It might be safe to say that no other book of the Bible arouses more interest in the people of God than Revelation. It might also be safe to say that no other book in the Bible has been misinterpreted, avoided, or caused confusion more so than the book of Revelation. Some say that God never meant it to be a book to be understood by His people.
However, I believe God intends us to understand the book of Revelation. Revelation tells us the ending of the story that began in Genesis 1. God desires us to understand Revelation and obey what it teaches through its contents in light of our understanding. Revelation 1:3 (ESV) says,
“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.”
Recently, I reinforced the Bible’s account of the Tower of Babel with a relay race in our children’s ministry. The teams were to build a tower out of blocks according to the given instructions. Both teams did well until they reached the point in the instructions where other languages appeared. Kids on both teams realized they could not finish the race because they didn’t understand or speak the languages used to write the last steps.
God intends Revelation to be understood. We do well to remember that all Scripture is God-breathed or inspired by God Himself and that all Scripture is useful in a believer’s life. All Scripture includes Revelation. God did not give us the first 65 books of our Bible in a way that we could understand, write the last book of His Word in a way that we cannot understand, and then tell us that there is a blessing for the one who obeys the commands or truths written in it. We cannot follow what we don’t understand, just like the children couldn’t finish their towers or the race because they didn’t understand the instructions.
The title of the book itself also indicates that its contents are to be understood. The Greek word we translate in English for Revelation means “to uncover, to unveil, or take the lid off of something.” The book of Revelation doesn’t desire to hide the truth or make it confusing but to reveal the truth to God’s people.
What does Revelation reveal?
God uses Revelation to show us truths about the end times and give us a fuller picture of the person and work of Jesus.
What does Revelation teach us about the end times?
Revelation is rich in teachings about eschatology. Eschatology is the study of the end times. Revelation contains more details about the end times than any other book of the Bible. We will look closer at the following truths and events as we read the book together. Here is a list of facts and happenings we will discover through our study in Revelation for introduction’s sake.
- Christ’s ultimate victory over Satan
- The Final Antichrist, who will be the most powerful dictator of all time
- A description of the one-world government, currency, and religion
- The mentioning of the Church’s rapture
- The seven-year Tribulation, including the Great Tribulation (the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation) that Jesus had previously taught to His disciples
- The Second Coming of Christ
- The Battle of Armageddon
- The 1,000-year earthly reign of Jesus
- The Great White Throne Judgment
- The heaven and the new earth
What does Revelation teach us about Jesus?
While this prophecy intends to show us what must soon occur (1:19) about God’s plan for human history, we must be careful not to miss the book’s greater purpose! We find this more important purpose in the first five words of the book.
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,”
Revelation 1:1 (ESV)
This verse states that this book of prophecy is given to show Christ’s servants what must still take place in God’s redemption plan, but before this purpose is spoken, the more significant reason for writing is given. The more excellent reason is to reveal Jesus Christ in His glorified and ascended state! He was and is still sharing the glory that He and the Father had shared for all eternity past (John 17:5)! Revelation is a gift from the Father to the Son as part of His promise to exalt His Son (Philippians 2:9-11)! This book shows us Christ’s current state of being, and it is the same state of being He has enjoyed since His ascension and that He will enjoy for the rest of eternity as the glorified King! Here is a brief list of what Revelation teaches us about Jesus Christ.
- Revelation affirms the full deity of Christ. In other words, it affirms that Jesus is fully God. (Revelation 1:17)
- Revelation describes Jesus using many titles. Each title tells us something about His person or His work.
- In Revelation, we are reminded that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain but is alive forevermore, that He is the center of all history and prophecy, that salvation comes through Him alone, by faith alone in His death on the cross, that only His blood can wash away our sins resulting in a right relationship with God, and that He is coming back as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Other reasons to study Revelation
- A Better Understanding of the Bible’s One Message: There are 550 allusions to the Old Testament, which appear in 278 verses. These stats are significant when only 404 verses comprise this book. Out of the twenty-two chapters that make up Revelation, only the last two chapters contain new information describing the eternal order. Revelation is pictured as the Grand Central Station of the Bible because it’s where every train of thought throughout the Bible comes in.
- Angels, Demons, and Satan: Revelation has a tremendous amount to say and teach concerning angels and demons. The book contains 25% of the verses in the Bible that pertain to angels and their function. We also see Satan’s true nature unveiled and his future described.
- A Promised Blessing: It is the only book of the Bible that promises a special blessing to those who read, hear, and obey its teachings. Since this is the only book that contains such a gift, it has been appropriately called “the Blessing book.”
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