Reasons for a future interpretation of Revelation (chapter by chapter)

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Most of the events of the Book of Revelation happen on a global scale with a supernatural magnitude that the world has yet to see. The Preteristic interpretation says that all the events/prophecies (or most) have already been fulfilled and all refer to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Preterism has to limit all the events of Revelation to the single location of Jerusalem in order to show that they are referring to those events that took place in 70 AD. However, as we will see, the events that take place in the book of Revelation are happening on a global scale and therefore cannot have been fulfilled.

The following is a chapter by chapter look at the key events of Revelation to reveal their global and supernatural nature and prove they cannot have been fulfilled. Events like these have never taken place in our history and are absolutely still to happen.

Chapter 1:

Verse 7: “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

Every eye will see him including Jews and all the tribes of the earth. This is global and not limited to just Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Some people try to say that the word “earth” actually just means “land” and therefore when verse seven says, “all tribes of the earth” it actually refers to Israel. This is an attempt to try and limit the global nature of Revelation to fit it into a single location of Jerusalem in order to fit their view that all of Revelation was fulfilled in 70 AD at the destruction of Jerusalem. However two verses early, when speaking of Christ’s supreme authority over the whole earth, John also uses the word “earth”, verse 5: “…and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” The exact same Greek word “gē” is used in both cases. Because this word can sometimes mean “land” or “soil” some people try to apply it generally to mean the land of Israel. But Scripture must interpret Scripture or we may find ourselves being unfaithful to the Greek and to the Bible.

This same word for earth, when referring to all the earth and not just the land of Israel, is used in many other places in the Bible. For example:

When Christ commissioned His disciples in Acts 1:8 to preach the Gospel to the outermost parts of the “earth” he uses the same Greek word “gē” that is used in “all tribes on earth will wail because of him”. Was Jesus only telling His disciples to go to the outermost parts of Israel or to every nation on planet earth?
What about when Paul recounts God saying to Abraham, “And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” is God saying only the families of Israel will be blessed through Abraham’s seed or was God referring to all the families of the earth, being the Gentiles as well? Many Scriptures reveal He is referring to the whole world.
In Revelation 5:3 John refers to the scroll in heaven that only Christ can open he says, “And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it”. He uses this same word “gē” to describe the earth, that is the planet or the whole world. Was he only referring to people in Israel or under the ground of Israel? Absolutely not. He’s referring to the whole world when he says “earth”.
In Revelation 3:10 John uses the same Greek word for earth and directly relates it to the whole world: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” This here shows clearly Revelation is not speaking about an hour of trial that is coming only on Israel but the whole world.
Revelation 10:6 “and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it”. Again the same word for earth. This is not referring to the land of Israel it is referring to the whole world, the planet. It simply shows that when the word “gē” is used it is referring to the whole earth and not the land of Jerusalem.
Revelation 11:8 “The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” This verse in Revelation is global. The nation’s raging here is not referring to Israel but the Gentiles that God was going to judge. Along with that He is going to destroy the destroyers of the earth. If this is referring to only Israel then who are the destroyers? Surely that would be the Romans who destroyed Israel. Well why is God judging them if He used them to destroy Israel in 70 AD. No the destroyers of the earth are the rulers and principalities that have brought destruction to the people of this world from the start of time until the end. God will pour out His wrath on them.
To say that Revelation 1:7 is only limited to the people of Israel is really twisting the Scriptures.
When John wants to specify that he is referring to Israel or Jerusalem in the book of Revelation he makes that explicitly clear either through direct language or figurative language. When he’s referring to the earth meaning the whole world he simply says the “earth”. If you are faithful to the context you find the word “earth” in you will usually always see other clues that it is referring to the whole world.
A final example is in Revelation 12:9 speaking about when Satan was thrown down to earth: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Satan wasn’t thrown down to the land of Israel, he was thrown down to planet earth. The same word “gē” is used. If “gē” means Israel then Satan was thrown down only to Israel and would therefore not be the deceiver of the whole world but only Israel. Basically it becomes very obvious that when Revelation speaks of the earth it is referring to planet earth or the whole world. This shows the global nature of the book of Revelation and how it cannot be limited to the single location of Jerusalem.
Preterist have to limit each reference of “earth” to “Israel” otherwise their whole theory falls apart. If the book of Revelation speaks of global events then the idea of a localized fulfillment in Jerusalem cannot stand. The reality is, Revelation is global! You can be sure that whenever the book of Revelation uses the word earth or whole world, or all nations, or every tribe and tongue it really means the whole world!

Chapter 6:

Verse 3 – 4: “When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.”

The rider on the red horse is permitted to take peace from the whole earth not Jerusalem. If John meant Jerusalem here then he would have just said Jerusalem not earth. Or at least there would be some context to suggest that earth is referring to Jerusalem but there isn’t.
Preterists look at how, when Israel was besieged and starved, many Jews turned on each other in rioting for food and say that that fulfilled this prophecy. Yes there are similarities with peace being taken in Israel at that time but to say that this fulfills this particular prophecy is over reaching.

Verse 7- 8: “When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”

The fourth seal rider named “Death” kills one fourth of the people of the earth with the sword, famine, pestilence and wild animals.
It’s not a fourth of Jerusalem but of the earth. This is global not local.

