Regardless of what happens in this life-no matter how depressing the world news or how dark the season we might endure-life in Christ has a happy ending, and nothing on earth, heaven, or hell can ever take that away.
The book’s conclusion-the return of the victorious King-is the ultimate message that God wins the spiritual war. Satan attempts to deceive the entire world and lead them astray. The central plotline of Revelation is spiritual warfare-Satan and his demons and earthly representatives war against the authority of God and His Son. This same Lamb returns to kill those who rebel against God and reign victorious as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 1:5 5:5-10 12:1-11 17:14 19:16). And 26 times in this letter, John sees Christ as the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world (John 1:29). He is the glorified Lamb, the worshiped Lamb, the magnified Lamb, and the vindicated Lamb. Whenever the Lord appears in a vision in the book of Revelation, He is always central. Nevertheless, seven distinctive themes emerge from behind the many signs and symbols in Revelation. Each sign and symbol contains new insights just waiting for our discovery. Reading the book of Revelation requires having “ears to hear” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29 3:6, 13, 22). Many wise sayings in Proverbs, Christ’s parables, and John’s apocalyptic visions demand that we search for their meaning. Not everything in the Bible is easily understood. Revelation’s Themes: Warfare, Judgment, and Ultimate Victory Soon after, God initiates the judgments of the final three seals: the martyrs’ cry, cosmic disturbances, and the prelude to the seven trumpets ( Revelation 6:9-17 8:1-6). The first four seals represent general judgments to be carried out by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Representing judgments that are about to fall upon the earth, the seven seals follow a 4 + 3 pattern. The Lamb takes a scroll containing seven seals from the One on the throne. In Revelation 4–5, John views God’s throne from which the Tribulation judgments proceed. Seventh bowl: This final judgment destroys the last vestiges of every religious, political, and educational institution that stands apart from God by shaking the earth to its core (Revelation 16:17-21).Sixth bowl: In preparation for the battle of Armageddon, the Euphrates dries up, allowing an army of 200 million to cross over it (Revelation 16:12-16 19).Fifth bowl: Physical darkness envelops the earth, mirroring the pervasive spiritual darkness (Revelation 16:10-11).Fourth bowl: Scorching heat afflicts the ungodly, causing many to die (Revelation 16:8-9).
But the book of Revelation renews our hope for the future by reminding us that Christ is the Victor and that He will return in all His glory to rule and reign in perfect peace. Sometimes it even feels like he is winning.
The devil’s work is evident around every corner. When we think about all the atrocities happening in our world, it is easy to become discouraged. We cannot fully grasp where we are now without knowing where we are going. Only by studying what God has revealed to us about the future can we prepare for it. It is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ… to show His servants” (Revelation 1:1). Its pages contain an open letter from God with critical information about the future. As our world descends deeper into chaos, the message of Revelation remains as relevant as it ever was.
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