“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.”
Revelation 1:1
The book of Revelation is primarily the unveiling of Jesus and His glory but also the presentation from Jesus of His Word. Chapter one gives us a glimpse of the power, knowledge and holiness of Jesus.
“In the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.”
Revelation 1:13
Chapters 2 and 3 are seven letters to the churches of Asia, but by extension are to all believers at all times expressing the Word of Jesus to confront our sin and complacency and call us to holiness and service.
“I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”
Revelation 3:1-3
Chapters 4 and 5 open up the throne room of God and invite us to join the saints and angels in singing praise to God and the Lamb, as worship expands from the 4 living creatures beside God’s throne to the 24 elders to the numberless angels to everything in all of creation.
“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
In chapter six the Lamb opens the first of seven seals which will activate seven trumpets and finally seven bowls to complete God’s perfect judgment, which provides the main structure for the book of Revelation in these unfolding and increasing judgments. Already with the sixth seal it is clear that the Day of the Lord has arrived.
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”
Revelation 6:12-14
We have to wait on the seventh seal as the people of God are sealed with God’s name and protection (ch. 7), and then we see a great multitude already in heaven and they are not Jewish! Together the 144,000 from Israel and the crowd from all nations represent all of God’s people who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and now wear His Name and sing His praise.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
Revelation 7:9-10
In chapter eight, finally the seventh seal on the scroll is opened and we are surprised by 30 minutes of silence in heaven (8:1), along with an encouragement that our prayers rise right now and continually before God’s throne in heaven (8:3-4). Then the trumpets begin to sound, raining down the plagues on Egypt onto a third of the world (the seals affected a quarter of the earth) and giving our second explicit reference to the Day of the Lord.
“The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.”
Revelation 9:12
The trumpets continue in chapter nine, punctuated by “woes” from angels for the dwellers on earth. The fifth trumpet is the first woe and unleashes terrifying demon-locusts from hell to torment those who are not marked with the seal of God. The sixth trumpet unleashes more divine judgment in the form of fire and sulfur and war. But even with all of these signs from heaven and terrible judgments, notice the response.
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.:
Revelation 9:20
Chapter ten pauses the trumpet judgments to allow John to eat a scroll like Jeremiah when he was commissioned as a prophet.
“And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’”
Revelation 10:11
It’s not surprising then when chapter 11 shows us two witnesses preaching with great authority and the power of Moses and Elijah to call down plagues on all who oppose them. The witnesses are killed and publicly humiliated but then raised from the dead and exalted to heaven to complete the Jesus-cycle.
“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.”
Revelation 11:11-12
Finally the seventh trumpet sounds and again the Day of the Lord arrives with thunder, lightning, earthquake and this incredible announcement.
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’”
Revelation 11:15
Chapter twelve marks a turning point as our attention shifts to the dragon and his false trinity. John summarizes the whole Bible story in this snapshot of the dragon.
“And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”
Revelation 12:4-6
As God protected His people throughout the Old Testament, including Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus, so He continues to protect us through all of our trials and tribulations. Though his actual punishment remains in the future, the downfall of the devil and his servants is announced and celebrated numerous times.
“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
Revelation 12:10-11
This is how we overcome, as the seven letters call us to do, “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.” It is “not by might or by power,” but by our simple faith in King Jesus and faithfulness to Him, “loving not our own lives even unto death.”
Yet we should expect fierce opposition and persecution for the dragon, though defeated, has many servants and is allowed to exercise powerful deceptions that will cause the unwary to stray into their own demise. One beast rises from the chaos of the ocean (the Antichrist) then another from the earth (the false prophet). Together they perform great signs to deceive and enslave as many as they can, eventually forcing people to take the devil’s mark.
“So that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”
Revelation 13:17-18
In chapter 14 heaven is opened and we see the 144,000 now with Jesus, singing a new song of praise to Him. Three angels come, calling for the true worship of God and warning the earth dwellers not to take the mark of the beast or to join in the immorality of Babylon.
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Revelation 14:12
Then the earth is harvested, first the righteous gathered to Jesus like wheat, then the wicked crushed under the feet of Jesus like grape in a winepress.
“And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.’”
Revelation 14:15
Chapter 15 gives us one last pause for worship, looking into heaven to see the glory of God and join in worshiping Him.
“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Revelation 15:3-4
Then in chapter 16 the seven last bowls of God’s righteous judgment are poured out to complete His wrath (15:1) and unmake all that He had made.
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.”
Revelation 16:17-18
Just as Jesus spoke to create all things (John 1:3), and He announced the completion of His sacrifice on the cross with the words, “It is finished” (John 19:30), so He will speak to bring an end to history and evil once and for all. This “It is done!” reminds us of how he calmed the storm with the words, “Peace, be still!” (Mk. 4:39).
Chapters 17 and 18 show God’s judgment on all immorality and evil powers. Don’t miss how the kings of the earth turn on Babylon (the female symbol of all wickedness and temptation) and rip her to pieces.
“And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”
Revelation 17:16-17
Then finally, in chapter 19, the “how long?” cry of the martyrs is answered by a five-fold “Hallelujah!” as King Jesus makes His glorious return.
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.”
Revelation 19:11-13
Our conquering warrior King appears in ultimate glory and power, yet His robe is covered in blood before the battle begins, because the blood is His own. The Lamb of God who was slain as triumphed and comes back as the Lion of Judah to defeat every evil and make all things new. There is no drama or fanfare, no conflict or battle, the beast and false prophet are simply captured and thrown into the lake of fire. Zzzzt.
Chapter 20 presents the great enigma of Revelation, the Millennium. (I believe) this future age of completion will fulfill God’s remaining promises to Israel (e.g. Is. 65-66) and provide one ultimate proof for the justice of God. Even after 1,000 years with King Jesus reigning on earth and the devil fully restrained in the abyss, when the dragon is released his deception will convince everyone on earth to immediately fight against Jesus and His saints. Of course this will fail, again without fanfare or the slightest resistance.
“And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Revelation 20:9-10
Then we see the great white throne of judgment, with books opened to evaluate the works of everyone who has ever lived, answering to King Jesus and assigned their eternal fate.
“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:15
Chapter 21 presents the glorious bride of Christ: the church as the fulfillment of Israel, founded on the gospel proclamation of the apostles. This enormous holy city comes down from heaven and is united with a new earth to fully and finally reverse the curse and separation of the fall in Genesis 3.
In Chapter 22 not only is Eden renewed, it is perfected and expanded.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Revelation 22:1-2
This inspiring and intricately designed book closes with a triple invitation to any and all listeners to come to King Jesus and be saved.
“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.”
Revelation 22:17
Finally, we join with the author in echoing this cry directly to Jesus saying with all of our hearts: “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (22:20).