Q: In Rev, what are the parallels with other books of the Bible?
A: Surprisingly, there are not that many concepts unique to Revelation, as these 92 similarities show.

Concept or phrase	Revelation	Rest of the Bible
Bear witness to the testimony of Christ	Rev 1:2	1 John 1:2-3 3 John 5,12
Blessed are those who hear	Rev 1:3	Mt 13:16
Sevenfold Spirit	Rev 1:4; 4:5	Zech 3:9; Isaiah 11:2
Jesus firstborn of the dead	Rev 1:5	Col 1:15; Hebrews 2:6,9
Jesus freed us from sins by His blood	Rev 1:5	Romans 5:9; Hebrews 9:12-14; 10:19
We are kings and priests to God	Rev 1:5	1 Peter 2:4, 6,9
Jesus comes with the clouds; every eye shall see Jesus return	Rev 1:7	Mt 24:30; Mk 13:26; Lk 21:27; Acts 1:7; Dan 7:13
The Son of man will be like lightning that flashes		Mt 24:27; Luke 17:24
The wicked pierced Jesus and will mourn	Rev 1:7	Zechariah 12:10-14
Second death	Rev 2:11; 14:10-11; 19:20; 20:10-15; 21:8	Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 13:24-43,50; Matthew 25:41-46
Let him who has ears, let him hear	Rev 2:29; 3:6,13,22	Mt 11:15; Mk 4:23; Lk 8:8; 14:35
We must remain watchful	Rev 3:2,3	Mt 24:4,44; Mk 13:33; Lk 21:36
We do not know when Jesus will return	Rev 3:3	Mt 24:36; Mk 13:32
Never be blotted out of the Book of Life	Rev 3:5; 20:12	Ex 32:32-33; Ps 69:28
The Book of Life	Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27	Dan 12:1; Lk 10:20; Exodus 2:32-33; Ps 69:28
What God shuts none can open. What God opens none can shut	Rev 3:7	Isa 22:22
Have an open door	Rev 3:8	Acts 14:27; 1 Cor 16:9
We will receive crowns and rewards	Rev 3:11	1 Cor 3:12-15; Php 4:1
We are a part of the Temple of God	Rev 3:12	1 Cor 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:5-6
As many as are loved are chastened	Rev 3:19	Pr 3:11-12; Heb 12:5-11
The throne room in Heaven	Rev 4:1-11	Isa 6:1-7; Ezek 1, 10:1-22
Four Living Creatures	Rev 4:6; 19:4	Ezek 1:5-19; 10:10-14
Sea of glass	Rev 4:6; 15:2	Ezekiel 1:22
Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty / Lord of Hosts	Rev 4:8	Isaiah 6:3
Jesus is the Lamb of God	Rev 5:1-8	John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19
Jesus is honored as the Father is	Rev 5:12-13; 7:10	John 5:22-23
Wars and fighting come before the end	Rev 6:1-4	Matthew 24:6-7
Famine	Rev 6:5-6	Matthew 24:7
Plague and death come before God	Rev 6:7-8	Ps 50:3; Mt 24:7
Sun turns dark and moon turns to blood	Rev 6:12-13	Joel 2:2,10; 3:15; Mk 13:24; Lk 21:25; Isa 24:23; Am 8:4
The stars fall from the sky	Rev 6:13	Joel 2:10; Mk 13:25
Sky receded like a scroll	Rev 6:13	Isa 34:4
Earthquake at the end	Rev 6:12; 8:5; 11:13,19; 16:18-19	Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11; Jer 4:24; Isa 29:6; Nah 1:5
People hide in caves from God’s wrath	Rev 6:14-17	Isa 2:10-11; 19-21; Lk 21:26
Four destructive angels	Rev 7:1	Zech 6:1-8; ~Jer 49:36
God’s name will be on our foreheads	Rev 7:3; 9:4; 14:1;22:4	Ezekiel 9:4
The great silence	Rev 8:1	Zech 2:13; Hab 2:20
Trees and grass burned up	Rev 8:7	Joel 1:19
Water turned to wormwood	Rev 8:10-11	Jer 9:15
Dreaded locusts, looking like horses	Rev 9:1-12	Joel 2:3-11; Ezek 5:17?
Euphrates River	Rev 9:14; 16:12	Isaiah 11:15-16
Parts of God’s Revelation sealed up	Rev 10:4	Dan 12:9; Isaiah 29:11-12
Eating a scroll	Rev 10:9-10	Ezekiel 2:9-3:3
Measuring the temple	Rev 11:1-2	Ezekiel 30-43
3 ½ years	Rev 11:1-3; 12:6; 13:5	Daniel 9:26-27; 12:7,11
Two olive trees and two lampstands	Rev 11:4	Zech 4:3,11-14
The Last trumpet;	Rev 11:15	1 Corinthians 15:52
Ark of the Covenant in Heaven	Rev 15:5; 11:19	Hebrews 9:23
Dragon casting down stars	Rev 12:4	Daniel 8:10
Satan being cast out of Heaven	Rev 12:9	Ezekiel 28:16-17
A flood, or river of water	Rev 12:15	Dan 9:26; Nahum 1:8
A beast with ten horns	Rev 13:1-3; 17:3	Daniel 7:4-7
Grapes of wrath	Rev 14:17-19	Isaiah 63:1-6; Joel 3:13
Great battle at Armageddon	Rev 16:14-16	Isaiah 34,63; Hab 3
The future evil of Babylon	Rev 17	Zech 5:5-11; 1 Peter 5:13
Cup of the maddening wine of adultery	Rev 17:4; 18:3	Jeremiah 51:7; Ezek 23:31-34
Destruction of Babylon	Rev 14:8; 16:19; Rev 18; 19:1-4	Isaiah 47; Jeremiah 50-51
Jesus / the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night	Rev 16:15	Mt 24:42-43; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10
Trading in the bodies and souls of men	Rev 18:13-14	Joel 3:3
What city is like Babylon/Tyre destroyed in the midst of the sea?	Rev 18:17-19	Ezekiel 27:32-34
Smoke goes up forever	Rev 19:3 (Babylon)	Isa 34:10 (Edom)
The bride of the Christ, the lamb	Rev 19:7; 21:9	Ephesians 5:32
Robe is dipped in blood	Rev 19:13	Isaiah 63:1-3
Jesus coming with armies following Him	Rev 19:14	Matthew 16:27; Jude 14
God / Jesus treading on the winepress of the fury of the God’s wrath	Rev 19:15b	Isaiah 63:1-3
Birds gorging themselves on flesh	Rev 19:17-21	Mt 24:28; Lk 17:37; Dt 28:26
The Millennium (1000 years)	Rev 20:1-7	Isa 35
Coming to life again	Rev 20:4-5	Dan 12:2
Reign with Christ	Rev 20:4,6	2 Tim 2:12
Gog and Magog killed; battle outside of Jerusalem	Rev 20:7-9	Ezek 38-39; Zech 12:7-11; 14:2-8,12; Isaiah 29:6
Devil and others cast into Lake of Fire	Rev 20:10	Matthew 25:41
Book of deeds	Rev 20:12	~Psalm 139: 16
Judged according to their deeds	Rev 20:13; 22:12	Matthew 25:31-46
Death will be destroyed forever	Rev 20:14	Isaiah 25:7-8
People go into the Lake of Fire	Rev 20:15	Matthew 25:41
New Heaven and new earth	Rev 21:1	Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:22-24
God will live with His people in the New Jerusalem	Rev 21:2-3; 22:3	Zechariah 8:3
No need for sun and moon in Heaven	Rev 21:3-5; 22:5	Isaiah 60:19-20
Wipe away every tear	Rev 21:4; 7:17b	Isaiah 25:8
God is the beginning and the ending	Rev 21:6; 22:13	Isaiah 41:4
Believers will be God’s sons	Rev 21:7	Galatians 3:26
New Jerusalem on a great mountain	Rev 21:10	Micah 4:1-2
New Jerusalem has a gate for each tribe	Rev 21:12-13	Ezek 48:30-35
New Jerusalem / church built on 12 foundations of the apostles	Rev 21:14	Ephesians 3:20
Angel with a rod to measure the city	Rev 21:15	Ezekiel 47:3-6
River / fountain flowing out of Jerusalem	Rev 22:1-2	Ezek 47:1-2; Zech 14:8; Joel 3:18
The tree of life	Rev 22:2-3,14,19	Gen 2:9-10; Eze 47:12
We will see God’s face	Rev 22:4	Psalms 11:7; 17:15; 27:8
Phrase: spirits of the prophets	Rev 22:6	1 Corinthians 14:32
No worship of angels	Rev 22:8-9	Colossians 2:18
Do / Do not seal up words of a prophecy	Rev 22:10	Daniel 12:4
Good and evil both increase	Rev 22:11	Daniel 12:10
Jesus is the morning star	Rev 22:14	2 Peter 1:19
The evildoers remain outside	Rev 22:15	1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Say, Come, thy kingdom come, look forward to Christ’s return	Rev 22:17,20	Matthew 6:10; 2 Peter 3:12

Since Revelation has 404 verses and about 9,667 words in Greek, 91 parallels mean 1 parallel per four and a half verses, and 1 parallel per 107 Greek words.

Q: Since Rev seems so unusual, so why should it be considered scripture?
A: Revelation parallels many earlier Old Testament and New Testament writings as the answer to the previous question proves. Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.), Justin Martyr, the Muratorian Canon, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Hippolytus all said it was written by John. the Anonymous Five Books Against Marcion Book4 lines 180-184 very strongly implies John wrote Revelation. The Letter to Diognetus (c.130 A.D.) appears to refer to it in chapter 12, and Ignatius, who was a disciple of John the Apostle, in his letter to the Smyrneans reminds his readers of their previously known teaching, of which we have no record whatsoever, except in the book of Revelation. Dionysius of Alexandria was probably the first to question if John was the same apostle John, but that was 150 years after it was written.
Fragment 8 of writings concerning Papias, probably written about 400 A.D. says, "With regard to the inspiration of the book (Revelation), we deem it superfluous to add another word; for the blessed Gregory Theologus and Cyril, and even men of still older date, Papias, Irenaeus, Methodius, and Hippolytus, bore entirely satisfactory testimony to it." (Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 (Roberts & Donaldson editors, 1994) p.155.

Q: In Rev 1:3, should Christians spend time studying about the endtimes?
A: Yes, because Revelation 1:3 says so.
Since approximately 2/3 of the doctrinal material of the New Testament is concerned with the second coming of Christ, R.C. Sproul in Now That’s a Good Question p.488-490 says, "So just from the sheer volume of information in both the New and Old Testaments that focuses on the future consummation of the kingdom of God, it’s obvious that this was a burning matter of importance to the early Christian church and to the teaching of Jesus himself. … At the same time we ought not to be preoccupied."

