The Book of Revelation: A Commentary for Laypersons

By Earl Thames

Revelation is about the resurrected Christ, His church, and the world. More than any other prophetic book of the Bible, the prophecies of Revelation are presented in symbolic form; that is, pictures, rather than words, are used to convey the message. This is why this book is somewhat difficult to understandthe pictures have to be interpreted. These amazing, symbolic pictures, like the Parables, both reveal and conceal. Thus the book of the Revelation is not so clear that everyone can see the meaning and understand it immediately. But, as will be discovered, the pictures have an ascertainable meaning, a meaning which is based on the previous books of the Bible. It should be mentioned at the outset that some pictures have more than one meaningthat is, they are composite. Where this is so, all the meanings are valid and must be held together. Another remarkable fact must be stated: Unlike any other book of the Bible, Revelation, in an amazing way, sums up all that has gone before, in both Old and New Testaments. In other words, it sums up all the other books of the Bible! Revelation is, in truth, the final book of the Bible, and so every thread which runs through the Scriptures is not only picked up but tied into a final knot in this amazing book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490843513

Earl Thames

Reverend Earl Thames is a minister of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, of which he has been the moderator twice. He is a Rhodes scholar and has degrees in theology, law, politics, philosophy, and economics. He is a speaker at conferences and on radio and television.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 Earl Thames.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4350-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4352-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4351-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912190

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/12/14

Contents

Introduction

Rev. 1:1-7. The Prologue

Rev. 1:8. The Vision of God.

Rev. 1:9. John introduces himself.

Rev. 1:10f. The Prophecy Begins

Rev. 1:13 – 16 . The Vision of the Son of Man.

The Letters To The Seven Churches

Rev. 2:1-7. The Letter to the Church at Ephesus - The Church which Emphasized Righteousness but Lost its First Love.

Rev. 2:8-11. The Letter to the Church in Smyrna – The Church which was Poor but was also very Rich.

Rev. 2:12-17. The Letter to the Church at Pergamos – The Church in which Liberty was becoming Licence.

Rev. 2:18-29. The Letter to the Church at Thyatira - The Church whose Life was being Corrupted by an Immoral Person.

Rev. 3:1-6. The Letter to the Church at Sardis – The Church that Thought that it was Alive but was Spiritually Dead.

Rev. 3:7-13. The letter to the Church at Philadelphia – The Church which was Faithful.

Rev. 3:14-22. The Letter to the Church at Laodicea – The Church that was Neither Hot nor Cold.

Rev. 4:1-11 – The Doxology to God as Creator.

Rev. 5 – The Doxology to Christ as Redeemer.

Rev. 6 – The Signs of the End – The Seven Seals

Rev. 7. The Vision of the Kingdom of God.

Rev. 8. The Beginnings of Judgment

Rev. 9. Judgment Continued.

Rev. 10 – The Book which was Bitter Sweet.

Rev. 11:1 - 14. The Two Witnesses.

Rev. 11:15 - 19 – The Reign of Christ Foreshadowed.

Rev. 12. The Woman with Child.

Rev. 13: Anti-Christ and his servant, the Beast.

Rev. 14. The Lamb on Mt. Zion with the 144,000.

Rev. 15:1 - 4. The Song of Moses and the Lamb.

Rev. 16 – The Wrath of God.

Rev. 17. The symbolic Anti-God Kingdom.

Rev. 18. The Lament over the Fall of Babylon.

Rev. 19. 1 - 6. The Praise of God for Victory over Babylon.

Rev. 19:7 - 10. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Rev. 19: 11 - 21. The Battle of Armageddon and the Victory of Christ over Anti-Christ.

Rev. 20. The Millennium.

Rev. 21. The Transformed Heavens and Earth.

Rev. 22: Paradise Regained

Introduction

The Book of the Revelation is a mysterious book. Because of this, it is either avoided, or feared, or misinterpreted. Yet, if one spends the time to prayerfully read it and seek to understand its contents, one will discover that it is one of the most important and wonderful books of the Bible.

The Book of the Revelation is a prophetic Book, that is, it both

(a) forth tells God’s Word for the present or immediate situation, and

(b) foretells events which are to take place in the future.

