The Outline of Revelation
The broad outline of the book of Revelation is in this verse;
‘Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter’ (Revelation 1:19).
The book of Revelation has three main sections. Section one is contained in chapter one, which we have already handled. Section two is contained in chapter two and three, which we have already seen also. The next section comprises of the rest of the book, which we are about to look into now. In chapter two and three, we see the church on earth. Chapter four introduces us to the church worshipping God in heaven.
‘After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind’ (Revelation 4:1-6).
The Mystery Between Revelation 3:22 and 4:1
What happens then between Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 4:1? This is the mystery
‘Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed’ (1Corinthians 15:51-52).
The word mystery means something which is concealed or hidden, that has to be revealed before it can be understood. No one would have understood it now except those who are taught of God. We are living in the last time, later days and the condition we are facing now in the professing or visible church at these closing days of the church center around a system of denials. There will be and there is a denial of God.
‘And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed’ (Luke 17:26-30).
The church and the whole world are experiencing the days of Noah. The days of Noah brought the end of that age and generation. The people of that age abandoned God, denied and ignored His presence on earth. They were only concerned about self, what to eat, drink and engage themselves in. All their prayer points, energies and resources were lavished on pleasing themselves, eating, drinking and getting married. Marriage foundation, purpose and plan were destroyed. They got married, separated, divorced without considering God’s law concerning marriage. They ignored the preaching of Noah concerning his revelation for the end. None was investing in the things of God. Only Noah spent his time, resources and everything building the ark of salvation. All their investment was on physical things, not spiritual. Business plans, how to buy, what to sell to make more money, plant and build occupied the whole age
‘Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away’ (2 Timothy 3:4-5).
The Denial of Faith and Christ’s Return
All over the ages like today, men became traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. They were calling God, attending fellowship at times, but their focus was not on God. They belong to church; places of service, but their hearts were wicked. They have the form of godliness but they lack the power of holy living, power to do good and live right. God was not involved in their eating, drinking, marriages, buying, selling and buildings.
‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving’ (1Timothy 4:1-4).
It was an age and time of denial of faith also. Majority of people without shame left the faith they once professed concerning Christ. Others entered into relationships that were strange, covenanted with strange spirits. They were seduced to bring certain strange things, took actions against God directly. They came up with destructive doctrines, lies and hypocrisy. They abandoned God without considering the consequences until their conscience was seared with hot iron.
Some of them without enough grace entered into covenant with some organizations, religious authorities and vowed not to get married. Such doctrines of the devil affected their vow because majority of them committed abominable sexual offences. They committed lesbianism, practice gay and all manner of sexual perversion and denied their faith, messed up their vows and oath of celibacy. As a result, because of what is happening in Christendom, around us, all over the world, many have denied Christ
‘Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time’ (1 John 2:18).
‘And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world’ (1 John 4:3).
‘Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness’ (2 Peter 2:15).
Many no longer believe that Christ’s coming is a reality; they deny the second coming of Christ and all the preaching concerning that
‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation’ (2 Peter 3:3-4).
They now mock, make jest of people that preach the coming of Christ and scoff such doctrine. They used to believe but not anymore. They are deceived and they lived their lives anyhow. They despised and deny anyone preaching sound doctrine, Christian living and authority.
‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears’ (2 Timothy 4:3).
‘And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing’ (2 Timothy 4:4-8).
‘How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts’ (Jude 1:18).
As Noah and Lot ignored the mockeries of the people of their time, prepared their soul, served God and they were not disappointed, so shall it be for true Christians of our time. The imminent, soon, sudden and unannounced return of Christ is our hope and expectation.
‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man’ (Luke 21:36).
‘So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation’ (Hebrews 9:28).
‘For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 3:20).
‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:11-13).
‘Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead’ (Philippians 3:8-11).‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing’ (2 Timothy 4:6-8).