Prologue

Bottom line

Though often misunderstood, Revelation is a book that we should not be intimidated by, rather encouraged and challenged by.

Opening Line

Who is excited to be studying The Book of Revelation?

Introduction

I have had such a range of reactions when I tell people that we are studying Revelation for the next little while. Most are excited, some are curious about how this is going to go. There has been a lot of nervousness, almost worried for me as I take on the challenge of preaching this book.

I had to laugh on Thursday. I have a group of pastors that I meet with each week, and at the end of the prayer time, we always take time to pray for one another. I asked the group to pray for me because I was feeling a little uneasy going into this morning. Most of the pastors gave me one of these

give look of concern

Then there is the other Pentecostal pastor in our group, and he is clapping and cheering. He recently did a series of Revelation, and so he was giving me some tips and pointers. Apparently us Pentecostals are the only ones crazy enough to take on this book.

Main Point

I believe the reason that many people are nervous about the book of Revelation is that you don’t understand it. So this morning, I want to lay some foundation about what the book is and what it isn’t.

Why it Matters

If you understand what Revelation is, and by that I mean you understand the context, the purpose, and the reasoning behind it, then I believe you will be able to glean from it. If you approach this book wrong, then you will miss the point, and that is when confusion and misunderstanding begin to abound.

Scripture

Revelation 1:1–3 NLT

This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

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The book of Revelation begins by declaring that this is a revelation of Jesus Christ. This isn’t a letter that John woke up one day and decided to write. This is a literal word from Jesus, given to John with the intention of it being passed along to church.

The fact that it is a revelation is significant. That means that this is not like one of of Luke’s historical books. Luke writes to tell a story. There is a narrative and flow to his books. Revelation is not a historical book and thus cannot be read as such. It isn’t a story that flows, rather a collection of visions that needs to be handled independently.

It also means that it is not like one of Paul’s theology letters. Paul wrote to teach the churches he had planted some aspect of the faith that they needed to grow in. John is not writing to teach the church something theological, but to reveal something that Jesus wants the church to know.

What is Jesus going to reveal over the course of this book? Rev 1:19 says this:

Revelation 1:19 NLT

“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.

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What is being revealed? Well there are actually three things being revealed. The first is that Jesus is going to shine new light on truths that God has already spoken in the past. Even though the imagery and symbolism may be hard to interpret or understand at times, much of it isn’t new. Many of the images were seen by the prophets in the Old Testament, but have been given fresh life in light of the revealed Son of God.

Second, Jesus is going to reveal the things are happening now. This is the glimpse of the spiritual realm that we get in Revelation. There are vivid pictures of the throne room of heaven and the war between good and evil. These things are happen all around us, even though you can’t necessarily see them happening.

Third is the things that will happen. I think that the western church has almost become fixated on this aspect of Revelation to the deficit of the other 2. I believe this is where the confusion comes in. You look at Revelation almost as though it is disconnected from everything that came before it, when really there is nothing new under the sun and this book is actually built off everything that comes before it.

But there is another aspect to looking at Revelation as more then just a look at what is to come. You have to consider what is happening in the world at the time of John writing this book. It is believed that John wrote this at the time of Emperor Domitian. Domitian was just as crazy as Nero. Like Nero, he believed himself to be divine and worthy of worship. When the Christians refused to worship him, he began the second wave of intense persecution. In verse 9 we discover that the Apostle John has been exiled to the island of Patmos. Now this is significant for one of two reasons. At this time in Rome, the punishment for spreading a false superstition was exile, which is one explanation of how John got to Patmos. However, tradition tells us that they attempted to execute John by boiling him alive and failed. Since he survived that execution attempt, they decided he was too hard to kill and decided to exile him instead.

In either case, the setting is important. The purpose of this letter is to give the church hope in the face of persecution. As you read about the battle between the forces of heaven ad hell, and the immense army that is going to march on Israel and every other awful thing that happens, the message in the midst of it is that Jesus is king, and God has the final word. No matter what the church may go through, Jesus wins, and eternity awaits all who believe in Him.

But if that was the message, why not just say that? What is with all the symbolism and imagery? Jon Courson identifies 3 reason Revelation is written with signs and symbols.

