Revelation

© 2014 Ronald M. Barker. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/13/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4447-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4446-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013922953

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CONTENTS

SIGNS OF THE END TIMES

IN REVELATION WE WILL FIND

WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE OCCUR?

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

This book is a record of over fifty three years of notes on Revelation.

I have worked in Home Missions; have been an interim pastor, a supply minister for our local association and pastor of one church for over 22 years.

All scripture comes from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

All dates are AD unless otherwise noted.

We often hear that when one dies then he will face eternity. I say that when one is born he faces eternity. Our spiritual soul is eternal. Our physical body is not. When our physical body ceases to exist (we die), our spirit lives on. We might say that physical life is phase one of eternity and death is the threshold to the second phase. How we live and the decisions we make in life will determine where we spend phase two.

Yours truly,

Ron Barker

SIGNS OF THE END TIMES

When we not only read but study the Bible, we find that there are several prophesies of things that will happen in the generation of the last days on earth. Daniel, the great prophet of God, tells us in Chapter 12:1 At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. He also describes it in verse 4 as a time where many will go here and there to increase knowledge. We now live in a generation that has exploded in knowledge through electronics and computers, and Daniel also gives us a glimpse of a world of increased prosperity, travel and education. He sees a world that will achieve great things but it will lack meaning of purpose. Despite all of its accomplishments and its advancement, it still will be a world seeking answers.

The following are scriptural references of the end times:

• Luke, Chapter 21:26; Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

• In II Timothy 3:1; But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

• II Peter 3:3, 4 gives us a futuristic view not only of a time of incredible prosperity, but also a time of impending doom, and spiritual blindness; First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.

• Zechariah in Chapter 12:2, "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem." During the last seven years of this earth age, Israel and Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling (KJV) for the world.

Before the ruler of this end time kingdom (Antichrist) can appear on the scene there are certain events that must occur and certain conditions that must prevail. In Daniel 9:27 we find that the Tribulation begins with the signing of a covenant between the Antichrist and Israel for a period of seven years. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. This treaty will guarantee protection to Israel so that she may rebuild her temple and re-establish her ancient religious ritual of Judaism.

One day, there will appear on the horizon, a charismatic leader who through guile, persuasions, and diplomatic acumen that will be unparalleled in the history of the world, will convince even the most skeptical Israeli hard liner that the only way their safety can be assured is to put their trust in him. According to Dan. 2:38-44; 7:23-27, some think it is very possible he is alive today, waiting for his time to appear on the scene.

The internet now links together all but the remote areas of earth with instant communication capability. Just like the Babel builders of Genesis 11, people again are moving to create a world of their own design.

The Bible has forewarned us and history has taught us that a man made government that refuses to be guided by God’s principles of morality, will inevitable degenerate and fall to tyranny within its own borders. The USA is rapidly becoming a nation of degenerate morality because of their constant refusal to be guided by God!

Mikhail Gorbachev and several politicians, futurologists, and New Agers met from September 20 through October 1, 1995, and took the world a giant step closer to global dictatorship. It was just a step toward a New Civilization, but it was one of the most significant steps forward in implementing the coming world government, which President Clinton referred to as the global village.

The New Agers teach the same lies that Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden. We find these lies that correspond to God’s truth in Genesis 1:1, 4, 5, 6: (1) God’s word cannot be trusted. (2) Man does not have to die. (3) Man can become a god. (4) Man can evolve through hidden knowledge.

It has been suggested that God is currently granting us a lull just before the prophesied end of time storm that will devastate a generation deserving God’s wrath.

In the twentieth first century we are seeing a growing awareness that we are speeding toward a date with destiny. Many believe time is running out for this earth. This is especially true for those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

In Matthew 25:14-30 Matthew records Jesus’ parable about the talents, which many think could be an indication that Christ would be gone for 2,000, 3,000 or more years. We have no way of knowing how long He will be gone. The only thing we know for sure is that Christ is coming back and we are instructed to watch and be ready, faithfully serving Him until His return. We must live our lives as though He could return today, but plan our work as if we have a hundred years to live. Man has the theory that because the Bible says that a day is as a 1,000 years with God, that there will be only 6,000 years before the Millennium. It is interesting to note that in the Book of Adam and Eve, it states that from the beginning of man to the death of Christ there would be a lapse of 5,500 years. This book is not canonized but this in itself does not necessarily make it wrong. In Psalm 90:4 it says 1,000 years is as 4 hours. So this theory is shot down.

