Decoding the book of Revelation step by step

We can get a clue about the end times in Daniel 12. Daniel 12:1 "At that time, Michael the great leader who guards your people will take his stand. It will be a difficult time—nothing like it has ever happened since nations first appeared. But at that time every one of your people who is found written in the scroll will be rescued. If we would follow the timeline from chapter 11 of Daniel, than we would understand we have arrived at the time of the Romans. Jesus quotes from or refers to this verse in Matthew 24:21 where he says that "there will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never see again". The entire period from the year 70 to 1948 can be included in this, which is the period of the Roman Exile. It started as well as ended with trying to exterminate the Jews (by Titus and Hitler). 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will wake up—some to eternal life, others to shame and eternal disgrace. 3 Those skilled ...

Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls spoke with me. "Come, he said, I will show you the judgment upon the great prostitute, who is seated on deep waters. 2 The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on earth have become drunk with the wine of her whoring." Goddess Roma was a depiction of Rome, the Roman Empire and even civilization itself. She was often depicted as a whore sitting on the seven hills of Rome, as can be seen in this coin from Vespasian. The emperor was worshipped as a god together with goddess Roma. Roma is a symbol of the city of Rome, that is the heart of the Roman Empire. 3 Then he brought me in the Spirit to a desert. There I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing, and she glittered with gold and jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of t...

Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it was speaking like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence. It also makes the earth and those who live in it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. The beast that came from the sea and sat down on the earth is the Roman Empire. Now (the land of) that Roman Empire produces another beast that attempts to be God (looks like the lamb). This is the Emperor being worshipped as a god. It executes all the power of the Roman Empire and it makes everybody worship the (gods of the) Roman Empire, including himself. 13 It does great signs so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in the presence of the people. 14 It deceives those who live on earth by the signs that it was allowed to do in the presence of the beast. The Roman war machine was able to let fire rain down on people. It did great signs of technique that eve...

Revelation 13:1 and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. Each of its horns was decorated with a royal crown, and on its heads were blasphemous names . 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. From Revelation 17:15 we can understand that the sea (or many waters) is the sea of nations. The leopard, bear and lion remind of the beasts described in Daniel 7, that represent the Babylonian, the Persian, and Greek empires. The fourth empire in Daniel is the Roman empire and it is described like this: Daniel 7:25 (KJV) And he shall speak great words against the most High , and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Both are blasphemous and the Roman Empire in Daniel will overpower Israel for 3,5 times (or years, 42 months or 1260 prophetic days) just like we...

 If the fifth trumpet is about the siege of Jerusalem, the sixth trumpet describes the fall of Jerusalem. Revelation 9:13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the gold altar that is before God. The four horns are a reference to Zechariah 1:18 Zechariah 1:18 "Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 I said to the messenger speaking with me, "What are these?" He said to me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." It means Israel is about to be scattered among the nations. 14 It said to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 Then the four angels who had been made ready for that hour, day, month, and year were released to kill a third of men. In the Vision of the Four Horses we have discussed that these four angels are the four horses from the first four seals in chapter 6. 16 The number of cavalry ...

In the first 4 seals, 4 horses are described. Revelation 6:1 Then I looked on as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 So I looked, and there was a white horse . Its rider held a bow and was given a crown. And he went forth from victory to victory. 3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Out came another horse, fiery red . Its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth so that people would kill each other. He was given a large sword. 5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" So I looked, and there was a black horse . Its rider held a balance for weighing in his hand. 6 I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures. It said, "A quart of wheat for a denarion and three quarts of barley for a denarion, but don’t damage the olive oil and the wine." 7 ...

In the fifth and sixth trumpets we will find a description of the siege and fall of Jerusalem. This happened in the middle of the 7 year Jewish-Roman war in the year 70. Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. As we have seen in previous posts, description like this are like hooks that connect to other Images and Visions in Revelation. Here we find an angel that falls from heaven to earth. That reminds us of the Vision of the Woman with the 12 Stars , where there was a war in heaven and the devil was kicked out and thrown on earth. That means we can position this Vision in our global timeline right after the devil fell on earth when he was about to send the stream of water after the woman. And that is just before the fall of Jerusalem. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss; and smoke rose up from the shaft, like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and air were darke...

Together with the Visions of the Woman with 12 Stars and the Two Prophets , the Vision of the Dragon in the Abyss forms the common theme of Revelation. These three cover the whole human history from Jesus until the end of times. The first two are connected because they can both be connected to fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple in the year 70. And they both cover a period of 1260 prophetic days where Israel is not in its homeland. The way the Vision of the Dragon in the Abyss is connected to these is by this sentence in chapter 11:7 Revelation 11:7 When they have finished their witnessing, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them, gain victory over them, and kill them. There's only one beast that comes from the abyss and that's the one mentioned in Revelation 20. So let's have a look at that chapter. Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. 2 He seized ...

Chronologically in time, this story of the Woman with 12 Stars is the start of everything that is happening in the book of Revelation. Chronologically it precedes the Vision of the Two Prophets , even thought the order in which it appears in Revelation is reversed. Let's discuss the text. Revelation 12:1 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This reminds of the dream of Joseph where the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down for him. These where his father, mother and brothers. This is an image of the nation of Israel with the twelve tribes. But we might even say that this is the True Israel, meaning that part of Israel that respects and obeys God, hence the sun that is upon her. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because she was in labor, in pain from giving birth. This refers to the Messiah that is about to come out of Israel. 3 Then another sign appeare...

The story of the two witnesses is the Heart of Revelation. When you understand this story, you already understand half of the book. So let's have a good look at it. Revelation 11:1 Then I was given a measuring rod, which was like a pole. And I was told, “Get up and measure God’s temple, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But don’t measure the court outside the temple. Leave that out, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. Why does somebody have a measuring rod? Either to build something or to break something down, or both. The temple needs to be measured. This seems to indicate the physical temple has to be broken down and a new spiritual temple can be built, consisting of living stones that are the believers in Jesus Messiah. The court outside should not be measured, that is: not be broken down. This indicates that the 'age of the (non-Jewish) nations' has arrived. There was a break-up be...