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The Revelation of Jesus Christ number that speaks of completion, and the messages of the risen Lord to the seven churches in Asia outline the history of the professing church from Pentecost till the rapture. 3. "The things which shall be hereafter" are portrayed in chapters 4-22, and give us the third and last division of Revelation. They describe the events which will take place after the church has been caught away to be with Christ: the revelation of the Antichrist, the great tribulation period, the return of Christ in glory, His millennial reign on earth even unto the eternal state. . This is the God-given outline of the book of Revelation, and it is fundamental to the understanding of this prophecy. In our next lesson we shall consider the vision of the glorified Son of Man and His present ministry for the church, sym bolized by the seven golden candlesticks. In the following study we shall see how the messages to the seven churches present a comprehensive outline of all church history, "the things which are" in this age of grace. And beginning with chapter four we shall follow the detailed description which the Holy Spirit gives us of "the things which shall be here after"-after the church is caught up, forever to be with the Lord. May the Spirit of the living Christ quicken our hearts and give us "wisdom from above," that we may read and hear and keep "the words of this prophecy" concerning "the Revelation of Jesus Christ," our glorified and coming Lord!
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