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Laying Out Revelation – Part 01
Laying Out Revelation – Part 01
I have come to believe that the wisdom of Charles Haddon Spurgeon lay in not just with what he said, but also in what he did not say. Our pastors and Bible teachers have lost the art of humble reflection. Unlike Spurgeon, the voices from our pulpits make claims that they cannot back up with proof, and it’s time to stop doing that.
Especially, with the Book of Revelation.
Remember that there is a curse upon all who mishandle this book:
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
– Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)
We need to take this to heart for all the books of the Bible – but this one, especially so.
So, how is the Book of Revelation organized?
Revelation 1-3: Intro and Letter to the Seven Churches
Revelation 4-5: The Throne in Heaven, The Lamb and the Scroll
Revelation 6-7: The Seven Seals Broken and the Scroll Opens
Revelation 8-9: Six of the Seven Trumpets Sound
Revelation 10-11: The Little Book, The Temple In Heaven and the Seventh Trumpet
Revelation 14: The Lamb and the 144k, The Fall of Babylon, The Harvest
Revelation 15-16: The Seven Last Plagues – The Bowl/Phial Judgments
Revelation 21-22: The New Heaven and Earth, New Jerusalem, The River of Life, The Warning
NOTE: The chapter divisions were NOT inspired by God, but were inserted into the Bible by a Roman Catholic Priest.
Now, here’s the big question:
How much of this is chronological?
Well, now that we understand the timing and identity of Seal Six of Revelation 6, I believe that our initial assumption should be…
…all of it is chronological.
Please be careful to understand what I’m saying here. This is the ‘base case’, the beginning point of our analysis. This is not a firm statement of fact, but instead a hypothesis that we will test as we go through the Book of Revelation. Even when we get to the conclusion, we still won’t be able to do more than confirm the questions that we have.
Remember that we will always have difficulty understanding what’s coming, until a certain point when all will be revealed:
20 The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly.
– Jeremiah 23:20, ASV
24 The fierce anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it.
– Jeremiah 30:24, ASV
TRANSLATION NOTE: the Hebrew word for ‘ye shall understand’ in both verses is תתבוננו (pronounced: teet-bohn-noo). It’s a more complex verb than you find in modern Hebrew, but the root of that word is בינה (bee-nah), which means understanding, wisdom and comprehension. And, this is why the ASV translates those two verses better than the KJV or other translations.
So as we move forward, remember that this is a dangerous book to mishandle. We WILL misunderstand it, until the time of revelation occurs. When that happens, we’ll get it. Until then, we should be careful to build upon what we know with a confidence that has been proven in scripture.
Those who take comfort in fables will receive eternal condemnation for their prideful claims. Humility should be the watchword when examining the truth of the Bible, and that is doubly true about the Book of Revelation.
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