Q: In Rev 1:4 and Rev 4:5, is the Holy Spirit one, or seven?
A: Scripture tells us of only one Holy Spirit. However, Revelation 1:4 shows the Spirit has seven distinct parts. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.431-432 and When Critics Ask p.557 say these are named in Isaiah 11:2 as the spirit of LORD, wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. Zechariah 3:9 speaks of the stone set before Joshua the high priest with one stone and seven eyes. Zechariah 4:10 also mentions the seven eyes of the Lord.

Q: In Rev 1:4,8,11,17, is it the Father, or the son, who is the Alpha and Omega, who was and is and is to come, the first and the last?
A: These two titles, as well as many others, are shared by the Father and the Son. For another example of a shared title, see John 8:58 for another example. Ambrose of Milan (c.378 A.D.) in his work, Of the Holy Spirit Book 1 chapter 13, wrote more on the sharing of the divine names. See The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 2nd Series p.110-111 for more info.
It must be difficult to be a Jehovah’s Witness when the Father and Son share so many titles. The JW Awake Magazine 8/22/1978 p.28 says the Alpha and Omega here refers to Jehovah God. Yet the 10/1/1978 Watchtower Magazine p.15 says it refers to Jesus Christ. See Sixty Question Every Jehovah’s Witness Should be Asked p.24 for more info.

Q: In Rev 1:5 (KJV), should it say "washed us" or "freed us" like other translations?
A: The Text of the New Testament by Bruce Metzger (1968) says the KJV here used later manuscripts and it should be "freed us". He also says the error likely occurred because pronouncing the two in Greek is almost indistinguishable. Williams Translation has "released us from our sins", which is similar to "freed".

Q: In Rev 1:5, how is Jesus the firstborn of the dead?
A: See the discussion on Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 2:6 for the answer.

Q: In Rev 1:7, when Jesus comes back in the clouds, could that refer to the Guru Maharaj Ji flying from India to America in an airplane, as the Divine Light Mission taught?
A: No, for at least four reasons.
1. Acts 1:7 says that Jesus will return in the same way He ascended to Heaven.
2. Acts 1:7 says it will be this same Jesus
3. Revelation 1:7 says that every eye will see him.
4. Revelation 1:7 and Acts 1:7 both imply a miraculous coming, that people would view as spectacular. Nobody paid much attention to Guru Maharaj Ji flying from India in an airplane.
See also the discussion on Hebrews 12:1.

Q: In Rev 1:7 and Acts 1:7, is it "incomprehensible" that Jesus would literally return in the clouds as Rev. Moon claims?
A: No. Here is what the cult leader Rev. Moon wrote: "Consequently, the most important matter of all is the viewpoint from which one interprets the Bible.... since it is absolutely incomprehensible to the intellect of modern men that the Lord would come on the clouds, it is necessary for us to consider the Bible in detail a second time..." Divine Principle p.500.
It is no more incomprehensible than Jesus leaving in the clouds in Acts 1:7. Perhaps one of the root problems of many in the Unification Church is a lack of faith in God’s ways, and a gullibility to follow someone else’s ways. See also the next question.

Q: In Rev 1:7, how can "every eye" see Jesus coming back in the clouds?
A: In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, skeptics used to use this verse to show the Bible was wrong, because it was impossible for every eye to see Jesus, given that the world was round. That was before the invention of TV.
Of course, even without TV, if Jesus came to earth in a circular path, or if Jesus came in a straight path and took more than 24 hours, every eye could still see Jesus. See When Cultists Ask p.304 for more info on Revelation 1:7.

Q: In Rev 1:7, how could even those who pierced Jesus see him, since they had died long ago?
A: First what the cult leader Rev. Moon says from the Divine Principle (fifth edition, 1977), and then the answer.
Rev. Moon says that the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus could not see him, since the Roman soldiers were not resurrected yet. Since the "ones who pierced him" will not really see him, we should interpret this verse as a parable. Since the ones who pierced him is only symbolic, Christ returning in the clouds is symbolic too. (Divine Principle p.513). The clouds really represent groups of people, and Christ returned is really Rev. Moon from Korea.
There are two different ways those who pierced him could see Jesus returning.
1. What could stop God, who is Almighty, from letting people in Hell glimpse Jesus returning to earth? Since John 5:28-29 says all, even the dead will hear Jesus when He comes forth, then there is no problem with all, even the dead, seeing Jesus, too.
2. Jesus did not die just for the Roman soldiers and Jews of that time. He died for all of us, and in this sense, we all pierced him, too.

Q: In Rev 1:7, will Jesus’ return be invisible as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach?
A: Revelation 1:7 could not be more plain: "every eye will see him". Furthermore, Acts 1:10-12 says that Jesus will return the way he ascended to Heaven. They visibly saw Jesus ascend into Heaven. See When Cultists Ask p.304 for more info.

Q: In Rev 1:8, is the "Alpha and Omega" Jesus?
A: Yes, contrary to what Jehovah’s Witnesses say. According to Jehovah Witness theology, only the Father is "Almighty" God, and Jesus is "Might god", and "the Almighty" is mentioned here. However, there is a problem with their theology, because it is clearly Jesus for three reasons.
1. It was Jesus, not God the Father, who was pierced,
2. It is Jesus who is coming in Revelation 1:8
3. The person speaking is the Alpha and Omega in Revelation 22:12-13, and that person is Jesus in Revelation 22:20.
Also, the meaning of "Alpha and Omega" is similar to "first and last", which is a title of Jesus in Revelation 1:17-18 and 2:8.
See When Cultists Ask p.304-305 for more info, and Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse p.101-103 for a sample dialog useful in talking with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Q: In Rev 1:10 is the "Lord’s Day" Saturday or Sunday here?
A: It was most likely Sunday, because "the Lord’s Day" would be the day Jesus rose from the dead. As one preacher said, John might have felt discouraged, so God took him to church! Some Christians disagree and feel this was the Sabbath (Saturday).
For a non-Christian perspective, Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (p.1194) discusses both, but he claims it is probably Saturday, because Sunday was not considered special until "the early decades of the fourth century." However, Asimov apparently missed the fact that Paul instructed the Corinthians about the regular collection for God’s people that was to be taken on the first day of the week in 1 Corinthians 16:2. Why would he instruct that if they did not already have a special assembly on the first day of the week? Paul never told them to gather together for the offering, presumably because they already were gathered together on the first day of the week.

Q: In Rev 1:11 (KJV, NKJV), should it begin with "saying, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and, what…" or "saying, what…" as other translations?
A: That phrase is absent in the NIV, Wuest, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The Greek New Testament by Aland et al., RSV, NASB, uNASB, and Williams Translation, Zane Hodges’ Translation. It is not even listed as a manuscript variant in Aland et al..
The phrase is present in the KJV, NKJV, Green’s Translation.
How did this get in the Textus Receptus? The Expositor’s Greek New Testament vol.5 p.281 says The exceptionally corrupt state of the Textus Receptus in the Apocalypse [Revelation] is due to the fact that for this book Erasmus (to whose text it goes back) had access to only a single cursive1 (numbered 1) of the twelfth or thirteenth century. Even that was inferior and incomplete.

Q: In Rev 1:13 (KJV), what are paps?
A: This King James Version word means "chest".

Q: In Rev 1:15; 2:12, how can a sharp two-edged sword come out of Jesus’ mouth?
A: John is describing what He saw and its effects. Whether John saw rays of light, or something else is not the main point. Since God created the universe by His word (Psalm 33:6,9), God’s Word is the most potent weapon around.
I heard of a somewhat irreverent article asking about the outcome of a hypothetical battle between Jesus and an evil version of Superman. It said Jesus would win, simply because no matter what happened to Him, Jesus would always rise. This article forgot about the power of the words God utters, and the almighty power to blast anyone into an almost infinite number of pieces. Kryptonite would not be needed.

Q: In Rev 1:17, why did John fall at Jesus’ feet as though dead? Did John really die?
A: That is the effect of God’s holiness on people, even believers, prior to them being transformed in Heaven. John himself might not know if he had died or not. Either John did die in the presence of Jesus, or John fainted as though dead. Most people think the latter.

Q: In Rev 1:20, Rev 2 and Rev 3, who are the seven angels of the seven churches?
A: The Greek word here, angelos, can mean messenger as well as angel. Christ was not encouraging and rebuking angels in Heaven; rather Jesus had words of encouragement and rebuke for the seven churches, and the message was delivered through angels. Regardless of whether these seven were angels or human messengers who visited John, their function was to communicate to the seven churches.

Q: In Rev 2:1-3:22, what do we know about the seven churches in general?
A: These churches form a circle in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), and John likely ministered in this region. There were many other cities with churches that could have been written to, but for some reason, there was a special message for each of these seven churches. It is likely that these particular seven churches illustrated seven types of churches, both then and now.

Q: In Rev 2:1-7, what do we know about the city of Ephesus?
A: Until Constantinople was built later, Ephesus was the dominant city between Corinth and Antioch. To give an idea of its importance, The New Bible Dictionary (1978) says the road to this port city was 70 feet wide, and its population was a third of a million. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.534 also estimates its population was 300,000.
Ephesus was inhabited before the 12th century B.C., and passed peacefully to Roman rule in 133 B.C. The theater Paul entered could seat 25,000 to 50,000 people. Pictures of it are in the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.535 and The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.316. It also adds that Miletus was the leading trading port, but when its harbor silted up (before Paul’s time) Ephesus displaced it. When the harbor at Ephesus silted up later, Smyrna replace Ephesus as the leading port. The dominant influence in Ephesus was the Temple of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. There were many Jewish merchants in the city.
Also, Timothy stayed in Ephesus on 1 Timothy 1:3.

Q: In Rev 2:4, what does it mean for believers to forsake their first love?
A: Even genuine love, if not maintained and nurtured, can grow dim. Christians have a duty to persevere and remain devoted to Christ. Unfortunately, they can let their love grow cold and only rarely want to draw near to Christ.

Q: In Rev 2-3, were these messages a) the current situation, b) prophecies which were fulfilled shortly after or c) prophecies of the history of the church through the ages?
A: All agree this describes seven local churches at the time of Revelation and shortly thereafter. Beyond this, there are two main views.
Church Period Theory: This view says this illustrates seven periods of the church. A telling shortcoming of this theory is that advocates do not agree on the periods, except that Ephesus was the early church, and the present age is within the Laodicean Period. I once taught a Sunday School, where I split church history into seven periods on cards. I did not put any dates. Each group of three of four people had to try to match the description on the cards to the church in Revelation. The groups did not all agree on the matching, and no group’s matching followed the order of history.
J. Dwight Pentecost was one teacher of this theory in his class on Pauline Epistles and Revelation. According to the class notes
33-100 A.D. was Ephesus
100-316 A.D was Smyrna the persecuted church
316-615 A.D. is Pergamum the state church
615-1517 A.D. Thyatira - Roman Catholicism (what about Orthodox Christians???)
1517-1750 Sardis - The Reformed church
1750-1850 A.D. Philadelphia - the Believing Church
1850- Laodicea, Liberalism
See the next question for more info on this theory.
Church Type Theory: Today for example, it is hard to believe the church in China, the church in Indonesia, and the church in North America have exactly the same problems, strengths, and shortcomings. The seven churches in Revelation illustrate seven types of churches, each type of which was more or less present throughout all of church history.

