1 Revelation An Introduction  E. MICHAEL RUSTEN 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2 BEFORE WE BEGIN HOW TO PROFIT MOST FROM THIS STUDY 1) TAKE NOTES IN YOUR NOTE BOOK AND REVIEW THEM. 2) JOT DOWN QUESTIONS. 3)DON’T TAKE MIKE RUSTEN’S WORD FOR ________________. ACTS 17:11 “NOW THESE WERE MORE NOBLE-MINDED THAN THOSE IN THESSALONICA, FOR THEY RECEIVED THE WORD WITH GREAT EAGERNESS, EXAMINING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, TO SEE WHETHER THESE THINGS WERE SO.” ANYTHING

3 1.PROPHECY IS GOD'S REVELATION OF THE BLESSINGS WHICH WILL COME UPON THOSE WHO ARE ___________________ AND THE JUDGMENTS THAT WILL COME UPON THOSE WHO ARE ____________________________. 2. PROPHECY IS DIFFICULT TO ____________________________. 3. IF YOU DISAGREE YOU MAY BE _________________________. 4. IT ISN'T NECESSARY TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING. PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS FAITHFUL UNFAITHFUL UNDERSTAND RIGHT

4 ROMANS 14: DESCRIBES PRINCIPLES TO APPLY WHEN CHRISTIANS_________________________________. A. ROMANS 14:1 ____________________________ ONE ANOTHER. B. ROMANS 14:3 ‑ 11 DON'T _________________ YOUR BROTHER. C. ROMANS 14:5 BE ____________________IN YOUR OWN MIND. D. ROMANS 14:12 WE’RE ALL ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD. PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS (CONTINUED) DISAGREE ACCEPT JUDGE CONVINCED

5 OUR PURPOSE GOD DESIRES MEN 1) TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION 2) TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE END TIMES 3) TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE AS A WHOLE TO AID GOD'S PEOPLE IN ACHIEVING THESE GOALS, THE INSTRUCTOR WILL BE SHARING HIS INSIGHTS INTO THESE QUESTIONS. THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF THE SEMINAR WILL BE TO ENABLE EACH PARTICIPANT TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERPRETATION PRESENTED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE ITS VALIDITY.

6 GOALS THE SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE COURSE ARE TWO: 1. TO BE ABLE TO OUTLINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION 2. TO BE ABLE TO INTERPRET ITS MAJOR SECTIONS SINCE THE GOAL WILL BE ONLY TO GIVE THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE BOOK, THE INTERPRETATION OF MANY INDIVIDUAL VERSES WILL BE PASSED OVER. WE WON'T COVER EVERYTHING DUE TO THE LIMITATION OF TIME.

7 OBJECTIVES FOR SESSION 1 BY THE END OF THIS SESSION YOU WILL BE ABLE TO: 1. EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR STUDYING PROPHECY IN GENERAL AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION IN PARTICULAR. 2. DEFINE THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED PROPHETIC TERMS. 3. LIST AND SUMMARIZE THE INTRODUCTORY FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

8 WHY STUDY PROPHECY? 1.ALL OF GOD'S WORD IS TO BE______________________________. 2. CHRIST MAY RETURN SOON. UNDERSTOOD

9 PROPHECIES INDICATING THAT CHRIST MAY RETURN SOON EZEKIEL 37 ‑ A PARTIALLY FULFILLED PROPHECY THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL 37 CONTAINS _________________STAGES. GOD GIVES EZEKIEL THE_________________________ OF EACH STAGE. STAGE I - VISION “THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON ME, AND HE BROUGHT ME OUT BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND SET ME DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VALLEY; AND IT WAS FULL OF BONES. AND HE CAUSED ME TO PASS AMONG THEM ROUND ABOUT, AND BEHOLD, THERE WERE VERY MANY ON THE SURFACE OF THE VALLEY; AND LO, THEY WERE VERY DRY. AND HE SAID TO ME, 'SON OF MAN, CAN THESE BONES LIVE?; AND I ANSWERED, ‘O LORD GOD, THOU KNOWEST.' AGAIN HE SAID TO ME, 'PROPHESY OVER THESE BONES, AND SAY TO THEM, “O DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD.” THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD TO THESE BONES, "BEHOLD, I WILL CAUSE BREATH TO ENTER YOU THAT YOU MAY COME TO LIFE. AND I WILL PUT SINEWS ON YOU, MAKE FLESH GROW BACK ON YOU, AND COVER YOU WITH SKIN, AND PUT BREATH IN YOU THAT YOU MAY COME ALIVE: AND YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.”’ SO I PROPHESIED, THERE WAS A NOISE, AND BEHOLD, A RATTLING; AND THE BONES CAME TOGETHER, BONE TO ITS BONE. AND I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, SINEWS WERE ON THEM, AND FLESH GREW, AND SKIN COVERED THEM; BUT THERE WAS NO BREATH IN THEM."(EZEKIEL 37:1 ‑ 8) 2 INTERPRETATION

