Welcome to this week’s blog. For the next few weeks, I will continue to focus on my favorite book, the Bible.
This week I will continue with part two of the Bible, the New Testament (the Bible, Part 2). I will identify the purpose of each book, the author of each book, the date written, key verses and key people involved to help give you a better understanding of the Bible before you dive into it on your own.
When you open your Bible, you will find the New Testament has 27 books, starting with Matthew (28 chapters) and ending with Revelation (22 chapters). To date, I’ve completed the overview of the Old Testament, 39 books, Genesis (50 chapters) and ending with Malachi (4 chapters). In regards to the New Testament, I’ve completed the overview of 26 books, starting with the book of Matthew through the book of Jude.
If you wish to revisit any of the Old Testament or New Testament blogs, you can find them on my website: https://www.thewitnesstoday.com/blog-archives.
The author and compiler of the final book of the New Testament is John, from the Island of Patmos. For hundreds of centuries there have been many approaches to interpreting the book of Revelation. Many of these approaches have supporters, but none of which have proved to be the only way to interpret or read this last book of the Bible.
In this week’s blog I want to ensure I am setting the stage for the book of Revelation before you jump into reading this book. There will be multiple blogs on the book of Revelation, as this is the final and last book of the New Testament with 22 chapters.
The book of Revelation is written in “apocalyptic” form – a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) for all of us who will be in the midst of persecution. The events in Revelation are ordered according to literary, rather than a traditional, chronological timeline. Revelation provides a powerful message of warning and instruction for end times or otherwise known as the “Day of the Lord.”
The best and most applicable questions a reader should be asking themselves before approaching the study of the book of Revelation are these three main questions:
1. Will the book of Revelation help me become a better follower of Jesus Christ today?
2. Will I fully grasp the warning, instructions, and corrections clearly and undeniably God has laid out for me in this book?
3. Will I understand that God has fully equipped me to share this new gained knowledge with my family, friends and strangers so that they too may be saved on the day of judgment?
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. – Revelation 1:3 (NIV).
The over arching arrangement of the book of Revelation is as follows:
1. Worshiping God in Heaven
2. Opening the Seven Seals
3. Sounding the Seven Trumpets
4. Observing the Great Conflict
5. Pouring out of the Seven Plagues
6. Seizing the Final Victory
7. Making all things New
Another important piece of information to provide readers before you dive into the book of Revelation is the large collection of names for Jesus throughout the book of Revelation. Each title of Jesus signifies Jesus’ character, and His role within God’s plan of redemption.
1. Son of Man
2. The First and the Last
3. The Living One
4. The Son of God
5. The Faithful and True Witness
6. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
7. The Root of David
8. Lamb
9. Shepard
10. Messiah
11. Faithful and True
12. The Word of God
13. King of Kings
14. Lord of Lords
15. The Alpha and the Omega
16. The Morning Start
27th Book – Revelation (1-22)
Purpose: To reveal the full identity of Christ, and to give warning and hope to believers.
Author: Apostle John
Date Written: ~ 95 A.D. (From the Latin word annō Dominī – stands for “In the year of the Lord”), from Patmos.
Key Verse: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. – Revelation 1:3 (NIV).
Key People: John and Jesus
Below is the chapter layout I will be blogging on in the upcoming weeks. This format will help readers move through the book of Revelation at their own pace. I encourage you to study and jot down your questions as you go through each chapter.
Chapter 1-3: Letters to the Churches (1:1-3:22) (NIV)
Chapter 4: Message for the Church (4:1-22:21) (NIV)
Chapter 5: The Scroll and the Lamb
Chapter 6: Opening the Seven Seals
Chapter 7: 144,000 Sealed and The Great Multitude in White Robes
Chapter 8-9: The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
Chapter 10: The Angel and the Little Scroll
Chapter 11: The Two Witnesses and The Seventh Trumpet
Chapter 12: The Woman and the Dragon
Chapter 13: The Beast out of the Sea
Chapter 14: The Lamb and the 144,000, The Three Angels, Harvesting the Earth, and Trampling the Winepress
Chapter 15: Pouring out the Seven Plagues
Chapter 16: The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
Chapter 17: Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast, Seizing the Final Victory
Chapter 18: Lament Over Fallen Babylon, Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment, Threefold WOE Over Babylon’s Fall, and The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
Chapter 19: Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall, The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast
Chapter 20: The Thousand (1,000) Years, The Judgment of Satan, The Judgment of the Dead Chapter 21: A New Heaven and a New Earth, Making all things New, The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
Chapter 22: Eden Restored, John and the Angel, Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
Let’s recap. This week we covered the basic format and chapters of the book of Revelation (27th chapter) in the New Testament.
The next few weeks I will continue with the book of Revelation.
I am hopeful that you are finding this format an easy, quick overview of both the Old and New Testaments.
Blessings until next week,
Debra Pauli
Unstoppable Believer
Scripture Quoted From: New International Version Bible (NIV)
Archived Blogs: https://www.thewitnesstoday.com/blog-archives