When you hear the words “the book of revelation,” what is your very first thought? Be honest. For most people, I’d argue it’s Armageddon. I’ve reached the point in my discernment where I realize that most people don’t even know what this book is truly about, save some small portion of details it contains!
The quickest way to snap someone out of their confusion is to ask them to “finish the sentence.” That is what I do whenever someone refers to the so-called Book of Revelation. More often than not, they just look at me quizzically. And then I say, “the full name of the book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. And, again, they look at me as if I just informed them that they may have a bad Bible translation (or I do – heck, one of us must).
So, I then ask, “What do you think this book is all about?” Since, by this time, they have a hunch it isn’t only about some future cataclysmic war where a wrathful God reigns down terror and destruction on Earth, they are open to hear the truth. I proceed to tell them that it isn’t what the world, Hollywood, and Internet junkies seem to obsess over. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is about just what the title says – the revelation of Jesus Christ in His glory. Now what does that have to do with war? Is there war between Christ and evil laid out in this book? Indeed. But that’s more of a consequence than a main attraction. Of course, there must be war; after all, the Lord needs to clean this place up, as promised, to make it ready for His Millennial (thousand year) reign. That’s where Armageddon comes in.
Interestingly, most people think of Armageddon as the end of the world as we know it. That’s not even true. The end of the Earth as we know it happens more than one thousand years after Armageddon! The vast majority of people I know (Christians included) don’t even understand this simple fact. That’s how twisted and perverted their viewpoint of eschatology (the so-called “end times”) is.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is among the most beautiful, powerful, moving books in all of Holy Scripture. Relegating it to a mere portion of its contents (a war or otherwise) is to do it a grave disservice, especially to God the Holy Spirit, the Author of it!
My advice is to always accurately think about “Revelation” by “finishing the sentence” whenever you reference it verbally or even in your own head. It’s The Revelation of Jesus Christ. That simple exercise alone readies your mind for proper contemplation of this magnificent book.
Never approach it looking to read about vast wars and long sweeping themes of mass destruction, chaos, and death. You will be terribly disappointed and miss the whole point. Don’t you want to see the forest through the trees? I do. The very first sentence of this book reveals the purpose of it.
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, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 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 1:1-3
The blessedness here is not regarding Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) or even the final war with Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:8). This blessedness is what goes into the soul of the person who reads this book with an anticipative eye on Jesus Christ and His glory! “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (v1) is a magnificent event, not a dreadful one! A reader ought to be awestruck, not afraid. For example, if you’re running to save your child from falling off a cliff and you step on an anthill and kill a bunch of ants in the process, are you going to tell the story of how you saved your child by focusing on the death of the ants???
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
– Revelation 1:7-8
Let’s not allow the judgements contained in this book to overshadow Jesus Christ’s glory!
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
– Revelation 4:9-11
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
– Revelation 5:13
God has chosen to give us a little insight into what is to come. He wants us to ingest it properly into our souls. Never allow those seeking glory for themselves to disturb your soul! They are merely looking to establish some relevance in this world (typically for money or approbation). They will answer to God for their perversions.
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
– Revelation 22:10-21
Amen.
“Finish the sentence,” I always say. Do not dilute the incalculable value of this book! Indeed, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31) – of course it is. What would you expect from the Lord at the end of the ages? Nothing less, I hope. Will His power be on full display in the future? You bet. Again, I ask, what do you expect? The Revelation of Jesus Christ isn’t supposed to be scary for God’s children; it should be a grand, glorious battle cry for Christ’s final victory over sin and death!
This is how you are to approach this beautiful book, my friend, with reverence and awe. The Christ is coming back soon enough. How glorious it will be!
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins