Revelation 1

Today we begin the completion of our journey as we move into the final book of the Bible. This book is more misunderstood than any other, so we must remember several foundational principles as we read. For the sake of space, I will highlight these over the next few days.

The purpose is to surprise, excite, and awaken dulled senses. It is a poetic book, not a historical one. We must read it as such to avoid being led astray by misunderstanding.

It’s somewhat akin to a movie made from a series of beloved books: the drama and visual imagery add to the written word. Yet it is similar to reading a well-written book that exceeds the movie’s value because it sparks the imagination.

John writes to inspire us to imagine again. Just as poetry creates something from mere words and topics, Revelation unveils Jesus in fresh excitement and expectation.

Second, the first few words tell us everything we need to know to understand this book rightly: “This is the unveiling of Jesus Christ.” This poetic work unveils Jesus through the witness of a man Jesus loved deeply and who loves Him deeply in return. We must see Jesus in every chapter if this “final word” is to lead us to the place God intended: certainty in the face of uncertainty, hope in the face of despair, and good news amidst universally bad news. We must find Jesus, and read through His lens, just as with all scripture (Luke 24:27).

So, let’s begin!

The poem opens with an introduction setting the source, the focus, and the purpose of this writing. Notice that the blessing (v3) rests upon the one who reads aloud and those who hear. We are to have a multi-sensory revelation: read, speak, hear, see. God reveals Jesus afresh to seven churches in western Turkey (Asia Minor) through this unveiling to John, the apostle who pastored those churches but is now imprisoned on the island of Patmos by the pagan Roman government. Traditionally this author was held to be the same as the son of Zebedee, the apostle appointed by Jesus to care for His mother and the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Modern scholarship tends to identify John the Revelator (also called John the Divine) as a different John from the one in the gospels.

The angel who comes to John first reveals the rulership of Jesus over every earthly government. What a comfort when an ungodly superpower has exiled and imprisoned you! And this Jesus is coming (or appearing) right now. Like the movie’s opening scenes, the angel shows John Jesus appearing to everyone on earth. The rest of the book will reveal final truths that confirm and complete scripture with their powerful stimulus to the imagination.

From verse 12, the second half of this chapter fleshes out the vision of Jesus.

The seven lampstands are the seven churches, and the seven stars are the churches’ messengers (or leaders). As the footnote to verse 20 confirms, there are multiple applications of the seven letters: to the specific churches at that time, to every church, a prophetic unveiling of seven phases of church history, and personal application to every believer who is ready to hear and see (v3).

I recommend Eugene Peterson’s meditation on Revelation, “Reversed Thunder.” In his reflection on the second half of this chapter, he observes that John describes Jesus with seven specifics. Their symmetry and order are significant. The first and last are the most important: the white head and shining face represent forgiveness and blessing. The second and sixth, eyes and mouth, define a relationship. Our sight and sound communication show God in relationship with us. Third and fifth items: feet and right hand demonstrate God’s activity and capability. The right hand shows executive action; the feet add mobility and stability. And central to all these aspects is the fourth specific: the voice thunders with life and power. Remember, this book is a poetic record of what John saw and heard. The voice of God still speaks! Jesus is appearing.

Revelation 2

As we continue in John’s Revelation of Jesus, we will see God’s Word to the Church today. Before diving in, let’s remember that this book is a prophetic poem of inspiration through activating the imagination and all the senses. The revelation unveils Jesus to seven churches in Turkey where suffering is widespread and their pastor, the apostle John, has been exiled and imprisoned. Jesus writes to communities and congregations of real people with all the challenges and benefits of relationships in play. God is love, and love is always a communal fruit. You can’t love without a lover and a beloved. Or, as Wesley famously said, “Solitary saints are as unbiblical as holy adulterers.”

This chapter, and the following, show us clearly that John writes as a pastor (who cares for his flocks), a theologian (who carries and imparts a profound revelation of God), and a poet (who crafts words into a reality greater than mere statements of fact). As we read, we hear and speak through the filter of Jesus. John is unveiling Jesus to His churches.

Chapter Two brings four letters to churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. Each is a historical city in Turkey that you can locate on a map. But the truths Jesus writes to be read aloud and heard in each congregation are universally applicable, as we said in Chapter 1. As we read, let’s have ears to hear. Notice how Jesus describes Himself in specific terms to each church. Every faithful congregation of the Body of Christ has an identity flowing from a close relationship with Christ. To Ephesus, He holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven gold lampstands. To Smyrna, He is the first and last, who was dead and lives. To Pergamum, He is the one who holds the sharp, two-edged sword. To Thyatira, He has eyes like flames of fire and feet like bronze. All these are elements from the vision in Chapter 1. Jesus is explicitly unveiled for each church, yet is the same for all. The variety shows us that every congregation has a part to play in revealing Jesus. None of us is all. He is ALL. To every church, He says, “he who has an ear, let him hear.” Listening is both a unifying obedience to the Spirit and a challenge to the independence of congregants and congregations alike. We don’t gather to impress one another nor to demonstrate our superiority over the other faith communities in our area; we gather to listen with open hearts, which we have tended with care to be good soil for the seed of the Word.

This unveiling of Jesus confirms, fulfills, and completes the other 65 books we have already read. There’s nothing new here, but the revelation of Genesis to Jude is completed and reinvigorated by Revelation.

