"...prove all things; hold fast to that which is good..." 1TH 5:21
Outline Of The Book Of Revelation
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THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS TO MAKE KNOWN TO BELIEVERS THE THINGS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF THIS PRESENT AGE, PRECEDING, AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. GOD GAVE THE REVELATION TO JESUS, WHO SENT IT WITH AN ANGEL TO JOHN TO GIVE TO THE CHURCH. GOD CONSIDERS THE BOOK OF REVELATION SO IMPORTANT FOR BELIEVERS TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAS ATTACHED A BLESSING - BOTH AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE BOOK - FOR ALL WHO READ, WHO HEAR, AND WHO OBEY ITS TEACHINGS. TO ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF REVELATION, FOLLOWING IS A SIMPLE CHAPTER BY CHAPTER OUTLINE OF WHAT THE BOOK CONTAINS:
Chapter 1Here John receives a vision of the glorified Christ as present in the world in the church. Christ directs John to write what he sees in a book and send it to each of the seven local churches then existing in Asia. The significance of these churches is that they are representative of all local churches everywhere, in every age, including the present time, until the rapture.
The book is to be divided into three parts: the things which John had seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The things which John had seen pertains to his vision of the glorified Christ, in this chapter. The things which are, pertains to the church age and Christ's evaluation of the spiritual state of the churches and subsequent rapture, in Ch 2-3. The things which shall be hereafter, pertains to all the events and things that will take place after the church age - the rapture - in Ch 4-22. The first blessing Jesus pronounces for all who read, who hear, and who obey the teachings of Revelation is recorded in this chapter.
Chapter 2-3Christ's letters to the seven local churches in Asia evaluating their spiritual state in these chapters is a warning to every individual Christian to continually examine their beliefs and activities and ensure that they conform to what Christ expects of His church. These letters are to be interpreted as not only applying for that generation, but as having an ongoing application for all generations, including ours. We also learn here that love is the key to eternal life. Christ has undertaken to save only the church at Philadelphia - which means love of Brethren - from the tribulation. This is clear evidence of a pre-tribulation rapture and only those individuals represented by the church at Philadelphia will take part.
Chapter 4Here we see the raptured church in heaven represented by the twenty-four elders seated around the throne of God. We know the church is raptured here because it is never mentioned again in scripture as being on earth after Ch 3. Furthermore, the elders identify themselves in Ch 5 as having been redeemed from the earth. The four winged beasts full of eyes round about the throne have been created specifically to worship God and are undoubtedly the seraphim and cherubim described by the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah and Ezekiel.
Chapter 5The book God is holding here with the seven seals is the book of judgement. Jesus, the lamb of God who bore the punishment for the sins of all humanity, is the only one qualified to loose the seals and execute the judgements, which form part of the tribulation. This is further evidence that the tribulation is God's wrath poured out upon sinners not saints. The church will not go through the tribulation. The twenty-four elders identify themselves here as having been redeemed from the earth, which proves they are the raptured church.
Chapter 6The opening of the first seal here reveals the rise to power of Antichrist and the onset of the tribulation. This is synonymous with the start of Daniel's seventieth week prophesied in the Old Testament, which continues throughout the tribulation until Christ's second coming in Ch 19. The opening of the second seal reveals Antichrist breaking his seven year peace treaty with Israel after three and a half years and making war on Israel. This is synonymous with the prophetic events recorded in the middle of Daniel's seventieth week. The opening of the third and fourth seals reveals famine and death killing a quarter of earth's inhabitants. War, famine, pestilence, evil beasts and death will intensify as the tribulation progresses. The opening of the fifth seal reveals the multitude of martyred tribulation saints, beheaded for their testimony to Christ.
The opening of the sixth seal reveals the first of God's judgements upon the earth and its inhabitants during the tribulation which is so cataclysmic it causes the sky to recede as if it were a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island is moved from its position. When the great day of God's wrath is come sinners will rather be crushed to death by mountains and rocks than endure the judgements of God. This is the wrath from which Christ promises to save the church.
