“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3, ESV)
The book of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing. For many, however, it has been a book of mass confusion and contention. This forum will explore how to understand this complex book and show how this book is indeed an incredible blessing that challenges and changes us in ways unlike any other book of Scripture.
1. The book of Revelation is cyclical.
This book was not written chronologically. It consists of a series of visions that depict the same span of history from different vantage points. Thus, the book is similar to the dreams in Daniel. The dreams of the statue, beasts and so forth in Daniel all depict a period of time from Daniel's day to the coming of the Messiah. Those dreams all refer to Babylon, Medes-Persians, Greeks, Romans and the Kingdom of God. One dream does not pick up where the other left off, they are just different dreams giving different details about the same period of time. This is what is going on in Revelation.
Here is a basic outline of the book which shows the cyclical nature and how these various visions have consistent themes. Each vision has a similar progression... Christ glorified, the earth suffers, Christ returns/the wicked are punished and those who are faithful in the midst of the suffering ultimately celebrate.
LETTERS OF WARNING & ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE 7 CHURCHES (1-3)
THE VISION OF THE 7 SEALS (4-7)
Christ is glorified:
“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”” (Revelation 5:5, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:8, ESV)
Christ returns/wicked are punished:
“The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” (Revelation 6:14–17, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”” (Revelation 7:16–17, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE 7 TRUMPETS (8-11)
The earth suffers:
“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”” (Revelation 8:13, ESV)
Christ returns/wicked are punished:
“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:12–13, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”” (Revelation 11:15, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE WOMAN & DRAGON (12-14)
Christ is glorified:
“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,” (Revelation 12:5, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”” (Revelation 12:12, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.” (Revelation 14:18–20, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.” (Revelation 14:14–16, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE 7 PLAGUES (15-19)
Christ is glorified:
“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”” (Revelation 15:4, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”” (Revelation 16:1, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11–16, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”” (Revelation 19:6–9, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM (20-22)
Christ is glorified:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.” (Revelation 20:1–3, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10–15, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:1–7, ESV)
2. The Book of Revelation applies to all
This book is not just for those who live in the final 7 or so years of human history. The message speaks to all Christians about what Christ accomplished, why people suffer after Christ's victory and resurrection, and the end result of those who are wicked and unbelieving vs. those who are faithful and suffer for Jesus' name. As the book says at its beginning, "Blessed are those...who hear...and keep the words of this prophecy..." This book is not just predictive, it is prescriptive. It is a call to faithfulness in the midst of suffering.
3. This book answers difficult questions
Imagine you are a Christian in the first century or even over in North Korea or the Middle East. You love Jesus. He is Lord and "all authority" has been given to him. Why then are you being beaten? Why are you suffering? Why did you have to watch as your children were beheaded or crucified? If Jesus is Lord of all, why is this happening? The reason is because there is a dragon loose in the world and we live in a time of testing and suffering as God's wrath is poured out on a wicked and sinful world. The call of Revelation echoes over and over, "Be faithful even to death, and I will give you a crown of life."
4. Each vision gives different spiritual insights
The visions are cyclical, but each vision gives its own insights and answers different questions. Some visions focus on Christ's conquest as the risen Lamb who is unfolding the seals to bring about God's judgment and deliverance. Some visions focus on the suffering of the saints and why they are persecuted. Some visions focus on the suffering of the wicked and the spiritual hardness and drought God places on them for their wickedness and failure to repent. Some visions show how governments and false religions are used by the dragon to bring suffering and persecution. Some visions focus on the deliverance of the saints and give wonderful detail of the coming Kingdom for the faithful. Yet all the visions point to the same central fact that Jesus is the one who brings about all of God's purposes in the world and that only those who love him, cling to him and follow him will be clothed in white and able to stand on that great and dreadful day. God is in control. In the midst of the storming sea, the beasts, horrors, and demons bringing havoc in the world, God is on his throne, Christ has risen and the sea is as still as glass before him. He is the Alpha and Omega, and he is coming soon. We must be ready and our prayer should continually be, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
The book of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing. For many, however, it has been a book of mass confusion and contention. This forum will explore how to understand this complex book and show how this book is indeed an incredible blessing that challenges and changes us in ways unlike any other book of Scripture.
