A New Perspective of the Book of Revelation

Studying the book of Revelation can cause fear and trepidation when we concentrate on explaining all the symbols and images, getting lost in the descriptions and meanings. It can be overwhelming. In this short overview of Revelation, I want to instead focus on Jesus Christ. We have discussed how the Bible is God’s story. It is all about him and what he is doing and what he is accomplishing. The very first verse of Revelation clearly tells us that this last book of the Bible is also about God. It is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”.

So, keeping that in mind, when reading the book of Revelation we want to keep our eyes on him. Where can we find him? What is he doing? What is he accomplishing? How is he working for good?

Reminder from last week: The things to keep our eyes on when studying the Bible.

• Main Character: God
• Main Conflict:      Sin
• Main Objective:  Redemption

The definition of Redemption is “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil. The action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt”, Paying a “ransom”, “buy back”, reclaim what was lost, rescue, free.

This perfectly explains what we see God accomplishing. He is restoring the broken relationship between man and God. That involves saving us and cleansing us from sin and the effects of sin, paying a sacrificial price (a ransom), in order to buy us back, to rescue us and restore us back to fellowship with our Creator. 

GOD’S STORY in bullet points:

• The Eternal God CREATED everything and it was “good” (without sin, perfect, without blemish)
• God and man enjoyed PERFECT FELLOWSHIP together in the Garden (walk, talk, unveiled, pure)
• Man SINNED against God “Through one man, sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and so death passed to all mankind.” (Rom 5:12)
• FELLOWSHIP with God was broken and caused separation between a Holy God and a sinful man, it effected all mankind, it brought about death, it resulted in a curse on all creation (Rom 8:22)
• Man’s greatest NEED IS REVEALED – Salvation, Reconciliation, Restoration, Fellowship with God, Payment for sin. (Even if we recognize it or not)
  • (Gen 3:10) “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid”
  • (Gen 3: 17) “Because you…ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You must not eat of it.” (disobedience against God)
  • (Gen 3:24) “He drove the man out.” (removed from the Garden)
  • (Rom 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death”
  • (Is 59:2) “Your iniquities have separated you from your God;”
• GOD’s greatest DESIRE is REVEALED – Man to be reconciled to him
  • (Gen 3:21) “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and “clothed” them.”
  • (1 Tim 2:4) “God our Savior, who wants all people to be SAVED”
  • (2 Pet 3:9) “God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach ”
  • (Ez 18:23) “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and LIVE?”
• GOD promises Hope of a REDEEMER – One who is to come. One who will make a way for full restoration. It would come with a cost a great sacrifice.
  • Gen 3:14-15 “He will crush your (Satan) head, and you will strike his heel.”
    • Is 53:5-6 “Christ was bruised…”
  • (Gen 3:21) “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and “clothed” them.”
    • Possibly God explained “sacrifice” (salvation), blood of innocent for the guilty to Adam
    • The first blood was shed. They witnessed ugliness of death which would be necessary
    • (Is 61:10) “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation…”
    • (Gal 3:8) “…God… preached the GOSPEL beforehand to Abraham” (On Mt Morah)
  • GOD provided the work of Salvation & Reconciliation and offered it freely to man to choose
    • (Gen 22:8) “God himself will provide the LAMB for the burnt offering.”
    • (2 Cor 5:21) “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…”
    • (1 Pet 2:24) “He bore our sins in his body on the tree”
    • (Mark 10:45) Jesus gave his life as a “ransom for many”
    • (Rom 5:8) “…Christ died for us.”
    • (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.”

The work of Reconciliation began in Genesis and continues throughout the Bible. Revelation reveals the completion. (Rev 5:9) “Christ ransomed people from every tribe, language, people, and nation.”

What a beautiful picture!

SEVEN (7’s) – A THEME in Revelation:

The number 7 in the Bible has the meaning of “completeness”. 7 is used 700 times in the Bible. It is mentioned 50+ times in the book of Revelation and has at least 20+ list items of 7’s. What might that tell us?  Revelation is showing how God is bringing “completeness” to all things. “The End” will wrap up and complete everything in the history of the Bible. God will accomplish everything that he began.

NEW PERSPECTIVES TO CONSIDER:

To gain a new perspective when it comes to studying the book of Revelation, we will need to keep our eyes on Jesus. There is SO MANY wonderful things that we have to look forward to and yet to understand about our Savior.

