The Triumph of the Lamb
For Meditation
I’ve heard it said that there are two kind of Christians in America: those who have never read the book of Revelation and those who read almost nothing else. I admit that for a long time I was one of the former, because frankly I was scared of it. The strange imagery, scary animals and beasts, inexplicable numbers, and confusing language made me feel uneasy and confused. What is up with this book? Why is it the last book in the Bible, and what is it really about?
This Sunday we’ll introduce the book of Revelation and try to unpack some basic information about what kind of book this is and how that helps us learn how to read it. John, the author, very clearly states in the first paragraph what this book is: it is a letter, a prophecy, and an apocalypse. That last word, apocalypse, is the word that people find so scary, since our english word apocalypse generally refers to a catastrophic event relating to the end of the world. But the first rule of Biblical interpretation is to understand the original context and intent of the author. For ancient readers, the word apocalypse simply meant “unveiling.” It did not mean the end of the world or even something catastrophic. It was simply a disclosing of something hidden. For John, this book is, as he says in 1:1, the “apocalypse of Jesus Christ.” In other words, he is disclosing the truth of reality: Jesus Christ is reigning over the nations of the earth and he is coming to make all things new.
If you would like to go into further study of this book as we go along, I’d love to recommend a few excellent resources. As always, I am a huge fan of the Bible Project, and their two videos on the book of Revelation are an excellent summary of the whole book. I highly recommend them. If you are interested in reading more, Eugene Peterson’s book Reversed Thunder is a classic and one of the best books on revelation out there. It’s very accessible and can be read devotionally. If you are looking for something a little denser and more academic, I found Michael Gorman’s book Reading Revelation Responsibly to be a highly rewarding read. Those are my top three recommendations!
In preparation for worship this Sunday, read our text for this Sunday and ask the Holy Spirit to “unveil” or “disclose” Jesus to you, so you can see him more clearly.
Revelation 1:1–8
(ESV)
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Note: We will not be going through the Revelation series at our outdoor services. Instead, we’ll be looking at short stories about Jesus from the Gospel accounts. Keep up with this Revelation sermon series by listening here.