Revelation 3

We continue with the letters from Jesus to the seven churches. In chapter two, we saw how Jesus introduced Himself to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. Today, Jesus describes Himself to Sardis as the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. To Philadelphia, He is the holy and true who has the key of David (opening and shutting without reversal). To Laodicea, He calls Himself the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. All these personal descriptions will have been significant to the congregation in focus because everyone has an identity rooted in a relationship with Christ. Each letter has a format: starting with a specific reminder of a characteristic of Jesus (drawn from the unveiling in Chapter One) and going on to an affirmation of something the church is doing well (except Laodicea, which has no commendation). Next, there is a warning about something that needs to be addressed or corrected (Smyrna and Philadelphia do not receive such correction). Finally, each letter ends with an appeal from the Spirit to overcome, promising an aspect of the glorious future Jesus has secured.

Notice how this pattern is also how God often relates to us. He gives us a glimpse of Himself in a way that uniquely resonates with our relational experience of Him, then He commends what is good and corrects what is not before reminding us of our eternal hope.

Rather than digging into the detailed differences between each church, I encourage you to see aspects of Jesus in each letter and expect these unveilings to draw you into a deeper relationship with Him and His children. Avoid both self-aggrandizement and self-condemnation. Neither comes from Jesus: He wants you to be more like Him.

I recommend N.T. Wright’s book “Revelation For Everyone.” An easy read which unlocks many aspects of this powerful poetic prophecy.

Revelation 4

At the end of chapter three, the rich, neglectful Laodiceans receive an invitation: “I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hearing my voice, and you open the door (of your heart), I will come to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me.” They had so much (by their estimation) yet had no commendation from Jesus because, in reality, they had so little. His desire for them, and all believers, is a feast of His presence, IF we will open the door.

Then, at once, the scene changes, and, with dramatic repetition, John sees a door open in heaven!

What we have read so far is stunning: a vivid unveiling of Jesus, rooted in centuries of scripture, in chapter 1, then seven letters to John’s churches with unique elements to affirm or correct each one. But now the revelation or unveiling (apokalypsis) truly begins. Everything from this point forward unveils Jesus: victorious, faithful, obedient, persistent, sacrificial, servant-hearted, triumphant.

Remember that this book is scripture completed: don’t read this aside from the other 65 books (even though this differs fundamentally in style and purpose from the others). As we read, remember to approach this book as a summation, the completion and fulfillment of scripture, not an added extra with fresh information. The purpose of prophecy is forth-telling, not foretelling—an unveiling of Christ, not a manual of future world events. Reading Revelation as an expositional exercise to discover historical certainties is an error of apocalyptic proportions!

Rather than the forensic, gnostic approach of discerning fresh truth in this book, let’s discover fresh passion and life for what we already know from the Old Testament and the New. The Revelation is full of patterns of seven, each revealing something of Jesus, and we have already seen the first seven – the churches and their current state, plus their future potential. In chapters 4 and 5, John sees heaven as it is now in preparation for the following pattern of seven: the seven seals.

John is shown worship in heaven around a throne: God’s council chamber, a reflection of earlier glimpses in 1 Kings 22 and Ezekiel 1. The rainbow takes us back to Genesis 9 after Noah’s flood. There are 24 elders (the twelve tribal patriarchs and the twelve apostles of the Church), signifying the unity and completion of God’s plan, contrasting with the current human reality of the Christians being persecuted by those who called themselves Jews, but refused to acknowledge their Messiah. This scene has much sensory activity, calling for us to engage with all our senses. God intends to be central and incomparable.

And the second half of the chapter describes the worship in more detail. There are four living creatures in view, and early traditions identified them with the four gospels: Matthew the Lion (King), Mark the Ox (sacrificial servant), Luke the Human (Son of Man), and John the Eagle (divine wisdom). All four creatures have “eyes wide open,” ready to do God’s bidding as they worship. And then the first song of Revelation is heard: Holy, holy, holy! Almighty! The Was, The Is, and The Coming! And as often happens in true worship, the first song sparks a second in response: the elders sing, “You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power for you created all things, and they exist for your pleasure.” Let’s pause to worship with them today!

Revelation 5

Have you ever received an important letter with the words “To be opened by the addressee only”? If you are the addressee, you immediately feel anticipation and anxiety (depending on who sent the letter)! If your name is not on the envelope, there is that emotional compulsion to find the proper recipient to discover the contents. This kind of stipulation does not apply to unimportant correspondence!

A similar circumstance unfolds in the first few verses of Chapter Five. God is holding a scroll, presumably of His plans for the universe, humanity, and eternity. We know from the preceding 65 books that His goal is for humankind to rule the earth and for Israel to be His chosen people. Both those plans seem to have gone awry. How do we find out what our heavenly ruler’s plan is? Seven seals prevent discovery (there’s our pattern again – seven always denotes perfection, it is God’s number). The mighty angel asks, “Who is worthy to open the seals?” And no person is found. John is heartbroken, and we would do well to feel the emotion of worship to God contrasted with the concealing of His plans. What a dis-spiriting disparity!

But one of the elders steps forward with good news: the lion has conquered and can open the seals! The lion immediately speaks to us of the Messiah, the perfect one. John indeed hears the news with joy and relief. But then a surprise: when John looks, he sees a sacrificial lamb! What he hears and sees contrasts dramatically. Remember, this unveiling of Jesus is poetry designed to inspire and re-energize the imagination toward worship and relationship. Logically parsing the words on the page will lead to confusion or error.

So, the Lamb and the Lion are now one. He has seven horns and seven eyes, the seven spirits of God sent out to the ends of the earth. In other words, there is no lack of power or insight here – God sees everything on earth and has authority in every setting.

