Revelation Without Confusion: In The Window: The Simple Series A Narrative Commentary of the Concluding Book of Scripture

By Jana Abercrombie-Abbott

Revelation has long been the black sheep of Biblical content. The imagery is far-fetched, the wording foreign and unclear, the message harsh. Nonetheless, as the final and culminating book of Scripture, it is of such enormous value that blessings have been promised to the one who simply concedes to having it read aloud to them. There is depth and beauty and a sweet message of hope here. There is warning and danger and a sad revealing of rebellion as well. There is understanding for both our own days as well as those to come. All this is not hidden or veiled from the everyday believer; with a calm and expectant countenance, we can find simplicity amid the imagery, clarity among the symbols, and direction abounding in the scenes.
Revelation Without Confusion is intended to be as clear as it is promoted to be. A simplified, yet deep look at the impactful, urgent, and God-inspired Word meant to be read, known, cherished, and understood by one and all. Written in a narrative manner, the reading is as simplistic as the explanations within.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385014309

Jana Abercrombie-Abbott

Jana is a prolific teacher, speaker, and student of the Word. She also manages various Christian ministries, leads short term mission trips, and maintains a variety of “real jobs” from accountant to confectionist. Her passion is the Church and the discipleship and maturation of believers. Jana has an amazing husband and two thriving young adult children.

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Copyright © 2024 Jana Abercrombie-Abbott.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1428-6 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1429-3 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1430-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023923867

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/18/2023

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1     The Author and His Stenographer

Revelation 1

Chapter 2     Seven Letters for Them and for Us

Revelation 2 and 3

Chapter 3     Take It in: The Scene in Heaven

Revelation 4 and 5

Chapter 4     Broken Seals

Revelation 6

Chapter 5     Who Are These People and Here Comes the Noise

Revelation 7, 8, and 9

Chapter 6     The Witness and the Gospel

Revelation 10 and 11

Chapter 7     Intermission

Revelation 12 and 13

Chapter 8     Harvests and the Wrath

Revelation 14, 15, and 16

Chapter 9     Babylon and Her Beast

Revelation 17 and 18

Chapter 10   The Bride and the Best Entrance Ever

Revelation 19

Chapter 11   Millennial What?

Revelation 20

Chapter 12   Home

Revelation 21 and 22

Afterword

Many Thanks

Preface

Many years ago, the Lord asked me to go about things in, what I considered, a highly illogical way. I’d recently come to understand that teaching the Bible was a part of God’s plan for me and the who, what, and when of that was still very much up for debate. At that time, I think I’d taught one class one time. It was as if He wanted to ensure that I believed He was able before asking me to do what felt so daunting.

And so we began with Revelation.

I had never had any real interest in Revelation before. Even today, I would not call myself an eschatologist, and debating end-time theories ad nauseam doesn’t interest me at all. I’d never studied it myself, heard a sermon series on it, or read any books or commentaries of it. And this is where He had me begin.

I spent a solid year reading every word, analyzing every meaning, comparing every image. I felt very strongly that I was not to read or study anyone else’s work until this time was done. By the end of my study, I had a pretty solid idea of what I believed it entailed—not necessarily what I believed it meant was coming but what all it had to say. My own beliefs about the end times were still quite fluid, though I knew quite well what I didn’t believe.

The next nine months were spent reading and studying commentaries. I didn’t read a ton; I believe it was, fittingly, seven. Then came the time to put it all together. I spent the following year teaching what I’d learned. During that first teaching year, we read from every book of the Bible to better understand what we were learning from the one book of Revelation, thus confirming my belief that God had asked me to eat the whole elephant as an appetizer.

Since that experience all those years ago, I’ve taught on the book quite a few times. Sometimes we’ve looked at it in a few short lessons, sometimes over many months, but the pattern of my teaching has never wavered.

Here’s what I hope to engender: I want you to feel as though Revelation is for you, something you can and should understand, something clear and hope-filled, something meant to be pondered and eventually grasped. I have a few qualms with many Revelation teachers (and even Study Bibles, if I’m honest) because they often teach Revelation as they believe it. While there are some parts of the book that leave little to interpretation, there is much that isn’t so clear. To teach only the theory of the interpretation that I adhere to seems a bit pompous to me, and I hope sincerely to refrain from such grandiosity.

What might you expect here? My goal is to present the Scripture to you in such a way as to lead you into the Presence of the Lord with such clarity, confidence, and knowledge that you are free to listen to Him tell you what YOU need to know in its pages. When we come to the Lord expecting to be overwhelmed and overexposed, we often end up empty—our hands aren’t open, so we take nothing away. The goal isn’t necessarily answers (I really don’t claim to have many). The goal is openness, calm understanding, teachability.

As I’ve stated, however, there is a lot here. There is imagery and symbolism and history and emotion, pain and confusion and heartbreak and longing. It’s an enormous amount to take in. We can simplify all that pretty easily. I aim to present you with what I will call Biblical Viability. If we eliminate those theories which are not biblically possible on the scriptural whole, then we are generally left with only two or three biblically viable options of how to interpret what we read. That is my aim: to walk through the book of Revelation with you and draw out those theories on how to interpret what you are reading through the lens of Scripture itself—what it is biblically acceptable to believe and what theories just don’t stand the test of scriptural analysis.

And all this in very simple terms.

My ask of you, then, is to read without anxiety, to come to the Word expectant that God can and will enliven the eyes of your soul to see that which has been cloudy up to now, to be willing to challenge untested beliefs by the fire of biblical truth.

