Religious and political setting of Revelation:
Within the confines of the ancient Roman Empire, Christianity began in an era of relative peace. The emperors of the time generally followed a policy of liberal religious toleration. This enabled early Christians to evangelize far and wide, both throughout and beyond the empire.
But the situation gradually changed. The Romans introduced and enforced emperor worship in the empire. Suddenly Christians found themselves in an intolerable situation. Jesus, not the emperor, was their ultimate master. They understood that the Scriptures prohibited the worship of anything or anyone besides the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Soon incredible pressures were brought to bear on them to participate in the holidays, games and ceremonies honoring the reigning emperor as a god.
Their refusal to participate in emperor worship put them into direct conflict with the authorities at all levels of the Roman hierarchy. By the time Revelation was written, some Christians had already been executed because of their beliefs. Christians everywhere, especially in Asia Minor, encountered wide-ranging ridicule and persecution.
Adding to Christians' plight, Roman officials, after Jerusalem's destruction in A.D. 70, ceased to view Christians as just another sect of the Jews. The religious tolerance Rome had extended to them disappeared.
Christians were now often regarded as a subversive and potentially dangerous religious group. Rome saw their teachings of a coming kingdom and a powerful new king as a threat to the stability of the empire. By this time Emperor Nero had already falsely branded Christians as the perpetrators of the great fire in Rome. Their future looked grim.
The apostle John, imprisoned on the island of Patmos near the coast of Asia Minor during a later wave of persecution near the end of the first century, explained that he also was suffering persecution, that he was their "companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:9). John fully understood the stress they endured. Yet he reminded them of their goal—the Kingdom of God. He emphasized the patience and faith they must exercise to endure opposition and abuse until the return of Jesus the Messiah to permanently deliver His servants from persecution and grant them salvation.
This is the context in which Jesus revealed to John when and how this satanic persecution, already responsible for the murder of loyal and faithful servants, would be permanently stopped. He pointed out that the roots of the problem go back to the beginning of humankind—to the birthplace of this age of man so filled with human sin and evil.
The archdeceiver:
In the Garden of Eden man first encountered "that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:1). That evil being's deception has been so successful that most people scoff at the idea that a devil even exists. But the writers of the Holy Scriptures regarded his existence and power as an unquestionable reality. They reveal him as the unseen driving influence behind evil and suffering.
The book of Revelation sums up the impact the devil has, not just on Christians but on all mankind, from the time of John until the return of Christ. It reveals that the ancient conflict between the forces of good and evil will be resolved.
As I said earlier, John told early Christians that the book of Revelation includes both "the things which are, and the things which will take place after this" (Revelation 1:19). Its prophetic fulfillments began in the days of the apostles and extend to our day and beyond.
(More to come on Revelations and The Day of The Lord in Prophesy..thanks for being patient, Mandy)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Holy Spirit As Our Friend
I'm sure there's a reason God placed the verse, Romans 8:14, on my heart today. It is a promise that reads, " For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Many people think of the Holy Spirit as an ethereal influence- something ghostly, perhaps, that is there to produce a warm and loving feeling within us. That is far from true. The Helper is no influence, He is a person; one of the three Persons of the Godhead; possessing all the attributes of God. He has a mind, a will,and knowledge.
You can find Biblical backing for all these attributes: He speaks, He Prays, He teaches, He commands, He forbids.
The Holy Spirit is a friend we can come to know and love, deliberately submerging himself in Jesus,yet works at being inconspicuous. What a loveable characteristic! His personality is transparent, allowing Jesus' love to shine through.
It is the Spirit's work to reveal the Lords personality to us; to place us in awe and lead us; to bring Jesus and His word to remembrance.
My challenge then would be to invite Him. Pray for His presence; be still and wait- sadly these two words aren't in many people's vocabulary. God has been very patient with us and we owe him no less, espescially if the reward we reap is eternal.
