The Use of Symbols in the book of Revelation

Just because I believe that the book of Revelation should be interpreted literally, it does not mean that many symbols are not used. A literal view takes words as they are, unless there is something in the text indicating that it should be taken some way other than literally. And there is symbolic language in this book. The existence of these symbols has led to two extremes. One extreme states that these symbols show that this book cannot be understood and must simply be interpreted in terms of a general conflict between good and evil, the good winning out in the end. Beyond this, they say the book is not to be understood in any great detail. Thus, this view has opened the book up to a wide range of criticism and attacks from the enemies of the faithful.

The second extreme states that the symbols are used for unchecked speculation, sensationalism and all kinds of guesswork in trying to interpret them in terms of current events. Such speculation has resulted in far-fetched interpretations, and changes are made as current events unfold. This view has also led to the setting of dates. In this area, the book of Revelation has suffered at the hands of its friends.

But there is a balance between these two extremes. While the Bible does use many symbols, it is consistent in its usage of those symbols. A specific symbol will mean the same thing throughout the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah in the vast majority of cases. For example, Revelation has no direct quotes from the TaNaKh, but it has about 550 references to it. Only the last two chapters of Revelation regarding the Eternal State have information that is entirely new.

For this study, the symbols will be examined in accordance with the Golden Rule of Interpretation. While recognizing the existence of the symbols, there will be no resorting to guesswork. Rather, we will study Revelation on the premise that all the symbols in it are explained elsewhere, either in a different part of Revelation itself, or somewhere else in the Bible. In other words, we will let Scripture interpret Scripture. Their meanings will not be determined by speculation.⁵

Apocalyptic Literature

The book of Revelation is a genre that is very different from any other in the New Covenant. It is a unique blend of three distinct literary types: apocalypse, prophecy and letter. Furthermore, the basic type, apocalypse, is a literary form that does not exist today. We have a basic understanding of what an epistle or a narrative, a psalm, or a proverb is. But we simply have nothing quite like this. Therefore, it is especially important that we have a clear picture of the literary type we are dealing with.

The Revelation is primarily an apocalypse. The word apocalyptic comes from a Greek word apokalupsis. It is a noun and means an uncovering or revealing of the future. And although it is only one of the literary forms – it is a very special one, because there were dozens of apocalypses that were well known to both Jews and Christians from about 200 BC to AD 200. These other apocalypses, which are not part of the Bible, were all very different, yet they all, including Revelation, have some common characteristics.

1. The basis of apocalyptic is the prophetic literature of the TaNaKh, especially as it is found in Ezekiel, Dani’el and Zechariah, and parts of Isaiah. As is the case in some prophetic literature, apocalyptic was concerned about coming judgment and salvation. But apocalyptic was born either in persecution or in a time of great opposition. Therefore, its great concern was not the LORD’s activity within history. The apocalyptists looked exclusively toward the time when God would bring a violent, radical end to history. It would be an end that would mean the triumph of good and the final judgment of evil.

2. Unlike most of the prophetic books, apocalypses are literary works from the beginning. The prophets were basically spokesmen for ADONAI, whose spoken prophecies were later written down and collected in a book. But an apocalypse is a form of literature. It has a particular written structure and form. John, for example, was told to write what he had seen (1:19), whereas the prophets, for the most part, were commanded to speak what they were told.

3. Most frequently the stuff of apocalyptic is presented in the form of visions and dreams, and its language is cryptic (having hidden meanings) and symbolic. Therefore, most of the apocalypses contained literary devices that were intended to give the book a sense of antiquity. The most important of these devices was pseudonymity, that is, they were given the appearance of having been written by ancient fathers of the faith, who were told to seal it up for a later day. The later day, of course, being the age in which the book was then being written.