This little lamb (seemingly innocuous and already sacrificed) comes forward, and you can imagine John leaning in to see what will happen now. It’s like the end of the overture at a stage show, and the curtain is about to rise. And now another surprise: the elders and the living creatures fall face down in worship and offer bowls of incense which are the prayers of those who love God. We, the supposed audience, are part of the cast of this show! And the songs continue: “Because You were slaughtered for us, You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. Your blood was the price paid to redeem us. You purchased us to bring us to God out of every tribe, language, people group, and nation. You have chosen us to serve our God and formed us into a kingdom of priests who reign on the earth.” This Lion/Lamb Messiah, the perfect human, has recruited humanity to mediate as King/Priests (just like Melchizedek, who we studied a few weeks ago in Hebrews). Then the worship increases again: thousands of angels join the song: the Lamb’s slaughter makes Him worthy! What a contrast to the world’s system, where might is right and believers are often sidelined, even persecuted. And ultimately, every creature worships in unison: “Praise, honor, glory, and dominion be to God-enthroned and Christ the Lamb forever and ever!” The whole of creation rightly offers praise and worship to God enthroned and the Lion/Lamb Messiah/Man. Here is a glimpse of the complete reconciliation Jesus has achieved through obedience and sacrificial love!

We are ready to start opening the seals of God’s plans. But first, let’s bask in the worship of all things and add our voice to the chorus: Praise, honor, glory, and dominion be to God-enthroned and Christ the Lamb forever and ever!

Revelation 6

Were you ready for some glorious answers after the symphony of worship at the end of chapter 5? Well, sometimes things must get worse before they can get better. You must dig down and establish firm foundations to build a substantial house. Remember the evil and hardships John and his contemporaries are facing. Exile and persecution are their daily lot, and the first four seals on God’s plan uncover a great deal of darkness and evil. The horsemen represent the four fundamental evils on earth: conquering, violence, economic hardship, and death. Like verses of a song or scenes of a play, they introduce themes and are not necessarily sequential. That is too tidy for poetry and too tidy to rightly represent the challenges faced by God’s plan in our twisted world. Don’t read these seals as a rigid sequence, do not assume that seals precede trumpets (chapters 8-11) and trumpets lead to bowls of wrath (chapter 16). Instead, these are like paintings in a gallery or movements of a symphony. Each has something to communicate, and the whole reveals Jesus.

Even our guides for this journey (Eugene Peterson in “Reversed Thunder” and N.T. Wright, in “Revelation for Everyone,” differ in details of the interpretation of the four horsemen. That doesn’t matter as much as the overall message: God’s plan includes uncovering evil as part of the unveiling of Jesus. When the light shines, the roaches are exposed.

So we move to the fifth seal and see those martyrs who were faithful to God’s Word and would not renounce Jesus the Lamb as their Savior. This group was a large and well-known cohort when John received this vision and wrote it for the churches to read aloud and experience together. John sees that those who have died must wait because more martyrs will join them. Even today, the same principles hold in countries where it is forbidden to believe. Interestingly, John sees where these souls are waiting - under the altar. We will see later that the throne room where John sees his vision is also the heavenly temple, and these martyrs are aware of the unhealed world, ripe for judgment.

Now the sixth seal ushers in natural catastrophes, which cause many to question or reject God. And in the response of the powerful to these disasters, we see acknowledgment of God, unlike the “acts of God” clause, which allows our insurance to evade responsibility when natural tragedies strike. Remember, this whole revelation is an unveiling of Jesus. Natural disasters bring awareness of God’s justice, which is terrible news to those who live to twist justice for their own benefit.

So, we have six seals opened on God’s plan, uncovering great evil. The chapter ends with a valid question: who can stand?

We shall wait for chapter seven for the answer.

Revelation 7

Just as Chapter 6 surprised us with the uncovering of great evil after the heavenly worship of Chapter 5, Chapter 7 brings another surprise. It’s the poetic equivalent of an experience I had many times as a hiker and mountaineer: you exert yourself to reach the skyline ahead of you, only to find it is a ridge that leads to a higher, steeper crest beyond! It is essential not to give way to discouragement.

Just as we expect the opening of the seventh seal, and the revealing of God’s plan, John inserts a poetic valley. We don’t see a seal on a scroll. Instead, we see a seal placed on the foreheads of God’s servants. Four angels (symbolizing universal completeness) will hold back any damage to the world while God’s grace is marked on each child of God- on the forehead to represent the mind of Christ. Sealing indicates protection against judgment in Ezekiel 9, and Paul uses sealing as a metaphor for receiving the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1 and 2 Corinthians 1.

Let me repeat the regular warning about this book: beware of literal logic as you read. Revelation is a poetic prophecy! And speaking of repeating, that is a common technique of the poet and the dramatist to emphasize truth. This chapter repeats a vast multitude – first in verses 1-8, where John hears that there are 144,000 (12 tribes squared by 12 apostles and multiplied to a crowd) – and then he looks in verses 9-17 and sees a vast multitude that no-one can count. The poetic device leads us to understand that the two are the same. The numbering tells us something: those who have become children of God are part of God’s twelvefold family structure.

Interestingly, the twelve tribes John hears are different from the twelve tribes descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Judah is listed first (Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah). Dan is missing (some Jewish traditions had Dan as the tribe of the AntiChrist), and Manasseh is an entire tribe (possibly to replace Dan). Key point: don’t place too much weight on the details, lest you distort the prophetic symbolism and miss the unveiling of the Messiah.

So the numbering tells us God’s children have a place in His family (and every tribe is equally numbered – no favorites here). Then the vision of the great multitude shows us that the victorious come from every facet of humanity. Remember the appeal at the end of the letters to the seven churches? Be victorious!