Verse 9 – 11: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”

The fifth seal is the martyrs under the alter wanting vengeance on those who dwell on the earth for their blood. History accounts that all the believers in Jerusalem fled the city in 70 AD when they saw the armies of Rome surrounding the city. They did this because they were pre-warned by Christ about it. This means that the martyrs under the altar in heaven are not those who were killed in Jerusalem in AD 70. In fact in Revelation 7 we see that these were those from the Great Tribulation from every tribe, language and nation of the earth not just Jews.
They ask for vengeance upon those who dwell on the earth not Israel. This shows that the fifth seal of Revelation was not fulfilled in 70 AD as preterism supposes.
Preterism suggests that the martyrs are the previously murdered saints and believers in Israel by the hands of religious Israel. This doesn’t make sense though because the judgments we see being poured out in the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments is Christ bringing a judgment against the beast, his kingdom and his followers, not Israel.
When Jesus was being murdered by religious Israel he cries out to the Father to “forgive them for they know not what they do”. It doesn’t make sense that he would pray this but in his heart knows he is about to visit Israel with wrath in 70 AD. When Stephen was being stoned by religious Israel he cries out “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”. This is the spirit of grace in the dispensation of grace since the Cross. Titus says that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all mankind” (Titus 2:11). Peter says that “God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
This crying out by the martyrs under the altar is right at the end of the age in the short Great Tribulation period just before Christ returns. I believe this is a period that is entered into at the sounding of the first trumpet and finishes with the sounding of the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet. (The seal, trumpet and bowl judgments all happen within this period. They all represent a demarcation in time. A change, a shift, a season. Scrolls are sealed until the right time to be revealed. Trumpets announce seasons and messages, bowls get full of the wrath of God and are released at the right time when they are full.) This period is when God’s dispensation of patience has come to an end and he is bringing judgment. However even in this period mankind has the opportunity to repent, which many believe happens after the 6th trumpet when “the rest give glory to God” (Revelation 11:13).

Verse 12 – 17: “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

This is God’s judgments upon the whole earth at the end of the age in Christ’s “great day of wrath”. This isn’t Israel hiding their faces from Christ, this is the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free. This just doesn’t fit into Jerusalem in 70 AD.
This is a global event at the return of Christ. It’s Christ coming to bring an end to the rebellious kingdoms of this world with wrath. This is not the end of Jerusalem in 70 AD this is the end of the world!

Chapter 7:

Verse 9, 13 & 14: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands… “ 13 “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Yes there was a terrible tribulation in Jerusalem around 70 AD but that is not the same Great Tribulation spoken of here. In that tribulation Jews were killed. But in this tribulation people from “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” were killed. The great tribulation here in Revelation 7 is a global tribulation and not the same tribulation that occurred in Jerusalem.
Also this multitude could not be counted. The number of Jews killed in the tribulation of 70 AD can be counted. In fact 1.1 million Jews were killed.
It’s impossible to say that this Great Tribulation was fulfilled with the tribulation of Jerusalem in 70 AD. If so this multitude would be made up of believing Jews only. However all the believing Jews fled Jerusalem when it was besieged because of Christ’s warnings previously.
Yes, some Gentile Christians were killed along the way as the Roman army headed towards Jerusalem. However, that still doesn’t fit into the description given here of “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.”

Chapter 8:

Verse 5 “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

The fire from the altar in Heaven was thrown upon the earth not Jerusalem. This is speaking about God’s judgments at the end of the age that will affect all the earth and cannot have been fulfilled by a local event in Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Verse 7: “The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”

The first trumpet sees hail and fire mixed with blood thrown upon the earth not Jerusalem.
One third of the earth is burnt up. Whether this is literal or figurative it’s pretty obvious that this did not happen in Israel in 70 AD nor on the earth yet.
This is clearly global and something that has not yet happened in history.
Many believe that a “third” represents a limited judgment and shows that there is more to come. The more to come is the bowl judgments which Revelation 15:1 says that with these judgments the wrath of God is complete.

Verse 8: “The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

How can this be referring to Jerusalem? Jerusalem is not even near the sea.
This, whether literal or figurative, is happening on a global scale and has nothing to do with Jerusalem.

Verse 10-11: “The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.”

With the third trumpet a great blazing star falls upon a third of the world’s water source and makes it bitter killing many people. This is a global event that is yet to happen and cannot be limited to Jerusalem in the past.

Verse 12: “The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.”

An event affecting the entire globe that has not yet happened.
This mention of thirds could be referring to God’s judgments coming upon satan’s kingdom. (A third of the angels were cast down to earth with satan.)

Verse 13: “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead,“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

The last three trumpets are severe judgments that will come upon those who dwell on the earth. The first four affect the actual earth but the last three affect people upon the earth. The first one torments unbelievers on earth for five months. The second is a large demonic army that kills a third of mankind and the final trumpet is the return of Christ to judge the dead. It just seems ludicrous to suggest that these three events all happened in Jerusalem in 70 AD!

Chapter 9:

Verse 1-9: “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. 7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.”

The fifth trumpet and first woe sees God protecting His people from a demonic army that is unleashed upon the unrighteous inhabitants of the earth to torment them for five months.
This army was permitted to torment mankind but not kill them.
The symbolic nature of these events leaves this somewhat open to interpretation but what is clear is that this affects the whole earth not just Jerusalem. These are not humans that have a human commander but demonic in nature and most likely it’s satan as their leader. There attack is not limited to Jerusalem but is global. God protects His people during this judgment, he doesn’t kill them.

Verse 13 – 19: “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.”

The sixth trumpet and second woe sees 200 million mounted troops released to kill a third of mankind. This is certainly global and has not happened yet. There is no way this could have been literally fulfilled in AD 70 in Jerusalem and there is no adequate spiritual interpretation that is plausible either.

Verse 20 – 21: “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

The rest of mankind do not repent in spite of these plagues.This shows how global all these events are since the “rest of mankind” did not repent. It doesn’t say the rest of Israel did not repent. To try to apply the book of Revelation to just Israel in 70 AD really brings great confusion to the Scriptures that speak of the whole earth and all of mankind being impacted directly by these events.
These woes are judgments upon the unrighteous inhabitants of the earth at the end of the age in God’s Day of Judgement. These are not past historical events instigated by man. They are God’s doing in the time of His judgment to accomplish His purposes.
What is amazing is that God still leaves room for mankind to repent during these times which it seems many possibly do at the end of the 6th trumpet in Revelation 11:13.

