The End Times Revealed in Revelation

By Kathy Gibson

In the Bible, Genesis is the first book, the book of beginning; and Revelation is the last book, the book of closing, like the grand finale of the Bible, although you may not picture it that way. Like most people, I thought Revelation was all about things that were hard to understand. But with the Lord's help, nothing is impossible with Him, and that is what He has done for me.

If you ever put a jigsaw puzzle together, you know each piece must be put in its correct place before you have a completed picture, and Revelation is like that. As we go through Revelation, puzzle pieces will be found in its chapters, beginning with seven churches. Then more pieces are found in God's wrath, starting with the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven worship celebrations, and seven beatitudes. And each of those sevens will form a completed picture of how the end-times are revealed in Revelation. The thousand-year Millennium is next, with Jesus Christ ruling and reigning on the earth as the King of kings. And after that, Satan and sin is finished forever, and eternity begins without end!

In this study of Revelation, we will see it is an amazing book with a wonderful ending! So why study Revelation? Because in Revelation 1:3, we are told, "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."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685702113

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The End Times Revealed in Revelation

Kathy Gibson

ISBN 978-1-68570-210-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68570-211-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Kathy Gibson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Revelation 1

Revelation 2

Revelation 3

Revelation 4

Revelation 5

Revelation 6

Revelation 7

Revelation 8

Revelation 9

Revelation 10

Revelation 11

Revelation 12

Revelation 13

Revelation 14

Revelation 15

Revelation 16

Revelation 17

Revelation 18

Revelation 19

Revelation 20

Revelation 21

Revelation 22

About the Author

Revelation 1

Revelation is the only prophecy book in the New Testament; there are seventeen prophecy books in the Old Testament.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. (Revelation 1:1–2)

Verse 1: It had been about sixty-five years since John saw the risen Jesus ascend back into heaven; in this first verse, we are told that it is God who gave the revelation to Jesus Christ the Son, and that unveiling of the revelation from Jesus Christ was given through an angel to John in a vision with signs and symbols that we might understand the things written in this book. A revelation is an act of revealing or communicating divine truth; this book reveals another side of the person of Jesus Christ and of His justice, and many don't like to hear about the Lord's justice.

When Jesus Christ came to earth the first time, He came as a baby in meekness, lowliness, and humbleness; but now in the Book of Revelation, He is not like that. He is still the Lamb of God, but we will see the unfolding/unveiling of the wrath of the Lamb/Lion that will terrify the earth. This unveiling is like searching for buried treasure, which we will unearth. And even though what is read in this book is God's wrath, we must count it a privilege to be forewarned from the Lord before it happens, and that is where our treasure lies.

The whole Bible is about what He has done (the past), what He is doing (the present time), and what He will do (in the future). Revelation is about the present and the future age that is about to come; it is no longer a sealed book but one to be studied and understood. There are some key words that give us clues as to the speed of this book; it deals with things that must come to pass shortly (KJV) or soon (NIV).

Verse 2: Since Revelation is yet to be fulfilled, once the unveiling of this book starts (His wrath, the opening of the seven seals), it will take place in a hurry by the words must, soon, and near. Those three words let us know that when His wrath begins and opens up, it will do so rapidly, and the age of grace will have ended. Grace is a free gift of salvation (to be saved), and that grace/free gift is given to anyone who will repent of their sins and ask Jesus Christ into their heart and live for Him.

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. (Revelation 1:3)

I used to think the book of Revelation was all about things that were hard to understand. But as we are told in this verse, if we read and study it our, life will be blessed. This blessed is the first of seven beatitudes found in this book, and to me, each beatitude is like a sandwich in which three parts are contained—a top, middle, and bottom part. In the beatitudes, I will show you the Lord's part which is the top layer, then the middle layer (the meat which is our part), and the bottom layer once again is the Lord's part. Notice that our part, the meat, is sandwiched in between the Lord's part as we become one in Him! And even though beatitudes are for everyone who reads the Word, not all will choose to live close to the Lord; therefore, beatitudes are really for a believer whose desire is to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

The top part: the Lord's part, Blessed

When we live righteously (right with the Lord), He promises to bless us; for in living close to Him, we can know what true contentment is all about. Blessed is something God does on purpose. It is His promise to whosoever will come to Him and is the result of something that will take place in our life.

Our part: Reading, hearing, keeping

In hearing the words of this prophecy, we must listen attentively, and our ears must be open to hear what each verse has to say. For His words will speak to us and touch our heart if we love the Lord, and in that, He promises to bless us.

Not only are we to read and hear the words, but we are to keep the words; keep means that we will be faithful to His Word and continue on without faltering (persevere in Christ). If we do our part by reading, hearing, and keeping, then the Word will be hidden deep in our heart. And when we face the trials in our lives, Jesus Christ will hold us steady and bring the hidden Word to light our way, and that truly is a blessing which is the Lord's part.

The bottom part: the Lord's part, "For the time is at hand"

Why should we pay attention to this part of the beatitude, For the time is at hand? At any moment, we could die or be caught up in the Rapture, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ; and since Revelation is the book that deals with the present and the future, it is really important to remember His words, The time is near at hand.

This life is the only practice session for us before we meet the Lord; the choice is up to us. Either we are going to heaven or hell. There is nothing in between.

These two sayings are worth remembering—Only one life will soon be past but only what's done for Christ will last! Jesus: don't leave earth without Him!

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 which are before his throne; 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, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:4–6)

Verse. 4: In today's time, we can see how people are taken in with numbers, numbers in gambling, in fortune-telling, and in superstitions. Seven is the key number in Revelation—God finished creating on the sixth day and rested on the seventh day, and that seventh day is symbolic of His completeness. Therefore, John is directed to write to only seven churches because they were representing churches in not only his time but in our time. We will learn what types of people are portrayed in each of the seven churches in the next two chapters.

Grace and peace are the greeting and heading of each letter John is writing; grace is undeserved mercy and a pardon. Today is still the time when grace, mercy, and peace flow, even though we may not see much peace taking place. We must realize that today is actually a peaceable calm before the storm (although it may not appear that way); when the Wrath of God (the seven seals are opened and seven trumpets are blown and seven bowls are poured out on the earth), peace will be gone.

In Revelation, the Lord is showing us what is about to happen not by dates but by signs; and by those signs, we are given warnings of upcoming dangers ahead. It is like road signs that tell us to beware of danger ahead, though we may not see anything yet. Therefore, the book of Revelation should help us, not frighten us, because we can have the peace of God in our heart. We can know what is about to happen by reading, hearing, and keeping the Word of God!

Three eternal parts of the Lord are referred to from Him which is, which was, and which is to come. And because of those three, we are reminded again the Three in One are changeless, timeless, and eternal. They have no beginning and no end!

The seven spirits to seven churches. The seven Spirits portray the fullness of the Holy Spirit to each of the seven churches, which meant not one church is left out.

Verse 5: A review of Jesus Christ—He holds the title faithful witness, faithful unto death. He is the first to rise from the dead never to die again, and He is the prince of kings. He reigns now for He is King of kings. Unto Him that loved us so much that He went to die on the cross for mankind's sin, and when man repents and seeks forgiveness for their sin, His shed blood washes those sins away.

Verse 6: How are we made kings and priests? Man can only see the fruit we display in our lives whether that fruit is good or bad fruit, but this verse is speaking about spiritual fruit in the life of a person who has been changed by Jesus Christ. By His redemptive work, we repent of our sin and He saves us, and that is seen in us because of the One who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His shed blood on the cross. Therefore, spiritual-kingdom fruit, the fruit of one's spirit, must/will show up in lives, and that is how we are made to be a type of king and priest to serve our Lord and Savior.

Jesus Christ is worthy of all our praise, and to Him is glory and power forever and ever, Amen!

What does Amen mean? It is so, and so be it (Amen)!

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

The first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth was accomplished in two stages. In stage one, He came to earth as a baby; and in stage two, His whole mission was to die/shed His blood on the cross for the sins of all mankind and rise again on the third day.

In this verse "He is coming again," not as a baby but as the King of all kings at the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period. This is the second coming of Jesus Christ, and His second coming will also be accomplished in two stages. Stage one is called the Rapture, and stage two is called the Revealing. This verse is the final stage (stage two) of Jesus Christ's Revealing as every eye will see Him come—the eyes of His people (the saved), and the eyes of His enemies (the unsaved), and to all those who have pierced Him by their rejection and hatred. Christ's Revealing will cause their hearts to become fearful, and terror will grip them, and they shall wail.

This Revealing cannot be the Rapture (stage one), for in the Rapture, He does not appear on the earth to anyone—only those who hear the trumpet sound of His voice will go up to meet Him in the air, the dead in Christ-the body of a believer in the grave will be raised first, and next the believers/followers of Jesus Christ who are alive on the earth will be raised next (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

In the Rapture there is no wailing or terror griping the heart; instead, there will be Great Rejoicing/Hallelujah's when the Rapture takes place!

Even so Amen—This Amen means that it is final, and nothing is going to change His mind about it; He is a just God who will do just as He says He will do in His Word!

Jesus Christ is the judge of this world and all will bow down before Him.

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. (Revelation 1:8)

In the Greek alphabet, alpha is the first letter, and omega is the last letter; about God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are the Three in One (I Am)!

In this verse, we are given a list of the character traits of the Three in One:

They are the alpha and omega (the first and the last)! Which is represents the glorified Jesus Christ. He came, died, and rose again on the third day! Which was verifies they have no beginning and no end! Which is to come speaks about a future time, the two stages of His second coming (both remain unfilled)!

