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Revelation is a book about the future and about the present. It offers future hope to all believers, especially those who have suffered for their faith. Revelation proclaims Christ's total triumph over evil and the reality of eternal life with him. It also gives guidance for the present as it teaches us about Jesus Christ and how we should live for him now. Through graphic word pictures we learn that Jesus Christ is coming again, that the forces of evil will be judged, and that the dead will be raised to judgment, headed for either eternal life or eternal destruction. As you read Revelation, look beyond the symbols to your sovereign God and to your Savior, Jesus Christ. And take hope-his victory is sure!

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Life Application Bible Commentary REVELATION

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Contents

Foreword...............................................xiIntroduction...........................................xiAuthor.................................................xiiiDate and Setting.......................................xivAudience...............................................xvPurpose................................................xviInterpretation.........................................xxA Quick Journey through Revelation.....................xxiiMessage................................................xxvVital Statistics.......................................xxvOutline................................................1Revelation 1...........................................17Revelation 2...........................................37Revelation 3...........................................53Revelation 4...........................................59Revelation 5...........................................69Revelation 6...........................................81Revelation 7...........................................91Revelation 8...........................................99Revelation 9...........................................109Revelation 10..........................................115Revelation 11..........................................135Revelation 12..........................................149Revelation 13..........................................163Revelation 14..........................................179Revelation 15..........................................183Revelation 16..........................................195Revelation 17..........................................209Revelation 18:1-19:5...................................225Revelation 19:6-21.....................................237Revelation 20..........................................251Revelation 21..........................................267Revelation 22..........................................279Bibliography...........................................281Index

Chapter One

INTRODUCTION / 1:1-3

The book of Revelation unveils Christ's full identity and God's plan for the end of the world, and it focuses on Jesus Christ, his second coming, his victory over evil, and the establishment of his kingdom. As you read and study Revelation, don't focus so much on the timetable of the events or the details of John's imagery that you miss the main message-the infinite love, power, and justice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. NIV The word "revelation" is the Greek word apokalupsis, from which the word "apocalypse" is derived. A "revelation" exposes what was formerly hidden or secret. The revelation recorded in this book will show God's servants (the believers) what must soon take place. That information had been formerly veiled but would now be disclosed.

A particular style of ancient literature was called "apocalyptic." Many Jewish apocalyptic works existed at the time Revelation was written. Written to describe the end of the world and God's final victory over evil, these works usually featured spectacular and mysterious imagery as well as hidden secrets that would be revealed. These Jewish works were largely pessimistic, for there was not much hope for the present. Such literature was often written under the name of an ancient hero.

The book of Revelation is apocalyptic but is different in several ways:

* It names John as the author rather than an ancient hero.

* It denounces evil and exhorts people to high Christian standards.

* It offers hope rather than gloom.

John was not a psychic attempting to predict the future; he was a prophet of God describing what God had shown him (this book is called "the prophecy," 1:3). Specifically, the apocalyptic literature in Scripture (Daniel 10-12; Mark 13; and the book of Revelation) includes fantastic imagery to remind the readers of their constant supernatural battle with evil.

Readers need to understand some characteristics of apocalyptic literature in the Bible. First, the Bible's apocalyptic sections are revelations from God. Revelation is God's giving his people a peek into the future. Second, apocalyptic literature emphasizes God's supernatural acts. Revelation highlights God's power by focusing on the end times, when God will interrupt human history and defeat evil once and for all. Third, apocalyptic literature is symbolic. It attempts to describe supernatural actions with graphic symbols of real events, things, or traits. For example, Christ is described in Revelation 5:6 as having "seven horns and seven eyes." The number seven represents perfection. A horn symbolizes power. So "seven horns" speak of Jesus' extraordinary power, and "seven eyes" speak of his ability to see all things.

This book is the revelation of (mediated by) Jesus Christ. God gave the revelation of his plan to Jesus Christ (see also John 1:18; 5:19-23; 12:49; 17:8). Jesus Christ, in turn, sent his angel, who revealed it to his servant John (see also 22:16). The angel will explain various scenes to John, acting as a guide. Angels are referred to sixty-seven times in Revelation. They are highly significant in this book; we see them worshiping God, revealing his Word, and carrying out his judgments. (For more on angels, see the commentary on 5:11-12.)

John, the servant, then passed the message along to the churches-God's servants. God's people are described as "servants" in Revelation (see, for example, 2:20; 7:3; 22:3). The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe believers.

The phrase "what must soon take place" means imminence-it would happen "soon." This seems odd to today's readers because 1,900 years have passed since the time this was proclaimed. We must remember that in apocalyptic literature the future is imminent, without concern for intervening time. Recall the words of 2 Peter 3:8, "A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day" (NLT). God is timeless. In God's eyes the future is just around the corner, even though it may seem far away to us. No one knows when these events will happen, so believers should live at all times as though Christ will come in the next moment.

According to tradition, John, the author, was the only one of Jesus' original twelve disciples who was still alive at this time (that is, if the date of A.D. 90-95 is accepted; see the Introduction). John wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. John's Gospel and letters show the great God of love, while the thunder of God's justice bursts from the pages of Revelation. John wrote Revelation in exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, sent there by the Romans as punishment for his witness about Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave his message to John in a vision, allowing him to see and record certain future events so that they could be an encouragement to all believers. The vision includes many signs and symbols that convey the essence of what is to happen. What John saw, in most cases, was indescribable, so he used illustrations to show what it was like. Readers of this symbolic language don't have to understand every detail-John himself didn't. Instead, we must realize...