Revelation

Revelation 1:
[1] The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
[2] Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
[3] Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
[4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
[8] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
[9] I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
[10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,



It is clear from the first 10 verses of Revelation that it was written very early in Acts. In early Acts the 12 apostles were offering the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel looking for the 2nd Coming. No dispensation of grace, no Body of Christ, no pre-trib rapture, etc. was in view. See Acts 2:38, 3:19-26, etc.

I covered that in these posts

http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-christian-view-by-steve-finnell.html

http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/why-i-believe-body-of-christ-began-with.html

http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/are-there-any-nt-books-not-written-to-us.html

I know that Revelation was written in early Acts because John said that the prophecies in it "must shortly come to pass" and that "the time is at hand". The prophecies are concerning the Tribulation and 2nd coming of Christ, God carried John into the future Day of the Lord to see the future events of the 2nd Coming and Tribulation. " I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (vs. 10)

These first 10 verses reveal that the book is talking about Jews. Compare "hath made us kings and priests" with Exodus 19:5-6 and Isaiah 61:6. John is writing about believing Israel in "tribulation" looking for the 2nd Coming of Christ, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him" (vs. 7). This statement about the 2nd Coming of Christ makes it clear that Revelation was written during early Acts. For the 12 apostles were told by the Lord in Matthew 24:1-34 that "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" in the context of the Tribulation and the 2nd Coming. Until the dispensation of the grace of God, the revelation of the mystery, was given to Paul the plan was for Israel to go through the Tribulation and see the 2nd Coming of Christ to the earth. The Kingdom was "at hand" according to Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 10:7, Mark 1:15, Acts 2:16-21, 3:19-26.

So the book of Revelation had to have been written early in Acts, because by Acts 9 Paul had been given the dispensation of the grace of God, the revelation of the mystery. This includes the FALL of Israel and the "mystery of Christ" rather than Peter's prophetic sermons about Christ. Romans 11:25-27 states "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. "

Those words simply put Peter's message in Acts 3 no longer of any effect in this present age. Peter said, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you (Paul said that this had been postponed): Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Paul was preaching a mystery hid in God, not prophecy--Eph. 3:1-9, 5:32, Rom. 16:25). For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people (Christ millennial reign, not at hand according to Paul). Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days (But they didn't foretell of the dispensation of grace nor the time period of Israel's blindness--Rom. 11:25, Eph. 3:1-9). Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed (Being a child of the prophets and Israel's covenant is no longer a good thing, saying as that makes you "blinded"--see Rom. 11:11-15, 25-32; Eph. 2:11-16, 1 Thes. 2:14-16). Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.(Which Paul said was not at hand--"There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" "

So with Christ revealing to Paul that Israel has fallen, been castaway and blinded until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, therefore Revelation had to have been written BEFORE Paul's ministry got started. Else John's statements that the prophecies of Revelation being at hand and must shortly come to pass would not be true.

I know for a fact that Revelation was not written after the close of Acts because after Acts God quit sending Israel special signs and warnings because the elect remnant (Rom. 11:1-10) had been called into the Body of Christ and so God gave a final statement on their blindness (Acts 28:25-28). The healing ceased (Phil. 2:27, 1 Tim. 5:23, 2 Tim. 4:20) and the appearing of angels had ceased (Col. 2:18). [these things will resume after the rapture of the Body--Rom. 11:25, Phil. 3:20-21, Col. 3:1-4]

Paul said after Acts was over that men are NOT seeing angels (Col. 2:18)....so Revelation was written before Acts 28:28, since it was given by an angel to John (Rev. 1:1). Therefore we have two points on why Revelation was written in early Acts:

1.) It was in early Acts that the Tribulation, 2nd Coming, and Kingdom were at hand.
2.) It was in the Acts period that angels were making earthly appearances.

Some people would contend that the first three chapters of Revelation are written about the Body of Christ in the age of grace rather than Tribulation/Jewish doctrine. However, there is no way that this teaching could be true:

1.) In the first three chapters of Revelation we see angels associated with the churches (Rev. 1:20) but there are no angels associated with churches in this age (Col. 2:18).

2.) In the first chapters of Revelation you have to overcome to not be hurt of the second death (which is the lake of fire--Rev. 21:18). But that is not true in this age, we have eternal security and will be saved even if we do not overcome (1 Cor. 3:15, 2 Tim. 2:11-13).

3.) Satan's seat is on earth in the early chapters of Revelation (1:9-10, 1:13). But in this present age of grace Satan is not sitting on earth (Eph. 2:2, 6:11-12).

4.) In the early chapters of Revelation you must overcome in order to not have your name blotted out of the book of life (3:5). But in this age you do not have to overcome, you have eternal security despite your service and faithfulness (1 Cor. 3:15, 2 Tim. 2:11-13, Rom. 8:31-39).

5.) In the early chapters of Revelation you have to overcome to be able to sit with Christ in His throne (3:21). But in this age you are already seated with Him (Eph. 2:6), you are just waiting on the rapture of your physical body (Rom. 8:23-24, Phil. 3:20-21, Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30).

6.) In the early chapters of Revelation Christ "cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him". But in this age Christ comes secretly in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and it is to the air/heaven, the kindreds of the earth won't know about it (Phil. 3:20-21, 1 Cor. 15:51-58, 1 Thes. 4:13-18, Col. 3:1-4).

See below verses.....

Revelation 2:
[7] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
[8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
[9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
[10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
[11] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
[12] And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
[13] I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
[14] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
[15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
[16] Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
[17] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

--Eli Caldwell