READ REV 22:17-21

I want you to pick out the word that is repeated over and over. Actually 5 times total. 3 times in just one verse and 2 times in another verse. (“Come”)

So, think about this.  John, who is writing this book is seeing beasts, demons, armies of locusts, a dragon, world-wide death, wars, judgements and the wrath of God… and all the other scary things that we tend to focus on in the book of Revelation.  Most of which he didn’t understand what he was seeing. It had to be overwhelming for him. But yet, AFTER seeing all these incredible and frightening things, what does John say at the very, very end? He says, “Come, Lord Jesus!” How could he say, “come” after seeing all the frightening things that were yet to come? He kept his eyes on Jesus. Even though he envisioned some extremely scary and crazy wild stuff, he said “Come!”. Why? Because he was looking to his glorious Redeemer who would complete all things and correct all wrongs, and bring hope and salvation to the believers. He knew Jesus was the answer to all these things.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN REVELATION:

Below are a few things in the book of Revelation which are there to remind us and to encourage us to remain steadfast and strong to the very end, no matter what it looks like. Why? Because it is worth it! Just look at the wonderful things that are scattered throughout the book of Revelation.

THE BLESSINGS 

• Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near. (1:3)
• Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. (14:13)
• Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed. (16:15)
• Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! (19:9)
• Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them… (20:6)
• Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. (22:7)
• Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (22:14)

2. THE NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF JESUS

There are over 200 names and titles of Christ found in the Bible. Here is a list of just a few in Revelation which reveal so much about Jesus.

• The Risen, glorified Son of God ministering among the churches (1:10)
• The Faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth (1:5)The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (1:8)
• The one Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (1:8)
• The First and the Last (1:11)
• The Son of Man (1:13)
• The one who was dead but now is alive forevermore (1:18)
• The Son of God (2:18)
• The One who is holy and True (3:7)
• The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God (3:14)
• The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (5:5)
• The Lamb in Heaven, with authority to open the title deed to the earth (6:1)
• The Lamb on the throne (7:17)
• The Messiah who will reign forever (11:15)
• The Word of God (19:13)
• The Majestic King of Kings and Lord of Lords, returning in glorious splendor to conquer His foes (19:11)
• The Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and Morning Star (22:16)

3. THE WORK OF JESUS

Notice some of the different “work clothes” that he wears. Later he will “clothe” us in his righteousness.

• A High Priest (He wears a Priestly Robe)(Rev 1) He serves as the High Priest in the Holy place, offering the sacrifice for us
• Lamb of God – (He wears the clothing of a sacrifice)(Rev 5:6) “Then I saw a LAMB, looking as if it had been slain…). He became the sacrifice.
• A Warrior (He wears a robe dipped in Blood)(Rev 19:13) Warrior who bring vengeance and judgement against the wicked
• A Victorious King (He wears a fine Linen Robe)(Rev 19) He comes riding on a white horse with King of Kings written on him.

Here are a few additional things that we see him as:

• A Judge (Rev 20:12)
• On a Throne (Rev 22:1)
• A Temple (Rev 21:3, 21:22)

Okay, so I just LOVE that last one. This is my “aha”!!!  We know that the Bible speaks of our bodies being the “temple” of God. But here, we see that Jesus IS “The Temple”.  Jesus is where we want to reside, to live… to dwell.  Don’t you just love it?

Can you get a glimpse of how God’s desire has always been to “dwell” with man. It started in the Garden of Eden, but Adam’s sin caused separation and broke that fellowship. Holiness and wickedness cannot live together in the same house. So, while God is carrying out the complete plan of Redemption throughout the pages of time, he finds ways to temporarily “dwell” with man: Pillar of cloud by day & fire by night, a consuming fire on Mt. Sinai, in the Tabernacle in the wilderness, on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus in a body of flesh (Immanuel/ God with us) and the Holy Spirit residing in the hearts of the believers.

God has found beautiful ways to be with us, to be among us. But one day when all things on this earth come to an end, HE WILL BE OUR “DWELLING PLACE”. We will “dwell” together in perfect fellowship for ever. Can I get a “halleluiah”? Is that good or what? Wow!

I know it can’t get any better than that, BUT GOD!  But God still has so much more! We have some incredibly amazing and wonderful things to look forward to. Here is a beautiful short list of a few things in just the last 3 chapters of Revelation.

• We will receive a new Resurrected body
• There will be a new Heaven and Earth
• All tears will be wiped away
• The Water of Life will flow
• The Tree of Life will provide
• We will see God’s full Glory
• There will be no more sin
• There will be no more darkness
• There will be no more curse
• We will wear robes of pure white
• All wrongs will be made right
• Death will be destroyed
• Satan will be cast down
• Life forever and ever with the One who saved our souls, paid our debt, removed our sin an destroyed sin, death and evil.

WOW!!! I can’t even! Are you kidding me?  Our minds cannot even fathom the wonder of all the things that are waiting for us! This is our future. This is our hope. This is why John’s last words were, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

When we keep our eyes on him, and not on the present things and circumstances all around us, you know… those “momentary troubles” (1 Cor 4:17-18) then it is easy to say,

“COME, LORD JESUS!”

Can I get an “Amen”?