Introduction: These transcripts of Kay Arthur's lectures on Revelation (Parts 2-4) are provided as a service to the body of Christ with the written permission of Precept Ministries International. This material is the property of Precept Ministries International and all rights are reserved. The transcripts are for the most part verbatim with deletions identified by the characters (… ). The utilization of italics, bolding, hyperlinks and pop up notes represent editorial additions. Any written additions are identified by the designation "Ed note". Note that all text in blue identifies a link or popup. All reference are the NASB unless otherwise indicated. Please note that these lectures by Kay Arthur supplement the excellent Precept Upon Precept inductive Bible study on the Revelation. Click the following links to view each division of this encouraging study and note that you can also download the first lesson of each of the 4 parts:
Revelation - Pt 1 - Revelation 1-3, 10 lessons
Revelation - Pt 2- Revelation 4-22, 12 lessons
Revelation - Pt 3- Revelation 4-22, 11 lessons
Revelation - Pt 4 - Revelation 4-22, 14 lessons
If you can find a local Precept class studying Revelation, I would strongly encourage you to join the class, as I know of no other study available anywhere in the world that will equip you so thoroughly to discern the signs of the times and cause you to live expectantly as you look for Christ's Return!
Click following for literal chapter by chapter chart summary of:
Revelation 4-10
Revelation 11-16
Revelation 17-19
Revelation 20-22
Rev 20 mentions ''1000 years'' 6x in 7v. Who will be there? What about the Old Testament saints? What about the church?
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for 1000 years,3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until 1000 years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for1000 years.5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until 1000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection (See chart on Order of Resurrection).6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for 1000 years.7 And when 1000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, (to deceive the nations).
So those who come alive at the beginning of the 1000 years are ''blessed'' and will reign with Christ for 1000 years. They are part of the ''first resurrection'' (chart) and the 2nd Death has no power over them. When we are born, we are born into death because we are sinners. Eph 2:1-note describes us as ''you were dead in your trespasses and sins''. Those who never receive the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ will never know what it is to have eternal life and they are ''twice dead''.
THE SECOND DEATH IS DESCRIBED
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the BOOK OF LIFE; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.14 And 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. SO THE LAKE OF DEATH IS THE 2ND DEATH.
GARDEN OF EDEN: Tree of life & Tree of Good & Evil. God put Adam & Eve in the garden and told them to rule over the face of the earth. Adam gave all the animals their names, functioning as a a vice regent. They were made in the image of God but Eve listened to the voice of the serpent and took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and they both ate of the fruit and death entered the world through one man by sin.
Romans 5:12 (note) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
So because all men have sinned , all men will die. God had warned them that the day they eat of the fruit of that tree they would surely die > they died first spiritually and then physically which brings about a resurrection which leads to a second death, that leads to the lake of fire which leads to separation from God forever.
GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION
God knew that they would sin and so even before creation God had a PLAN OF REDEMPTION, through Jesus' becoming Man. He partook of the same flesh so that through death (the cross), He might render powerless him who had the power of death (Satan). How did Satan get that power? When Adam and Eve sinned, instead of Adam & Eve being able to rule as vice regents over the face of the earth, the rulership was given to Satan, who became the prince of this world, the spirit who now rules in the sons of disobedience. When God created Adam and Eve, He breathed into them the breath of life. But when they sinned Kay believes that God's Spirit was taken out of them. She supports this with Titus describing the regeneration of the spirit. (see note Titus 3:5) So Kay believes that the Holy Spirit was in them, because they were in the image of God. But the Spirit was taken away from them & they then entered into death. When they sinned, God put the flaming swords and the cherubim at the entrance of the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life, lest they eat and live forever in a state of sin. God planned their redemption with Jesus being born of a virgin, so that He would not be born of a human male seed and thus be a sinner. Thus the importance of the virgin birth. So God put His seed so to speak into Mary and she brought forth One who was God and Man. For 3 years they watched Him in a public ministry and they saw no sin. He was a Lamb w/o spot or blemish.
THE THREE MAIN JEWISH FEASTS
On the 14TH DAY OF NISAN (1st Month on the Jewish calendar) Jesus was crucified. He died on the day that the Passover Lamb was slayed. The 3 main feasts are: (Click lecture by Kay Arthur discussing the feasts)
(1). Passover: On the 14th day of Nisan and comprised in turn of three ''feasts'': Unleavened Bread on the 15th day of Nisan for 7 days, and Firstfruits, and the Passover itself.
(2). Pentecost (pente = 50) 50 days after First Fruits 2 loaves of leavened bread made from the same lump of dough were waved by the Priest before the Temple
(3). Tabernacles: In turn composed of 3 feasts: Feast of Trumpets on the 1st day of Tishri roughly our October, then the Day of Atonement on the 10th day of Tishri when they take two goats to the Temple, cast lots and one goat is sent into the wilderness after the people's sins are confessed on the head of that goat, the other goat being slain and its blood taken into the Holy of Holies and placed on the Mercy Seat once each year. Then comes the feast of Harvest, which celebrates the 2nd harvest, during which the Jews make booths.