To protect the church.

in the event that an enemy may have heard the words of this letter, or the letter may have been intercepted, anyone outside the church would not be able to understand what was going on. Jon Courson says that someone who knows the Scripture would find this letter easy to understand.

If that is true, and the many people find Revelation hard to understand, maybe it is because you don’t understand your Bible as well as you think you do...

Signs and symbols convey information

One of the challenges of written and spoken messages is that language has this habit of changing. Let’s look at English for example. In 1611, at the time the KJV was written, English included the use of words like thy and thou. Now, in the 2025, we have words like skibbidy and bussin, which I don’t know what either of them means but the teens do.

Despite the way that language changes, do you know what doesn’t change; pictures and symbols. If I start talking about a dragon, it doesn’t matter what era or part of the world you are in, you know what a dragon looks like and what it communicates. Dragon communicates power, it is often associated with evil and darkness.

Signs and Symbols also arouse emotion

Using the dragon image again. What kind of emotions does dragon create in you? Fear, awe, wonder.

Another example. If I talk about a political leader versus if I talk about the Beast. The dragon and his prophet. These images evoke strong emotions

Signs and symbols also keep us alert

Scripture frequently encourages believers to stay alert. I believe that it is the mystery of the symbols and images that force us to be alert. When Revelation talks about the second seal being broken, and the red horseman taking away peace from the world, resulting in war and slaughter. The church should have taken note when WWI started. The church should have taken note when WWII started. Not that we need to stand on the street corner and scream, “It’s the end of the world.” But when things are happening in the world feel eerily similar to what we read, you should take note and at least keep an eye on it and your heart.

This book is like no other book, simply because it is a unveiling truth in a way no other book has. But John makes another statement that I find really interesting.

Revelation 1:3 NLT

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Now the astute readers and students of the Bible would have instantly recognized that this is the same language Jesus used at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. In what has been called the Beatitudes, Jesus says 8 times, God blesses those…

Over the course of the book of Revelation, Jesus is going to make 7 statements just like this one. God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy, he blesses all who listen to it and obey.

Remember, John is writing to a group on mostly uneducated people, yet knows that they are more than capable of not only hearing the word, but understanding it enough to obey.

This is another misconception about Revelation. There is this belief that you need to be special education or special insight in order to understand. You don’t. I know that the message of Revelation is accessible to all. Maybe some of the images are hard to understand. One thing I have learned in my time of ministry is that the Spirit brings enlightenment when it is necessary. There are things being revealed by the Spirit of God now that hadn’t been revealed when I started in ministry. Insights and connections are being made that weren’t there 10 years ago.

Revelation 1:4–8 NLT

This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”

Seven churches means all churches. Seven is the number of completion. Over the course of this series we going to see groups of seven all the way through, some directly identified, other needing a little enlightenment.

In this prologue, all three persons of the Trinity are identified.

In this prologue, you see the gospel truth, that Jesus died and shed his blood so that you could be freed from the slavery of sin.

In this prologue, we are reminded that Jesus is going to come in a way that the world will see. The day will come as unexpectedly as a thief in the night, but the world will know what has happened and who has come.

Transition to Application

You need to trust that the Spirit will reveal all in good time.

Main To Do

This week, I encourage you to take some time and read through the book of Revelation. But don’t just read it like any other book. Read it out loud so that more of your person is involved with the process. Read it slowly and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it. As you do, the Holy Spirit will illumine things that you may have missed, and bring understanding where there may have been confusion.

Why it matters

If you approach this series with expectation, then the images and symbols have an opportunity to sink into your heart. Then you can go into the world with an expectation that God is moving. Instead of simply looking at the world falling apart and being filled with despair, you recognize that everything is unfolding as it should and it is setting the stage for Revelation to come.

Closing Line

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can understanding the context and purpose of Revelation help deepen your faith?

In what ways can you relate the themes of Revelation to the challenges faced in today's world?

How can you prepare your heart and mind to read Revelation with expectancy?

How does the message of hope in Revelation inspire you to support those who are struggling in faith?

What is one thing you can apply from the book of Revelation to your daily life?

How can your personal faith journey benefit from reading Revelation as you navigate challenges in life?