22. Revelation

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22. REVELATION

I. OUTLINE

1. Preface. 1:1-3.

2. Covering Letter. 1:4-20.

3. Letters to the Seven Churches. 2:1-3:22.

4. Introductory Visions. 4:1-5:14.

5. Seven Seals. 6:1-8:5.

6. Seven Trumpets. 8:6-11:19.

7. The Seven Visions. 12:1-13:18.

8. Seven Visions of Worshippers. 14:1-20.

9. Seven Forms of God's Wrath. 15:1-16:21.

10. Seven Views of Babylon's Fan. 17:1-19:10.

11. Seven Visions of Satan's Fall. 19:11-21:8.

12. The New Jerusalem. 21:9-22:5.

13. Epilogue. 22:6-21.

II. AUTHORSHIP

1. The Urantia Book says the apostle John wrote Revelation, but that it has suffered many revisions and rewritings. (1555.7) 139:4.14.

2. The following Revelation references are assigned to John by the Urantia Book. (608.3) 53:7.7 (Rev 12:4), (599.7) 52:7.11 ( Rev 21:1,2), (378.5) 34:4.11 (Rev 4:4-6), and (539.4) 47:10.2 (Rev 15:2).

3. Original Revelation had much of John-even more than the Gospel of John written by Nathan.

4. The astrology of Revelation was not the work of John, but the addition of the third reviser of Revelation.

5. Of all New Testament books, the text of Revelation is the most confused.

6. Among different manuscripts of Revelation there are 1,650 variants.

7. Biblical authorities believe there was one author, but probably not the same as the author of the Gospel of John. They are uncertain as to who it was and when the book was written.

8. The early Christian fathers regarded the apostle John as author of Revelation.

9. Revelation was late in being accepted as canonical.

10. It was written during the latter part of the first century.

11. The present form of Revelation probably dates from the third or fourth century.

III. IN GENERAL

1. The book was written at a time of fiery persecution.

2. Revelation is one of the most difficult of all the books of the Bible to decipher.

3. Revelation depicts the origin, history, and end of evil.

4. The author thought the end of the world was impending.

5. Revelation presents the sudden and dramatic end of the present evil age- the rule of Satan.

6. The new Jerusalem comes down to earth from heaven.

7. The term Babylon always refers to Rome.

8. The chronology of Revelation:

• War in heaven.
• Satan cast down to earth.
• Garden of Eden.
• Present evil age.
• Rule of Antichrist.
• End of the age.
• Millennium-1,000 years.
• Satan bound.
• The eternal age.
• New Eden-Christ's rule.
• Saints rule with Christ.
• Second resurrection.
• Final judgment. Satan destroyed.
• The new and eternal age.

IV. SELECTED TEXTS

1. The second advent. "He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him." 1:7.

2. Safe in Paradise. "'"To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."'" 2:7.

3. The new name. "'"I will give him a white stone, with a new name."'" 2:17.

4. Conquerors. "'"He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God."'" 3.12.

5. The lukewarm. "'"So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth."'" 3:16.

6. Standing at the door. "'"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."'" 3:20. (Urantia Book, (1765.4) 159:3.2, (1829.4) 166:3.7)

7. Paradise broadcasts. "From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder, and before the throne burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God." 4:5. (Urantia Book, (378.5) 34:4.11)

8. Twenty-four elders. "The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever." 4:10.

9. The harps. "The twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp." 5:8.

10. The seven trumpets. "Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them." 8:6.

11. The seventh trumpet. "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.'" 11:15.

12. War in heaven. "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven." 12:7,8 (Urantia Book, (606.2) 53:5.6)

13. The blessed dead. "'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.' ...'that they may rest from their labors.'" 14:13.

14. The harps of God. "And those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands." 15:2. (Urantia Book, (539.4) 47:10.2)

15. Binding Satan. "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended." 20:1-3.

16. The end of Satan. "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog, to gather them for the battle...but fire came down from heaven and consumed them." 20:7-9.

17. The new heavens. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God." 21:1,2. (Urantia Book, (599.7) 52:7.11)

18. Paradise light. "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light." 21:23.

19. The tree of life. "On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit...and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." 22:2.

20. The water of life. "And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price." 22:17.