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1 [THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John, Revelation 1:1 Amplified Bible

What is the Book of Revelation all about?

Artwork Used By Permission © Pat Marvenko Smith 10 I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a war trumpet, 11 Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia--to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. 12 Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. 15 His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, 18 And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead). 19 Write therefore the things you see, what they are [and signify] and what is to take place hereafter. 20 As to the hidden meaning (the mystery) of the seven stars which you saw on My right hand and the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the seven angels (messengers) of the seven assemblies (churches) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Revelation 1:10-20 Amplified Bible

What is the Book of the Revelation all about? The Book of the Revelation describes the events that are to take place as Christ unveils the divine mysteries which God the Father gave to Him (Christ) for the purpose of revealing them to us, His bond servants.

[THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John,

This being the case, at the disclosure (or revealing) of each mystery, the veil is removed, or in other words, the seal has come off; hence a scroll that was sealed with seven seals.

And I saw lying on the open hand of Him Who was seated on the throne a scroll (book) written within and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals;

As the revelation and understanding of each mystery comes forth, they are like the trunks of great trees coming forth from within the Word of God fed with the illumination of the Spirit and they burst forth into full blossom as the Book of the Revelation unfolds in its entirety. To use picture words, it is like gazing upon the Man standing among the myrtle trees.

During the night I had a vision-and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

As Christ unveils the divine mysteries that God the Father gave to Him for the purpose of revealing them to us (His bond servants), then the illumination of the mysteries brings us to a place where we can see them intertwined in the visions of John and the understanding of John's visions unfold. Therefore, the Book of Revelation becomes a "scroll" that is written within and on the back and the spiritual knowledge and illumination is given into the hands of those that are His own!

And I saw lying on the open hand of Him Who was seated on the throne a scroll (book) written within and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals;

When you see this, it will be just as it is written by the prophet Isaiah, "...your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like green and tender grass. And the [powerful] hand of the Lord shall be revealed and known to be with His servants, but His indignation [shown] to be against His enemies. For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots will be like the stormy wind, to render His anger with fierceness, and His rebuke with flames of fire."

14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like green and tender grass. And the [powerful] hand of the Lord shall be revealed and known to be with His servants, but His indignation [shown] to be against His enemies. 15 For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots will be like the stormy wind, to render His anger with fierceness, and His rebuke with flames of fire.

Seven Seals, Seven Mysteries

So what are the divine mysteries?

1. The Mystery of Christ in You the Hope of Glory
   
   25 In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]--26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints), 27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.
   
   Colossians 1:25-27 Amplified Bible


2. The Mystery of the Perishable Putting on the Imperishable (The Twinkling of an Eye Transforamtion)
   
   51 Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed) 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). 53 For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death). 54 And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
   
   1 Corinthians 15:51-55 Amplified Bible


3. The Mystery of the Plan of Redemption
   
   25 Now to Him Who is able to strengthen you in the faith which is in accordance with my Gospel and the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ (the Messiah), according to the revelation (the unveiling) of the mystery of the plan of redemption which was kept in silence and secret for long ages,
   
   Romans 16:25 Amplified Bible


4. The Mystery of the Oneness between Christ and the Church
   
   29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30 Because we are members (parts) of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church.
   
   Ephesians 5:29-32 Amplified Bible


5. The Mystery of the Unification of Israel
   
   25 Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has [temporarily] befallen a part of Israel [to last] until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in, 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. 27 And this will be My covenant (My agreement) with them when I shall take away their sins. 28 From the point of view of the Gospel (good news), they [the Jews, at present] are enemies [of God], which is for your advantage and benefit. But from the point of view of God's choice (of election, of divine selection), they are still the beloved (dear to Him) for the sake of their forefathers.
   
   Ephesians 5:29-32 Amplified Bible
   
   3 [And] that the mystery (secret) was made known to me and I was allowed to comprehend it by direct revelation, as I already briefly wrote you. 4 When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 [This mystery] was never disclosed to human beings in past generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles (consecrated messengers) and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit. 6 [It is this:] that the Gentiles are now to be fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body and joint partakers [sharing] in the same divine promise in Christ through [their acceptance of] the glad tidings (the Gospel).
   
   Ephesians 3:3-6 Amplified Bible


6. The Mystery of Lawlessness
   
   7 For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way.
   
   2 Thessalonians 2:7 Amplified Bible
   
   5 And on her forehead there was inscribed a name of mystery [with a secret symbolic meaning]: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes (idolatresses) and of the filth and atrocities and abominations of the earth.
   
   Revelation 17:5 Amplified Bible


7. The Mystery of Christ
   
   9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, 10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. 11 In Him we also were made [God's] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, 12 So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory! 13 In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. 14 That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the firstfruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it--to the praise of His glory.
   
   Ephesians 1:9-14 Amplified Bible
   
   9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord shall be one [in the recognition and worship of men] and His name one.
   
   Zechariah 14:9 Amplified Bible
   
   (Other Scripture References include: 1 Corinthians 2:1, Ephesians 3:3-6, Ephesians 6:19, Colossians 4:3-4, Colossians 2:2-3)

Now are the mysteries something new? Of course not! What throws people off is the word; "mystery", in the Greek the word, "mystery", simply means "that God has broken His silence." So as Christ removes each of the seven seals of the scroll (Revelation 6:1-8:1), God has broken His silence concerning them and the revelation and understanding of each of the divine mysteries comes forth, in doing so we see how they are intertwined in the visions of John and the understanding of his visions comes into full view; hence we can embrace the fullness of the Word of God and His plan and purposes. As we embrace the fullness of the Word of God and the veil of the heavens is pulled back, then we will embrace Christ, ushering in His Return because there will be nothing left to unveil in His Word and His Name is the Word of God.

13 He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God.

In other words, all things will have come to their climax in Him (in the Word), by Him (by the Word), and through Him (through the Word).

9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him, 10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.