10 EZEKIEL 37 (CONTINUED) STAGE 1 - INTERPRETATION "THEN HE SAID TO ME, 'SON OF MAN, THESE BONES ARE THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; BEHOLD, THEY SAY, "OUR BONES ARE DRIED UP, AND OUR HOPE HAS PERISHED. WE ARE COMPLETELY CUT OFF.” THEREFORE PROPHESY, AND SAY TO THEM, "THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD, 'BEHOLD, I WILL OPEN YOUR GRAVES AND CAUSE YOU TO COME UP OUT OF YOUR GRAVES, MY PEOPLE; AND I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, WHEN I HAVE OPENED YOUR GRAVES AND CAUSED YOU TO COME UP OUT OF YOUR GRAVES, MY PEOPLE.'" (EZEKIEL 37: 11 ‑ 13) THE FORMING OF THE BONES INTO CORPSES SYMBOLIZES: ISRAEL’S _______________ TO THEIR LAND IN ______________________. THIS WAS FULFILLED IN RETURN UNBELIEF

11 EZEKIEL 37 (CONTINUED) STAGE 2 – VISION "THEN HE SAID TO ME, 'PROPHESY TO THE BREATH, PROPHESY, SON OF MAN, AND SAY TO THE BREATH, "THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD, 'COME FROM THE FOUR WINDS, O BREATH, AND BREATHE ON THESE SLAIN, THAT THEY COME TO LIFE.’” SO I PROPHESIED AS HE COMMANDED ME, AND THE BREATH CAME INTO THEM, AND THEY CAME TO LIFE, AND STOOD ON THEIR FEET, AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT ARMY.” (EZEKIEL 37: 9 ‑ 10) STAGE 2 – INTERPRETATION "AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND YOU WILL COME TO LIFE, AND I WILL PLACE YOU ON YOUR OWN LAND. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN AND DONE IT," DECLARES THE LORD." (EZEKIEL 37:14) GOD'S BREATHING LIFE INTO THE CORPSES SYMBOLIZES ISRAEL'S ______________________________. THE CONVERSION OF ISRAEL WILL OCCUR AT THE ________________________________. NOW WE ARE IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE FULFILLMENT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES OF THE PROPHECY. CONVERSION SECOND COMING

12 ANOTHER PROPHECY INDICATING THAT CHRIST MAY RETURN SOON JESUS SAID, "AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE PREACHED IN THE WHOLE WORLD FOR A WITNESS TO ALL THE NATIONS AND THEN THE END SHALL COME." (MATT. 24:14) IN REVELATION 7: 9 THE RAPTURED CHURCH IS DESCRIBED AS: "A GREAT MULTITUDE, WHICH NO ONE COULD COUNT, FROM EVERY NATION AND ALL TRIBES AND PEOPLES AND TONGUES, STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE AND BEFORE THE LAMB.“ FOR THERE TO BE PEOPLE "FROM EVERY TRIBE... BEFORE THE THRONE" (REV. 7:9) WHO HAVE WASHED THEIR ROBES AND MADE THEM WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB" (REV. 7:14), THAT MEANS THAT THE GOSPEL MUST HAVE GONE TO EVERY TRIBE ______________THE SECOND COMING. CURRENTLY THE GOSPEL HAS GONE TO ALL THE NATIONS, BUT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 6,800 UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS WHO HAVE YET TO HEAR IT. HOWEVER, EVERY EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO REACH THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BEFORE

13 OTHER PROPHECIES INDICATING THAT CHRIST MAY RETURN SOON DANIEL 2 A STATUE (DAN. 2:31 ‑ 35) REPRESENTS FOUR SUCCESSIVE KINGDOMS (DAN. 2:37 ‑ 39) WHICH WILL EXIST FROM DANIEL'S DAY UNTIL THE KINGDOM OF GOD (DAN. 2:44) DANIEL 7 FOUR BEASTS (DAN. 7:2 ‑ 14) REPRESENT FOUR SUCCESSIVE KINGDOMS (DAN. 7:17) WHICH WILL EXIST FROM DANIEL'S DAY UNTIL THE KINGDOM OF GOD (DAN. 7:18, 26 ‑ 28) THE FOUR KINGDOMS WERE: _____________________, ________________________, _____________________, AND ____________________. ACCORDING TO DANIEL 2:40-45 THERE WILL BE A FORM OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN EXISTENCE WHEN GOD SETS UP HIS KINGDOM. BABYLON PERSIA GREECEROME

