The Revelation Of Jesus Christ is the final book of the New Testament, composed of 22 revelations which detail the events
leading up to and specific occurances involved in the end of the world and period thereafter, as prophecied by the apostle John.
Written as a diary account of an overwhelming religious experience, the emphasis is not only on highly specific references to the order of proceedings, creatures, supernatural beings and humans involved, but also on the absolute finality of what is to take place; known more contemporarily as Armegghedon.
Revelations was written very soon after Jesus' ministry and was taken by early christians to indicate, due to repeated reference to these events happening imminently, that the second coming and therefore salvation were to follow very shortly and actually lead to disappointment among communities, during the infancy of the faith.
Revelations 1 to 3 describe how the visions occured when John experienced a spiritual awakening on the island of Patmos and state firstly the omnipresence of God, then give a detailed description of Jesus risen in glory, (with flowing white hair, fiery eyes and a sword for a tongue) and his subsequent chastisement of or praise for his churches on earth, represented by 7 variations; from faithful to dead.
Revelation 4 deals with John's ascent into Heaven itself, the appearance of Heaven around the temple and throne of God and how it was flanked by 24 elders on thrones and 4 mythical creatures, who are present throughout, as tribulations are unleashed on the Earth. In revelations 5, 6 and7, a seven-sealed scroll is opened by the figure of a lamb, (taken to represent Jesus) and 7 horrors, including the infamous Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse are sent to smite all except 144,000 chosen or sealed first-born virgins (12,000 taken from each of the 12 tribes of Israel) who are saved from persecution and taken into Heaven. The seventh seal (revelations 8, 9, 10 and11) unleashes a further 7 terrible events, signalled by trumpets, affecting all life on earth, from waters to vegetation and including attacks on men for 5 months by monstrous locusts from The Bottomless Pit. These end with the release of 4 angels bound near the Euphrates, who kill 1/3 of the still unrepentant population.
The only thing John is forbidden to write down, are the utterances of the 7 thunders released by a huge angel with a little book. John proceeds to eat the book, in order to prophecy further. Two gentile witnesses then exercise their given power to punish the blasphemous, unholy of Earth before being killed and resurrected.
The Devil makes an appearance in 12, having been thrown out of Heaven, in the form of a seven-headed, ten-horned dragon, who pursues an exceptional woman in order to devour her unborn child (who is destined to rule over the Earth.) However, the woman escapes to safety and the child is taken into Heaven, so the unsuccessful Devil releases an assistant beast from the sea (in the shape of a leopard) and a third false prophet or lamb, who is human, has the number 666 and tricks the remainder of mankind into worshipping Satan and seals them on their foreheads, effectively condemning them. Three angels rejoice at the forthcoming fall of the city of Babylon and proclaim the fate of man as one of fire and brimstone, or Eternal Damnation.
God's vengeance is shown by the harvesting of The Grapes Of (His) Wrath from the Earth, which are turned into wine and poured as 7 bowls of judgements; rivers of blood, scorching, giant hailstones etc.
By 17, Babylon is singled out and the metaphor of the scarlet woman or whore, (or woman on the scarlet beast) is used to represent the destruction of the great city itself and of commerce in general, which is mourned by Earth's survivors.
The prelude to the final act reintroduces Jesus descending on a white horse with his holy army, who then defeat the army of the beast from the sea and bind Satan in the Bottomless Pit for 1000 years. This iod is ruled by Christ and the saints (the first resurrection excludes all but the chosen 144,000,) the faithful and martyrs must wait until Satan's release and the subsequent crushing of his rebellion. He is then cast into the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity, with his two cohorts; this is the second death, the destruction of death itself.
The final revelations refer to a world competely unlike the old one, where the Tree and River of Eternal Life flow from the throne of Christ and the faithful rule with him in the mighty and beautiful jewelled city of the New Jerusalem (refered to as Jesus' bride.)
The book ends with a reinforcement of God's omnipotence and describes how all men will be judged for their actions, according to his commandments to his church on Earth; with a repeat of the imminence of Jesus' return. There is also a warning not to tamper with the words of John's prophecy as it stands.
Interpretations of this book have been responsible for the misunderstanding of cosmic disturbances and meteorological events in the Middle Ages, leading to widespread terror and religious persecutions, as well as later for the formation of the Jehovah's Witness faith.