This is a book that reminds us, in the onset, that Christ has already won the victory. What we are seeing unfold is the last ditch effort of those who refuse to bow the knee.
Statistics show that the Church in the West is in decline. European nations are quickly becoming unreached people groups. New England is already being labeled post-Christian, and the rest of the United States is following in a downward trajectory. Furthermore, Christians are being singled out as the problem in our society. Our views on morality are considered outdated and we are constantly reminded that we will be on the wrong side of history.
The Church is in the middle of a spiritual battle and the enemies of darkness will stop at nothing to see the Kingdom of God destroyed. But we know that Christ will build His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So how is it possible that our influence is diminishing while evil seems to be winning?
It’s a frightening thought, but this is exactly what Chrstians were thinking at the turn of the first century. The early Church had witnessed an initial surge in growth as many of those who had heard the gospel responded in repentance and obedience to Christ. They had been preaching the imminent return of Jesus, but decades had passed, and they were growing concerned as they began to see fewer converts, less influence on their cities, and increased opposition from governing authorities.
The Book of Revelation was written to a Church on the verge of collapse. They were constantly being tempted to compromise and pressured to give up. This letter is meant to both exhort and encourage Christians in every generation to persevere in the Great Commission by continuing to look for the return of Christ with hopeful anticipation.
Our Strength in Tribulation
Why would John, a persecuted Christian, write a letter of God’s judgment to a persecuted Church? Doesn’t he have any sympathy for those suffering from post traumatic stress and overwhelming anxiety? Two of the churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, had already suffered greatly and the other five were about to go into a season of tribulation.
There is a sense where Christians think that by trusting in Jesus they are signing up for a carefree existence. But Jesus told His followers to expect opposition and Paul told young Timothy that any Christian who wants to live a godly life would suffer persecution. That’s the sort of stuff you would expect to find in the small print, but the Bible underlines it and puts it in bold and italics. The Christian life is not a walk in the park.
We are accustomed to the picture of Jesus in the Gospels where He is described as meek and lowly. A good shepherd who is willing to lay down His life for the sheep is great, but what do the sheep do when the shepherd is dead and the wolves are still hungry? Revelation shows us a savior who is very much alive and on His throne. He is in the midst of the Churches and He will not allow them to perish.
This is a book that reminds us, in the onset, that Christ has already won the victory. What we are seeing unfold is the last ditch effort of those who refuse to bow the knee. The powers of this world have no more appeals left and they are rioting, squatting, and refusing to surrender. The earth itself is groaning like a mother in birth pangs, longing for the promise of new life. When Jesus breaks the first seal on the scroll He is claiming what is rightfully His, and subsequently what is rightfully ours as we are made joint heirs with Christ.
Bring on the Fire and Brimstone
In my youth, I remember how preachers would use the Book of Revelation to scare us straight. We were told repeatedly, “What do you want to be caught doing when Christ returns?” We read Revelation as a warning to behave and do what is right. However, that didn’t quite inspire a love and devotion to Christ. In fact, the longer it took for Jesus to return, the more comfortable we would feel getting away with our sin until the next prophecy conference would light a fire underneath us and get us back on track.
Fear shouldn’t be our primary tactic for motivating good behavior, but we do need to be reminded of the holiness of God on a regular basis. He is described as being a stormy fury of rage. God hates sin and the repeated pictures of God pouring out His wrath should alarm us that He is not to be trifled with.
It also shows us the futility of storing up our treasures in a world that is about to be destroyed. The way that many Christians live their lives is in direct opposition to the reality of Revelation. We act as though our future happiness is determined by our next set of decisions. But life is not bound up in who wins the next election or how the stock market recovers from a crisis.
Revelation shatters any hope in the systems of this world. Gold won’t even be able to buy a loaf of bread. Governments can’t fulfill their promises and eventually turn on their supporters. The only thing that we can rely on is that this world will disappoint us. We ought to fear the Lord, but we fear persecution or poverty instead.
The early Church was being tempted to compromise and settle for counterfeit blessings. They were susceptible to being deceived because they longed for comfort and immediate blessings. John is exhorting them to persevere and store up their treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt, and thieves cannot break in and steal.
Don’t love the world, or anything in the world. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. Look to the hills, not Capitol Hill. Where does our help come from? Our help comes from the Lord.
God’s Upside Down Economy
What would be the ideal scenario for the Church to thrive? Certainly it’s not the world described in the Great Tribulation. Yet, if you look around the world, you will see the persecuted Church as a model of spiritual devotion and boldness in sharing their faith. Kingdoms have come and empires have fallen, but the Church has outlasted every human institution.
The ending of the Book of Revelation gives us some insight into God’s plans for our future. Behold, He is going to make all things new. We will live and reign with Him in a new heaven and a new earth. But that is the future. Until we get there, we live in a fallen world of sin and suffering.
I used to wonder why God didn’t just give us glorified bodies the moment we placed our trust in Him. Imagine what we could do for the Kingdom of God if we weren’t distracted by sin or suffering. Imagine if we had the power of the two witnesses and we could spit out fire and strike down our enemies. That would be a pretty efficient way to get things done. But that’s not the way that God works and it wouldn’t be helpful for us to go from start to finish without learning any valuable lessons along the way.
Jesus is the Lion of Judah. He could have come into the world as the rightful king over all creation. That’s what His disciples thought He should do. But Jesus didn’t ride into Jerusalem on a white horse leading an army of angels. He came in on a donkey and died on a cross. The Lion became the Lamb who was slain.
The world and everything in it belongs to God. Yet the world was held in slavery to sin and death. What we deserve is what we see unfolding in the breaking of the seals, the sounding of the trumpets, and the pouring out of the bowls of God’s wrath. But Jesus paid the ransom and purchased back what was already His. He paid for our sins with His own blood.
Christ's manner of accomplishing God’s will seems backwards to us, but praise the Lord He’s not primarily concerned with efficiency. Jesus demonstrated God’s love toward us by dying in our place. We learn to love Him by laying aside our weights and the sins which so easily beset us and by taking up our cross daily to follow Him.
Eventually every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will either buckle under the weight of His glory and wrath, or they will fall at His feet to worship Him for His mercy and love. That is what the Book of Revelation is all about, giving God the glory He so rightfully deserves, one way or the other.
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church.
You can hear his teaching on our daily broadcast on the radio or online, watch his preaching live on Facebook, and read his weekly sermon manuscripts on our website.