These victorious ones have white robes (they are purified) and palm branches (to welcome the King). Their triumphant liberty shows in their passionate worship: “Salvation belongs to our God seated on the throne and to the Lamb!” Observe how the worship of believers stands out amidst all the darkness and suffering of the previous chapter. And this worship prompts the angels, elders, and living creatures to worship again! God’s presence is full of songs!

In verse 13, one of the elders asks John a question. Side note: often, questions are how God opens our eyes to new truth; that’s how Jesus did much of His teaching. “Who do you say that I am?” “What do you want me to do for you?” “How do you read the Law – what does it say?” All these questions lead us to revelation, giving us life and deepening our relationship with God.

John is familiar with this Hebraic method of teaching and responds to the elder’s question with a statement that is also a question: “My lord, you must know?” And the elder tells John that this great multitude, who have been sealed at the instruction of the senior angel, while junior angels hold back natural disasters, are the ones who recognize their filthy rags (Luke 15) and come to wash in the blood of the Lamb. The process of washing has brought them through great tribulation.

Pause here to state clearly that the great tribulation is mentioned twice in Revelation, and both times it applies only to believers. If you are waiting to escape a tremendous worldwide future distress, you have missed a critical prophetic message in this poem: when you go through trials and hold on to Jesus, you are sealed, robed in white, and will be safe in the final judgment. Verses 15 through 17 must have been such a hope-filled relief to John and his readers. The one on the throne spreads his Tabernacle over those who suffer persecution, and the Lamb continuously shepherds them into life, leading them to the fountain, or spring, of eternal life. They have tears in their eyes, but God will wipe away each one.

That’s a promise to you too. Your suffering may be small compared to first-century believers, but the same God promises us a place with them in the vast multitude worshipping and drinking from the fountain.

Revelation 8

Chapter 7 was an unexpected pause in the sequence of seal opening. But what a revelation of Jesus we gained from it. We have a Savior sealing us with the Holy Spirit, so we have a glorious future to anticipate. One where He shepherds us to living water while His Father spreads His Tabernacle over us. Next time it is tempting to view God as angry with someone (whether you or an enemy) or to imagine Him as a distant inspector, keeping careful note of every weakness and failing, be sure to evangelize your heart by reading the second half of Revelation 7 again!

Now we come to the seventh seal, which will enable the unfurling of God’s plan.

After the worship-filled vision in Chapter 4, the excitement of the Lamb/Lion being worthy to open the scrolls in Chapter 5, the surprising unveiling of evil in Chapter 6, and the vast crowd of victorious children of God worshipping in Chapter 7, you might expect a fantastic crescendo as the seventh seal opens. Anyone who has witnessed a complete performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture can still feel the energy of the organ, the cannons, and the full orchestra in fortissimo emotional impact.

But the seventh seal is utterly different.

There is silence.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

In the silence, God is.

Silence is not the absence of activity – seven angels are given seven trumpets in preparation for our subsequent pattern of seven. But there is silence, stillness, knowing God. And in the calm, an eighth angel has incense representing the prayers of the saints. Our senses are all involved again as our ears hear the silence, our eyes see the handing out of trumpets and the smoke of the incense, our nostrils fill with the aroma of many prayers, and our hearts leap as the angel fills the incense burner with coals from the altar and hurls them to the earth. Here come the natural disasters that speak of purification in answer to our prayers. Earthly prayer rises to the altar in God’s Tabernacle, and the angel hurls coals from the altar to the earth in a powerful demonstration of God’s answers to prayer. Just as in Exodus, when all God’s children cried out for release from Egyptian slavery, John’s unveiling of Jesus brings plagues on earth in answer to the prayers of Jesus’ brothers and sisters, Father God’s children, who long for injustice and suffering to end. Just as the plagues in Egypt taught Pharaoh to change his heart, these plagues will convince the earthly to look heavenward. (Again, I recommend “Revelation for Everyone” by N.T. Wright for more on this section of Revelation).

The chapter has links to many other scriptures, too numerous to list here. One example would be verse 10, John’s poetic reference to Isaiah 14:12. That verse was spoken to the King of Babylon but seen as a picture of satan’s fall. John includes it here as a precursor to final judgments later in the drama.

The chapter ends with an eagle (possibly symbolizing John’s gospel) flying overhead and crying, “Woe to the people of the earth.” The contrast is between the people of the earth and the people of the heavenly Tabernacle, sealed with the mark qualifying them to come to the fountain of life.

Remember, beware of logical literalism. Instead, allow poetic, prophetic imagery to inspire your imagination and increase your revelation of Jesus.

Revelation 9

We are a culture inoculated against terror. Movies and late-night TV show us many frightening things that we consider “just fiction.” But chapter 9 reminds us that God allows terrible things to wake up those who have ignored Him or dismissed Him as “just fiction.” John describes the locusts unleashed by the fifth trumpet in such detail that multiple misguided logical literalists have identified them with specific 20th and 21st Century armaments. We must remember this is a poetic, dramatic, prophetic work of creativity! It is an experience, not just a document. We must hear and speak these passages so that the words leap off the page and ignite the imagination into redemptive action.

After the fifth trumpet unleashes the first woe the eagle spoke of at the end of Chapter 8, the sixth angel blows his trumpet, and now the four angels representing the invading enemies of Israel are released. Invading enemies is a powerful image for John and his readers. They have experienced the horrors of invasion personally and come from a long heritage of invasion, exile, and enslavement. Suffering is real and personal for them. And remember that the purpose of these invading soldiers bringing deadly plagues is to prompt repentance by those who have turned away from God into murder, sorcery, theft, or immorality. All these are manifestations of idolatry – replacing the true God with human artifacts, whether idols or philosophies.

