© Aug. 30, 2008
Revised: Dec. 27, 08
THE REVELATION
OF
JESUS CHRIST
Revelation is an unveiling of Christ’s ministry in heaven. Written for
His Church, which is comprised of faithful and wayward Christians, the book
contains both encouragement and admonition. In short, Revelation was written to
prepare God’s people for Jesus’ soon return.
The victorious messages in this book have gripped my soul for over
thirty years! But two messages, in particular, are especially close to my
heart. First, I came to discover (during my seminary studies under the auspices
of Dr. Jon Paulien) that Revelation 1-7 is a condensed version of the book. The
“opening story,” as I like to call it, is a concise picture of the plan of
salvation, taking the reader from the cross on earth to the throne in heaven.
Second, I came to discover that the messages of the Four Apocalyptic
Horsemen (6:1-8) are Christ-centered. They uplift Jesus Christ as our
Conqueror, not the antichrist (as commonly espoused today).
What follows is a brief overview of this inspired, literary masterpiece.
But before you begin reading, please open God’s Word and meditate on its
scenes, and invite the Holy Spirit to impress your mind and heart with truth.
James L. Merrills, M. Div.
________________________
You are vacationing on a lovely
island. One day you walk along the edge of a cliff, occasionally stopping to
peer over the edge at the waves crashing against the rocks below. The
combination of wind, waves, and noise is exhilarating. Suddenly you stumble
upon a very old man sitting on a flat spot near the top of the cliff with a
great view of the coastline and the sea. His gaze fixed far out to sea, he
doesn’t seem to notice you.
“What are you looking at, sir?”
you ask. “Are you waiting for a ship to come in?”
He doesn’t answer.
Even when you approach closer,
he still doesn’t seem aware of your presence. Although his eyes are open, you
get the impression that he is not really there with you, that his gaze is not
focused on anything you can see.
“What are you looking at, Sir?”
you inquire again.
Again, no
response.
Standing in front of him, you
wave your hand before the man’s eyes.
Still no
reaction.
Torn between shaking the man,
calling the police, and sitting down nearby to see what will happen next, you
finally decide to take a seat and wait for a while to see what will happen.
After a few minutes the old man
takes a deep breath, his eyes focus, and he glances around and sees you. You
shift your posture a bit in case you need to get up and run in a hurry, but he
smiles in a friendly way and says, “I suppose you are wondering what is going
on.”
Cautiously you nod.
Smiling again, he begins, “You
probably won’t believe this, but I just had an encounter with Jesus Himself!
And He told me all about the future and what the end of the world will be like.
I can’t wait to share the message with someone. Would you be interested in
hearing me out?”
Would you be interested?
(The Deep Things of God, Jon Paulien)
___________________
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
INTRODUCTION
I have likened the structure of Revelation to a 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe game. At almost any given point in the book, the
reader is experiencing the prophet’s vision from multiple levels or
perspectives. It may be through the eyes of the first-century Christian (the
original recipient of the letter), or from the perspective of Christian
history. It might be understood in the context of the End
REVELATION 1
Chapter one is a fresh revelation of
Christ’s priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, on behalf of His Church.
The word “revelation” (Greek, apocalypse)
means “to unveil.” “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” is an unveiling of Christ’s
work in heaven. It reveals what He is doing now, and what He will do in the
future. Thus, it is a letter of encouragement and hope.
Opening with the words “grace & peace,” the entire Godhead is behind
this letter; it was conceived out of heavenly love. But it is Christ’s
accomplishments (His death, resurrection, and enthronement), and what He has
done for the Church (loved us, freed us, and made us a priesthood), that is
highlighted here. Jesus Christ is the
subject of Revelation. And a special blessing is promised to all who will read
and follow its teachings.
Though given to the Apostle John—a slave-doulos of the Lord Jesus
Christ—through a series of visions, Revelation is addressed to seven churches,
which represent the Church in every age. Naturally, any interpretation must
take the first-century reader’s perspective into consideration, since it was
written to them.
