REVELATIONS----APOCALYPSE'S MEANING--in THE END WE WIN

WHAT DOES APOCALYPSE MEAN?

APOCALYPSE: "the destruction or devastation of something, or an instance of this."

A search on the internet todays gives a number of movie titles that show evidence what writers, especially film writers thought it meant. Here's some samples: "Apocalypse Now", "American Horror Story,  Apocalypse", "The Apocalypse Zombie", " X-men Apocalypse".

The word taken from the Bible doesn't mean any of these things. The transliteration of the title of John's writing, normally called "Revelations" is "Apocalypse of John" or "Revelations to John". 

THIS REVELATION TO JOHN 

REVEALS JESUS CHRIST

 BY HIS CONTACT WITH MANKIND AND THEIR RESULTING REACTION. 

ONE REACTION RESULTS IN HOPE!

 

THE LIVING HOPE CHRISTIAN HAVE

SOME CHRISTIANS, IN THE U.S.A. TODAY, HOPE FOR BIGGER BETTER BUILDINGS AND PARKING LOTS--SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF THE LORD'S MONEY. YES--IN THE U.S.,
THIS PRESENT LIFE IS SWEET. 
Christians today, in the U.S.A., are really living in a golden age brought about by our United States Constitution.  I believe, as some. Believe it or not, many in communist China--that our strengths, our living standards and freedoms are brought about by the union of Christian beliefs and values, and civil liberties guaranteed from the U.S. Constitution.(see intro. "Jesus in Beijing").  It should be noted here, that this is not from the U.S. GOVERNMENT MAKING CHRISTIANITY A NATIONAL RELIGION, BUT FROM THE U.S. CONSITUTION GUARANTEEING THEY WON'T CONTROL CHRISTIANITY,  
Christianity is growing faster in China (in house-churches) than most western nation--noticeably the United States. Unfortunately, the United States appears to be moving away from these values, and with it the Constitution.  I believe originally, the U.S. Government was and is well-intentioned in granting tax exemptions to churches, but it's the church's physical property(the buildings that are exempted not the Christian People--the Church).   Christians need to guard against the government to make the Christian Church the national religion or institutionalize Christian. The Bible calls the church the Body of Christ (Eph. 4)--not property owned by any man. 
Christians in China and in other lands are suffering for their Christian Walk.  Denominational churches and institutional churches in China--usually registered and under government control are not suffering (not as much), but the house-churches are suffering.  This is because house-churches won't register or accept government control or made institutional, and for that, they are suffering.
On the other hand, in Muslim countries, all Christians suffer to some degree, depending on how much control the Muslims have on the government.  

RELATING TO THE BIBLE MESSAGE IN REVELATIONS
To the early Christians, life was not as sweet, as it may be to some Christians today, certainly in the United States of America.  

Actually, the early Christians' physical environment was not good.  Half of the population was illiterate, and half of the population was slaves. Physical death would have been much more common, especially among children.  The average age at death was relatively young.  Death occurring closer to what today is middle age or younger. (Frank Viola, THE UNTOLD STORY OF N.T. CHURCH.)

NATURALLY, DEATH  SHOULD BE LOOKED ON AS OUR ENEMY (which the Bible agrees 1Corinthians 15:26).  However, the Christians, in John's day, would obviously regard the end of this life differently than Christians today. 

OBVIOUSLY, THE END OF THIS PRESENT LIFE WILL HAPPEN.  As we know, this life has nothing eternal about it--everything living on earth ultimately dies. As everyone knows death exists in an imminent posture for this mortal life.  Regardless of the circumstance of the Christian or the nonChristian's mortal life ends. The only thing we are taking with us in death will be our immortal souls. In fact, Biblically speaking, this life is a preparation for the next--which is everlasting life.

So what Jesus offers in the Apocalypse to John is the Christian Hope.
 THE CHRISTIANS PATHWAY TO VICTORY--WE WIN AT THE END!
   
viewing these scriptures in a expositional way,

Apokalupsis  apokalupsiß

apokaluptw,   is an old Greek verb: to uncover, to unveil

Verse 1 The Revelation

(apokalupsiß). Late and rare word outside of N.T. (once in Plutarch and so in the vernacular Koin‚), only once in the Gospels (Luke 2:32), but in LXX and common in the Epistles (2 Thessalonians 1:7), though only here in this book besides the title, from apokaluptw,

. In the Epistles apokalupsiß is used for insight into truth (Ephesians 1:17) or for the revelation of God or Christ at the second coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7). It is interesting to compare apokalupsiß with epipaneia (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and panerwsiß (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The precise meaning here turns on the genitive following. Of Jesus Christ (Ihsou Cristou). Hort takes it as objective genitive (revelation about Jesus Christ), but Swete rightly argues for the subjective genitive because of the next clause. Gave him (edwken autoi).

It is the Son who received the revelation from the Father, as is usual (John 5:20,26, etc.). To shew (deixai). First aorist active infinitive of deiknumi, purpose of God in giving the revelation to Christ. Unto his servants (toiß douloiß autou). Believers in general and not just to officials. Dative case. God's servants (or Christ's). Must shortly come to pass (dei genesqai en tacei). Second aorist middle infinitive of ginomai with dei. See this same adjunct (en tacei) in Luke 18:8; Romans 16:20; Revelation 22:6.

THE HOPE OF IMMINENT  RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO GOD'S CLOCK, NOT OURS.

 It is a relative term to be judged in the light of 2 Peter 3:8 according to God's clock, not ours. And yet undoubtedly the hopes of the early Christians looked for a speedy return of the Lord Jesus. This vivid panorama must be read in the light of that glorious hope and of the blazing fires of persecution from Rome. Sent and signified (eshmanen aposteilaß). "Having sent (first aorist active participle of apostellw, Matthew 10:16 and again in Revelation 22:6 of God 

John's writings (originally, all in the common Greek language) are some of the simplest Greek, and literally called "koine (or common) Greek.  

John often explains what the message of his writings are. For example: "…these (writings) have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31

WHAT REVELATIONS AMOUNT TO IS WHAT THE APOCALYPSE  IS TO JOHN Jesus tells John what the message is.. "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be." REVELATIONS 1:19

So John is to write down:  the things you have seen--the past.
--Obviously, this is a timeline. The scope of this timeline, from this statement, is what JOHN HAS SEEN.
       John has seen much, having been with Jesus from the start and His Apostle to the present time of John's life--sometime around 100AD.
       However the first prophetic event--the letters to the seven churches only includes a timeline of the past and the present, and the church is not mentioned again in Revelations.  I believe, as many others, that there is a future view of the church age. The future view to John starts following John's death around 100 AD which is the Apostolic Age.  The end of the church age is represented by the wealthy and independent Laodicean Church. This church relies on itself--which is its wealth and self-knowledge.

John also writes this about these revelations: "Belessed is he who reads, and those who hears the word of the prophecy, and heed the the things which are written in it, for the time is near."  Revelations 1:3

THERE EXISTS IN SCRIPTURE A GOOD MESSAGE, EMPIRICALLY CONSISTENT (Daniel is part of "Dead Sea Scrolls), TO GOD'S PLAN OF ACTION AND THE COMING OF CHRIST
       So we will bring in the Prophet Daniel.  DANIEL 9