And sadly, Chapter 9 tells us that they did not repent. There have been six trumpets. What will the seventh bring? We shall have to wait (again). Will we see how God’s plan unfolds in our next chapter?

Revelation 10

Before the seventh trumpet sounds, the vision moves toward hope as we begin to see messengers sent from God.

There is great power in words, and we will also see a shift in the focus of the vision. John was originally an observing participant, occasionally asking a question but otherwise simply present to record what he sees. Now he has become an active participant in the drama. Messengers are a vital part of God’s plan. Just as the silence that followed the breaking of the seventh seal enabled us to KNOW God, the words spoken by God are now relayed through various messengers to release powerful change on the earth.

First, we see a messenger coming out of heaven, robed in a cloud, and holding an open scroll. He is immense, standing astride land and sea. He gives a tremendous shout that prompts a response that most commentators agree is the complete message of God sent out by the seven spirits of God. John must seal up that message for now!

This angel is full of light, and his hat is a rainbow. A welcome change from previous chapters’ darkness, death, and destruction!

This magnificent messenger swears an oath that reveals more of Jesus to us: He lives for an eternity of eternities (beyond any measurement or comprehension), and He is the Creator of heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. In other words, He is superior to all the turmoil and tribulations that have preceded this announcement, and shortly the final trumpet will sound to fulfill the mystery of God.

But first, John steps onto the stage of this prophetic drama. He asks for the scroll (presumably to read it and understand more fully what the angel has just announced). Instead, the messenger tells John to eat it. Now our sense of taste joins sight, sound, and smell in this all-encompassing prophetic apocalypse! The scroll tastes as sweet as honey (symbolizing revelation knowledge – see footnote to verse 10), but it turns bitter in the stomach. Prophetic revelation is honeyed to receive, but often the application is less pleasant. And so, John is instructed to prophesy again to many – which he does through this prophetic completion of the canon of scripture.

Revelation 11

In chapter 10, the angels command John to prophesy, and this chapter (concluding the first half of this revelation) is the prophecy of John. It is a confusing chapter in some ways and difficult to interpret. Still, we shall seek to understand through the lens of this being just one part of a broader, multifaceted revelation of Jesus’ victory.

John uses symbolic actions and a story intended as a parable to convey essential truths and bring this portion of his account to a conclusion.

John’s symbolic action is to measure the temple, not the now-destroyed structure in Jerusalem, but the temple of the Holy Spirit: The Church. Notice that measuring the place where God now dwells must exclude the outer court, indicating that a portion of church history (or of the presumed church in any age) is under the impact of the nations of this world.

The story of the two witnesses is a parable of the witness of The Church – authority, victory over opposition, signs & wonders, prophecy, and finally, death at the hands of the ungodly. Throughout this account, take heart from using the measure “three and a half” in this parable, three and a half years to have this role and three and a half days dead before being resurrected by the breath of God. This number is half of seven, the number of perfect completions, so this is only a part of the whole revelation God is giving through John. Ultimately, heaven summons the witnesses (the Church Valiant). John may have seen two witnesses representing the Church because two bold witnesses are our inspiration: Moses, who opposed Pharaoh, and Elijah, who fought the prophets of Baal. If this is the case, then the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) are foundational to our witness as we see the Kingdom come.

And the chapter concludes with the declaration that the Kingdom, indeed, has come. If you compare verses 15 & 16 of chapter 11 with chapter 1, verse 4, you will see that the revelation begins with the truth that Jesus is the King who was, and is, and is coming—past, present, and future. Here in 11:15, the Kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our God. In 11:16, the Lord God Almighty was and is. There is no more “is coming.” The future is here. Eternity IS. There is no “one day” to anticipate: God’s promised Kingdom is here.

Remember that this book is a revelation: the scenes are more didactic than sequential. Each new section shows us the same truths from a different angle and with greater clarity and impact. In verses 16 and 17, the elders worship in ways that recall Chapter 4. But here in chapter 11, we see that the time has come to wrap up the evil, sort out the injustices, penalize the corruptors, and open the presence of God to all.

Revelation 12

Now the scene changes, and we see this revelation of Jesus from a new viewpoint. We start with the nativity, with a woman (representing Israel, God’s chosen people, Eve, the mother of all living, and The Church – the Bride of Christ) pregnant with a man-child. There are multiple symbolic facets to John’s vision that connect this passage with many others throughout scripture. N.T. Wright’s discussion of this chapter in “Revelation for Everyone” describes the rich layers of meaning John records.

Along with the symbolic woman, John also reveals the corruptor, the enemy behind all the evil we have endured in this vision. The satan (v9), who accuses, deceives, and kills, is defeated by Michael and an army of angels, being cast down to the earth in defeat. We recall both Isaiah 14 (how you are cast down, O Day star, son of the dawn) and the words of Jesus in Luke 10:18 “I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Defeat here is not final. The dragon will be with us for much of the book’s second half (and so will the Woman). But remember, this does not indicate a long chronological period of opposition and struggle. John’s revelation is a multifaceted vision of God’s solution to sin and evil. It is a panoramic unfolding of God’s ultimate victory in a series of scenes and revelations.

Notice how the battle has two victories (which are two sides of the same coin). In verses 7-9, Michael and the angels defeat the satan and his minions. But verse 11 credits the Church – our brothers and sisters, who conquer the accuser through the blood of the lamb and the word of His testimony (or their testimony – our testimony of what He has done is His testimony too). And they didn’t love and cling to their lives, even when faced with death.