Chapter 7Here John sees one hundred and forty-four thousand Jews sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads to ensure their safety in the first three and a half years of the tribulation, during the seven trumpet judgements of God, which will be revealed at the opening of the seventh seal in Ch 8. They will be raptured to heaven between the seventh trumpet and the first vial, or plague judgement in the middle of the tribulation. We know that they are in heaven at that time because in Ch 14 we are told that they were redeemed from the earth. The significance of the hundred and forty-four thousand is that they will be the firstfruits unto God out of the tribulation, of a new redeemed Israel. John also receives another vision of the martyred tribulation saints in this chapter as in Ch 6.
Chapter 8The opening of the seventh seal here, which reveals the first of the seven trumpet judgements of God about to be unleashed upon the earth in response to the prayers of the saints, causes silence in heaven for half an hour. This signifies the awe and anticipation in heaven at the grim reality of the seven trumpet judgements. The first trumpet judgement is hail and fire mingled with blood which is cast upon the earth, burning up a third of the trees and all green grass. The second trumpet judgement is a huge flaming meteorite cast into the sea which contaminates the sea and turns it into blood, killing a third of all the sea creatures and destroying a third of the ships. The third trumpet judgement is a great star called Wormwood which falls from heaven upon a third part of the rivers and freshwater streams and springs on earth, killing many because the waters were made bitter. The fourth trumpet judgement smites the sun and moon and stars causing darkness to fall upon a third part of the day and night.
After the fourth trumpet judgement an angel warns the inhabitants of earth that the worst is yet to come. The first four trumpet judgements were bad enough, but they will be nowhere near as devastating as the next three. This clearly refutes any teaching in the church that the seven trumpet judgements are not literal.
Chapter 9In the fifth trumpet judgement here an angel of God looses hordes of demon locusts upon the earth from the bottomless pit. They will torment earth's inhabitants for a period of five months, inflicting pain like scorpion bites. The pain is so terrible those inflicted will want to die, but cannot. The only ones the demon locusts cannot touch are the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews with the seal of God in their foreheads. They will be raptured to heaven between the seventh trumpet judgement and the first vial, or plague judgement in the middle of the tribulation.
In the sixth trumpet judgement four fallen angels are released from being bound in the Euphrates River. They have been held in readiness for this exact time and will lead two hundred million demon horsemen loosed from the bottomless pit in killing a third of earth's inhabitants then still living. Those who are not killed still will not repent or give up their idol worship though. This demonstrates the depths of man's depravity, and underlines the reason why God will judge the earth and its inhabitants as Revelation foretells.
Chapter 10The things described in this chapter are not part of the trumpet judgements, but occur at the same time. The mighty angel is Jesus. He is carrying the book of judgement He received from God in Ch 5. The mystery of God which He has declared to the prophets that will be fulfilled in the seventh trumpet judgement, is the casting down of Satan out of heaven to the earth which is recorded in Ch 12. When John eats the book of judgement as directed by the voice from heaven, it is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his belly. The book represents Gods word. Being sweet in John's mouth but bitter in his belly, symbolizes the mixture of blessings and curses in God's word. It is sweet to those who accept it, but it is also bitter in that it pronounces judgement on those who reject it. After eating the book John is told that he must prophecy even further yet, which he does throughout the rest of the book.
Chapter 11The temple of God which John measures here does not yet exist, but it will be built before Antichrist's reign in order that the prophecies concerning it in scripture will be fulfilled. It will be desecrated by Antichrist in the middle of the tribulation when he places an image of himself as God in it, forcing people to worship it or be killed. Antichrist will take over both the temple and Jerusalem during the last three and a half years of his reign and tread them underfoot. That is why John did not have to measure the court of the Gentiles in the temple, only the Jewish part. We learn from this that the times of the Gentiles have not ended as many suppose. It cannot end until the second coming of Christ and the defeat of Antichrist and his confederation of Gentile nations at the battle of Armageddon, at the end of the second three and a half years, or forty-two months.
God's two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah, neither of whom have yet died. They have to die to conform to scripture, so they will be killed by the beast out of the bottomless pit or abyss, when they finish their testimony, at the end of the tribulation. As they are being taken up to heaven a great earthquake destroys a tenth part of Jerusalem and kills seven thousand of its inhabitants, which causes the remnant of the Jews to glorify God.
The seventh trumpet sounds in this chapter, but the judgement itself is not designated. We know from our study of Ch 10 though that it is Satan cast out of heaven down to the earth, which is described in detail in Ch 12. The temple of God being opened in heaven to reveal the ark of the covenant, signifies God's redeeming purpose in the midst of judgement.
