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R E V E L A T I O N
Charles Caldwell Ryrie

LESSON 03 - The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
INTRODUCTION 3 OF 3

A REMINDER

These lessons are written as an accompanment to
Charles C. Ryrie's [1996] Book
REVELATION
Everyday Bible Commentary
Moody Publishers
Chicago
ISBN: 978-0-8024-1825-8
(You Must Own your own copy)
(Ryrie's book text is not included in these lessons)

The KEYS to Understanding the Book of Revelation

KEY NUMBER 4: UNDERSTANDING THE GENTILES

The first eleven chapters of Genesis record broad prophecies concerning the Gentile world. During the period before Abraham’s lifetime, prophecy concerned all mankind as one unit until Noah and his three sons lived. The predictions of Genesis 9:4-27 are the first indication that God has differing expectations for various parts of humanity. Noah’s three sons and their descendants would become the largest division of the Gentiles. Japheth’s descendants would become the largest division of the Gentiles. Shem, who would receive God’s special blessing, would father a line that eventually would produce the Savior. Ham, the father of Canaan, and his descendants would bear a special curse as God’s enemies.

These predictions indicate that humanity would be divided into three major sections descended from Noah’s sons. Subsequent history shows at least partial fulfillment of these prophecies. The prophecies that follow concern the nations of the world in relation to the seven great empires.

1. Egypt
It is in Egypt that Israel grew from a family of seventy to a nation of two or three million. It was Joseph who was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (1897 B.C.). Through his God given prophetic powers he was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and that brought Him power and responsibility in that nation (1884 B.C.). In 1875 B.C. Jacob and family move to Egypt. Moses and Aaron are born in Egypt around 1825 B.C. and Moses leads his people out of Egypt through plagues brought about by The Lord and the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness begin in 1445 B.C. Israel becomes its own nation and continues on in the land until after King David and his son Solomon. The nation is split in two (Israel to the North and Judea in the South (931 B.C.). The book of Isaiah tells of the eventual conquering of Egypt by…

2. Assyria
Assyria comes to power about a hundred years later and Samaria (The North) falls to Assyria in 722 B.C.

3. Babylon
Babylon comes to power about 120 years later and Judea falls to them in three captivities, and spends 70 years there.

4. Medi-Persia
The Persians come to their own power along about 586 B.C. and conquer the Babylonians in 539 B.C. and they release the Israelites in three different programs ending about 333 B.C.

5. Greece
Greece comes to power and controls Egypt, Judea and Syria until about 130 B.C. when the Romans begin their conquering of Greece.

6. Rome
Rome has a brief success taking Judea, but battles ensue with the Maccabean (Jews), but eventually Rome wins and continues her occupation of Israel through the period of Jesus’ life and death on until 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were spread all over the then world countries.

7. “The Seventh Empire”
According to Daniel 7, when the “Son of Man” returns to earth at the second coming, the final form of the Roman Empire will be destroyed – replaced by the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ as King of Kings, Lord of Lords (Revelation 20).

God’s Purpose for the Gentiles

Throughout Gentile history we see God revealed as sovereign. He has judged each empire in His time. Their rebellion will conclude at the second coming of Christ. God has saved and will continue to save individuals during this “age of the gentiles (and Jews) – The Church.

KEY NUMBER 5: SATAN AND HIS ANGELS

Who is Satan?
His original name was Lucifer. He was a most powerful angel who rebelled against God in heaven. He said to himself, “I will be like the Most High,”

The Fall of Satan
He was cast down to earth to be known as “The devil.”

Satan’s Evil Work
Throughout the New Testament Satan is revealed as a deceiving angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and the power behind the “antichrist.” The book of Revelation refers to him 14 times as “the dragon.”

KEY NUMBER 6: ISRAEL

Abraham
Following the universal flood God choose a man named Abram (later known as Abraham) to be His servant to begin a new nation (to become Israel) from which would come the Messiah – The Christ. Israel’s stated purpose was to win all people to The Lord God Jehovah. A requirement they never accomplished. In a second proof step, God asked Abraham to slay his first son Isaac on an altar atop the mountain that would become Jerusalem. Abraham was willing to do this, and he was stopped by an angel of God just before Abraham used his knife. God Himself provided a sacrifice. Abraham’s willingness to do what God would require of His Son (Jesus), made him a logical choice to be the “Father” of the nation Israel.

