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
Things
looked grim for the church. Christians were under constant siege from the pagan
government of Rome. With each passing day lives were lost in the coliseums as
followers of Christ were fed to wild beasts and forced to fight gladiators. The
people of God were beaten, burned, dismembered and starved. With the exception
of John, all the apostles who had led the early church out of infancy had met
their demise at the hands of those who resisted the work of Jesus, and John had
been exiled to the Isle of Patmos in an attempt to silence the words of this
mighty preacher. Those early Christians must have felt like they had been left
with little direction. Some of the letters of the apostles had been passed from
one congregation to the next, but the people would have had little reason for
hope; the authorities slaughtered more of them with each hour that passed.
Day
by day the faithful followers of Christ walked in his truth as the apostles had
taught them, but each day the persecution grew. But God would not leave his
people without a hope. We can only imagine the excitement the church must have
felt on the day that the letter arrived from Patmos. From the obscurity of prison John had been
given a vision from God. He had seen a revelation of hope and victory for those
who were willing to stand on their faith and bravely face the persecution and
tribulation of the day.
In
the midst of their misery, the church was given a distinct vision of the work
of God. They received the testimony of John that bore witness to the promises
and power of God. The Apostle was lifted to heavenly places and saw a global
view of the work of God; a view that transcended the trials and difficulties
faced by the people in those days. John
saw a vision that would dispel the discouragement of the early Christians and
remind them of the hope they had in the power of heaven. “The book of
Revelation, like no other canonical text, offers the Christian a cosmic
perspective on the implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”[1] As
the people of the church in Asia Minor read these visions they were reminded of
the promises which they had come to know through the witness and testimony of
the apostles. They were given access to the mind of God, and began to
understand the plan that was unfolding around them through the circumstances
they encountered.
The
reader was given instruction from the very first line of John’s letter as to
what they were receiving from the beleaguered prisoner of Patmos. John
explained that what they had was not a typical letter, but an apocalyptic
vision from Jesus Christ. It is not something to be read, but a vision that is
to be seen, understood, proclaimed and experienced by the followers of Christ.
Revelation
Is to Be Seen
Through
lofty visions of heavenly themes John was shown a vision that paints a picture
of God’s work in the mind’s eye. It is to be envisioned and pursued by the
Christian – those of John’s day as well as ours. John explained this when he
pointed out the nature of Revelation. He
began by explaining the symbolic nature of the book. “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...”
(Revelation 1:1). This verse doesn’t seem to show the symbolic nature of
Revelation at first glance, but consider the rendering in the New King James
Version: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His
servants – things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it
by His angel to His servant John…” The verb translated “show”, or “signify,” is
the key to our understanding of John’s visions.
The
word “show” (deiknymi) implies that what has been communicated to John is in
visible form. He has heard the word, but
he has also seen it through the visions given by Jesus. This word carries with
it a connotation to the Greek word translated “showed” (semaino) which means
“sign.”[2]
Revelation is given in signs, or symbols. John was given vivid pictures of what
God was revealing to him during his time on Patmos. These symbols served to
reveal to John something more than a simple letter to the church; he witnessed
and experienced the plan of God.
These
symbols shown in Revelation have been the cause of much confusion within the
church over the course of history. There
are an abundance of views on how they should be interpreted, but we must remain
true to Scripture as we work to understand them. Lillie McCutcheon wrote, “The
interpretation of words can become very confusing. The same word may be used in
a number of ways with varied renderings. However, symbols do not change in
meaning.”[3] We
must realize that Revelation is to be seen in light of Scripture. We interpret the symbols of this sixty-sixth
book of the Bible in light of the previous sixty-five books. There are many who
attempt to fit the rest of the Bible into what they believe Revelation says,
but this does not serve to carry out the purpose of the book: to remind us of
the promises and hope with which the church should live.
If
we are going to understand the meaning of what God is revealing to the church
we must learn to look beyond what we see on the surface. I grew up in the day
of Magic Eye posters and pictures. Some
of you may remember those. They were computer generated pictures that contained
a 3-D image. On the surface all you could see was the pattern that the computer
had made. It was not until you focused your eyes beyond the page, or looked at
is as though you were looking beyond, that you could see the picture. This is how we view Revelation. We cannot read and assume that someday sea
monsters will rise out of the ocean. We
look beyond what we initially see, and through the lens of Scripture understand
what God is revealing. We use the Word
of God, and the visions that were given to his people throughout their history
to understand his revelation. It is
always consistent with his word, and Revelation continues to reveal its depths
to us. It is this desire to look beyond and know the depths of the word that
has revived and renewed the church countless times over its history, and a look
at the fullness of this vision will draw us to a renewed vision of what God is
doing through his church today.
It
takes work and dedication to mine the depths of the word. It takes meditation
and contemplation. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds us, “The way to test the
Christian life is by depth, by true understanding, which is only obtained by
meditation, and by thought. And this is a part of the discipline of the
Christian life. And you will find that it is invariably present in time of true
revival.”[4] We
cannot simply look at everything on the surface and believe we are seeing all
that God has for us as his people. The Revelation given to John is the
culmination of all that Scripture reveals to us. We use this as a map that
guides us through the Holy Scripture and reminds us of the work that God wants
to do through us today. “Here the Christian will find a new edge for his sword
of the Spirit. Faith becomes strong in the promise of final victory. Love will
overcome hate. Light will put out the darkness. Good will overcome evil. Truth
will destroy error. Satan will be defeated and Christ, the Conqueror shall
forever reign. This this the prophecies proclaim!”[5]
Revelation
Is to Be Understood
God
has not given us a vision to see without understanding. We are also to understand what we see in this
book. The very title proclaims this truth. The word “revelation” comes from the
Greek word apokalupsis. This
literally means disclosure. It is
transliterated as appearing, coming,
lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation.[6] We can go a step further by looking also at
the word from which this one derives. Apokalupsis
comes from the word apokalupto which
means unveiling, or revelation.[7] Even the title tells us that this book
was given for the understanding of the church.
It is not something that we should be content to read without gaining insight
into the mind and will of God.
Revelation
is the only book in the entire Bible that specifically promises a blessing on
us for reading, hearing, and keeping what’s written in it. We will certainly be
blessed for reading and meditating on all of Scripture, but this book
specifically spells that out for us when John writes, “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 1:3). There are
many who believe that this book is not meant to be understood, but if that is
the case we are left to wonder how we can be blessed by something we do not
understand. We cannot be blessed by what we do not know, and it is clear that
we are blessed by the communication of, and response to this vision.[8]
I
cannot dispute that there are some who will not understand the symbols of this
book. God’s word is always accessible to
his people, but that does not mean that it is accessible to all people. Paul told the church in Corinth, “The natural
person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to
him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually
discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). If we are living in the Spirit there is no reason to
believe that God cannot reveal truth to us through these visions. It is for
this very purpose John saw them on Patmos. God always speaks for the purpose of
revealing himself to man. In fact, that is the only way we know him. “The only
truths we can ascertain about the divine with any certainty are those facts God
chooses to reveal to us. And unsanctified minds cannot comprehend divine
realities even though they are clearly written on the pages of Scripture.”[9] Many
of the errors we see in the church today are the direct result of those who do
not know God trying to discern his word without the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. We have witnessed a hostile takeover of the church in our day. It has
been overtaken by the world: its wisdom, logic, ideas, and sinful motives. Jesus could say of them today as he said of
the Sadducees, “You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the
power of God” (Matt. 22:29).
Jesus
said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth...”
(John 16:13). Dennis Johnson encourages us to approach the book of Revelation
with confidence, knowing that God has something to reveal to us. “Our starting
point should be confidence that God has given this book not to confuse,
terrify, or divide his people but to give us light, to reveal to us the
invisible forces and the secrets of his invincible plan that makes sense of
visible events and movements experienced by his church in the world.”[10] Though it takes a thorough search of
Scripture, prayer, and mediation on the word, Revelation is accessible to God’s
people.
Revelation
Is to Be Proclaimed
“Blessed
is the one who reads…those who hear…and who keep…” These are all action
words. It is not enough to hear, or even
understand this book of the Bible any more than it is any other part of
Scripture. Many have ceased to proclaim these visions of John today because of
all the baggage that comes along with it. Some pastors and teachers do not want
to answer the ensuing questions, or take part in the debate about
interpretation. We cannot allow the perception of something in Scripture to
keep us from teaching it. If we allow fear of perception to drive us we will
ultimately have to eliminate what the Bible says about homosexuality, divorce,
and a number of other topics. Dennis Kinlaw wrote, “We short-change ourselves
if we ignore what God teaches us, simply because we feel uncomfortable with the
language that has been used to express it over the years.”[11]
The
truth contained in this book is to be made known. Unlike Daniel, who was told
to seal the prophecy given to him, John was given the opposite instruction. “Do
not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Rev.
22:10). This was sent to the churches in Asia Minor for proclamation among
God’s people. How does this book give us
hope if we are afraid of it? How can God’s promises of power and his mighty
work encourage us if we avoid it?
God’s
blessing acts on us as we act on what is understood from his word. It is as the
word is proclaimed and applied to our lives that it becomes an active, living
force in the world. It acts through our lives. People see Jesus Christ working
as the visions he gave are lived by those who follow him. This is when the word
of God becomes a mighty sword that overcomes all opposition. “For the word of
God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of the soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the
thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Proclaiming the word of God
– and the revelation of Jesus Christ – allows us to experience it in fullness.
We will experience the trials that come with it, but also the victory that it
brings. We will experience the promises
and power of God through his word. This is why we can also say that Revelation
is to be experienced.
Revelation
Is to Be Experienced
Jesus
Christ gave visions of the church to John so that his life, the lives of the
Christians in his day, and our lives would be affected. This book is considered
prophecy, but too often we take a narrow view of prophecy. Many consider
prophecy the telling of the future. This
is certainly an element of prophecy, but it is not all that prophecy can be.
“Prophecy refers not as much to predictive foretelling as to forthtelling ‘the
word of God’ which demands ethical response.”[12]
If we are to experience the blessing of prophecy, we must look at it as
something that brings forth a word from God that is applicable to our lives
today. It cannot be limited to something
far off in the future. It is imperative that it is considered and applied to
our lives today.
The
experience of prophecy energizes us as we do the work of God. Without this
experience it is easy to become complacent in our spiritual walk. The word does
not encourage and motivate us when it is something that is unattainable. It
must be something that speaks to each generation as the prophets of God boldly
proclaim it to the masses. “It is the task of the prophet to bring to
expression the new realities against the more visible ones of the old order.
Energizing is closely linked to hope. We are energized not by that which we
already possess but by that which is promised and about to be given.”[13]
It is through the hope of god’s promises seen clearly in the lives of his
people that others are drawn to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. “And I, when I
am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). If
prophecy is to mean anything to us we must live as the hope of God’s word is a
reality.
The
church of John’s day faced some of the most difficult times any Christian has
ever experienced. They stood boldly in
the face of intense persecution that threatened their very lives. They were not sustained by their wealth, or
their societal status. They were not
delivered from this tribulation by an earthly army, or a political
revolution. They stood strong because
they experienced the revelation of God.
They saw Him revealed through the faith of those with whom they
maintained fellowship. They heard His
word proclaimed by the His people and saw it in action in the lives of the
martyrs. The word of God was a reality to them.
It lived and breathed the power of God into the world through them. What is the Word doing through us today? What kind of testimony do we have of the
Word? When is the last time we have
experienced God’s revelation?
[1] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students
(Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 15
[2] Dennis E. Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb (Phillipsburg:
P&R Publishing, 2001), 7
[3] Lillie McCutcheon, The Symbols Speak (Jackson: Reformation
Publishers, 1999), 18
[4] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival (Westchester: Crossway Books,
1987), 82
[5] McCutcheon, The Symbols Speak, 18
[6] Richard M. Bradley, Scenes From the Throne (Prestonburg:
Reformation Publishers, 2006), 97
[7] Clinton E. Arnold, ed., Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds
Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 248
[8] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City:
Beacon Hill Press, 2012), 46
[9] Henry Blackaby and Richard
Blackaby, Fresh Encounter (Nashville:
B&H Publishing Group, 2009), 13
[10] Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 6
[11] Dennis F. Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson: Francis
Asbury Press, 1998), 8
[12] Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 46
[13] Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination (Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 2001), 14
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