Like the Book of Daniel, which forms the background to this Book, it begins with the contemporary situation, and then goes on to the end of time. As a part of the Bible, Revelation follows on the Book of Daniel but fills out the Last Things in greater detail.

The title of the Book is the Revelation of John. The title means unveiling, disclosure. The Book is an unveiling of the character and programme of God. It is felt by some that a better title would be the first verse, The Revelation of Jesus Christ. This means both the revelation which comes from Christ, and the revelation which is about Christ. The Book is about the Resurrected Christ, His Church and the world. More than any other prophetic Book of the Bible, the prophesies of Revelation are presented in symbolic form, that is, pictures, rather than words, are used to convey the message. This is why this Book is somewhat difficult to understand – the pictures have to be interpreted. There is no doubt that this has led to all sorts of extreme and fantastic interpretations. These amazing, symbolic pictures, like the Parables, both reveal and conceal. Thus the Book of the Revelation is not so clear that everyone can see the meaning and understand it immediately. But, as will be discovered, the pictures have an ascertainable meaning, a meaning which is based on the previous Books of the Bible. It should be mentioned at the outset that some pictures have more than one meaning, that is, they are composite. Where this is so, all the meanings are valid, and must be held together, though they may differ in time reference. Other pictures are subject to various interpretations. Where this is so, the various possible interpretations are given, as far as the author’s knowledge permits, with some indication as to the weight which could be attached to each interpretation.

Another remarkable fact must be stated - unlike any other Book of the Bible, Revelation, in an amazing way, sums up all that has gone before, in both Old and New Testaments. In other words, it sums up all the other Books of the Bible! Thus, throughout Revelation, there are many references to other Books. Revelation is, in truth, the final Book of the Bible, and so every thread which runs through the Scriptures is not only picked up, but tied into a final knot in this amazing Book. It has fittingly been said, Just as Genesis is the Book of beginnings, Revelation is the Book of endings or consummation. To give an example – throughout the Scriptures, various names are given to the Evil One. In Genesis he is called the serpent, in the Psalms he is called the dragon, in Job he is called Satan, while in Matthew he is called the devil. Turn to Revelation 12:9, and there all these names of the Evil One are combined in one verse! And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.

The Book of the Revelation centres on the Church. So it opens with the Risen Christ speaking, through letters, to seven Churches. These Churches are named in geographical places, but they also seem to be types of many Churches, for example, Churches which have left their first love, or Churches which are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. But Revelation links the Church of the New Testament with the Church of the Old Testament. So in Revelation 5 it is not 12 elders who are seated around the throne, but 24 – the 12 Patriarchs of the Old Israel are linked with the 12 Apostles of the New Israel. But Revelation goes further and distinguishes the Church of the very End Times which is Jewish, from the Church of the New Testament, which is primarily Gentile. So in Rev.7, a much misunderstood and misused section of Scripture, the 144,000 who are sealed are representatives of the tribes of the children of Israel – Jews. Hence the symbolic number of 12,000 for each of the twelve tribes. This group is clearly distinguished from the multitude which no man could number of all nations, (verse 9). In fact, Revelation seems to portray the fulfillment of the prophecies of Zechariah 12:10 and 13:1, as well as of St. Paul in Romans 11:26, that in the end, all Israel shall be saved. Revelation even seems to suggest that the Church which will be present when Anti-Christ appears, will be the Church of the converted Jews because the fullness of the Gentiles will have come in, Romans 11:25. This explains why the abomination of desolation takes place in the temple at Jerusalem, and the final battle between God and Satan (Armageddon) takes place in Palestine. It is however significant that the song which is sung in heaven is the song of Moses and of the Lamb, Rev. 15:3. There, both Churches are united. It is of greatest significance nevertheless, that Moses and the Lamb are not of equal status. The only One who could open the book and unveil all the events which will take place culminating in the new heaven and new earth, is not Moses, but the Lamb. The Book of the Revelation presents supreme conflicts between good and evil, God and Satan, but the result is never in doubt. Victory is with the Lamb. It is He who guarantees to the whole Church, His Presence, protection and provision until, (as the picture on the cover of this book symbolizes) the morning breaks and the shadows flee away."