14 A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE THE ROMAN EMPIRE BEGAN IN____________________. IN___________________ IT DIVIDED INTO THE EASTERN AND WESTERN EMPIRE. THE EASTERN OR BYZANTINE EMPIRE LASTED UNTIL________________ WHEN IT WAS CONQUERED BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE LASTED UNTIL _________________WHEN IT WAS BROKEN UP FOLLOWING____________________. NOW ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IS ______________________. THE WESTERN EMPIRE LASTED UNTIL______________________________. IN_________________ CHARLEMAGNE INAUGURATED THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE LASTED CONTINUOUSLY FROM ___________________ TO ____________________________ WHEN IT WAS REPLACED BY NAPOLEON'S CONFEDERATION OF THE RHINE. THUS THERE HAS BEEN A FORM OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN EXISTENCE ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY SINCE THE TIME OF ____________________________. TODAY, THE EUROPEAN UNION OCCUPIES TERRITORY SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND IS COMPOSED OF TWENTY SEVEN MEMBERS. 27 BC AD WORLD WAR I TURKEY AD CHRIST

15 WHY STUDY THE BOOK OF REVELATION? 1. UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS NECESSARY FOR ______________________ PROPHECY. 2. REVELATION SHOWS HOW GOD WILL _________________ HISTORY. 3.REVELATION SHOWS HOW THE REST OF THE BIBLE _____________ TOGETHER. 4. THERE IS A _____________________ PROMISED TO THOSE WHO READ, HEAR AND HEED IT. "BLESSED IS HE WHO READS AND THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORDS OF PROPHECY, AND HEED THE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN IT; FOR THE TIME IS NEAR." REV. 1:3 UNDERSTANDING CONCLUDE FITS BLESSING

16 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY ___________________ THE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST OVER THE EARTH 1. _________________ MILLENNIALISM - THE VIEW THAT CHRIST WILL RETURN BEFORE THE MILLENNIUM MILLENNIUM PRE CHURCH AGEMILLENNIUMETERNAL STATE 2ND COMING THE MILLENNIUM

17 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY: 2. __________________ MILLENNIALISM - THE VIEW THAT CHRIST WILL RETURN AFTER THE MILLENNIUM VIEW A VIEW B CHURCH AGEMILLENNIUMETERNAL STATE 2 ND COMING CHURCH AGE = MILLENNIUMETERNAL STATE POST

18 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED) 3. __________________ MILLENNIALISM - THE VIEW THAT THERE WILL BE NO MILLENNIUM CHURCH AGEETERNAL STATE 2 ND COMING A

19 THE RAPTURE & TRIBULATION _________________CHRIST’S COMING TO TAKE THE CHURCH TO HEAVEN (I THESS. 4:16 ‑ 17) THE WORD “RAPTURE” IS FROM RAPIRE THE LATIN WORD TO SNATCH. __________________ A TERM SOMETIMES APPLIED TO THE SEVEN YEARS PRECEDING THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. IT IS NEVER USED IN THE BIBLE IN THIS SENSE. IN MATTHEW 24:21, THE 3 ‑ 1/2 YEARS PRECEDING THE SECOND COMING ARE CALLED A “GREAT TRIBULATION” (DAN. 9:27; MT. 24:15; DAN. 7:25; REV. 11:2; 12:6, 14). RAPTURE TRIBULATION THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED)

20 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED) DIFFERING VIEWS OF THE RAPTURE 1.__________________ TRIBULATION RAPTURE – THE VIEW THAT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH PRECEDES THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS PRIOR TO THE SECOND COMING. PRE RAPTURE 2ND COMING CHURCH AGE GREAT TRIBULATION 7 YEARS

21 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED) 2. __________________ TRIBULATION RAPTURE – THE VIEW THAT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS PRIOR TO THE SECOND COMING. RAPTURE 2ND COMING CHURCH AGE GREAT TRIBULATION MID 7 YEARS

22 3. __________________ TRIBULATION RAPTURE – THE VIEW THAT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH FOLLOWS THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THEREFORE OCCURS AT THE SECOND COMING. THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED) POST CHURCH AGE 7 YEARS GREAT TRIBULATION 2ND COMING RAPTURE &

23 THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED) __________________ TRIBULATION RAPTURE – THE VIEW THAT ONLY SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANS WILL BE TAKEN TO HEAVEN AT THE RAPTURE. PARTIAL 7 YEARS 2ND COMING RAPTURE

24 DANIEL 9:24 ‑ 27 DESCRIBES A PERIOD OF SEVENTY WEEKS, OR “SEVENS" WHICH SEEM TO REPRESENT SEVENTY WEEKS OR SEVENS OF YEARS OR 490 YEARS (ONE "WEEK" OR "SEVEN" EQUALS SEVEN YEARS). THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL THE TERMINOLOGY OF PROPHECY (CONTINUED)

