101 Answers to Questions About the Book of Revelation

1 101 Answers to Questions About the book of 18/17/12 3:08 PMCopyrighted material Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( )Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights by Left Coast Design, Portland, OregonCover photos Netfalls - Remy Musser, stavklem / ShutterstockPublished in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon Answers TO Questions About THE book OF Revelation Copyright 2012 by Mark Hitchcock Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 97402 of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hitchcock, Mark, 1959- 101 answers to questions about the book of revelation / Mark Hitchcock.

2 P. cm. ISBN 978-0-7369-4975-0 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-7369-4976-7 (eBook) 1. Bible. Revelation Criticism, interpretation, etc. Miscellanea. I. Title. 2012 228'.06 dc23 2012010773 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the in the United States of America12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 / LB-CD / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1101 Answers to Questions About the book of 28/17/12 3:08 PMCopyrighted material To Jerry and Sherry RobertsThank you for your faithful friendship and love for our Lord and my family.

3 You and your family are a blessing beyond description to us and so many Answers to Questions About the book of 38/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material 101 Answers to Questions About the book of 48/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material ContentsPreface .. 13 Part One The Interpretation of RevelationWhy study the book of Revelation ? Why is it important? .. 17 What are the four main views of Revelation ?.. 19 What are some of the keys to interpreting Revelation , especially all the symbols? .. 25 Are the numbers and time periods in Revelation literal? .. 33 What is the outline of the book ? .. 36 Part Two The Background of RevelationWho was the human author of Revelation ?.. 41 When was Revelation written? .. 42 Who were the recipients of Revelation ?

4 51 What is Revelation About ?.. 52 What are some of the key words in Revelation ?.. 53 Was Patmos a penal colony in the first century?.. 55 Part Three The Revelation of Jesus Christ ( Revelation 1)What does the title the Revelation of Jesus Christ mean?.. 59 What are the names and titles for Jesus in Revelation ?.. 60 What do soon and near mean in 1:1 and 1:3? .. 61 Who are the seven Spirits of God ? .. 65 How can every eye see Jesus when He returns to earth (1:7)? .. 68101 Answers to Questions About the book of 58/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material What does Almighty mean (1:8)? .. 69 What does in the Spirit mean (1:10)? .. 70 What is the Lord s day (1:10)?.. 70 Who are the angels of the seven churches? Are they angelic beings or humans?

5 72 Part Four The Churches ( Revelation 2 3)Why did Jesus address these seven churches?.. 77Do the seven churches represent seven stages of church history? .. 78 Who were the Nicolaitans? .. 82 What does it mean to be an overcomer ?.. 84 What are the ten days of tribulation (2:10)? .. 85 What is Satan s throne (2:13)? .. 86 What is the white stone, and a new name written on the stone (2:17)? .. 87 Can the names of believers be erased from the book of life (3:5)? .. 88 Does Revelation 3:10 support the pretribulation rapture view?.. 89 Who are the earth dwellers in Revelation ? .. 91 What does it mean that Jesus is the Beginning of the Creation of God in 3:14?.. 93 What is meant by hot, cold, and lukewarm in 3:15-16?

6 95Is Revelation 3:20 a gospel invitation?.. 98101 Answers to Questions About the book of 68/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material Part Five The Consummation ( Revelation 4 22)Section One The Scene in Heaven (4 5)Is Revelation 4:1 a reference to the rapture? .. 107 Will believers see God in heaven? .. 109 Who are the 24 elders? .. 112 What is the seven-sealed scroll in Revelation 5? .. 114 Section Two The Tribulation (6 18) Why do the scenes in Revelation alternate back and forth between heaven and earth? .. 119 Who is the rider on the white horse in 6:1-2? .. 121 What are the wild beasts in 6:8 that kill one-fourth of the earth? .. 125 What s the relationship between the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls? .. 127 Who are the 144,000 in 7:1-8?

7 129 Why is the tribe of Dan omitted from the list of the 12 tribes of Israel in Revelation 7? .. 132 Who is the great multitude in 7:9-17? .. 133 Why is there silence in heaven for About 30 minutes (8:1)? .. 134 Are the trumpet judgments symbolic or literal? .. 136 Are the trumpet judgments the result of human actions or divine judgment? .. 137 Are the trumpets in the first or second half of the Tribulation? .. 138 What are the locusts in 9:1-12? .. 139 Copyrighted material What is the army of 200 million in 9:16?.. 145 Who is the strong angel in chapter 10? Is this a reference to Jesus?.. 147 What is the little book in 10:2?.. 149 What are the seven peals of thunder in 10:3-4?.. 149 What does it mean for John to eat the book (10:9-10)?

8 150 What is the temple in Revelation 11:1-2? .. 151 Who are the two witnesses?.. 153 What will the two witnesses do? .. 158Do the two witnesses minister during the first or second half of the Tribulation? .. 159Is the seventh trumpet in 11:15 the same as the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52? .. 160 Who is the woman clothed with the sun in chapter 12?.. 161 Who are the dragon and the third of the stars of heaven in chapter 12? .. 163 What are the two wings of the great eagle given to the woman (12:14)?.. 163Is the beast of Revelation 13:1-10 an empire or an individual?.. 164Is the beast past or future? Could he be Nero?.. 165 Will the beast be assassinated and come back to life?.. 167 Will the Antichrist be a Jew or a Gentile? .. 170 What will the beast in 13:1-10 do?

9 171 Who is the second beast or beast coming up out of the earth in 13:11-18? .. 172 Will the second beast be a Jew or a Gentile? .. 174101 Answers to Questions About the book of 88/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material What is the mark of the beast (666)?.. 174Is the scene in 14:1-5 in heaven or on earth?.. 176 What is the eternal gospel in 14:6? .. 177 Will hell really last for eternity (14:10-11)? .. 178 Will blood literally flow as high as the horses bridles at Armageddon (14:19-20)?.. 181 Are the judgments in Revelation 14:14-16 and 14:17-20 the same? .. 183 What is the song of Moses in 15:1-3?.. 183 What does Armageddon mean? Is it a real place (16:12)?.. 184 What will happen during Armageddon?.. 185 Who are the kings of the east (16:12)?

10 185 Why will the kings of the earth gather at Armageddon? .. 186 What is Babylon in Revelation 17 18?.. 188 What do the seven heads (seven kings) in 17:9 represent? .. 195 Section Three The Second Coming of Christ (19)What and when is the marriage and marriage supper of the Lamb?.. 205 When Jesus comes, will He really ride on a white horse? .. 206Is the rapture the same event as the second coming? .. 208 Section Four The Millennium, Final Revolt, and Great White Throne (20)What is the millennium?.. 213 What are the different views of the millennium?.. 213101 Answers to Questions About the book of 98/16/12 2:45 PMCopyrighted material Which view of the millennium best represents scriptural teaching?.. 216 What is meant by came to life and the first resurrection in 20:4-6?