The Promised Land
Two areas of promise to Israel relate to the Promised Land, in Canaan – a land for the Nation of Israel to have forever if they were obedient and loved God. This they never were able to accomplish and they were disciplined through occupation and oppression of the preceding nations.

The Restoration of the Nation
Under the “New” Covenant, believing Israel would acquire a glorified version the Promised Land offering, upon the arrival of the second coming of Jesus Christ as King and Lord.

KEY NUMBER 7: The Intermediate State

Man is concerned with what will happen to their souls when their bodies die. A number of theories have developed that are not Bible-based and, therefore, are false.

1. All life ceases with physical death – period.

2. Conditional morality – based on the individual’s worthiness. If judged unworthy = annihilation – worthy = resurrected.

3. Universalism – all mankind resurrected – Christ died for the world, therefore all mankind is worthy.

4. Restitutionalism – all mankind will be saved after some kind of restitution.

5. Transmigration – the dead souls migrate into another body – some to other animals, therefore animals should not be killed.

6. Purgatory – mankind upon death must enter a state of suffering to be cleansed before being released into heaven

Sheol, the Old Testament (Hebrew word) for the place of the dead that has two compartments divided by a great chasm. One for the righteous and one for the unrighteous. The O.T. isn’t very clear on the end placement of the O.T. dead.

Hades, the New Testament (Greek word) for the place of the dead, a further definition of Sheol, which offers a place for the unrighteous and a place for the righteous. Jesus refers to the place for the righteous with a word picture, Abraham’s Bosom. Upon the death of the Christ, the righteous believer in Christ upon their death goes immediately into the presence of Christ. Revelation Ch. 6 reports that the tribulation martyrs go directly to be with Christ and stand before God and receive white robes. These descriptions seem to require bodies. All biblical scholars agree that any temporary body, awaiting resurrection, will be replaced with an eternal body when transitioning to eternity. The unsaved will not be raised (for judgment) until the end of the millennium.

KEY NUMBER 8: THE CHURCH

Its Character:
The true Church is made up of those men, women, children who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Its Trend Toward Apostasy: The Seven Churches of the book of Revelation demonstrate the overall fact that all churches suffer from the effects of unbelief and the pre-faith unrighteousness of mankind. This is clearly demonstrated by Jesus in the telling of the parable of the Sower. Lots of people respond to the gospel, but only to some does the seed fall on fertile ground.

The World Church
There are many types of Christian churches. They fall all over the religious map, however belief and faith are personal relationships with God – but there is only one true belief and faith and that is the complete trusting in Jesus, the Christ, as the one who can bring true salvation from sin and sins. And if that relationship is not acquired and maintained until the end of one’s life… then true salvation was never acquired in the first place. Many believe that pledging your allegiance to Jesus and baptism bring one into a salvation relationship – but again, unless you truly love the Lord Jesus, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit with all of your heart, soul, and mind… that relationship is not salvation and a ticket to heaven. Christendom is not the definition of salvation in Christ.

World Religion – the Final Form
The Bible reveals that the world is heading to a Christless world religion. Revelation reveals that the final form of world religion will be based on the worship of the then world ruler - Satan’s substitute for the Christ, and Satan himself.

NINE SCRIPTURAL FACTS CONCERNING THE RAPTURE [1]

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

1 – A Mystery
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

2 – The Dead Raised
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and

3 – The Living Changed
we [the living] will be changed.
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
2 – The Dead Raised
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

4 – The Living and the Dead Caught Up
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,

5 – Always to be With The Lord
and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
6 – The Gathering Together
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

7 – Pre-Tribulation
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it [His Return] will not come unless the Apostasy (departure) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

John 14:3

8 – Christ Comes to Receive Us to Himself
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Hebrews 9:28

9 – Christ makes His appearance for those eagerly awaiting Him (The Rapture).
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

[First time to live as a man and to die on the Cross]

[A simple illustration: Soldiers eagerly wait for a helicopter evacuation when the battle is about to begin]

THINGS TO COME
E. Schyler English [2]

GOD has not left us in the dark about the future. He has given us in Scripture His over-all program as it relates to the earth, the heavens, and eternity. While He has not revealed all the details. He has made known much that we can understand. As a background for the study of future events, acquaintance with some of Daniel's prophecies is essential.