Chapter 10:

Verse 8 – 11: “Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. ”10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

John was told to prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings. This is clearly global and addressed to all the nations of the earth about things that God is going to do.
These verses make no sense when we try and limit Revelation’s fulfillment in 70 AD and affecting only Jerusalem.

Chapter 11:

Verse 1-3: “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Some people try to say that measuring the temple was a sign of God going to judge the earthly temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. However this is inaccurate. This is not the earthly temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed previously in 70 AD (Revelation was written around 95 AD). This is the heavenly temple of God in verse 1. It is measured possibly to show it’s perfection or to show where the judgment is coming from. (In Revelation 21:15 you see the new Jerusalem also being measured. Certainly this doesn’t mean the new Jerusalem is going to be judged.)
The rest of the chapter shows judgment coming upon the earth and all this is taking place within the 6th trumpet which is the second woe to the inhabitants of the earth just before the final trumpet and Christ’s return which verse 15-18 reveals.
The very last verse of chapter 11, verse 19 reveals God’s temple in heaven and judgment coming from it upon the earth. So measuring the temple in verse one but not the court outside the temple that is given over to the nations is more a sign that judgment is going to come from the temple in heaven upon the earth. And this is exactly what you see in the trumpet and bowl judgments that take place in this short period (42 months, 1260 days) just before the final trumpet and the return of Christ.
This also shows that there is no need for a rebuilt 3rd temple in Jerusalem in order for Revelation 11 to still be future. The temple in Revelation 11 and all throughout the book of Revelation is God’s temple in heaven. This is where all the heavenly activity and judgments are coming from.

Verses 3 – 13: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them,“Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

There are various interpretations here about what the symbolism of the two witnesses represents, however the global and supernatural magnitude of these events show us that they have never happened before.
The two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days. Numerous times the book of Revelation speaks about a three and a half year period indicated by either 1,260 days or a “time, times and half a time” or simply three and a half years. Many believe this is not necessarily a set period but indicates a short period. It’s half of seven years. Seven being a complete or full period, so half of that representing a short period. This short period of three and a half years is usually representative of the final short Great Tribulation period on earth at the end of the age.
So the two witnesses are prophesying during this Great Tribulation. We see clearly from Revelation 7 that this is not the tribulation of 70 AD but a tribulation that the world has not seen yet due to the countless numbers of believers that are martyred from every nation of the world standing before God in heaven.
These two witnesses have great power to kill anyone who tries to harm them as well as bring judgment and wrath upon the earth with supernatural powers. Events of this kind we have truly not yet seen.
The powers they use are fire from their mouths, power to shut the sky, power over the waters and power over the earth. Interesting that these all are represented in the first four trumpets. This shows that these witnesses are only active during the time of trumpets at the end of the age which includes and cannot be separated from the final 7th trumpet.
The whole earth rejoices at their deaths since they had been a torment to the whole earth. Global not local.
The whole earth celebrates their deaths by giving out gifts. Global not local.
They are supernaturally raised back to life and ascended to heaven as all their enemies watched them. Supernatural and has yet to occur. This also shows that the two witnesses cannot be the law and the prophets or Moses and Elijah.
Then there was a great earthquake which collapsed a tenth of the city and killed seven thousand people and the rest who had previously hated the two witnesses then give glory to the God of heaven.
These events have not occurred in our history like the way they are revealed in this chapter. They certainly did not take place around 70 AD.

Verse 15 – 19: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,

who is and who was,

for you have taken your great power

and begun to reign.

18 The nations raged,

but your wrath came,

and the time for the dead to be judged,

and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,

and those who fear your name,

both small and great,

and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

The seventh and final trumpet marks the end of the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ to judge the nations and usher in the reign of His Kingdom.
Verse 18 says, “The nations raged, but your wrath came”. Global not local.
It also says, “and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints”. This is global and affects all of mankind. How can this be limited to Jerusalem?
It also says that it’s the time for “destroying the destroyers of the earth”. Clearly this has not happened yet either. Notice how it says “the earth”. It’s not limited to Rome or Israel but the entire earth as Christ brings His entire reign upon the kingdom of the earth.
This last trumpet did not happen in 70 AD since Christ did not return and the first resurrection did not take place. This final trumpet is the same trumpet that Paul describes in first Corinthians when speaking about the return of Christ:

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

Chapter 12:

Verse 1 “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

The woman is Israel – The sun is Abraham, the moon is Isaac and the crown of twelve stars is Jacob who produced the twelve tribes of Israel.

Verse 2: “She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.”

Christ is the seed of Abraham and came through his lineage – Israel.

Verse 3 – 4: “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.”

Satan sought to destroy the Messiah who was to come through Israel.

Verse 5: “She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,”

Christ the King is born.
Christ ascension after His resurrection.

Verse 6: “and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”

Israel kept safe by God during the Great Tribulation at the end of the age.

Verse 7-9: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Satan and his angels are thrown down. The timeline is unclear when this took place. This could have started at the Cross or it may refer to the short period at the end of the age.
Either way it shows that God is bringing the rule of satan and his angels who deceive the whole earth to a ultimate judgement and end. He is bringing them down.

Verse 10 – 13: “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.”

The devil being cast down to earth releases great wrath in the short time he has left. This is the final conclusion of the Great Tribulation.
In this time satan pursues Israel to destroy her.

Verse 14 -16: “But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.”

God takes care of and protects Israel during the Great Tribulation. (Preterism has God destroying Israel during the tribulation.)
Satan pours out great wrath like a flood against Israel but God causes that wrath to be swallowed up to protect Israel.

Verse 17: “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”

The rest of the woman’s offspring are Gentile believers worldwide. These are the seed of Abraham who are children through faith in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
This is satan seeking to bring persecution against believers worldwide.

Chapter 13:

Verse 1- 10: “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” 5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”

The first beast here is clearly a person who is the leader of a world kingdom.
The kingdom of the beast is an antichrist world system of politics, economics and religion.