Chapter 12The woman who gives birth to the manchild here is Israel. The twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel. The great red dragon is Satan, who has been cast out of heaven down to the earth, fulfilling the mystery of God which he had declared to the prophets, as recorded in Ch 10. Having seven heads with ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads symbolizes Satan's domination of seven past world kingdoms and ten future kingdoms, which he will dominate through Antichrist. A third part of the stars of heaven symbolize the number of angels cast out of heaven with Satan.
The manchild symbolizes the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews with the seal of God in their foreheads, which is recorded in Ch 7 and 9. These are the firstfruits unto God out of the tribulation of a new redeemed Israel. They are "caught up" to God - raptured to heaven - so Satan cannot touch them. He then turns on the woman - Israel - and tries to destroy her through Antichrist, who makes war on her after breaking their seven years peace treaty. The tribulation is now into its second stage, which will last another three and a half years. God makes a way of escape for Israel and sustains her for the three and a half years in a place of refuge which He had prepared for her. Satan then makes war on the godly Jews left behind who did not flee. They obviously got saved after the rapture of the hundred and forty-four thousand - the manchild.
It should be noted here that there are many and varied opinions in the church as to who the manchild represents. The general consensus is that it is Jesus. This is not correct however, as Christ's birth is in the past, and the events and things of Revelation are future - preceding, and subsequent to Christ's second coming, during, and after the tribulation. The woman gives birth to the manchild during the tribulation. We must yield any preconceptions we may hold in this matter to the authority of scripture. It is the final arbiter.
Chapter 13There are two beasts the subject of this chapter. The first, which rises up out of the sea is Antichrist. The symbolism of the leopard typifies Greece; the bear, Medo-Persia; and the lion, Babylon - all violent and cruel oppressors of Israel in the Old Testament period before the Romans conquered her. The fact they are depicted in the beast symbolizing Antichrist, means that Antichrist will combine all their evil features. The sea out of which Antichrist rises up symbolizes peoples and nations, multitudes and tongues - the sea of humanity. This proves that Antichrist is a human being, not a supernatural being as so many suppose. It is futile speculating on his identity. All that scripture tells us about him is that he is from Assyria. He is called the Assyrian in scripture.
The second beast, which comes up out of the earth, is also a human being. Earth here is also used symbolically of peoples and nations. Many in the church believe that this beast is the reincarnation of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus at the last supper. But that is not correct for he has already died, and it is appointed unto men once to die, then the judgement. John refers to this beast as the false prophet. He is symbolized with two horns like a lamb as gentle natured, but in reality he is an evil monster, empowered by Satan to work miracles. He deceives people into believing that Antichrist is God by enabling the image of Antichrist which will be set up in the temple, to talk as God. He will force people - those whose names are no longer written in the book of life - to worship the image, and he will behead those - the tribulation saints - who refuse. He will also cause people to take the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell. Those who worship the beast and take his mark will be tormented day and night for ever, in hell. This proves the reality of hell, which we will study in Ch 14. Both Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire after they are defeated by Christ at the battle of Armageddon. It is pointless speculating what the mark of the beast is. Scriptures are silent in this regard. All we know is that it will be a literal mark.
Chapter 14Here we see the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews who have been sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads, in heaven. They have been raptured to heaven as the firstfruits unto God out of the tribulation, of a new redeemed Israel. We know they were raptured and are in heaven, because John said that they were redeemed from the earth, from among men. Also Mt Zion, on which they stood with Jesus, is the heavenly, not the earthly Mt Zion. Further still, they are before the throne of God in heaven, before the twenty-four elders and the four winged beasts, singing a new song which only they could learn.
These are symbolized by the manchild which the woman representing Israel gave birth to in Ch 12. They are now before the throne, in the middle of the tribulation. This fulfills prophecies by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel in the Old Testament - particularly Daniel, who prophesied that every Jew whose name is written in the book of life will be delivered - raptured - to heaven in the middle of the tribulation after Satan is cast out of heaven down to the earth. This is what happened to the manchild. The manchild and the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews are one and the same. The statement that the hundred and forty-four thousand were not defiled with women; that they were virgins, can be taken literally to mean that they were celibate, or figuratively, to mean that they were spiritually pure, not having defiled themselves with the uncleanliness and whoredom attendant upon idolatry.
