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The Book of the Revelation of Jesus
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The author of this book, which is not called Revelations by the way,
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is named at the beginning. It was written by John
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which could refer to the Beloved Disciple who wrote the gospel and the letters of John
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or it could be a different John - a Messianic Jewish prophet who traveled
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about and taught in early church.
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Whichever John it was, he makes clear in the opening paragraph what kind of book he has written.
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He calls it first of all a revelation or apocalypse.
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The greek word is Apokalypsis and it refers to a type
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of literature very familiar to John's readers
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from the Hebrew scriptures and from other popular Jewish texts.
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Apokalypsis recounted a prophet's symbolic dreams and visions that
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revealed God's heavenly perspective on history and current events
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so that the present could be viewed in light of history's final outcome.
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And John says this apocalypse is a prophecy which
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means it's a word from God spoken through a prophet to God's people,
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usually to warn or comfort them in a time of crisis.
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By calling this book of prophecy, John saying that it stands in the tradition of the biblical prophets
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and is bringing their message to a climax.
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And this apocalyptic prophecy was sent to real people that John knew.
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The book opens and closes as a circular letter
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that was sent to seven churches in the ancient Roman province of Asia.
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Now seven is a meaningful number for John.
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It's a symbol of completeness based on the seven-day Sabbath cycle in the Old Testament.
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And John has woven sevens into every single part of this book.
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Now with this opening John has given us
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clear guidance about how he wants us to understand this book.
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Jewish apocalypse is communicated through symbolic imagery and numbers.
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It is not a secret predictive code about the timing of the end of the world
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rather John is constantly using these symbols that are drawn from the Old Testament
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and he expects his readers to go discover what the symbols mean by looking up the text he's alluding to.
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Also the fact that it's a letter means that John is actually addressing the situation of these first century churches.
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And so while this book has much to say to Christians of later generations,
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the books meaning must first be anchored in the historical context of John's time, place, and audience.
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which brings us into the book's first section
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Jesus' message to the seven churches
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John was exiled on the island of Patmos
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and he saw a vision of the risen Jesus exalted as king of the world.
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And He was standing among seven burning lights.
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and John's told this is a symbol of the seven churches in Asia Minor
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that's been adapted from the book of the Prophet Zechariah.
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And Jesus starts addressing the specific problems that face each church
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Some where apathetic due to wealth and affluence. Others were morally compromised.
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Their people were still eating ritual meals, and sleeping around, and pagan temples.
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But others among the churches remained faithful to Jesus.
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And they were suffering harassment and even violent persecution.
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And Jesus warns that things are going to get worse.
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A tribulation is upon the churches that will force them to choose between compromise or faithfulness.
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By John's day the murder of Christians by the Roman Emperor Nero was passed.
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And the persecution of Christians by Emperor Domitian was likely underway.
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And so the temptation was to deny Jesus either to avoid persecution or simply to join the spirit of the Roman age.
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And Jesus calls them to faithfulness so that they can overcome or literally conquer.
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And Jesus promises a reward for everyone in these churches who does conquer.
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Each reward is drawn directly from the books final vision about the marriage of heaven and earth.
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And so this opening section it sets up the main plot tension that will drive the storyline in this book.
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Will Jesus' people endure? Will they inherit the new world that God has in store?
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And why is faithfulness to Jesus described as conquering.
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The rest of the book is John's answer.
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After this John has a vision of God's heavenly throne room and
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he describes it with imagery drawn from many Old Testament prophets.
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Surrounding God are creatures and elders that represent all creation and human nations
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and they're giving honor and allegiance to the one true Creator God who is holy holy holy.
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In God's hand is a scroll that's closed up with seven wax seals.
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It symbolizes the message of the Old Testament prophets and the sealed scroll of Daniel's visions.
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these are all about how God's kingdom will come here fully on earth as in heaven
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But it turns out no one is able to open the scroll
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until John hears of someone who can.
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It's the lion from the tribe of Judah and the root of David he can open it.
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These are classic Old Testament desciptions of the Messianic King
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who would bring God's kingdom through military conquest.
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Now that's what John hears but
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then what he turns and sees is not an aggressive lion king
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but a sacrifice bloody lamb who's alive standing there
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and ready to open the scroll.
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Now the symbol of Jesus as the slain lamb,
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this is crucially important for understanding the book.
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John's saying that the Old Testament promise of God's future victorious kingdom
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was inaugurated through the crucified Messiah.
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Jesus overcame his enemies by dying for them
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as the true Passover lamb so that they could be redeemed.
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Because of the Resurrection Jesus's death on the cross was not a defeat,
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it was his enthronement it was the way he conquered evil.
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And so this vision concludes with the lamb
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alongside the one sitting on the throne and together they are worshipped
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as the one true creator and Redeemer and the slain lamb begins to open the scroll.
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It's a symbol of His divine authority to guide history to its conclusion.
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Which brings us to the next section of the book the three cycles of sevens
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seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls.
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And each cycle depicts God's kingdom and justice coming here on earth as in heaven.
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Now some people think that the three sets of seven divine judgment
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represent a literal linear sequence of events
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that either happened in the past
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or could be happening now
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or are yet to happen in the future when Jesus returns.
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But notice how John has woven all the sevens together
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so the final seven bowls come out of the seventh trumpet and the seventh seal.
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and the seven trumpets emerge from the seventh seal
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They're like nesting dolls - each seventh contained to the next seven.
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Also notice how each of the series of seven culminates in the final judgment
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and they have matching conclusions.
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So it's more likely that John is using each set of seven to depict the same period of time
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between Jesus's resurrection and future returned from three different perspectives.
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So the slain lamb begins to open the scrolls first four seals
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and John sees four horsemen. It's an image from the book of Zechariah chapter one.
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And they symbolize times of war, conquest, famine, and death.
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In other words a tragically average day in human history.
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Then the fifth seal depicts the murdered Christian martyrs before God's heavenly throne.
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And the cry of their innocent blood rises up before God
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like smoke from the altar of incense.
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And they're told to rest because more Christians are yet to die.
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We're not told why but we are told that it won't last forever
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the sixth seal is God's ultimate response to their cry.
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He brings the great day of the Lord that was described in Isaiah and Joel.
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And the people of the earth cry out 'Who is able to stand?!'
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And then all of a sudden John pauses the action with an intermission to answer that question
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John sees an angel with a signet ring coming to place a mark of protection on God's servants
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who are enduring all this hardship
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and he hears the number of those who are sealed - a hundred and forty-four thousand.
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It's a military census like the one in the Book of Numbers chapter one.
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There are twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
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Now pay attention. The number of this army is what John heard.
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Just like he heard about the conquering lion of Judah.
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But in both cases what he then turned and saw was
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the surprising fulfillment of those military images in Jesus the slain lamb.
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So when he sees this messianic army of God's kingdom.
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It's made up of people from all nations fulfilling God's ancient promise to Abraham.
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It's this multi-ethnic army of the Lamb who can stand before God
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because they've been redeemed by the lamb's blood.
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And now they are called the conquerer
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not by killing their enemies but by suffering and
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bearing witness just like the lamb.
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After this the seventh and final seal is broken
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but before the scroll is open the seven warning trumpets emerge
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and fire is taken from the incense altar
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it symbolizes the cry of the martyrs and
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it's cast onto the earth bringing the day of the Lord to its completion.
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Now with the seven trumpets John backs up and he retells the story again.
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This time with images from the Exodus story.
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So the first five trumpet blasts replay the plague sent upon Egypt
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and then the sixth trumpet releases the four horsemen
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that came from the first four seals.
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But then John tells us that despite all these plagues
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the nations did not repent just like pharaoh didn't in the Exodus story.
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So it seems that God's judgment alone will not bring people to humble repentance before him
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then John pauses the action again with another intermission.
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An angel brings the unsealed scroll that was opened by the lamb.
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And just like Ezekiel John is told to eat the scroll and then proclaim its message to the nations.
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Finally the lamb scroll is open
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and now we will discover how God's kingdom will come here on earth.
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The scrolls content is spelled out in two symbolic visions.
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First John sees God's temple and the martyrs by the altar and
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he's told to measure and set them apart.
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And it's an image of protection taken from Zechariah chapter 2.
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But then the outer courts in the city are excluded
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and they get trampled down by the nations.
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Now some think that this refers literally to
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a destruction of Jerusalem that happened in the past or will happen in the future.
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But more likely John's following the tradition of Jesus and the apostles
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who all use the new temple as a symbol for God's new covenant people.
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In that case, this is an image about how Jesus' followers may suffer persecution by the nations
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but this external defeat cannot take away their victory through the lamb.
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This idea gets expanded in the scrolls' second vision.
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God appoints two witnesses as prophetic representatives to the nations.
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And once again some people think this refers literally two prophets who will appear one day in the future.
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But John calls them lampstands which is one of his clear symbols for the churches.
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So this vision is more likely about the prophetic role of
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Jesus' followers who are to take up the mantle of Moses and Elijah
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and call idolatrous nations and rulers to turn back to the one true God.
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But then all of a sudden a horrible beast appears,
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let the reader remember Daniel chapter 7,
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and the beast conquers the witnesses and kills them.
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But then God brings them back to life
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and vindicates the witnesses before their persecutors
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and the end result is that many among the nations finally do repent
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and give glory to the Creator God
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in the day of the Lord.
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Now, stop. Think about the story so far.
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God's warning judgments through the seals and through the trumpets
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did not generate repentance among the nations
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just like the Exodus plagues only hardened Pharaoh's heart.
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But the lamb, He conquered his enemies by loving them, dying for them.
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And now the message of the lamb's scroll reveals the mission of his army, the church.
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God's kingdom will be revealed when the nations see the church
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imitating the loving sacrifice of the Lamb
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not killing their enemies but dying for them.
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It is God's mercy shown through Jesus' followers that will bring the nations to repentance.
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And this surprising claim is the message of the open scroll
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that John has placed at the exact center of the entire book.
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After this the last trumpet sounds and the nations are
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shaken as God's kingdom comes here on earth as it is in heaven.
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So now we know how the church will bear witness to the nations and inherit the new creation
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but who was that terrible beast that waged war on God's people?
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And how will the whole story turn out? John will tell us in the second half of the Book of the Revelation.