Given power from satan, his throne and great authority (satanic leader) – verse 2.
All the world marveled and followed the beast (political leader) – verse 3.
They worship the beast as well as satan who gave authority to the beast (religious leader).
He is given authority over every tribe, tongue and nation (world leader).
All who dwell on the earth will worship him except for the saints (world religion).
His coming is with a great worldwide deception (the falling away). (2 Thes 2:9-12).
He will bring great tribulation for 42 months. But is destroyed and cast into the lake of fire at the Second Coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:8). (Probably the greatest proof that the book of Revelation was not fulfilled in 70AD. Revelation 19 and 2 Thess 2 both say that the beast is destroyed/cast into the lake of fire at the return of Christ – this did not happen in 70AD. The return of Christ and the destruction of the beast are inseparable. You cannot have one without the other. Preterism is not accurate since Christ did not return in 70AD and the beast was not cast into the lake of fire.)

Verse 11 – 18: “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

The second beast is the false prophet spoken of in Revelation 19:20.

He makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the beast and deceives those who dwell on earth. This is global and affects the whole earth not just Jerusalem.
The false prophet helps give rise to the beasts babylonian world system that seeks to replace Christ and His kingdom and create his own kingdom on earth. (Just like the people in the time of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.) Revelation is all about Christ coming to judge satan, the beast, the false prophet, the babylonian system and all those caught up in it who won’t repent and turn to Christ.
Babylon is an antichrist world religious system – verse 4, 8, 15. The world will worship the beast/antichrist. Satan gives the beast his power. Satan is behind all the false religions of the world and if he decides to turn them over to the beast it means that people in false religion will shift their beliefs to the beast. This happens by the false prophet performing great signs and wonders that deceive the nations of the world into worshipping the beast. (Also see 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). This is a global happening that has not yet happened. It certainly did not happen in 70 AD. Rome forced itself upon Israel. Israel certainly did not worship Rome or any of it’s leaders.
Babylon is also an antichrist world political system – verse 2, 3, 7.
It is also an antichrist world economic system – verse 16 – 17.

Chapter 14:

Verse 6 – 7: “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Here the gospel supernaturally goes out to the whole world. This is a classic global event that happens supernaturally that clearly has not happened yet. This event takes as the final judgments of God are being poured out upon the earth, and as Christ prepares to harvest the earth. It also shows that God gives opportunity to the world to hear the Gospel and repent and turn to Christ.
It ties in directly with what Christ said in Matthew 24 that the end would not come until the Gospel was first preached in every nation on earth.

Verse 8: “Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

The judgments about to come are God’s judgments upon the beast/antichrist and his babylonian antichrist world system. God’s judgments will cause this Babylon to utterly fall and never revive. Israel certainly revived after 70 AD as did Judaism. Rome continued to rule for many years after as well. This rules out Rome, Israel and Judaism as Babylon.

Verse 9 – 11: “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

God’s judgments in the final Great Tribulation will fall upon all those who worship the beast and receive his mark. These are people not in Christ but who have rejected Christ to follow after the beast. These represent the people of the world in the great end time deception of the entire world not the Jews around 70 AD. The Jews around 70 AD did not worship Rome or it’s emperor but despised Rome and her ruled over them. Verse 9 -11 could not be the fulfillment of Jews worshipping the beast and receiving God’s wrath in 70 AD at the destruction of Jerusalem since the Jews did not worship Rome but hated Rome.

Verse 14 – 16: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.”

This is a grand supernatural global event that has never happened and signifies the return of Christ to harvest all the believers from the whole earth.

Verse 17 – 20: “Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.”

Another global and supernatural event where God harvests the unrighteous from the entire earth to receive wrath. This is not a harvest of Jews in Jerusalem.
“Outside the city” is not Jerusalem. Jews in 70 AD were killed inside the city. This is simply the city of God. The unrighteous will not enter it but will be judged outside of it (Revelation 21, 22).

Chapter 15:

Verse 1“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.”

In chapter fifteen we see seven angels with seven bowls full of the seven last plagues which complete the wrath of God upon the earth before Christ’s Second Coming. We don’t need to look for a spiritual interpretation of these plagues as they are to be taken literally. The plagues that God brought upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians were not spiritual plagues but literal plagues. In fact some of the bowl judgments are the exact same literal plagues God brought on Egypt. For instance the sores or boils, water turning to blood, darkness over the land and hail. We have not seen plagues of this global and supernatural magnitude yet in our history and are the most catastrophic events that will ever take place on planet earth just before Christ’s return. It is impossible to say these were all fulfilled in 70 AD without being totally unfaithful to Scripture.
These judgments are not God having an uncontrolled temper tantrum but God bringing down “Pharaoh”/ the beast and “Egypt”/ Babylon. The purpose of the judgments upon Egypt was God showing His power to the rest of the world in bringing down the “greatest nation on earth” and to liberate His people from their oppressors and to punish the oppressors. It’s the same with these judgments.

Verse 2 – 4: “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the nations!

4 Who will not fear, O Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Here we see all the martyrs of the Great Tribulation in heaven who overcame the beast by dying in Christ. Their death at the hand of the beast and his followers was not a victory for the beast but a cause of vengeance from God upon the beast and his followers.
These martyrs give glory to God and worship Him for what He is about to do and declare that He is just and true in all that He does.
This is not a picture of defeat but triumph for the saints!

Chapter 16:

Verse 1: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

These are the final judgments of God to be poured out upon earth before Christ’s Second Coming. (Also see Revelation 15:1).

Verse 2: “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.”

The first bowl judgment sees harmful and painful sores coming upon the people on the earth who are part of the beast’s babylonian religious and economic system, who worship the image of beast and receive his mark.
To believe this was all fulfilled in 70 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and slaughtered 1.1 million Jews is to believe opposite to this scripture. Here God is judging the beast’s followers and protecting his people not judging his people and protecting the beast’s followers.
These judgments specifically do not come upon believers who refused to receive the mark of the beast or worship his image.
What will happen to God’s people during these great judgments? They will be protected just as God protected Israel in the land of Goshen and kept them from the plagues he poured out upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians (Exodus 8:22 and 9:26).