There are three angels involved in this chapter. The first flies in the midst of heaven preaching the everlasting gospel. This is the same gospel message that has been proclaimed from the beginning. The significance of it at this time is that it is proclaimed to counteract the deceptions by Antichrist and the false prophet, who will deceive many people into believing that Antichrist is God, and that his image which is set up in the temple, can speak. The emphasis on the angel's message is to fear God rather than Antichrist; to give glory to God rather than to man; and to worship God, not the image.
The second angel announces that the city of Babylon, which will be rebuilt in the last days, has been destroyed. We will study that more closely in Ch 17 & 18.
The third angel pronounces that whoever worships Antichrist and his image and receives his mark, will be damned to eternity in hell. This emphasizes the absolute reality of hell, which many Christians believe is merely symbolic, not literal, even though Jesus himself teaches that it is a literal place of eternal punishment; a place of unquenchable fire, where the ungodly are tormented day and night forever.
We also learn in this chapter that the harvest of the earth is a harvest of judgement. It is not the harvest of the martyred tribulation saints, as many suppose. The battle of Armageddon is the great winepress of the wrath of God. (The blood shed at Armageddon will flow for a distance of two hundred miles (approx 320km), at a depth of 1.2m, "... up to the horses' bridles").
Chapter 15In this chapter we see multitudes of people covering the sea of glass before the throne of God. These are the martyred tribulation saints. When John first saw the sea of glass in Ch 4, it was bare. Only the church - symbolized by the twenty-four elders - and the Old Testament saints, were in heaven. Now the tribulation saints cover the sea of glass like a pavement before the throne of God.
We also see seven angels in this chapter having the seven plagues. The plagues will be God's final outpouring of His wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants. The plagues are listed in Ch 16. The seven golden vials full of the wrath of God given to the angels, are the plagues. The significance of no one being able to enter the temple at this time until the plagues are all fulfilled, is that nothing can stop the outpouring of God's wrath. The plagues must be poured out as the last stage of the tribulation prior to Christ's second coming.
Chapter 16Here we see the final outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants. The vials full of the wrath of God contain the seven last plagues, which will bring finality to the tribulation. These plagues emanate from the seventh trumpet judgement, which completes the seventh seal. The first plague - ulcers and boils - is poured out upon all those who have taken the mark of the beast and worship has image. The second plague affects the sea. It will turn to blood and everything living in it will die. The third plague will turn all rivers and freshwater streams and springs into blood. There will be no fresh drinking water. An angel declares God's judgement of this plague to be fair and proper because the recipients are only getting back their due recompense for the blood of the martyred saints and the prophets which they shed. The fourth plague is scorching heat from the sun which sears mens' skin and causes them to suffer the most extreme sunburn. The fifth plague is darkness. It also only affects the followers of Antichrist, as did the first plague. Their sores and pain from the previous plagues will not yet be healed, and being enveloped in the impenetrable blackness will cause them to bite their tongues.
The sixth plague causes the river Euphrates to dry up. This enables the armies of nations from the east, who will align with Antichrist, to come to Armageddon, where Christ will execute God's vengeance upon them. Three demon spirits, through their miracle working power, will induce other nations also to align with Antichrist against Christ at Armageddon. The significance of Armageddon is that it will be the scene of the final battle between good and evil; which we will study in more detail in Ch 19. (Suffice it to say here, that of all the forces mobilized against Christ at Armageddon, only one sixth will be spared. Christ will destroy the rest. The battle will last only one day, yet the blood that is shed in that day will flow for two hundred miles - approximately 320km - at a depth of 1.2m, "... up to the horses' bridles." It will take seven years to burn the weapons of war used by Antichrist's armies as firewood, and it will take the whole of Israel seven months to bury those killed in the battle, notwithstanding that the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field will also eat the dead bodies.)
The seventh plague is a great earthquake, followed by hail. This earthquake will split Jerusalem into three parts, destroy the city of Babylon, and alter the earth's topography - every mountain and island will be moved from their position. The hailstones each weigh about 40kg or 114lbs, and kill whoever they hit. This is the final outpouring of God's wrath. This signals the end of the tribulation and presages the second coming of Christ. All told, two thirds of the nation of Israel will perish in the tribulation.
