Overview of the Book of Revelation

Revelation 1:1-20

Persecution is the act of harassing, oppressing, or killing people because of their differences from society. Religious persecution stems from a belief that Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin. Living in America, we may not give much thought to religious persecution, though the probability is increasing by the day. However, religious persecution is just as alive and well as it has ever been. The first incidence of persecution in the Bible is the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain. The Apostle Paul was heavily involved in the persecution of Christians until his conversion. Jesus warned that his followers would be persecuted following his death. Christians have continued to be persecuted all over the world. According to The Voice of the Martyrs, the persecution of Christians results in over 150,000 lives lost each year. The good news is this. No matter how severe the persecution, the church of Jesus Christ continues to spread throughout the world. That happens to be the message of the book of Revelation. It is intended to encourage believers of the church universal that in the end, the church prevails.

As John was writing the book of Revelation, he was experiencing persecution by his exile to the island of Patmos. The intended persecution allowed John to write about the end times. The book of Revelation is a must read today because of the similar persecution going on then and now. Many people are leery of reading the book because they think that it is mysterious and hard to understand. However, the "mysteriousness" is actually a code used so that believers can understand, but their Roman persecutors could not comprehend. The ke to the code is the Old Testament, especially the books of Daniel and Zechariah. There are four central themes of the book: The Glory of Jesus Christ, The Victorious Church, The Role of Prayer, and The Role of Worship.

I. The Glory of Jesus Christ

The book of Revelation makes it clear that there is one person, Jesus Christ, controlling the events on earth from heaven. Verse five states that he is the ruler of the kings of earth. He is God Almighty (v.8). Jesus has always been and will always be; he is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last (v. 17). Lastly, he is the final judge; he holds the keys of death and Hades (v. 18).

II. The Victorious Church

This revelation from God to the church through John was written to encourage believers. Remember, the church is not a building. The church is every believer from all over the world. This collection of believers is completely loyal to Jesus Christ, and is actively interceding for its people. It may seem that the church, especially in America, is struggling to survive. However, thousands are coming to Christ daily through the work of the church itself. We experienced this move of the Holy Spirit when we were in Zambia recently.

III. The Role of Prayer

Prayer is the divine partnership between heaven and earth. Looking at prayer in this way gives us a fresh perspective. As we pray, our prayers ascend directly to the throne of God. To God, our prayers are a sweet fragrance that causes God to act. Our prayers are used in heavenly acts of worship. Revelation 5:8 gives a vivid picture of creatures standing before the throne of God holding bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 8:3 describes angels standing before the throne of God offering up the prayers of all God's people. Why is it important to know that our prayers actually have a role in heavenly worship? It is important to know that our prayers do not get lost somewhere in space. God hears our prayers, and they are so important they cause God Almighty to act. So, when we are tempted to skip praying, remember that the creator God hears our prayers.

IV. The Role of Worship

Some have made worship to be a time set aside once or twice a week with rituals, liturgy, and tradition. Worship is certainly not a set time, worship is much more. Worship is a divine connection between a believer's heart and God's heart. Worship that takes place in heaven is valuable in that all things on earth are decided there at the throne of God. Worship is central to the book of Revelation, and it will never be discontinued. In chapter 4, worship is going on without ceasing. The setting for the entire book of Revelation is heaven. To look at heaven, we must keep our eyes lifted. Don't look around at the chaos. Lift up your eyes and worship the Lord.