The Harmonized Revelation of JESUS - Intro and Overview

 

The Harmonized Revelation of JESUS

Bob Headrick

3/1/2022

 

 

The harmonizing of the events of The Book of Revelation of JESUS CHRIST that He gave to His servant John to give to His Body, The Church.

 

 

Introduction:

 

In reading and studying the Bible but especially the book of The Revelation of JESUS CHRIST you have to not think of GOD or His Eternal Kingdom as linear! GOD is not restricted by time He is the creator of time and His Eternal Kingdom does not operate according to our understanding and concepts of time. The prophesies about CHRIST were not given to humanity linearly nor were they fulfilled in the order they were given. The four Gospels, the story of the life of JESUS are not written linearly (or the exact order of the events and teachings of His life) which confuses some people when they compare them to each other. John 20:30-31; 21:24-25

 

As I have studied the Bible and Revelation in my forty-six years as a Christian I have changed my mind or understanding of the rapture, the Great Tribulation and CHRIST’s millennial reign from Jerusalem several times. As a young Christian I accepted what I was taught in Church and Bible College, but as I read, studied and meditated on the Bible over the years my understanding changed. The reason for this book is to put in order as I understand them the events of Revelation. Others have different understandings of the book of Revelation – I am not saying I am right and they are wrong. As JESUS told us, none of us know (Acts1:6-7), we can only study the signs of the time we live in and watch for His return. Matthew 24:1-14,32-35; Luke 21:29-36; John 16:1; Mark 13.

 

While I believe that I am fairly accurate in my harmony of the events of revelation that is not what is important. What is important is that we each know the signs of the times in which we live as given to us by CHRIST; to keep an armed watch against the world and lies of our advisory the devil and to be expectant and prepared for CHRIST’s return at any moment. Maranatha!

 

“Almighty GOD, there is so much that we cannot understand, yet You have given us Your SPIRIT and Wisdom so that we can understand what You reveal through Your Word; open our ears to hear, our eyes to see and our hearts to receive Your revelation.”

 

All scriptures quoted are from the (NKJV) New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Or the (CJB) Complete Jewish Bible, Messianic Jewish Publishers and Resources

 

In Scripture references given a semicolon (;) divides between books (Daniel 1:1; James 1:1). A comma (,) divides between verses (Jeremiah 1:1,15) and with a space, chapters (Acts 1:14, 21:1).

Chapter 1

Overview of Revelation

Chapter 1 is the introduction of and reason for the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST that is given to John. Verse 3, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the Words of this prophesy and keep those things that are written in it; for the time is near.” John sees JESUS and receives understanding of the Seven Golden Lampstands and the seven stars: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches in Asia; The Seven Golden Lampstands are the seven Churches in Asia.

 

Chapters 2 and 3 are the letters from CHRIST to the seven Churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

 

Chapter 4 John is called into Heaven to receive CHRIST’s revelation of “things that must take place after this.” He sees CHRIST enthroned the twenty-four Elders enthroned around Him and the four living creatures, all who worship CHRIST.

 

Chapter 5 is the Revelation of the scroll with seven seals that only The LAMB that was slain and is alive is worthy to open. So the four living creatures and the twenty-four Elders worshiped Him with harps and bowls of incense which are the prayers of the Saints, along with tens of thousands of angels.

 

Chapter 6 is the opening of the first six seals: seal 1 is the rider of the white horse with a crown and a bow who conquers; seal 2 is the rider of the red horse with a sword who takes peace from the earth and causes people to kill each other; seal 3 is the rider of the black horse with a pair of scales who causes inflation; seal 4 is the rider of the pallid horse named death who is followed by hell, they kill one-fourth of humanity by plagues, famine, war and by wild animals; seal 5 is the martyrs put to death for their witness and proclaiming The Word; seal 6 is a great earthquake, the sun turned black and the moon blood red, stars fall from heaven to the earth and the sky recedes like a scroll rolled up, mountains and islands are moved and all peoples call out to be hidden from The LAMB’s wrath.

