How to Study the Book of Revelation Using Mind-Mapping in Reverse

By Willie van Heerden

I am Willie. I love God. I love people. I love life. My greatest enemy was “I”. What I wanted to be like, I was not. My words were like ropes of sand, no binding power. I cried for change!

I was told that the study of Revelation would change my life forever. That it would cause a transformation not humanly possible. That I would experience the hand of God as He removed the “stone heart” out of my flesh and in its place give me a “heart of flesh”; a heart that would beat in unionism with His Son’s heart. The end result is – I would be like Him.

For years I stumbled around in the book of Revelation, always realizing that people were giving me their interpretation. It was as if the voice of God was silent to me. I wanted Him to talk to me, to walk with me in the garden. Amidst the storm I heard nothing. No ground shaking experience. Then one day in “silence” God spoke.

Not in my wildest dream was I prepared for what this Bible study method “Mind-mapping in Reverse” would do for me.

To study until the birds woke the sun became a common occurrence in my devotional time.

Because it’s visual, the mind automatically draws, links and relates things to each other. The “study” immediately becomes easier to understand and easier to learn and remember.

If it was easy for me, just think how easy it will be for you!

This guidebook will enable you to think more liberally and will provide you with tools that will help you make most marvelous discoveries.

Welcome to an incredible journey!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willie van Heerden
• Release date: Oct 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463275740

Book preview

The

Watchman

JOEL 2:1

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,

for the day of the LORD is coming.

It is close at hand--

Willie van Heerden

Copyright © 2020 Willie Van Heerden

Published by Willie Van Heerden Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Willie Van Heerden

[e-mail]

Preface

The Watchmen

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, `O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself." (Ezekiel 33:7 – 9)

From Genesis (the beginning) right up to the Revelation; Watchmen have been found. They are appointed by Jesus Christ as His chosen guardians, the ones to whom He reveals the mystery of the entire plan of Salvation and the destruction of sin once and for all.

They live near to the LORD Jesus. Their work requires the exercise of every faculty of their being.

They know that if for any reason their spiritual senses become so anaesthetises that they are unable to detect danger, and through their failure to give warning, people will perish; and the LORD will require at their hands the blood of those who are lost.

In trumpet tones their voices are heard, and never do they sound one wavering, uncertain note. They don’t work for wages; they simply carry out the charge committed to them. They realise that there is a curse to come on them if they fail to be the Watchmen. They are the Chosen of the LORD, sealed with the blood of consecration; they rescue men and women from imminent destruction.

Present Time

Watchmen speak - A defeated foe Dark, he is the Devil, once a Morning star, the Antagonist and his third; roams the four corners of Mother Earth. (Revelation 12:9; Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:4; Job 1:7) Dark roars like a lion (1 Peter 5:8), a king with an army. He is intent on devouring all her inhabitants and destroys her beauty. Dark is at war with Michael the Protagonist, who is like God. (Revelation 12:7) Dark clothes himself in innocence, a wolf in the body of a lamb (Revelation 13:1; John 10:12). His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon; translated, Destroyer (Revelation 9:11). His army the Locusts" (Revelation 9:3) look like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wear something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair is like women’s hair, and their teeth are like lions’ teeth. Their tails were like that of scorpions, the agony they caused was like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In frenzied excitement they eat up the ground; they cannot stand still. At the call of Dark they snort, `Aha!’ They catch the scent of battle from afar. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the Garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste-- nothing escapes them. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defences without breaking ranks. They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. Dark knows that his time is short. (Revelation 12:12)

About The Watchmen Of This Book

In the following pages; I will deal with the first six of the Seven Watchmen described in Revelation 8, 9 and 11. They are the Watchman who are instructed by a Lamb looking as if it had been slain,… (Revelation 5:6); to comprehend and appreciate the movements of the Father; to give the final warnings. These trumpet blasts come just before these words of the LORD God are spoken – There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:6, 7)

This mystery of god is his strange act. This strange act is recorded in the following words – For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. (Isaiah 28:21)

What happened at Perazim is this - God broke out against the Philistines and their gods. (2 Samuel 5:20). In the valley of Gibeon - God sent hail to demolish the Amorites (Joshua 10:10 - 12) and in Joshua 10:14 the following is recorded about this war - There has never been a day like it before or since…

In the book – The Faith I Live By (1958 edition), Chapter 11, page 338 and paragraphs 1 through 6; an inspired author Mrs Ellen G White gives this account of Isaiah 28:21; she writes –

"With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.

The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision. The nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies…But increased pride, covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them. They are fast closing up their account with God…The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come.

