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Chapter 1: Christ Himself
Verses 1 & 3 are very important. This book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is primarily an unveiling of Jesus Christ, and not of the future. It is not the revelation of a prophetic programme but a revelation of Jesus Christ as Lord, as the Lamb Who was slain, and as the One Who has all authority in heaven and earth and Who is therefore in complete control of everything that is happening in the world at any time. The book has been given to His bondservants for obedience and for proclamation to others. Blessed are those who share the truths in the book of Revelation with others.
Verse 7: The theme of the whole book is: "Behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him". This is the climax of human history.
Verses 10-17: We find here that everything begins with a new revelation of Christ. The first thing is not the prophetic plan of plagues and judgments that are coming. God was, as it were, saying to John, "First of all, you need to see Jesus". We all need to see the glory of Jesus first. Every new revelation of truth must begin with a new revelation of Jesus Christ Himself that makes us fall at His feet and say, "Oh Lord, You alone are worthy!" Even if we don't understand anything else in Revelation, if we have learnt how to fall at His feet and worship him and see His glory, then we have learnt the most important thing.
Verse 19: The threefold division of the book:
The things which you have seen - a revelation of Jesus Christ Himself (Revelation 1).
The things which are - Jesus Christ and His church (Revelation 2, 3).
The things which shall take place after these things - Jesus Christ and His kingdom (Revelation 4 to 22).
Chapters 2 & 3: Christ and His Church
Here we come to the messages to the seven churches and to their messengers. Here Christ is seen as a Purifier of His people, exposing what is wrong with each leader and each church. Like a doctor, diagnosing a patient's problem, Christ diagnoses each case, telling each one which parts of their lives are healthy and which parts are sick. Among the 7 churches, only 2 are healthy, without any sickness at all. One is the church at Smyrna, which suffered persecution faithfully. The other is the church at Philadelphia, which remained in fervent brotherly love. This teaches us that there are two things that the Lord looks for:
faithfulness in suffering; and
fervent, brotherly love.
Those who are faithful in these two things will be ready for the coming of Christ. On the other hand, those like the ones in the church at Laodicea who are lukewarm and compromising, will be spat out of the mouth of the Lord in the final day and revealed to be a part of Babylon the harlot.
Seven times in these messages to the seven churches, we hear the call of the Spirit saying,
He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying".
And what is the Spirit saying? Two things primarily:
Seven times He says, "OVERCOME!"
Seven times He says, "REPENT!"
(Note: There is no exhortation to repent to 2 of the churches, but yet the word repent comes 7 times in the letters to the other 5 churches.)
So, we see that there is a connection between a spirit of repentance and being an overcomer. An overcomer is one who lives in continual repentance over the sin that he constantly discovers within himself.
Chapters 4 to 22: Christ and His Kingdom
From chapter 4 to the end of the book,we see the things relating to the future. Here again John is first given a vision of heaven (chapters 4 & 5). John was shown the Central Control Room in heaven from where everything was being monitored constantly. That is what we need to see first of all. Everything that happens on earth is monitored and controlled from heaven, because God is totally sovereign. If we don't see this first, we will become anxious and fearful. As God remembered Noah when he sent the judgment of flood upon the earth, God watches over each of His children at all times.
In chapter 6, six of the seven seals of the book are opened. This is a preview of what will happen on earth during the last 7 years before Christ returns. The 6 seals correspond exactly with Jesus' description of the last days in Matthew 24:
The antichrist going forth;
War;
Famine;
Pestilences;
The great tribulation;
The return of Christ.
When the sixth seal is opened, we read the word 'wrath' occurring for the first time in Revelation. This is when Christ appears in the clouds and the church is raptured - that is, after the Antichrist is manifested and after the great tribulation (chapter 7:9, 10).
In chapter 7:1-8, we see the faithful Jews on earth being sealed, so that they are protected from the wrath of God.
Then begins the outburst of the wrath and judgment of God at the last trumpet. This trumpet is divided into 7 parts and called 7 trumpets. This is the trumpet that will sound at Christ's coming, when we will be transformed (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52). The first 4 parts of the last trumpet are described in chapter 8, bringing judgment on the earth, the sea, the springs of waters and the heavenly bodies. Two more are described in chapter 9 - demons coming out of the bottomless pit and demons being released from the River Euphrates (the site of ancient Babylon) and gathering 200 million soldiers for the final battle of Armageddon.
In chapter 9:20, 21, we find the phrase "they did not repent" occurring twice. The word "repent" occurs more often in Revelation than in any book of the Bible. It indicates God's longsuffering in hoping that men will repent, so that He does not have to judge them.
In chapter 10, we see the book fully opened and John being asked to eat it. It is sweet as honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach, symbolising that there is grace as well as judgment in God's Word.
In chapters 11 to 13, we are given greater details of the events that will take place during the last 3½ years of those final 7 years. In chapter 11, we see two witnesses who will prophesy in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. In chapter 12, we see Satan being cast down to the earth. The overcomers on earth overcome Satan, but the others do not. In chapter 13, we see the Antichrist and the false prophet in power.
In chapter 14, we see the overcomers standing with the Lord. They are very few in number - the few who went through the narrow gate (the needle's eye), followed the Lamb everywhere, learnt to sing the new song (of giving thanks in all things and for all men) and cleansed out lying totally from their lives. Then we see a brief preview of the final battle of Armageddon. In chapter 15, we see the overcomers again praising God.
In chapter 16, we see 7 angels pouring out 7 bowls of wrath on the earth. These are very similar to the 7-fold last trumpet, and will probably take place at the same time as the 7-fold last trumpet. Again, we find that people blaspheme God and do not repent.
In chapter 17 & 18, we are given a description of Babylon, the harlot who claimed to belong to Christ, but who lived in spiritual adultery with the world. Religious Babylon is described in chapter 17, and commercial Babylon in chapter 18. Babylonian Christianity is that which sought to serve both God and money. It sought to love Christ and to be friendly with the world as well. It mixed the Word of God with the traditions of men. Getting rid of the traditions of religious Babylon does not ensure deliverance, for one can still get caught in the web of commercial Babylon, through the love of money. We have to beware of the commercial harlot even more than the religious harlot.
In chapter 19, we see the Bride of Christ, who has stood pure - pure from the religious harlot and pure from the commercial harlot - clothed in simplicity and purity, ready for her marriage with the Lamb. Then we see the Lamb coming with His bride for the final battle of Armageddon, where the Antichrist and his armies are defeated. The Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire.
In chapter 20, we see the millennial reign of Christ, when Satan is bound. At the end of the 1000 years of peace, we see Satan being released and going out and deceiving people again and stirring them once again to rebellion against God. But they are all destroyed in a moment. Then we see the final judgment of the great white throne.
Finally in chapters 21, 22, we see the new heaven and the new earth and the Bride of Christ shining forth in all her glory. The last chapter closes with a few final warnings and a final invitation to sinners to come to Christ and ends with the words: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all".
The call of the Holy Spirit comes resounding to us today:
To unconverted sinners: "Come. Drink freely of the water of life."
To the believer: "Repent. Be an overcomer."
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Amen.
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