En Espanol:
Estoy seguro de que hay una razon Dios puso el versículo, Romanos 8:14, en mi corazon hoy. Es una promesa que dice: "Porque todos los que son guiados por el Espíritu de Dios, estos son hijos de Dios." Mucha gente piensa en el Espíritu Santo como una influencia etérea, algo fantasmal, tal vez, que esta allí para producir un calentamiento y sentimiento de amor dentro de nosotros. Eso esta lejos de ser verdad. El ayudante no es influencia, es una persona, una de las tres Personas de la Divinidad; posee todos los atributos de Dios. Tiene una mente, una voluntad, y el conocimiento. Usted puede encontrar el apoyo bíblico para todos estos atributos: El habla, reza, que enseña, el ordena, el prohíbe. El Espíritu Santo es un amigo que podemos llegar a conocer y amar, deliberadamente se sumerge en Jesús, pero trabaja en discreto ser. Lo que una característica adorable! Su personalidad es transparente, permitiendo que "el amor de Jesus brille a traves. Es el Espíritu de trabajo para revelar la personalidad Lores para nosotros, para colocarnos en el temor y nos conducen, a traer a Jesús y su palabra a la memoria. Mi reto sería entonces invitar a el. Ora por su presencia; estar quietos y esperar con tristeza, estas dos palabras no estan en el vocabulario de muchas personas. Dios ha sido muy paciente con nosotros y le debo nada menos, espescially si la recompensa que cosechamos es eterno!
Many people think of the Holy Spirit as an ethereal influence- something ghostly, perhaps, that is there to produce a warm and loving feeling within us. That is far from true. The Helper is no influence, He is a person; one of the three Persons of the Godhead; possessing all the attributes of God. He has a mind, a will,and knowledge.
You can find Biblical backing for all these attributes: He speaks, He Prays, He teaches, He commands, He forbids.
The Holy Spirit is a friend we can come to know and love, deliberately submerging himself in Jesus,yet works at being inconspicuous. What a loveable characteristic! His personality is transparent, allowing Jesus' love to shine through.
It is the Spirit's work to reveal the Lords personality to us; to place us in awe and lead us; to bring Jesus and His word to remembrance.
My challenge then would be to invite Him. Pray for His presence; be still and wait- sadly these two words aren't in many people's vocabulary. God has been very patient with us and we owe him no less, espescially if the reward we reap is eternal.
En Espanol:
Estoy seguro de que hay una razon Dios puso el versículo, Romanos 8:14, en mi corazon hoy. Es una promesa que dice: "Porque todos los que son guiados por el Espíritu de Dios, estos son hijos de Dios." Mucha gente piensa en el Espíritu Santo como una influencia etérea, algo fantasmal, tal vez, que esta allí para producir un calentamiento y sentimiento de amor dentro de nosotros. Eso esta lejos de ser verdad. El ayudante no es influencia, es una persona, una de las tres Personas de la Divinidad; posee todos los atributos de Dios. Tiene una mente, una voluntad, y el conocimiento. Usted puede encontrar el apoyo bíblico para todos estos atributos: El habla, reza, que enseña, el ordena, el prohíbe. El Espíritu Santo es un amigo que podemos llegar a conocer y amar, deliberadamente se sumerge en Jesús, pero trabaja en discreto ser. Lo que una característica adorable! Su personalidad es transparente, permitiendo que "el amor de Jesus brille a traves. Es el Espíritu de trabajo para revelar la personalidad Lores para nosotros, para colocarnos en el temor y nos conducen, a traer a Jesús y su palabra a la memoria. Mi reto sería entonces invitar a el. Ora por su presencia; estar quietos y esperar con tristeza, estas dos palabras no estan en el vocabulario de muchas personas. Dios ha sido muy paciente con nosotros y le debo nada menos, espescially si la recompensa que cosechamos es eterno!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
What do you think Heaven is like?
"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago." Charles Ferguson Ball said.
Everyone wants to know about heaven and most people want to go there. Nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. That's encouraging because it tells me that even in this skeptical age there is something deep inside the human heart that cries out, "There's got to be something more. Something more than the pain and suffering of this life. Something more than 70 or 80 years on planet earth. Something more than being born, living, dying, and then being buried in the ground. Sometimes we talk about a "God-shaped vacuum" inside the human heart. I believe there is also a "heaven-shaped vacuum," a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.
If you are walking with Christ and experiencing the Holy Spirit, you more than likely believe this and know this.
Not only do most Americans believe in heaven, most people expect to go there when they die. If you took to the streets of Chicago and asked, "Do you think you will go to heaven when you die?" the vast majority of people would answer, "I hope so," or "I think so," or perhaps "I think I've got a good chance. Not very many people would say they aren't going to heaven. Perhaps one modest point is in order. Whenever you talk about living forever somewhere, it would help to know for sure where you are going. After all, if you're wrong about heaven, you're going to be wrong for a long, long time.