4. The images of apocalyptic are often forms of fantasy, rather than of reality. By way of contrast, the nonapocalyptic prophets and Jesus also regularly used symbolic language, but most often it involved real images. For example, they used salt (Matthew 5:13), vultures and carcasses (Luke 17:37), doves (Hosea 7:11), and half-baked cakes (Hosea 7:8), and so on. But most of the images of apocalyptic belong to fantasy, for example, a beast with seven heads and ten horns (13:1), a woman clothed with the sun (12:1), locusts with scorpions’ tails (9:10), and so on. The fantasy may not necessarily appear in the items themselves (we understand beasts, heads and horns), but in their unnatural combination.

5. Because they were literary, most of the apocalypses were very formally stylized. There was a strong tendency to divide time and events into nice, neat packages. There was also a great fondness for the symbolic use of numbers. In the case of the Bible, all impressed upon the human writer by the Holy Spirit without violating his own freedom to write. As a consequence, the book usually has the visions carefully strung together.

The Revelation of John fits all these characteristics of apocalyptic but one. And that one difference is so important that in some ways it becomes a world of its own. Revelation is not pseudonymous. Yochanan felt no need to follow the regular formula here. He made himself known to his readers and, through the seven letters in chapters 2 and 3, spoke to known churches in Asia Minor, who were contemporaries and companions in suffering. Moreover, he was told not to seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near (22:10). What makes Yochanan so different than his earlier Jewish predecessors, is that he was not merely anticipating the end. He knew that it had already begun with the coming of Jesus Christ.

What makes John’s Apocalypse different is, first of all, its combination of apocalyptic and prophetic elements. On the other hand, the book is cast in the apocalyptic mold and has most of the literary characteristics of apocalyptic. It is born in persecution and intends to speak about the end with the triumph of Christ and His Bride. It is carefully constructed, using cryptic language and rich symbolism of fantasy and numbers.

On the other hand, John clearly intends this apocalypse to be a prophetic word to seven local churches. His book was not to be sealed for the future. It was a word from the LORD for their present situation. Prophecy does not primarily mean to foretell the future, but rather to speak forth God’s Word for the present, usually coming in judgment or salvation. In the Revelation, even the seven letters bear this prophetic imprint. Here then is God’s prophetic Word to seven local churches in the latter part of the first century who were undergoing persecution from without and decay from within.⁴

The Book of Revelation
From a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To Dr. Walter Wessel, my New Covenant professor of Greek and Revelation at Bethel Seminary West, who taught me the valuable use of Greek while interpreting the Scriptures.
How he loved the New Covenant in its original language.

The book of Revelation is important because it is the last inspired book of the Bible. The New Covenant opens with the four gospels relating to the First Coming of Christ and the book of Revelation closes the B’rit Chadashah with the general theme of the Second Coming of Christ. This book is also the climax of many lines of revelation running through both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah, and it also brings to conclusion the revelation of many prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The Second Coming of Messiah and the years immediately preceding it are revealed more graphically in Revelation than in any other book of the Bible. The book of Dani’el describes in detail the period from Dani’el’s time to Christ’s First Coming and speaks briefly of the Tribulation and the Messianic Kingdom. But the book of Revelation amplifies the Great Tribulation with many additional details, culminating in the new heaven and the new earth and the eternal New Jerusalem.¹

Authorship

The apostle Yochanan was caught in a tangled web of emperor worship and banished to the island of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor or modern day Turkey. The name John occurs four times in the book (1:1, 1:4, 1:9, 22:8). From the second century on, it was held by the Church that John the apostle, the author of the gospel of John, wrote the book of Revelation. By that time, he was a very old man, probably in his eighties. Earlier Jesus had said to him: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (Yochanan 16:33). It was from this exile that Yochanan wrote his letters to the seven churches who were facing this kind of conflict.

Date

Most evangelical scholars believe that Revelation was written in AD 95 or 96. This is based on accounts of the early righteous fathers of the faith, who said that the Apostle John had been exiled on Patmos Island during the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus, commonly known as Dimitian. Following the death of Dimitian in AD 96, Yochanan was reportedly allowed to return to Ephesus.

