Revelation begins with these words: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book is all about Jesus’ magnificence and power. From beginning to end, Revelation glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation is more relevant than ever before as we watch a great many of its prophecies come into sharper focus. Conditions are all in place for the four “horsemen of the apocalypse” to begin their trek through the world. Never before in history has the technology existed for one man to control the buying and selling worldwide.

Unfortunately, the number of those disputing the message of the book of Revelation continues to rapidly grow, even in churches that claim to believe in the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture. Although the signs of the nearing fulfillment of Revelation 6:1-8 multiply by the day, many pastors deny its relevance for the church today.

Revelation comes with both a promised blessing for those who read it (1:3) and a severe warning for those who revise the meaning of its words (22:8-19).

The Blessing: Jesus’ Exaltation Is Also Our Victory

The Blessing for those who read the last book of the Bible comes from its exaltation of Jesus. It magnifies Christ from beginning to end.

1. Jesus as the Head of His Church

Chapters 1-3 of Revelation display Jesus as head over His church. These chapters show the Lord in charge of His people, just as Paul described in Ephesians 1:22-23.

Revelation 3:10-11a contains a promise of the Rapture through which Jesus will take us out of the world before the wrath of the day of the Lord descends upon “those that dwell on the earth.”

Chapters 4 and 5 exalt the Lamb as the only One worthy to open the seals binding the title deed to this world. The ensuing seal judgments begin the process of the coming King setting up His kingdom on earth.

2. The Lord Judges the Earth in Preparation for His Kingdom

Chapter 6-18 proclaims the Lord’s supreme power and sovereignty over the kings of the earth, nature, and all the forces that now rebel against Him. He will prove the righteousness of His Name as He destroys the kingdom of the antichrist along with its lawlessness, deception, and exceedingly great wickedness and lawlessness. Heaven will roar with praise for the Lord Jesus as He celebrates His marriage to the church and prepares to return with us to the earth.

The day of the Lord judgments in Revelation will tear the kingdom of this world away from Satan and usher in the one-thousand-year reign of Jesus.

3. Jesus Will Reign for a Thousand Years and Then Forever

Jesus’ ultimate display of glory to the earth happens at His Second Coming. He will then destroy the armies of the world gathered against Jerusalem, lock up Satan, and establish His rule upon the earth (19:11-20:6). After putting down a final rebellion, He will judge the world and forever eliminate death and sin (20:7-15).

Revelation 21-22 describes the glorious eternal state of the new earth and the New Jerusalem. Jesus’ last words to us, His church, are these, “Surely I am coming quickly!”

The exaltation of Jesus finds its fullest expression in all of the events recorded in the book of Revelation. Someday we will fill heaven with praise for our Redeemer (Revelation 19:1-5). We will return with Him and watch as He wrests control of the world away from Satan, sets up His kingdom, and takes His rightful place on the throne of David. Jesus will forever destroy sin and death and usher in a glorious eternity.

The Warning: Don’t Mess with the Message!

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Don’t mess with Texas!” The consequences of that are nothing compared to messing with the message of the book of Revelation.

No other book in the Bible contains such a warning in its last chapter:

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

I believe that these words of caution occur because Revelation…

1. exalts the Person of Jesus.
2. describes the Lord’s final victory over sin and death.
3. Provides immeasurable comfort to believers with its description of how God will deal with this wicked world and bring in a joyous eternal state, including a New Jerusalem.

I believe that those who discredit the message of Revelation for us today tread on dangerous ground. Yet so many scoff at its message to their own peril.

Teachers, pastors, and scholars mess with the message of Revelation in the following ways:

1. Allegory

Many regard the book of Revelation as allegory, or just symbolism, rather than an eyewitness account of what John saw and heard. This is the most popular way that the scoffers take away from its message of victory and hope.

Allegory began long ago as a way to combine pagan Greek philosophy with Christianity, especially that of the pagan philosopher Plato who believed that only the spiritual realm was good. He believed that the material world was inherently evil.

Augustine, the one who firmly established allegory as the way to approach biblical prophecy, said the idea of a millennium “would not be objectionable” if somehow “the nature of the millennial kingdom was a ‘spiritual one’ rather than a physical one.” [i] Augustine thus modified his beliefs regarding Jesus’ future thousand-year reign on the earth in order to make them comply with the teachings of Plato.

His hatred of the Jewish people also factored into his theology of dismissing the biblical promises regarding the future restoration of Israel.