 

Chapter 7 is about the one hundred and forty four thousand (See 14:1-5) virgin Jewish men; twelve thousand each from the tribes of Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin; who are sealed with the Mark of GOD on their foreheads. (See Addendum 2)

 

Chapters 8-9 is the seventh seal opened and the first six trumpet judgments are sounded and three woes are announced: seal 7 is silence in Heaven, seven angels given seven trumpets, the smoke of incense and the prayers of the Saints goes up before GOD, fire from the Altar is thrown to the earth, there is an earthquake, peals of thunder and lightning; trumpet 1 is hail, fire and blood thrown to the earth and a third of the earth, a third of the trees and all the green grass are burned up; trumpet 2 is a blazing mountain is thrown into the sea and a third of the sea is turned into blood, a third of the sea creatures die and a third of the ships are destroyed; trumpet 3 is a blazing star falls from the sky onto a third of the rivers and onto the springs of water, they become bitter and many people die; trumpet 4 is a third of the sun, moon and stars are darkened, an eagle cries out a warning of three woes to come; trumpet 5 is a star fallen from heaven to the earth is given the key to the abyss, when it is opened smoke and locusts with power like a scorpion are loosed on the earth, they are told not to harm any plants only people, they cause pain but not death, that is the first woe; trumpet 6 is four angels that have been bound at the river Euphrates are loosed with a large cavalry to kill one third of humanity; those still alive do not turn from their sins.

 

Chapter 10 is about a mighty angel who had a small book open in his hand, he stood on the land and on the sea and cried with a loud voice; he swore by GOD that there should be no more delay but that in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel the Mystery of GOD would be finished as GOD had declared to His servants the prophets. When the mighty angel cried out with a loud voice as when a lion roars, John heard the voices of seven thunders but also heard a voice from Heaven telling him to seal up the Words of the seven thunders and not to write them (Will these be revealed only when the seventh trumpet sounds?). Then John was told to take the small book and eat it; that it would be sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. Then he was told he “must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.” What was the book?

 

Chapter 11:1-14 is about the Two Witnesses who prophesy for the second three and a half years of the Great Tribulation? “Then I was given a measuring rod and the angel stood saying, ‘Rise and measure the Temple of GOD, The Altar and those who worship there. But, leave out the Court which is outside the Temple, do not measure it, for it is given to the Gentiles. They will tread The Holy City underfoot for forty two months (first 3 ½ years).  I will give power to My two witnesses and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days (second 3 ½ years) clothed in sackcloth’” this is the second woe. Verses 15-19 is the sounding of trumpet 7: there was worship of GOD in Heaven, The Temple in Heaven is opened and The Ark is seen, there is peals of thunder and lightning, violent hail and an earthquake.

 

Chapter 12 is a review of Israel and CHRIST, the devil’s defeat in his war against GOD in Heaven; and his war against GOD’s servants on the earth; with the promise that we can overcome the devil by The Blood of The LAMB, the word of our testimony and not loving our life over death.

 

Chapter 13 reveals the anti-christ (beast), the false prophet, the image of the anti-christ and the mark of the anti-christ that condemns all who accept it. The false prophet gives life to the image of the anti-christ and cause all rich and poor, small and great to receive a mark of the name of the anti-christ or his number on their forehead or right hand. Without the mark no one can buy or sell anything. “Here is wisdom, let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: his number is 666.”

 

Chapter 14:1-5 has more information about the one hundred forty four thousand who have the Name of The Father written on their foreheads. Verses 6-13 are about three angels making proclamations: first is the everlasting Gospel being preached to everyone living on the earth; second is the fall of Babylon; third is a warning against taking the mark of the beast. Verses 14-20 are the reaping of the earth of the servants of GOD by CHRIST and of the wicked by an angel. “Then I looked and saw a white cloud and on the cloud sat One like The Son of Man, He had on a Golden Crown and in His hand a sharp sickle. Another angel came out of The Temple, crying with a loud voice to The One sitting on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then He who sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle and reaped the earth (the rapture). Then another angel came out of the Temple in Heaven and having a sharp sickle; another angel who had power over fire came out from the altar and cried with a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust in his sickle and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of GOD; and the winepress was trampled outside the city and blood came out of the winepress up to the horse’s bridles, for one hundred and eighty four miles. (Battle of Armageddon)”

 

Chapter 15 is the prelude to the bowl judgments; “…the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of GOD is complete.” The Sea of glass and fire where those who have overcome the beast, his image, his name and the number of his name; having harps worship GOD. The Temple of The Tabernacle of The Testimony in Heaven is opened and the seven angels of the seven last plagues come out and are given the plagues of the wrath of GOD. “The Temple was filled with the smoke of GOD’s Glory and Power and no one could enter the Temple until the plagues were completed.”

 

Chapter 16 is the seven bowl judgments poured out. “Then I heard a loud voice from The Temple say to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of GOD on the earth.’”

Bowl 1 is disgusting painful sores on all who worship the anti-christ and have his mark; bowl 2 is the sea becomes like the blood of a dead person and every living thing in it dies; bowl 3 is all the rivers and springs are turned to blood, the angel of the waters declares, “They deserve it.”; bowl 4 is the sun is permitted to burn people with fire and the people do not repent; bowl 5 is the kingdom of the anti-christ grows dark and people gnaw their tongues because of the pain but they do not repent; bowl 6 is the river Euphrates is dried up allowing the armies of the earth to gather at Armageddon driven by evil spirits that come out of the mouth of satan, the anti-christ and the false prophet; bowl 7 is a voice from Heaven declaring, “It is done!”, flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and a massive earthquake, the Great City is divided into thirds, the cities of the nations fall, Babylon is remembered by GOD’s raging fury, the islands and mountains flee, seventy pound hail fall on people and the people curse GOD.

 

Chapter 17:1-19:4 is about the Great Harlot Babylon, and the scarlet beast. Her judgment and those of the world who serve and worship her. Babylon is hated, burned and judged by GOD, all the people of the world mourn her destruction but the Saints and The Heavenly Host rejoice over her judgment.

 

Chapter 19:5-21 is the announcement of the Marriage of the LAMB, the revelation to the world of JESUS CHRIST as The LORD of Lords and KING of Kings with the armies of Heaven; and the battle of Armageddon. “Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword with which He strikes the nations, for He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron (see 20:4-6). He Himself treads the winepress with the fierceness of GOD Almighty’s wrath (see 14:17-20). He has His Name written on His robe and on His thigh, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (See 16:12-16).

 

Chapter 20 is when the devil is chained in the bottomless pit for one thousand years while CHRIST Reigns over the earth from Jerusalem with those who were “beheaded for their witness to JESUS and to The Word of GOD, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.” Then after the thousand years satan is loosed and drums up a vast army; of those who still do not want to serve GOD or CHIRST; for one final battle by attacking Jerusalem.  The Scriptures are clear that CHRIST will reign over the nations of the world for one thousand years with a rod of iron. Why a rod of iron? Not everyone who remains alive after the battle of Armageddon is a Believer. After they are destroyed there is the Great White Throne Judgment where all the dead were judged by the books and those not found in The LAMB’s Book of Life are cast into eternal torment in the lake of fire with death and hell; where the anti-christ, the false prophet and the devil already are.

 

Chapter 21:1-22:5 is about the New Heaven (there is no sun or moon), the New Earth (there are no seas), the New Jerusalem, the River of Life and the Tree of Life, The Father and The Son are the Light.

 

Chapter 22:6-21 is a reminder to obey GOD, watch and be ready for CHRIST’s return by obeying GOD’s Word “For I testify to everyone who hears the Words of the Prophesy of This Book: If anyone adds to these things GOD will add to him the plagues that are written in This Book. If anyone takes away from the Words of This Book of Prophesy, GOD will take his name from the Book of Life, from The Holy City and from the things that are written in This Book.” JESUS says, “Truly, I Am coming quickly.”