How many of you have ever been discouraged in trying to read the book of Revelation? The mere mention of reading this book to many Christians produces feelings of intimidation. and frustration. Typically, the response i have heard goes like this: "I tried to read it but I could not begin to understand it." As a result, many Christians avoid this book like the plague. Still others treat this book as utterly irrelevant to their present lives with all of its strange symbols, numbers, and images. Others treat this book as some kind of crystal ball about the future that leads to lots of speculation but no real impact upon my relationship with Jesus Christ and my job, marriage, family, ministry, and life.
I have been teaching Revelation form the past six months and cannot begin to tell you the joy I have gleaned from reading this book. I find it interesting that God offers a blessing to all who read, hear, and keep the book of Revelation. It seems to me that God wants us to understand this book. God chose the apostle John as the one through whom He would convey this book. In thinking about that fact, I conclude that God did not intend for something complex. The reason I say that is because John in his other writings is so simple, direct, and Christ centered. I do not believe that God would inspire such a man to give us a book that only a theological whiz kid could grasp its meaning..
The book of Revelation God beckons us to hear and to heed . When we read and hear the visions of Revelation we are meant be changed; scripture passing into our eyes, sparking our imagination, stirring our affections, and settling into our hearts. I want to help you to read the book of Revelation with new eyes; to allow this breathtaking, earth-scorching, imagination-stretching, sin-defeating, Christ-exalting, God-glorifying book change the way you think, act, and speak.
I think the best way to read Revelation is to focus more at the forest instead of the trees. So here is a simple guide to help you read this book with new eyes and to be blessed.
Revelation is a book meant to be read with your mind and heart. It is meant to be read, heard, and applied to the “now” of your daily life. It is best understood when seen for in light of its overall themes rather than getting bogged down in details. It is meant to be read with all of our senses what I call a “praying imagination”. Revelation was written not only to inform the church, but to impact believers’ emotions and encourage their spirits as well. We need to read the Book of Revelation with our hearts as well as our minds. As we read the visions of Revelation we are changed; scripture passing into our eyes, sparking our imagination, stirring our affections, and settling into our hearts.
Revelation is a book full of symbols. It is best understood by connecting its symbols with the usage of the symbols in the Old Testament. Seventy per cent of the symbols’ meaning are drawn from the original context of the Old Testament’s use of that symbol. We tend to think of symbols as meaning something less than real or true. John’s symbols are intended to convey deep theological meaning while simultaneously impacting our spirits and emotions. We tend to read a text “literally” as opposed to reading it “symbolically” as if a literal interpretation makes the text more true. In the Bible, symbols are understood to be just as “true” as other more historical or literary passages.
Revelation is not to be understood as a chronology of historical events in the future but a book looking at God, man, and the earth throughout history though different pictures and perspectives. I believe that we have been in the end times since Pentecost. John is speaking of the entire church age in the Book of Revelation is reinforced by several other important passages in the New Testament. For one thing, in the Pentecost sermon, Peter declares that the last days were already at hand just fifty days after Christ’s resurrection because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:17; 3:24). The author of Hebrews likewise states that the coming of Christ means that Christians in the first century were already living in the last days (Hebrews 1:2). This means that the entire period of time between the first and second coming of Jesus Christ–“this present evil age,” as Paul puts it in Galatians 1:4–are also the “last days.”When Jesus Christ took on human flesh, lived a perfect life, died upon a cross, rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven, human history entered its final phase. While the duration of this period of time–the “last days”–is never revealed to us, it is certain that the last days began with the first coming of Jesus Christ and will end at his second coming (Hebrews 1:2; Matthew 13:39). Therefore, the only future events Revelation speaks of are the end of the age, the Return of Christ, the Rapture of those who are alive when He returns, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. It sure simplifies everything when you look at it this way.
Revelation is full of symbols.Revelation is a book of symbols. And symbols mean things are not what they seem on the surface. Things are not what they seem. To see the underlying picture, the pattern that counts, we have to focus beyond mere surface details. For instance, Smyrna appears poor but in reality is rich (Rev 2:9). Sardis has a reputation for life but is dead (Rev 3:1). Laodicea thinks herself rich, but this church is destitute (Rev 3:17). The beast seems invincible, able to conquer and kill the saints, but their faithfulness even to death proves to be their victory (Rev 11:7; 13:7). What appears to the naked human eye to be weak, helpless, hunted, poor and defeated proves in the final run to be victorious in Christ, the Lamb Who was slain.
