Open: Not Just Another Book on Revelation - Volume 1

By June Yates-Boykin

The essential guide for anyone who wants to know more about this infamous book of the Holy Bible. Based on a Futurist's perspective, Volume One begins with Revelation 4 and extends into Chapter 11. It escorts the reader step by step from the point of origin through the blast of the sixth trumpet judgment. Several features set OPEN apart from its peers. Explanation is given not only of what the author believes to be true, but what others believe as well, and why. This provides the reader opportunity to examine various ideas and interpretations for themselves. Revelation Scripture is included in its entirety, along with many reference Scriptures. You can read with confidence, even when you don’t have your Bible with you. Periodic summaries serve as stepping stones in the lengthier or more controversial topics. One marked distinction that makes this not just another book on Revelation is the inclusion of life application messages along the way. Revelation contains spiritual parallels and important messages for us in our everyday Christian walk. Several important areas of application have been included. How we live today will determine our place as this great revelation unfolds. The purpose of OPEN, Not Just Another Book on Revelation, is not only to enlighten as to things yet to come, but to help each reader be prepared.

• Language: English
• Publisher: June Yates-Boykin
• Release date: Oct 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311921680

June Yates-Boykin

I am a native Floridian, and have spent most of my life here in Central Florida. I worked in some of level of government from high school until recently when I left to write and minister full time. But I have had a real love for reading, for study, for writing and teaching since I was a very young girl and have devoted as much time as possible to learning and practicing those arts. I love humor and fantasy. The more I laugh, the better, and that's a good thing since I give myself so much material. But I can be serious when I need to be or when I think the topic at hand demands it. So I was thinking I should have a pen name. That way I could write humor and lighthearted encouragement or fiction under one name, and the more serious, studious works under another. I changed my mind, though, and decided its likely much easier to learn to write a good book description than it would be to keep up with two of me. The main thing is that I hope to make a difference in the lives of my readers, whether that difference is a life-changing revelation through a thought provoking teaching, or whether it is no more than a few minutes of escape to a more pleasant place. I really love Jesus, and I hope to show others how awesome a relationship with Him can be.

Book preview

OPEN

Not Just Another Book on Revelation

Volume 1

June Yates Baker

Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. Revelation 22:10

OPEN

Not Just Another Book on Revelation, Volume 1

By June Yates-Baker

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 1996, 2014, June Yates Baker

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphasis placed on Scripture with the use of bold print, underline, and/or italics is that of this teacher.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

This work is dedicated to my parents, Paul and Loyce Yates, who taught me how much God loves me, how Jesus paid the price for me, and about the fullness of the Holy Ghost; to Evangelist David Tolbert, Trumpet Ministries, who has encouraged me more than he will know until someday when God rewards him for it; and, of course, to God, who instilled in my heart a genuine love for His Word which is to us all spirit and life.

PROLOGUE

I realized one day that I knew what I believed about the last days and eternity, but only because that’s what my parents taught me. I didn’t doubt their doctrine, but felt I should know because I studied for myself and prayerfully made up my own mind. The initial intent was just to make sure what I believed was in line with Scripture. I actually thought one good read through and a little research was all I needed. However, as I studied the book I discovered life lessons along the way, was led to far more Scriptural reference than I ever imagined I would be, and developed a profound desire to truly understand it all.

The result was many hours of searching, studying, and prayerful meditation. You will not find in this book concrete answers to every question or aspect of our future, but I have tried to leave no stone unturned at least in exploration. You will read different ideas and interpretations along the way, and the basis for them. You will find a multitude of Scripture references to help you formulate your own views. And, of course, you will also learn what I believe, especially in those areas where Scripture is clear as to the meaning of the great revelation.

In addition to gaining an understanding of the writing, I trust you will be encouraged by some of the lessons we can learn from it which pertain to this life. My goal is not only to teach, but also to inspire.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the Revelation

Chapter 1 - Interpreting Revelation

Chapter 2 - When the Events Will Take Place

Chapter 3 - John Goes to Heaven (Rev. 4:1, 2)

Chapter 4 - The Throne (Rev. 4:2 - 11)

Chapter 5 - The Sealed Book/One Worthy (Rev. 5)

Chapter 6 - The Seals are Loosed (Rev. 6:1 - 8:1)

Chapter 7 Six of Seven Trumpet Judgments (Rev. 8:2 - 11:14)

Contact the Author

About the Author

INTRODUCTION to the REVELATION

The author of the book of Revelation is none other than the person to whom the revelation was given, the Apostle John. John received and recorded the great vision while exile on the Isle of Patmos in approximately 95 AD. This was during a time when most scholars believe the seven churches of Asia to whom the book was addressed were suffering persecution under the rule of Emperor Domitian. Even though John was on Patmos when he witnessed these events, they take place throughout Heaven and earth.