So, heaven’s forces and God’s children on earth cooperate, in obedience and submission to God, to defeat the dragon.

Revelation 13

Chapter 12 ended with the dragon standing by the sea. And the sea was the source of threats and attacks for the Jews and many others. Daniel’s vision of four beasts (representing four ungodly kingdoms) morphs into one beast or monster that combines and reimagines them all. The allusion is to Rome, the powerful godless empire that was the superpower of the day. But beyond that, the whole thrust of this beast represents pagan empire wherever it sets itself up against God. Notice that there is miraculous restoration and blasphemous declaration, leading to worship of the dragon and virulent spewing of malice against God. Throughout history, empire has been a monster that defies and attacks God’s Kingdom. The clear message here is that empire may fight and even kill, but God will be victorious. And it is not our place to do God’s work for Him. Verse 10 says the demands and evil acts of the beast of empire call for endurance and faithfulness (to God), not the wielding of earthly force against earthly powers.

Then we see a second beast deceiving and demanding worship. For emphasis, John repeats the metaphor of empire as a monster faking parody of God’s power. Religion is rising similarly to political and governmental power, demanding obedience and compliance. For us and John’s readers, it is easy to say, “That would not take me in; I would stand firm.” But there are issues today that are just as evil as Rome’s pagan conquest of the known world, enslaving and subjugating everyone they conquered. Nero was the emperor then, ranking highly in the Top 20 “most obnoxious human rulers” chart!

There is a consequence in commerce and loss of liberty for those who will not worship, who refuse to be coerced, just as today there is a price to pay for exposing the godless extremities of cancel culture, gender identity politics, and ruthless use of force to control (whether in global conflicts or local crimes). Religion is unforgiving of those who seek a relationship with God. Jesus modeled this, and religion killed Him.

The chapter ends with the most famous number in the Bible. The cryptogram and numerical parody of perfection (777) in the beast’s number: 666. The number of imperfection repeated three times for complete emphasis.

Our response? Seek the one who was, and is, PERFECT!

Revelation 14

Chapter 13 gave us two virulently evil beasts demanding worship, obeisance, and control.

Now we see a powerful, beautiful contrast: a little lamb with a vast army identified with His and Father’s names. Their worship is pure, and heaven acknowledges this true power with a roar of approval. This section is another reflection of Psalm 2 (which is a repeated reference in John’s vision). Why do the nations rage? God laughs at this mockery. He reveals His chosen King – the lamb.

And so humanity is presented with a clear choice: follow the lamb, receive His name, endure and remain obedient in the face of evil and opposition, OR settle for imperfection, give in to the bullying threats of the imperial beast and the beast of religion, and be marked by godlessness.

We see three angels calling all humankind to do the former, not the latter. This scene of the revelation is for John’s readers who are currently suffering greatly under an evil empire (Babylon is a metaphor for Rome). Rest and relief are coming. Endure.

And verses 14 to 20 describe the harvest of the earth as the path to that rest. Just as agricultural communities know the suffering and labor of long days of hard work to bring in the harvest, the bride of Christ suffers through long years of godless oppression until humanity is ripe and the gathering-in of God’s children takes place. Jesus told His disciples, “The fields are white for harvest.”

We can misinterpret these verses as terrible scenes of suffering and judgment, but that would miss the joy of God’s abundant harvest – gathering the multiplied lives of His children like ripe ears of grain—a great and bountiful harvest.

Revelation 15

The scene changes again, and John sees the final plagues (calling to mind the preparation for the Exodus). Just as repeated pestilences led to the breaking of Pharaoh’s hold on God’s people, these seven final outbreaks will finally defeat the dragon and the two beasts, bringing God’s children, humanity, to freedom.

John hears the song of Moses (just as in Exodus 15, where Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and all the people sang in worship and celebration). “All nations will come and worship you as your blessings have been revealed.”

Just as the plagues revealed God’s power and eventually overcame the demonic hold of the Egyptians, seven plagues of judgment will show God’s power. Seven angels from the Tabernacle of Testimony carry these plagues – the holy of holies where God’s presence came down on the mercy seat upon the ark of testimony. As in the original Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and the mountain where Moses met with God to receive the Ten Commandments, thick smoke represents God’s presence.

And the angels are given bowls of God’s wrath (a word that also means strong passion – see Micah 7:18). God desires to see us restored – to have compassion, defeat our iniquity, cast out our sin, and demonstrate faithfulness to us. We shall see the ultimate fulfillment of this passion in the coming chapters.

Revelation 16

Now we see the seven plagues in majestic, terrifying detail. Remember, this book is a prophetic revelation, symbolic, not literal. Its purpose is to reveal fundamental principles and cause us to see Jesus more clearly.

So, this seven is no more a sequence of literal events than the previous sequences of sevens we have read (seven churches, seven trumpets, seven seals, and so on).

Many facets of these seven last plagues remind us of the pre-Exodus plagues. The purpose of sickness and suffering is to bring humanity to their senses (like the younger son in the pigpen). God expresses his judgment in allowing wrong choices to produce painful consequences. That is mercy and verdict because it exposes the truth about the wrongs (and the deceptive powers behind them).

But these seven plagues go beyond the scope of the earlier judgments. These are the last plagues, and so the consequences are total. The second phase of God’s judgment is to remove the evils, similar to a surgeon excising a tumor or amputating a gangrenous limb.

As you read, note the patience of God (allowing consequences to do their work if possible) and the passion for redemption (a firm determination to fully implement the victory of Jesus over evil, the dragon, and the beasts of imperial and religious power).

