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Introduction - Book of Revelation

 

The Apostle John is the author of the Book of Revelation. He wrote it when he was about 92 years old, while a prisoner of Rome on the remote desert penal colony of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea.

Patmos was a quarry mine for the Roman Empire, and was home to many political and religious prisoners or slaves. John, the beloved apostle of Jesus, was being held as a prisoner of Rome on this island for his incessant preaching about Jesus. Rome believed that banishing the old man John to the remote and forsaken island of Patmos, that his voice would be quieted. John was aged in years, and close to the end of his life, probably sent to Patmos in the year 95 by the Roman emperor Domitian, who was reportedly angry at the fact that John was not killed when he was dipped in boiling oil. Since John was a contemporary of Jesus, John would have been by that time, well over 90 years old - making him very likely the only apostle to survive to such an old age. The rest of Jesus apostles and disciples were martyred decades earlier. It was as if God supernaturally preserved John to bare record of The Revelation!
 

Where the Book of "Revelation" was received by John

Patmos, Greece - where the Apostle John was exiled



John's love for Jesus was so strong, that he continued to defy the Roman magistrate's order to no longer proclaim Jesus as Messiah, Savior and Lord; even while a prisoner. On Patmos, John was thrown in with violent criminals, but simply won many of the criminals to faith in Jesus.

It was on Patmos that John wrote down in a scroll all that "he saw and heard". John's sworn testimony about how he received the messages is given in the first chapter.

According to Greek Orthodox Tradition John's vision came to him on a Sunday after saying Mass and preaching the Gospel. Saint John, to escape the heat of the day, remained in the cave where he said Mass. It was here that one day the Lord came to Saint John in a vision. When Saint John awoke, he dictated his revelation to his scribe.  It begins with this assurance:

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: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.  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.  Revelation 1:1-3 (KJV)


 


Cave of John the Apostle

The Book of Revelation, what God revealed to the Apostle John, is a great prophecy mystery.  It's a riddle wrapped in an enigma. It has drawn the attention of numerous scholars throughout the ages, all trying to interpret the meaning of it.  The stakes are worth the challenge to would-be code breakers, because the book of Revelation describes the end of one world and the beginning of the next.  A key to understanding most Old Testament prophecies is to think Israel, the Jews, and Jerusalem in particular.  Just as Jesus' mission was to save the Jews - it was the mission of the prophets to pass God's Word and His warnings on to them.

Parallel Prophecies

Revelation has been noted in some cases to "parallel" what God revealed to the Prophet Daniel, some 600 years earlier.  For instance, speaking about Jerusalem being in control of the gentiles for "42 months", it appears that God is also telling us that the Gentiles will do something in an area of the temple mount which God was aware of beforehand -- so He marked it off.  It also tells us that someone would control Jerusalem for 42 months.
 

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Revelation 11:2

According to Bible scholar Ellis Skolfield, Daniel 12 describes what will be put into this area God marked out, and it tells us when it would be built and agrees with John's "revelation" that Jerusalem would be being under foot of the Gentiles for 42 months.  The Gentiles are anyone who is not a Jew.  In this case the Muslims.  A by-product of this is that if God thinks the Muslim shrine to the pagan god Allah and the false prophet Muhammad is a pagan "abomination", then He is also telling us that Islam is false - and it disgusts Him.  Also, of interest are the two prior verses in Daniel (9-10), which tell as when this prophecy will be "cracked" we will be in "the time of the end".  It also tells us of scoffers (wicked that will always refuse to accept), who will most likely be atheists, pagans, and pagan Muslims.

Daniel 12:11 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. 13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

It appears Skolfield's teaching that the "abomination of desolation" already happened exactly on schedule (Daniel's 1290 day prophecy)  is correct. When the pagan Islamic Dome of the Rock and the al-Aksa Mosque were built on the temple mount, it made the temple mount "desolated" or contaminated. This was built during the 685 to 705 AD period. During Daniel's day, we know that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the First Temple in 586 BC. We also know from Jeremiah that sacrifices occurred on the temple mount for a year or so after it was destroyed.

Jeremiah 41:5: That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

So what happened 1290 old testament years in a period of a year or so surrounding 586 BC? The Muslim Dome of the Rock was built on the Temple Mount!

This abomination was built during the 685 to 705 AD period. It took that long to build. During Daniel's day, we know that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the First Temple in 586 BC. We also know from Jeremiah 41:5 that sacrifices occurred on the temple mount for a year or so after The first Jewish Temple it was destroyed.

The formula for this is converting Old Testament years (360 days a year) into what we are on (solar years-or 365.24 days) is this:

OT prophetic years of 1290 times .9857 = 1271 solar years.

Take 705 AD as the year for the Dome of the Rock and add 586 and you get 1291. That's Exactly as Daniel said when you add the short time Jews visited the mount to make sacrifices after it was destroyed.

1335 - the "double check" number:

It gets even better than this. The Prophet Daniel gave us another number that when added with the same formula, takes us exactly to 1948 --when the Jews were restored to the land. Remember 1948 was their Independence Day when they officially became a nation again after 2500 years.