Q: In Rev 2-3, what is a condensed summary of the history of the church, and how does it compare?
A: Here is my opinion of a summary of the church, assuming it has to be split into seven parts and we are in the last parts.
Some think the seven churches in Revelation stand for seven church ages; other Christians do not. The point of this exercise is to attempt to fit these to the seven churches in Revelation. The use of stones as names has no significance. There are eight stones, so two of them must be combined to match seven churches.
JASPER: There was a great Church Council that excluded a large group of church-goers. After much war a great city was sacked. This was an age of great missionary outreach. There was an emphasis on Mary the mother of God and icons. There was a terrible plague. Learning declined.
CHALCEDONY: A great persecution just finished. During this short period, there was a great Church Council that excluded a large group of church-goers. After much war a great city was sacked. Except for this, things looked so good it looked like the millennium might be starting. A great number of being baptized, many of which had not completely forsaken pagan customs. The church was becoming institutionalized.
SAPPHIRE: First there was a great Church Council that excluded a large group of church-goers. There was severe war and persecution of many Christians. A few Christian rulers sought to get rid of the veneration of icons, but their efforts were subverted. There were some false apostles, and there were false writings of authority.
CARNELIAN: A small number of true Christians were persecuted by a false church that ruled society. The institutional church received much revenue from people paying money to free souls from purgatory, but it was morally bankrupt. A great city was sacked. There were great plagues during this time. The plagues were so severe, that many stayed home for public gatherings, including church services. This was a time of great missionary outreach, but many of the baptisms were coerced. There was a major church split during this time. This was a time the doctrine of "the third Rome" started.
TOPAZ: There was, for some, a fear of the end of the world coming at the start of this time. Christians and non-Christians fought for hundreds of years, and many warlike pagans were converted into warlike Christians. Many Christians in one large area of the world were annihilated. There were three new great world powers that started. True Christians were persecuted by the institutional church. There was much mysticism, must scholarly learning, much celibacy, and much sexual immorality in the church. There was a major church split during this time.
EMERALD: There had been many great wars, but there were many great wars yet to come. There was a great surge in learning and a secularization of society in this time. There was great persecution of Christians, a great stagnation and falling away, and great revivals during this time. There were great plagues during this time. There were empires that were almost as large as a previous one. There were new aids for evangelism.
AMETHYST: For Christians there were three crucial wars during this time: all of them were intellectual and not military. There were three or four great military wars too. Christianity was decimated in one region, but rapidly increased in another. Many cults started on primarily two regions. There was a great increase in learning the truth, and great increase in the study of foolish error. Christianity was simultaneously growing very rapidly, suffering under intense persecution, and drifting along. There were new aids for evangelism.
BERYL: This short period was a time of great persecution. There was also a great battle against cults. The church was small but vibrant, with a few tendencies toward legalism. There were keen on doctrine, but unfortunately too quick to add their own doctrines to scripture.

Q: In Rev 2:6, who were the Nicolatians?
A: They taught that living an immoral life was perfectly fine for a Christian. According to Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History (3:29 p.161) the Nicolatians mentioned in Revelation came from Nicolas. Irenaeus’s Against Heresies (ch.26) also describes them as libertines, or trying to be both spiritual and immoral. One characteristic of libertines is that they often reject all moral absolutes, and think that almost nothing is black and white. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.759-761 for more info.

Q: In Rev 2:7 and Rev 22:2, is this tree the same one that was in the Garden of Eden?
A: God can build things to last, so it might be the same tree. However, nothing restricts it from being a different tree, or a tree that grew from the tree in Genesis 2:9.

Q: In Rev 2:8-11, what do we know about the city of Smyrna?
A: Smyrna was a very ancient port. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the first inhabitants were the possibly non-Greek Lelegians, allies of the Trojans in the 10th century B.C. (Iliad x, 429; xx. 96). The Anchor Bible Dictionary volume 6 p.73-75 says that based on Herodotus, Ionian Greeks seized the city from Aeolian Greeks, who were all outside the city celebrating a festival to Dionysius, before 688 B.C.. The powerful Mermnad king Gyges (c.687-652 B.C.) opposed Lydia, and Smyrna was destroyed in 627 B.C. by the Lydians under Alyattes III (609-560 B.C.). Smyrna was only a small group of villages until it was "resurrected" by the Macedonian general Lysimachus around 288 B.C.. Smyrna was allied with Rome against the Seleucids, and built a temple to the goddess Roma in 195 B.C.. The Parthians occupied Smyrna from 41-39 B.C. Worship of the Roman Emperor was strong there, because in 26 A.D., they asked Emperor Tiberius for permission to build a temple to the Roman Emperor as God. Smyrna also had a large Jewish population. The highest point, 525 foot high Mount Pagos/Pagus/Pagros, had a ring of buildings that from a distance would look like a crown. Curving around the mountain, east and west was a road called the "Street of Gold". There probably was a temple at either end of the road. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1601-1602 and the Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.542-543 also add that the population at that time was about 200,000. The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1949) says that in 1940 the modern city of Izmir, on the same site, had a population of 184,000.
Physically, Smyrna is at the point where the Hermus river flows into gulf. It has a well-protected harbor, and The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.950 says it was the endpoint of a trade route through the Hermus Valley.
In Christian times, Ignatius (98-116 A.D.) a disciple of John, wrote a letter to the Smyrnaeans. Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna who was martyred in 155 A.D. Pionius was martyred there in 250 A.D.

Q: In Rev 2:9, how could Jews form a synagogue of Satan?
A: The Bible does not say they explicitly called it a synagogue of Satan, only that it served as a synagogue of Satan. If a synagogue, or any religious assembly opposes the Gospel, it is used by the devil.

Q: In Rev 2:12-17, what do we know about the city of Pergamum?
A: Pergamum passed peacefully to Roman rule in 133 B.C. One of the two most important influences at Pergamum was the strong worship of the Emperor. The second major influence was the magic and astrology, which came from Babylon.

Q: In Rev 2:13, how did Satan have "a throne" at Pergamum?
A: This does not mean this is where Satan lives, but rather it was a center of Satanic activity centering on the worship of the Roman Emperor (on this throne). Pergamum had a temple to the divine Augustus and goddess Roma. It also had a temple to the snake-god Asclepius, from which modern medicine gets its symbol. It had a Temple to "Savior Zeus". See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.757-759 for more info.

Q: In Rev 2:14 (KJV), who was Balac?
A: This is the same as Balak, whom you can read about in Numbers 22:2 - 24:12.

Q: In Rev 2:14-16, 2:21-23, can genuine believers follow Balaam’s teaching and commit sexual immorality?
A: -Unfortunately, yes. David did in the Old Testament, and God disciplined him for his sins.

Q: In Rev 2:17, what is the significance of the white stone?
A: In those times, when there was a public event, such as a competition or a theater performance, the white stone served as a ticket to attend.

Q: In Rev 2:18, how do you pronounce "Thyatira"?
A: According to Cruden’s Concordance, the city is pronounced "THI-a-TI-ra, with two long i’s, two long a’s, and the accent on the first and third syllable. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary has the same accents, but both of the a’s have dots over them.

Q: In Rev 2:18-29, what do we know about the city of Thyatira?
A: Physically, Thyatira was 52 miles northwest of Smyrna, along a major road connecting the Caicus and Hermus river values. The modern site is Akhisar.
Thyatira passed peacefully to Roman rule in 133 B.C. In Acts 16;14-15,39, a dealer in purple cloth named Lydia, whom Paul met in Philippi, was from Thyatira. Dyes, garments, brass, and pottery were made on this frontier fort. The Anchor Bible Dictionary volume 6 p.546 says that it was especially important center of the wool trade. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1703-1704 says there is evidence of more trade guilds than in any other Asian town. The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.1013-1014 says that the importance of membership in the trade guilds might have been a temptation for Christians there to compromise.

Q: In Rev 2:20, was the immoral woman really named Jezebel?
A: It could have been her actual name, a nickname, or it could have been a comparison of the evil of this woman with the Jezebel you can read about in 1 Kings 21.

Q: In Rev 2:27, does this quote from Ps 2:9 refer to Christ or Christians?
A: It primarily refers to Christ, and in a secondary way, Christ allows it to be applied to Christians. Christ reigns in Heaven, but Ephesians 2:6 Revelation 3:21 say we will be co-seated with Christ on His throne.

Q: In Rev 3:1-6, what do we know about the city of Sardis?
A: Physically, Sardis was in the Hermus Valley, 2 ½ miles south of the Hermus River and at the foot of the 1,000-foot high Mount Tmolus. It was about 50 miles east of Smyrna.
Long before the Roman Empire, Sardis used to be the capital of the mighty Lydian Empire. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says the Cimmerians captured Sardis in the seventh century, and the Persians and Athenians captured it in the 6th century. The Lydians of Sardis captured Ephesus in 560 B.C. Sardis was a fine site for a capital, because of the high cliffs of Mount Tmolus that made it extremely difficult to capture.
Almost everyone in John’s time would know the story of how Sardis was captured by the Persians. Some sources say this was in 549 B.C., others 546 B.C., and others say 539 B.C. A Lydian soldier accidentally dropped his helmet, and, with the Persians watching, carefully went down a narrow way through the cliff to retrieve it. At night, the Persians used that route to capture the city. Sardis was captured by Antiochus the Great the same way in 214 B.C., again at night. As Revelation 3:2,3 says, we should be watchful.
Sardis was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D., but it was rebuilt. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1525 says there was a large, but unfinished temple of Artemis. It was 160 by 300 feet, with 78 columns 58 feet high.
A reference in Obadiah 20 might refer to Sardis, which would date Jewish settlers in Sardis back to then. From the third century on, there was the largest Jewish synagogue ever discovered. The Anchor Bible Dictionary volume 5 p.982-984 says this was an ornate building, 85 by 20 meters that could have held up to 1,000 people. It adds that this tends to debunk the theory that Jews were "ghettoized" in Roman cities. Other synagogues were much smaller, but there were synagogues in Acmonia, Apameia, Aphrodisias, Hierapolis, Laodicea, Miletus, and Priene.
In Christian times, Melito (flourished 161 A.D.) was a famous bishop of Sardis. The Persian Chosroes II devastated Sardis in 616 A.D. Christianity survived in Sardis, though with bishops living there until Gregory ca.1315-1343 A.D.)
See also The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.897-898 for more info.

Q: In Rev 3:3, does "coming as a thief" here refer to Christ’s Second Coming.
A: No, according to The NIV Study Bible p.1929. It gives the reason that Christ’s coming is not conditioned on the church’s refusing to repent.
A second, different view is that if they refuse to repent, when Christ unexpectedly comes again, they will be as unprepared as a homeowner when a thief breaks into their house.

Q: In Rev 3:5, Rev 13:8, Rev 17:8, Rev 20:12,15, and Rev 21:27 is the book of life "originally …merely a metaphoric expression signifying the list of living people… and to die would be to be blotted out of that book", and only in post-Exilic times, it became those who would live in Heaven, as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible states (p.1200-1201)?
A: No. This is a one of a great number of (almost) unsubstantiated claims that Asimov is fond of making. Other verses in the Bible on the Book of Life, such as Daniel 12:1, and Luke 10:20 (names written in heaven), all are consistent with the Book of Life being those living in Heaven. Asimov would agree, since these verses are all Post-Exilic. He makes his entire case on the only pre-Exilic verses that mention the Book of Life, Exodus 32:32-33, Psalm 69:28. However, Psalm 139 mentions that all David’s Days were written in God’s book (not necessarily the book of life, though), before one of them came to be. Thus, at least for this book, it is not simply a record of those currently living.
Asimov’s claim is almost unsubstantiated, although he does try to substantiate it in a way by mentioning this is based on his opinion that afterlife was only taught in Post-Exilic times. However basing an entire argument on an assumption is not the same as basing an argument on facts. Here is why his assumption that afterlife was only taught in Post-Exilic times was wrong.
Asimov’s argument is curious, as nearly all of the ancient Mideast cultures had some concept of afterlife. Perhaps he forgot that the Egyptian pyramids were built by slaves for the purpose of Pharaoh’s afterlife. Likewise, the Hittites, built a rock sanctuary of Yazilikaya to the deceased king. The Scythians also had elaborate tombs. Out of Sumerians (Abraham’s people), Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Greeks, Scythians, and others, Asimov would make the Hebrews unique in not believing in an afterlife.
Here is an incomplete list of the many Biblical proofs of belief in afterlife, using only Pre-Exilic verses.
Exodus 3:15 Jesus used this verse to refute the Sadducees, who denied an after life. Jesus’ point, as valid now as it was then, it that it Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had to still exist in Moses’ time, since God said He "is" the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Sadducees apparently had no answer for this.
1 Sam 2:6 (NIV) "The Lord brings death and make alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up." (NIV)
Psalm 49:14 (NIV) "But God will redeem my soul from the grave; he will surely take me to himself."
Psalm 22:29, (NIV) "…all who go down to the dust will kneel down to Him…"
Psalm 23:6, after telling about the shadow of death in Psalm 23:4, David says, "He will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 49:8-9 (NIV) "The ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough - that he should live on forever and not see decay."
Psalm 52:8-9 (NIV), "I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever… I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
Isaiah 25:7-8 (NIV), "On this mountain he [God] will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever…."
Isaiah 53:8-10, after saying the one who suffers for us will be killed and put in the grave of a rich man in verses 8-9, yet he shall see his offspring in verse 10.
Hard Sayings of the Bible p.104 says essentially the same thing.
Nevertheless, it is amazing to see how many learned men and women will deny even these two texts [Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2] and argue that the Old Testament teaches virtually nothing about resurrection or life after death.
The truth of the matter is that ancient peoples were more attuned to the subject of life after death than moderns suspect. The peoples of the ancient Near East wrote at length about what life was like after one left this earth. One need only consult such representative pieces as the Gilgamesh Epic, The Descent of Ishtar into the Netherworld, the Book of the Dead and the Pyramid texts. Indeed, the whole economy of Egypt was geared to the cult of the dead, for all who wished to be a part of the next life had to be buried around the pyramid of the Pharaoh. … By the time Abraham arrive in Egypt, such concepts had been emblazoned on their walls in hieroglyphics, murals and models made of clay, to make sure no one missed the point. Life after death was not a modern doctrine developed by an educated society that began to think more abstractly about itself and its times. Instead it was an ancient hunger that existed in the hearts of humanity long before the patriarchs…. Why should we attribute this idea to the second and third centuries B.C. if already in the third and second millennium B.C. there is strong evidence to support it?
The earliest biblical mention of the possibility of a mortal’s inhabiting the immortal realms of deity can be found in Genesis 5:24 [God taking Enoch away with Him]."

Q: In Rev 3:5, can a Christian be blotted out of the book of life?
A: This verse is saying two of the three things below, but genuine Christians disagree on which two things.
1. All agree that believers in Heaven will never fall or lose their salvation.
2a. Christians who believe you cannot lose your salvation can interpret this as a general promise, available to all true believers in both Heaven and earth unconditionally.
2b. Christians who believe you can lose your salvation can interpret this as a specific promise, as certain believers on earth, called overcomers, are given the promise that they will never lose their salvation. See the discussion on Ephesians 1:14 and Hebrews 6:4-10, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.938-939, and The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.193-194 for more info.

Q: In Rev 3:7-13, what do we know about the city of Philadelphia?
A: King Eumenes II of Pergamum founded it in the 2nd century B.C., named it (city of brotherly love) in honor of his loyal brother Attalus. It and Sardis were destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D., and it was rebuilt with money from the Roman Empire. The city was temporarily renamed as Neokaisareia in honor of Caesar.

Q: In Rev 3:8, how does Jesus set an open door before people?
A: In at least three ways.
Salvation: Jesus opens the door to Heaven for us. He is both the gate (John 10:9) and the gatekeeper (John 10:3). (As a side note, if Heaven had a literal gatekeeper, it would be Jesus, not Peter.) The door to the wedding feast was shut in Matthew 25:10.
Ministry: An open door was a metaphor for a ministry, as Acts 14:27 and 1 Corinthians 16:9 show.
Passage: When John was transported to Heaven in a vision, it was through an open door in Revelation 4:1.
Hope and Restoration: Even an evil place like the Valley of Achor could be a door of hope in Hosea 3:15.

Q: In Rev 3:12, since Christians are living people, how can Christians be pillars in God’s Temple?
A: The Almighty God can make a Temple comprised of living people if He wants to. God will, according to 1 Peter 2:5-6 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
One could guess that this is where the expression "a pillar of the church" comes from.

Q: In Rev 3:14-22, what do we know about the city of Laodicea?
A: According to the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, "Laodikeia" is from a comparison of two Greek words, #2992-laos-people and #1349-dike-right, justice.  In Gaebelein’s Concise Commentary (by Arno C. Gaebelein, 1861-1945) page 1208, he gives the meaning of Laodicea as "the judging or rights of the people."  The KJV Parallel Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson Publishers c. 1994) page 2666, in reference to Laodicea, also lists "rights of the people."  
Antiochus II rebuilt Laodicea in 250 B.C.. He named it after his wife, Laodike. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 A.D, prior to the book of Revelation being written.
The Laodiceans were wealthy enough that they rebuilt the city without external government assistance. Laodicea had fertile land, produced glossy black woolen clothes, and eye-salve. Unfortunately, it had a poor water supply. Unlike nearby Hierapolis, which had hot water, and Colossae, which had cold water, the water at Laodicea was lukewarm, from being piped in from hot springs. Many of these are alluded to in the message to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22.

Q: In Rev 3:14 (KJV and NKJV), since Christ is the "beginning of God’s Creation", does this show Christ is a created being as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach?
A: No. The Greek word here, arche, is the word from which the English language gets its prefix "arch". Arche means head, or ruler, as well as beginning. Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse p.103-104 and When Cultists Ask p.305 mention that the word architect is derived from arche; as such, Jesus is the architect of all creation.
Williams Translation is very clear her. It says "the origin of God’s Creation" with a footnote saying "Grk., beginning, but in philosophical sense, so origin."
While all of creation had its beginning and creation through Christ, the primary thought here is that Christ existed before Creation and has sovereignty over Creation, as The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.941 says.

Q: In Rev 3:19, why does God rebuke and chasten those He loves?
A: God chastens His children in a similar way as good parents discipline a child they care about. They love the child too much to let the child grow up with a lack of discipline. For good parents, the child’s well-being, moral character, and development is more important than their short-term comfort.

Q: In Rev 4, who is sitting on the throne, the Father or the Son?
A: It is most likely the Father, since the Son took the Scroll from His right hand in Revelation 5:7. It is not the Lamb, based on Revelation 5:13.
However, this being the Father does not show that God is a man or came from a man, contrary to Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29. Rather, God can appear as a burning bush or as any form He desires, and this is how He appeared to John in this vision.

Q: In Rev 4:4 and Rev 11:16, who are the 24 elders, who are seated on their own thrones?
A: God has not told us their identity, yet. There are three basic views.
Individual people: The twelve apostles and twelve representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus promised the disciples they would sit on twelve thrones in Matthew 19:28.
Groups: The twelve tribes of Israel and Christians. 1001 Bible Questions Answered (p.272) believes they are the enthroned church. Foreshadowing this, there were 24 rotations in the Levitical priesthood in 1 Chronicles 24. However, there is no precedent for saying Christians are in twelve groups, and it would be strange it give this as a symbol when the symbol would be meaningless to all readers.
Angels: A special order of angels.

Q: In Rev 4:6-9; 5:145; 15:5, who are the four living creatures?
A: Genuine Christians disagree on the identity of these mysterious "Cherubim-class" of angels. Cherubim also are mentioned in Ezekiel 10:1-16; 1:5-21; 3:12-14,23. Cherubim are either:
Identical with the Seraphim in Isaiah 6: because the descriptions are compatible, or else
Different from Seraphim in Isaiah 6: because the Old Testament uses two different words in Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Q: In Rev 5:5, will Jesus come again as a lion, or as a lamb as Rev 5:8 mentions?
A: Two aspects of Christ are that He was offered as a sacrifice like a Lamb, and He will come a second time with the fierceness of a lion. His coming again as a lion does not change what He did in the past, being sacrificed as a lamb (John 1:29). See When Critics Ask p.552 and Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.127 for more info.

Q: In Rev 5:8-13, is this worship of Christ?
A: Yes. This is an excellent verse to show the worship of Christ. Please notice the following.
1. They fell down before the Lamb. (5:8)
2. They were doing this act with the prayers of the saints. (5:8)
3. They praised the Lamb as worthy. (5:9)
4. Then the angels praised the Lamb as worthy. (5:12)
5. The angels sang that the Lamb was worthy to receive many things, including honor and glory and praise. (5:12)
6. Then every living creature said to both the Father and the Lamb "be praise and honor and glory and power…" (5:13 NIV).
7. The four living creatures said "Amen" to all that.
8. Finally when the elders fell down and worshipped in 5:14, they were apparently worshipping the ones they were praising in 5:8-12).
This is in sharp contrast to Mormon Apostle Bruce McConkie, who said it was wrong to worship Jesus. (McConkie said this in Our Relationship with the Lord, an address at Brigham Young University). This is also in sharp contrast to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe you could "honor Jesus, sort of like many people pledge allegiance to the flag of their country", but not worship Him.

Q: In Rev 5:8; 14:1-2; 15:2, what does this say about using instrumental music to worship God?
A: Since they used mechanical instruments of music to worship God in the Old Testament, as well as in Heaven, worshipping God in music is acceptable and pleasing to Him.
According to the Church of Christ booklet Instrumental Music in Worship p.25-26 acknowledges that music is OK in the home, and even if the references to harps are to be taken literally, "What God ordains for heaven is one thing; what He authorizes for the church is something else."
Let’s try to follow the consistency of this logic here. While God enjoyed instrumental music during Old Testament times He does not like it now for worship on earth. While God now may like instrumental music in Heaven, He does not like it now for worship on earth. While it is fine to have instrumental music now on earth (if it is wholesome), it is not fine for worship.
I can just imagine a Church of Christ parent telling their teenager, "You can play those Christian CD’s if you want, but while you are listening there had better not be any worship of God going on in your heart."

Q: In Rev 5:9 (KJV, Green’s Literal translation), should it say "us" or "men" as the NIV says?
A: Neither noun is explicitly there in the Greek. The Greek simply says "redeemed/purchased". The words "men" or "saints" are better than "us", because the four living creatures are speaking too, and God did not redeem them.
It is translated as "men" with the word men in italics or else square brackets to show that it was not in the Greek in the NASB, uNASB, and Wuest’s Expanded Translation. The NRSV has "saints". The NKJV, like the Greek, has no noun here. It says "And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation," See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.338 for more info.

Q: In Rev 6, have the four horsemen come yet?
A: -Probably not. The things they represent (conquest, war, famine, and death/plague) have been around since before John was born. However, the prophecy of the Four Horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8 was probably not been fulfilled yet, because these things have not come in such great magnitude in the correct order, unless you count 1415- for conquest, 1914- for war, 1917- for famine, and 1918- for plague.
If you wish to analyze the data yourself, www.BibleQuery.org/horsemen.htm gives my estimates since John’s time.

Q: In Rev 6:1, is the rider on the white horse Jesus Christ?
A: No. While Jesus comes on a white horse too, this is not Jesus, because Jesus does not have a bow (or an empty bow), Jesus is not "bent on conquest", and Jesus is not on parallel with war, famine, and plague. The identity of this horseman might be related to Matthew 24:23, where many imposters of Christ will come.

Q: In Rev 6:9-11, how many Christian persecutions have there been?
A: The following is a partial list of persecution of Christians, and the thousands killed

Date	Persecution	Thousands killed
50-323 A.D.	10 Early Christian Persecutions	50
50 A.D.	Roman Nero persecutes Christians
95/96 A.D.	Roman Domitian persecutes Christians
107 A.D.	Roman Trajan persecutes Christians
118 & 134 A.D.	Roman Hadrian persecutions Christians
135 A.D.	Christians in Israel persecuted by Jews (not Romans) under the Bar Kochba Revolt
177 A.D.	Roman Marcus Aurelius persecutes Christians
202 A.D.	Roman Septimus Severus persecutes Christians
235 A.D.	Roman Maximim persecutes Christians
250-251 A.D.	Roman Decius persecutes Christians
251-253 A.D.	Roman Gallus persecutes Christians
253-260 A.D.	Roman Valerian continues to persecute Christians
270 A.D.	Roman Aurelius persecutes Christians
284,303-305 A.D.	Roman Diocletian persecutes Christians
315-323 A.D.	Roman Licinius persecutes Christians in the east
370 A.D.	Roman Arian Valens kills Christians in the east
525 A.D.	Christians flee Ethiopian Jewish persecution
527-568 A.D.	Byz. Justinian persecutes Monophysites in Egypt
700-	Muslims persecute Christians
978-1000	Jewish Queen Judith of Axum persecutes Christians
1000-	Persecution of Waldenses in Europe
10th -12th cent.	Burning and killing heretics in Europe
1100-1300	Mongols kill most Nestorians
1211	At Strasbourg, Waldenses burned	0.08
1252	Innocent IV’s bull for torture to detect heresy
1261-1331	Dominicans bring in the Inquisition
1232	Dominican Inquisition under Albert
1233	Inquisition instituted by Gregory IX
1309	Venice under heresy for opposing Clement V
1415-16	In Czechoslovakia Hussites revolt
1419-34	Crusade against Hussites in Hungary
1431	Hussites scare off large Holy Roman Empire Army
1480	Spanish Inquisition by Ferdinand and Isabella
1487-88	Crusade against the Waldenses
1527	Mantz and other Anabaptists killed in Zurich
1545	Waldenses persecuted in Italy
1555-60	Waldenses persecuted in Italy
1562	At Toulouse, French kill Huguenots	4
1576-93	In France, Catholics and Huguenots fight
1618-48	Thirty years war kills 1/3 of Germans	7000
1600’s	Spanish Inquisition	50
1629-69	"Trample the crucifix" persecution in Japan
1637	Japanese + Dutch artillery crush Christians
1655	Many Waldenses killed in Italy and France
1808	Napoleon ends the Spanish Inquisition
1820-41	Christians persecuted in Vietnam
1870-90	Guatemala persecutes priests; only 100 left
1915-	Persecution of Christians under Communism
1956	Protestants persecuted in Colombia
1976	Catholics murdered in Guatemala	1,000’s
1990-	Severe persecution in Sudan by Muslims
1998-	Muslims violently persecuting Christians in Indonesia
1998-	Muslim persecution of Christian churches in Uzbekistan	probably 0
2001-	Bhutan’s Buddhist king persecutes Christians by taking away their free education and medical care unless they pledge not to gather to worship or evangelize. Some have been badly beaten, fired from their jobs, and expelled from Bhutan	0

As for persecution of heretics, the Roman Empire executed the heretic Priscillian in 385 A.D. Execution of heretics was protested by the church fathers Ambrose, Leo, and John Chrysostom. Torture of heretics was endorsed by Augustine.

Q: In Rev 6:12, what major earthquakes have occurred?
A: The earthquakes and darkness in Revelation have not occurred yet. Here are some of the earthquakes that have happened.
1201 Earthquake in modern day Syria 1000K dead
1/23-24/1556 Earthquake in Shanxi, China 830K dead, class XI
1883 Earthquake near Java, Indonesia 100K dead
1883 Krakatoa blew up. 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) of land went into the atmosphere. The noise was heard 3000 miles (4,800 km) away. In England and America they called it the year without summer.

Q: In Rev 6:12-14, how could these things happen in our solar system?
A: God Almighty can change or supersede the natural laws whenever and however He wishes. You know, some people have a very difficult time with the concept that a natural law can be superseded. For example, when the Wright brothers were experimenting, many people were so certain that "man cannot fly", their limited view of the natural law for heavier-than-air objects rendered them incapable of believing in aircraft. The Wright brothers' accomplishments were notable not just for what they did, but also in the cultural climate of supposed "certainties" of natural law.

Q: In Rev 6:13, what is the point of late figs?
A: According to The NIV Study Bible p.1933, green figs appear in winter, where they are easily blown from the trees, because the trees have no leaves.

Q: In Rev 6:16, does Jesus, the Lamb of God, have wrath?
A: Yes, Jesus has wrath as well as mercy. Romans 11:22 says to consider both the kindness and sternness of God. See When Critics Ask p.552 and Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.116 for more info.

Q: In Rev 7:1, do the four angels at the four corners of the earth mean the earth has four corners?
A: No. These refer to four angels who stand at the found points of the compass. These are perhaps the same as the "four winds" in Jeremiah 49:36 that went against Elam and the four chariots in Zechariah 6:1-8. See When Critics Ask p.553 for more info.

Q: In Rev 7:2-4, since an angel rises in the east, does this prophecy Rev. Moon coming from an eastern nation as Rev. Moon says in his Divine Principle p.519-520 (5th edition, 1977)?
A: As When Cultists Ask p.306-307 points out, Revelation 7:2-4 says,
a) An angel, not the Messiah (angels are not to be worshipped according to Revelation 22:8-9, Colossians 2:18,)
b) It is in the direction of east, not a country or city of the east.
In addition, it will be the same Jesus according to Acts 1:7, and Jesus will return the same way He came. The Unification church tries to make a distinction between "Christ" who is coming back, and "Jesus" who died. However, every knee will bow to Jesus in Philippians 2:10-11.

Q: In Rev 7:3-8 and Rev 14:1-5, could the 144,000 be a select class of believers, as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach (Reasoning From Scriptures, 1989 p.76)?
A: The 144,000 are said to be men (not women) from the twelve tribes of Israel. While these verses do not use the word "males", it is clearly males because Revelation 14:4 says they "did not defile themselves with women".
Heaven is for all who believe in Jesus (Ephesians 2:19; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 3:1; 12:22).
The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.60-61 adds, "What about the Watchtower [JW] contention that the tribes mentioned in Revelation 7 cannot be literal tribes of Israel? One must first point out that the very fact that specific tribes are mentioned along with specific numbers for those tribes removes all possibility that this is a figure of speech. Nowhere else in the Bible does a reference to 12 tribes of Israel mean anything but 12 tribes of Israel." When Cultists Ask p.307-308 points out that while the word "tribes" is used frequently in Scripture, it is never used for anything except literal tribes.
Some have the view that 144,000 refers to all Christians. When Critics Ask p.553-554 mentions this view and shows why this is incorrect. Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse p.104-106 adds that if the 12,000 was just a symbolic number, then their sum, 144,000, must also be a symbolic number. If so, what in the world is 144,000 a symbol of? (Most JW’s I know of agree the 144,000 is a literal number, though.)

Q: In Rev 7:5-8, why was the tribe of Dan absent?
A: Scripture does not say, but many think it was because Dan was the first tribe to become idolatrous; they became completely idolatrous, and were largely destroyed. Some speculate that since Jeremiah 4:15 mentions Dan (as well as Ephraim) in referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, these tribes are not mentioned.
Some, as far back as Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.) in Irenaeus Against Heresies book 5 ch.32.2 p.559 and his pupil Hippolytus (225-235/6 A.D.) in Treatise on Christ and Antichrist ch.14-15 p.207 have speculated that Jeremiah 8:16, as well as Deuteronomy 33:22 indicated that the Antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan.

