Chapter 4
The Structure and Message of Revelation
The book of Revelation is interpreted in a number of radically different ways by a nearly equal number of different interpreters. Some view the book as concerned almost exclusively with events that took place in the past in the first century struggle between the church and its religious and political enemies. This is called the Preterist view (preterist meaning “past”). Others see almost the entire book as yet–to–be–fulfilled in the future. This is the aptly named Futurist view. Still others see the book as a symbolic description of events taking place in the present and consistently throughout history. This is the Idealist view. No other book in the Bible has such wildly different approaches to interpretation. Yet, remarkably, all of these views settle on the same central theme of the book: God is the sovereign Lord of both the universe and human history. Through the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ and the Lamb who was slain, he is directing all history towards its ultimate goal. No matter how bad things get or how much the world seems to be spinning out of control, God is sovereignly in charge. He will rescue his people from every evil and adversity and bring them safely into his eternal kingdom, the New Jerusalem, the centerpiece of the new heavens and the new earth.
After an introduction, greeting, and doxology, the author presents the occasion of the book (1:9–20). John has been exiled to the island of Patmos because of his faithful Christian witness. He is “in the spirit” on the Lord’s day (Sunday), when he hears a command to write letters to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
John turns and sees “one like a son of man” (see Daniel 7:13–14)—a symbolic vision of the glorified Messiah. Everything about the vision speaks of Jesus’s wisdom, power, and majesty. Jesus then commands John to write “what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” The reference to “what is now” likely refers to the seven letters to the seven churches that follow. These letters contain a variety of praise, rebuke, warning, and promise. The main revelation begins in chapter four, with a scene of the heavenly throne room. God the Father appears symbolically characterized by the precious stones ruby and jasper. He has a court of majestic throne attendants, twenty–four elders, and four living creatures. The twenty–four elders may represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. The living creatures are reminiscent of those depicted in Ezekiel 1. Day and night they sing God’s praises.
At this point a sealed scroll appears that no one is worthy to open. John begins to weep, until one of the elders announces that the “Lion of Judah, the Root of David” — traditional images of the Messiah—has triumphed and so is able to open the scroll. John turns and, instead of a Lion, sees a Lamb that looks as if it were slain. The Messiah has achieved salvation not by conquest, but by suffering and sacrifice. The throne attendants launch into song, praising the Lamb who was slain to redeem people from every tribe, language, and nation (Revelation 5).
When the Lamb opens the seals, the cataclysmic judgments of God are poured out through a series of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls (Revelation 6–16). Some of the more memorable of these judgments include the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (seals one through four), the star Wormwood falling and poisoning the waters (the third trumpet), and demonic locusts rising from the Abyss and wreaking havoc (the fifth trumpet). These judgments destroy much of the earth and terrorize its inhabitants.
The judgments are regularly interrupted by interludes, which interpret and expand upon God’s purpose and plan. Some of these interludes include 144,000 servants sealed and protected by God (7:1–8); two witnesses, who are martyred, yet rise from the dead (11:1–14); the story of the woman and the dragon, which allegorizes the incarnation and ascension of Jesus, and the persecution of the church (12:1–17); and the beasts from the sea and the land, representing the Antichrist and the false prophet (13:1–18).
The three seven–fold judgments are followed by a description of the rise and fall of Babylon, a symbol of Rome and the evil world system. Babylon is portrayed as a great prostitute who rules the earth and persecutes the people of God (Revelation 17–18).
As the book climaxes, Babylon is destroyed in judgment and Christ returns, riding a white horse and coming with the armies of heaven (Revelation 19). The dragon is seized and sealed in the Abyss; those martyred for their faith are raised from the dead and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Following the thousand years, Satan is released and again deceives the nations. He leads Gog and Magog in a final rebellion against God. Fire comes from heaven and destroys them and the devil is cast forever into the lake of burning sulfur. The final resurrection now occurs and the dead are judged. Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20).
In the end, God creates a new heaven and a new earth, and a glorious new Jerusalem descends from heaven to rest on earth as the eternal home of God’s people. With this new creation, God’s dwelling place is with his people. They will be his people and he will be their God. There will be no more death or mourning or sorrow or pain (21:1–4).
Following a detailed description of the New Jerusalem and its Eden–like attributes (21:9–22:5), the book ends with blessings for perseverance and holiness (22:14) an invitation to come and drink of the water of life (22:17) and the repeated promise that Jesus is coming soon (22:6, 7, 12, 20; cf. 3:21). God’s people can rest assured despite their suffering, since he is the Lord of history: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning in the end” (22:13; cf. 1:8, 17; 21:6).
You Might Also Like