The Timeline of the Prophecy of Revelation

Most people equate the prophecy of Revelation as a prophecy of the tribulation and they skip 2000 years. Most do not believe there was a prophecy for our time, but there is, one just has to find it. The Book of Revelation is a lot of things. Not only is it a book of Prophecy, but it is also a Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It tells us exactly who Jesus is in the scheme of things. However, this study is on the prophecies of Revelation, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ I will do in another study. Because of this, I will skip several verses that will be included

The first question to ask is what the timeline is of the Prophecy of Revelation.  This is a question that has not been observed in most of the interpretations of Revelation. Most people and leaders I've spoken to say there is no prophecy for the Gentile era, only in the old testament and then  the prophecies of what the tribulation will be like. I say, we cannot follow Gods word and prophecy unless we observe also the timeline He has laid out for us.

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The word, "Hereafter", in this verse is a compound word that begins with "here", and ends with "after".  The words means what it says.  So the timeline of the prophecy of Revelation is beginning roughly with Johns life, and continues to the end of time because after is unlimited. I want to take God as literally as possible, and in order to do this, I cannot ignore that one little oblique word. If the prophecies begin during the times of Johns life, (and more accurately the transitions time between the time of law and the time of grace), then when we get to the Four horsemen, you will see they actually are not the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but rather are the four horsemen, or actually spirits, that will control the largest portions of society during the time of Grace. Since the Devil has been conquered by Jesus on the Cross and His ultimate Resurrection, things have changed on the earth, and will escalate until the ultimate climax of Christs' return.

* Rev 5:1) And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

These verses and the next verse will help to confirm what we have already uncovered in the word 'hereafter'. John is in Heaven, and no one was worthy to open the seals of the book. I believe the book is, "The Book of Life", from which Jesus will reveal those to whom salvation was given and from whom it was accepted. There is a problem in Heaven here though, there is no man, either in Heaven, or in earth, or under the earth who is Worthy to open the seals and reveal its contents.  Without someone, a man, who is worthy of opening the book, then there is no salvation for man.  We all know what time period John is seeing here, the time before Jesus. Until Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life, then died and rose again, there was no one, and John knew this and he wept for the lack of salvation for mankind.

Rev 5:5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Now, John is shown the arrival of someone worthy. The Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Juda. It is Jesus Himself. A man who lived a perfect life in obedience to God His Father, who by His sacrifice is now worthy to take the book and break the seals. For all the angels and other beings of creation, for the vast numbers of man who have lived and died since the dawn of time, there is only one.  Only one being, both God and Man, who can save all of mankind, or even one man. Jesus Christ the Son of God is now in Heaven and ready to release the final episode of operation salvation.

The lack of presence, then the appearance of Jesus in Heaven both confirms the 'hereafter', beginning during the time of Johns life, or better put, Christs life. So now we have a timeline. With this timeline, we know where to begin, and where the events will lead, from the time of 0 A.D., to the end of time and the beginning of eternity for each one of us.With this knowledge, we can unlock the mysteries of the prophecy of Revelation.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

* The verses between 4:1 and 5:1, are a description of what John saw. Taking time to go through Revelation in those verses, would make the length of time to the breaking of the seals seem longer. Those verses will be covered in another study, (The Revelation of Jesus Christ).