Q: In Rev 7:6-8, why was the tribe of Ephraim absent, and Joseph mentioned instead?
A: As The Complete Book of Bible Answers (p.61) points out, Ephraim was involved in pagan worship of God (Judges 17 and Hoses 4:17). Thus Joseph was mentioned rather than a tribe that was synonymous with Samaria.

Q: In Rev 7:1-8 and Rev 14:1-4, who are the 144,000?
A: Verses 5-8 are not meaningless. They are stated as 144,000 Jewish/Israelite men, from each of the twelve tribes, excluding Dan. While many Jewish people today do not follow Christ, Zechariah 12:10-14 shows there will be a future time when the Jews will mourn for the one they pierced (Christ). Romans 11:25-28 shows that in the end many in the Jewish nation will turn to Christ.
However, this does not support the false, extreme view that all Jews are going to Heaven, regardless of their rejection of Christ. Jesus told the very religious Pharisees in John 8:24, that if they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, they would indeed die in their sins. Other verses that show that Jews as well as non-Jews need Jesus are Acts 3:19-20; Matthew 23:29-33; John 10:7-8,14-16. For evidence that God has not rejected the Jews once Jesus come, Paul gives as "proof" the fact that he came to believe in Christ, in Romans 11:1.
See the previous four questions for more info. See also Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.432-434, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.761-763, 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.283, and When Critics Ask p.553 for more info.

Q: In Rev 7:7, why was the tribe of Levi included, since the Levites did not have any land?
A: Scripture does not say, but their inclusion means this was not just a list by land. As The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.61 speculates, perhaps it was because their role as priests and Levites was finished once Christ came.

Q: In Rev 7:9-17, who are the great multitude?
A: These are some other believers besides the 144,000. The great multitude are those who have come out of the great tribulation. The phrase "made their robes white in the blood of the lamb, has the meaning of believers who are killed as martyrs for their faith.
It is important to note that the great multitude stand before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9. Also, Revelation 19:1 clearly says they are "in Heaven", contrary to what the Watchtower teaches (Watchtower magazine 2/1/82 p.26. Watchtower magazine 3/1/1985 p.14 also discusses the JW’s view of the great multitude. See Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse p.106-110 for more info.

Q: In Rev 8:9, how could the seven trumpets happen?
A: God Almighty can alter the earth, environment, and heavens as He wishes, whenever He desires.

Q: In Rev 9:1, what is the abyss?
A: The Abyss is neither Hades, Hell, or the Lake of Fire. Here is what the Bible says about the Abyss.
Luke 8:31 Demons begged Jesus not to order them to go there
Rev 9:1, 20:1 Like Death and Hades, the Abyss has a key to lock beings inside.
Rev 9:2 The Abyss is a smoke-filled pit.
Rev 9:3 Special locusts that tormented men for five months came from the Abyss.
Rev 9:11 The King of the locusts, the angel of the Abyss is Abaddon (Hebrew), Apollyon (Greek)
Rev 11:7 The beast that kills the two witnesses is from the Abyss.
Rev 17:8 The beast the woman sits on comes out of the Abyss.
Rev 20:2 Satan will be locked in the Abyss for 1,000 years. It is interesting that Satan is chained as well as thrown in there.
Rev 20:3 It will be sealed shut for 1,000 years.
Rev 20:7 The Abyss will be a prison for Satan. (No mention of torment though.)
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.763-765 for more info.

Q: In Rev 9:6, what does it mean that men shall seek death and not find it?
A: It means that, at this time, God will not allow people to escape the wrath by dying. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.289-290 for more info.

Q: In Rev 9:11, who is Abaddon, the angel of the Abyss?
A: There are two views:
Satan himself. 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.62 advocates this view.
Another demon, since he is given a different name than Satan, and nowhere are the two said to be equivalent.

Q: In Rev 9:16-17, what is this army of 200 million?
A: There are at least four possibilities.
Possibly supernatural warriors (demons) that kill people.
More probably ordinary people. In the 1960’s, Chairman Mao claimed that by calling up all reserves, Mainland China alone could field an army of 200 million troops.
Robot warriors
Combinations of the above.
See also the next question for more info.

Q: In Rev 9:16-17, how could there be an army of 200 million horsemen?
A: These were not ancient troops, and they were mounted on no ordinary horses. John called these horses that had smoke and fire coming out of their mouths (exhaust pipes?). The colors are similar to many flags, which have red, blue, and yellow.

Q: In Rev 9:16-19, what are these multitude of horsemen? Could they be tanks and armored vehicles, planes, and helicopters?
A: Revelation does not actually say these could fly, but it does not eliminate that possibility either. It is not necessary that they be all one thing. For example, they could be a mechanized division with tanks, trucks, cars, and motorbikes. They could also include robots. However, all of this is pure speculation. It remains to be seen what they are.

Q: In Rev 10:1, who is this mighty angel?
A: Scripture does not say. There is no reason to suppose this is Christ, though. The Greek language has two words for "another": the first is "another of a different kind", and the second is "another of the same kind". It is the second word that is used here.

Q: In Rev 10:4, why did God "tease" us with telling John the words of the seven thunders, yet command John not to write them down?
A: This is the most explicit reminder of an important point frequently implied in the book of Revelation. God has not told us everything yet. We will not have everything fit together neatly until these events occur. God is giving a very similar reminder in Daniel 12:9.

Q: In Rev 10:8-9, is the little book here actually "Divine Science" by Mary Baker Eddy of the Christian Science cult, as Science and Health (p.558-559) says?
A: No, though some people could see a similarity, as it made John sick to his stomach. In a way that was unintended, it is tempting to relate this book to cults that have teaching that seems sweet, yet leads to a bitter result.
However, cults are not the focus of this passage. This is speaking of God’s impending judgment, which sounded good to John at first, but then on reflection did not seem very pleasant. See When Cultists Ask p.308 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament p.954-955 for more info.

Q: In Rev 10:7, is it Gabriel that blows the horn?
A: The Bible never says who blow the horn, only an angel. The secular song "The Eyes of Texas" is apparently the source of the thought that Gabriel blows the horn.

Q: In Rev 10:9-10, what is the significance of eating a book that is sweet in John’s mouth but bitter in his stomach?
A: Here is one likely meaning. Some things sound nice and sweet when you first learn of them, but upon reflection, they can have a bitter aftertaste. Some of the things John heard sounded great, but He realized the terrible things the world would go through first.

Q: In Rev 11, could the two witnesses be Mohammed and ‘Ali as the Bahai’s say? (Some Answered Questions p.43-61)
A: No for the following eleven reasons.
1. Rev 11:3 says they will prophesy for 1,260 days. Mohammed made very few prophecies, and ‘Ali was never considered a prophet.
2. Rev 11:5 says that if anyone tries to harm them fire devours their enemies. Mohammed was poisoned (but barely survived), and ‘Ali was assassinated by a Muslim. ‘Ali’s cause was defeated by Mu’awiyah, and his son Husain was slain. He did not devour his enemies, he was killed by them.
3. Rev 11:6 The two prophets can shut up the sky so that it will not rain. Mohammed never claimed to do that, and neither did ‘Ali.
4. Rev 11:6 Mohammed and ‘Ali did not turn waters into blood, as almost all of the people they beheaded, burned, or otherwise slew were not by rivers. If a Salafi Muslim argues that they made rivers of blood that does not count, because Rev 11:6 says they turned waters into blood.
5. Rev 11:7-8 Mohammed was not killed by violence, and in both cases their bodies were not put on humiliating public display.
6. Rev 11:8 their bodies were not put in the street of a great city. In fact, relatively few saw ‘Ali die.
7. Rev 11:9 Everybody did not gaze at their dead bodies and refuse them burial. Mohammed in particular was buried rather promptly by followers.
8. Rev 11:10 Who sent out lots of gifts when Mohammed and ‘Ali were killed?
9. Rev 11:11 There is a small sect of Muslims, called Muhammadiyya, that claims that Mohammed never died. The Saba’iyya are a small sect of Muslims that claim ‘Ali never died. Except for these small groups, Muslims have no basis for saying either Mohammed or ‘Ali were raised back to life.
10. Rev 11:12 Muslims never say Mohammed and ‘Ali did not ascend to heaven in a cloud. (Though Muhammadiyya and Saba’iyya might disagree.)
11. Rev 11:13 There was not a severe earthquake when either Mohammed or ‘Ali left the earth in a non-existent cloud.
The point is not whether you can allegorize away some of these reasons. The point is that if even one of these reasons cannot be allegorized away, then the prophecy does not refer to them.

Q: In Rev 11:1, what is the significance of John measuring the Temple of God?
A: This may mean that is was an actual, real temple with physical dimensions.

Q: In Rev 11:2, can the mention of Jerusalem being trampled for 42 months mean the time between the Hejira of Mohammed and the revelation of the Bab in 1260 A.D. as Baha’is teach in Some Questions Answered p.46-47?
A: No. Abdu’l-Baha claims that since a day is [allegedly] always a year, that is 1,260 years. But consider this: if day here really meant day, how could God communicate this in a way that they would accept it? No, there is no reason to doubt that days means days here.
Furthermore, if the 42 months was the time when the Gentiles were trampling the holy city, then this interpretation would mean that Mohammed in Medina, and Mohammed later in Mecca was include din the time when the holy city was getting trampled.
Actually Rev 11:2 relates to the same subject as Daniel 12:6.

Q: In Rev 11:2, what is the significance of the three and a half years?
A: It is probably the same three and a half years mentioned as the last half of the period in Daniel 9:27.

Q: In Rev 11:3-12, who are the two witnesses?
A: There are four main views.
Elijah and Moses both had miracles like these. Elijah was taken up to Heaven (2 Kings 2:11), and Moses’ was buried by God and his body was never found (Deuteronomy 34:6; Jude 9). Also, these two appeared to Jesus in his First Coming at the transfiguration.
Enoch and Elijah both they have both not seen death yet. Tertullian (wrote 200-240 A.D.) in A Treatise on the Soul ch.50 p.227-228 held this view.
Two individuals who have not been born yet.
Two groups of people, though this is an unlikely stretch.
1001 Bible Questions Answered p.284-285 believes it will be Elijah and either Moses or Enoch.

Q: In Rev 11:10, what is the significance of sending each other gifts?
A: There are at least three possibilities.
1. It could be a one-time exchange of gifts to celebrate the witnesses being killed.
2. It could be a brand new holiday, starting by the authorities of that time, to celebrate the death of the two witnesses.
3. It could just happen to coincide with an existing holiday where people exchange gifts. Three holidays where people exchange gifts are:
Christmas (most Christians exchange gifts on December 25, but some Orthodox exchange gifts in January.
Divali/Diwali/Deepawali/Deepavali is a five-day Hindu festival of lights which has somewhat different meanings in north and south India. It is usually around the last half of October to the first half of November.
Eid ul-adha in Islam is when people exchange gifts to celebrate Abraham’s sacrifice of his son. "Eid" means festival in Arabic and is also the last day of the Hajj pilgrimage. This can be in January.

