Revelation 19-22

Jesus appears in heaven to execute His wrath upon the kings of the earth, and they all gather for the battle of Armageddon, where a battle with God’s enemies occurs, and Jesus is victorious over all!  Satan is thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years, and the kingdom of Jesus is established on the earth.  After 1,000 years satan is released, and he will organize another attempt to destroy Jesus and Jerusalem, but they will be destroyed, and satan will be judged and cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever, along with his anti-christ and false prophet.  Then will God judge the living and the dead, and all whose names are not written in the book of life will also be thrown into the lake of fire, as will death and hades.

Then God will make a new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem will descend upon the new earth, which is described as being like a bride that is adorned for her husband.  From that point forward God will dwell with men, and Jesus will be the light of the city, so that there will be no sun or night.  Flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb will be the river of life, and on its banks the tree of life.

Jesus promises that all of the things written in this book will happen, and they will occur quickly.

Revelation 15-18

Seven angels are given the seven bowls of God’s wrath, and when the first bowl was poured out on the earth it produced horrible sores on all who had the mark of the beast, and worshipped his image.  The second bowl caused the sea to turn to blood, and the third bowl likewise ruined the rivers and springs on the earth.  The fourth caused the sun to burn men, and the fifth caused the beast’s kingdom to be in darkness, with great pain upon his followers.  The sixth caused the Euphrates river to dry up, so that the army of the east could cross.  The final bowl brought an end to God’s wrath, with earthquakes and large hail upon the earth.  Babylon the great harlot of the world is finally judged, and the whole world will mourn her passing.  Babylon was responsible for the blood of prophets and saints who had been killed on the earth.

Revelation 10-14

In an interlude prior to the 7th trumpet sounding, another angel appears in heaven and gives John a small book to eat, and his commission to prophesy all that he saw was reiterated to him.  John is given a measuring stick, and told to measure the temple area (but not the outer court), and he’s told about God’s two witnesses that will prophesy and perform wonders on the earth for 3 1/2 years during the great tribulation.  Those two witnesses will be killed at the end of that time, but God will raise them to life after 3 days, and all the world will see them come alive, and taken up into heaven.

The 7th trumpet blows and the arrival of Christ’s kingdom on the earth is announced in a loud voice, and the elders in heaven worshipped God.  God’s temple in heaven is opened up to reveal the Ark of the Covenant, and there was great thunder and earthquakes and hail on the earth.

John sees a vision of a woman in heaven, who represented Israel, and delivered a Son that satan attempted to kill, but failed.  That woman (Israel) is provided a place of protection for 3 and 1/2 years of great tribulation.  During that time satan will attempt to set up his kingdom on the earth, with his messiah (the anti-christ) and his prophet, who causes great trouble on the earth for those years.  At the end of that time the Lamb of God will descend upon the Mount of Olives, and He will judge satan, his angels, and the many who follow the devil on the earth.

Revelation 4-9

Chapter 4 represents a shift into the 3rd and largest section of the book, which focuses on “those things that will take place afterwards”.  John is caught up into heaven, and he sees a vision of the throne room of God (compare Isaiah’s vision of this in Isaiah 6).  Jesus appears as a lamb that had just been killed, and He alone is worthy to open the book, and all of heaven bows down and worships Him.

The book was sealed with 7 seals, and the Lamb of God started opening those seals.  The four horses and their riders went out into the four corners of the earth, heralding war, and famine, and economic disasters.  The 5th seal revealed many martyrs who had been slain for Jesus, and the 6th brought great natural disasters upon the earth.  Then 144,000 Jews are sealed for protection, and a huge multitude of people were gathered around the throne of God, who had come out of great tribulation.