This world is a mess. Evil abounds, and demons deceive influential people into rejecting God in word and deed.

And God is still more powerful than all evil. Just as light is more powerful than darkness, and heat is more powerful than cold, God wins!

Amid these final and total battles, Jesus inserts a wake-up call (in verse 15): don’t let familiarity with all this evil cause you to neglect to be watchful and clothed in me!

The final victory is close, the strength of sin and evil means that the final battle will be monumental, but those clothed in Jesus and awake to His presence will experience God’s blessing despite terrible plagues.

Revelation 17

God’s revelation (the totality of scripture) reveals God’s purpose to be the union of two parts: God and humanity, man and woman, Christ and His Bride. This revelation (the book we are reading) is no different.

And just as fornication or adultery corrupts a faithful marriage, the satan’s evil and selfish, sinful human power structures tarnish God’s perfect plan. In this revelation, John uses the image of a prostitute, but beware of letting misogyny steal the powerful truths of this chapter. Although John’s harlot is female, she is symbolic, and male prostitutes could substitute with equivalent symbolism. Remember the prophetic symbolism of Hosea marrying the harlot and loving her as God loves unfaithful humanity.

The trap of the harlot is that she seems so attractive and desirable until she captures you, and escape is almost impossible, while death is virtually inevitable. N.T. Wright’s “Revelation for Everyone” uses the apt analogy of a lobster pot. Sin has baited and trapped us, and we need rescue.

This chapter is hard to read for all the brutal imagery, but we see the harlot for what she truly is: a filthy abomination. Just as the number of the beast we met a couple of chapters ago was 666, indicating complete imperfection, the prostitute of chapter 17 is Babylon personified (and thus Rome exposed) as attractive corruption. Babylon is this world’s system – the power and deception of imperialism and religion. Babylon is just as mighty today as she was in Roman times. Capitalism and Communism attract different mindsets, but both can be corrupt. Likewise, Babylon hides in the cultural shibboleths of gender politics, pro-choice propaganda, and social media self-righteousness, forcing free speech to take a back seat.

This chapter shows us the certainty of filthy corruption’s defeat.

For all the warring against the Lamb, these heads, kings, and beasts will be defeated by the Lord of lords and the King of kings, together with His companions: the chosen and faithful ones.

Rather than getting a headache figuring out who the seven, five, ten, and eight represent, focus on the prophetic symbolism message: the Lamb wins, and we win with Him.

Revelation 18

As we turn the final corner and into the finishing straight of this book, it is worth recalling again that this is a revelation of Jesus, not a prophecy of specific future historical events. The language is apocalyptic (that is to say, revealing), unveiling the greatest truths with more clarity than ever. We are reading the final volume of God’s written Word, the saga’s end, and the invitation to a transformed eternity.

As we read these words, we read to grasp the broad sweep of the message of their symbolism, not to parse every jot and tittle for religious or political interpretation. These principles apply to this chapter (the final throes of the evil earthly system), the next (the celebration of the termination of the imperial system), and chapter 20 (the final judgment). Look for the broad sweep.

So, Chapter 18’s symbolic message (along with that of Chapter 17) is that the seductively attractive and dominatingly powerful empires, superpowers, and governments of this world’s imperial system ride on the beast which has wholly corrupted them: the satan’s power grab to dominate, intimidate, and control. The more powerful, the more glorious, the more attractive and seductive any specific manifestation of this system is, the more resounding the sound of its ultimate fall when God says, “Enough!” Whether a communist empire, Hollywood franchise, or Islamic caliphate, all will be eventually exposed and destroyed. As fast as the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, all the world’s seducing power structures will ultimately collapse. Even the American dream and the self-righteous denominationalism of much of Christianity in the 21st Century will eventually be devastated, and the darkness hiding within will be exposed and expunged. The Church – the chosen and the faithful – will emerge in pure worship as God demolishes the imposters and restores the eternal.

Revelation 19

After the destruction of this world’s system of domination, there is rejoicing in heaven. Just as there was rejoicing in the streets on VE Day as World War 2 was ending. Now we can proceed with the eternally planned union, the uniting of God and humanity at the wedding celebration of the Lamb. Notice that the praise in heaven is for God’s judgment of all that distorts and obstructs His purpose and for the visible victory that the smoke of her destruction indicates. Then a voice from the throne invites the servants of God to join the chorus, and a Niagara of praise erupts. John’s vision reveals God’s magnificent purpose: our destiny is the throne, and our purpose is unity with God.

And then comes the bridegroom. Majestic, riding on a great white horse. The symbol of victory in battle and great honor for valor and strategy to bring His rule to every rebellious territory. Notice the contrast between the simplicity of our victorious bridegroom king’s arrival – on a white horse – with the hideous (and now destroyed) system that preceded Him, a harlot seated on a multi-headed ravenous beast.

And no wedding is complete without a feast. The first course is the symbolic invitation to the birds (symbolizing freedom and a higher perspective) to feast on the defeated beast, the false prophet, and their armies. The Word from the mouth of the bridegroom warrior king killed them all.

Remember, don’t give yourself a headache trying to figure out specific applications of every detail. That would be like freeze-framing the battle scenes in The Lord of the Rings to try to count every orc! Instead, sit back and take in the majestic panorama of victory that John is painting for us with his words. It is a 3D surround-sound movie! It shows us that Jesus has already won the victory, and the day is coming when we shall see it in dramatic and eternally conclusive, real life!

