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© 2011 by Jeff Lasseigne
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
E-book edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-1405-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
“Jeff Lasseigne has always been a clear and ready Bible expositor with years of experience to buttress his love for the Scriptures. Unlocking the Last Days will help the reader unlock God’s plan for the future and make the book of Revelation not only understandable but exciting. Jeff will help you see that this last book of the Bible is compelling and practical. I highly recommend his book.”
— Skip Heitzig , author, Bible teacher, pastor, Calvary of Albuquerque
“In a warm conversational style, the author expounds the great truths of the book of the Revelation and applies them practically to the individual believer and the local church. If you have never studied Revelation, or if you need a refresher course in the light of current events, this is an excellent text to use. You need not agree with the author on every detail, but you will agree with his emphasis that we love the Lord, look for his appearing, and live like it may be today.”
— Warren W. Wiersbe , bestselling author of over a hundred books, including 50 People Every Christian Should Know
“Jeff Lasseigne is a faithful pastor and excellent communicator of God’s Word. Unlocking the Last Days is an urgent biblical message that must be heard and heeded!”
— Dr. James MacDonald , senior pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel
“Being a student of Bible prophecy for many years and now a teacher of current and coming prophecy, I have found Jeff’s book to be outstanding and informative. His book is engaging and humorous when necessary. This is perhaps the best book on Revelation I have ever read. I am certain you will agree, it is a must for your library!”
— Tom Hughes , senior pastor, Calvary Chapel San Jacinto
“A lot of people are asking some serious questions these days: ‘Why is the world coming apart at the seams? Where is it all headed? Should I be worried about my future or is there hope?’ Whether you’re asking those questions yourself or wanting to share the answers with those who are, Unlocking the Last Days is a resource you can’t afford to be without. By going straight to the source of God’s Word, Jeff Lasseigne thoroughly and authoritatively explains what’s happening and what’s to come. But beyond that, he provides the hope that is so desperately needed and exclusively found in Jesus Christ.”
— Bob Coy , senior pastor, Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale
“Martin Luther once said, ‘There are two days in my calendar, this day and that Day.’ We would be wise to follow his lead, living in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Jeff Lasseigne’s epic book, Unlocking the Last Days , will help you do just that. As a result of reading this book, you won’t be combing through news stories trying to figure out who the Antichrist is—you’ll be motivated to reach out to lost and hurting people before time runs out.”
— Levi Lusko , pastor, Fresh Life Church
To Pastor Mike Brazeal, whom the Spirit used to bring me to Christ in 1980 and who patiently answered my many questions about the last days during that process.
Foreword
T here’s an old saying that timing is everything, and that certainly applies to Jeff Lasseigne’s new book, Unlocking the Last Days . The word revelation means “unveiling,” and in his new book, Jeff does just that. He helps us, in his down-to-earth yet thoroughly biblical way, to understand what is happening in our world today, and what is yet to come. The world is rapidly drawing closer to the Lord’s return, and a study of the Bible’s final book is essential for the times in which we’re living. In fact, Revelation promises a blessing to the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words of that book. In his verse-by-verse guide to the Book of Revelation and the end times, Jeff breaks down each chapter in an easy to understand manner, which will benefit both the new believer as well as the seasoned saint. It’s a valuable resource, for both teachers and students of God’s Word. I’m very pleased to recommend Jeff’s book. Jesus said, “Behold I come quickly,” and after you read this book, you’ll find yourself saying, “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”
Greg Laurie, pastor, Harvest Christian Fellowship; evangelist, Harvest Crusades
Acknowledgments
W ith sincere apologies to anyone I’ll fail to acknowledge, I would like to thank the following people for their roles in helping to bring about this book:
Thanks to Pastor Greg Laurie for his leadership, encouragement, and support.
Thanks to the Wednesday night congregation at Harvest Christian Fellowship for their love of God’s Word and for their continuous encouragement and support of me—even to the point of laughing at my jokes.
Thanks to Pat Mazza for introducing me to Baker Books, and to Chad Allen and the staff at Baker Books for their professional and friendly assistance.
Thanks to Brian Jackson for his patient and skilled editing.
Thanks to those who helped with the development of this book in various ways, including Diane Jackson, Karen Zapico, Paul Eaton, and Buddy Williams.
Thanks to all my faithful friends who prayed with me through the process.
Thanks to my fellow pastors at Harvest—I love serving God with you.
A special thanks to my wife, Lorraine, for her endless support and encouragement.
And most of all, to God be the glory (Luke 1:49)!
Introduction
C an we really understand the book of Revelation? According to some, Revelation is too difficult to comprehend. But is that really true? The very name Revelation means “unveiling,” and therefore God’s desire is to reveal the truths, warnings, and promises contained in this final book of the Bible.
God promises a special blessing for the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words of this book (Rev. 1:3). In fact, Revelation is the only book of the Bible that pronounces this specific blessing. It was Vance Havner who said, “I do not understand all the details of the book of Revelation, but there is a special blessing promised to all who read, hear, and keep its message, and I don’t want to miss that blessing.” [1]
I believe that we’re living in the last days before the return of Jesus and that many of the details and descriptions contained in Revelation are now coming to light. Some of the information, which would have been confusing and perplexing just fifty or sixty years ago, is now making much more sense in the light of current events and modern technology. Therefore, the time is ripe for studying and applying the truths of Revelation, especially as we are living in the days when these events may very well come to pass.
On the sixtieth anniversary of Israel’s rebirth as a nation, I was standing on the Temple Mount area in Jerusalem with some believers. We were enjoying a discussion about Israel’s history, and it was then that the Lord impressed on my heart that I should begin a series of studies in Revelation. This book is the result of thirty-two verse-by-verse Bible studies from Revelation, taught during the midweek service at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. My desire and prayer are that God would use this book to encourage and help prepare believers for His return soon.
1
Pulling Back the Curtain
Revelation 1:1–3
W ithin sixty days of the writing of these words, world headlines included a high-magnitude earthquake, a devastating cyclone, fighting and air strikes in the Gaza Strip, heightened conflict and preemptive maneuvers between Israel and her neighbors, floods, droughts, wildfires, and increased recognition of homosexual marriages. A steady stream of shocking news that once might have spanned decades now unravels in just months.
So while there have always been wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, disasters, and rampant immorality, we are now seeing these things escalate. The downward slide is picking up speed, and the labor pains and birth pangs of the last days appear to be coming closer together. All this makes our study of the book of Revelation both relevant and timely.
“Revelation” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis , which gives us our English word apocalypse . People hear that word, and they undoubtedly think of chaos and calamity. But Revelation literally means in its infinitive verb form “to unveil, to uncover, and to reveal.” [2] God’s desire in Revelation is not to conceal but to reveal. In Revelation, God is pulling back the curtain and allowing us to see into the future. In the climactic scene from the classic movie The Wizard of Oz , the curtain is finally pulled back and the Wizard is revealed. That’s what Revelation does for us as believers: it pulls back the curtain and reveals the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Let’s remove some of the misconceptions commonly associated with the book of Revelation. I disagree with those who co