John MacArthur encourages us to the Book of Revelation
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| English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Scripture contains no clearer summation of the doctrine of redemption than that of Revelation 1:5, which declares that “Jesus Christ … loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.” The ministry of angels also figures prominently in Revelation, which contains one out of every four references to angels in Scripture. Revelation warns the church of the dangers of sin and compromise with the world (chaps. 2–3), and teaches it how to properly worship God (chaps. 4–5).
Some who study Revelation do so seeking evidence to support their own (often bizarre or sensational) eschatological views. But they miss the point. Revelation is a rich source of truth about eschatology; in fact, it contains more details about the end times than any other book of the Bible. Revelation portrays Christ’s ultimate triumph over Satan, depicts the final political setup of the world system, and describes the career of the most powerful dictator in human history, the final Anti christ.
Some who study Revelation do so seeking evidence to support their own (often bizarre or sensational) eschatological views. But they miss the point. Revelation is a rich source of truth about eschatology; in fact, it contains more details about the end times than any other book of the Bible. Revelation portrays Christ’s ultimate triumph over Satan, depicts the final political setup of the world system, and describes the career of the most powerful dictator in human history, the final Anti christ.
It also mentions the Rapture of the church (3:10), and describes the seven-year time of Tribulation, including the three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation (7:14; cf. Matt. 24:21), the second coming of Christ, the climactic battle of human history (Armageddon), the thousand-year earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ, the final judgment of unrepentant sinners (the Great White Throne judgment), and the final state of the wicked in hell (the lake of fire) and the redeemed in the new heaven and new earth.
But the book of Revelation is preeminently the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1). It describes Him by many titles, including “the faithful witness” (1:5); “the firstborn of the dead” (1:5); “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (1:5); “the Alpha and the Omega” (1:8; 21:6); “the first and the last” (1:17); “the living One” (1:18); “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands” (2:1); “the One who has the sharp two-edged sword” (2:12); “the Son of God” (2:18); the One “who has eyes like a flame of fire, and … feet … like burnished bronze” (2:18); the One “who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars” (3:1); the One “who is holy, who is true” (3:7); the holder of “the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens” (3:7); “the Amen, the faithful and true Witness” (3:14); “the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14); “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” (5:5); “the Root of David” (5:5); the Lamb of God (e.g., 5:6; 6:1; 7:9–10; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7; 21:9; 22:1); the “Lord, holy and true” (6:10); the One who “is called Faithful and True” (19:11); “The Word of God” (19:13); the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (19:16); Christ (Messiah), ruling on earth with His glorified saints (20:6); and “Jesus … the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (22:16).
Revelation also affirms the full deity of Jesus Christ. He possesses the attributes and prerogatives of God, including sovereignty (1:5), eternity (1:17–18), the right to judge men (19:11) and to decide who lives and who dies (1:18; 2:23). He also receives worship (5:13) and rules from God’s throne (22:1, 3). Finally, Revelation affirms His equality of essence with God the Father by applying Old Testament passages that describe God to Jesus Christ (cf. Deut. 10:17 with 19:16; Prov. 3:12 with 3:19; Dan. 7:9 with 1:14; Isa. 44:6 with 1:17; also cf. 1:8 with 22:12–13).
Far from being the mysterious, incomprehensible book many imagine it to be, Revelation’s purpose is to reveal truth, not to obscure it. That fact is evident in its title, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1), primarily in His second coming glory. Apokalupsis (“Revelation”) could be translated “an uncovering,” “an unveiling,” or “a disclosure.” It is used in the New Testament to speak of revealing spiritual truth (Rom. 16:25; Gal. 1:12; Eph. 1:17; 3:3), the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19), and of Christ’s manifestation at both His first (Luke 2:32) and second (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7) comings. In each case, apokalupsis describes something (or someone) that was formerly hidden, but now becomes visible.
But the book of Revelation is preeminently the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1). It describes Him by many titles, including “the faithful witness” (1:5); “the firstborn of the dead” (1:5); “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (1:5); “the Alpha and the Omega” (1:8; 21:6); “the first and the last” (1:17); “the living One” (1:18); “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands” (2:1); “the One who has the sharp two-edged sword” (2:12); “the Son of God” (2:18); the One “who has eyes like a flame of fire, and … feet … like burnished bronze” (2:18); the One “who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars” (3:1); the One “who is holy, who is true” (3:7); the holder of “the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens” (3:7); “the Amen, the faithful and true Witness” (3:14); “the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14); “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” (5:5); “the Root of David” (5:5); the Lamb of God (e.g., 5:6; 6:1; 7:9–10; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7; 21:9; 22:1); the “Lord, holy and true” (6:10); the One who “is called Faithful and True” (19:11); “The Word of God” (19:13); the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (19:16); Christ (Messiah), ruling on earth with His glorified saints (20:6); and “Jesus … the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (22:16).
Revelation also affirms the full deity of Jesus Christ. He possesses the attributes and prerogatives of God, including sovereignty (1:5), eternity (1:17–18), the right to judge men (19:11) and to decide who lives and who dies (1:18; 2:23). He also receives worship (5:13) and rules from God’s throne (22:1, 3). Finally, Revelation affirms His equality of essence with God the Father by applying Old Testament passages that describe God to Jesus Christ (cf. Deut. 10:17 with 19:16; Prov. 3:12 with 3:19; Dan. 7:9 with 1:14; Isa. 44:6 with 1:17; also cf. 1:8 with 22:12–13).
Far from being the mysterious, incomprehensible book many imagine it to be, Revelation’s purpose is to reveal truth, not to obscure it. That fact is evident in its title, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1), primarily in His second coming glory. Apokalupsis (“Revelation”) could be translated “an uncovering,” “an unveiling,” or “a disclosure.” It is used in the New Testament to speak of revealing spiritual truth (Rom. 16:25; Gal. 1:12; Eph. 1:17; 3:3), the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19), and of Christ’s manifestation at both His first (Luke 2:32) and second (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7) comings. In each case, apokalupsis describes something (or someone) that was formerly hidden, but now becomes visible.
Revelation unveils truths about Jesus Christ, and makes clear features of prophetic truth only hinted at in the Old Testament and other New Testament books. This clarity is often obscured by a rejection of the principles of literal interpretation in favor of an allegorical or spiritualizing hermeneutical method. Such approaches attempt to place Revelation’s account in the past and present rather than the future.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1999). Revelation 1–11 (pp. 1–3). Chicago: Moody Press.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1999). Revelation 1–11 (pp. 1–3). Chicago: Moody Press.
