Revelation

May 23, 2020

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Apostle is my favorite book of the Bible. I know many Christians who are almost afraid to turn in their Bibles to that book; its visions and symbolism seem strange and incomprehensible. Why read something you can’t understand? It might seem odd, since I don’t put much stock in most of the sensational “end time” prophetic literature so prevalent in the Christian book market.

The Revelation wasn’t written to be a map of current events. According to its author, it was written to seven churches that were scattered throughout Asia Minor, They were experiencing some pretty severe persecution and needed encouragement. The good news for those of us who find it somewhat confusing is the word at the very beginning where we are told “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it.” (1:3) The blessing is for those who read, who hear, and who keep the words. I says nothing about understanding it all.

Verses 4-8 are framed by the phrase, “The One who was, who is, and who is to come,” a reminder of the constancy and stability we have in God when living in an unpredictable and dangerous world. Notice that it doesn’t say, “the One who was, who is, and who will be.” That would imply that God changes. Instead, John tells us of the unchanging One who is in control, no matter how crazy life gets. 

After the initial framing of these verses telling us of the constancy of Jesus, comes a declaration of who he is, followed by a statement of what he has done for us. John tells us that Jesus is “the faithful witness; a reminder of his having suffered and died for us (the word for “witness” is “martyrion,” from which we get “martyr.” A witness was one who gave his life for Christ, whereas a “confessor” merely suffered torture.), coupled with the hint that we too, are to be faithful witnesses. Secondly, Jesus is “firstborn from the dead,” with an unspoken promise that we too, will rise again. After all, he is FIRST born, not merely born from the dead. Lastly, in spite all all evidence to the contrary, he is ruler over the kings of the earth. They may spout and dictate, but Jesus Christ rules. This is reminiscent of the first chapter of Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar boasts of his conquests, but Daniel reminds us that it was God who gave the nations into his hand. Jesus here doesn’t rule by mere declaration; he IS ruler!

After telling us who Jesus is, John turns to what he has done: “he loved us, washed us, made us a kingdom of priests to our God.” Textual critics debate as to whether this verse reads “washed” or “loosed,” there being only a single vowel difference between the two words in the Greek. The effect is the same. If I am washed, I am separated form the dirt, which is another way of saying I am loosed from it. Washing perhaps adds the dimension of purity to this statement, but either word will do. Lastly, Jesus made us to be a kingdom of priests to our God. There is absolutely nothing in these verses that point to anything we do. It’s all his work on our behalf, for which I am very grateful. 

So far, the paragraph focuses on all Jesus Christ is in the present, and all he has done for us in the past. Finally in verse seven, John shows us what is to come: Jesus is coming in the clouds in fulfillment of the promise given to the disciples in Acts 1:9-11. The paragraph ends with the same declaration as it began, assuring us that Jesus Christ is fully able to accomplish what he promises.

In a world of constant round the clock news telling us how life has turned upside down, getting our vision focused on the eternal realities we have in Jesus Christ is essential if we are to not be swept along by the pessimism, vitriol, and fear being constantly pushed at us. Our hope cannot be secured by government, and our deliverance will not come through “settled science.” We look, not to the things of this world, but to the One who entered this world, endured the worst it could dish out, and emerged from the tomb victorious over sin and death. THIS is the One revealed in John’s visions, and it is a glorious hope we are offered, if we will but grasp it in faith.