They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and this couldn’t be
truer than here. Revelation is unique because it is written in “sign”-language
(“signified”; KJV)
or symbols, borrowed almost exclusively from the Old Testament*, particularly
the Hebrew sanctuary (i.e., the 7-branched menorah, priestly garb). God uses
the language of the past to describe the future. John’s opening vision, for
example, is built on Daniel’s last vision. Revelation’s imagery, then, evokes worship, a theme that runs throughout
the book. It is to be read before the church.
The book of Revelation is actually structured after the sanctuary.** And
just as the sanctuary was designed to draw man back to God, so Revelation was
written to bring comfort and assurance to the Church, which was already
suffering for her faith. Thus, Jesus opens the Revelation by reminding His
faithful followers that He has already
overcome Satan’s temptations and eternal death—their sacrifices are worthy, and
their destiny is secure.
But until He returns, they must continue to shed the light of His gospel
in a dark and dangerous world.
-------------------------
* Christ speaks to His new covenant Church through old
covenant language and imagery. Walking among the churches and stating “I am the
first and the last” (see Lev. 26:12-13; Isa. 44:6;
48:12) is indicative of a new covenant relationship. The Church is seen as the new or “spiritual”
** Revelation’s visions are patterned after the ancient
sanctuary’s services. Consequently, the reader is walking through the daily
service, from the altar of sacrifice (5:6), to the altar of incense (8:3),
finally reaching the Most Holy Place (11:19), where the High Priest entered
once-a-year on the Day of Atonement.
REVELATION 2-3
Chapters
two and three contain seven letters, which highlight the strengths and
weaknesses of the seven churches, and Christ’s promises to those who will live
victoriously in Him.
The seven churches were located in what
is now modern-day
All of the letters follow a certain format:
a description of Christ, praise and/or admonition, and specific promises for
those who “overcome” (Greek, nike).
The letters show that Christ knows His people, and that He is the answer
to all their needs. There is a noticeable decline in the letters. Because of compromise, many saints
lose their “first love” with Christ (2:4), and churches come to tolerate false
teachers (2:14, 15) and pagan activities (2:20). Clearly, there are many
professors in the church, who do not know Christ as their personal Lord and
Savior. This is particularly true of the last three churches, which all possess
a tone of finality. It’s no wonder that Jesus repeatedly admonishes the
churches to “repent”—to a large degree, these are letters of reproof.
Christ’s promises, on the other hand, are progressive in number and
significance, standing out in stark contrast to the churches’ weaknesses! (Rom.
5:20) And because of this, every Christian is called to overcome through
Christ’s enabling power—every believer can have the victory over Satan’s temptation, just as Jesus did! (3:21; nike) Victory is a
dominant theme throughout Revelation (5:5, 6:2, 12:11, 17:14; 21:7). The
seventh, and climatic, promise is to share Christ’s throne, the universal seat
of authority! Since the vast riches of heaven belong to the king, all of the
afore-mentioned promises are contained in this one! This promise alone should
demonstrate how significant overcoming is in the sight of heaven.
Here’s a brief summary of the seven churches:
·
·
·
The city of
·
The situation was worse
in Thyatira! They tolerated a woman that Christ’s dubbed “Jezebel”! (The
original had led ancient
·
Things are not always
as they appear, and this is the case with
·
True to its name, there
is a remnant in
·
The
seven letters leave us with two important questions: Exactly how does a
Christian gain the victory on earth? And how will Jesus separate the faithful
from the unrepentant, before He returns? (Rev. 22:12) Like an unfolding story,
the answers are found in the next vision.
---------------------------
* Like the book of Daniel,
Revelation’s visions (the seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, and the
cosmic battle) are parallel views of
church history, from differing perspectives. Each begins with a vision
of the sanctuary and climaxes with Christ’s throne and/or second coming.
REVELATION 4-5
Chapters four and five provide a vision of heaven’s throne room, where
the victorious Lamb is inaugurated as heaven’ co-Ruler upon accepting the
“scroll of destiny.”
Chapter 4.
Immediately following the vision of the seven churches, John is taken up* to
heaven (through a vision), where he is enabled to see God’s throne, as many
prophets before him did. God’s throne is central object, mentioned 14 times in
chapter four! The throne is the promised reward to all who are victorious on
earth!
God’s throne is situated in the heavenly sanctuary,
the universal center of worship. Though the Old Testament sanctuary (furniture
and services) pointed to the Messiah, it is the Father who is sitting on the
throne here; the Lamb is yet to enter the scene. There are a number of elements
here that are taken from the ancient Hebrew tabernacle; God’s Shekinah glory rested over the Ark of the Testament (which
contained the Ten Commandments); precious stones were inlaid in the high
priest’s breastplate; a basin of water, referred to as the “sea,” was in the
courtyard; winged angels were embroidered in the curtain walls, and positioned
over the Mercy Seat of the Ark; banners—with emblems of creatures—flew at the
four sides of the sanctuary; and, there were 24-courses of priests.
Chapter 5. The vision takes an
unexpected shift when all of the attention is suddenly drawn to a scroll, bound
with seven seals. It appears to be a (Roman-style) will, the inheritance of
which would be executed after one’s death. Bible scholars generally agree that
it contains the destiny of the human race—God’s plan of salvation. Intense
anxiety sets in however when the prophet learns that no one is “worthy” to open
it!
But the vision reaches a crescendo when a “slain”-sphazo Lamb takes center stage!
It was dead, but is alive again! (1:18) This is none
other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The word “slain”-sphazo is repeated here precisely
because humanity has been “redeemed” by the Lamb’s blood. Having “prevailed” [nike] through His
sacrificial death, Christ alone is worthy to open the scroll! And upon taking
it, He is exalted to the seat beside His Father, and His throne-promise (3:21)
is certain! (The scene reminds us of the coronation in ancient
The triumphant scene closes with every creature in heaven raising their
voices in one harmonious seven-fold tribute “for ever and ever” to the Father
and the Lamb, Creator (4:11) and Redeemer (5:9)!
---------------------------
* In a departure from our Christian fore-fathers, it is
commonly taught today that the words “come up here” (4:1) refer to a future rapture of the church. According to this
popular theory, Christians will suddenly disappear from the face of the earth,
just prior to earth’s closing events. Regardless how sensational this teaching
may be (in books and movies), this theory is not only unscriptural, and
diminishes the efficacy Christ’s ministry. Consider the following: 1) The text
simply doesn’t say this; 2) The plagues in Revelation are built on the story of
the Exodus from Egypt—God’s people were protected during the plagues, by the
lamb’s blood; 3) Even the strongest proponents of the rapture admit that this
teaching is inherently weak—“[The text] does not specifically say so or give us
any additional details about that event” (LaHaye, Revelation Unveiled, p. 101); 4) The
proponents erroneously use the white horseman (6:2) to support their view (see
below); 5) Perhaps most importantly, the rapture-theory, with its subsequent
emphasis on the antichrist, undermines the fact that Revelation is—first and
foremost—about Jesus Christ, and His
relationship to the Church.
REVELATION 6
Chapter six is a step-by-step
revelation of Christ’s closing work on earth, preparing His people for His
second-coming.
As the Lamb begins to remove the seals, the four living-creatures (4:7) summon
four horsemen onto the scene—the Four Horsemen
of the Apocalypse (seals 1-4). They’re on a mission from God! In the wake
of their activity we find two wholly different groups of people: righteous martyrs
under heaven’s altar (seal 5), and the wicked crying for death at the Lamb’s appearing
(seal 6). The horsemen’s activity, then, leads to the sifting of Christ’s
church, just prior to the Lamb returning to take His people home (chapter 7).
The early-Church fathers and the
early-Protestants believed that the victorious rider on the white horse was a
symbol of Jesus Christ (see Commentary on
the Bible, Matthew Henry; 1792). But in recent years there has been a complete
departure from this foundational teaching. Today the majority of Christians believe
that the four horsemen represent the future activity of the Antichrist, who
will create “hell on earth”! It’s no wonder that Bible students have begun to ask
“Why did the church remove Christ from this prophecy?”*
Knowing that the seal messages result in eternal life or death, we will give
them additional attention here.
First seal.
A rider on a white horse charges across the heavens as the Lamb breaks the
first seal. Christians have long believed that this rider represents Jesus
Christ, for many reasons. First, white
is always associated with Godliness in Revelation, now exceptions. Second, according
to Scripture, the Lord uses a bow (Psalms
45:5 prophetically “refers to Jesus Christ”; see Ryrie Study Bible).
Third, this rider, like Christ, is a “conqueror” (nike). Unlike
most versions of the Bible, the Contemporary
English Version is especially helpful because it consistently translates
the Greek word nike as “victory.” Christ’s victory is the golden
thread that connects all of the scenes in Revelation’s opening story (3:21;
5:5; 6:2). The first-century Christians, hearing Revelation read aloud from the
pulpit, would have rightly concluded that this victorious
horseman is Jesus Christ.
So why would one think that this rider is the antichrist? Because Christ is seen wearing a king’s royal
diadema (19:12),
and the rider on the white horse a victor’s wreath-stephanos (worn by the winner of
the Greek games). Thus, it is assumed that the first rider is a “deceiver,” who
appears to be Christ. But proponents of the antichrist view fail to mention one
critically important fact; Christ—like those who overcome and the 24 elders (2:10;
3:11; 4:4; 12:1)—does in fact wear a stephanos, as the victorious “Son of Man”! (14:14)**
Christ’s appeal for us to live victoriously now (3:21) is based on His
own victorious life and sacrifice (5:5), which power continues in the form of
His victorious gospel. Christ is our Conqueror, and He is prevailing on earth
through His Church. He overcame Satan and prevailed over eternal death, and His
power is ours through faith (1 Jn 5:4). This was the
key behind the initial advancements of Christ’s kingdom during the first-century.
“Onward, Christian Soldier!” is the rallying cry, under Christ’s blood-stained
banner!
Second seal. Only glancing over the second seal’s bloody-red
content, most Bible students assume, without question, that the rider on the
red horse is the Antichrist. But few take the effort to read what John actually wrote. Thus, they are surprised
to learn that some of the things here are not what they first appear to be.
For example, the rider’s “great
sword” is actually a dagger (machiara), the knife used by priests to slay animals for
sacrifice. Many Bibles include Matthew 10:34 in the margin, which is Jesus’
statement “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword [machaira]” (NIV).
Of course, Christ is the High Priest of the new “covenant” (Mark 14:24, NIV; Heb. 4:14; 8:1-2). Another unusual word is “kill,” or
better slay-sphazo. It too has sacrificial
associations; John used it to describe Christ’s sacrifice (Rev. 5:6).
John certainly could have used the standard Greek words for sword (rhomphia) and “kill”
(apoketeino),
but he intentionally reserves these for the fourth seal.
As we’re beginning to see, the second
seal’s message comes into focus through the lens of the sanctuary, a primary theme
in Revelation. It’s no coincidence, then, that the second horseman is
introduced by the calf-like throne-creature (4:7), the only one of the four used
in sacrifice.
This seal is literally drenched in sacrificial blood! But what does it all mean?
Having already accepted the gospel, our heavenly High Priest asks us to
offer up ourselves as “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1). In order to truly follow
Him, self must be crucified “daily”
(Luke 9:23), and buried (
But the message here isn’t just spiritual. We’re told that “men slay
each other” (NIV)—this is martyrdom. The early-Christians, like so many since, experienced first-hand
the hatred that follows in the wake of the gospel. Despised for taking a stand
for truth, many were sacrificed the
cause of Christ’s kingdom. The Christian must always bear Jesus’ words in
mind—“Fear not them which [can only] kill the body” (Matt. 10:28); partakers in
His sufferings will be partakers in His glory! (
Third seal. Blackness, famine,
divided crops, and a voice crying out “Hurt not!” What’s going on here?
To begin, the harvests in the
middle-East were divided by the seasons, grain crops in the spring and deep-rooted
fruits in the fall. And a bountiful harvest was a physical sign of
But a famine meant more to
So what does all of this mean to us?
Jesus Christ is our High Priest under the new covenant, and is ministering
for us in the heavenly Sanctuary. His holy law, the Ten Commandments—mentioned repeatedly
in Revelation (12:17; 14:12; 22:14)—is still the standard of righteousness, by
which all are judged (James 1:25; 2:12). Just as the Israelites searched their
souls on the ancient Day of Atonement, so should God’s people be examining
their lives now, knowing that the great day of judgment is nearing as Christ’s priestly
ministry draws to a close.
As we’ll
recall, the seven letters revealed that many in the church do not have a
living-relationship with Jesus (Matt. 7:21). Though they professing to be in
the faith, they haven’t come to know Him
as their personal Savior, or surrendered their lives entirely to Him as Lord. Consequently,
they are not wholly committed to His gospel, as the fruit of their faith shows.
The third rider’s message, then, is the same as that found in the seven
churches—“Repent!”, before the door
of probation closes (Rev. 15:8).
Fourth seal. Lifted
straight out of the old covenant (Lev. 26:21-26; Deut. 32:23-25), the list of
weapons in the fourth seal—sword, hunger,
pestilence and beasts—need no explanation. Collectively called God’s “four
sore judgments,” these were the covenant “curses” for disobedience and apostasy
(Jer. 15:2; 31:31; Ezek. 5:12; 14:21). Out covenant
with God is a serious matter, being pledged in His own blood! (Gen. 15:1-18;
Heb. 12:25) Those who have rejected Christ, and persecuted His saints, have now
come under a divine death-decree.
Naturally, the question has been asked “Does this rider—called ‘Death
and Hell’—also represent Christ?” But a better question is, Wasn’t
the “new covenant” born out in Christ’s blood? (Heb. 12:24) Is it not Christ
who possesses “the keys of hell and of death”? (Rev. 1:18) Hasn’t all
“authority to execute judgment” been given to the Son? (John 5:27) Is it Christ
who determines our eternal destiny? (22:11-12) Won’t
unrepentant sinners face His “wrath” (Rev. 6:16), and isn’t it His sword-rhomphia that kills-apokteino the
unrepentant? (19:15, 21) Clearly, the third horseman is acting under Christ’s
authority.
Again, the “professors,” who have
found a false sense of eternal assurance in church membership, must be identified
and sifted from the covenant faithful before Christ’s returns with His eternal
rewards (Matt. 16:25; Rev. 22:12). This, obviously, is a preliminary-judgment conducted
by Christ Himself (see Dan. 7:10; Rev. 14:14-16; John 5:27). This work will result
in dividing the world into two camps: the faithful (who are sealed; 7:3), and
the unfaithful (who are marked; 13:16). These are the focus of the fifth and
sixth seals.
Fifth seal. The horsemen’s work complete, the
faithful who fully accepted the gospel into their lives are now symbolically envisioned
“at the foot of the [heavenly] altar” (AMP). This is where the blood—which
represents the life (Gen. 9:4)—of the
sacrifice was poured out. Why is their blood here? They “were slain [sphazo]” under
the second seal by heaven’s High Priest. Robed in Christ’s righteousness (Rev.
3:5), they patiently wait for divine justice.
Sixth seal. Those who have rejected the gospel will
seek death on “the great day of [the Lamb’s] wrath.” “Who shall be able to
stand?” they cry out! Their question is answered in the following vision.
Scholars
have pointed that the seals closely follow Christ’s outline of the Christian
Age, described in Matthew 24. Like the seven churches, the seals span Church
history, from the onset of the gospel to Christ’s Second Coming.
---------------------------
* Contemporary scholarship has also reversed the church’s teachings on the messianic prophecies of
Daniel 9. Now we’re told that, rather than pointing to the divinely appointed
time of Christ’s sacrifice, the prophecy regards an ungodly, and rather
insignificant, Roman ruler.
** William Hendricksen gives,
perhaps, the most thorough case for Christ as the rider on the white horse (More than Conquerors; Baker Books).
REVELATION 7
Chapter seven is a picture of the
victorious saints in heaven, dwelling forever with the Lamb.
Chapter seven brings us to the close of Revelation’s opening story, and
what an ending it is! The atmosphere is explosive; the entire earth is under
the threat of destruction! Part of the sixth seal*, chapter seven goes on to
answer the previous question, “Who shall be able to stand?” And the answer
comes in a couple different forms.
The imagery is based on Ezekiel 9:1-7, where a divine messenger begins
at the sanctuary and goes throughout Jerusalem marking the “foreheads”
of the covenant faithful, just before God gives unrepentant Israel over to
Babylon because of her sins (Dan. 1:1-2). The imagery is chilling when you
consider that this Old Testament vision is now being applied to the unfaithful
under the new covenant—the “professors” in the Church. Only the marked had
God’s seal of protection. Second, the elements—earth, sea, trees and wind—point
back to Creation, a motif or theme in Revelation (4:11; 14:7; 21:1). Those
who worship the Creator, rather than the Beast, are able to stand before Him
(compare Rev. 13).
The “angel”-aggelos
or messenger from the “east” with God’s seal is Christ (Matt. 24:27; Isa. 41:2), or one acting under His authority. Though this
end-time seal is different than the sealing of the Christian life (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30), one must first have the
latter.
Now then, it’s generally assumed that 144,000 and the “great multitude”
are two different groups (i.e., Jews and Gentiles), but closer study will
demonstrate that they are one-in-the-same—Christ’s victors! Thus, the “sealed”
are described from two different perspectives—spiritually (what John hears; verse 4) and physically (what he sees; verse 9).
Verses 1-8.
The saints—the 144,000—are described here in the language of ancient
Verses 9-17.
After hearing about them, John now sees the “a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues,” dressed in the white robes of Christ’s righteousness
before God’s throne, singing a seven-fold praise to the Father and the Lamb.
They are waving palm branches, a symbol of victory over their “tribulation” on
earth. The purpose and work of the sanctuary is complete; God’s kingdom of
“priests” (1:6) will “serve”-latreuo (22:3) in his “temple” forever, because God Himself is the tent(skeeno)-tabernacle
(21:3, 22).
We have come to the end of Revelation’s opening-story. At the beginning, Christ, our High Priest,
admonished the churches to “overcome”-nike—as
He had—and share His throne (Rev. 1-3). Our attention was immediately drawn
then to God’s throne in heaven, to witness Christ’s coronation as “King of
kings,” which is founded on His victorious-nike sacrifice (Rev. 4-5). In light
of all that had gone before, the focus returned to earth where Christ’s
victorious-nike
gospel is working through His Church, identifying and sifting out the covenant
faithful, before earth’s probation closes (Rev. 6). In the end, the “true”
Israelites of God will dwell with the Lamb forever (Rev. 7).
Actually, the opening-story is a concise version of Revelation. The
letter could have ended here. But like Daniel, his Old Testament counter-part,
John receives more visions, giving the Church additional details about the
future, and the Beast, thus preparing God’s people for the End and Christ’s
return.
---------------------------
* Chapter 7 has been referred to as a “parenthesis,”
because it’s a final “spotlight” on the last days, prior to the last seal
(8:1). There is also a focus on final events at the close of the seven trumpets
(10:1-11:14) and the great controversy scene (14:1-12).
** There are many reasons to interpret the 144,000 as
symbolic: 1) John describes many things by what he hears first and then
actually sees (1:10-12; 5:5-6); 2) the imagery in chapter 1-6, including people
and numbers, is symbolic; 3) Even by John’s day the literal tribes no longer
existed; 4) literalists use 4:1-2 (the rapture theory and 6:1-2 (the antichrist
theory) to support their view, but both lack solid scriptural support.
James L. Merrills, M. Div.
Comments and questions can be directed to:
e-mail: magic@mr-jim.com
1st Half -
HISTORICAL
Middle - CLIMAX (Rev 12-14)
2nd Half - END TIME
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Last updated Oct 14, 2008
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