John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace....From Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:4, 5
In the opening lines of most books the author tries to bring the reader up to speed on his or her purpose for that book. The book of Revelation is no exception. The first eight verses of the book form a prologue that presents the major themes and intentions for the book. The style of the prologue (Rev. 1:1-8), however, is different from the rest of the book. It is fairly normal and straightforward, the typical language of the New Testament. As a result it is quite unlike the apocalyptic language of the rest of the book, which is filled with complex images that have vexed interpreters for nearly 2,000 years.
What do you do with a book that describes an animal with seven heads and 10 horns and that has the body of a leopard and feet of a bear (Rev. 13:1, 2)? What do you do with a book in which eagles speak (Rev. 8:13), but gigantic cities are silent (Rev. 18:22)? And what do you with a book in which blood flows as high as a horse's bridle (Rev. 14:20)? With images like that, it is no wonder that 12 people trying to interpret Revelation will often come up with 13 different opinions about what the book means!
The good news is that before you get into the bizarre stuff, John takes a moment to let you know why he wrote the book. And he does this in plain language--straightforward prose. Yes, the book of Revelation does have a strong focus on end-time events (Rev. 1:1, 7). But above all else the theme of the book is Jesus. It comes from Him (verse 1), it is His testimony (verse 2), and it is grounded in His death, His resurrection, and His work for us (verses 5, 6). The reader must not forget this beginning, no matter how confusing the journey gets.
You see, the book of Revelation is like a riddle. And everybody loves riddles. Riddles present you with a puzzle that needs to be solved. Let me share one with you: "The majority of people on earth live within 50 miles of what place?" When most people hear this riddle, they start thinking about the world's most populated places. They quickly realize that no place on earth has even a tenth of the world's population located within a 50-mile radius, much less the majority. So the solution to the riddle will not not be found in a certain spot on the globe. What is the answer? Most people live within 50 miles of the place in which they were born! Once you have the key to the riddle, the response is obvious.
In Revelation the key to the riddle is Jesus Christ! The key that John has placed at the door of Revelation transforms its meaning. No matter how weird the images get, the correct interpretation of any passage will always open up a clearer picture of Jesus.
Lord, give me a clearer picture of Jesus today. I want to be more like Him.
In the opening lines of most books the author tries to bring the reader up to speed on his or her purpose for that book. The book of Revelation is no exception. The first eight verses of the book form a prologue that presents the major themes and intentions for the book. The style of the prologue (Rev. 1:1-8), however, is different from the rest of the book. It is fairly normal and straightforward, the typical language of the New Testament. As a result it is quite unlike the apocalyptic language of the rest of the book, which is filled with complex images that have vexed interpreters for nearly 2,000 years.
What do you do with a book that describes an animal with seven heads and 10 horns and that has the body of a leopard and feet of a bear (Rev. 13:1, 2)? What do you do with a book in which eagles speak (Rev. 8:13), but gigantic cities are silent (Rev. 18:22)? And what do you with a book in which blood flows as high as a horse's bridle (Rev. 14:20)? With images like that, it is no wonder that 12 people trying to interpret Revelation will often come up with 13 different opinions about what the book means!
The good news is that before you get into the bizarre stuff, John takes a moment to let you know why he wrote the book. And he does this in plain language--straightforward prose. Yes, the book of Revelation does have a strong focus on end-time events (Rev. 1:1, 7). But above all else the theme of the book is Jesus. It comes from Him (verse 1), it is His testimony (verse 2), and it is grounded in His death, His resurrection, and His work for us (verses 5, 6). The reader must not forget this beginning, no matter how confusing the journey gets.
You see, the book of Revelation is like a riddle. And everybody loves riddles. Riddles present you with a puzzle that needs to be solved. Let me share one with you: "The majority of people on earth live within 50 miles of what place?" When most people hear this riddle, they start thinking about the world's most populated places. They quickly realize that no place on earth has even a tenth of the world's population located within a 50-mile radius, much less the majority. So the solution to the riddle will not not be found in a certain spot on the globe. What is the answer? Most people live within 50 miles of the place in which they were born! Once you have the key to the riddle, the response is obvious.
In Revelation the key to the riddle is Jesus Christ! The key that John has placed at the door of Revelation transforms its meaning. No matter how weird the images get, the correct interpretation of any passage will always open up a clearer picture of Jesus.
Lord, give me a clearer picture of Jesus today. I want to be more like Him.
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