There are many reasons to reject the allegorical approach to the book of Revelation:

• Revelation repeatedly identifies itself as a book of prophecy (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19).
• The allegorical approach elevates the human wisdom of the interpreter above the inspired words of the text. Words matter very little to those who employ.
• John’s language negates the allegorical approach to the book of Revelation. The apostle uses the word “saw” forty-four times by itself and twelve times with the word “looked.” He uses “heard” thirty times; he was not telling us a story but rather writing down words as he listened to the angels and the Lord speak.
• Those who use symbolism to interpret the book of Revelation do not agree among themselves about what is allegorical and literal.
• Those who use allegory claim to have a special “lens” by which they know the meaning of a passage that, more often than not, has nothing at all to do with the actual words of the text.
• Allegory turns Christ’s triumphal victory over Satan’s world system into something that fails to glorify Him or comfort us in any way.

2. It’s Apocalyptic

One pastor told me that the book of Revelation was “apocalyptic,” thereby suggesting that this gave him license to interpret passages other than the way that the Lord inspired them. It came as no surprise to me that he had a unique view of biblical prophecy and the future of Israel, one I had never heard of before despite all my years of study on this matter. It was most certainly not biblical.

The word “apocalyptic” is translated “revelation” in verse one of Revelation. Contrary to how we regard the English equivalent of the word, in the Greek it signifies an unveiling or revealing. In other words, this term introduces the final book of the Bible as the unveiling of Jesus and His glory.

3. It’s Past History

The preterists tell us that John wrote the book in AD 65 and that the Lord fulfilled all or most of the words of the book of Revelation in AD 70.

There are many problems with this errant approach:

• Church history assigns the time of the writing of Revelation to about AD 95. Irenaeus, who grew up in the church at Smyrna in the second century AD, tells us that John wrote the book of Revelation at this time. If anyone would know when the book first arrived at the church in Smyrna, it would be someone who grew up in that church and received his training in the faith from Polycarp, whom the apostle John discipled.
• It’s readily apparent that the prophetic events described in Revelation have not yet happened. John describes Jesus’ Second Coming as a time when “every eye will see him” (1:7). This was most certainly not a first century AD event.
• The problems Jesus addressed in the church at Ephesus (2:1-7) differ significantly from what Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy as he addressed his prodigy who served as the pastor of this church. The apostle wrote his final book in about AD 67-68.
• Many believe that the church at Smyrna did not exist until after the martyrdom of the apostle Paul in about AD 68.
• An earthquake caused considerable damage to the city of Laodicea in about AD 65. They would not have regarded themselves as “rich” at this time.
• Again, Revelation repeatedly identifies itself as a book of prophecy (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19).
• Even if John wrote Revelation in AD 65, it’s doubtful all seven churches would have received the book, read it aloud in all the house gatherings, and possibly made a copy of it by AD 70. For sure, no other church at the time would have seen its prophecies concerning the Lord’s return.

The preterist approach makes the book of Revelation all about the church with prophecies that would have happened long before the majority of believers would have seen the book or known about it. It exalts the church above its Head.

4. It’s a Secret Code for First Century Believers

Another popular approach states that John wrote the entire book of Revelation in code for the suffering saints who lived during the first century AD.

All the arguments against the errant use of symbolism apply here. John recorded future events as he saw them and wrote down the words spoken to him by the Lord and by angels.

And since Revelation was written in AD 95, the majority of believers living at the time would not have even seen the book until well into the second century AD.

Don’t Mess with Revelation

I’m convinced that the book of Revelation glorifies Jesus from beginning to end and that those who discredit its words and message do so at their own peril.

There are verses in the book of Revelation that I do not fully understand. Other passages have become clearer as the day approaches, and we see advances in technology and witness current events that point to the future.

But one thing I know for sure: Revelation fills me with hope for what is to come.

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My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. This book provides a great deal of biblical support regarding the restoration of a kingdom to Israel. It’s the basis of our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing to take us to the place that He’s preparing for us.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks!

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[i] Allen, D. Matthew, Theology Adrift: The Early Church Fathers and Their Views of Eschatology, a paper published on the Bible.org website, chapter 5.

Psalm 146; “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no Salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day, his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is the Lord, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watch over the sojourners; He upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked, he brings to ruin. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

Matthew 24:10-13; “And then many will fall away and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul echoes what Jesus presented and even gave more signs that would be here. Then going to 2 Peter 3, the Apostle tells of “scoffers” who will be here in the “last days,” asking where is the promise of Jesus’ coming? They try to say nothing has changed since the beginning.