The only things we can know for certain about heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. The Bible tells us everything we need to know and I believe it also tells us everything we can know for certain about heaven.
Online Bible Study – New Testament and Old Testament Studies, GuidesTopical StudiesWhat Is Heaven Like?
What Is Heaven Like?
Dr. Ray PritchardShare this [Content provided by Keep Believing Ministries.]
"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago." Charles Ferguson Ball
Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. I find that statistic encouraging because it tells me that even in this skeptical age there is something deep inside the human heart that cries out, "There's got to be something more. Something more than the pain and suffering of this life. Something more than 70 or 80 years on planet earth. Something more than being born, living, dying, and then being buried in the ground. Sometimes we talk about a "God-shaped vacuum" inside the human heart. I believe there is also a "heaven-shaped vacuum," a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.
There is another fascinating statistic I should mention. Not only do most Americans believe in heaven, most people expect to go there when they die. If you took a microphone to the streets of Chicago and asked, "Do you think you will go to heaven when you die?" the vast majority of people would answer, "I hope so," or "I think so," or perhaps "I think I've got a good chance. Not very many people would say they aren't going to heaven. Perhaps one modest point is in order. Whenever you talk about living forever somewhere, it would help to know for sure where you are going. After all, if you're wrong about heaven, you're going to be wrong for a long, long time.
With that as background, I turn now to consider some of the most frequently-asked questions about heaven. But before I jump in, I should make one preliminary point. The only things we can know for certain about heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. The Bible tells us everything we need to know and I believe it also tells us everything we can know for certain about heaven.
I. Where is heaven?
There are three things I can tell you in answer to this questionof where Heaven is. The most important fact is that heaven is a real place. Listen to the words of Jesus on the night before he was crucified:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:1-3).
Twice in three verses Jesus calls heaven a place. He means that heaven ("my Father's house") is a real place, as real as New York, London or Chicago. The place called heaven is just as real as the place you call home. It's a real place filled with real people, which is why the Bible sometimes compares heaven to a mansion with many rooms (John 14:1-3) and sometimes to an enormous city teeming with people (Revelation 21-22).
The Bible also tells us that heaven is the dwelling place of God. His throne is there, the angels are there, and the Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 says very plainly that "our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." That's why Jesus told the thief on the Cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
Third (and this is fascinating), the Bible hints that heaven is not as far away as we might think. Because heaven is a real place, we sometimes think it must be outside our present universe - which would mean that it is billions and billions of light years away. However, it's very clear that the early Christians understood that they would pass immediately from this life into the presence of Christ in heaven. How can that be possible if heaven is beyond the farthest galaxy? Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us something amazing about what the gospel has done for us:
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
In comparing Mt. Sinai with Mt. Zion. Under the old covenant no one could come near God except under very strict conditions. That's why the mountain shook with thunder and lightning. [ three times the writer of Hebrews uses a Greek word that means "to come near" or "to approach closely.] But now in Christ we have been brought near to heavenly realities. Think of what he is saying:
We're not that far from heaven.
We're not that far from the angels.
We're not that far from our loved ones in heaven.
We're not that far from God.
We're not that far from Jesus himself.
Heaven is a real place, it's where Jesus is right now, and it's not far away from us...
Everyone wants to know about heaven and most people want to go there. Nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. That's encouraging because it tells me that even in this skeptical age there is something deep inside the human heart that cries out, "There's got to be something more. Something more than the pain and suffering of this life. Something more than 70 or 80 years on planet earth. Something more than being born, living, dying, and then being buried in the ground. Sometimes we talk about a "God-shaped vacuum" inside the human heart. I believe there is also a "heaven-shaped vacuum," a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.
If you are walking with Christ and experiencing the Holy Spirit, you more than likely believe this and know this.
Not only do most Americans believe in heaven, most people expect to go there when they die. If you took to the streets of Chicago and asked, "Do you think you will go to heaven when you die?" the vast majority of people would answer, "I hope so," or "I think so," or perhaps "I think I've got a good chance. Not very many people would say they aren't going to heaven. Perhaps one modest point is in order. Whenever you talk about living forever somewhere, it would help to know for sure where you are going. After all, if you're wrong about heaven, you're going to be wrong for a long, long time.
The only things we can know for certain about heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. The Bible tells us everything we need to know and I believe it also tells us everything we can know for certain about heaven.
Online Bible Study – New Testament and Old Testament Studies, GuidesTopical StudiesWhat Is Heaven Like?
What Is Heaven Like?
Dr. Ray PritchardShare this [Content provided by Keep Believing Ministries.]
"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago." Charles Ferguson Ball
Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. I find that statistic encouraging because it tells me that even in this skeptical age there is something deep inside the human heart that cries out, "There's got to be something more. Something more than the pain and suffering of this life. Something more than 70 or 80 years on planet earth. Something more than being born, living, dying, and then being buried in the ground. Sometimes we talk about a "God-shaped vacuum" inside the human heart. I believe there is also a "heaven-shaped vacuum," a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.
There is another fascinating statistic I should mention. Not only do most Americans believe in heaven, most people expect to go there when they die. If you took a microphone to the streets of Chicago and asked, "Do you think you will go to heaven when you die?" the vast majority of people would answer, "I hope so," or "I think so," or perhaps "I think I've got a good chance. Not very many people would say they aren't going to heaven. Perhaps one modest point is in order. Whenever you talk about living forever somewhere, it would help to know for sure where you are going. After all, if you're wrong about heaven, you're going to be wrong for a long, long time.
With that as background, I turn now to consider some of the most frequently-asked questions about heaven. But before I jump in, I should make one preliminary point. The only things we can know for certain about heaven are the things revealed in the Bible. Everything else is just speculation and hearsay. The Bible tells us everything we need to know and I believe it also tells us everything we can know for certain about heaven.
I. Where is heaven?
There are three things I can tell you in answer to this questionof where Heaven is. The most important fact is that heaven is a real place. Listen to the words of Jesus on the night before he was crucified:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:1-3).
Twice in three verses Jesus calls heaven a place. He means that heaven ("my Father's house") is a real place, as real as New York, London or Chicago. The place called heaven is just as real as the place you call home. It's a real place filled with real people, which is why the Bible sometimes compares heaven to a mansion with many rooms (John 14:1-3) and sometimes to an enormous city teeming with people (Revelation 21-22).
The Bible also tells us that heaven is the dwelling place of God. His throne is there, the angels are there, and the Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 says very plainly that "our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." That's why Jesus told the thief on the Cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
Third (and this is fascinating), the Bible hints that heaven is not as far away as we might think. Because heaven is a real place, we sometimes think it must be outside our present universe - which would mean that it is billions and billions of light years away. However, it's very clear that the early Christians understood that they would pass immediately from this life into the presence of Christ in heaven. How can that be possible if heaven is beyond the farthest galaxy? Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us something amazing about what the gospel has done for us:
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
In comparing Mt. Sinai with Mt. Zion. Under the old covenant no one could come near God except under very strict conditions. That's why the mountain shook with thunder and lightning. [ three times the writer of Hebrews uses a Greek word that means "to come near" or "to approach closely.] But now in Christ we have been brought near to heavenly realities. Think of what he is saying:
We're not that far from heaven.
We're not that far from the angels.
We're not that far from our loved ones in heaven.
We're not that far from God.
We're not that far from Jesus himself.
Heaven is a real place, it's where Jesus is right now, and it's not far away from us...
Understanding Revelation: Part 1
Human efforts at predicting the future are notoriously inaccurate. Self-proclaimed prophets have been proven wrong time and time again. But there is a sure way to know what the future holds. It's written in advance in the pages of the Bible.
The book of Revelation—the last book in the Bible—is, to many people, its most confusing. They find it is both puzzling and mysterious. But it doesn't have to be. The book's very name means 'a revealing'—to unveil, to open to understanding what otherwise could not be comprehended. A way to gain understanding. Its first verse tells us it was written to reveal "things which must shortly take place."
Revelation contains many fundamental keys to that understanding, and the book of Daniel contains keys that help us understand the book of Revelation.
Notice Daniel's explanation of one of his visions: "Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, 'My lord, what shall be the end of these things?' And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:8-9)
Contrast this with God's purpose for the book of Revelation. God the Father gave the prophecies contained in the book of Revelation to His Son, Jesus Christ. He passed it to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1). But as John—who wrote the book under God's inspiration—tells us in his concluding chapter, an angel specifically commanded him, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book …" (Revelation 22:10).
John explains that God the Father gave most of the book of Revelation to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals.
"And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne [God the Father] a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?' And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it … But one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals'" (Revelation 5:1-5).
Here is the key to understanding the book. Jesus alone can unlock the meaning of its symbols, visions and descriptions. The first verse of this book announces that it is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him" (Revelation 1:1). Christ reveals its meaning. He unlocks its seals. But how does He do it?
Two factors are crucial. First, the keys to unlocking the content of seven seals must be explained by Jesus Himself in His own words.
Second, the Bible tells us that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore we can expect clarification of some symbols in the book of Revelation in other parts of God's inspired Word.
By relying on the Bible's own consistent interpretations of its symbols and figurative language, we can have confidence that our understanding is based on God's inspired Word rather than on our own opinions (2 Peter 1:20). After all, revealed knowledge is what the book of Revelation is all about.
Remember, God told Daniel that some of the things revealed to him in visions were sealed, hidden until the time of the end. But then He added: "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10). At the time of the end God intends that those He calls "the wise" will understand these prophecies.
So who are the wise in God's sight?
Those who scorn the concept that the Bible is divinely inspired, choose to see its symbols as contradictory and confusing. They perceive no value in them. Because they scoff at the idea of God's inspiration, they are blind to prophetic understanding. They choose to be ignorant of what God reveals about the future (2 Peter 3:3-7).
On the other hand, God tells us that those who respect Him and keep His commandments are the ones who are truly wise. As the Scriptures explain: "The fear [respectful awe] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). Scripture also tells us that "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7).
The book of Revelation gives us many of the keys that unlock prophetic understanding because it faithfully follows the principle that the Bible interprets itself. Therefore, only those who believe that the Bible is inspired by God and trust what it says will be able to understand the significance of what is revealed in the book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation—the last book in the Bible—is, to many people, its most confusing. They find it is both puzzling and mysterious. But it doesn't have to be. The book's very name means 'a revealing'—to unveil, to open to understanding what otherwise could not be comprehended. A way to gain understanding. Its first verse tells us it was written to reveal "things which must shortly take place."
Revelation contains many fundamental keys to that understanding, and the book of Daniel contains keys that help us understand the book of Revelation.
Notice Daniel's explanation of one of his visions: "Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, 'My lord, what shall be the end of these things?' And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:8-9)
Contrast this with God's purpose for the book of Revelation. God the Father gave the prophecies contained in the book of Revelation to His Son, Jesus Christ. He passed it to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1). But as John—who wrote the book under God's inspiration—tells us in his concluding chapter, an angel specifically commanded him, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book …" (Revelation 22:10).
John explains that God the Father gave most of the book of Revelation to Christ in the form of a scroll sealed with seven seals.
"And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne [God the Father] a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?' And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it … But one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals'" (Revelation 5:1-5).
Here is the key to understanding the book. Jesus alone can unlock the meaning of its symbols, visions and descriptions. The first verse of this book announces that it is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him" (Revelation 1:1). Christ reveals its meaning. He unlocks its seals. But how does He do it?
Two factors are crucial. First, the keys to unlocking the content of seven seals must be explained by Jesus Himself in His own words.
Second, the Bible tells us that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore we can expect clarification of some symbols in the book of Revelation in other parts of God's inspired Word.
By relying on the Bible's own consistent interpretations of its symbols and figurative language, we can have confidence that our understanding is based on God's inspired Word rather than on our own opinions (2 Peter 1:20). After all, revealed knowledge is what the book of Revelation is all about.
Remember, God told Daniel that some of the things revealed to him in visions were sealed, hidden until the time of the end. But then He added: "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10). At the time of the end God intends that those He calls "the wise" will understand these prophecies.
So who are the wise in God's sight?
Those who scorn the concept that the Bible is divinely inspired, choose to see its symbols as contradictory and confusing. They perceive no value in them. Because they scoff at the idea of God's inspiration, they are blind to prophetic understanding. They choose to be ignorant of what God reveals about the future (2 Peter 3:3-7).
On the other hand, God tells us that those who respect Him and keep His commandments are the ones who are truly wise. As the Scriptures explain: "The fear [respectful awe] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). Scripture also tells us that "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7).
The book of Revelation gives us many of the keys that unlock prophetic understanding because it faithfully follows the principle that the Bible interprets itself. Therefore, only those who believe that the Bible is inspired by God and trust what it says will be able to understand the significance of what is revealed in the book of Revelation.
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