21: Explaining The Book Of Revelation

By Lynda Ike

Mysteries of the 'Book of Revelation' Revealed:

The Book of Revelation, unlike the rest of the New Testament, is filled with hard sentences and deep mysteries regarding events that will herald the last days. It is replete with words hard for mental understanding but yet filled with clear answers to every mystery that is to come in this wor

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynda Ike
• Release date: Jul 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087922218

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21

Explaining the Book of Revelation

All rights reserved

First Edition, 2020

© Lynda Ike, 2020

Cover design © Flames Creations, 2020

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author.

Requests for permission should be addressed to

Lynda Ike

Dedication:

This book is dedicated solemnly to my family:

My first family-

There were many things in life I came to understand when I reminisce about the little time we spent as one family. These things have formed my life including values, perceptions, choices and character that have allowed me to survive in life’s most difficult moments. Thank you for such an opportunity.

My blended family-

It is such an amazing gift and great adventure to be part of you all; different people merged by destiny at different capacities. Our lives, though not always agreeable, were always full of expressions of energy and life as we strive to share life’s experiences together.

My immediate family-

To my husband, thank you for being the ‘careful compass’ for my life. You have greatly supported the call in my life by your patience and understanding. You make our family what it is today. To the children, I am proud of your unique personalities and the special gifts you were called to deliver to your world.

My church family-

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity that has been given to me to serve in our Lord’s house. It’s been the most rewarding moments of my life, to be tutored and groomed in the knowledge of Christ. Our best is here as we live the perfect life Christ bought with His blood.

Foreword

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that you fight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.. Jude 1:3 AMP; this is the primary reason I am writing this book, to explain the book of Revelation in relation with other biblical prophesies of the end time and especially according to the call to do it ‘urgently’ now.

The Book of Revelation, unlike the rest of the New Testament, is filled with hard sentences and deep mysteries regarding events that will herald the last days. The format of most writings of Revelation stems from the historical tradition of Jewish apocalyptic literature as found in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and others. The book is replete with words hard for mental understanding, yet filled with clear answers to every mystery that is to come in this world. The concealed meanings of these mysteries are part of God’s purpose to kindle a desire in us to diligently search out the scriptures; It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2 AMP).

The basis for most people’s dread of the Book of Revelation is premised on its usage of seemingly unfamiliar symbolisms and strange words to explain future events that are to occur before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Some of these symbolisms, include the Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, Seven Bowls/Vials, Symbols, Visions, Beasts, the Dragon, Bowls, Trumpets, and the Two Witnesses have all terrified us as we ponder their meanings and relevance to our current and future worlds.

Additionally, a great deal of controversies has arisen regarding predictions related to the exact timing of events unveiled in Revelation. Our aversion for the book is further strengthened by a gigantic disparity of opinions from the interpretations of things mentioned, but this should not be the case since the very title of the book means to reveal. Proverbs 8:9 (KJV) says, "They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge." Also, Revelation is the only book of the bible that promises a blessing to those who read it (Rev. 1:3). Those who dare to understand the words and heed to the sayings contained therein shall be purged.

"Many will be purged, purified (made white) and refined, but the wicked will behave wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are [spiritually] wise will understand." (Daniel 12:10 AMP).

At the time John penned the words in Revelation, believers were going through one of the most difficult times of the Christian faith. The Roman Emperor Domitian carried on Nero’s violent persecutions against Christianity. Domitian’s persecution was known to be particularly fierce, including the death of Timothy. It was under these prevalent harsh conditions of the tribulation of believers that John, after surviving being boiled in oil, was exiled to the island of Patmos where he received series of visions by Jesus and other hosts of heaven for the ultimate unveiling or disclosure of specific truths about the churches and the end times, prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

As in those days, the context of this book is to provide clarity of concepts, timelines of events, and to encourage believers of the ultimate triumph of God’s truth and righteousness at the end, despite whatever trials of our faith we face in our current world. This book is not a conclusive interpretation but a dynamic one, subject to additional inclusions by other writers and hinged on an understanding the Book of Revelation in the bible.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Israel- The Lost Tribes