Original Context

During the rule of Domitian, emperor worship, which had been a kind of off and on thing during the history of the Roman Empire, came to a climax. Emperor worship began after the death of Julius Caesar. Cesar Augustus succeeded him and he allowed emperor worship along with the worship of the goddess of Rome who was called Roma. Tiberius, who followed Cesar Augustus, discouraged emperor worship. The mad emperor Caligula, who insisted on emperor worship, followed him. Claudius then became emperor of Rome after the assassination of his nephew Caligula. Nero, who followed Claudius, didn’t take his own divinity seriously and did not insist on emperor worship. But then came Domitian after a quick succession of four nondescript suitors to the throne. He came to the throne in AD 81, and he brought a complete change. He was the worst of all things, a cold-blooded persecutor. With the exception of Caligula, he was the first emperor to take his divinity seriously and to demand Cesar worship. The difference was that Caligula was an insane devil, whereas Domitian was a sane, calculating devil. He took emperor worship to a whole new level and began a campaign of bitter persecution against all who would not worship him and the ancient gods. He called all those who opposed him, “the atheists.” He declared that anyone who addressed him in word or in writing was commanded to say, “My lord and my god Domitian.” Emperor worship was even more pronounced in the outer provinces. People were forced to come to his statue and take a little pinch of incense and drop it in a flame and say, “Cesar is lord.” In particular, he launched his hatred against the Jews and the Christians.

The Purpose of the Book

The purpose of Revelation is to reveal events that will take place immediately before, during, and after the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah. As a result, it devotes most of its revelation to this subject in Chapters 4-18. The Second Coming itself is given the most graphic detail anywhere in the Bible in Chapter 19, followed by the Messianic Kingdom in Chapter 20. The Eternal State is revealed in Chapters 21-22. Therefore, the obvious purpose of the book is to complete the prophetic theme presented earlier in the prophecies of the TaNaKh and the prophecies of Yeshua, especially in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew Chapters 24 and 25). Along with a large amount of prophecy, the book also touches on a great deal of theology in a wide variety of subjects. There are also many applications to daily righteous living that can help us today. So specific knowledge and anticipation of ADONAI’s future program can motivate us to be committed to Jesus Christ and live holy lives.

The Rules of Interpretation

All too often teachers of the Bible have had one set of rules for the interpretation of non-prophetic passages, but have been unable, or unwilling to apply the same set of rules to prophetic passages. In this way, prophecy has often suffered at the hands of its enemies. But prophecy has also suffered at the hands of its friends. Even when the same set of rules is applied to prophecy as to other passages, there has often been an inconsistency in the application of rules, giving way to a tendency to spiritualize and/or sensationalize parts of a passage. Therefore, prophecy has also suffered at the hands of its friends, which, in turn, has given prophecy a bad name in its witness to the world.

There are four basic rules of interpretation that are keys to understanding the prophetic word. The first is called The Golden Rule of Interpretation. When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word as its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and self-evident truths, clearly indicate otherwise. In other words, this law states that all biblical passages are to be taken exactly as they read unless there is something in the text indicating that it should be taken some way other than literally. If the words of the Bible do not mean what they say, then no one can say what they mean. If the Golden Rule of Interpretation is applied consistently, much of the “newspaper prophecy” can be avoided, as well as other errors such as Amillennialism. So when the plain sense of Scripture makes sense, no other sense needs to be sought. As in any language, literal or normal interpretation does not rule out figures of speech, but even these have a literal background. We should not approach the Bible with the idea that it is filled with symbols that are hard to understand. It is not. We should approach the Bible with the assumption that it can be understood just like any other book that is taken literally. The Golden Rule of Interpretation is the first of four basic rules of interpretation and is by far the most important because it lays the foundation for the other three.