The most serious announcement in Jesus’ message was in Matthew 24:36 that no one is to set dates for His return.

The following are some of the signs of the events leading up to the second coming:

1—II Tim. 3:1-5 gives us the signs of society:

2—Matt. 24:4-11; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11; II Thess. 2:3; II Tim. 4:1-14 gives us the signs of the last days:

• Famine—people throughout the world are dying of starvation.

• Earthquakes—are happening each year.

• Plagues—we are inundated with new diseases and old diseases with different strains.

• Great signs in heaven.

• There will be False Christ’s and false prophets—This is a daily occurrence.

• Apostasy in the professing church and wide spread heresies—this is getting worse.

• Movement toward one world religion—which is an ongoing thing today.

• Persecution of true believers—this is happening in other countries and is slowly creeping its way into the USA.

• Outbreak of demonic activity—we can see an increase of Satanic Churches and satanic worship today.

3—Gen. 15:18-21; Ex. 23:31; Num. 34:1-15; Ezek. 37:1-12; Zech. 12:1-14; Dan. 12:4; Matt. 24:6-12; Rev. 16-18 gives us the following signs:

• Arab hostility toward Israel and other nations.

• Re-gathering of Israel.

• Re-establishing the state of Israel with one leader.

• Wars and rumors of wars.

• Nations and kingdoms against one another.

• Reunification of Europe.

• Movement toward global economy.

• Movement toward a world government.

• Increase in knowledge.

• Rapid disintegration of society.

• Birth pains, increasing in frequency and intensity.

Some of the signs in place today:

1. Israel became a sovereign state on May, 14, 1948.

2. Since the birth of Ishmael there is and always will be a constant conflict in the Middle East.

3. Weapons of mass destruction already exist.

4. Western powers are attempting to guarantee Israel’s peace and security.

5. Many nations already have a global economy.

6. European nations are forming the European Union.

7. The potential of a world government is already in place.

The following is a list of a few things yet to be fulfilled:

1. Rapture of the Church.

2. Revival of the Roman Empire—a one-world government. This is an ongoing process.

3. Rise of the Antichrist—This could happen at any time. He could even be alive today.

4. Apostate world church—which we are seeing today.

5. Martyrdom of those who refuse to worship the Beast.

6. Israel has not regained its original territory.

Matt. 24:4-11; and Joel 2:28, 29 gives us hope for they tell us that there will be an:

• Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

• Worldwide evangelism.

• Restoration of the Temple.

• Understanding of Bible Prophecy and as the end times approach, we will find that we will be able to understand more of God’s Word.

IN REVELATION WE WILL FIND

1. The Heavenly Throne—surrounded by twenty-four elders, dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold.

2. The Seven-Sealed Book—the title deed to the forfeited inheritance of the earth lost by Adam when he fell. Only Christ through His death and Resurrection is worthy to open the book.

3. The Vision of The Martyred Souls—the persecution and death of the Christians and could also be a reference to the persecutions and death of the Tribulation Saints during the tribulation period.

4. The Day of Wrath—when the sun is darkened, the stars fall, the heavens are rolled up, mountains and islands are removed.

A. Lost Prayer—kings, princes, generals, the rich, mighty, every slave and freeman hides in caves and among rocks of the mountains and call to the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of God. (6:16).

B. Four angels holding back evil until the Church of Christ grows strong.

C. Sealing—consecrating the persons to God by showing the mark of God upon them—nothing could harm them.

When one reads and studies Revelation, they may first ask themselves what they believe about the timing of Jesus’ return. Will He come before, during, or after the Tribulation, or does it really matter? Many don’t even think about if Jesus is coming before the Tribulation, as many Christians know very little about the end times.

The study of Revelation leaves us with many questions. As time progresses, and as more prophesied events in the Bible are being fulfilled, we will be able to understand more. We understand more today than our fathers did in their time, but our children will understand more than we do.

There are three basic teachings as to the return of our Lord and Savior.

I—Amillennialists—The Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Church, and a large portion of Protestantism hold to the Millennial View. The center of this view is usually traced back to St. Augustine (354-430). John Calvin and Martin Luther also held this view.

BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS

1. Christ’s kingdom will transpire in the present age between the first and second coming.

2. The binding of Satan (Rev. 20:1-3) occurred at the first coming of Christ as a result of Christ’s death and resurrection.

3. There will not be a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth and there will be no earthly Kingdom of God.

4. When Christ returns to earth, He will take all believers (sheep) out, condemn all the unbelievers (goats) and eternity will begin right then. This, they believe is what is meant by the dividing of the sheep (believers), form the goats (unbelievers).

Some of the believers are: Augustine, Luther, The Church of Rome, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and the Methodists.

The future events according to Amillennialists:

1- A parallel development of both good and evil during this present age.

2- The second coming of Christ.

3- The general resurrection of all people.

4- A general judgment of all people.

5- Eternity.

II—The Pre-millennial View—This was the view of the early church. It was held by early church fathers such as Tertullian, Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin the Martyr, Peter, John, James, Paul, Irenaeus, Melito, Cyprian, Methodius, Nepos, Bohemian, Protestants, Waldensians, Wycliffites, Joseph Bede, Alford, Lange, Isaac Newbon, John Darby, Lightfood, and Westcotts. It gradually became the prevailing view.

Papias, one of the apostolic fathers, was a student of the apostle John. Papias believed in a literal one thousand year reign of Christ after his return to earth.

BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS

1. The second coming of Jesus Christ will occur before the millennial kingdom.

2. His return to earth will occur at the end of a literal seven-year period of terrible judgments called the Tribulation.

3. Maintain that the millennial kingdom will be a literal, physical, earthy kingdom of one thousand years, during which time Jesus will rule and reign over the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.

According to Premillennialists the following events will occur:

1- Increase in apostasy (this is happening today) as the church age draws to a close.

2- The rapture of the Church.

3- Seven year Tribulation period on earth.

4- The second coming of Christ to earth.

5- The campaign of Armageddon.

6- The millennial reign of Christ on earth.

7- The Great White Throne Judgment.

8- The creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

9- Eternity.

III—The Postmillennial View—They maintain that Jesus Christ will return to earth after the Millennium. The Millennium is the entire period of time between the first and second comings of Christ. Christ returns after the Millennium is completely over.

BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS

1. The Millennial Kingdom is not a literal thousand years but a golden age ushered in by the church’s preaching of the gospel during this present age.

The future events according to the Postmillennial View:

1- Progressive improvement of conditions on earth as the end draws near, culminating in a golden age as the world is Christianized.

2- The second coming of Christ.

3- The general resurrection of all people.

4- A general judgment of all people.

5- Eternity.

Some believers are the Presbyterians, and Daniel Whitby.

All of these views believe that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and will one day return to this world literally, physically, visibly, and gloriously as the Judge of all the earth.

There are ten key events in Bible Prophecy.

1- The rapture of the Church.

2- The judgment seat of Christ.

3- The marriage of the Lamb.

4- The Tribulation period.

5- The second coming of Christ.

6- The campaign of Armageddon.

7- The millennial kingdom.

8- The final revolt of Satan.

9- The Great White Throne Judgment.

10- The creation of the new heaven and the new earth.

There are several differences between Jesus coming at the Rapture and His second coming:

