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Purpose of the Book of Revelation

     The last book of the Bible has intrigued and fascinated multitudes of people throughout the centuries. More commentaries have surely been written and a greater variety of interpretations published about this book than any other in the canon of Scripture

     The reason for such absorbing interest is that we are time-bound creatures and, as the days and years flow by, we want to know what future time will bring. Will we become rich or paupers? Will our home life be happy and fruitful or full of strife and defeat? Will we all be destroyed in a coming war, or will the future be one of peace and prosperity?

     And, even more important, what happens when death comes? Is death the end of everything, as the humanists insist, or is it only the beginning of endless ages yet to come? If there is life after death, what will it be like, and what should we do now to prepare for it? What is the meaning and purpose of existence?

     Speculations and would-be answers to such questions have been great in number and nature, but who is right? As far as the immediate future is concerned, many competent and well-trained people actually make a good living by predicting the future (weather forecasters, market analysts and political pundits). Such forecasts are based on sound scientific and statistical techniques but are only partially successful and only on the very short-range basis.

     In addition to these, one of the most amazing phenomena of our so-called “age of science” is the burgeoning of occultistic and pseudosupernaturalistic cults and practices, much of their attraction being their supposed ability to predict or even to control the future. The proliferation of astrologers, seers, mediums and other latter-day “prophets” is one direct result of widespread dissatisfaction with present circumstances and the wistful desire of millions throughout the world to know the future. Feeling that “science” and “humanism” have failed, people shift their faith to pseudoscience and superhumanism, still desperately searching for meaningful answers for their future.

     But these false prophets are still less reliable. To illustrate this fact, consider the predictions made by the nation’s leading seers at the beginning of 1979, concerning the major events which would occur in 1979. Each year the nation’s most-read newspaper, the National Enquirer, publishes their current predictions at the beginning of the year. Significantly, however, they never publish their success ratios at the end of the year!

     One prediction was partially fulfilled – namely, that “Ted Kennedy will make a bid for the Presidency” (almost anyone could have guessed this), but the same prediction also said that John Connally would be his running mate.  Another said that Ted Kennedy would announce his belief in reincarnation, and still another that Angie Dickinson would tell all about her secret affair with John F. Kennedy.

     The most flagrantly unfulfilled prediction was that “inflation would be stopped dead in its tracks,” along with others that scientists would announce amazing discoveries that would cure cancer, tooth decay, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, arthritis, the common cold, and the aging process itself. Other notoriously unfulfilled prophecies include the following:

     President Carter injured in a hang-gliding accident

     Debbie Boone appearing in an X-rated movie

     Fabulous oil discoveries in East Texas

     Pope John Paul II announcing plans to ordain women priests

     An Eskimo girl elected as Miss World

     Food prices dramatically slashed

     A woman football referee in the NFL

     Spiro Agnew wining an acting award

     Ford Motor Company leaving America to protest taxes

     Ronald Reagan deserted by his wife

     California coastline reshaped by a fearfully devastating earthquake

     Idi Amin assassinated

     New planet discovered by the Venus probe

     Jackie Onassis appointed ambassador to an African nation

     Walter Cronkite appointed a U.S. diplomat in South Pacific

     Genuine Holy Shroud found in Egypt

     Muhammad Ali winning a seat in Congress

     First human, a red-haired boy, cloned in Kentucky

     And on and on. None of the psychics predicted such major 1979 events as the Iranian crisis, the Russian troops in Cuba, the tragic DC-10 crash in Chicago, the Nicaraguan revolution, the tragedies of the Cambodian genocide and Vietnamese boat-people, or any of the other really important events of 1979. A similar record of failure resulted with the Enquirer’s1980 prophecies. It is amazing that so many millions of people continue to show any interest in such notoriously unreliable false prophets as these.

     Even many Christians are overly impressed by such seers, attributing their psychic abilities to demonic powers. If they were really supernaturally guided, however, even by demons, one would think their predictions would have a better percentage of success.

     The fact is that neither angels nor demons are omniscient and therefore they know little more about the future than human beings. It is true that men and women can – through planning and working – influence the future to some degree. Also, through analyses and reasoning they could to some extent predict the future. By virtue of their greater powers and greater knowledge, plus their ability to share such knowledge and abilities with other invisible spirits, it is no doubt true that angels and demons can both foresee and influence the future more than could human beings.

     But only God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Since He created time, He stands outside time and thus knows and controls all events everywhere through all time. He may, on occasion, choose to share some of this knowledge with His holy angels, or with chosen men. To this extent – and only this extent – can we really know the future, which brings us to the purpose of the Book of Revelation.

     This capstone on the wonderful structure of the written Word of God was written specifically to provide knowledge of the future. This is made clear in the very first verse:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (Revelation 1:1)

     What God desires us to know about the future is written for us in this book. Its scope proceeds from the events of the immediate future (that is, for those who would read the book first, the Christians of about A.D. 100) on through the return of Christ to the establishment of His eternal kingdom in the new earth and new heavens which He would create.  

     Nor need we fear that these prophecies may go unfulfilled. Unlike the false prophets of both past and present, God’s prophecies are sure:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed… For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:19-21).

     If we should wonder whether these amazing forecasts in Revelation will actually come to pass, we need only look at the record compiled by earlier biblical prophets who were moved by the Holy Ghost. That there have been hundreds of these biblical prophecies literally and meticulously fulfilled is a fact so well known as hardly to need docu-mentation. These commonly were long-range prophecies, scheduled for fulfillment in the distant future, far beyond the ingenuity of either man or angel to derive by analytical reasoning or by guessing. Furthermore, prophecies of this type are unique to the Bible, not found in the Koranor the Analects or in the writings of other religions or philosophies. They are not even found in the writings of modern self-styled prophets such as Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce or Joseph Smith.

     Biblical prophecies, therefore, are genuine and divinely inspired, sure to be fulfilled. The Book of Revelation is the final and definitive assemblage of God’s prophecies of the future, incorporating and explicating all those other prophecies of both Old and New Testaments that are yet to be fulfilled. It is therefore a tremendously important book for every Christian to study and master. It is a book of real history – real events with real people – written ahead of time by the One outside of time. Since every individual who ever lived or will live is to be a participant in at least some of these events, and since they are the most profoundly important events since the resurrection of Christ, it is vital that we understand them and be prepared for them.

     Sadly, however, the Book of Revelation has been a book of confusion and mystery to most of its readers, even Christian readers.

     The Apocalypse (“unveiling”) has become Apocrypha (“hidden”). This should not be. The book was written to show those things which were coming to pass, not to obscure them in a maze of symbolism and dark sayings. Great blessing was promised to all who would read (or even hear) the wordsof the book of this prophecy (Revelation 1:3), but how could anyone be blessed by words he could not even understand

     It seems anomalous that so many different exegetes of a book that was written as an unveiling of the future would publish such an unending variety of differing interpretations as to leave most seekers after such knowledge altogether confused. Such was certainly not the purpose of its original writer John, nor of Jesus Christ who sent it by John, nor of God who gave it to Christ.

     As the Book of Genesis is the foundation of God’s written Word, so is the Book of Revelation its capstone. The whole structure must stand upon its foundation and be displayed in its full perfection by its headstone. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable to men (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) but these two books are the most essential of all, if one must choose. It is small wonder that the great Enemy of God’s truth has directed his most intense attacks against Genesis and Revelation, denying the historicity of the former and the perspicuity of the latter. With neither creation nor consummation – neither beginning nor ending – all that we would have is the existential present, and this unfortunately has become the almost universal emphasis of modern philosophy and religion.

     Men and women today urgently need to regain a true perspective on God’s creative and redemptive purposes in the world. They need a true sense of history and prophecy, of time and eternity, of meaning and purpose. But, like Little Bo Peep, they don’t know where to find them.

     The Book of Genesis records the real events of the earth’s primeval ages and Revelation describes the equally real events of the ages to come. Thus the purpose of the Book of Revelation is one of proper orientation and firm preparation for those events yet coming on the earth. 

Relation to the Book of Genesis

     The inseparable relation of the first and last books of the Bible has already been mentioned in the previous section. In a sense, this commentary is essentially a sequel to the writer’s commentary on the book of Genesis. The thrust of both is to emphasize the scientific accuracy and the genuine historicity and perspicuity of these two key books of the Bible.

     “Genesis” means “beginnings,” being derived from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew toledoth (“generations”). “Revelation” is from the Greek apokalupsis and means, literally, an “unveiling” of something previously concealed. Thus Genesis is the “Book of the World’s Beginnings,” while Revelation is the “Book of Unveilings of the World’s Future.” The great themes of Scripture commonly have their beginnings in Genesis, then are progressively developed throughout the Bible, and finally come to their climactic consummations in Revelation.

     The first chapters of Genesis describe a sinless world, made for man and placed under his dominion. Even though sin and the curse have intruded for a time, God cannot be defeated in His purpose, and all that God intended in the beginning will ultimately be accomplished. The earth must be restored to its original perfection and then continue forever. Sin and curse must be removed and death will be no more. The first three chapters of Genesis outline the entrance of sin into God’s perfect creation. The last three chapters of Revelation outline the purgation of sin from God’s redeemed creation.     

     Note the following interesting and instructive comparisons between the probationary (and then cursed) world described in Genesis and the eternal (because redeemed) world described in Revelation.

PROBATIONARY WORLD (Genesis)                         ETERNAL WORLD (Revelation)

Division of light and darkness (1:4)………………….……..………No night there (21:25)

Division of land and sea (1:10)……………..............………......…….No more sea (21:1)

Rule of sun and moon (1:16)………………………..…No need of sun or moon (21:23)

First heavens and earth finished (2:1-3).…New heaven and earth forever (21:1)

Man in a prepared garden (2:8, 9)…………………….…Man in a prepared city (21:2)

River flowing out of Eden (2:10)………...….River flowing from God’s throne (22:1)

Tree of life in the midst of the garden (2:9)........Tree of life throughout the city 

                                                                                                                                 (22:2)

Gold in the land (2:12)…………………………………………........….Gold in the city (21:21)

Bdellium and the onyx stone (2:12)…………...…..…All manner of precious stones

                                                                                                                               (21:19)

God walking in the garden (3:8)………………..God dwelling with His people (21:3)

The Spirit energizing (1:2)………………………………........……The Spirit inviting (22:17)

Bride formed from her husband (2:21-23)……...Bride adorned for her husband

                                                                                                                                 (21:2)

Command to multiply (1:28)………………………….....….Nations of the saved (21:24)

Garden accessible to the Liar (3:1-5)…………………….City closed to all liars (21:27)

Man in God’s image (1:27)………………………..…………Man in God’s presence (21:3)

Man the probationer (2:17)……………………………………....…...…..Man the heir (21:7)

CURSED WORLD (Genesis)                                   REDEEMED WORLD (Revelation)

Cursed ground (3:17)…………………………………………..….......….No more curse (22:3)

Daily sorrow (3:17)………………………………………...…........……No more sorrow (21:4)

Sweat on the face (3:19)……………………………………......………..No more tears (21:4)

Thorns and thistles (3:18)…………………………………….…….....….No more pain (21:4)

Eating herbs of the field (3:18)………………………..…Twelve manner of fruits (22:2)

Returning to the dust (3:19)…………………………………..…..…...No more death (21:4)

Coats of skins (3:21)……………………………,,……..Fine linen, white and clean (19:14)

Satan opposing (3:15)……………………………………..…......…….Satan banished (20:10)

Kept from the tree of life (3:24)…………………….…Access to the tree of life (22:14)

Banished from the garden (3:23)………………………....Free entry to the city (22:14)

Redeemer promised (3:15)………………….....…Redemption accomplished (5:9, 10)

Evil continually (6:5)……………………………………......…..Nothing that defileth (21:27)

Seed of the woman (3:15)………………..………..Root and offspring of David (22:16)

Cherubim guarding (3:24)…………………………………….….......….Angels inviting (21:9)

     Other similar comparisons could be drawn between the two worlds re-vealed in Genesis and Revelation. In addition to such comparisons and contrasts, a number of specific themes begun in Genesis are either elabora-ted in Revelation or else simply mentioned in reference to a particular exhor-tation.

     For example, the original creation of the world is specifically mentioned at least four times in Revelation (4:11; 10:6, 13:8, 14:7). There is an implicit reference to the Noahic flood (“fountains of waters”) in Revelation14:7, and to the rainbow covenant with Noah in Revelation 10:1. Although the two wit-nesses (Revelation 11:3-12) are not identified by name, there is a good pos-sibility that one is the antediluvian patriarch Enoch.

     The age-long conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, first announced in Genesis 3:15, is elaborated at considerable length in Revelation 12:1-17. The old serpent of Eden is clearly identified here as Satan (Revelation 12:9), the deceiver of the whole world. 

     The post-Flood rebellion which began at Babel under Nimrod is developed and analyzed throughout history until its climax under the coming Antichrist at Babylonthe Great in Revelation 17 and 18. There is a reference to the wickedness of Sodomin Revelation 11:8, and to fire and brimstone in Revel-ation 14:10.

     In the letters to the seven churches, mention is made of the tree of life and paradise in Revelation 2:7, as well as a reference to “the beginning of the creation of God” in Revelation 3:14. The cherubim of Genesis 3:24 are prob-ably the creatures mentioned in Revelation 4:6-8 and throughout the book.

     In Revelation 5:5, Christ is called the “Lion of the tribe of Juda(h),” a refer-ence to Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:9. In the same prophecy the mention of washing of garments in blood seems to be picked up in Revelation 1:5 and 7:14. All the children of Israelas named in this prophecy, with the exception of Dan, are named again in Revelation 7:4-8.

     Not only the Book of Genesis, but many other books of the Old Testament are referred to in Revelation. The concepts and terminology of the Old Testament, especially the prophets Isaiah and Daniel, permeate the book. Some writers have estimated that more than two-thirds of the verses in Revelation contain quotations or allusions to the Old Testament (no specific citations, however). The writer of Revelation, John the Apostle, clearly presup-posed that his readers would already be familiar with the rest of the Bible and thus prepared to accept and understand God’s last climactic written revelation as He completed the Bible.

     God’s Word has been “forever settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). Gradually, however, “by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), God has been transmitting His Word from His own heart in heaven to men on earth. Apparently beginning with Adam, with his “book of the gener-ations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1), and on through Moses and David and many others, God “at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets” (Hebrews 1:1). Then Christ came, and the Word of His New Covenant was transmitted to parchment and papyrus through Peter and Paul and others.

     Finally, a hundred years after Christ entered the world, the last surviving Apostle, John the Beloved, was chosen to seal the written Word once and forever. All the remaining Scriptures, long settled in heaven, also entered the world. The Book of Revelation was transcribed, and God’s Word was complete.