The Lamb broke the seventh seal of the book, revealing another 7 angels with trumpets, who all prepared to blow their horns in their given order.  The first four trumpet blasts brought succeeding forms of destruction and judgement upon the earth, with much life on the earth dying.  The 5th trumpet heralded the opening of the bottomless pit, where demonic hoards came out to torture (but not kill) unbelievers on the earth.  The 6th trumpet released an army of 200 million warriors from the east of the Euphrates river, and another 3rd of mankind died.

Revelation 1-3

This book was written very near the end of the 1st Century AD, when John was an old man, and it appeared to him in a vision when he was in exile on the island of Patmos.  It is titled The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which literally means the “unveiling” or “revealing” of Jesus, so even though people think this book is about the end of history and end times, it’s really about Jesus.  The first chapter opens with the appearance of the glorified Jesus Christ, Who gives John instruction to write down the things that he is going to see and hear.  In chapters 2-3 Jesus dictates letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, where He provides an appraisal and instructions regarding the condition of each church.  These 7 letters are seen as both literal (for those physical churches), as well as prophetic of the entire church age throughout history.

In chapter 1 Jesus appears to John in all His heavenly glory, and with His instructions to write, He also provides a key for us to help in understanding the whole book.  In verse 19 Jesus tells John to write about “what you have seen”, “those things that are (now)”, and “the things that will take place afterwards”.  Chapter 1 includes the first part (“what you have seen”), chapters 2-3 the second part (“those things that are”), and the remainder of the book is the third part (“the things that will take place afterwards”).

Ephesians - Jesus commends them for the things they’ve done, but is not pleased that they have “lost their first love”.

Smyrna - The persecuted church that Jesus encourages to remain faithful even unto death.

Pergamum - The city where satan’s throne was, and the church that embraced idol worship and sexual immorality.

Thyatira - A church that is commended for their good works and perseverance, but who also tolerated a false prophetess among them, who led people into all sorts of evil.

Sardis - A church with a good reputation in the world, but not with God, as Jesus describes them as already dead.  Even so, there were a few in Sardis who were faithful.

Philadelphia - A faithful church of love that Jesus promises to keep safe from the day of tribulation.

Laodicea - The church that was neither hot or cold, but only lukewarm, which was repulsive to Jesus.  They thought they were rich and healthy, but Jesus declared them to be sick and impoverished.

1 John

Much of this 1st epistle of John echos things that were written in his gospel, including the first verse, which speaks of Jesus as being the Word of Life from the beginning (see John 1:1).  This is a general epistle, which was meant to be circulated around to the various churches, and it is clearly a companion to the gospel of John.  The gospel of John was written to prove that Jesus is the Christ, Who was God sent from God the Father, so that people might believe and be saved.  This epistle expands on that theme, emphasizing that The Christ is Jesus, and providing practical instruction for Christian living.

We are instructed not to sin against God, but that when we do sin, He will forgive and cleanse us when we repent and seek His forgiveness in Christ.  Those who are saved are living in the light of God, Who is Jesus Christ, and those who hate their brothers or sisters in this world demonstrate that they remain in darkness.  Love is the key to life in Christ, as we cannot claim to belong to God if we do not love others, just like Jesus first loved us.

Hebrews 12-13 | 2 John | 3 John

Chapter 12 concludes by pointing to all of those great examples, with an encouragement for each of us to lay aside the sin and things that spiritually drag us down, and run our own race for Christ with perseverance.  We have become sons and daughters of the most high God, and He loves us (and disciplines us) as His own dear children.  We should each live our lives for Christ with a heart of gratitude and devotion for what He did for us, and how great His love is towards the whole world, that anyone who comes to Him can be accepted by God forever.

In all of this we are encouraged to build up godly character within each of us, loving and serving each other with integrity and faithfulness, and putting aside those sins and behaviors that used to be normal for us.

The 2nd and 3rd epistles of John are both short personal letters to individuals.  The first to an unnamed Christian lady, and the second to a disciple and friend of John’s named Gaius.  In both of these letters John provides encouragement and instruction, echoing the things written in his gospel and 1st epistle - love.  Hate what is evil and love each other as servants of Jesus Christ.  Do not accept evil doers, or those who would cause division within the body of believers.