To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.’ Ezekiel 33:11. . . Yet He will ‘by no means clear the guilty.’ ‘The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.’ Exodus 34:6, 7; Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord’s reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which He bears long, and which He will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God’s account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy.

After God has done all that could be done to save men, if they still show by their lives that they slight offered mercy, death will be their portion; and it will be a dreadful death, for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross. They will then realise what they have lost, eternal life and the immortal inheritance."

Conclusion

It has taken me many years of research and Bible study to write this book. I have applied the Bible Study Guide – Mind Mapping In Reverse to decode the messages of the Seven Watchmen. As I deciphered the messages of the Seven Watchmen, I realised that we are living in the final heartbeats of Mother Earth’s history, that each breath taken could be her last. A daunting question came to mind…It is great to know the future but are we ready? Will this glimpse into the future give us an advantage or could we be knowledgeable but unready? Are we just watching without praying?

The words of 1 Corinthians 13 came to mind, these words – "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…. Where there are prophecies, they will cease…." (Vs 2)

What remains after prophecies, tongues, knowledge? "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (Vs 13)

Jesus the Watchman, the keeper of the flame of truth, the Way the Truth and the Life said – "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35)

As you read this book, may God save you and keep you.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Willie van Heerden

(For more information regarding this Bible study method read How to study the book of Revelation using Mind Mapping In Reverse by Willie van Heerden. It is available on Amazon or can be purchased directly by emailing me on [e-mail])

Please Note

When studying an Apocalyptic book such as Revelation, the context of the chapter must first be seen as symbolical, unless there is clear and inspired evidence that it should be literal. Lines and numbers should also be regarded as symbolic.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. The Numbers 7, 4, 2, 1, why?

2. The Scroll

3. Enter the slain Lamb

4. Heralds bound in time

5. Who Can Stand?

6. 7th Seal of Time

7. The last Call

8. Mind Set

9. How Sides Are Chosen

10. World Commerce

11. The Hound of Heaven

12. Lights Grow Dim

13. Three Woes

14. Dark’s Frankenstein of Destruction

15. The 1st Woe is past

16. God’s Display Of Power

17. The Overture of Life

18. METANOEHO

1

The Numbers 7, 4, 2, 1, why?

Number 7

The number 7 is repeatedly found in the book of Revelation, 7 stars, 7 angels, 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 plagues.

What is so important about the number 7 that we have to take note of it?

1st reason – Whenever the number 7 is used in prophecy, we must understand that the perfection, completeness, the totality of the message has been given.

Because of this we are to follow the words of prophecy to the letter. Any action to add to or take away from it will result in a distortion of the message.

2nd reason - Number 7 is the final number in the sequence of numbers. Six numbers precede it, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This reveals that there is a specific order in which the events take place. The events described by each number can only take place when the previous event has taken place. Before 2 can take place, 1 must already be in action and so on.

Each message is however incomplete in themselves. The only time the message is seen as complete is when the message of number 7 is in play.

Also note that the first event does not cease its function when the second event commences but all events in their progressive orders begin and continue right up to the end.

For example - In chapter 4, we will be discussing the 7 seals. Here we will discover that the seals are dispensations of time and that in each time a major event takes place. Although each event is important, all point to the main event… that of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So the message of each seal though important are incomplete and can only be complete when the 7th message is heard.

It is only then that we have a perfect, complete and a total message.

Bible Warning

In the Bible book Revelation a warning is given – "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." (Revelation 22:18, 19)

Numbers 4, 2 and 1 (Note the order of my numbers)

In the 7 Trumpets (Revelation 8, 9, 11) we find the following –

The events of the Trumpets are grouped into three groups – first four are grouped together followed by two then one. The question to be asked is Why are they grouped into three groups like this?

To answer this we need to take note of the symbolical value of the numbers 4, 2 and 1.

4

The number 4 symbolises – the whole of… everything. So the events that are described in the first four Trumpets are to be experienced by the whole earth. That is the righteous and the unrighteous; the good and the bad; those who believe and those who do not.

2

The number 2 symbolises – a division. These two trumpets will bring about a polarisation. At the end of the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets, only two groups will be found - sheep and goats, holy and unholy, believers and unbelievers, those saved and the unsaved. Those sealed and those not. There will be no fence sitters. All will have made a choice.

1

The number 1 symbolises – unity. After the six trumpets have blown the end result will be a oneness with God, a reconnection to the Universe. Planet earth will finally be home. The prayer of Christ will be fulfilled – "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my