{{ Introduction to Revelation 64-66 AD.

The book of Revelation was written before 66 AD, the start of the invasion by Vespasian and his son Titus toward Jerusalem. If it had been written after the destruction of Jerusalem, that would have been mentioned in the book since that was God’s Judgment Day upon the Jews and a great example about what happens to false teachers or religious groups who claim to be ‘God’s people’.

The book was written during the time when Christians were not only being persecuted by the Jews but also from the Roman government by one of the vilest men to walk on this earth, Caesar Nero. The entire book is written in extremely symbolic language, and O.T. like arrangement (not chronological but in a circular motion like Daniel). This was like a code that the Christians would understand, but the Jews and Romans would never see God’s judgment on the Jewish nation coming. This would keep them safe and give them hope during this extreme time of Nero (the man 666). Christians would be seeing the deadly advance of the Roman armies (Luk 21:20) who planned to put an end to the various Jewish rebellions which had plagued Roman rule for over a decade, once and for all.

Through the symbolic language, you have a historical ‘play by play’ of what is going to take place with the eventual fall of Jerusalem, which took three and a half years. It even prophesies of the stopping of the advance also foretold in Luke 21, so that not one Christian lost his life in the 3.5-year siege (Josephus) and the final destruction of the Jewish temple and all its records, thus fulfilling every remaining prophecy of the Old and New Testament. The armies were led by the soon-to-be Caesar Vespasian, and then his son Titus, after apostle Paul’s execution by Nero and then Nero’s death in June 68 AD. Even though Revelation is a symbolically written history book from 1:1 to 20:11, it still gives every Christian hope because we know that God always wins!

Revelation contains the chapter (20:1-7) most often mistranslated to meet certain beliefs more than any other place in the Bible (the ‘abolish’ in Mat 5:17 is second). If you have to change what the Word of God says to promote your doctrine, then your doctrine cannot possibly be God’s teaching. The final warning from God, ‘do not add to or take away from’ God’s word in 22:19. People who ‘add’ or ‘remove’ things in worship or the Word of God as it is preached, should take-heed and know they are taking a chance with their souls and need to repent.}}

             {The red or bold lettering in this book may not be complete because in some places, no one can be sure who is actually speaking, sections of, 10:4, 11:1-13, 16:1, 18:4-20.}

             ^1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bondservants: the things which are essential to happen shortly and he signified it, and has sent it through his messenger to his bondservant John, ^1:2 who has testified of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, as many things as he saw. ^1:3 Fortunate is the one reading and the ones hearing the words of the prophecy and are keeping the things which have been written in it, for^* the time is near.

             ^1:4 John, to the seven congregations^* the ones in Asia: grace to you^° and peace from God who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven spirits which are in the sight of his throne, ^1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one loving^* us and fully-washed us from our sins in his blood, ^1:6 and he made^* us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father; the glory and the dominion is for him, forevermore. Amen. {Rev 5:10, 20:6}

             {Rev 1:7 & Mat 24:27, 24:29-31 & Mar 13:24-37 & Luk 21:25-28 & Acts 1:11 & 1Th 4:13-17 & 2Th 1:7-9 & 1Co 15:51-15:58 Second Coming.}

 ^1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will be seeing him and those who stabbed him, and all the tribes of the earth will be grieving over him. Yes, amen.

             ^1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.

             ^1:9 I, John, your^° brother and partner in the affliction and in the kingdom and in the endurance which are in Christ Jesus, happened to be on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and because of the testimony of Jesus Christ. ^1:10 I became in the spirit on the Lord’s day and I heard behind me a loud voice, like that of a trumpet ^1:11 saying, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven congregations^*: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamus and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. ^1:12 And I turned there to see the voice which was speaking with me and after I have turned again, I saw seven golden lamp-stands. ^1:13 And one similar to a son of man was in the middle of the seven lamp-stands who has clothed himself with a long-robe and has been girded around the breasts with a golden belt. ^1:14 Now his head and the hairs of it were white like white wool, like snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame; ^1:15 and his feet similar to polished brass, like things which have been refined in a furnace, and his voice like the voice of many waters. ^1:16 And he has in his right hand seven stars and a sharp two-edged long-sword travels out from his mouth and his appearance is as the sun appears in its power. ^1:17 And when I saw him, I fell like one dead toward his feet. And he placed his right hand upon me, saying, Do not fear; I am the first and the last, ^1:18 and the Living One, and I became dead and behold, I am living forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Amen. ^1:19 Therefore, write the things which you saw, and the things which are, and the things which are about to happen after these things. ^1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lamp-stands is this: the seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations^* and the seven lamp-stands are seven congregations^*.