book in the canon of scripture. It is well to remember that there is an aspect of prophecy that is peculiar to the revelation of Christ, and peculiar to that which is revealed in the New Testament. The church is revealed in the New Testament. The judgment of the false church, which Revelation speaks in depth about, is something not disclosed in the Old Testament because the church was not revealed at that time. Revelation is not addressed to any particular assembly or individual, but to believers as servants. It is not “the revelation of St. John”, rather it is “the revelation” (‘apokalupsis’ or, the appearing, unveiling) of Jesus Christ. The subject of the book therefore follows from its title; the official kingdom glories of the Lord Jesus Christ which will be manifested at His appearing, preceded by the judgments that prepare the earth and close out major prophetic subjects.
- The express statements of scripture. We read of the assembly in Philadelphia, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Rev. 3:10. Surely, the "hour of trial" refers to the judgments of the Tribulation period. The Church will be kept out of it. Then in 2 Thess. 2:1-12 we find that the Day of the Lord (Appearing) cannot come until the great apostasy takes place, and the Antichrist is revealed, and that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth! The Holy Spirit will not leave the earth until the Bride is raptured (Rev. 22:17). Therefore, the Church will not be on earth for the Tribulation! Finally, the we read in 1 Thess. 1:10 that Jesus has "delivered us from the wrath to come", referring to the Tribulation judgments, and in 1 Thess. 5:9 that "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ".
- The absence of the Church in Tribulation Passages. The scriptures that deal with the Tribulation either state that the Church will be kept out of it (Rev. 3:10), or they connect the Tribulation with Israel (Jer. 30:4-7; Dan. 12:1), the Gentiles (Rev. 7:9), or the faithful Remnant of the Jews (Matt. 24:3-29). The book of Revelation is primarily a book of judgment which foretells the judgments that God will pour out upon the earth in the tribulation period. It is written to "the seven Churches of Asia", in order that they should know what was coming on this world, and that the light of prophecy would have a moral effect on their conduct. The book is divided into three parts; "the things which thou hast seen" (Rev. 1), "the things that are" (Rev. 2-3), and "the things which shall be hereafter" (Rev. 4-22). Rev. 1-3 directly apply to the "churches". Within the third section, the chapters that deal with judgment falling on the earth are ch.6-19... not once do we read of the Church on earth in those chapters! We see the same thing with Daniel's seventy weeks; the Church was not on earth during the first 69 weeks, and neither will she be during the 70th week. She is only on earth in a parenthesis between the 69th and 70th weeks!
- The heavenly calling and hope of the Church as distinct from Israel. Believing that the Church will endure the tribulation comes from a fundamental misunderstanding about the Church, and how the Church is distinct from Israel. Israel was an earthly people, with an earthly calling, earthly hopes, and earthly blessings. The Church has a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1), heavenly hopes (1 Thess. 1:10), and heavenly blessings (Eph. 1:3). By mixing up the Church and Israel (a fundamental error of Covenant Theology), and by confusing verses that apply to Israel with the Church, many well-meaning believers have come to the erroneous conclusion that the Church will endure the Tribulation judgments. We must see from books like Ephesians and Colossians that the Church is the unique companion of Christ, His body and His bride, whom He will have by His side for all eternity. The Tribulation judgments are the wrath of God. A man might punish his disobedient child, but it would not be fitting for him to discipline his bride! It is a totally different relationship. Apostate Israel is like a disobedient child. Apostate Christendom is like a immoral woman making false claims of relationship with Christ. They will be judged in the Tribulation... not the true Church of God.
- Rev. 1:3 – a blessing for those that read, hear, and keep the words of the book of Revelation.
- Rev. 14:13 – A blessing for those who have died in faith.
- Rev. 16:15 – A blessing for those who walk carefully and separate from the world.
- Rev. 19:9 – A blessing for those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
- Rev. 20:6 – A blessing for the heavenly saints who will live and reign with Christ in the Millennium.
- Rev. 22:7 – A blessing for those who treasure the prophetic scriptures in light of the Lord’s coming.
- Rev. 22:14 – A blessing for those who put their trust in the blood of Jesus.
References:
- Scott, Walter. An Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and Prophetic Outlines. Pickering & Inglis.
- Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. G. Morrish, 1940.
- Anstey, B. Outline of the Book of Revelation. Christian Truth Publishing.
- Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation. Williams and Norgate, 1861.
- Kelly, William. Exposition of Revelation. Bible Truth Publishers, 1932.
- Hole, Frank B. Hebrews to Revelation. Scripture Truth Publications, 2007.
- Grant, Leslie M. Exploring the Revelation. Believers Bookshelf, 1990.
- Smith, Hamilton. The Revelation. Central Bible Truth Depot, 1931.
- Darby, J. N. Notes on the Apocalypse, Gleaned at Lectures in 1842. Translated from the French. London, 1849.
- Stanley, Charles. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: a Brief Exposition. Pickering & Inglis, 1923.