Revelation is a book about seeing and savoring Jesus Christ (“The revelation of Jesus Christ… I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.”Revelation 1:1,12-13) The word Revelation means “unveiling”.It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation is certainly one of the most Christ-centered in the New Testament. It is important to understand at the very beginning that the Book of Revelation is not primarily about beasts, numbers, horses and horsemen, wars, trumpets, and plagues. It is a Him-book! It is a book about Him! It is first and foremost a book that reveals Jesus. It is the same thing every book of the Bible reveals. Everything in the Bible points to Jesus in one way or another. You can find Him on every page, in very chapter, and in every event. But, the book of Revelation, more so than any other book of the Bible, is a book about Him! It is a “revelation” or an “unveiling” of the Person, the Purposes, the Plans, the Power, and the Promotion of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the proper way to read the Book of Revelation is to look for Jesus!
Revelation teaches us that one of God’s main purposes in the book of Revelation is simply this–He wants to change us. He wants to change how we live, what we live for, how we treat our spouse and children and friends, how we order our goals, what we prioritize, the zeal with which we kill personal sin, the purity of the local church, our compassion towards the hurting, our counsel for fellow sinners, our love for the lost, our earnestness to obey, our diligence to pray, our disgust of our personal worldliness, our heartfelt earnest longing for the return of Christ. God wants us to be holy like His Son.
Revelation is a book about the absolute sovereignty of God over all of history. God is awesomely majestic, as well as sovereign in all our troubles. God controls and govern over all events and has purposes and plans. Revelation is first of all God-centered. God controls the course of history. God will bring his purposes to final, spectacular realization in the new heaven and the new earth. The Book of Revelation is meant to humble us by a vision of the absolute sovereignty of God over history: past, present, and future. There is nothing outside of God’s control. Every power, every evil-power is subject to the rule of God. Regardless of how bad things get, God cannot be defeated.
Revelation is a book about God’s plan for redemption through the blood of Jesus the Lamb seated on the throne. Jesus Christ is presented to us as the Lamb to symbolize his sacrificial death
Revelation is a book about the church and how God knows and sets apart His people throughout history. He loves, blesses, preserves, protects, uses,and chastens His church.
Revelation is a book about the relation between time and eternity. Interspersed throughout the book are moments when we are brought out of the dimension of time in one scene into the realm of eternity and then in another scene brought back into time. Sometimes we look ahead in time to the future, sometimes in time to the present, and sometimes we look back in time in terms of the past.
Revelation gives a radical contrast exists between the God’s kingdom (exemplified in the bride, the New Jerusalem) and the world’s values (exemplified in the prostitute, Babylon).
Revelation is a book about heaven and what goes on in eternity.
Revelation is a book about what happens when we die and what will happens when God restores all things forever. It is a book full of hope for the believer and full of dread for the unbeliever.
Revelation is a book about worship. Worship is the ultimate consummation of our joy in heaven at the person, presence, and work of God and His Son. The appropriate response to God on the part of his creatures is worship. Scenes of worship occur throughout the book (1:12-20; 4:1-5:14; 7:9-17; 8:3-5; 11:16-19; 12:10-12; 14:1-7; 15:2-8; 16:5-7; 19:1-10; 20:4-6; 21:1-22:5). By showing us the marvel of who God is and what he does, Revelation calls us to respond with awe, godly fear, praise, faith, and obedience. Thus all of Revelation promotes true worship of God.
Revelation is a book about the efficacy and importance of prayer. The saints pray “how long” and come quickly”. The saints on earth pray and God acts in history in response to the prayers of His people (Revelation 8:1-5).
Revelation is a book about the reality of evil in this world, spiritual warfare and the ultimate triumph of God over evil. Revelation goes underneath the surface in its analysis of history in order to show the spiritual forces at work. God and his agents war against Satan and his agents. Humanity is in the middle of this war. One’s allegiance is to God or to Satan. In the end of this war, God wins!
Revelation is a book about the glory God’s wrath and judgments in human history and consummating with His eternal judgments. Revelation points to the fact that God is sovereign and God is just. He meets out punishments on rebels. Regardless of how things appear in the short run, “sin does not go unpunished,” and God will judge.
Revelation is a book about the necessity of His people doing evangelism until Christ returns. John’s favorite words are “witness” and "testimony".
Revelation is a book about the triumph of the gospel. He will bring in His elect from every tribe, tongue, and nation and gathering them to be with Him forever.
Revelation is a book about the necessity of perseverance in suffering as a demonstration of the supreme worth of Jesus from God’s people as a witness to the nations until He returns. Proclaiming Christ invites suffering, persecution, and death. This is the normal state of committed believers in this age.
So try using these as interpretive filters when you read this book and get blessed!You will not necessarily understand every detail, neither do I. But it is not necessary to understand every detail in order to profit spiritually. The same is true of all Scripture. Scripture is inexhaustibly rich, so that we never plumb all its depths and mysteries.
Pastor Bill