Verse 3: “The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.”

This second and mighty bowl judgment see’s the entire ocean of the world turn to blood which kills every living thing in it.
This is global and supernatural and has never occurred in our human history and will only happen in the very last days just before Christ’s returns.
Judgments like these are about bringing down the babylonian economic system as we see in chapter eighteen the fall of Babylon.
This simply cannot refer to Jerusalem as the ocean is nowhere near Jerusalem.

Verse 4 – 7: “The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,

for you brought these judgments.

6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,

and you have given them blood to drink.

It is what they deserve!”

7 And I heard the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,

true and just are your judgments!”

The third bowl turns the world’s drinking water supply into blood as a just judgment against the world who shed the blood of the saints and prophets.
This isn’t blood being shed that turns the water into blood. This is a supernatural act of God that turns the water into blood. Similar to when God judged Egypt and Pharaoh for not letting Israel go free. One of the plagues was turning their water supply into blood, not by shedding blood but by a supernatural act (see Exodus 7).
This event is of such a great magnitude globally and supernaturally that no historical event can show its fulfillment yet.
Verses 6 and 7 shows that God is true and just in bringing these judgments.

Verse 8 – 9: “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”

The fourth plague is fierce scorching heat from the sun. This will be like nothing that has ever occurred in the history of mankind.
They could repent during these times just as Pharaoh and Egypt could have yet chose not to because of hardened hearts against God.
This event is affecting the sun meaning it’s global not local.

Verse 10 – 11: “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.”

Here God is judging the beast, his world kingdom and his followers.
If Revelation was fulfilled in 70 AD with God using the beast and his armies to judge Jerusalem, then why does the Bible show God judging the beast and his armies here?
We see God bringing this very same plague upon Egypt in Exodus 10:21-23.
This darkness is not limited to Jerusalem but is a global and supernatural event.
It is not spiritual but literal just as it was in Egypt.
In all of this mankind could repent.

Verse 12 – 16: “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”

This is a literal event that is a final stand by the beast and his followers against Christ.
Together, satan, the antichrist and the false prophet perform demonic supernatural signs to deceive the kings of the whole world to assemble against Christ in what is known as the battle of Armageddon.
The demonic spirits that come out of the mouth of satan, the beast and false prophet go abroad to gather the kings of the whole world. This is undeniably global and cannot be limited to Jerusalem.
This could not have been fulfilled in 70 AD since the Romans didn’t come with all the kings of the world to fight against Christ and His people nor did they get wiped out by Christ. Rome simply came to destroy Jerusalem – a completely separate event.
Preterists claim that Christ came through the Romans to destroy Israel and kill 1.1 million Jews but the battle of Armageddon is the kings of the world coming to fight against Christ. A preteristic interpretation causes contradiction here.

Verse 17 – 21: “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”

Nothing of this magnitude has ever occurred in the history of mankind and certainly never in Jerusalem.
A great earthquake that splits the great city (Babylon or the kingdom of the beast not Jerusalem – Revelation 17:18) and destroys all the cities of the nations. All the city of the nations were not destroyed literally or figuratively in 70 AD. This is an event that is yet to happen.
Every island fled and no mountain could be found.
Great hailstones about one hundred pounds each fell from heaven on people.
It is impossible to say this was all fulfilled in 70 AD. Nothing of this magnitude has ever occurred literally or figuratively.
This is literally the final days of the Great Tribulation of God judging the beast , his kingdom and his followers just as Christ is about to return again.

Chapter 17:

Verse 1 – 2: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

The great prostitute is the satanic babylonian world system of religion, politics and economics under the control of the beast.
This is what God is pouring out His judgments upon during the Great Tribulation.
The seal, trumpet and bowl judgments bring destruction upon the ocean, drinking water and the land in order to collapse the kingdom of the beast.
God also judged the followers of this babylonian religious system who worship and follow the beast. Verse 2 says that the kings of the world and the dwellers on earth commit sexual immorality with this great prostitute which is figurative of idolatry and worshipping false gods. This show that the Babylon system is a global system that the whole world is subject to and is not referring to Rome and was certainly not fulfilled in 70 AD.

Verse 3 – 6: “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”

Babylon is called the mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations. This is a global world system of religion, government and business that deceives the nations into following her.
It is this babylonian system that kills the saints/martyrs of Jesus from every nation of the world in the Great Tribulation.
Babylon cannot be Israel, Judaism or Rome. Yes there may be some similarities that can be drawn and stretched to fit. But when all the global and supernatural events and details are taken into account you’ll see that Israel, Judaism or Rome cannot fit the descriptions for the Great Prostitute.

Verse 15: “And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.”

The prostitute cannot be Israel because she is seated upon all the peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.
This is speaking of the influence and extent of the beast’s kingdom. His kingdom is seated or has its rule upon all the people and nations of the world.
Babylon cannot be Rome, even though it sounds like it could. The reason it can’t be though is because God never poured out the bowl judgments upon Rome in 70 AD.

Verse 18: “And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Israel doesn’t have dominion over the kings of the earth.
This great city is the satanic babylonian antichrist world kingdom of the beast who will only appear at the very end of the age.

Chapter 18:

Verses 1- 3: “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

She has become a dwelling place for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

a haunt for every unclean bird,

a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

3 For all nations have drunk

the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

Numbers of statements throughout this chapter show that Babylon cannot represent Jerusalem or Israel but rather a world kingdom of the beast that has religious, political and economical influence over the world. We saw before that it cannot be Rome since God did not pour out the bowl judgments upon Rome. It has to be a world kingdom at the end of the age that is ruled by the beast.
Verse 3 – “For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality” (religious) and “the kings of the earth have have committed immorality with her” (political) and “the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living” (economic).

