The Revelation in Plain

By Jarno Noordermeer

This is a verse-by-verse study of the book of Revelation.

You will learn about the seven churches, seals, trumpets, and the seven last plagues.

You will also learn what the mark of the beast *really* is (in short: it's not a chip).

This book is a unique opportunity to learn more about the book of Revelation as seen through the eyes of a Seventh-day Adventist.

If you have "the love of the truth", and you understand that time is short, then this book is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jarno Noordermeer
• Release date: Jul 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201460983

Book preview

Revelation 1

Introduction

1 The 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:

God will reveal His plans to His servants first.

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

- Amos 3:7 (KJV)

The word signified means something like to encode in symbols. The sole reason for this symbolism is that the prophecies can then only be understood just before they are about to happen, e.g. it's a way of controlling the timing of it all.

Symbols are sometimes also necessary to describe things that are not in place at the time of writing. For example, when John wrote the book of Revelation, there was no USA, so instead it was referred to as a beast coming up out of the earth.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

- Revelation 13:11 (KJV)

Thanks to Daniel we know that a beast is actually a kingdom.

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

- Daniel 7:23 (KJV)

Etc, etc...

Not everything in the book of Revelation is symbolic, so we do need to be careful.

To understand the book of Revelation, we must also understand the sanctuary and it's furniture.

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

- Psalm 77:13 (KJV)

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

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

This is the only book in the Bible where there is a blessing for the one who reads it.

4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits (messages to the churches) which are before his throne;

These are the seven Spirits:

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

- Isaiah 11:2 (KJV)

1. The spirit of the LORD

2. The spirit of wisdom

3. The spirit of understanding

4. The spirit of counsel

5. The spirit of might

6. The spirit of knowledge

7. The spirit of the fear of the LORD

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds (relatives) of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

There will be much deception in the last days.

If there is one thing we should know it is that Jesus will not set foot on the earth.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

- Matthew 24:26-27 (KJV)

We will meet with Jesus in the air.

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: 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.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)

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- Photo : Thomas Bresson / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The Son of Man

A Son of Man is Jesus.

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (the spirit of prophecy).

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day (Sabbath), and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet (loud),

The Lord's day is the Sabbath.

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.

- Isaiah 58:13 (KJV)

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

- Mark 2:28 (KJV)

The Sabbath is from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.

- Exodus 20:10 (KJV)

The Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

- Exodus 20:8 (KJV)

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

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- Initial version by Jonadab / Wikimedia Commons

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks (the seven churches);

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks (the seven churches) one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt (wore) about the paps (chest) with a golden girdle (righteousness, faithfulness, truth).

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass (strength), as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters (like thunder).

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars (angels of the seven churches): and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword (Word of God): and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys (authority to open/close doors) of hell and of death.

19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

20 The mystery of the seven stars (angels of the seven churches) which thou sawest in my right hand (filled with righteousness), and the seven golden candlesticks (the seven churches). The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Here we see how the Bible interprets the Bible, e.g.:

the seven stars = the angels of the seven churches

So now we see that verse 20 explains the seven stars from verse 16.

The book of Revelation is difficult, and requires much study.

A surprising amount of these symbols are from the Old Testament.

Revelation 2

The Seven Churches

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The churches are the religious history of the church.

There are three interpretations of the seven churches.

Both the Philadelphia church (the remnant), and the Laodicea church (lukewarm) exist together till the end.

The remnant keeps the Ten Commandments (including the Sabbath).

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

- Revelation 12:17 (KJV)

The Philadelphia church started in 1844, closely followed by the Laodicea church around maybe 1850.

Ellen White says this.

The Seventh-day Adventist church has been in the Laodicean state from its very inception. As early as 1856 we recognized that the Laodicean message applied to us. During the fourteen months from November, 1856, through the year 1857, 348 items appear in the Review on the Laodicean message. James White and other editorial writers accounted for sixteen. Seventy came from ministers, and the other 262 from lay members. All, without exception, applied the Laodicean message to the Sabbathkeeping Adventists. (See Felix Lorenz, The Only Hope, p. 38.)

- Ellen White, God's True Church Today, p. 1

Letter to the Church in Ephesus (inset)

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars (angels of the seven churches) in his right hand (filled with righteousness), who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (the seven churches);

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick (church) out of his place, except thou repent.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

This church is in the past.

Forsaken their first love.

For further study, please see the Resources page.

Letter to the Church in Smyrna (inset)

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

This verse is very similar to the verse below.

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

- Revelation 3:9 (KJV)

Those that belong to satan are liars (and that apparently includes jews, or christians if you will).

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

- John 8:44 (KJV)

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

This church is in the past.

Tribulation.

For further study, please see the Resources page.

Letter to the Church in Pergamum (inset)

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges (Word of God);

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (Word of God).

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna (Jesus), and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

This church is in the past.

False teachings, and idols.

For further study, please see the Resources page.

Letter to the Church in Thyatira (inset)

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass (strength);

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more