Come and See

By Kenneth Myers

What happens if you say…

The end product of the Christian era is the millennial reign of Christ.

And…

The timelines in the book of Daniel are literally weeks in days.

Then…

Plot the timelines found in the books of Daniel and Revelation together on a graph.

If you do this:

You get the perspective provided by figure 1 and figure 2 in this book plus a whole new understanding on the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’re interested and so inclined… You’re invited to “come and see.”

Come and see the many prophecies associated with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

And…

Come and see his faithfulness to his word and the birth of his kingdom (Matthew 6:10).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638855873

Book preview

Chapter 1

Revelation 1–11

Note. I naturally agree that the book of Revelation is sequential in that it takes us from the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) into the time period of the new heaven and new earth. (Revelation 21:1) However, I do not see the book of Revelation as being one long continuous sequence of prophetic vision, but instead, I see it as being one that has several sequences in it. Each sequence presented leads up to a Second Coming event such as the day of redemption, the Day of the Lord, the day of Christ, the wrath of God. Most of the time, the sequence presented (e.g., the first six seals, the first six trumpets) is separated by an interluding vision that provides additional information regarding the sequence just seen or ties it to a sequence that soon follows.

Revelation Chapter 1

Overview

This chapter presents the resurrected and glorified Jesus. It also introduces John (the beloved) as the writer of the book and directs him to send his written work to seven identified churches in Asia Minor (Turkey).

Highlights

John is on the island of Patmos due to his testimony for Jesus Christ. He has been banished there by the Roman government in order to keep him from preaching and teaching the Word of God.

John states that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day (Sunday). The importance here is that this statement validates something that we, as born-again believers, know all too well: that there are times when we are in the Spirit and other times when we are in our old fleshly nature (Galatians 5:25; Romans 8:9; Psalm 121:8).

Jesus is seen covered in light and shining as the sun (Matthew 17:2; 2 Peter 1:16–18; Acts 26:13–15).

Jesus’s appearance terrifies John, for he has not seen Jesus for over fifty years, and during that time, Jesus, the Son of man, has been in the presence of his Father (Exodus 34:29–35; John 17:5; 1 Timothy 6:15–16).

Jesus introduces himself as (1) the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending in verse 8, (2) the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last in verse 11, (3) The first and the last—the one who lives and was dead and now lives forevermore in verses 17–18, and (4) the one holding the keys over the power of death and hades/Sheol in verse 18 (Psalm 16:9–10; John 11:25–26, 3:16).

Jesus identifies the seven churches which are to receive the book of Revelation.

Jesus discloses that the seven stars seen in his right hand represent the seven angels assigned to the seven identified churches in Asia Minor. (Other references in Revelation relating stars to angels are the following: Revelation 1:16–20, 9:1, 8:10–11, 12:4.)

Revelation Chapters 2–3

Overview

This is a message for all the church.

Highlights

Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain encouragements, admonitions, and warnings to seven first-century churches located in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Many individuals have taught that the seven churches represent seven successive epochs of church history. Under this teaching, we are considered to be in the time frame of the seventh church. This correlation seems to fit well because the church at Laodicea was a rich and prosperous materialistic church that was in need of no material things. However, spiritually, it was lukewarm. Unfortunately, that is the way many individuals view the present-day church. Personally, I believe that this criticism is unjust, for there are many churches today that are enthusiastic and fervent in their work for the Lord. Nevertheless, there is one interesting point that can be made regarding this comparison: the name Laodicea means people’s rights. The seventh church is the church of the people’s rights! As we are well aware, almost daily, the news media brings forth a story involving the abuse of somebody’s rights. This constant churning over personal rights has clouded the fact that a Christian is to be a servant of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). In fact, the Christian in the New Testament is referred to as a doulos—a Greek word meaning slave (Romans 6:16–22). Anyhow, all things considered, it does appear that we are in the day of the people’s rights. However, as interesting as this application fits to the seventh church, it must be pointed out that there is a problem in applying this model, for it places the Protestant Reformation in the time frame associated with the Sardis church; based on church history, this is a poor fit because the Sardis church in Revelation is seen as a weak church while the Protestant Reformation, which it represents, is considered to be a strong period in church history. This inconsistency has caused many students of the Bible to discredit the use of this model, and so we, at this time, will properly set it aside and note it as a curiosity.

Perhaps a better way of looking at the seven churches listed in Revelation chapter 2 and 3 is to view them as examples or types of churches that have existed both then and now. If we consider them as such, we see seven church types: (1) an evangelistic church, (2) a persecuted church, (3) a church tolerant of false teachers, (4) a church that tolerates immorality within its congregation, (5) a church steeped in rituals, (6) a church with a small congregation and little political power, and (7) a church caught up in worldly things.

Note that all seven church types exist in the world today. With respect to the church, over the last two thousand years, world conditions have not changed that much. The condition may change location, local churches may come and go, but the church’s mission and the challenges that the church must overcome remain (i.e., poverty, scarcity, false doctrines, false teachers, worldly influences, political venues, persecutions, etc.) This being the case, the significance is found in the admonitions given to each church and in the overall message which has meaning to every church in every generation.