The second law is called The Law of Double Reference. This law observes the fact that often a passage of a block of Scripture is speaking of two different persons or two different events that are separated by a long period of time. In the passage itself they are blended into one picture, and the time gap between the two persons or two events is not presented by the text itself. The fact that a gap of time exists at all is known because of other Scriptures. But in that particular text itself the gap of time is not seen. A good example of this law is some of the prophecies of the TaNaKh regarding the First and Second Coming of Messiah. Often these two events are blended into one picture with no indication that there is a gap at all. Zechariah 9:9-10 is a good example of The Law of Double Reference. Verse 9 is speaking of the First Coming, but verse 10 is speaking of the Second Coming. These two comings are blended into one picture with no indication that there is a separation of time between them. Another example is Isaiah 11:1-5. Verses 1-2 speak of the First Coming, while verses 3-5 speak of the Second Coming. Again, the two are blended into one picture with no indication of a gap of time between the two. Because many of the prophetic passages follow this principle of The Law of Double Reference, this is an important law to know.

The third law is The Law of Recurrence. This law describes the fact that in some passage of Scripture there exists the recording of an event followed by a second recording of the same event giving more details to the first. Hence, it often involves two blocks of Scripture. The first block presents a description of an event as it transpires in chronological sequence. This is followed by a second block of Scripture dealing with the same event and the same period of time, but giving further details. An example of The Law of Recurrence in a prophetic passage is Ezekiel 38:1 to 39:16. Ezekiel 38:1-23 gives a complete account of the invasion of Isra’el from the north and the subsequent destruction of the invading army. This is followed by a second block of Scripture, Ezekiel 39:1-16, which repeats some of the account given in the first block and gives some added details regarding the destruction of the invading army. A similar example is found in the first two chapters of Genesis. From Genesis 1:1 to 2:3, we are given an outline of the seven days of creation. Genesis 2:3 concludes with the seventh day. But following that in Genesis 2:4 through the end of Chapter 2, we have the story of the creation of Adam and Eve. It is obvious that this second block is going back and giving us the details of exactly how Adam and Eve were created.

The fourth law is The Law of Context, which states: A text apart from its context is a pretext. A verse can only mean what it means in its context and must not be taken out of its context. When it is taken out of its context, it is often presented as meaning something that it cannot mean within the context. A good example of this is Zechariah 13:6, which states: If someone asks him, “What are these wounds on your body?” he will answer, “The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.” This verse is often used as a prophecy of the Messiah. Pulled out of context, it does indeed sound like it refers to Yeshua. But the context of Zechariah 13:2-6 is speaking of false prophets. This is the danger of studying a verse by itself rather than in its context. The old saying that you can prove anything by using the Bible is only true when you pull verses out of their context. Therefore, these are the four basic rules of interpretation, which, if followed, will help in the study of the Bible in general, and of prophecy in particular.²

The Use of the Hebrew name ADONAI rather than YHVH

A basic problem in Judaism is that God’s personal name is never spoken. When Moses saw a bush that burned without being consumed in the wilderness of Midian, God revealed Himself to Moses and told him His own personal name. That Hebrew name consists of four letters. It is forbidden to speak the four-letter name of God, YHVH (Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay), also known as the Tetragrammation (four-letter writing). Today, ADONAI is a word used to refer to God by many people of the Jewish faith. Jews simply translate YHVH as meaning, the Name.

The name of God is a serious topic in Judaism, and there are many rules and traditions surrounding its use. Only the High Priest was allowed to speak the Name, and then only in the Temple – which of course no longer exists, making it prohibited for anyone to speak the name anywhere. Since it is necessary to speak the name of God during certain prayers, a way had to be conceived of to refer to Him without committing blasphemy. So it is that when reading prayers that refer to YHVH, many Jews will read the name ADONAI, instead. It is their way of showing respect for the use of God’s name.

The relation between a name (shem) and a thing (davar) hold a foundational level of importance in the Holy Scriptures. From the Jewish mindset, naming and being are the same thing. As a result, the names of people in the TaNaKh reflect their personal characteristics. In the same way, the Name of God reflects Him and His attributes.

Thus, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and attributes. Hear, Isra’el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Jewish tradition, then, forbids the pronunciation of the Divine Name, but instead chooses to use ADONAI in its place. Therefore, I will frequently be using ADONAI in this devotional commentary instead of YHVH.