Q: In Rev 11:13, which city is the great city?
A: This is probably Jerusalem.

Q: Was Rev 11:12-13 fulfilled by an earthquake in Shiraz when the Bab was executed as Baha’is teach in Some Questions Answered p.55-56?
A: No. First of all, I have not seen any evidence of an earthquake in Shiraz at this time. Second, if Baha’is want to make Rev 11 refer to Mohammed and ‘Ali, and then they switch the subject to the Bab in Revelation 11:12-13, they cannot have their cake and eat it too. Either The Bab was one of the two witnesses or he was not. If he was not, then it is stretching the Bible to take this verse in isolation and say it refers to the Bab.

Q: In Rev 11:14-15, is Mohammed the first woe, and the Bab the second woe, as Some Questions Answered p.56-57 says?
A: Baha’is can say Mohammed is the first woe if they want, but I do not think they would want to say that, if they read what the first woe really was. The first woe, the fifth trumpet, is described thoroughly in Revelation 9:1012. Hellish Locusts from the abyss sting the non-believers on the earth. They tortured them for 42 months. It will be so painful that the people will want to die, but death will elude them.
The sixth woe, the sixth trumpet, is when the four angels at the Euphrates river let loose 200,000,000 mounted troops to kill 1/3 of mankind. Do Baha’is really want to say the Bab loosed forces that killed 1/3 of mankind?

Q: In Rev 11:15, is this the same angel as in Rev 10:1-10?
A: Probably not, because the seventh angel in Revelation 11:15 had a trumpet.

Q: In Rev 11:18, is God against all polluters?
A: No. Pretend, for the moment, that all pollution was a sin. Since using electricity causes it to be generated, in most cases generating electricity causes pollution, all use of electricity would be a sin. All driving or riding in cars, motorboats or fuel-powered vehicles would be a sin. However, even horses in the city pollute, unless you potty-train the horse. When you make an airline reservation, instead of riding in a DC-10 or 747, make sure to tell them you want a glider.
We cannot seriously answer this question until we know what a sin is. Sin is missing the mark, when your heart, words, or actions are not what God desires you to do.
Some polluting is not a sin. For example, lighting the fires for the sacrifices for burnt offerings was not a sin, and in general, pollution where the effects are reversible in a reasonable period of time is not a sin. As an example, I am not concerned with throwing bread on the ground, particularly when I am feeding squirrels. I will not throw paper or cans on the ground though, because those will not disappear quickly. I certainly will not leave pieces of balloons on the ground, because animals swallow them and choke to death.
As Christians, we should want to reduce all pollution, especially pollution of things such as the ozone layer, from which it takes about 200 years to fully recover.
In summary, Christians should want to reduce all pollution, especially the more serious kinds. However, Christians are to be reasonable, too.

Q: In Rev 11:18, why does God destroy those who destroy the earth, since He destroys too?
A: All the earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1) and who are we to tell God what to do with His own belongings? God has given a time to every material thing, and God can destroy His things in His time; it is not our prerogative.

Q: In Rev 11:18, should Christians be for protecting the environment?
A: Yes, though realizing that people are more important than animals, and not doing bizarre measures. Ever since Adam we have been to some degree caretakers of the planet we live on. While we do not know how long we will be here, while we are here we should not ruin or poison it us and future descendants.
On February 8, 2006, 85 evangelical leaders, including Rick Warren, took out a full page ad in the New York Times saying we should do more to stop global warming. According to a February 9, 2006 article in Reuters by Alan Elsner, a poll showed 63% of evangelicals thought the U.S. should address global warming, and half said the U.S. should act even if there is a high economic cost.

Q: In Rev 11:19, 15:5, is this the same Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament?
A: It could be. On the other hand, the Old Testament ark could be a copy of an original ark, in Heaven. Hebrews 8:5 mentions that it was important for Moses to make everything after the pattern he saw on Mt. Sinai.

Q: In Rev 12:1,5, who is the woman, and who is the child?
A: Scripture does not say. Here are three possibilities to consider and twelve clues. After each clue are possibly relevant verses.
1. Mary and Jesus
2. Old Testament believers and New Testament believers. 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.60,273 teaches this, adding that the man-child is Jesus and the church.
3. New Testament believers and believers after the rapture
Twelve clues:
Rev 12:1 - Sun, moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars. (Gen 37:9-10)
Rev 12:2 - A pregnant woman about to give birth.
Rev 12:4 - Satan about to kill the child. (Matthew 2:16-18)
Rev 12:5 - Son will rule the nations with an iron scepter. (Ps 2:9)
Rev 12:5 - Child snatched/raptured up to God’s throne.
Rev 12:6 - The woman protected in the desert.
Rev 12:6 - Satan pursued the woman on earth.
Rev 12:15 - Tried to drown the woman with water.
Rev 12:16 - The earth opened up and swallowed the water.
Rev 12:17 - The woman had other offspring, those who obey God. (This clue is difficult to reconcile with the child being believers after the rapture.)
Rev 12:17 - The dragon was enraged at the woman.
Rev 12:17 - The dragon went to make war on the woman’s other offspring.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.767-769, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.957-958, and When Cultists Ask p.308-309 for more info.

Q: In Rev 12:1 (KJV, NIV), should the word here be "sign" or "wonder"?
A: Christian scholars disagree. The KJV and NIV translate this word "wonder", while the NKJV and NASB translate this word "sign". Williams Translation has "great symbol" The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.957 mentions this, saying that "sign" is more precise, because John did not use the Greek word for "wonder".

Q: In Rev 12:1, could the woman represent Mary’s bodily ascension into Heaven?
A: Some Christians, even Protestant ones, see that the woman here could refer to Mary. However, regardless of whether or not Mary is represented here, the woman never went up to Heaven. It was the child who was snatched up to Heaven in Revelation 12:5.
While this question is not a major point, throughout history there has been a tendency to wrongly take attributes and devotion to Christ and apply them to Mary. We only have one redeemer and mediator, and it is Jesus, not Mary. See When Cultists Ask p.308-309 for more info.

Q: In Rev 12:1 is the woman the law of God under Mohammed, and the male child the new law of God under the Baha’u’llah as Bahai’s teach in Some Questions Answered p.67-72?
A: No. Bahai’s as well as Muslims do not accept the authority today of Christ in Revelation 12:10, because they think His words have been corrupted. They do not overcome the beast by the blood of the lamb in Revelation 12:11. If only they would understand the importance of the blood of the lamb!

Q: In Rev 12:3, was the enormous red dragon the evil Umayyad Dynasty (Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, Mu’awiyah, etc.) who had seven dominions: Rome around Damascus, Persian, Arabian, Egyptian, Africa, Spain, and Turks of Transoxania as Baha’is teach in Some Questions Answered p.69-70?
A: No. They say the ten heads were ten commanders: starting with Abu Sufyan, and ending with Marwan. They also admit there are more than ten people, but since there are two Mu’awiyah’s, three Yazids, two Walid’s, and two Marwan’s, if you count the names without repetition, then it comes to ten!
In reality, the beast is Satan, because Revelation 12:10 calls the beast the accuser of our brethren. The beast is after Christ and Christians, because Rev 12:10 speaks of the authority of God’s Christ. Note that the woman was taken care of by God for 1,260 days. Now how could she be taken care of if the Umayyads trampled the sanctuary for 1,260 days?

Q: In Rev 12:3, who is this dragon?
A: Scripture explicitly says this is Satan, in Revelation 11:9.

Q: In Rev 12:4, what is the significance of a third of the stars falling from the sky?
A: Most Christians interpret this as 1/3 of the angels in Heaven. They left their places to follow Satan to fall and become demons.

Q: In Rev 12:6, is the wilderness here a physical place?
A: While it could be, it is not necessarily so. Two points to consider about the wilderness.
1. To the Jews, the wilderness was not a dry forbidding place, as much as a vast, quiet place one where could seek refuge.
2. In Revelation 12:6, the woman fled to the wilderness for the purpose of God taking care of her.

Q: In Rev 12:7 and Dan 10:13,21; 12:1, who is Michael?
A: Michael is the archangel in Heaven.
Unlike Jehovah’s Witnesses teach, Michael could not be Christ, because
1. We are not to worship angels (Col 2:18; Rev 22:8,9), and Michael is an angel.
2. We are not to worship created beings (Rom 1:25), and Michael is a created being, since He is an angel.
Daniel 12:1 mentions that Michael is the prince that supports the children of Israel. Daniel 10:13,21 mentions that the prince [angel] Michael helped another angel against the prince [demon] of Persia.

Q: In Rev 12:7, when did or will this war occur?
A: Either this was a past event or a future event. If it was a past event, then it probably occurred prior to the temptation in the Garden of Eden. If it is a future event, the phrase "his time is short" suggests a time immediately preceding the tribulation.

Q: In Rev 12:7, since Heaven is perfect, why did war broke out in Heaven?
A: See the previous question for when this war did/will occur. Two points to consider in the answer.
1. It does not say Satan and his angels entered Heaven after they fell. Rather, they were likely in Heaven when they fell, and this records them getting kicked out of Heaven.
2. There are different Heavens, and it is not specified how close to God’s throne they were when this occurred.

Q: In Rev 12:7-12, what conflicts does the Bible record angels fighting?
A: All of the conflicts with angels and devil that were recorded involve Michael.
Jude 8-9 Michael contended with disputing with the devil about the body of Moses.
Daniel 10:12-14 Gabriel was opposed and delayed in giving a message to Daniel because the Prince of Persia opposed him. But Michael came and helped Gabriel.
Revelation 12:7-12 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.
Daniel 12:1-5 During the end times Michael, who protects God's people, will arise.

