Biblical Prophecy Unveiled

The Apocalypse

The word apocalypse comes from a Greek word which means an uncovering. The book of Revelation, also called John’s Apocalypse, is God’s revelation (uncovering) of what was previously hidden or unknown concerning the end of the age and how God will triumph over Satan, winning the final age-old battle of good versus evil.

In the first chapter of Revelation, John explained what led him to write the book, and then in the next two chapters, Jesus gave instructions to seven specific churches in Asia Minor. The seven churches are believed to be archetypes or patterns. Each possessed characteristics that are representative of all types of churches throughout time. Hence, any church, even today, can read these instructions and then take a look in the mirror to evaluate the good, bad, and ugly within that church.

Starting in Revelation 4, everything changes. John is caught up to heaven and begins the roller coaster ride of his life! I want to summarize in some detail what is described in Revelation 4–19. In order to understand this section best, it would be helpful if you read the corresponding chapters in your Bible as I go chapter by chapter. That way, you will get the full picture of what is going on. Chapters 4 through 19 deal with the period called the tribulation. Jesus called this “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) and said it would get progressively worse until it becomes the “great tribulation.” Jesus compared the tribulation to a woman’s labor pains. As labor progresses, labor pains become more intense and more frequent. Hence, during the tribulation, the judgments of God will become progressively worse and more intense. Some terrible things are about to happen on earth, and most people will not be prepared. In fact, things will get so bad at the end that no one will be able to survive, and they only survive because God “for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

It will be this way because God’s judgments will be in proportion to man’s wickedness. The apostle Paul said, “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12). In other words, men will enjoy sinning and prefer it over the truth. Although man loves to sin, sin brings about man’s self-destruction. God’s judgment of sin ends this self-destruction. Perhaps it is only the judgment of God, due to His love and grace, that intervenes to prevent man from totally destroying himself. When I was growing up, this was a major concern during the Cold War. And as I write this, these concerns have been renewed by North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons.

But remember, as terrible as all this will be, our God is not vindictive or capricious. He is a God of love. His judgments are levied, hoping men will turn from their sin and repent. Also remember that God has the end in sight. At the end of labor, a woman gives birth to a beautiful baby. She is overjoyed and no longer thinks about the pain of her labor. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus will defeat evil and establish His millennial kingdom on earth. What every man’s heart throughout the ages has longed for will come when the Prince of Peace finally brings peace and justice to earth.

Despite what’s coming, Jesus assured us, “See that ye be not troubled” (Matthew 24:6). God will be in control. Although the world will be totally freaked out by what’s going on around them, we will get it. We will recognize the signs Jesus predicted—the signs of His imminent return!