Spiritual Insights from Revelation

Before any believer can receive spiritual understanding from the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation, they must first pray and ask God for a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Ephesians 1:17 (NASB95)
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

They must pray that God the father will give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him with specific application to having wisdom how to interpret the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation.

James 1:5 (NASB95)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God’s word says that if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach and this wisdom of God will be given to him. Therefore believers seeking divine help in understanding the book of both Daniel and the book of Revelation must ask in Jesus Name for wisdom in how to interpret this books.

Solomon Asked God for Wisdom

1 Kings 3:12 (NASB95)
12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

Solomon asked God for wisdom and it was granted to him. God was pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom because this request was not selfish. Asking for wisdom means that someone wants to understand so that they can help others with this wisdom.

1 Kings 5:12 (NASB95)
12 The LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; . . .

It was proven that Solomon had received divine wisdom from God because all the leaders on earth sought his presence just to hear the wisdom of God come forth from him. It is evident that the Lord had given wisdom to Solomon because he was wiser than any other man on earth. This was not something that was learned or gained by natural study. This wisdom was imparted to Solomon by God’s Spirit.

Therefore, those believers who want understand the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation should pray for the same wisdom needed to interpret these books.

Revealing Future Prophetic Events

Revelation 1:1–3 (NASB95)
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

It should be noted that the purpose of the book of Revelation is to reveal the things that must take place in the future.

Those who read these prophetic words and take heed to them will be blessed. The time is near especially since the human history is short compared to eternal things and never before have so many events lined up for the fulfillment of these scriptures.

Compiling Pieces of a Mosaic Together

The key to understanding the book of Revelation (and book of Daniel) is that it should not be studied in chronological order. The book is fragmented and it contains prophetic revelation as found in chunks and pieces. This is similar to a mosaic made of colored stone fragments (as illustrated in the image above). With such a mosaic, the “big-picture” is what is important and this will develop more as all of the various pieces are assembled into their proper places. Only then will the “big-picture” image begin to reveal itself (similar to the image seen above).

So in reading the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel they should not be studied strictly in systematic order but rather all of the various points of revelation should be assembled together in order to create a “big-picture” image of what the bible is speaking about. Becoming too specific or trying to identify specific people or current events can cause those engaged in this activity to go into a ditch. They will then miss the main thing or “big-picture” principles of what God is communicating through these prophetic books.

Satan and One-Third of the Angels

Revelation 12:3 (NASB95)
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

Ten-horns speak of those who have authority and rule over ten-nations. One biblical principle to note here is that Satan is the god of this world’s system and those who serve Satan are referred to as children of the devil. Those with civil authority who lend their power to fulfill satanic agenda on the earth are an example of those who are children of the devil.

John 8:44 (NASB95)
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus referred to unregenerate men by saying that they were of their father the devil. If the devil is their father, then that makes them into children of the devil.

Revelation 12:4 (NASB95)
4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

The dragon (Satan) sweeping one-third of the stars out of the sky speaks of Satan taking one-third of the angels (under his command) with him when he was cast out of heaven.

Luke 10:17–18 (NASB95)
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

Jesus was present to witness the expulsion of Satan from heaven and he said that he saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Satan was cast out of heaven because of his sin of pride and exaltation and he took one-third of the angels with him (which were under his command in heaven). These fallen angels are now called demons and are still under the command of their dark master Satan.

Mark 3:23–26 (NASB95)
23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26 “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!

Satan has his own kingdom in operation on the earth and he has one-third of the fallen angels under his command. These demons work to deceive and tempt humans to sin in order that they will be sealed up to damnation together with their master Satan. All those who do not believe in Jesus are in fact children of the devil because they have not been spiritually reborn within. The fallen angels (now called demons) work to tempt humans in order to drag them off to hell. They also work to hinder those who work righteousness upon the earth. This demonic activity (which inspires evil men to do what is wicked) is the source of the spiritual warfare that is occurring upon the earth. There is a battle between the forces of good and evil. This struggle is foundational to the understanding of both the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation.

Children of the Devil

1 John 3:10 (NASB95)
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

These fallen angels (demons) control unregenerate humans to fulfil their purposes on earth and bring anarchy and war and poverty and violence. Anyone whose activities promotes these evil things have identified themselves as children of the devil. The children of the devil are under the control of their master Satan and therefore they cannot stop doing evil and bringing harm and disorder upon the earth.

In contrast those who do good upon the earth and make the world a better place are typically those who are children of God if they are believers and seek to fulfill God’s will upon the earth (which is benevolent toward people).

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB95)
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan is now referred to as the “god of this world’s system” because Adam sold out his God-given dominion on earth to Satan when he obeyed Satan and committed high treason against God. Satan is able to blind the minds of the unbelievers so that they are hindered from seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan has many distractions with millions of false religions and vices and sin that keep men occupied in vanity until their temporal lives on earth expire and they find themselves in hell. Only if they get saved will their eyes be opened and be set free. However, Satan does not stop resisting after they are saved and still tries to ensnare even Christians to hell whenever they give him a chance.

Conflict Between Forces of Good and Evil

So, this sets the stage between the forces of evil and the forces of God which are engaged in conflict over the humans on earth. God wants all men to come to repentance and be saved and Satan works to ensnare them into hell will all kinds of deception and lies.

Revelation 1:3 (NASB95)
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The entire book of Revelation is a written prophecy which depicts the conflict between good and evil. Jesus and this followers are on the side of good and Satan and his followers on the side of evil. Those who read and hear these words of prophecy (contained in the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel) are those who have been spiritually enlightened.

Again, this is a book of mystery but it is not meant to be kept a secret from believers. It is only kept secret from the unbelievers. In this sense the book of Revelation (and the book of Daniel) are similar to a parable. A parable is something written in secret code – which is revealed only to those who have their spiritual eyes open. To those who are spiritually dull like “Esau-types” – they will be blocked from seeing this revelation – even if someone reads it to them. So, to receive revelation someone must have a good heart and be willing to apply everything God says to them. If the believers read the books of Revelation and Daniel with the objective to see and hear God’s revelation, then they will be able to receive from these books.

Matthew 13:13–17 (NASB95)
13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Believers should expect to see revelation because their spiritual eyes are blessed to see the revelation of God’s word and their spiritual ears are open to hear God’s voice. The book of Revelation and Daniel have been a “mystery” over the generations since the resurrection of Christ. But now it is time to bring revelation about this book and also revelation found in the book of Daniel.

Revelation 22:18–19 (NASB95)
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

The last warning of the book of Revelation is that anyone who adds to them will be punished. So, this also includes adding to them the interpretations derived from human origins. Again, the way to tell if a teaching is from God is that it will agree with all of the revelation already confirmed throughout the entire bible. A true revelation from God’s spirit will never contradict established biblical principles. This is how a believer can break the code in Revelation and Daniel. They are not to try to do this in chronological order but rather pick up established principles which form a pattern. Then in the end – the accumulation of these principles together will reveal a beautiful mosaic.

Confirmation of truth will come from related scriptures found in both the Old Testament and New Testament of the bible. God’s word never contradicts and that is how believers can know that they are on the right track because everything that is taught will confirm with other scriptures already found in the bible.