The Angel Gabriel told Daniel that a period of seventy weeks was coming, in which God would make reconciliation for the sins of Israel and bring in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24-27). The seventy weeks (lit. seventy sevens) are weeks of years—a total of 490 years. These years are divided into segments (Daniel 9:25-27): seven weeks (forty-nine years), sixty-two weeks (434 years), and one week (seven years). The seventy weeks began with Artaxerxes' command to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls after Jerusalem's fall to Babylon. See Nehemiah 2:5, note. This was in 445 b.c. From that time until the crucifixion of Christ would be sixty-nine weeks (483 years). So sixty-nine weeks of Daniel's prophecy have been fulfilled. But the seventieth week (seven years) has not yet been fulfilled.

An intercalary period (inserted period of time) of history, after Christ's death and resurrection and the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, has intervened. This is the present age, the Church age. (See Acts 2:1, note.) During this time God has not been dealing with Israel nationally, for they have been blinded concerning God's mercy in Christ (Romans 11, where see notes at vv. 1, 5,17,25,26). However, God will again deal with Israel as a nation. This will be in Daniel's seventieth week, a seven-year period yet to come. (See Daniel 9:24, note.)

Some of Christ's Olivet Discourse relates to this prophetic week of years (Matthew 24:4-28), as does Revelation 6—19. It will be divided into two parts of three and a half years each—equivalent with the "beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:4-14, cp. v. 8) and the "great tribulation" (v. 21). "The prince that shall come," an evil person about whom more will be said later, will make a covenant with the Jews but will break it "in the midst of the week" (Daniel 9:26-27). There are four other Scripture references to a period of three and a half years in the same context: "a time and times and the dividing of time" (Daniel 7:25), "a time, and times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14), 1260 days (Revelation 12:6), and forty-two months (Revelation 13:5). In each instance the allusion is to the latter half of Daniel's seventieth week, namely the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7), the span described in Revelation 8:1—19:6. (See Revelation 11:2, note.)

In popular usage the whole period of Daniel's seventieth week has come to be known as the tribulation, though it is not so designated in Scripture. This is in contrast with the latter half of the week, which is called the great tribulation. The New Schofield Reference Bible often uses "tribulation" to designate Daniel's seventieth week (see e.g. Revelation 7:14, note). So does this book. Hereinafter, when the word refers to the full seven-year prophetic period, it is placed within single quotation marks thus: 'tribulation.' Christ's term "great tribulation" always signifies the latter half of Daniel's seventieth week, not the full week.

The sequence of things to come does not begin with the 'tribulation,' however, but with the translation of the Church.

KEY NUMBER 9: THE RAPTURE[3]

The rapture or translation of the Church is the next event in predictive prophecy. At a time not known precisely, the Lord Jesus Christ will descend from heaven and meet His Church in the air. When this occurs, all who have died in Christ will have their bodies raised (their souls are already in heaven with Jesus) and, together with a living generation of believers, will be translated into His presence, to be with Him forever (I Thessalonians 4:13-17; cp. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; also John 14:3, where the rapture is intimated; 2 Thessalonians 2:1). (See 1 Corinthians 15:52, note.)

The day and hour when Christ will take His Church to be with Him is not made known in Scripture. There are, however, indications as to the temporal relation of the rapture to Daniel's seventieth week, there are several intimations in the New Testament that the rapture will precede the 'tribulation' and that no part of the Church will pass through any portion of it.

(a) 1 Thessalonians 5:9: "God hath not appointed us [i.e. believers] to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." The 'tribulation' will be a period when the wrath of God will fall upon the earth and those who dwell on it (Revelation 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; etc.). God's wrath comes upon unbelieving sinners, not on believers (John 3:36). Judgment for sin will not be executed against those "who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1; cp. John 5:24). Christ bore divine wrath and judgment for us. The Church is in no way subject to these things (cp. Revelation 3:10).

(b) 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8. The Thessalonian Christians were concerned that the day of the Lord and of His wrath (Joel 2:1-2; Zephaniah 1:14-18; (see Joel 1:15, note) might already be present in their day. Paul assured them that the day of the Lord will not come until the man of sin is revealed (v. 3). Then he went on to say that the man of sin will not appear until the restrainer, or hinderer, is "taken out of the way" (vv. 6-8).

The man of sin, referred to also as "the son of perdition" (v. 3) and "that wicked one" (v. 8), is the "beast" of Revelation 13:1, concerning whom more will be said later. This person does not begin his activities until the 'tribulation' starts.

Evidence suggests that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, who is acting now through the Church to curb iniquity. The Spirit resides within believers in Christ, who both collectively and individually are the Spirit's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; cp. Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is our seal until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:6). Not until the Church is translated to heaven will He be "taken out of the way," resuming His ministry as it was before Pentecost,[4] Therefore the Church must be removed from the world before the 'tribulation' begins. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3, note.).

(c) Revelation 4:4. In his Patmos vision the Apostle John saw a door opened in heaven, and he was told, "Come up here, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1, where see note). John saw a throne, and surrounding the throne twenty-four elders clothed in white raiment, and wearing crowns of gold" (v. 4).

The identification of the elders should not be difficult. Since nowhere else in Scripture are celestial beings called elders, the elders of this passage are not likely to be angels, but rather men. Furthermore, nowhere in the Bible are angels pictured as wearing crowns. [Hebrews 1:14 “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” – Elders – those who lead, Angels – those who serve]. Elders, in both Old and New Testaments, are generally leading representatives of a company of people (e.g. Numbers 11:16; 1Timothy. 5:17, where see note). These twenty-four elders are said to be wearing crowns of gold. Their crowns (Gk. Stephanoi) are victors' wreaths, that is, they are rewards. Rewards are for the Church (Revelation 3:11; cp. 1 Corinthians 3:9-16). They are associated with resurrection (Luke 14:14). All these crowns will be awarded at one time, "in that day" (2 Timothy 4:8), which is the day of Christ, the day when He comes for His own. The twenty-four elders represent the Church rewarded, and this will be before the first seal of the 'tribulation' is broken (Revelation 6:1). (See Revelation 4:4, note.).

The Church is not seen on earth after Daniel's seventieth week begins. In fact, the word "church" does not appear in Revelation from the beginning of the fourth chapter to the end of the book, at Revelation 22:16.

II. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST[5]

"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). The statement applies to Christians (2 Corinthians 1:1). Salvation is not involved here, for the judgment of our sins was met by Christ on the cross. This is a judgment of our deeds after we become Christians. (See 2 Corinthians 5:10, note.)

The expression "judgment seat" is somewhat misleading. The Greek word (bema) means a tribunal, judicial bench, raised platform, the kind of stand that might be used by an official when he judges an athletic contest and awards prizes. Details about the testing of the believers' deeds on earth are given in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. Our works will be tested by fire. Some works will pass through the fire and will be purified in the process. Some deeds will be consumed by the fire, so that there will be nothing left. Only those works which survive the test will bring reward. Observe that it is not the size of any work that will count, but "of what sort it is" (1 Corinthians 3:13). Notice also that none who stands before the tribunal will be lost. The loss will be of rewards. See 1 Corinthians 3:14, note. There are different kinds of crowns for different kinds of service—crowns of life, of glory, etc. (1 Corinthians 9:25; Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 4:8; James. 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10).

III. THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB[6]

At some time after the rapture of the Church, the marriage of the Lamb of God will take place (Revelation 19:7-9; cp. John. 1:36; Revelation 5:12; 6:1; 14:1). It will be on this occasion that the Lord Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, will be united with the Church, His bride, in accordance with God's purpose for them, and they will be one indeed (Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27, 32; cp. Matthew. 25:10; John. 3:29; Revelation 21:1-2, 9-10; 22:17). See notes at Revelation 19:7,8.

[2] English, E. Schyler, “A Companion to the New Scofield Reference Bible,” Ch. XV, Oxford University Press, NY, 1972.

[3] Ibid.

[4] See Ch. 13, p. 123.

[5] English, E. Schyler, “A Companion to the New Scofield Reference Bible,” Ch. XV, Oxford University Press, NY, 1972.

[6] Ibed.

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2025-10-03