Revelation 20

And so, we come to another chapter that has been snipped into fragments by religious traditions and used to distort, control, and even deceive. Chapter 20 is the only place in the whole of scripture that mentions a millennium, just as Revelation 16:16 is the only place that speaks of a final battle at Armageddon, and 1 Thessalonians 4 is the only place that describes something resembling a “rapture” (and it is a very different “rapture” than dispensationalist “end-time prophecy experts” would have us believe). Be wary of taking one fragment and building a worldview on it. Don’t do that at all!

So, what is happening in chapter 20?

Well, firstly (as we have said multiple times) – this revelation is prophetic and symbolic. It is apocalyptic (revealing the truth) and written to paint a big picture. It is a mistake to approach it literally, especially with a focus on detail.

Secondly, when we focus on the big picture, it becomes more uncomplicated and expansive. The satan is bound (since Jesus bound him during His earthly ministry and at the cross). The thousand years is a symbolic “long time” – the age between the resurrection and the return. The thrones show us those who choose the worship of Jesus above the worship of the imperial religious system – they have authority because they refuse to use power for their ends. They also give us yet another reference to Daniel’s revelations of God’s nature – in this case, from Daniel 7.

The first and second resurrections are likely a poetic device to emphasize the contrast between those who live victoriously for Jesus and those who simply follow Him. It is not a division of hierarchy because we all wed ultimately. There’s no competition here.

One last time, John sees the satan’s true nature. He will deceive, recruit, attack, and fight whenever so allowed. So, this fallen spiritual being receives his justly deserved judgment: eternal burning torment. Notice clearly that this eternal conscious torment is the fate of spiritual rebels, not human beings. For too long, the religious system has used that image falsely to frighten humanity into being controlled by religion.

This section is another pause in the expected sequence of events, like the pause in the opening of the seals in chapter 7 and between the sixth and seventh trumpets in chapters 10 & 11. There is no space here to discuss the significance of these pauses (or to fill in the details of the other assertions I have made today). I strongly recommend reading the relevant section in N.T. Wright’s “Revelation for Everyone,” as well as his excellent “Surprised By Hope,” challenge traditional (mistaken) interpretations of these crucial matters and root our belief in the truths of God’s Word.

And so, we come to Judgment Day!

This new throne replaces the previous throne(s) because complete reconstruction is underway. A fresh and perfect universe replaces the original, tarnished one. The final demolition is death and the realm of the dead (hades). John sees the documentation of our deeds to demonstrate true justice. But he also sees another book, the Book of Life, which he has mentioned several times before (3:5, 13:8, 17:8). It predates the foundation of the world. Jesus writes in His book the names of all who will accept His offer of life. And that book supersedes every other record when the final cleanup occurs!

Revelation 21

In chapter 20, we said reconstruction is taking place. God is razing the old, death-ruled universe and the sin and evil accompanying it. In its place, He is unveiling a new eternal order, a new perfect creation, a new fit-for-purpose universe. Chapter 21 reveals this in all its splendor.

The primary characteristic of this perfect replacement is that all the faults and pains of the old are no longer. We will enjoy God’s eternal presence in the place of sin’s constant presence. We will be united with Him as joyfully as an adorned bride unites with her long-awaited husband!

God is now the beginning and end, making all things new.

And the second truth John unveils is that this is not some “pie in the sky” heavenly existence, sitting on a cloud and strumming a harp. There is a new earth and heaven, totally transformed from the old. Before, heaven was perfect, and the world was damaged: a write-off. But now BOTH are recreated, and eternity begins with our Father dwelling with His children, our Bridegroom King uniting with His bride.

And there is no more sea (the symbol for chaos and darkness in this prophetic revelation). Those of us who love to walk along the beach need not fear – the new earth will be much more beautiful, and the symbol of the sea disappearing applies more to hurricane season than the sunrise or sunset stroll beside the vast expanse of ocean reflecting God’s love.

Here is the fulfillment of what began after the Exodus: God is dwelling with His people, and we don’t draw back in fear because fear is gone this time!

The second half of the chapter details all the symbolic touches in John’s vision of the New Jerusalem. This new reality fulfills, supersedes, and abundantly expands everything we have ever longed for. The city has no Temple because God is the Temple – we dwell in Him, and He lives in us. There is no need for sunrise, nor any longing for moonlight to lighten the darkness, because the glory of God shines constantly. This new, eternal existence is as different from the old as the oak is from the acorn or the adult is from the fetus in the womb. We have total, perfect access to God with no subtraction, ever!

In one sense, this is in the future for us: something to long for and anticipate. However, as you look forward, remember that there is no longer any sequence of time here – in some ways, this is already present in another dimension. Soon we will see fully; now, we see only a misty glimpse. What joy awaits!

Revelation 22

Final words.

God started everything. Creating a perfect world and a perfect human, then separating that human into two parts to signify the longing and plan for uniting the two into one.

The accuser despoiled God’s perfection with self-will, lust for power, deception, and many other forms of sin.

Jesus came as a human to live the life our ancestors failed to live – obedient communion with the Father.

The imperial religious system rejected and crucified Him, but He triumphed over it on the cross and through the resurrection. History pivoted on that first resurrection day.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit to live in every person who accepts Jesus’ gift of eternal life, the Church begins to welcome the Kingdom that Jesus has come to inaugurate.

Through centuries of suffering and persecution, the chosen and faithful wash their robes in the travail of obedience, living from the Tree of Life rather than the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In this way, we finally return to Eden restored: a new heaven and earth with a river flowing with eternal life and fruitfulness on every side.

John has seen and revealed to us the climax of God’s Story.

ALL is His, and we are His, and He is coming quickly.

Maranatha!