The purpose of the revelation is to warn the church of the coming wrath of God and urge the church to repent and reform. It is source of great encouragement as well, letting us know that evil, oppression, and persecution is going to get worse, but in the end God will redeem His people and pour out His judgment on the wicked.

The name or word revelation is derived from the Greek word apokalupsis, meaning an unveiling; to unveil, reveal, or uncover. That same word was used to describe a literary style wherein the author would describe an event to come using imagery and symbolism so that only those who the author wanted to understand would be able to.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines revelation as (1) an act of revealing or communicating divine truth, something that is revealed by God to man (2) an apocalyptic writing addressed to early Christians of Asia Minor and included as a book in the New Testament (3) an act of revealing to view or making known, something that is revealed, an enlightening or astonishing disclosure.

Also from the Greek word comes our word apocalypse, which is sometimes used as another name for Revelation. In itself it refers to something viewed as a prophetic revelation forecasting the ultimate destiny of the world, including imminent catastrophe and doom.

As we make our way through the book of Revelation, we will see that it meets all the criteria of these definitions. It is a book of spiritual insight in so much as John was carried away in the Spirit. It is a book of unveiling or revealing as God allows John to see into the future and witness the events that will come to pass. It is most definitely a book of great devastation and doom – like has never been known to man.

Over the past few decades there have been horrific events around the world claiming thousands upon thousands of lives and leaving entire countries in a state of shock and despair. There have been hurricanes such as Andrew and Katrina that wiped out a major area of Miami, Florida and drowned New Orleans, Louisiana. We have witnessed tsunamis and earthquakes of catastrophic proportions. And of course, the September 11, 2001 enemy attack on New York’s Twin Towers continues to remind us just how vulnerable we can be to the enemy, and just how quickly catastrophe can strike.

Even as horrible and debilitating as they have been, none of them will stand in comparison with the events that are yet to come. Even, I fear, the genocide of approximately six million European Jews by Nazi Germany during World War I – the horror we refer to as the Holocaust - fails to come close.

But Revelation doesn’t stop with prophesying doom and destruction. It goes on to proclaim the final victory of Jesus Christ over evil, and of our eternal life with Him in a place where sadness and sorrow will never again be known.

In studying Revelation, then, we should be inspired to rid our lives of any weights and sins that interfere with our relationship with Christ. Our hope in an eternal future with God should be renewed.

So then, to say that the book is an enlightening or astonishing disclosure is an understatement at best.

There really is no better introduction into the book than the one the author himself penned under divine inspiration:

Revelation 1:1-3

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written there: for the time is at hand.

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Chapter 1

INTERPRETING REVELATION

There are four primary ways in which the Book of Revelation is interpreted.

Preterism: This approach is to interpret Revelation simply as a description of the conditions of the Roman Empire at the time of its writing late in the first century. It holds that John wrote using imagery in the form of vision and prophecy so that the hostile, pagan people could not understand what he was saying to the Christians, and that the book was written solely to encourage the people of his day. The preterist believes everything in Revelation had taken place by AD 70.

This interpretation of Revelation abandons the idea that the events described are literal events yet to take place. Such interpretation deceives the reader and keeps them from accepting what might otherwise strike them as a warning and lead them to the Lord.

Idealist, also called the Symbolic Approach: The idealist or symbolic approach to interpreting Revelation is one of accepting the book only as a symbolic representation of the continual and ongoing battle between good and evil. The idealists do not accept the book as an actual description of true events which shall occur, but simply a symbolic description of the condition of the earth at any time. They do not believe that events described can now, or ever will be, tied to a certain point and time in history. The idealist interpretation of Revelation does not in any way take the book literally.