Christ died on Passover and is our ''Passover'' as Paul taught in:
1 Cor 5:7 says ''Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.''
When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He paid for all your sin, past, present and future. So Paul is saying not to keep the feast with the leaven of wickedness and malice, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ AROSE FROM THE DEAD on the day of First Fruits. All these feasts in Lev 23 were pointing to a NT fulfillment.
1 Cor 15: 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.21 For since by a man came death (we are all descendents of Adam so in Adam ALL die. The only way out of death is to be placed IN CHRIST) by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.23 But EACH IN HIS OWN ORDER: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,24 THEN comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, WHEN He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (why?) 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
WHEN IS DEATH ABOLISHED?
In Rev 20 we see Satan bound and the 1st Resurrection (blessed & holy is he who has a part in the 1st resurrection) and over those the 2nd death has no power. So at the end of the 1000 year reign, death and hades are cast into the Lake of fire, followed by a New Heaven and New Earth when God wipes away all tears and tells us there is no more sorrow, tears or death Why no death? because death and hades have been cast into the Lake of fire. So in 1 Cor 15 we see a big picture of the resurrection described in Rev 20, with Christ being the First Fruits.
What happened to those who died before Christ? In Rev 20 it says that death and hades give up the dead that are in them. Kay believes that in the OT we have Jews & Gentile proselytes who have gone over to the Jewish faith. We are told that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6). We knew that David knew that although he would die, he would be raised again. Job spoke of resurrection in Job 19: 25 "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.''
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS?
FIRST LET US GET A BIBLICAL GLIMPSE INTO HADES.
Luke 16:19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.20 "And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores…22 "Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.23 "And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
So here we see a picture of what happened to the dead BEFORE Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Jesus Christ had to be the First Fruits. Col 1:18 (note) He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; Now all those who died before the Cross were sinners and even though they had looked with faith to the Promised Messiah, HIS BLOOD had not yet been shed for their sins. They may have kept all the feasts, the sacrifices, but the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins. So God prepared a body for Jesus Christ and He came to take away the first, the OT sacrificial system, in order to establish the second.
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
Up to the time of Jesus they were UNDER THE LAW. Before Jesus died the rich man was in the place of flames and torment. He looked over to see the poor man in Abraham's bosom…
Luke 16:24 "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, (in Abraham's bosom) and you are in agony.26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a GREAT CHASM FIXED, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'
This GREAT GULF is set because Hebrews 9:27 (note) teaches us that it is appointed to man once to die and after that comes the judgment.
So once we die our fate is set for all eternity. Kay believes we will see Adam & Eve in heaven because God killed an animal covering them with coats of skin and promising them a Redeemer and apparently they believed. But Cain who killed Abel would not believe and bring the sacrifice that God had required. So throughout the OT we see there were good and evil men, yet still all sinners, and that some of them looked forward in faith to the promised Messiah, honoring God as He had instructed. When they died, they went to Sheol (''grave'') in the OT. Their destiny was fixed.
PARADISE, THE DESTINY OF THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
When Jesus died on the cross, one of the criminals being crucified with Him reviled Him and the other asked Him to remember him when He came into His kingdom .
"And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
When Jesus died Kay believes He descended into Hades. Three days later, on the feast of First Fruits, He was raised from the dead never to die again. Kay thinks that when Jesus told the thief that today he would be with Him in Paradise, that Jesus was referring to Abraham's bosom. After Christ was raised from the dead, He ascended into heaven, forty days later. On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples in Jerusalem as they were baptized or united in the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a man was caught up to THE THIRD HEAVEN. (Click more discussion of The Third Heaven). 3 And I know how such a man-- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--4 was caught up into PARADISE …
Kay believes that when Jesus Christ died He descended into Sheol. He rose from the dead as the First Fruits, the First Begotten from the dead. Then He led captive the captives (Eph 4:8-10) taking the OT saints in Abraham's bosom with Him to Paradise, now in the third heaven, in the presence of the Lord. When the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us, He is a guarantee of the redemption of my body.
Ephesians 1:13 (note) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him (in Christ) with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. (parallel is in Ro 8:11 - note).
So the Holy Spirit is the guarantee that one day when we die, we will be absent from the body and present with the Lord. So when we die we do not go to Abraham's bosom, because it was emptied when Jesus died and rose from the dead as the First Begotten, taking all their spirits (their bodies are still in the grave) from the ''comfort'' side of Sheol to heaven. In 2Cor 5:6-10 we learn that we will be absent from the body and at home with the Lord.
1 Cor 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the FIRST FRUITS, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (When?) 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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.
All the way through 1 Corinthians 15 Paul is talking about a resurrection from the dead. Yet not all would die, yet still all they would be changed. So some people will be living during the Millennium who have never died. As they come into the New Heaven/New Earth, they are still in their mortal bodies and will have to eat of the fruit of the Tree of life every month & they will live forever. But Paul is saying to the Church that they are a special group and will have a resurrection body. And even though some of them would be alive when Christ comes for His church, they will get a new body. So this is a mystery that Paul is showing, that we will not all die but will all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.