1. I Thess. 4:17-All believers will be translated to meet Christ in the air.

1. Zech. 14:4-At His second coming no translation will be seen.

2. I Thess. 4:17-Jesus will come as a thief and only the believers of the church will see Him.

2. Acts 1:11; Matt. 24:30-Every eye shall Him at His second coming.

3. I Thess. 4:13-17;—Believers will be taken from the earth and unbelievers will remain to go through the tribulation.

3. Matt. 24:37-39; Rev. 19:17-21-Unbelievers are taken and believers will be left to go through the millennium.

4. I Thess. 4:17-Christ will come for His saints and will take them to Heaven with Him.

4. I Thess. 3:13; II Thess. 2:10-12; Zech. 14:5; Rev. 19:7-Jesus will return with His saints.

5. I Thess. 1:10; Roman 13:11-14; I John 2:28-It will not be preceded by any event.

5. Matt. 24-It is preceded by specific signs included in the Tribulation.

6. I Thess. 5:9-10; Rev. 3:10-Jesus takes us from the wrath to come. He keeps us safe from the Tribulation.

6. Joel 2:1-11Matt. 3:11-12: 25:31-32, 46; Rev. 6-19; Jesus comes to judge the world.

7. I Thess. 4:18; Rev. 3:10-It is a source of comfort to believers.

7. Rev. 6:15-17; 9:11-It is a source of fear to man.

8. We find no recorded changes in nature mentioned in connection with the rapture.

8. Rev. 6; Isaiah 35-Many changes in nature are recorded.

9. I Cor. 15:51-In the OT it is a mystery, a truth hidden.

9. In the NT it is the subject of extended prophecy,

10. I Thess. 4:13-18-No reference or dealing with Satan. Instead his activity increases.

10. Rev. 20:1-3-Satan is bound for 1,000 years.

11. When the raptures occurs, the Mount of Olives is unchanged.

11. Zech. 14:4-5-When Jesus returns, the Mount of Olives is split, and forms a valley.

12. Rev. 19:7-10-We have the examination, rewards, and the wedding of the Bride.

12. Jesus’ return to earth is followed by the wedding feast, and the church is seen already rewarded.

13. I Cor. 15:51-53-When the raptures occurs, believers will receive a glorified body.

13. Isaiah 65:20-25-Believers of the Tribulation go into the millennium with mortal bodies.

WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE OCCUR?

In all my 50 plus years of studying the Bible, I have found that in all the books about the Rapture, Revelation, the Second Coming of Christ, the commentaries, and all the pre-mid, amid, and post-mid theories I have read, everyone gave ample scripture to substantiate their views why they accepted either the pre, mid, or post views. We all must make our own determination according to what the scriptures have to say, as to our beliefs.

I Cor. 15:52 says, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet will sound, the dead will be changed. The last trumpet mentioned here is the last trumpet to be sounded before the Tribulation begins, not the last trumpet sounded in Rev.

When the Bible was speaking about Jesus coming as a thief in the night, it was talking about the rapture, not Jesus’ coming after the tribulation period. Matt. 24:36 simply states that no man would know the day or the hour, but would know the general time.

Let us assume that the Antichrist is revealed on July 1, 2025. We know that 3 1/2 years later the Antichrist will declare himself God, Jan. 1, 2028. This would discount the mid-trib theory because Matt. 24:36 says that no would know the day or the hour. If the antichrist revealed himself on July 1, 2028, then we would know that Jesus would return seven years later, June 30, 2031.

The same reasoning is for the post-trib view. The antichrist is revealed July 1, 2025, and then we know that in seven years the day of His appearing would be at hand. From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2031 would be seven years so we would know that Jesus would appear on June 30. We would know the day, and that Matthew says no one would know.

According to scripture, not counting all the scripture verses that indicate the Rapture will occur before the tribulation Period, Matthew 24:36 makes it very clear that the Rapture must occur before the Tribulation Period begins, because no one knows when the Rapture will occur.

We do know that the Tribulation Period starts after the Rapture occurs, but we do not know when the Rapture will. I have read several books where the writer will explain a verse in Revelation and claim that the Holy Spirit gave them the explanation for their interpretation of that verse. Then I would read another book and that writer would explain the same verse and say that the Holy Spirit gave them their interpretation. The Holy Spirit does inspire and enlighten us, but the only problem with these writers’ so called ‘spiritual enlightenment’ is that they were different, indicating that the Holy Spirit gives different interpretations to different people. This is definitely not the case. For the Holy Spirit to do that would be lying. For the Holy Spirit to lie would be impossible.

Writers, ministers, etc., should be very wary in making such claims least we in making these statements, call the Holy Spirit a liar!

When we study the Bible, we find that there many questions about the latter days we do not understand. There are questions that seem to be unanswered even when commentaries of Revelation are read.

One of the questions we might ask is Just what is the Tribulation? When we study the Bible, we find the word ‘Tribulation’ mentioned several times. I have listed a few.

1. A time of God’s special judgment poured out upon the earth. (Isaiah 10:5,6).

2. A time of unprecedented trouble. (Joel 2:2; Matt. 24:21).

3. A time of God’s wrath or indignation and the vindication of God’s Holiness. (Zeph. 1:15; I Thess. 1:10).

4. A day of utter darkness, gloom and