Some religions believe that Jesus Christ was created by God, which is not what this verse says!

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. (Revelation 1:9)

Three things are told to us about John:

He was a companion in Tribulation. Jesus Christ was crucified not for a crime He committed but for testifying to be the Son of God. Therefore, like Christ, John suffered tribulation/persecution just as other servants for Jesus Christ had. He was active in the church and had been teaching the Word of God and was imprisoned not for the crime of an evildoer, but solely for his testimony.

He was a companion in the kingdom. John was going about doing kingdom work; he persevered in preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ something which imprisoned him on the isle of Patmos. This is what I find remarkable; even though he was in prison, the Lord was always with him and gave him the book of Revelation vision!

He was a companion in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Like John, in order for us to live spiritually right today as we do kingdom work for the Lord, it will take patient endurance and perseverance that only Christ can give to us in order to live righteously (Christ-like) in this un-Christlike world. John stayed true to the Lord in the midst of the great trials in his life; it was the Lord who gave him the patience that helped him persevere in prison.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 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. (Revelation 1:10–11)

Verse 10: Was John having a dream or a vision? Neither one, for the Word said John's whole being was totally in the Spirit. In other words, his spirit was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was giving him a huge cinemascope view with hearing, sight, and sound.

The first thing John heard was a trumpet-like voice which caused him to turn around to see what or whom it was; why a voice like a trumpet? Trumpets are loud and played as a wake-up call or as a call to attention. Why was the trumpet voice behind him and not in front of him? When something is in front of us, we can see it and our attention span can be broken easily. But that trumpetlike voice coming from behind him was not calming. It was sharp and caught him off guard as he tried to focus his mind on what he couldn't see till he turned around.

Verse 11: John was then told, by the voice of the alpha and omega, the first and the last, to write down on a scroll/book every little detail; and after writing down everything, he was to send it to seven churches in Asia.

We must realize what a tremendous miracle the book of Revelation is; how could John possibly remember every little detail, and how could he write fast enough concerning everything that he was about to see and hear? And how could he send a book to seven churches while he was in prison? We do know that John was under the influence of the Holy Spirit (in the Spirit), and therefore, he is able to remember and write down everything that is contained in the book of Revelation—truly a miracle!

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (Revelation 1:12–15)

Verse 12: When John turned around to see the voice from behind him, a wonderful vision scene opened up, and the first thing he saw were seven golden candlesticks. And we know that candlesticks are designed to emit/send out light. Therefore, the seven churches are being compared to candlesticks as the church was originally designed by the Lord to emit the light of the gospel to a dark world. I find it interesting there are seven continents on the face of the entire earth the Lord created. The golden candlesticks, golden is symbolic of something shining and lustrous (brilliant), this golden is a picture of how precious the seven candlesticks are to the Lord!

Verse 13: Then John saw someone like the Son of man standing in the midst/middle of the candlesticks; how did John know the one standing in the midst of the candlesticks was like the Son of man? The One standing there gave him the impression this was the appearance of the risen Jesus Christ whom he had personally seen and known.

Concerning the One standing in the center of the candlesticks, why did the One like the Son of man stand in the midst of the seven candlesticks? His glow/love—light is being emitted to each of the seven churches (continents)—not one got more or less of His light. Once again, His light is symbolic of the gospel/the Word of God, and that light is infused and sent into all areas of the seven candlesticks/the seven churches.

This is how I envision the brilliance of the One whose light is being emitted to the seven churches (continents): In my younger days, I went roller-skating. And at a certain time, a huge diamond ball was lowered into the center of the room. All lights were turned off, and only the ball was lit up, and it began to slowly spin which sent crystal-like prisms/rainbows over the whole skating rink. Breathtaking!

In the last part of this verse and into the next three verses, John gives a detailed description of what the Son of man looked like. His robe-garment is symbolic of a priestly nature. Concerning this girdle-sash, in Old Testament days, priests wore girdles/sashes around their waists, but here His golden sash is worn high on His chest instead of around the waist because it is worn on His chest is a picture of royalty.

Today, as well as in Jesus's day, royalty would never allow a person to be put on a cross to be killed; therefore, it is no wonder that mankind cannot believe that Jesus Christ was ever royalty. Instead, He was called a blasphemer, a fake and a fraud, for they didn't have spiritual eyes to see who Jesus Christ really was and is.

We know that even his disciples did not have spiritual eyesight, for most of them had deserted Him except for John who was present at the crucifixion of Christ (John 19:26). Mary Magdalene came to the empty tomb first. She ran to tell Peter and John the good news, and it was John who outran Peter and reached the tomb first and believed that Jesus rose just as He said (John 20:2–8).