1Cor 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, (Sin has been taken care of by Christ at Calvary) and the power of sin is the law; (and this was also fulfilled at Calvary when Jesus was made a curse for me so that I never have to pay that curse. The Law came through Moses, but Grace & Truth were realized through Jesus Christ.)
When I die, my body goes into the grave and my spirit goes to be with Jesus Christ (and with Abraham, et al) yet we will not be in bodily form. Another group is still living and all of a sudden Christ comes down to get them. 1 Thessalonians Paul has written to the believers telling them that they would not have to enter into the Wrath of God
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. (see note 1Thessalonians 1:10; cp 1Thessalonians 5:9)
What is the ''WRATH TO COME''?
Remember that Daniel's 70th Week precedes the Millennium, divided into two 3 ½ year time frames, the last half (this is Kay's belief and you don't have to accept it but if you split company over this issue it reflects immaturity) marking the beginning of the Day of the Lord which Kay believes extends all the way through the Millennium. She alludes to Marv Rosenthal's theory of pre-wrath rapture. Kay believes that the last half is the Great Tribulation and mentions a well-known prophecy teacher who agrees that nowhere does the Bible say the Tribulation is 7 years.
THE RAPTURE IN 1 THESSALONIANS
The question then is when does the first resurrection begin? It begins at the time of Christ's resurrection as the First Fruits. Next is the Church at the Rapture when Christ comes for his own. (See the two Resurrections - "First" and "Second" - charted out on a timeline)
1Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, (not referring to the Rapture but that they not be uninformed about those who are asleep in Jesus. Kay believes Paul has already told them about the Rapture and they have known that Christ is coming and that not all would die…but their concern is for Christians who have already died when Christ comes) brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (So Christ brings our spirit with Him, but what about the body?) 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord (note that Paul fully expected to see the Lord, which is the idea inherent in the term imminency), shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. (Those believers who have died previously. They will be caught up also and we all get new bodies as we meet the Lord in the air) 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, (when He returns at the end of Daniel's 70th Week he brings us with him) and thus we shall always be with the Lord. (See notes 1Thessalonians 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18)
WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE OCCUR?
(see here also)
Kay believes in a ''Pre-Trib'' Rapture. But the Tribulation is the last 3 ½ years to Kay. Kay believes in a pre-70th Week Rapture. Kay believes we will not be here for the 70th Week of Daniel because:
1). References that Jesus' Return could happen at any moment.
Paul has been expecting the coming of the Lord. If that is true, it has to precede the 70th Week.
Revelation 2:5,16 (note) Jesus refers to His coming.
In Revelation 2:25 (note) He says hold fast until He comes.
In Revelation 3:3 (note) He says that He will come like a thief.
In Revelation 3:11 (note) He tells the church at Philadelphia that He is coming quickly and hold fast what they have.
2). In Revelation 3:10 (note) Jesus said
''I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.''.
The hour of testing is Daniel's 70th Week and ''earth dwellers'' can be seen from Rev 6 on.
3). In Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 we see reference to what the Spirit says to the church. Later in Revelation 13:9 (note) If anyone has an ear, let him hear.'' but here there is no reference to the Church. Why? Because the church is not there. And Revelation 4:1 (note) begins with ''after these things'' after the messages to the church that is waiting for Him to come quickly.
4). We see a ''new group'' inaugurated doing the work of ministry - the two witnesses and the 144,000 sealed and protected. If the church is here then why is it not sealed if we are to be kept from the ''hour of testing''?
5). When you see the one world ruler come onto the scene you could theoretically began to mark off time and thus the Lord's return would not be a surprise.
6). The church has been looking for Jesus, expecting Him ever since He left. He delivers us from the wrath to come.
7). There are 2 martyr groups mentioned in Revelation, in Revelation 6:10 (note) at the 5th Seal where they are asking
How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also.
That does not allow any place for the church. If the church is in heaven, then she will not be asking ''how long'' or told to rest for a little while because she will already have her new body.
Revelation 7:9-17 describes another group of martyrs who come out of the great tribulation. They are not resurrected until Jesus Christ comes back to earth and sets up His kingdom. So they are not in the group that come with Him because they come out of the great tribulation. If the church is still here during the 70th Week of Daniel then who comes with Christ when He comes?
Kay believes the 7th Trumpet (Rev 11:15-note) starts the last half of the 70th Week, the Tribulation, the Day of the Lord and the church cannot be here for the Day of the Lord. So Kay is Pre-Trib, Pre-70th Week. If you are not it is alright and we will all find out when the trumpet sounds and Christ comes and the dead in Christ are raised. All of our doctrinal differences won't make much difference then. Now we see through a glass dimly, in a riddle, but then we shall see Him face to face and we will be home. Won't we be ashamed though if when we are home, we are standing with people whom we have despised because they have not held our view. We are all one body. We will all be changed. We will all be with Christ. So all men know that we are His disciples because of our love for one another.