1. The book of Revelation is cyclical.
This book was not written chronologically. It consists of a series of visions that depict the same span of history from different vantage points. Thus, the book is similar to the dreams in Daniel. The dreams of the statue, beasts and so forth in Daniel all depict a period of time from Daniel's day to the coming of the Messiah. Those dreams all refer to Babylon, Medes-Persians, Greeks, Romans and the Kingdom of God. One dream does not pick up where the other left off, they are just different dreams giving different details about the same period of time. This is what is going on in Revelation.
Here is a basic outline of the book which shows the cyclical nature and how these various visions have consistent themes. Each vision has a similar progression... Christ glorified, the earth suffers, Christ returns/the wicked are punished and those who are faithful in the midst of the suffering ultimately celebrate.
LETTERS OF WARNING & ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE 7 CHURCHES (1-3)
THE VISION OF THE 7 SEALS (4-7)
Christ is glorified:
“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”” (Revelation 5:5, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:8, ESV)
Christ returns/wicked are punished:
“The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” (Revelation 6:14–17, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”” (Revelation 7:16–17, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE 7 TRUMPETS (8-11)
The earth suffers:
“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”” (Revelation 8:13, ESV)
Christ returns/wicked are punished:
“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:12–13, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”” (Revelation 11:15, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE WOMAN & DRAGON (12-14)
Christ is glorified:
“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,” (Revelation 12:5, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”” (Revelation 12:12, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.” (Revelation 14:18–20, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.” (Revelation 14:14–16, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE 7 PLAGUES (15-19)
Christ is glorified:
“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”” (Revelation 15:4, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”” (Revelation 16:1, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11–16, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”” (Revelation 19:6–9, ESV)
THE VISION OF THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM (20-22)
Christ is glorified:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.” (Revelation 20:1–3, ESV)
The earth suffers:
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4, ESV)
Christ returns/the wicked are punished:
“and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10–15, ESV)
The faithful celebrate:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:1–7, ESV)
2. The Book of Revelation applies to all
This book is not just for those who live in the final 7 or so years of human history. The message speaks to all Christians about what Christ accomplished, why people suffer after Christ's victory and resurrection, and the end result of those who are wicked and unbelieving vs. those who are faithful and suffer for Jesus' name. As the book says at its beginning, "Blessed are those...who hear...and keep the words of this prophecy..." This book is not just predictive, it is prescriptive. It is a call to faithfulness in the midst of suffering.
3. This book answers difficult questions
Imagine you are a Christian in the first century or even over in North Korea or the Middle East. You love Jesus. He is Lord and "all authority" has been given to him. Why then are you being beaten? Why are you suffering? Why did you have to watch as your children were beheaded or crucified? If Jesus is Lord of all, why is this happening? The reason is because there is a dragon loose in the world and we live in a time of testing and suffering as God's wrath is poured out on a wicked and sinful world. The call of Revelation echoes over and over, "Be faithful even to death, and I will give you a crown of life."
4. Each vision gives different spiritual insights
The visions are cyclical, but each vision gives its own insights and answers different questions. Some visions focus on Christ's conquest as the risen Lamb who is unfolding the seals to bring about God's judgment and deliverance. Some visions focus on the suffering of the saints and why they are persecuted. Some visions focus on the suffering of the wicked and the spiritual hardness and drought God places on them for their wickedness and failure to repent. Some visions show how governments and false religions are used by the dragon to bring suffering and persecution. Some visions focus on the deliverance of the saints and give wonderful detail of the coming Kingdom for the faithful. Yet all the visions point to the same central fact that Jesus is the one who brings about all of God's purposes in the world and that only those who love him, cling to him and follow him will be clothed in white and able to stand on that great and dreadful day. God is in control. In the midst of the storming sea, the beasts, horrors, and demons bringing havoc in the world, God is on his throne, Christ has risen and the sea is as still as glass before him. He is the Alpha and Omega, and he is coming soon. We must be ready and our prayer should continually be, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