Hebrews 10-11

The writer continues by now demonstrating in chapter 10 the purpose of the law, which is to show us the need of a savior (since no one can actually keep the whole law), and how Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for sin.  Thus it is only because of God’s grace that anyone can be saved, and that salvation must come through faith, as he quotes from Habakkuk 2:4 (“the just shall live by faith”).

Chapter 11 is called by many the “hall of faith”, providing many examples from Old Testament history of men and women who were treated as righteous by God as a consequence of their faith.  That faith was demonstrated by each of them in different ways, but the vital common thread was that each of them believed what God had promised, and they looked forward to that fulfillment, even though they may not have seen it in their lifetime.  All of these give us examples to copy, so that we might likewise demonstrate our faith in what God has said and done in Jesus Christ, so that we may appear before Him in the righteousness of Christ, rather than our own unrighteousness.

Hebrews 5:11-9:28

There is an expectation that believers grow into spiritual maturity, and remain faithful in their Christian walk throughout the remainder of their lives.  The writer continues in chapter 7 with his commentary on how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of David (Psalm 110:4), in being the priest of God after the order of Melchizedek, making Him God’s priest and king for all men.  It is shown how Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the first Jewish High Priest Aaron, in that Aaron (effectively) tithed to Melchizedek when he was still in the loins of Abraham.  The writer of Hebrews also points out the fact that there were no men in Israel’s history who were both priest and king, as those positions descended from different patriarchs (Levi for the priests, and Judah for the kings), but they are brought together in the One Christ.

In chapter 8 the writer quotes from Jeremiah 31:31, where God had promised to institute a new covenant, where the laws of God would be written upon the hearts of men.  This new covenant was initiated by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, when He told His disciples that in His blood the new covenant (contract with God) was established.  This new covenant made the rules and regulations of the old law obsolete, however in no way did it eliminate any of God’s law.  It showed that man was not able to keep his part of the old law, and only through the work of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice could forgiveness be achieved, and men could be reconciled with God.

In chapter 9 it is shown that men have been given direct access to God, through the shed blood and broken body of Jesus Christ, which was demonstrated when the temple veil was ripped in two by God at the moment Jesus died on the cross.  That veil had separated men from having access to the presence of God, but now it is gone, and anyone can freely go to Him in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1-5:10

In many ways this book was written as a witness of Jesus Christ to the Jews, which proves from the Old Testament scriptures the superiority of Christ over all - greater than the prophets, than angels, than Moses, Abraham, and Joshua, Who’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s, Who serves in a better Sanctuary, Who administers a better covenant, and Who’s sacrifice was infinitely superior to the blood of bulls and goats.

The authorship of this book is not known, and heavily debated.  Many scholars believe it was written anonymously by the apostle Paul, and other scholars are divided on different alternatives, such as Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, etc…. In spite of this debate, there is no question that the book is Divinely inspired.

In chapter 1 Jesus is described as the radiance of God’s glory, Who holds all things together by the word of His power, and who made sacrifice for sins once and for all before sitting down at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  He is shown to be superior to the angels through chapter 2.

In chapters 3-4 Christ is shown to be superior to both Moses and Joshua, and that God’s rest can be found in Jesus, even though Israel never successfully entered into the rest that was designed for them.

Jesus was also designated by His Father as a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of God in the days of Abraham, who Abraham bowed down to, and gave tithes.

Jude | 2 Peter

The very short book of Jude was written by one of (at least) two men - Judas the apostle (Thaddeus), or Judas the half-brother of Jesus, however which is not known, and each are argued by various scholars.  The subject of this letter is focused on evil persons who creep into churches to bring destruction and division, and there is much of this book that is extremely similar to things that Peter wrote in his second epistle.  It is in this book that Jude gives various historical examples of such evil doers, and he also reveals that Enoch was preaching about the 2nd Coming of Jesus (not the first coming) in the days before the flood of Noah.  We are warned to keep guard against carnal teachings, and people who would bring divisions.