Historical: The historical approach to Revelation suggests that the book represents in symbolic form the entire history of the church from John’s day through the second coming of Christ and beyond. This approach does not, like Preterism, declare that all had happened by AD 70, but it does imply that much has already taken place. Since prophecy is, in essence, the advance recording of history, the historical view of Revelation is not entirely inaccurate. It does, though, take some of the events that we know have not yet occurred and through symbolism fit them into time past.

Futurist: This term is used to describe those of us who do believe that except for the first three chapters, John is describing the events that evolve around and follow the coming of Christ and lead to the establishment of the city of God on earth. We that believe the events described will end life on earth as it exists today, wherein there is evil and sickness and death, are interpreting Revelation from the futurist viewpoint. Although we take Revelation as a book of symbolism, we also know there is much of the book to be taken literally. We believe in most instances John is not using symbolism. He is literally describing what he sees and hears then relating the interpretations of his visions as given to him by God while in the spirit.

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Chapter 2

WHEN THE EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE

A. It is not present day trials and tribulations.

There are many who believe that we are, in fact, going through the tribulation period now. These are the idealists described earlier. They base this theory on their symbolic only interpretation of Revelation and the amount of tribulation on the earth today. They fail, however, to recognize at face value the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21, where He says, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Although the tribulation on this earth is seemingly beyond description, it is not the great tribulation described by Christ. Each day the condition of the world worsens, which would support the portion of the verse where Jesus says, ….was not since the beginning…, but in turn contradicts the portion, …nor ever shall be… Tribulation will escalate at normal pace until the rapture of the church. It will then compound quickly and at an astronomical level until it reaches its peak, the Battle of Armageddon. Then, there will be no more. That even will fulfill Jesus’ words, nor ever shall be.

B. The Great Tribulation follows the rapture.

Some believe the Church, the Christian people, will remain on earth to endure all or a part of (usually taught as the first 3 ½ years) the tribulation period. There are several reasons, based on a knowledge of God and Scripture, not to believe such.

One of the definitions of the word rapture is to be carried away or transported. While the word rapture is not, itself, found in the Bible, it is the word we have adopted to easily describe the catching away of the saints as prophesied in the Bible.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Other readings that support that support the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the dead include: John 14:1-3, Colossians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, James 5:7, 8, Philippians 3:11, 1 Peter 5:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 John 2:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and 1 John 3:2

All of these Scriptures point to a literal catching away, or rapture, of the saints of God. But even with that point made, why do we believe that the rapture will occur before the beginning of the tribulation period? Let’s examine Scripture, as there are several to help us understand.

Revelation 4:1

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

John’s terms after this and hereafter are both from the Greek phrase Meta Tauta, which means, after these things. So, John is basically saying to us, After these things….things that must come after these things. So what are these things that John is referring to? They are the churches. The first three chapters of Revelation, the first portion of the vision given to John, are letters addressing the condition of the church on earth. Then Chapter 4 begins to describe things that will come after…after the church.

Since we know the church will be caught up to meet Christ in the rapture, after the churches would then mean after the rapture.

Luke 21:34-36 (Jesus speaking)

34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our

Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

God has not appointed us to wrath, and we are to be found worthy of escape. The entire tribulation period, not just the last half, involves God pouring his wrath out upon the earth. If we were to remain here throughout that time, we would experience God’s wrath even though Jesus said in Luke we can be found worthy to escape all these things. There certainly would be no comfort in these words if we knew we had to face all that will befall mankind during the tribulation.

And then, there is 1 Corinthians 15-24. This passage speaks of the resurrection of the dead, every man in order. First, Jesus – the first fruits of the resurrection, afterward, they that are Christ’s at His coming, then cometh the end when He delivers the kingdom to His Father. The passage lists the resurrection of the saints at Christ’s coming, then comes the end and Jesus’ ultimate rule.

And a final passage eluding to the rapture of the church taking place prior to the tribulation:

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with

the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

And a little more simply put from the New King James Version:

6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

That Wicked which is to be revealed is the antichrist, whom Paul was writing to Thessalonica about in this chapter. The passage is worded oddly and can be difficult to understand. What it is basically telling us is this: A condition of sin and lawlessness already exists in the world. However, the complete exposure of such a condition on earth cannot take place until the revealing of that Wicked, or until the rise of the antichrist. And the antichrist cannot come into power until he that is restraining the spirit of evil and lawlessness has been removed, or as Scripture words it, taken out of the way.

There are three powers that currently restrain the total state of chaos that will be