The Use of the Hebrew term TaNaKh rather than the phrase,
the Old Testament

The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Neviim,” or the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” or the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term Old Testament implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Yeshua Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). As a result, I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase, the Old Covenant, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Chronological Framework of Revelation

As indicated above, a literal view of Revelation accepts 4:1 through 22:21 as truly prophetic, built around a chronology beginning during the time of the Gentiles, written in the AD 90s and extending into eternity. Prior to the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth, which starts the ages of eternity, there will be a final period of a thousand years on earth called the Messianic, or Millennial, Kingdom (20:1-7).

Prior to the Messianic Kingdom, the world is to be ruled by a satanically controlled man identified as the beast. This period of totalitarian world rule under the beast is predicted to be just forty-two months, Chapters 4-11, before he is defeated and God pours His wrath out on a non-believing world for another forty-two month period in Chapters 12-18. Thus there is a final seven-year period of history immediately prior to the Messianic Kingdom. Chapters 4 and 5 describe a great scene in heaven immediately preceding the seven-year period called the Great Tribulation on earth. There, in heaven, all the redeemed (5:8-13), sing praises to the Lamb of God, the Redeemer.

Since God’s faithful are not appointed to suffer wrath, the Lord promises: I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole earth to test those who live on the earth (Revelation 3:10). It, therefore, becomes clear that the seven years of the Great Tribulation described in Chapters 6 through 18, are prophesied to take place only after the coming of Messiah to raise and receive His redeemed ones (John 14:2-3; First Corinthians 15:51-57; First Thessalonians 4:16-17). This leaves only Chapters 2 and 3 to deal with the time period of about AD 96 to the rapture. These chapters consist of letters to seven real churches in Asia Minor, who would represent the different periods of Church history and the very real needs of all the believers during the Dispensation of Grace.³

 

The Outline of the Book of Revelation
From a Jewish Perspective

The basis for this commentary and outline is taken from Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s book
The Footsteps of the Messiah and Ariel Ministries in San Antonio, Texas.

The Book of Revelation From a Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Apocalyptic Literature (Ad)

The Use of Symbols in the book of Revelation (Ae)

Revelation in Relation to Genesis (Af)

The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation (Ag)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Which God Gave Him – 1:1-3 (Ah)

Look, He is Coming With the Clouds – 1:4-8 (Ai)