Q: In Rev 12:7-9, could Michael be the angel that fell?
A: No. First some guidelines on Christian speculation, and then the answer.
Christian Speculation: Revelation is one of the most fun books of the Bible to speculate on. But we should understand that some speculation is nothing more than temptation. I have taught this book a number of times, and I follow two principles.
I make sure to label my speculations as not being the word of God, so that I do not disobey 1 Corinthians 4:6.
Also, God says so much in the book of Revelation (it takes me at least a quarter to go through it), I would feel guilty spending a lot of time on what Revelation does not say at the expense of teaching all that Revelation does say.
The answer: There is no way this could be Michael. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. When "they" lost their place in heaven, "they" refers to the dragon and his angels. Verse 9 makes it crystal clear that it was the dragon that was hurled to earth., also called the Devil or Satan. The fall of Satan is also discussed in Ezekiel 28:11-17 and Isaiah 14:12-15.
Here are all of the other passages about Michael in the Bible.
Dan 10:13,21 Michael the prince [angel] helped one of God's angels against the prince [demon] of Persia
Dan 12:1 Michael, the great prince [angel] who protects God's people will arise.
Jude 9 Michael was DISPUTING with the devil about the body of Moses
Rev 12:7 Michael and his angels FOUGHT against the dragon and his angels.
There are not any other verses that list Michael by name.
In the early church, Hippolytus (225-235/6 A.D.) in his commentary (p.182,190) discusses Daniel 10:13-21. On p.190 is says, "'And lo, Michael.' Who is Michael but the angel assigned to the people? As (God) says to Moses, 'I will not go with you in the way, because the people are stiff-necked; but my angel shall go with you.'" So Hippolytus taught that Michael was with the Israelites helping them after the Exodus.
The Shepherd of Hermas book 3 ch.3 (p.40) (115-140 A.D.) also mentions "The great and glorious angel Michael" as having authority over this people and who gave them the law. So the Shepherd of Hermas has only positive things to say about Michael too.
The ONLY revealed role of Michael in the Bible is protecting from demons, disputing, and fighting. While the devil might hate Michael, we are happy for this servant of the Most High God. There is no more evidence of a fallen angel named "Michael" than a fallen angel named "Alex".
Now let’s assume you think you received special doctrine from God, that no one in 2,000 years of Christianity has received. There is a question of milk vs. meat vs. candy. How primary could this teaching be, if this doctrine is absent in all of early church history?  How important is it for Christians to know this today? If it is a secondary matter, will it cause divisiveness? If there are important, primary doctrines for new believers to learn, even if this doctrine were correct, would you teach little details Christians disagree on in place of teaching what is primary for all Christians to know?

Q: In Rev 12:11, how do the saints overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb?
A: This illustrates the difference between power and authority. A single army scout can kill great numbers of the enemy if he radios back where the bombers should drop their bombs. Blood is not magical, nor does it have secret lethal powers and military uses. Rather, the blood of Jesus gives us the right to call upon Him. Since God cannot lie, and God promised to hear our prayers, we have the authority, given by God’s grace, to overcome Satan. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.769-771 for more info.

Q: In Rev 12:15-16, what is the significance of the flood and the earth?
A: The definitive answer for this is perhaps one of the more difficult questions of the Bible. Here are two views:
Persecution: Since deceit is done with the mouth, this could be an attempt to destroy the church through persecution. This assumes the child in this sign is either Christians, or Christians during the tribulation.
Future Tribulation event: This could be a future demonic supernatural event or simply future persecution

Q: In Rev 13:1-10, who or what is the Sea Beast?
A: Just as Old Testament believers had many of the pieces but not the complete picture of Christ, we today have many pieces but not the complete picture of the End Times. Views of the Sea Beast depend on how literally one takes the word "Sea".
Literal: A demonic creature, group of demons, or group of people somehow literally associated with the Ocean.
Symbolic: If the Sea represents peoples and nations, an organization that comes from many peoples and nations.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.771-772, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.960 for more info.

Q: In Rev 13:6, why would God knowingly permit a being to blaspheme Him, since God does not want this and has the power to stop it.
A: While a few extreme people might say all that happens is desired by God as a part of His "secret will", that seems far from the true character of God.
At least for a time, God permits things that not only does He not desire, but that break His heart. Some examples are in Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44, and Jeremiah 19:5; 32:35.
As Francis Schaeffer said in The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century: "We can glorify God, and both the Old and New Testament say that we can even make God sad. That is tremendous." (Hymns for the People of God no.364)

Q: In Rev 13:8, how can anyone be blamed for worshipping the beast, since all who are not written in the Lamb’s book of life are supposed to worship the beast?
A: This is an argument from fatalism. They are not supposed to worship the beast, but God knows people will do what they are not supposed to do. Similar examples of God knowing people will do things that they are not supposed to do are the Pharisees rejecting God’s purpose for themselves in Luke 7:30, and God’s workers being urged not to receive God’s grace in vain in 2 Corinthians 6:1.

Q: In Rev 13:11-15, who or what is the Land Beast?
A: Scripture does not say. This could be a single creature, a person, a group of creatures, or a group of people. The Land beast could have a special relationship with the ground, and/or be something in contrast to the Sea Beast.

Q: In Rev 13:16-18, what is the significance of 666?
A: Scripture does not say. One likely view, popularized as early as 1973 in the Christian film "Thief in the Night" is that it is a computer code imprinted on the skin. A second view is that it might be a computer chip, embedded under the skin, which has our personal information.
1001 Bible Questions Answered p.289 agrees that the mark is literal, and dismisses some other theories. See also the next question.

Q: In Rev 13:16-18, why "666" and not some other number?
A: Scripture does not say. Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.156-158 mentions various theories, such that "666" falls short of perfection as "777", that "666" is the number of mankind, or that "666" is the number of a specific man.

Q: In Rev 13:16-18 and Rev 14:9,11, what is wrong with receiving a little mark?
A: There are four points to consider in the answer.
1. Even if there was nothing else wrong, believers should not received a mark on the right hand or forehead simply because God said not to.
2. Apparently people had to agree to worship the beast prior to receiving the mark.
3. Many dogs and cats today have a small computer chip put under their skin for identification purposes. Perhaps this is the purpose the mark serves.
4. Note that while the suffering could be a reaction to the mark (or computer chip, or the scanning process, the suffering for having the mark could be supernaturally inflicted.

Q: In Rev 14:1 (KJV) (NKJV), should it say "his Father’s name" or "his name and his Father’s name" like other translations?
A: The King James Version is incorrect here. Every Greek text except the one Erasmus wrote has "his name and his Father’s name." Jay P. Green’s Literal Translation, following the Textus Receptus, mistakenly omits this. The NKJV omits this, but adds in a footnote that the Alexandrian textual family as well as the majority (Byzantine) textual family differ from the Textus Receptus in having this.
How did this error come about? New Age Bible Versions Refuted p.6 says that this most likely was a simple typographical mistake made the Desiderius Erasmus, the Catholic priest who just prior to the Reformation put together the Greek text that became the Textus Receptus.

Q: Does Rev 14:3-4 teach that only 144,000 celibate men will be saved? (A Muslim stated matter-of-factly that this is what this passage taught.)
A: No, Revelation 14:3-4 is a special class of men from the 12 tribes of Israel. It is a lie to say it teaches "only 144,000 celibate men will be saved". You can read more about them in Rev 7:1-8, directly followed by "the great multitude from every tribe and nation in Revelation 7:9-10. Was it intentional that you failed to mention Revelation 7:1-10 when you said that only 144,000 celibate men will be saved?

Q: Is Rev 14:6-7 the fulfillment of everyone hearing the Gospel in Mt 24:14?
A: -It could be. On the other hand, the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 could be human beings preaching the Gospel to all nations.

Q: In Rev 14:9-12, does this mean the Sabbath will be restored as some Seventh-Day Adventists teach?
A: Not likely. As When Cultists Ask p.309 points out, the word Sabbath is not even mentioned in the entire book of Revelation. Any relationship between the mark of the beast and keeping or not keeping the Sabbath is simply in the minds of the interpreters.

Q: In Rev 14:11, is there going to be day and night in Hell? How could there be day and night if there were no sun?
A: No. On one hand, this obviously means forever continually. However, in addition, consider this. If a person were in a windowless prison, there would be day and night, but they would not see it. If a person were always facing a light they would not see day or night either. While there will be no sun or moon in Hell, Heaven, or the new earth, who knows what God would choose to create in other parts of the universe.

Q: In Rev 14:14-16, is it Jesus who on the cloud with a sickle?
A: Yes. The phrase "son of man" has the general meaning of people, but Jesus was also fond of using this phrase as a partial description of Himself.

Q: In Rev 14:18-20, how could grapes produce blood?
A: Obviously, these are no ordinary grapes. These grapes likely symbolize the persecution of people. The judgment of this will come to those who persecute others.

Q: In Rev 14:20, go ahead and figure out the size of the river of blood God [allegedly] wants to have in Rev. 14:20. It would take the blood of just about one billion people the fill that river. Why is this?
A: On one hand, Revelation does not say this was blood from people. It does not say God’s perfect will wanted to have this either; rather this was decided by God as part of his judicial punishment on people. It could be blood that did not come from a living human or animal. On the other hand, if you calculate the blood from all the abortions done (which in the mid 1970’s was about 1 million per year in the U.S., and 7 million per year in Japan, and others in other countries), one might say that metaphorically we already have rivers of blood (and human at that) today. However, I do not think Revelation is just speaking a metaphor here. If God were to create new blood equal to the blood spilled from all the abortions and wars, it might fill a great many rivers.

Q: In Rev 15:4, why won’t everyone go to Heaven, since all will fear God and glorify His name?
A: No. This question contains the false assumption that everyone who ever glorifies God will go to Heaven. In contrast, this verse, as well as Philippians 2:10-11 and others, show that at the end, even those who are going to the Lake of Fire will praise God.

Q: In Rev 16 and Rev 17:1 (KJV), what is a vial?
A: Here, a vial is a bowl.

Q: In Rev 16, are the bowl (vial) judgments different from the seven trumpets in Rev 8-9, or the same?
A: Genuine Christians disagree on this.
Recapitulation theory says that they are the same because of the similarities and simply glosses over the key differences. The late fourth-century African Donatist Tyconius was one who taught the recapitulation theory relating to the millennium according to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 12 p.578.
The plain interpretation has no problem acknowledging there are many similarities, but the key differences show them to be separate, with the seven bowls more severe (often by a factor of three) than the seven trumpets. Here are the similarities and differences.

#	Trumpet	Bowl
1	hail & fire with blood 33% trees, 100% of the green grass burned	sores on those with the beast’s mark
2	A great mountain thrown into the sea, 33% of the sea is blood. 33% sealife died	100% of the sea is blood 100% sealife died
3	star wormwood fell. 33% fresh water bitter	100% fresh water is blood
4	33% of sun, moon, and stars darkened	sun could scorch people with fire
5	woe of the stinging locust for 5 months	beast’s kingdom full of darkness and pain
6	woe of the 4 angels setting loose 200M at the Euphrates to kill 33% of mankind	Euphrates dried up to prepare for the Armageddon: 3 frogs
7	The mystery of God’s kingdom has finished	It is done. A great earthquake. Babylon destroyed

Q: In Rev 16:1, was the wrath of God evident on the earth before this time?
A: Yes. Many verses show God expressing His wrath. However, no verses, except perhaps those concerning the flood, show God’s wrath expressed to as great extent on the earth until this time.

Q: In Rev 16:2, is the first bowl connected with the prayers of the saints?
A: No. This might be thought so only if you assume a) the seven bowls are the same as the seven trumpets (called recapit