“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” Revelation 20:1-3.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’” Revelation 3:7.
“I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9.
The book of Revelation has both fascinated and intimidated its readers for centuries and rightfully so, yet the name itself would indicate that God wants us to have an understanding of it; for you see the word revelation means “an unveiling”.
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3.
Jude the last book of the Bible before Revelation was written circa 70 to 80 A.D. The author Jude, being the brother of James, thus identifies himself as being the Lord Jesus’ half brother (Judas in Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55), there are 4 half brothers mentioned.
“Is this not the carpenter [Jesus], the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him.” Mark 6:3.