It is believed that Peter wrote his second epistle within a year or so of his death in the late 60s AD.  He wrote it to the same audience as the first, so it is also considered a “general epistle”.

In chapter 1 Peter gives us a great key to being victorious in our Christian walk, where he tells us that the Divine power of Jesus is sufficient for everything we need in life and godliness.  In verses 5-10 he tells us to add the following things to our faith - moral excellence, knowledge (of God), self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and (God’s) love.  He says that if we do these things, we will never stumble!

Like the other apostles, he warns of false prophets and wolves who will come into the church to try and destroy it, teaching many carnal things that neither Christ or His apostles ever taught.  He uses some of the same examples that Jude used, and it’s possible that Jude was quoting from Peter.

He also warns against unbelievers and mockers who will come in the last days, laughing at the idea that Christ will return for His church, or that He will execute judgement on the earth.  They will point to the amount of time that we’ve been waiting, and argue that God does not intervene in the affairs of men, even though He did exactly that when He flooded the whole world and only saved 8 people in Noah’s ark.  The Day of the Lord will come suddenly, and Jesus will execute judgement upon the earth exactly as He has promised.

1 Peter

While Paul was considered the apostle to the Gentiles, Peter has been called the apostle of the circumcision, with his evangelical focus primarily on Jews.  This epistle is not specifically written to either Jews or Gentiles, but to the many believers who had been dispersed throughout the Roman empire.  It is a general epistle, in that it provides instruction and doctrine to all believers, and was not written to address specific issues or questions in any given church.  It is generally believed to have been written in the mid-60s AD, maybe 5-6 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

He tells his readers to be patient in their persecutions, which was the cause of so many having to flee from Jerusalem, and other Roman cities, and which will prove to their benefit when they stand before Jesus.

Peter urges all of us to live as strangers in this world, since we belong to the kingdom of Christ in heaven, where we will be welcomed and honored in that day.  This means that we do not become attached to the things and ways of this world, seeking to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in what we say and do.  Always be ready to tell others about the good things God has done for you.  Maintain an attitude of likemindedness with Christ, being willing to suffer in this life for His Name, since He did so for us without reservation.

Leaders (Pastors, Teachers, and Elders) are instructed to lead just like the Good Shepherd, Who gave Himself for the flock, and loved us all.

Everyone is admonished to resist the devil, and he will run away - this is most effectively done with scripture, just as Jesus quoted the word of God to satan in the wilderness trial.

2 Timothy

It is generally believed that Paul wrote this 2nd letter to Timothy fairly close to the time of his second trail before Caesar, and that this was probably the last epistle that he wrote before his execution in Rome.  He encourages Timothy to keep the faith and work of the gospel until the end, and to guard against those who would come in to divide or hurt the church.  Chapter 3 provides a vivid picture of the conditions that will exist on the earth in the last days, which we can see as a very good description of the way things are in our own times.

Paul tells him that he is nearing the end of his life, and that he had been faithful in his service to Christ, so as to finish his race well.  This should be the goal of every disciple of Jesus, to serve Him well until we each stand before Him at the Judgement Seat of Christ.  He had been abandoned by almost everyone, as Luke was the only one with him in Rome, and he asked Timothy to bring his coat and books before winter set in.

1 Timothy 4-6 | Titus

He continues with various instructions for leading the church, and dealing with various issues that crop up with the people.  He said that there will be horrible times in the last days, with evil multiplying in every direction, which we see getting worse and worse in our own time.  He instructs Timothy on leading with widows in the church, and which of them should be financially helped, versus which should remarry or go to work.  He also talks about believing slaves and servants, and how those who serve must do so as working directly for Jesus.  Those who strive to be rich suffer many things, as the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  The wealthy need to learn humility and service, doing good things in service to Christ Jesus.