There are people today who are trying to say this earth is just going through a rough phase but all will get better. In 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Paul says, “Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” It appears as if the delusion has already started, even though not in full force as it will be when the antichrist makes his appearance.

We need to understand that no matter what false prophets and antichrists try to tell us, God knows the heart and mind of every living soul on this planet. He knows who has rejected Him and His Son, and He knows who has received and accepted the gift that our Savior gave for us.

Further, God provides for all to repent and call out to be saved, if they will do so (Romans 10:9-13). The only unforgivable sin is for someone to pass from this earth without Jesus as their Savior. During the 7-year reign of the ultimate antichrist, to take his “mark of loyalty” will also be unforgivable, as given in Revelation 14:9-11.

Some may try to say that our Heavenly Father is unreasonable and that no one could possibly live up to His standard. There is some truth in that statement, as no human could ever be “perfect enough” for the Father to accept us on our own accord. However, the only “human” to have lived a life that was totally sin-free allowed Himself to be sacrificed in our stead (John 10:18), and all who have received and accepted His free gift will have passed from eternal death into eternal life in the eyes of the Father. When we have Jesus, the Father sees His Son in us.

We are totally imperfect and will not be sin-free until we are finally Home. There, we will have a place prepared for us by the Savior Himself, as given in John 14:1-3. We will have forever immortal, imperishable bodies and a mindset that will be immune to sin, just as is with our Jesus. In the meantime, we have 1 John 1:8-10 as our pathway to forgiveness, which the Father will honor.

Though there were times that Jesus demonstrated intolerance to outright sin, such as the non-scriptural lifestyles of many of the religious leaders and those who were using His Father’s House as a marketplace rather than a house of worship, He still loved every person for their immortal soul (Matthew 21:12).

But overall, Jesus had compassion for the poor, the sick, the lame, and those who had other handicaps. He performed miracle after miracle for those who would hear Him. He provided hope for all who would listen to and believe in Him. He truly was the “Gentle Healer.”

In 1985, Michael Card, a renowned songwriter and minister for the Lord, released a song called “The Gentle Healer.” It’s one among many of his that truly inspires me, and it’s a privilege to share it here.

1.) The Gentle Healer came into our town today; He touched the blind eyes, and the darkness left to stay. More than the blindness, He took their sins away. The Gentle Healer came into our town today.

2.) The Gentle Healer came into our town today; He spoke one word; that was all He had to say. The one who had died just rose up straight away. The Gentle Healer came into our town today

3.) Oh, He seems like just an ordinary man, with dirty feet and rough but gentle hands. The words He says are hard to understand, and yet, He seems like just an ordinary man.

4.) The Gentle Healer, He left our town today; I just looked around and found He’d gone away. Some folks from town had followed Him; they say that the Gentle Healer is the Truth, the Life, The way.”

The very last line is from my “life verse,” John 14:6; “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” This is a very plain, straightforward statement, and because Jesus is God (John 10:30), He cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

There are those today who say they can never be forgiven for all that they have done. This is saying that the blood that was shed by our Savior wasn’t “pure enough”; that is a complete insult to our Jesus. Romans 10:13 states, “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I have told people that if they were not able to be forgiven for what they have done, they would be the first person in the history of this earth that the Blood of Jesus could not reach.

God will force no one to call out and be saved. He is patient and would love for every soul on this earth to call out. He would forgive all who repent and provide a place in Heaven for them forever (2 Peter 3:9).

The choice is completely up to each and every individual. No one can make this choice for us, as it’s a personal act between us and the Creator and His Son. Once a person has called out, Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us until we leave this earth. Those who refuse to receive and accept Jesus will end up at the Great White Throne Judgment and then end up in the lake of fire with Satan and all his demons forever (Revelation 20:11-15).

Our Lord could be calling all true believers up to meet Him in the air at any moment now. To hesitate could be the greatest mistake anyone could ever make here. Our Father promised that all of the Shepherd’s flock would be kept from the coming wrath. With all the signs present and the intensity that evil is gaining ground, we are right at the Luke 21:28 stage. Jesus said when the signs are all here, as they are today, we should be looking up, for He will be coming soon.

Hope you are ready.

huebshman46@gmail.com