Verses 4-5: “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,

lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;

5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

and God has remembered her iniquities.”

This is God protecting his people from the wrath that is about to be poured out upon the beast’s kingdom.
I don’t believe this is the rapture but rather the first harvest of the earth (Revelation 14:14-16) which immediately follows the first resurrection of all the righteous dead (1 Corinthians 15:50-52) who will come alive and join the righteous living on the earth at that time to be changed in a twinkling of an eye to be like Christ and then be gathered up together to meet Christ in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8) upon which they all will return in judgment upon the beast, his followers and his kingdom (Revelation 19:11-21) which the next few verses show happening and how swift it happens which completely correlates to the second harvest of the earth in Revelation 14:17-20 where the wicked are gathered like clusters of grapes to be thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath.

Verse 8: “For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,

death and mourning and famine,

and she will be burned up with fire;

for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

Verse 19b: “For in a single hour she has been laid waste.”

Babylon is destroyed in a single day, and even a single hour. This again confirms it cannot be Jerusalem in 70 AD nor Rome ever.

Verse 21: “Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,

and will be found no more;”

Again this cannot be Rome or Jerusalem as this city is utterly destroyed and will be found no more. Rome and Jerusalem both continued to exist after 70 AD and all the activities quoted in verse 22-23 that would never happen again in her continued to happen in Rome and eventually happened again in Jerusalem.
Note this chapter is about the utter destruction of Babylon and is Christ bringing down the end of the age world kingdom of the beast just as he is about to return.

Chapter 19:

Verse 1-2: “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

2 for his judgments are true and just;

for he has judged the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her immorality,

and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

This great multitude is made up of the martyrs in heaven that are the same martyrs of the sixth seal in Revelation 6:9-11 who cry out for vengeance against those who dwell on the earth who shed their blood. This is them rejoicing because God had finally avenged their blood by destroying the great prostitute. This all shows that the martyrs under the altar are those who are killed during the reign of the beast by his kingdom Babylon and his followers.
Some people may feel horrified at the thought of God judging people but verse 2 says that “his judgments are true and just”. God’s judgment is not an unjust temper tantrum of uncontrollable anger. His judgment is measured, it’s appropriate, it is just and it is righteous and true. God had extended his grace since the Cross toward all mankind but now the end of his patience had come and the final short period of his wrath in which the great prostitute is judged.
The saints are worshiping God for finally destroying the great prostitute which corrupted the whole earth.

Verse 6-8: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

8 it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”

Here we see that this great multitude is also made up of all the righteous “dead” throughout all history that are currently in heaven awaiting the first resurrection and the return of Christ which we see happening next.
This multitude is worshipping God because the “marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.” This shows that the final destruction of Babylon and the marriage of the Lamb to his Bride are two events that happen very close together.

Verse 11-16: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

This is the glorious Second Coming of Christ!
His Church is happy about his return but the ungodly nations will weep and wail at his return. This is consistent with all the Second Coming Scriptures (Matthew 24:29-31, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6: 12-13, Revelation 14.)
With him is his Bride made up of the righteous saints who are in heaven now called the armies of heaven. We know they are the saints because they are “arrayed in fine linen, white and pure” which is exactly how they are referred to previously in verse 8.
It is not emphasized here but this is when the first resurrection of Revelation 20:4, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and the world harvest of the righteous in Revelation 14:14 will most likely take place.

Verse 17 – 21: “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

These verses clearly show that this has not happened you. This is Christ coming to judge the beast and his followers. This is made clear in verse 18 and 19 saying that those who come up against Christ and his armies are the kings of the earth , their armies and all flesh of all men. This cannot be Rome and it cannot be Jerusalem.
Verse 20 is the strongest scripture in all of Revelation that proves a future fulfilment. It shows the beast and false prophet being captured and cast into the lake of fire upon the return of Christ. This is the same beast and false prophet of Revelation 13 who deceived those who received the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. This shows that all the events that take place in Revelation previous to the return of Christ are directly connected to the return of Christ. They cannot be separated as partial preterism does. If Christ only destroys the beast upon his return and since the beast has not been destroyed nor has Christ’s returned, there is only one conclusion and that is that all these events are yet to happen. 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-11 reinforces this. It says that the Church will not be gathered up unto Christ until first the great deceptions takes place and the “man of lawlessness” (the beast) is revealed whom Christ will destroy upon his coming with the breath of his mouth.
All this show we have yet to see this beast revealed who is the exact same beast that Christ will destroy upon his return. This shows that both full and partial preterism cannot be true.

Chapter 20:

Verse 1-3: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer,”

Here we see satan being bound for a thousand years. This is either literal or figurative. What is important though is in verse 3 where it says “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer”. This shows that what is in focus in the book of Revelation is the entire world and not just Jerusalem.
It is also important to see the timeline here. This event happens after the Second Coming and the destruction of the beast of Revelation 13. This 1000 years cannot be spiritualised to mean a time during 70 AD or to have started at the Cross since this event clearly only takes place after the Cross and after 70 AD.

Verse 4: “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

This verse shows that this 1000 year period takes place after the Great Tribulation but the two events are connected.
This is the first resurrection. It includes all the righteous throughout time, yet this verse mainly emphasizes the martyrs and believers of the Great Tribulation during the reign of the beast.
Christ has just return to earth to destroy the beast and his kingdom (Revelation 19:11-21) and he brought his saints with him. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 shows this first resurrection happening just as Christ is returning. These martyrs coming to life is at the time of this first resurrection. (There are only two resurrections described in Scripture. The first is for believers and the second is for unbelievers who come back to life to face judgment in Revelation 20:11-15. The only timeline plausible for these saints to come back to life is in the first resurrection just as Christ is returning.)
It’s important to see the timeline here. First there is the Great Tribulation, then the first resurrection, then the Second Coming of Christ, then the 1000 year reign of Christ with his people. Some people try to spiritualize the 1000 year reign as taking place starting from the Cross. This cannot be since the Great Tribulation has to happen first.
Some people try to spiritualize the resurrection saying this is the new creation experience for every believer since the Cross. This cannot be since the Great Tribulation has to happen first and only then the first resurrection, return and 1000 year reign. Spiritualizing the millennium to mean the new creation experience for every believer is unfaithful to the timeline given.
This resurrection is a literal and physical resurrection of all the righteous dead who will rise up into glorification and immortality to reign with Christ. This is something that has yet to happen and therefore shows that a futuristic view of Revelation is the most accurate and only way to interpret the book.