Chapter 17There is a great deal of symbolism used in this chapter. First of all, as we learned in Ch 13, the beast upon which the great whore sits, symbolizes Antichrist. The names of blasphemy the beast is full of, refers to Antichrist's self-deification, when he placed the image of himself in the temple, forcing people to worship it as God. The great whore that sits upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and earth's inhabitants made drunk with the wine of her fornication, is also called "Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth". Fornication in this context is spiritual - it refers to idolatrous religious practices. Abominations includes everything detestable to God, especially idolatry and licentiousness.
"Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth", symbolizes a vast apostate religious system that has its origins in the religious rites and mysteries of ancient Babylon, which will exist at that time. It is immensely wealthy and will have dominion over kings and kingdoms, political leaders and nations and people throughout the earth. These are symbolized by the "many waters" upon which she sits. This apostate religious system, in league with Antichrist, will be responsible for shedding the blood of multitudes of believers during the first half of the tribulation. Antichrist will turn on the apostate religious system midway through the tribulation, in order to set up his own image - the abomination of desolation - in the temple to be worshipped as God, and the ten kings of the ten future kingdoms - symbolized by the ten horns on the beast - will destroy it.
We also learn in this chapter that the beast symbolizes four things, including Antichrist - three future and one past: Antichrist; the supernatural being out of the bottomless pit that kills God's two witnesses - Enoch and Elijah - at the end of the tribulation; the eighth and last world kingdom controlled by Antichrist that makes war on Israel during the second half of the tribulation; one of the five past kingdoms that ruled Israel before Rome.
The great city referred to at the end of this chapter is the literal city of Babylon - seat of the apostate religious system which the woman symbolizes. The woman and Babylon are two facets of the city and power. They will both make nations drunk with the wine of their fornications and be responsible for the deaths of great multitudes of believers during the tribulation.
Chapter 18Babylon the great here is the literal city of Babylon which will exist at the time of the tribulation. Its destruction is prophesied in the Old Testament as occurring in "the day of the Lord". This day has not yet come - it is the period of time that will commence with the outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants at the opening of the sixth seal in Ch 6. Babylon will be destroyed by the great earthquake and fire under the seventh vial, or plague judgement - the final outpouring of God's judgements at the end of the tribulation, as recorded in Ch 16. (This is the same earthquake recorded in Ch 11 which occurred when God's two witnesses were taken up to heaven, after being killed when they had completed their testimony, at the end of the tribulation.)
The city of Babylon does not presently exist in the form ascribed to it in this chapter. It has been partly rebuilt on its old site in modern day Iraq, but will be completely rebuilt before the tribulation for it to be destroyed again as stipulated here. This will fulfill Zechariah's Old Testament prophecy, "... wickedness will be built a house in Shinar". It will never be rebuilt though after being destroyed by the earthquake - it will be cast down forever. We also learn in this chapter that the religious, commercial, and political systems embodied in Babylon, are guilty of the blood of multitudes of God's people throughout history.
Chapter 19The great whore referred to here is still the city of Babylon, although many in the church think it is Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. But that is not correct because that great whore, who symbolizes a vast apostate religious system will be destroyed by men, not by God. It will be destroyed by the ten kings of the ten future kingdoms in the middle of the tribulation, as we learned in Ch 17, not at the end of the tribulation, as here. All nations have drunk of the wine of both their fornications, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with them both also. We also learn in this chapter the true identity of the bride of Christ - New Jerusalem. It is not the church as so many believe.
This chapter also portrays the second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon where Christ single-handedly defeats Antichrist and the armies of his confederation of nations together with Satan and the false prophet. Antichrist and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire - the final destiny of all the ungodly - where they will be tormented day and night forever. This also completes Daniel's seventieth week, prophesied in the Old Testament, which began with the opening of the first seal in Ch 6.
Chapter 20In this chapter, after the battle of Armageddon, and Antichrist and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire, Satan is bound in chains and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years; for the duration of Christ's millennial reign on earth. At the end of the thousand years he will be loosed for a time and will deceive nations hostile to God into joining him in the last great rebellion against God. They will besiege Jerusalem and attack God's faithful ones. God will send down fire from heaven and destroy them. Satan will then be cast into the lake of fire to suffer eternal punishment with Antichrist and the false prophet. The purpose of Christ's thousand year reign on earth is to rid the earth of all enemies of God, and all rebellion against Him. This will be fulfilled when the last great rebellion is put down and Satan is thrown into the lake of fire.
