What is the Book of Revelation All About?
Revelation was written to encourage suffering Christians.
Revelation is Hard to Understand
The book of Revelation has a reputation for being difficult to understand—and it is. It’s full of intense visions and symbols. The book is full of giant beasts, great suffering, and epic battles. It contains over 400 references to the Old Testament. The author, an elderly man named John, tells us much of what he writes are prophecies, predictions of what would happen soon after he wrote (Revelation 1:1-3). But for all the difficult details of Revelation, the main point is surprisingly clear.
Revelation Makes One Clear Point
The book of Revelation was written to encourage suffering Christians. Specifically, John is writing to a group of seven churches who are struggling to see any hope beyond their persecution (Revelation 1:4-5). In his opening greeting, he reminds his readers that Jesus suffered and died like many of them. But he also tells them that Jesus was raised from the dead and now sits on a throne as King in heaven—above all the powers that persecute them. Since Jesus suffered faithfully, God was faithful to raise him back up. Jesus' life and death aren't just events that happened in the past; they are a picture of what will soon take place in the lives of suffering Christians. If they are faithful to suffer like Jesus, they will be raised to rule like Jesus, too (Revelation 1:6-8).
Every Chapter of Revelation Encourages Suffering Christians
Revelation’s first three chapters describe the situation of seven suffering churches. John’s words offer them encouragement from the Old Testament and promises of eternal life to help them persevere in their hardship (Revelation 2-3). Chapters four and five of Revelation reveal that God’s throne is not occupied by a distant deity but a bloodied lamb—a symbol of the crucified Jesus. Heaven is ruled by a God who knows what suffering is like and intends to end it (Revelation 4-5)!
But at this point, you might be asking, “Is there any hope for people who have suffered and died for the message of Jesus?” That same question is asked by a group of martyrs in chapter six (Revelation 6:9-10). For the next six chapters, John tells them that the evil people who killed them will come to justice. He encourages the martyrs that they will be reunited with those they love, soon (Revelation 6:11).
The final chapters of Revelation continue to encourage suffering believers with visions of three demonic beasts being destroyed. The three beasts represent the way Satan influences governments and religious establishments to persecute followers of Jesus. But no matter how powerful they seem, they always fall. Eventually, even death dies (Revelation 20:14). For all its intense and confusing images, the message of Revelation is simple: believers in Jesus will always be vindicated, rescued, and raised, even from the dead.
Those Who Suffer for Jesus, Win
At the end of the book of Revelation, God remakes the earth and makes our home his home, too. The end of history is a paradise where God’s people who have suffered, cried, and died are eternally united with the God of healing, joy, and life (Revelation 21:4-5). The last words of John’s revelation admit that paradise has not arrived yet. But even though God’s eternal home is not here yet, Jesus, our suffering but resurrected King, reveals and encourages all readers of Revelation that even when we suffer, if we are faithful to Jesus, we will be raised.