The word “Revelation” is translation of a Greek word “apocalypses”. Revelation is the last book of Bible, which describes a cosmic celebration of the triumph of God’s global purpose in the world. The triumph takes place after an age of suffering, suffering which would indicate the end draws near. Although the end signifies new beginning which God has preplanned for His people, in a new earth and new heaven. The divine author of this book is Jesus Christ, which He describes to John one of His disciple.
The book of Revelation was written around 96CE in Asia Minor. The man to whom God’s message came was one of Jesus’ disciples named John, the elder. John wrote this book when he was on Patmos Island; he was punished for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans punished every person for doing so.
Book of Revelation consists of 21 chapters. First chapter starts with introduction and describes the appearance of Jesus Christ after His resurrection. He stood in midst of 7 lamp stands and held 7 stars in His right hand. Those lamp stands indicate 7 churches of Revelation. In 2nd & 3rd chapter there are separate letters for each church. Those churches are namely: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. According to chapter 4 there is Gods throne in heaven in front of which there are 25 elders and 4 creatures glorifying His name. The writer John is visualizing all these incidences as he himself has been carried their by Holy Spirit. He sees there’s a scroll and everyone present is discussing “who is worthy to open it”.
Jesus Christ is the only one who can open it. On the scroll there were 7 seals which when open will cause destruction on earth, following the seals there are 7 trumpets and 7 bowls. These seals will only be opened when the end is near. The tribulation period would be of 7 years and it will begin when antichrist will be empowered as ruler over all the people of this world, antichrist will sign treaty and mislead the people without disclosing himself and his wicked aim. Before beginning of the days of tribulation, there will be rapture which means all the chosen people of God who believe in Christ will be taken up to heaven and the rest of people will be experiencing worst punishment as they didn’t turn their hearts and believed in Jesus.
When the 7 seals will be opened there will be a lot of destruction on the earth. In the Bible there is symbolic representation for different things, similarly opening those 7 seals is represented by horses of different colors which indicate great destruction including death of people due to great pestilence, famine, wild beasts and sword. Although Lord has sealed 14400 people of Israel, 1200 from each tribe of Israel. They are all spared from the great tribulation which is going to come ahead as they are God’s chosen since decades.
Right after the seventh seal is opened there is introduction of 7 trumpets which are blown one after one by the 7 angels appointed for the work. These trumpets are about to bring devastating destruction which the angels know and they take a woe on inhabitants of earth. The sounds of trumpets are allowance to a pestilence to destroy earth. Water of ocean, springs and river would turn into blood; great hails would fall as never had been; sun will be darkened and moon will be red; stars and celestial bodies will fall; locusts will devour men and many more tribulations. Other 7 tribulations are yet to come after these trumpets which are in 7 bowls. Those bowls bear even worse tribulations than that of the trumpets.
During these 7 years a lot of people will repent and accept Christ as their savior, they all will be saved and take part in the kingdom of God. But there will be people who even after knowing and going through tribulation will harden their hearts an still follow wicked ways of Satan, for them there is no place in kingdom of God. Only if the repent and believe in Christ they would live.
Satan knows that these 7 years are end of the earth and so of him, he doesn’t want to go alone to hell and that’s why traps others. God has trinity, Almighty Lord God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. From the very beginning Satan wants himself to be God and that’s why copies Him. He has his evil trinity with Antichrist and False prophet. These both will misguide people this whole time in tribulation period, later then God will put these both in Hades after end of tribulation and Satan will be cast down to a bottomless pit bound in chains.
After this Christ will reign this world with saints for 1000 years, this period is also called millennial. The coming of Jesus will be glorious, honorable, powerful and majestic. He will perfectly rule this world with righteousness, there will be no more sorrow, no more pain only happiness. No king no government has ever ruled the way Christ is going to rule those 1000 years. During the end of millennial Satan would be set free and still deceive many. Then there will be final fight. All the believers and angels will be the army of Jesus Christ, rest of the deceived people will be with Satan. Christ alone will defeat Satan and cast him down to death and Hades.
There will be final judgment before the white throne on which Lord God is enthroned. Each and every human who have been on earth since the very beginning till the millennial would be brought in front of the white throne. Each and every work whether it’s good or bad, of the entire human race will be disclosed. Lord God will judge each and decide if they take part in heaven with Jesus or in hell with Satan. Those who all believed in Christ and followed the righteous path will be saved and enter the Kingdom of God.
A beautiful description of heaven has been written in last 2 chapters of this book. The kingdom of everlasting life has a center of attraction, which is trinity of God living with the chosen ones. Holy Jerusalem is the city of heaven where all God’s chosen ones will live. The city is square; its twelve foundations and 4 gates at each wall are made of precious stones. There are streets of gold and the whole city inside out is made of precious gems. Also it has 12 trees of life which bear fruits all the 12 months.
At the end of the last chapter Jesus Christ has given us assurance that He I going to come soon to take His lovely church to His Father’s house.
By Hephzibah Borkar, Mumbai