Titus was another of Paul’s disciples and trusted representative, who ministered much to the Corinthian church, and who carried letters between them and Paul, as well as to other cities where Paul had established churches.  Paul’s short letter to Titus is similar in tone to what he wrote in his first letter to Timothy, and provides instructions on pastoring Christ’s church.  He also gives Titus instruction on choosing elders and pastors, and how the older believers (who are mature in Christ) should contribute to the instruction of younger Christians.  He also warns Titus to guard against those who would bring divisions into the church, and people who insist on arguing about their own interpretation of spiritual things, who should be rejected from having access or influence in the church.

Philemon | 1 Timothy 1-3

The small book of Philemon was written by Paul from prison, and it was addressed to one of his friends who lived in the city of Colossae, who was also a convert to Christ because of Paul.  Philemon was apparently well to do, and Paul had run into a man named Onesimus in Rome, who was a run-away slave of Philemon’s.  Onesimus became a Christian and helper to Paul, however when Paul found out his whole story, he decided to send him back to Philemon with this letter.  Paul asks Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a Christian brother, and to charge whatever might be owed him to Paul’s account, even though he could have legally put Onesimus to death for running away.  This is a beautiful short letter, where Paul encourages Philemon to do the right thing.

In addition to Paul’s letter to Philemon, he also wrote personal letters to Timothy and Titus, who had been sent out by Paul to minister in cities where he had previously founded new churches.  These letters are referred to as the pastoral epistles, as Paul is providing these two men with spiritual advice for leading the churches he had sent them to.  Timothy was acting as the pastor in the Ephesus.

Timothy is charged with the responsibility for the Ephesian church, and Paul warns him to be on the constant lookout for divisive people who would try to bring all kinds of false beliefs into the church.  The opposition in Ephesus was strong, as it was a center of pagan worship, which had destroyed many, and Paul warned Timothy to be on guard against such who would try to come in and destroy the church.  Paul also gives Timothy various instructions regarding proper administration of the church, and maintaining godly behavior of the people.  He also gives Timothy a set of guidelines for choosing elders and deacons within the church.  Paul reminds Timothy that the Word of God is all written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as if God were pushing the pens of the men who wrote.

Philippians

The story of the beginnings of the church in Philippi can be found in Acts chapter 16, where Paul and Silas and Timothy were trying to minister in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), but after Paul received a vision, they headed over to Macedonia (Greece).  The first city they stopped in was Philippi, and then followed by Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and then Corinth.  Paul wrote this letter to them from prison in Rome, but it was written more as a message of love and gratitude to them, as opposed to a letter of correction, as they had sent Ephaphroditus to him for encouragement, with an offering to help meet his expenses in Rome.

Paul expresses his great love for them, and gives them an update on his situation in Rome.  He provides them with some instruction in Christian behavior, encouraging them to do nothing from selfish ambition, and to recognize that disagreements between believers only serves the plans of the devil, since divisions in the church make the preaching of the gospel ineffective to unbelievers.  He also encourages some in the church to try harder in getting along with each other in Christ, and warns the church elders to be on the constant lookout for men who would like to introduce legalism and spiritual bondage within the church.  He thanks them for their financial gift to him, but also tells them that he had learned to make do with whatever the Lord chose to give him, and to be content in all situations, whether they are pleasant or difficult.  This gives us a great example to follow, as they same is true for us, where godliness with contentment is very beneficial to us, just like he told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6.

Colossians

Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae was likely written at the same time as he wrote to the Ephesians and Philippians from jail in Rome, and also his letter to Philemon, who lived in this same city.  However, like the church in Rome, he was writing to the Colossians as a church that he did not found, as it was likely founded by Epaphroditus.  This city was closely associated with the city of Laodicea in Asia Minor, and Paul also wrote a letter to the Laodiceans, which has been lost, and not included in the canon of scripture.

Paul writes that he is thankful to God for the faith of the Colossians, and reinforces for them the basis of salvation for all believers, who have been called an justified by God through faith in Christ Jesus, so long as each person remains in that place of faith.  He then writes the remainder of this epistle in describing the character and conduct of those who have been saved.  We are instructed to reject false philosophies, and avoid false behaviors that are practiced by carnal christians.  All who have been raised to eternal life in Jesus should be focused on things above, rather than on things here below, since even though life is short, eternity is forever.  Reject and avoid immoral behavior, as well as impure conversation and lies, but rather adopt (“put on”) the new self that we’ve been given in Christ.  Whatever we do should be done with a heart to please our Lord Jesus Christ, and we should become students of His Word, with a heart towards doing what it says, knowing that He will judge our deeds as Christians at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

Ephesians 4-6

These chapters focus on spiritual application, and are really broken into two sections, where Ephesians 4:1-6:9 speak of various applications that lead us to spiritual maturity in Christ, and then the rest of chapter 6 highlights the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in, and the weapons we’ve been given for that conflict with the enemy of our souls.

Jesus gave gifts to His church in the form of leaders, who minister in bringing each of us to spiritual maturity, and help in the process of our sanctification, which is forming us into the same image as Christ, through the power of His Spirit in us.  We are encouraged to live in this life with all humility and gentleness, encouraging each other in love, and ministering the grace of God towards all who need it.  We are instructed to make every effort to imitate Christ, and to walk in this life with His love, which was completely “others” focused - first on God, and then towards other people.

Our battle in this life is not against unbelieving people, but rather against the devil, who is working all manner of deception and hatred to take people with him in fighting against God.  The warfare is spiritual, and the tools we’ve been given are also spiritual - the truth of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith in Him, the salvation of Jesus that guards our minds and hearts, and the sword of the spirit, which is God’s Word.  These weapons are largely defensive, which protect us from the enemy who seeks to make us ineffective as servants of Christ, and against his plans to try and destroy us.  Do not stop in praying, even when it seems that God is not listening!

Ephesians 1-3

There were a handful of churches that were especially dear to the apostle Paul, and Ephesus was certainly one of them.  Paul had been a huge influence in the beginning of this church, and he eventually even sent Timothy to be the pastor there.  This epistle was written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome, and it is thought to have been sent to them some 4-5 years after he had last visited them.

This epistle is divided into two main sections - doctrine and application.  Chapters 1-3 focus primarily on what Jesus has accomplished, and 4-6 on Christian application.

There is a significant focus in these chapters on all that was accomplished by Jesus Christ, and how we played no role in His work of redemption, which was planned and initiated by God alone as a consequence of His infinite grace.  Key verses include…

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

- Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV

Through the finished work of Jesus Christ every person has been given access to God, but only those who believe in that work of Christ, and accept Him unto salvation will be accepted by God.

Acts 27-28

Paul is handed over to a Centurion (a commander of 100) to be taken to Rome.  They sail from the coast of Israel north, following the Asiatic coastline, however winter is approaching, and the weather is bad.  Against Paul’s advice they continue, and end up spending 2 weeks in a violent storm at sea, and the ship is eventually destroyed near the island of Malta.  God saves all of the men on the ship, which numbered close to 300, and they spent the next 3 month on Malta, waiting for winter to end.  During that time Paul preached the gospel, and many people were healed.

When Spring came, they finished their journey to Rome, and Paul was kept under house arrest for the next two years, chained to a Roman soldier in his own rented quarters.  Paul attempted to preach to the Jews in Rome, and although some were saved, the majority did not believe, so he then focused his preaching on the gentiles.

Tradition has it that after 2 years Paul was released, possibly going to Spain and Britain preaching the gospel, but was eventually sent back to Rome in chains, where he was martyred by being taken outside the city and beheaded.