Chapter 2

The Tribulation Versus The Great Tribulation

Chapter 3

A Tale of Merged History

Chapter 4

Understanding The Times

Chapter 5

The Letters

Chapter 6

The Throne, Scroll and The Lamb

Chapter 7

The Seven Seals

Chapter 8

The Seven Trumpets and Two Witnesses

Chapter 9

The Woman and The Dragon

Chapter 10

The Antichrist and The False Prophet

Chapter 11

The Scarlet Beast and The Great Harlot

Chapter 12

Gomer’s Fate and The Fall of Babylon

Chapter 13

Fallen Angels and Heresies

Chapter 14

The Sickle and The Harvest

Chapter 15

The Seven Vials/Bowls of Wrath

Chapter 16

The War of Armageddon

Chapter 17

The Marriage Supper

Chapter 18

The Second Coming of Jesus

Chapter 19

Satan’s Final Rebellion and Final Judgement

Chapter 20

The Book of Life and ‘Other’ Books

Chapter 21

The New World, New Jerusalem and Perfect Life

Chapter 1

Israel- The Lost Tribes

Before we can clearly understand bible prophesies and symbolisms, we need to take a little trip down memory lane on the history of the nation called ‘Israel’. The culmination of end time events revolves around the ultimate persecution and restoration of this little nation. Therefore having an understanding of these people and their journey with God is vital to obtaining some clarity and specifics on prophecies of the end time events.

When the Israelites conquered the Promised Land, the nation was united under the twelve tribes until the time of David’s grandson. Following David’s death, his son, Solomon ruled Israel but as he got older he sinned greatly against God by worshipping the idols his foreign wives brought with them from their heathen homelands. This mingling led to the land being polluted with idol worship and this incurred God’s wrath against Israel.

As a result, when Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam presided over a civil war that divided the nations into a northern and a southern kingdom. God gave Jeroboam ten tribes in the north but retained one tribe for David’s sake, as a symbol of God’s eternal covenant with him to sustain the throne of David (the scepter)- For the scepter (kingship) shall not depart from David:

So now the Lord said to him, Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city." 1 Kings 11:11-13 NLT

Israel was divided in two; the Southern Kingdom popularly called ‘The Kingdom of Judah’ comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin with Jerusalem as their Capital while the Northern Kingdom comprised of the other ten tribes which were called ‘Israel’. Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant who was of the tribe of Ephraim was chosen by God to rule Israel, which represented majority of the tribes through the prophesy of Ahijah.

Then he said to Jeroboam, Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you! But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel." 1 Kings 11:31-32 NLT

Rehoboam ruled the Kingdom of Judah following the death of Solomon. Jeroboam would later kick out the tribe of Levi from Israel when he rebelled against God by setting up a pair of altars with golden calves in Dan. He led his people into apostasy through idol worship and the breaking of Sabbath days. While nation of Israel embraced and engaged in these grave national sins, God ceaselessly pleaded with them at various times in their history, begging them to change their ways but they steadfastly remained adamant in their sinful choices except with occasional short-term revivals.

"But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;" Ezekiel 20:13, 23 KJV

Judah now consisted of three tribes- Judah, Benjamin and Levi, while Israel had the remaining nine tribes. Israel thrived in Samaria, north of Jerusalem while Judah inhabited Jerusalem alongside the temple. A proper knowledge of these distinctions is critical for obtaining the keys to understanding biblical prophecies. The term Jews is often used as an acronym for Judah. The other tribes made up the nation called Israel and were not referred to as Jews despite Jews initially being part of the Israeli nation. Also, the word "Jews" first appears in the book of 2 Kings when Pekah, the king of Israel tried to form an alliance with Syria to besiege Judah; but their plans failed.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelt there unto this day. 2 Kings 16:5-6 KJV

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelt there unto this day. 2 Kings 16:5-6 KJV

Judah (Jews) was finally overpowered by king Rezin of Edom (Syria) and chased out of Elath. Israel was also later captured by Assyria as grave consequence of their unrepentant sins against God, and they were lost in view in biblical history. They lost their language, name and identity and were branded the Lost Tribes of Israel. God executed His wrath on Israel using the Assyrians based on their two major national sins; Idol worship and breaking of Sabbath.

"And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord,