OUR FATHER'S WORD

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Psalm 119:105

The last book in the Holy Bible is commonly known as Revelation or the Apocalypse, and it may be the most wondered about, and the most written about book in the entire Bible today.  Both names have the same meaning and are translated from the Greek word apokalupsis (Strong's No. 602) which means a disclosure.  English dictionaries define Revelation as an act of revealing, or of disclosure.

So, based on the above definition a revelation is supposed to reveal something, but because of the way the book of Revelation is written most people simply cannot comprehend what it reveals.  It is all a big mystery to them.  That is why I have written these lessons, to reveal the meaning of what it contains within its chapters and verses.  Indeed, with the help of our Father, I am going to reveal the mystery of God within Revelation to you.

But before you go any further now, some things must be examined and understood.

Like reality.  What is reality?  Or better stated, what is reality to you?  The question is difficult.  I may as well ask where the center of the universe is located.  Reality lies within the heart of each individual and is a product of their time and environment, therefore we who are living today have a very hard time understanding what John was attempting to say to us in Revelation.  That is also true for any old or ancient writing including all of the Holy Bible.  When John penned the book he had no concept of what reality would be like for us today, he lived in his own reality and his writings reflect that.  He told it from the way he perceived what he heard and what he saw.

Case in point, the only light he was familiar with was natural light.  That is, lightning, the sun, moon, stars, and firelight.  When he saw the throne of God he described it the best way he could even though the lights that he saw were not natural and were unfamiliar to him.  Likewise, the only sounds with which he was familiar were natural sounds, and so when he heard amplified unnatural sounds coming from the throne he had no adequate way of describing them.  He sometimes called them thunders.  I hope that you get the point and try to place yourself in his reality, his place and time as you go through the book.

Now, you must understand that the book of Revelation may not be a pleasant book for you to study, because it does not mix well with the way we think today. It is a book about many important things,  some of them literally earthshaking, but there are two important things within its pages that we must all deal with on a daily basis and about which we usually are cautious.  They are religion and politics, and these two things are really almost indistinguishable one from the other, both in this book, and in our daily lives.  They are not really separate issues as some people like to think.  When you consider it honestly, the two go hand in hand because they both are what you believe, and what you believe is what you really are.  You act upon your beliefs, and your life reflects those beliefs manifested in your political activities and your religious habits.  Why am I bringing this up, and why is understanding this important?  Because the beast-system of Lucifer and his children is intrinsically religious and political, and always has been.

There are other problems with the book.  Without question the way it is written in symbolic language causes confusion, and that confusion is further exascerbated by the human error that the translators have introduced.  For instance, the chapter and verse divisions that exist now were not part of the original, they were added later by translators and they are sometimes wrong with regard to the subject matter.  There are other serious problems as well such as proper verb tense, but even with all of its difficulties it can be understood when you know that its message is basically reiterative of what has been foretold in the other books of the Bible.  That is not to say that there is no new information in Revelation, there is.  But, basically it is still the same old story of salvation and redemption for mankind that has been around from the beginning.

In addition, for us today who are living in the 21st century, it is very hard to understand the symbology and grasp the meaning of what is written because so much time has passed, and knowledge of the old ways has been lost.  Our religious and political ideologies have changed over time, but they are our reality.  For instance, we don't understand the part that the ancient zodiac played in the lives of people who lived in John's day.  To them the stars carried important information about God, but today the original zodiac is basically lost and so is its message of salvation about the Holy One who was to come and destroy the evil one.  Now, in 2004, we basically regard the zodiac as nothing more than an idle curiosity.  The apostle John is the reputed author of Revelation, and the cultural things that existed in his day are mostly lost and forgotten to us, and yet they are woven within the writing of the book including allusions to some zodiacal signs.  Therefore, we must attempt to reconstruct that lost knowledge to properly understand the book.

Again, we must also consider all of the translators down through time who have worked on the book, because they all have injected some of their culture and beliefs into the passages of the book, whether knowingly or unknowingly.  So there is some error and distortion within it with regards to them, but I have tried my best to flesh it all out.  It is my sincere desire that it is of some benefit to you and that when you have gone through all 22 chapters you will know more about God's plan of salvation for His children than ever before.

I have not given the standard introduction to Revelation concerning authorship, dating, and so forth, because these are generally covered in most Bibles, Bible dictionaries and Bible commentaries.  However, some of these things will be touched upon briefly in chapter l.

With regards to the quality of my work on Revelation some things must be pointed out.  These lessons are for the general public at large and they are not pretentious of being anything more.  They are not written for scholars (although some of them could benefit), rather they are for those who are biblically unsophisticated, and it is they who will potentially receive the most benefit from them.  The interpretation of the verses in many instances is mine, and mine alone.  In some of them, I will be accused of taking liberty in the meaning of various Greek words in the text, but I have searched out their roots from various sources and incorporated their meaning into what I think that John was trying to convey.

As to the grammar and punctuation, my work is presented without any editing by a professional, so  kindly bear with me.

Throughout the lessons I will give commentary on things that may be considered digressive by some.  Actually, Revelation could be used to teach and touch on nearly every subject in the whole Bible.  I use it to teach subjects that I think every Bible student should know as background for understanding the book, and so in that context they are not digressive, but germane, and on point.  In most cases when I mention a scripture, or scriptures, I have included those in the text, but not always.  Be sure to look up and read the ones that I have not included.  They are suggested for you elucidation and understanding.

As you read and study through these lessons you will notice that I repeat some things two or more times.  Some will undoubtedly complain about the redundancy but there is a good reason for doing it.  Repetition is a proven method of learning that is widely used in the classroom.  It works, and I use it for that reason.  So, please be patient, for it is by repetition that you will learn and remember.

Now, having said all that, continue with me now and let's see if we can shed some light on the things contained in this mysterious book by examining it verse by verse in detail.