All the raptured saints of God - Old Testament and New Testament alike - seated on thrones in heaven - are pictured in this chapter together with the martyred tribulation saints - beheaded for their witness to Christ. They all form part of the first resurrection - the resurrection of the righteous - and will rule and reign with Christ for the thousand years. The unrighteous dead will not be resurrected until the end of the thousand years, when they will be judged at the great white throne judgement and cast into the lake of fire. This is called the "second death".
Contemporaneous with the great white throne judgement, heaven and earth will be loosed from their present corrupt state. They will be purified by fire and made new as to character. The great white throne judgement and the lake of fire signifies the end of Christ's millennial reign prior to handing the kingdom over to God.
The lake of fire is the final destiny of every ungodly person who ever lived, from the beginning of time to those killed by the fire from God at the end of the thousand years, in the last great rebellion led by Satan. Everyone whose name is not found written in the book of life at the great white throne judgement, will be cast into the lake of fire.
Chapter 21Here we see a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and earth have been purified and made new as to character. There will be no more large oceans on the earth, but there will be some seas, as well as river systems and lakes etc. In this chapter we also learn the true identity of the "bride of Christ". It is the holy city, New Jerusalem, which elsewhere in scripture is called "the mother of us all" - allegorically the progenitor - mother - of all Christians. This clearly confirms her status as the bride of Christ. New Jerusalem will be moved from heaven to earth after the great white throne judgement to be among men forever.
New Jerusalem is a literal city measuring fifteen hundred miles - twelve thousand furlongs - long, fifteen hundred miles wide, and fifteen hundred miles high. It has more than enough room for every saint of God, from Abel to the very last soul saved in the tribulation, who will inhabit it. The city and its streets are made of pure gold, which is transparent, like clear glass. The wall surrounding the city is over two hundred feet - sixty-five metres - high, it has twelve gates, each one a pearl. There is no temple as an object of worship in New Jerusalem - God and Jesus will be the objects of worship (there will be a temple however, where God will have His throne; it will be His throne forever). New Jerusalem will be the capital of God in the earth throughout eternity. The city has no need of the sun and moon, for the glory of God will illuminate it, and Jesus will be its light. The city gates will never be shut, because it will always be perfectly secure; there will never be any darkness there.
Chapter 22The river of water of life here is not called that because it will be the medium of eternal life in the new earth, but because it will bring life to everything along its course. It will flow into both the Mediterranean and dead seas. It will give life to the dead sea which at present cannot sustain any organic life at all. There are no fish in it now, but at that time it will be teeming with fish. The river of water of life will be over two miles wide. It will be a literal river contrary to what some Christians believe. The tree of life growing along its bank is also literal. It will provide food for both the redeemed of God, and the natural people who will live in the new earth. The leaves of the tree will be for the preservation of life of the natural people. We also learn in this chapter that God will live among His people forever in New Jerusalem.
Jesus also pronounces a blessing for all who read, who hear, and who obey the teachings of Revelation here, the same as in Ch 1. This is to impress upon believers how important it is to God that Christians read and understand this teaching. They must proclaim it to others to produce obedience and worship.
The angel to whom Jesus gave the revelation to give to John for the church, reveals himself here as a man. He is not an angel of God in the literal sense.
Another very important lesson learned in this chapter, is that after the church is raptured to heaven, salvation will no longer be available to those still living on earth who have heard the gospel and rejected it. They will be eternally damned if they do not repent and commit to Christ while the church is still on earth. What a man is when Jesus comes again to rapture the church to heaven, is what he will be for all eternity. Only those who never had an adequate opportunity to receive the knowledge of the truth that is in Christ before the rapture, will be given the opportunity for salvation after it.
Jesus proclaims his deity again in this chapter as He did in Ch 1, and in closing, pronounces a curse on anyone adding to, or taking away from the teachings in this book.
(Final Version)
Further resources:The Book of Revelation Series By Dr Andy Woods
The Rapture Series By Dr Andy Woods
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