I. Write, Therefore, What You Have Seen – 1:9-20 (Aj)

A. John was On the Island of Patmos because of the Testimony of Jesus – 1:9-11 (Ak)

B. I Turned Around and Saw Someone like a Son of Man – 1:12-16 (Al)

C. I Hold the Keys of Death and Hades – 1:17–20 (Am)

II. The Times of the Gentiles – Luke 21:24 (An)

A. The First Beast of Dani’el: A Lion with a Head of Gold – Dani’el 2:37-38 (Ao)

B. The Second Beast of Dani’el: A Bear with a Chest of Silver – Dani’el 2:33a (Ap)

C. The Third Beast of Dani’el: A Leopard with Thighs of Bronze – Dani’el 2:39b (Aq)

D. Finally, There will be a Fourth Beast That Smashes Everything – Dani’el 2:40-43 (Ar)

1. The Fourth Beast: The Roman Empire Stage – Dani’el 2:40 and 7:23a (As)

2. The Fourth Beast: The Balance of Power Stage – Dani’el 2:41 (At)

3. The Fourth Beast: The One World Government Stage – Dani’el 7:23b and c (Au)

4. The Fourth Beast: The Ten Kingdoms Stage – Dani’el 2:42-43 and 7:24a (Av)

5. The Fourth Beast: The Antichrist Stage – Dani’el 7:24b-26 (Aw)

E. A Rock Not Cut by Human Hands – Dani’el 2:34, 44-45a, 7:18 and 28 (Ax)

III. Write, Therefore, What Is Now – 2:1 to 3:22 (Ay)

A. The Church at Ephesus – 2:1-7 (Az)

B. The Church at Smyrna – 2:8-11 (Ba)

C. The Church at Pergamum – 2:12-17 (Bb)

D. The Church at Thyatira – 2:18-29 (Bc)

E. The Church at Sardis – 3:1-6 (Bd)

F. The Church at Philadelphia – 3:7-13 (Be)

G. The Church at Laodicea – 3:14-22 (Bf)

IV. The Sequence of Pretribulational Events (Bg)

A. The Northern Alliance and the Invasion of Isra’el – Ezeki’el 38:1 to 39:16 (Bh)

1. The Chief Prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal – Ezeki’el 38:1-6 (Bi)

2. In Future Years You Will Invade the Land, Advancing Like a Storm – 38:7-9 (Bj)

3. I Will Invade a Land of Unwalled Villages – Ezeki’el 38:10-13 (Bk)

4. You Will Advance Against My People Isra’el – Ezeki’el 38:14-16 (Bl)

5. There Shall be a Great Earthquake in the Land of Isra’el – Ezeki’el 38:17-23 (Bm)

6. I Will Bring You Against the Mountains of Isra’el – Ezeki’el 39:1-6 (Bn)

7. I Will Make Known My Holy Name Among My People – Ezeki’el 39:7-8 (Bo)

8. For Seven Years They Will Use Them for Fuel – Ezeki’el 39:9-10 (Bp)

9. For Seven Months the house of Isra’el Will Bury Them – Ezeki’el 39:11-16 (Bq)

B. It Will Devour the Whole Earth, Trampling It Down – Dani’el 7:23 (Br)

C. The Ten Horns are Ten Kings Who Will Come From This Nation – Dan 7:24a (Bs)

D. The Man of Lawlessness – 2 Thess 2:1-3; Dani’el 7:4-8, and 24b; Rev 13:1-2 (Bt)

E. When People Say Peace and Safety, Destruction Will Come – 1 Thess 5:1-3 (Bu)

F. The Sun Will Be Turned to Darkness and the Moon to Blood – Joel 2:30-31 (Bv)

G. See, I Will Send You the Prophet Elijah Before the LORD Comes – Mal 4:4-5 (Bw)

H. The Tribulation Temple – 11:1-2 (Bx)

I. The Rapture of the Church – First Thessalonians 4:13-18 (By)

J. The Signing of the Seven-Year Covenant with the Antichrist (Bz)

V. Write, Therefore, What Will Take Place Later – 4:1 to 22:5 (Ca)

A. Events in Heaven Preceding the Great Tribulation – 4:1 to 5:14 (Cb)

1. We Must All Appear Before the Judgment Seat of Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:10 (Cc)

2. And There Before Me was a Throne in Heaven – 4:1-11 (Cd)

3. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David Has Triumphed – 5:1-5 (Ce)

4. You Are Worthy To Take The Scroll – 5:6-14 (Cf)

B. The Great Tribulation – 6:1 to 18:24 (Cg)

1. The Beginning of the Great Tribulation – Dani’el 9:24-27 and Isa 28:14-22 (Ch)

2. The Events in the First Half of the Great Tribulation – 6:1 to 9:21 (Ci)

3. The Number Seven (Cj)

a. The Seven Seals of the Lamb – 6:1-17 (Ck)

1) The First Seal: A White Horse – 6:1-2 (Cl)

2) The Second Seal: A Red Horse – 6:3-4 (Cm)

3) The Third Seal: A Black Horse – 6:5-6 (Cn)

4) The Fourth Seal: A Pale Horse – 6:7-8 (Co)

5) The Fifth Seal: I Saw Those Who Had Been Slain – 6:9-11 (Cp)

6) The Sixth Seal: The Sun Turned Black Like Sackcloth – 6:12-17 (Cq)

b. Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed – 7:1-8 (Cr)

c. God Will Wipe Away Every Tear From Their Eyes – 7:9-17 (Cs)

7) The Seventh Seal: Silence in Heaven – 8:1 (Ct)

d. The Seven Trumpets – 8:2 to 9:21 (Cu)

1) The Angel Took the Censer and Hurled It On the Earth – 8:2-5 (Cv)

2) The First Trumpet: Hail and Fire Mixed with Blood – 8:6-7 (Cw)

3) Second Trumpet: A Third of the Sea Turned Into Blood – 8:8-9 (Cx)

4) Third Trumpet: The Name of the Star is Wormwood – 8:10-11 (Cy)

5) Fourth Trumpet: The Lights Darkened – 8:12-13 (Cz)

6) The Fifth Trumpet: Locusts Like Scorpions – 9:1-12 (Da)

7) Sixth Trumpet: A Third of Mankind Killed – 9:13-21 (Db)

e. I Will Give Power to My Two Witnesses to Prophesy – 11:1-6 (Dc)

f. I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup – 17:1-6a, 15 and 18 (Dd)

4. The Events in the Middle of the Great Tribulation – 10:1 to 14:20, 17:16 (De)

a. Another Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll – 10:1-11 (Df)

b. The King of the South Will Engage Him in Battle – Dani’el 11:40-45 (Dg)

c. The Antichrist Appears to be Killed – Dan ch 7 vrse 11 and ch 11 verse 45b (Dh)

d. There Was War in Heaven, and Satan was Hurled Down – ch 12 verses 7-12 (Di)

e. The Antichrist Seems to be Resurrected – ch 13 verse 3 (Dj)

f. Three Kings Killed and Seven Submit – Dani’el ch 7 verse 24 (Dk)

g. The Destruction of Religious Babylon – ch 17 verse 16 (Dl)

h. The Resurrection of the Two Witnesses – ch 11 verses 7-13 (Dm)

i. All the Inhabitants of the Earth Worship the Beast – ch 13 verses 3-10 (Dn)

j. The Beast Out of the Earth: False Prophet – ch 13 verses 11-15 (Do)

k. The Mark is the Name of the Beast – ch 13 verses 16-18 (Dp)

l. The Breaking of the Seven Year Covenant – Dani’el 9:27a (Dq)

m. The Abomination That Causes Desolation – Dan 9:27b, 12:11 and Mt 24:15 (Dr)

n. The Woman and the Dragon – Rev ch 12 vers 1-6, 13-17, and Mt 24:15-28 (Ds)

o. And They Sang a New Song Before the Throne – ch 14 verses 1-5 (Dt)

p. The Hour of His Judgment Has Come – ch 14 verses 6-11 (Du)

q. Blessed Are the Dead Who Die in the Lord – ch 14 verses 12-13 (Dv)

r. The Blood Flowed as High as the Horses Bridles – ch 14 verses 14-20 (Dw)

8). The Seventh Trumpet: God’s Temple in Heaven – ch 11 verses 14-19 (Dx)

5. The Events in the Second Half of the Great Tribulation – 15:1 to 16:21 (Dy)

a. The Seven Angels With Seven Last Plagues – 15:1-8 (Dz)

b. The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath – 16:1-21 (Ea)

1) Ugly and Painful Sores Broke Out – 16:1-2 (Eb)

2) The Sea Turned into Blood – 16:3 (Ec)

3) The Rivers and Springs of Water Became Blood – 16:4-7 (Ed)

4) The Sun, Scorching People with Fire – 16:8-9 (Ee)

5) The Throne of the Beast, Plunged into Darkness – 16:10-11 (Ef)

6) I Saw Three Evil Spirits That Looked Like Frogs – 16:12-16 (Eg)

7) God said, “It is Done!” – 16:17-21 (Eh)

6. The Woman Who Sits On the Beast – 17:6b to 18:24 (Ei)

a. They Will Make War Against the Lamb, But He Will Overcome – 17:6b-14 (Ej)

b. The Beast Will Hate the Prostitute and Bring Her to Ruin – 17:16-17 (Ek)

c. The Fall of Commercial and Political Babylon – 18:1-24 (El)