Come humble, come expectant, come thirsty, come on in.

Jana

Chapter 1

The Author and His Stenographer

Revelation 1

For a variety of reasons, Revelation has become this strange and unsearchable addendum to Scripture in the eyes of many believers. It is somehow exempt from needing to be understood, studied, memorized, or even read. When Paul says to Timothy in his second letter that all Scripture is useful and edifying,¹ the common Christian puts an asterisk there with Revelation in mind. Revelation isn’t for every man, and whatever is locked away in there is surely beautiful but far too cloaked in mystery and theory for just anyone.

But when you do broach its pages, God makes it very clear very soon that you’re on the right track and the attempt will be worth it.

God knew the topic would feel distant and daunting when He had John pen the vision. He knew we would either be pulled in for the drama and sci-fi appeal or repelled by the same. He knew it would seem murky and vague, confusing and other-worldly. He knew we would be tempted to dismiss it, and so He wastes no time clarifying why we should give it it’s due.

There are two aspects of the opening lines that are designed to draw us in and strengthen our resolve to, at the very least, read this thing through. One, of primary importance, God begins with the validating words of His authorship. This book is the message of our Savior. These are the words of our God that He has gone to great lengths to ensure that we hear. There is a short chain of communication, and its inception point is the Great I AM. It is assured to us from the very beginning that what we have before us is the undiluted, unaltered, unfiltered, and God ordained word of Jesus Christ. If God speaks, it kind of seems like it’s worth hearing what He has to say. In Revelation, He has spoken.

The second aspect of the opening words is that sweet part of God that acknowledges our humanity and angst and baits the carrot in advance to prod us toward that which maybe only He realizes just how much we need: Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it.² He’s not asking us to prepare for a doctoral presentation on this; He isn’t requiring us to be the one who finally figures out which eschatological theory is actually the one; He’s just asking us to read—or even just listen to someone else read—it.

Envision His tender voice, the same one you might hear as He leans over to hold your chin and feed you good things like a Father with His toddler child. Hear Him say, My dear child, trust Me and come sit with Me and believe Me when I say that you are able. You can hear; you can understand; and you will be blessed when you try. Just walk with Me here, and in that alone, you will find blessing.

Let’s take the hand and trust the Author, and with hearts open to discern and comprehend, endeavor to find the simple truths of Scripture made simple in this as well.

There’s one other reason He encourages us to read: the time is near. Some things we carelessly consider as worthy of attention some other day, but God assures us there is less time than we think to consider the visions of this work. I know that generations have said, believed, and counted on the time being at hand, yet here we wait still, but it has never been truer than today that our time is short. More so than perhaps any other generation, this isn’t overly difficult to believe today.

There are things we need to know, need to be prepared for, need to be in anticipation of. We aren’t meant to be caught off guard and ignorance won’t be bliss, nor will it be acceptable when clarity has been available.

John’s greetings and introductions are packed with theological depth and profound realities. He begins with himself and the initial recipients but then moves quickly to the more important Figures involved. Grace from the Father—the One who is, and who was, and who is to come; the Holy Spirit—the seven spirits before his throne; and the Son—Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.³ Again we see the validation of the Lord (in all His triune forms) in the words that follow.

Next comes a quote from Daniel seven which holds much more than meets the eye. Two important points are found here. One, Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.⁴ Who, quite literally, was responsible for the piercing of Jesus? The Hebrews. There is a monumental significance to these words. Jews will SEE Him. John 12:40 is a quote from Isaiah. John is attempting to explain why so few of the Jews believed in Jesus despite His signs: He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts nor turn—and I would heal them. At first blush, this seems like a harsh thing to do. Why make it so they can’t come to You; why wouldn’t You want them to be healed?

One of many beautiful things about Scripture is the way it works together. Where once there is a question presented, elsewhere we find its answer: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.⁵ The reason it is so significant that ALL will see Him at this revelatory moment is because prior to that moment, Israel couldn’t. Their eyes have been blinded from seeing the Messiah so that Gentiles might be invited in. And until the full number of those Gentiles has come in, many in Israel won’t be able to see Him because their eyes have been blinded by Him. At this moment, when Christ comes in the clouds, they will, for the first time, truly see Him. Their eyes will be opened, and they will see what they’ve been missing for so long. This leads to the second important point in this quote, and all the peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. Why might everyone mourn? Yet again, Scripture gives us insight. Zechariah 12:10 tells us, And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Israel will mourn for what has been done and what has been lost.

It doesn’t just say that Israel will mourn though, it says all the peoples of the earth will mourn. This will be that moment when we all realize that everything we put off until tomorrow will never be done. The deeds never completed; the love never professed; the witness never shared; the life never turned. Too late for them all.

What comes next is the one validating pronouncement of the Father. From this point on, He is entrusting the revealing of this vision to His Son entirely. As told in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus came up from the waters of baptism, the Father spoke from heaven a pronouncement of the Son’s identity and favor.⁶ It was the Father’s seal of approval on what His Son was about to do, reveal, and become. We see much the same idea here in Revelation. God makes a statement of His own authority to signify something’s significance and authenticity. This is the Father saying, My Son has the authority of all of Heaven to reveal that which He will, and I approve of His means, methods, and words. The trinity is in agreement with what we will find here, the message we are being given, and the blessings and curses pronounced through it.

The story portion of the book begins with John describing how he came to have seen this vision from his Savior and how the experience began. This John is the beloved disciple John. He was quite old at this point and the last