Verse 14: His white hair does not suggest He is old; it is symbolic of His purity and power to cleanse. White is also the evidence of His radiant glory, of His eternity, and of His infinite wisdom, which describes His omnipotence (unlimited power). White also suggests brightness, a splendor of light and glory that engulfed His head and hair, and is emitted in every direction off His whole countenance.

His eyes as a flame of fire portray His omniscience. He has endless awareness, all understanding, and complete insight; He has universal divine knowledge and eyes that pierce the very depths of man's soul, seeing everything, every motive of individuals and nations.

Verse 15: Bronze/brass was widely used in Jesus' day; His feet like brass portray His stability and everlasting durability. He is the one who walks in the midst of each church to check on their service. He will come to judge sinners and make war against Satan someday in the future.

The brass that is glowing in a furnace portrays judgment purification; human nature rebels against judgment being passed upon them. They don't want to be told what to do even if it's the right thing to do. But we must remember there will be a reckoning time, and man will answer to Him for what they have done.

His voice as the sound of many waters is symbolic of His voice of authority which is His omnipotent quality (unlimited power).

In this book of Revelation, Jesus Christ is inspecting and judging His church/the bride, the people of God.

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (Revelation 1:16)

Since seven is the number of perfection/completeness (the total time the Lord created the universe) and because of His omnificent unlimited creative power, the seven stars held in His right hand portray the picture of His total control over our whole universe.

A sharp two-edged sword. In the armor of God (Ephesians 6:12–18), the sword of God is mentioned; and when you take the s off sword, you are left with the Word—the Truth of God which is the sharp two-edged sword out of His mouth. That sharp sword out of His mouth is also a reflection of judgment to come because of where the Son of man is standing at this time, in the midst of the seven churches, and we know that God will not put up with sin forever.

About His countenance, it is so brilliant like the brightest summer day, only brighter than anything John had ever seen before!

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: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelation 1:17–18)

Verse 17: Why did John fall down? Looking upon Jesus Christ was too much of a shock for his human mind to comprehend and immediately after looking on Christ's countenance (all His glory and power), he became overwhelmed and fell face down as if dead. If we had heard and seen everything John had, wouldn't we too have fallen down? I know I would have. The first and the last show us the Lord's authority and refer to His eternal existence. His words raised John up by the power from His right hand.

Verse 18: This verse affirms His eternal existence. He left heaven, was born into this sinful world (He lived, was alive on earth), then He died on the cross for the sins of all mankind (and was dead), and then arose from the grave on the third day (and am alive for evermore).

His keys will imprison/hold the unsaved in hell; His keys tell us that no one can escape death unless they are taken in the Rapture. No one has a card that will free them out of hell and no do-overs in hell. All decisions are final!

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:19–20)

Verse 19: Notice the Lord talks to John of the present and the future and not of the past: The things which thou hast seen (chapter 1) pertains to everything he has seen in the vision given to him. The things of which are (chapters 2–3) pertains to the seven churches and represents those present in the church age at the time of John, and in our time also. The things which shall be (chapters 4–22) pertains to the future, after the church age ends, the Rapture, the seven-year Tribulation Period, the thousand-year Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, and finally entrance into eternity! Today, because we are still living in the church age, the list, after the church age, is yet to be fulfilled!

Verse 20: A mystery is stated; a mystery in Scripture means a secret that which has not yet been revealed. Up until the book of Revelation, that mystery, that kept secret, has now been revealed to John!

The Lord gave to John and to us the answer to the seven stars and seven candlesticks. The seven stars are seven angels given to seven churches, and we will find out what that means in chapters 2 and 3.

Revelation 2

In chapters 2 and 3, we will be discovering seven churches—who they represent, how they are portrayed in their standing before the Lord who stands in the midst of them, and why the people in some of the seven churches chose to walk away from the Lord. Also in chapters 2 and 3, the church will be mentioned nineteen times yet, in chapter 4 through 20 the church will not be mentioned one time; what happened to the church? In our study, we will find the answer to that question.

The Church of Ephesus: Commended or Condemned (2:1–7)

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (Revelation 2:1–3)

Verse 1: In Revelation 1:19, John was instructed to write down everything from his vision—part one, the things he had seen, and in this verse, we have part two, the things which are.

John is given a report on each church and is told about the spiritual state of each one and the lives of the people who attend it. The angel of each church would be like the pastor or leader, and those ministers/pastors/leaders are held in the Lord's right hand. His hand supports them.

Because these seven churches are examples of the church age of today, the Lord is walking (checking/judging) in the midst of the candlesticks (the churches/people) to see whether there is fruit or fruitlessness. That is why at the end of the study on each church, we will discover whether the church/people are commended or condemned. If a church/people is commended, we will not see any condemnation given. If they are condemned, condemnation will be given in the