'Things which must shortly come to pass'
Introduction
Revelation has long interested me. It is a book with so many facets
to each description and event that those who study it will see only
those which are revealed to them. The same is true of the author;
this book shows that which has been revealed to me.
This is a book which has been brewing in my mind throughout the years
since my conversion. The material used harks back to my enthusiastic
studies during the early years of my Christian life. I hope this work
will be of use to Bible students and also that it will help to
convince those who do not know the Lord but who nevertheless find the
book of Revelation interesting and are not afraid to dig deep and do
some soul searching. There are those who come to fear Hell before
they come to love Christ. There is a place for conviction through the
fear of Hell as well as through the love of Christ. Indeed I came to
a saving knowledge of Christ through this route myself. To this end I
have seen fit to explain certain things more fully than would be
necessary if the book were to be aimed specifically at those who
believe already.
The book of Revelation is unique because it is the only apocalyptic
writing in the New Testament. An apocalyptic writing is one that is
written with pictures and symbols. Other examples are found in Old
Testament prophecy. At the time of its writing, people were used to
such ways of expression. They knew what the symbolisms stood for, and
they knew what should be taken literally. Nowadays however, nobody
writes like this, not even in oriental countries, so there is some
difficulty in its interpretation.
Christians pay great heed to the New Testament gospels (Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John), and to the examples and teaching of the Lord
Jesus Christ contained in them, yet the book of Revelation is
neglected. It is the same Jesus Christ who has shown us these
...things which must shortly come to pass (Revelation 1:1), and yet
many Christians have a lack of regard for this book. We really should
pay at least the same amount of attention to Revelation as we do to
any other book of the Bible; indeed, these things must shortly come
to pass and so we should pay the greater heed because of that! We
must not be complacent just because this book was written nearly 2000
years ago and the prophesies contained in it do not seem to have
happened, (you will see later that many Revelation prophesies have
already been fulfilled). This is the kind of revelation that becomes
clearer, less obscure and more easily understood as the time for its
fulfilment gets ever closer. We know a lot more about its meaning now
than we did just 100 years ago. In fact we now know so much of this
revelation that those who keep an eye on the political arena can see
these things shaping up; they can see the way being prepared for the
fulfilment of more Revelation prophecies. In my opinion we should
study this book with renewed enthusiasm because these things must
shortly come to pass.
I have tried to keep the book as simple as possible; however, I also
want to be reasonably comprehensive, and in the book of Revelation,
simplicity and comprehensiveness are often mutually exclusive!
Therefore please accept my apologies if you find certain passages
difficult to follow. Revelation is a difficult book to understand and
I have enjoyed much blessing from the study of it. All who persevere
will likewise be blessed (Revelation 1:3). I have found it difficult
to maintain a constant tense, especially where Revelation is telling
future events but is written in the past or present tense! This is,
of course, an indication of the sureness of this prophesy but it does
not help the writer maintain good English. Having tried and failed, I
have given up on this point, so please also accept my apologies for
mixing tenses.
How to read this book
I recommend that each chapter of Revelation is read from the Bible
before reading the corresponding chapter in this book. However, I
have quoted each Bible passage before commenting on it, so those who
do not have a Bible or who prefer to read without reference to their
Bible will find it possible to do so. If you follow the second
method, please be aware that there are a few verses which I have not
quoted or commented on. Particular among these are the various verses
describing heavenly worship scenes before God's throne which are
really self-explanatory.
So as not to disturb the flow of the narrative, I have used footnotes
to draw attention to side issues, quote related Bible passages and
for any other additional material. The book can be read without
reference to the footnotes, but I have placed them on the same page
as the narrative to make it easy for those who wish to refer to them.