Verse 7-10: “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This 1000 year reign may be figurative but it certainly seems more literal. It sounds like it happens just the way Scripture is describing it. It doesn’t fit into our general understanding of how most people think the end is going to happen, yet it is us who are supposed to fit in with Scripture not the other way round.
What is important to see is again the timeline. This ending of the 1000 years and satan’s time coming to an end and being cast into the lake of fire happens only at the end of the 1000 year reign. This millennium happens after the Return of Christ, which happens after the Great Tribulation. Revelation very clearly gives us a timeline so if we are going to spiritualise the millennium we still need to do it within the correct timeline.
You cannot say that this is referring to satan being defeated and thrown into the lake of fire at the Cross. That simply doesn’t fit since the Great Tribulation, the first resurrection and the Second Coming of Christ have to all happen first.
This ultimate destruction of satan is yet to happen. To say that this has happened already in the past at the Cross or in 70AD simply does not fit the timeline even if we were spiritualizing everything.
Again this all shows that a future interpretation of Revelation is much more accurate and plausible.

Verse 11 – 15: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Directly after satan being destroyed we see the second resurrection taking place. Again this all fits within our future timeline and shows this is an event that affects all unrighteous mankind. This has yet to happen in the future.
On a side note, this verse is evidence of a number of things that many today try to get rid of. It shows that universalism is unbiblical. It shows that hell is real, and that hell is eternal, and that real people are going to go there. This is the same lake of fire where the beast, false prophet and satan are sent to. These cannot be spiritualized. They are all literal and this will physically happen to all the unrighteous in the future at the final Great White Throne judgment of Christ.
If you are faithful to the timeline given in Revelation you will see that all of these things cannot be spiritualized to have taken place at the Cross or around 70 AD. All these events are connected to each other and are in sequence. This Great White Throne judgement happens only after the second resurrection, which happens only after the final destruction of satan, which happens only after the millennium, which happens only after the return of Christ and the destruction of the beast and false prophet, which happens only after the first resurrection, which happens only after the Great Tribulation, which happens only after the emergence of the beast and false prophet which happens only after the Cross at right at the end of the age.
These things could not have happened at the Cross or in 70 AD nor when a believer gets born again. You would have to deliberately ignore the timeline and all the details in order to convince someone it has all spiritually taken place.
You cannot have the beast emerging in 70 AD but then only being destroyed thousands of years later when Christ returns since this beast is a person and cannot live for 2000 years. Since Christ only destroys him upon his return it proves we have yet to see this beast emerge and have yet to see the Great Tribulation take place. (Revelation 13 uses the words “him”, “he” and his to describe this beast clearly showing its a real person and not a system.)
You cannot have Christ returning in 70 AD to reign for a figurative millennium but at the same time not have the first resurrection of all the righteous saints take place. This first resurrection, which the Bible clearly describes as a literal event, is the cut off point for people to be saved. Afterward this resurrection there is no longer any opportunity for people to be saved. The next and final resurrection is the second resurrection in which the unrighteous are raised to face judgement. There has still be lots of opportunity for people to get saved since 70 AD and we have yet to see the first resurrection taking place. Therefore it is impossible for the millennium to have begun at the Cross or around 70 AD.
Partial preterism separates all the events preceding the return of Christ (chapters 4-19) with the actual return of Christ and that which follows (chapters 20-22) by placing thousands of years in between.
Full preterism separates chapters 4-19 from 20-22 by claiming all the events of chapters 20-22 spiritually happened either at the Cross or after the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD.
In both cases the timeline of Revelation 20-22 shows that neither is plausible. For instance the beast and his activities that take place in Revelation 13 during the Great Tribulation is the same beast that is destroyed upon Christ’s return in Revelation 19. The saints who rise in the first resurrection in Revelation 20 are the martyrs who were killed during the Great Tribulation and did not take the mark of the beast of Revelation 13. These saints come alive for the millennial reign of Christ. And only at the end of this millennium is satan destroyed.

Chapter 21:

Verse 1: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Full preterism tries to spiritualize the new heaven and new earth to say that this is the new creation of believers. That every one who is born again receives or is “the new heaven and new earth”. There are different variations on this kind of thinking but the bottom line is that it is just nonsense.
Firstly our timeline doesn’t allow for this since this event has yet to come and happens in sequence after the return of Christ, the resurrections, the destruction of the beast, the millennium and the destruction of satan.
Secondly, 2 Peter 3:12-14 absolutely destroys this kind of thinking as it shows that the new heaven and new earth is something that we as believers are still waiting for and will only happen after the physical destruction of the literal old heaven’s and earth at the coming of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:12-14 “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

Verse 2-4: “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Full preterism tries to spiritualize the new Jerusalem saying that this verse took place after the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD. Meaning that the old adulterous Israel under the law was judged and done away with and replaced by the Church (the new bride or the new Jerusalem). This cannot be so since it is a violation of the timeline given in Revelation.
Secondly the text shows us that these things have not yet occurred in that the Bride comes down out of heaven from God, and it will be in a time where there can be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying nor pain anymore since all the former things have passed away. Well the former things have not passed away and there still is death, pain, crying and mourning.