25 THE FIRST 69 WEEKS OF DANIEL “KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS: FROM THE ISSUING OF THE DECREE TO RESTORE AND REBUILD JERUSALEM UNTIL THE ANNOINTED ONE, THE RULER, COMES, THERE WILL BE SEVEN ‘SEVENS’ AND SIXTY-TWO ‘SEVENS’ GREEK = CHRIST HEBREW = MESSIAH AFTER THE SIXTY-TWO ‘SEVENS’, THE ANNOINTED ONE WILL BE CUT OFF AND WILL HAVE NOTHING. THE PEOPLE OF THE RULER WHO WILL COME WILL DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY. CRUCIFIXIONROMANS AD YEARS

26 THE 70 TH WEEK OF DANIEL __________________ HE WILL CONFIRM A COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE ‘SEVEN’ (SEVEN YEARS) BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ‘SEVEN’ HE WILL PUT AN END SACRIFICE AND OFFERING, AND THE ONE WHO CAUSES DESOLATION WILL PLACE ABOMINATIONS ON A WING OF THE TEMPLE UNTIL THE END THAT IS DECREED IS POURED OUT ON HIM.” “WHEN THEREFORE YOU SEE THE ABOMINATION OF OF DESOLATION SPOKEN OF THROUGH DANIEL THE PROPHET STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE (MATT 24: 15) THERE WILL BE A GREAT TRIBULATION SUCH AS HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD UNTIL NOW NOR SHALL EVER (MATT 24:21) IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE IT’S LIGHT… AND THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS.” (MATT 24: 29-30) THUS THE SEVENTIETH WEEK OF DANIEL IS THE: ___________________________________________________. FINAL 7 YEARS PRIOR TO THE 2ND COMING ANTICHRIST 3 ½ YEARS 3 ½ YEARS 7 YEARS

27 PRACTICAL APPLICATION DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHETHER CHRIST COMES BEFORE OR AFTER THE SEVENTIETH WEEK OF DANIEL? IF THE PRETRIBULATION, MIDTRIBULATION, OR PARTIAL RAPTURE VIEW IS CORRECT, THE BELIEVER IS TO LOOK FORWARD ONLY TO THE______________________________. IF THE POSTTRIBULATION RAPTURE VIEW IS CORRECT, THE BELIEVER MUST PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM. RAPTURE

28 INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION AUTHOR _______________________________ DATE __________________________________ INTERPRETATIONS: ____________________________- THE PROPHECIES OF THE BOOK WERE ALL FULFILLED IN THE FIRST CENTURY. _________________________ ‑ THE BOOK IS A PROPHECY OF HISTORY FROM THE FIRST CENTURY UNTIL THE SECOND COMING. __________________________ ‑ THE BOOK'S PURPOSE IS TO INSPIRE PERSECUTED AND SUFFERING CHRISTIANS. ____________________________ ‑ CHAPTERS 4 ‑ 22 CONTAIN PROPHECIES OF THE END TIMES. APOSTLE JOHN C. AD 95 PRETERIST HISTORICIST IDEALIST FUTURIST

29 THE TWO MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN INTERPRETING REVELATION (CONT) 1. FAILING TO UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE. REVELATION IS WRITTEN IN THE STYLE OF ___________________ LITERATURE. HOW SHOULD ___________________LITERATURE BE INTERPRETED? REVELATION 1:1 GIVES THE _________________________________. “THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST WHICH GOD GAVE HIM TO SHOW TO HIS BOND ‑ SERVANTS THE THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE; AND HE SENT AND COMMUNICATED IT BY HIS ANGEL TO HIS BOND SERVANT JOHN.” SEMAINO = TO SHOW BY MEANS OF _________________________. HOW DO YOU INTERPRET A______________________ LITERALLY? YOU DETERMINE WHAT IT SYMBOLIZES. APOCALYPTIC ANSWER SYMBOLS SYMBOL

30 2. FAILING TO UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE: THE POPULAR UNDERSTANDING OF REVELATION’S STRUCTURE IS ______________ ACCOUNTS OF END TIMES EVENTS. THE STRUCTURE TO BE SUGGESTED IN THIS STUDY IS PARALLEL ACCOUNTS OF END TIMES EVENTS. THE TWO MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN INTERPRETING REVELATION SEQUENTIAL

31 SEQUENTIAL ACCOUNTS PARALLEL ACCOUNTS TIME SEALSTRUMPETS BOWLS SEALS TRUMPETS BOWLS ‑ IF ONE PUTS PARALLEL ACCOUNTS END TO END, THE RESULT IS CONFUSION THE TWO MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN INTERPRETING REVELATION