1) Fallen is Babylon! She Has Become a Home for Demons – 18:1-3 (Em)

2) Come Out Of Her, So That You Will Not Share in Her Sins – 18:4-5 (En)

3) In One Day Her Plagues Will Overtake Her – 18:6-8 (Eo)

4) Woe! In One Hour She Has Been Brought to Ruin – 18:9-19 (Ep)

5) God Has Judged Her for the Way She Treated You – 18:20 (Eq)

6) Babylon Will Never Be Found Again – 18:21-23a (Er)

7) By Your Magic Spell All Nations Were Led Astray – 18:23b-24 (Es)

C. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ – 19:1-19 (Et)

1. Hallelujah! The Smoke From Her Goes Up Forever and Ever – 19:1-5 (Eu)

2. The Basis of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ – Zechariah 12:10 (Ev)

3. He is Dressed in a Robe Dipped in Blood – 19:11-18 and 21 (Ew)

4. The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon – 19:19 (Ex)

D. The Seventy-five Day Interval – Dani’el 12:11-12 (Ey)

1. The Removal of the Abomination That Causes Desolation – Dani’el 12:11 (Ez)

2. The Beast was Captured, and with Him the False Prophet – 19:20 (Fa)

3. He Seized the Dragon, or Satan, and Bound Him for a Thousand Years – 20:1-3 (Fb)

4. The Sheep and the Goats – 19:21 (Fc)

5. The Resurrection of the Righteous of the TaNaKh – Dani’el 12:2 (Fd)

6. I Saw Those Who Had Been Beheaded for the Testimony of Jesus – 20:4 (Fe)

7. Blessed and Holy are Those Who Have Part in the First Resurrection – 20:5-6 (Ff)

8. Blessed Are Those Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb – 19:6-10 (Fg)

E. The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom – 20:1-10 (Fh)

1. The Government of the Messianic Kingdom – Isaiah 9:6-7 (Fi)

2. My Chosen People Will Inherit My Mountains – Isaiah 65:9 (Fj)

3. Gentiles in the Messianic Kingdom – Isaiah 11:10 (Fk)

F. When The Thousand Years Are Over – 20:7-15 (Fl)

1. Satan Will Be Released from His Prison and Deceive the Nations – 20:7-10 (Fm)

2. The Second Resurrection – 20:13 (Fn)

3. The Great White Throne Judgment – 20:11-12 (Fo)

4. The Lake of Fire is the Second Death – 20:14-15 (Fp)

G. The Eternal State – 21:1 to 22:5 (Fq)

1. Then I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth – 21:1-8 (Fr)

2. The Eternal New Jerusalem – 21:9 to 22:5 (Fs)

a. Come, I Will Show You the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb – 21:9-10 (Ft)

b. A Great High Wall with Twelve Gates – 21:11-21 (Fu)

c. Nothing Impure Will Enter New Jerusalem – 21:22-27 (Fv)

d. Then the Angel Showed Me the River of the Water of Life – 22:1-2 (Fw)

e. They Will See His Face, His Name Will Be On Their Foreheads – 22:3-5 (Fx)

H. Pay Attention! I am Coming Soon – 22:6-21 (Fy)

I. These Words Are Trustworthy and True – 22:6-9 (Fz)

J. I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last – 22:10-15 (Ga)

K. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star – 22:16 (Gb)

L. Whoever is Thirsty, Let Them Take the Free Gift of the Water of Life – 22:17 (Gc)

M. If Anyone Adds to the Words of This Book, God Will Add to Them – 22:18-19 (Gd)

N. He Who Testifies to These Things Says: Yes, I Am Coming Soon – 22:20 (Ge)

O. The Grace of the Lord Jesus Be With God’s People – 22:21 (Gf)

Revelation, Where Life and the Bible Meet 

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold green and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Isaiah, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Great Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Jesus are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but its Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase that you don’t understand, see the Glossary at the end of the book (see Gg – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary © 2012 but all rights are reserved by Jay David Mack, M.Div