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THE BOOK OF REVELATION

UNDERSTAND THE BOOK OF REVELATION SERIES...

It's Theme

By Dr. Andrew Corbett

When I grew up as a young boy during the 1970s and into the 80s in a Pentecostal church we often had "End Times" teachers come and preach. These preachers had elaborate diagrams painted on bed-sheet-like material supposedly based on the Books of Revelation and Daniel. I felt the terror of those who would miss out on the secret rapture and have to endure the wrath of the Anti-Christ in the Great Tribulation. The evangelist would then appeal to his hearers to commit their lives to Christ so they too could avoid the agony of living through the Great Tribulation which may start tomorrow!

To back up his presentation he would point out how the Book of Revelation accurately predicted the rise of Adolf Hitler and World War 2, Henry Kissinger, the formation of the European Economic Union, a one world government, a super-computer containing the details of every human being on the face of the planet (!), and a global cashless money system (of which "Bankcard" was a pre-cursor since it had a symbol which consisted of three bs which looked suspiciously like "666" mentioned in Revelation 13).

But as I grew older and the teaching gift on my life was sharpened through personal study, listening to hundreds of quality international Bible teachers, reading many books, talking with senior men of God, and my formal ministerial training, I realised that this teaching which I had received as a young boy was seriously flawed!

For instance, I was told that the thrust of Revelation was for the very last days. That is, I was told that what it prophesies about relates to events far removed from the lives of the original recipients since it so obviously relates to the times that we now live in or are at least to be fulfilled within our lifetimes. Yet consider the plain message contained in these verses within Revelation -

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,
Revelation 1:1

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent.
Revelation 2:5

'Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
Revelation 2:16

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
Revelation 3:11

"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
Revelation 12:12

Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
Revelation 22:6

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."
Revelation 22:7

And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
Revelation 22:10

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20

For centuries some scholars have tried to make these verses mean something other than what they plainly say. How could these words be intended to comfort and encourage the original recipients during their endurance of massive persecution if the thrust of the Book exclusively related to events to take place some 2,000 years after them, especially when the Book so unmistakably gives the time frame as "at hand"? Surely the words of Revelation 1:3 would then have to be considered some cruel sadistic joke if this was the case.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3

So if the theme of the Book of Revelation is not necessarily detailed and titillating predictions about the future of a world filled with super-computers, high-tech commerce, and "big-brotherish" governments, then just what is it? Pardon me for redirecting us away from the plethora of speculative paper back Christian books on end times teaching, toward the Word of God itself, but I feel it necessary to do so with this commentary on Revelation.

If we take careful note of the opening verse we read the intended theme for the whole Book.

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,
Revelation 1:1

"The revelation of Jesus Christ" is clearly stated as the central theme to this Book. It is not a revelation about Heaven, although it tells us things about this glorious place. It is not a revelation about the Devil although it reveals much about him. It is not a revelation about the future, although it reveals details about the future. It is a revelation about Jesus Christ!

The whole point to this Book is to see Jesus for who He really is and to realise the implications of this revelation. This Revelation of Christ shows Him to be the Supreme Ruler of the universe, not Caesar, not the Jewish High Priest nor any other human ruler. It reveals that Christ is Lord over eternity and history despite the apparent upper hand that despotic rulers seemingly exercised over God's people during the time of its writing. And just when it seemed that injustice against God's people would go unchallenged, this Book reveals that nothing has gone unnoticed and that all will be brought to justice and remain so for all eternity as God does away with time as we know it.

It is not just a Revelation about the future in the light of who Christ truly is, but it is a Revelation of why the future will go this way because of who Christ truly is.

For John, the penman of this remarkable Book, Jesus was the One. Throughout His earthly ministry no one was as close to Christ as John was. At the last supper it was John who lent across the breast of Christ. At the Cross, it was John and no other disciple who remained to support Jesus in His agony. After the resurrection it was John who was seemingly honoured above the other disciples in front of the other disciples by Christ (John 21:20-24). This was a man who knew Christ! More than any of the other disciples he seemed to grasp the message of love, which Jesus brought to the world. This is the predominant theme of his epistles. Yet we read this astounding this in the opening chapter of Revelation -

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Revelation 1:12

John did not recognise the voice of Jesus when he heard it on the Isle of Patmos! Amazing. What this tells us immediately is that the Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee, of whom John was intimately familiar, was now being revealed in a way previously unknown to John. The unfolding description of Christ paints a truly awesome picture of the glorified Christ. In John 17:5 Christ prayed that He would once again have His glory reinstated upon the completion of the Father's business. And Revelation gives us a fleeting glimpse of that reinstatement. For John, this glimpse was enough to completely overwhelm him (Rev. 1:17). And it begs the question that if the great apostle was overwhelmed by his revelation of Christ, do we truly understand the theme of this Book if we too never catch a glimpse through its pages of the glorified Christ?

It is my great aim through this little book to facilitate you in receiving a "Christ-glimpse".

CONTRASTING THEMES

The Book of Revelation has an interesting symmetry of contrasts. It starts off on a barren Isle and finishes in Paradise. It glorifies the Lamb but condemns the beasts. It condemns the city which killed our Lord (Rev. 11:8), along with His apostles and prophets (Rev. 16:6; 18:20, 24), but honours the Heavenly New Jerusalem. It describes a succession of earthly kings (Rev. 6) but finishes with the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 17:14; 19:16). It condemns the harlot but commends the bride (Rev. 21:2).

There are two very distinct judgment events which are described in Revelation. The first involves judgment upon the unholy alliance between Judaism and Rome (the two beasts of Revelation 13) where Jerusalem (symbolic of Judaism) sits in the lap of the ungodly Roman empire (described as the harlot sitting on seven hills).

© 2003, Dr. Andrew Corbett

Listen to Part 3 of Understanding Revelation