I am indebted to many far more erudite theologians who have written on this book. Where reference is made to their work, the name of the original author is given, as far as possible. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit, who has inspired whatever is of worth in this book, will use this small work to convey some truth to the readers.

Earl Thames

The Book Of The Revelation

Rev. 1:1-7. The Prologue

Verse 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass…"

Here, the true Author of the Book is given. The human writer is St. John the Divine. But he is only a scribe, a Secretary. The real Author is God who gives the revelation to His Risen Son, Jesus Christ, who in turn, sends it to John by means of an angel. God’s Word goes forward, like a baton, being passed on from one Person to another. The real Source is however, clear – it is God Himself.

Verse 2 makes this abundantly clear – the Book is called the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. This two-fold Authorship implies the Third – the Holy Spirit, who influenced and controlled the mind and heart of John and operates on the mind and heart of the reader.

The word shortly could give a wrong impression – that everything in the Book of Revelation would happen at an early date, and some Christians have been misled. The word reflects the sense of time in God’s sight. For God, who is from everlasting to everlasting, a thousand years is but an evening gone. Perhaps for us, human beings too, when looked at in retrospect, the time will seem to have been short. This theme of immediacy runs throughout the Book.

Verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth…This describes very vividly the duty of those who receive the Word of God, not only as it is in this Book, but in all the Scriptures. They are to read, hear, and keep (that is, obey) the Word. The end of the verse contains both a warning and a promise – the time is at hand. There is an urgency about the Message. This was also the emphasis of Jesus as He began His Ministry Mk.1:15.

Verse 4. John to the seven Churches which are in Asia… There have been many attempts to identify the seven Churches to which these letters were directed, but opinions differ as to exactly which Churches were being addressed. Many commentators believe that they were idealistic Churches, that is they were not actual Churches but different types of Churches and so the letters could be applied to many Churches. But the letters contain certain details, including names of persons (Antipas Rev. 2:13), which would suggest that these were actual Churches.

Note - the number seven. This is a distinctive mark of Revelation – its use of numbers. The use is not accidental or haphazard. The numbers have a specific meaning or connotation. For instance, the number seven is used to signify completeness on the part of God, while the number twelve is used to signify completeness on the part of man. This signification runs throughout the Book. Thus in this verse, the number seven is used not only in respect of the Church, but also in respect of the Spirit – both are of God.

Note moreover, that the Revelation is a communication by God to His Church, not primarily to the world. It is to a select group, not to humanity as a whole, although the whole world is implicated in its Message. This division of humankind is clearly seen throughout the Book. Here it is emphasized because the first part of this Book is not only to the Church but also about the Church. Before looking at the world, God examines His own people – the Church. As indicated by St. Peter, judgment must begin at the house of God! I Peter 4:17. To us have been entrusted the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the promises of God and the responsibility for the moral state of the world – "Ye are the salt of the earth…

Ye are the light of the world." (Mt. 5:13-14).

…from Him which is, which was, and which is to come – this is the first description of the Person who is behind the Book. John is only a scribe. This description is of the threefold Godhead. The description, while being that of God, the Father, clearly contains a direct reference to Christ, the Son. The Person who is and was can only be God, but the One who is to come must be a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is especially so because the whole Book is about the events which shall precede and succeed Christ’s Second Coming. But the Third Person of the Godhead is immediately included – and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne.

…the seven Spirits – the number seven indicates the Holy Spirit in all His fullness. These verses contain a direct reference to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but, as we shall see in the next verse, the central Figure is the Son.

Verse 5. This description of the Lord Jesus Christ is remarkable for its breath of comprehension. It brings together many descriptions of Christ throughout the Scriptures, as mentioned before, this is a distinctive feature of Revelation. It speaks of His witness here on the earth, His Resurrection from the dead, His reign over kings and other authorities in the world, His love for the Church, and his salvation from sin through the Cross. The entire Life and Work of Christ is encompassed in one verse! The description is extended in the next verse to include the Church.

Verse 6…and has made us kings and priests unto God. This description denotes the role of Christians in the world. Those who believe in Christ are not necessarily political rulers, but they are to rule over sin and evil. Sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6:14. There is no doubt that sin has dominion or rule over those who are ‘natural’ human beings. "The whole world is under