I believe Jesus’s message to his church reads like this:

Keep your first love; do the things that you did when you first got saved (Revelation 2:5).

Be faithful to Christ even unto death (Revelation 2:10).

Be separated from the world (Revelation 2:14–15).

Do not allow immorality in the church (Revelation 2:20).

Remember what you have received and heard (Revelation 3:3).

Do not be intimidated by the world; God has given you an open door (Revelation 3:8).

Don’t be lukewarm; be fervent in all you do (Revelation 3:15).

Revelation Chapter 4

Overview

This vision begins when a door is opened in heaven and a voice like a trumpet tells John to come up through the door in order to see things that must come into being. John is immediately in the spirit and enters into heaven. Here, he sees the throne of God. Seated around the throne are twenty-four elders; they are dressed in white garments, and each one is wearing a gold crown (stephanos). Before the throne are seven lamps of fire which are the seven Spirits of God. The throne sits on a crystalline sea of glass, and between the ring of seated elders and the throne are four beasts (zoons) who continually praise the one sitting on the throne saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, the one who was, and is, and the coming one. In response, the twenty-four elders fall down and cast their crowns before the throne saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor, and power because you have founded all things (John 1:1–3), and through you, all things exist (1 Corinthians 8:6) and were founded (Colossians 1:15–17).

Highlights

John’s experience here in chapter 4 places him in a situation similar to Saint Paul’s experience cited in 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 and takes him from an earthly visitation by Jesus recorded in chapter 1 into an experience involving the administration of Christ Jesus’s government in the heavenlies. Revelation 4:4 introduces the twenty-four ruling elders who are also seen in Revelation 5:6–14, 11:15–18, and 19:4.

Here is what we know about these elders:

Revelation 4:4. They are clothed in white garments; the returning saints (Revelation 19:14) are similarly dressed. They wear crowns of gold. The crown which they wear is a wreath-type crown called a stephanos. This is the type of crown which was historically given to the winner of an Olympic event. James 1:12 tells us that such a crown awaits everyone who loves the Lord Jesus Christ and overcomes the world (1 Corinthians 9:25; Revelation 2:10, 3:11; 1 John 5:4). Note also that such a crown was given to the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 and that Jesus is further seen wearing his crown (stephanos) in Revelation 14:14.

Revelation 5:6–14. They worship the Lamb (John 1:36) who sits in the midst of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2; John 16:28; Daniel 7:13–14); the Lamb has made them to be priests and kings to God the Father (Revelation 1:6, 20:6; John 20:17), and they shall reign over the earth (Revelation 5:10, 20:4–6; Daniel 7:22).

Revelation 11:15–18. In this portion of scripture, John, again, sees the twenty-four elders after hearing a great voice generated from a large multitude of people in heaven. Here, the seventh trumpet has just sounded (1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), and the gathering of the saints has occurred (Matthew 24:31; Luke 17:37; 2 Thessalonians 2:1); now their great voice is heard in heaven announcing that the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Acts 2:36, Psalm 2:4–9, 110:1–2, Philippians 2:9–11). At this time, the twenty-four elders announce that the wrath of God has come (Revelation 11:18, 6:16–17, 16:1, 19:15) upon the world and that the time has come to reward the saints for what they have done (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10–12; Revelation 21:7, 22:12).

Revelation 19:1–10. Here, we see the twenty-four elders along with the saints in heaven. This is the time of the marriage supper of the Lamb. The parousia of the Lord has occurred, and the church, the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9, 22:17; Romans 7:4–6), is now in heaven with her Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). She is dressed for her wedding in bright linen. After the wedding scene recorded in Revelation 19:1–10, we see the bride of Christ returning with Christ on the Day of the Lord to war against Satan and the forces of the beast (Antichrist) (Revelation 19:14; Zechariah 14:3–7).

It is here in chapter 4 that we are also introduced to the four living creatures (zoons) seen around the throne. This is not the first time that a human being has seen this type of creature. Both Isaiah and Ezekiel record seeing similar type of beings in their prophetic visions (Isaiah 6:1–4, Ezekiel 1:4–14). In Ezekiel 10:3–17, these zoons are called cherubim. Exodus 26:31 and Genesis 3:24 also speak of cherubim. Cherubim are said to have four wings. The creatures identified in Revelation 4:8 and Isaiah 6:2 are said to have six wings. The six-winged creatures are called seraphim in Isaiah 6:2. It should be noted that the beasts (living creatures) seen around the throne here in Revelation chapter 4 are identified using the Greek word zoon (2226). A zoon is a living thing. The Greek word therion (2342) is used in Revelation chapter 13 to identify the beasts associated with Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. A therion, by definition, is a dangerous wild animal. The beasts seen in Revelation 13 are dangerous to mankind; the beasts seen around the throne in chapter 4 are life-sustaining beings (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 19:10).

The chapter 4 worship scene ends with this statement: You are worthy, O Lord (John 13:13), to receive glory, honor, and power because you founded all things (John 1:1–3), and through you, they exist (1 Corinthians 8:6) and were founded (Colossians 1:15–17).

Revelation Chapter 5

Overview

In Revelation chapter