1335 times .9857 = 1316. 1948 (when Israel became a nation) minus 1316, brings us back to another date the God of prophecy wants us to be mindful of. That equals 632 AD, the date that Muhammad of Islam died.

A little after midday of 8 June, 632, the 62 year old Muhammad died in the house of his wife A'isha who he married when she was 6 (or 7) years old.  Muslim historians back to the early 800's A.D. tell us that Muhammad consummated his marriage with A'isha when she was only 9  - when he was in his 50's. See the Muslim references for this: here

But what about the 42 weeks of Revelation, you may be asking? 

Old Testament calculations:
42 x 30.44  = 1278.48 years

A solar year (which we are on) is 365.24 days. Divide 365.24 by 12 months in the year = 30.44 days

In 688 AD the Dome of the Rock was largely built and the Muslims were in control of Jerusalem. In 1967 the Israeli's finally regained control of Jerusalem after 2500 years. So the Gentiles (Muslims) controlled Jerusalem and the Holy Mount for 1278.48 years as this prophecy predicted.

1967 - 1278.48 = 688.52

1967
Jews finally in control of Jerusalem again



The Muslims probably thought they were building their monstrosity to their false prophet Muhammad and their false pagan god on the spot where the Holy of Holies was. When actually they built it about 300 feet south of the House of The Lord. God had already measured out a place for it (to keep it away from Him), which is called the Court of the Gentiles.


Because of the extraordinary vision and prophecy revealed to John many of the descriptions appear vague and somewhat confusing to many! John was commanded to write about the things to which he was an eye witness! It must be remembered that John was writing down what he was seeing and His 1st Century understanding was probably not compatible and adequate to describe things that he saw and now exist in the 21st century. We have found it very helpful to pray to God for understanding before reading Revelation.

Bring yourself back to the Apostle John's time

Put yourself in John's place for a moment. You are miraculously transported from the primitive, non-technical age of the 1st century into the 21st century. You witness the most horrific war of all times, fought with machines completely beyond your comprehension. John is trying to describe things such as:

-supersonic jet aircraft

-modern helicopters

-battle tanks

-ICBM's

-biological and chemical weapons

-aircraft carriers

-laser weapons

-space stations and satellites

Some of the above is taken from the excellent book by Hal Lindsey, entitled "Apocalypse Code"

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lamp stands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing In a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelation 1 :12-18

The Greek word for Revelation is apokalupsis which literally means, "unveiling" or " to remove from covering", or to “open and unloose (unseal) the detail”. Old Testament Prophet Daniel was informed to “seal up” the prophecy concerning these things until “the time of the end”. The book of Revelation however unseals that epic volume, and is in fact the unveiling of Jesus Christ. It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ because only he is worthy to open, or unveil, and remove the covering from the previously sealed book of prophecy. The book unveils his relationship to the church throughout the long drama of the Church Age, his judgments of this world, and the nations of the world, and it conveys to the present world things that shall come to pass in the near future. The purpose of the Revelation is also to reveal to Christ's watchful servants, all the details concerning the things that must shortly take place, in the interim leading directly to our Lord's grand return to the world stage. He will return as a conquering King, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, which is the exact reversal of his first advent when he came as a meek, humble sacrificial Lamb, a lamb slain even before the very foundation of the world.

 

 

Much of Revelation has already been fulfilled, like Revelation 11:2


 

Revelation 11:2
another prophecy already fulfilled
 
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Revelation 11:2

Old Testament calculations:

42 x 30.44 = 1278.48 years

A solar year (which we are on) is 365.24 days.  Divide 365.24 by 12 months in the year = 30.44 days

In 688 AD the Dome of the Rock was largely built.  In 1967 the Israeli's finally regained control of Jerusalem after 2500 years.  So the Gentiles (Muslims) controlled Jerusalem and the Holy Mount for 1278.48 years as this prophecy predicted.

1967 - 1278.48 = 688.52

A side note: The Muslims probably thought they were building their monstrosity to their false prophet Muhammad and their false pagan god on the spot where the Holy of Holies was.  When actually they built it about 300 feet south of the House of The Lord.  God had already measured out a place for it, which is called the Court of the Gentiles.

 

To learn more about Revelation and Daniels' prophecy, get Ellis Skolfield's below book:

Dome of the Rock is the "Abomination of Desolation"
another supernatural revelation of God


You won't put this book down!

Islam in the end times
Read more: here

see this book: here
Read more: here

1290 & 1335 days of Daniel
(Daniel 12:11-12)

Proof the true God of the Bible and prophecy (Yahweh/ Jehovah/I am/Jesus) considers Islam as an evil  pagan religion. He is disgusted with those monstrosity's on the Temple Mount.
 

You may ask about the Lord's Olivet discourse on Daniels' prophecy in Matthew 24.  See Ellis Skolfield's excellent answer here

Read more: here


Read this free ebook by Ellis Skolfield about the above. It's called, "The False Prophet".  Read "Muhammad, Terrorist or Prophet?"