Verse 9-10: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,”

This show us the timeline where the new Jerusalem is only revealed after the bowl judgements not before. The bowl judgements are God’s judgement on the beast and his kingdom and followers, whom this same beast is only destroyed upon the return of Christ. The bowl judgement was not God’s judgements upon Israel in 70 AD since these are all global events and do not acceptably line up with anything that happened in Jerusalem around 70 AD. They are global and supernatural events that are only yet to happen in the future and once finished the kingdom of the beast is decimated and Christ returns.

Verse 22-26: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

This is a picture of eternity together with Christ and his Bride, the Church.
Some try to say that this is speaking about the Church on earth, sighting that verse 24 speaks about the “kings of the earth”. However the start of the chapter just told us that this was a new earth for the old one had passed away. This earth is now part of the future eternal kingdom of God which in the classical sense is heaven. The verse is conveying that all peoples in heaven will be giving glory to God and enjoying intimacy with him. That in heaven there will be no vile and detestable things and there will be no night or darkness.
Yes the true Church of Christ on earth now is glorious but it is nothing compared to the fullness of heaven when the Church will permanently be with God in perfect intimacy for eternity where there will be no more darkness, no more pain, death, crying and mourning. Most certainly this is yet to come and highly anticipated!

Chapter 22:

Verse 1-5: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

This is a continued description of heaven and what it will be like.
Verse five shows the eternal nature of what is described “they will reign forever and ever.” Clearly something that is yet to happen and what we look forward to as believers.

Verse 6-7: “And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

These two verses are great because they echo the very opening verse of Revelation that Christ was revealing “the things that must soon take place”. This shows that everything from Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 22:6 (and verses 10, 12 & 20) are included in the things that must take place soon. That means that all the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments, the revealing of the beast and his kingdom, the fall of Babylon, the return of Christ, the destruction of the beast and false prophet and satan, the final judgment and the ushering in of the eternal state are all included in what must take place soon. This means two major things. Firstly, that if all the events are already fulfilled because they had to have happened “soon” it means that the Second Coming has already taken place, the destruction of the beast and satan, the fall of Babylon, the final judgment and eternity being ushered in has all already taken place. These things have most certainly not taken place and it would be scriptural suicide to say that they have. To spiritualize them is also scriptural suicide since that violates the timeline in which they are found. Secondly, it shows that when God says soon and when man says soon it means two different things. God’s soon includes everything from 95 AD, which is when Revelation was written, all the way up until the return of Christ and the ushering in of the eternal kingdom. It doesn’t have to mean within a few years from the writing of Revelation just because we usually always use the word “soon” to mean in the very near future.

Verse 14-15: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dog sand sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

There are many verses in Revelation that show the saints in heaven with white robes, washed and clean. These are those who wash their robes by trusting in Christ and thereby receiving his gift of righteousness. This is simply another verse showing that those who have washed robes enter into heaven and share in the tree of life. This is not figuratively speaking about the Church and that the world is outside of the Church. This is a picture of heaven and those outside of heaven are those who have been judged and cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8 shows very clearly the same picture of heaven and those outside. It lists the same kind of people as verse 15 here does and says that their part is the lake of fire. These are not people on earth that need to come into the Church and have their robes washed. These are people who have been through the second resurrection and the Great White Throne judgment and have been cast into the eternal lake of fire where the beast, the false prophet and satan all are and where they will suffer eternal and irreversible punishment. (Revelation 20:15; 19:20; 20;10).

Verse 17: “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

The Spirit and the Bride are not saying “Come and judge Israel”. They are saying come Lord Jesus and usher in your eternal kingdom. They are not saying come and kill. They are saying “let the one who is thirsty take the water of life without price”. The spirit of this verse is not death but life to anyone and everyone who will receive Christ.

Verse 18-19: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

This is simply a strong warning not to add to or take away from the prophecies in Revelation. You cannot use these verses to build a doctrine of losing salvation. The primary purpose of these statements is to reveal how important the book of Revelation is. That we need to handle it with such care and faithfulness. We don’t have the right to change it to suit our preferences for what we wish it were saying. We need to be faithful to keep it exactly how it was intended to be. Faithful to its timeline; faithful to the words used and not change them to mean something else; faithful to the details given around each event and not spiritualize something that was not intended to be spiritualized while ignoring important details, or only focusing on one detail in an event to make an interpretation while ignoring all the other details around that same event that are needed to make a true interpretation.

Verse 21: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

The very last verse reveals that the spirit of the book of Revelation is primarily grace and not judgment! Yes judgement must and will come and when it does it will be just, righteous, holy and appropriate, but the spirit of Revelation and the heart of Christ is grace. Grace to the churches, grace to the saints and grace to mankind to receive him, his kingdom and eternal life.
The end of the book echoes the same sentiment as the opening of the book in Revelation 1: 4 “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come”

Final thought:

It is very clear that if you are faithful to the global and supernatural characteristics of these prophecies the only way to interpret the book of Revelation is that it is yet to take place in the future and will all take place in the short period of time at the climax of the ages. We have yet to see the beast emerge, go through the Great Tribulation, experience Christ’s judgment upon the beast, his kingdom and followers, the fall of Babylon, the destruction of the beast and false prophet, the first resurrection and return of Christ, the millennial reign of Christ, the destruction of satan, the second resurrection and Great White Throne judgment and the ushering in of the eternal state. This is what the book of Revelation reveals to us. Its awesome to see how the end takes place. I get filled with faith and confidence when I see how absolutely victorious Christ is and how we will rule with him forever and ever; that nothing can stop Christ; that all the ungodly world systems of satan will come to an final and ultimate end; that heaven will be glorious and that we get to be there with our God forever. Revelation reveals the wonderful hope that every believer has. To say this has all taken place already is strange and robs believers of true hope. The book of Revelation is an inspiring and faith building book that shows us the absolute authority of Christ and his ultimate destroying of all things evil. It is filled with great hope and anyone who reads the words of this book and takes them to heart is truly blessed!

By Ryan Rufus

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