The Book of Revelation is a message of prophecy regarding the end times. This devotional reading looks at the message given to Jesus by God.
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Nuggets
- The Book of Revelation is an account given to John about Jesus.
- God gave the message of Revelation to Jesus.
- The theme of the Book of Revelation is about what will happen in the end times.
- Jesus gave the message to His angel to give to John.
When I first began writing devotions, I was going to steer way clear of Revelation. I am no learned biblical scholar. How am I supposed to teach what I don’t know?
But that is just it. I write these devotions so I can learn. In fact, that was how these devotions started before I began putting them online.
How am I going to learn if I don’t study and write?
So, when God told me very early in 2023 that the theme for 2024 was going to be the Book of Revelation, I shook in my boots and said, “Okay. You’ve got Your work cut out getting me up to speed.”
I’m banking on sanctified ability. He is going to equip me with what I need to know to do the job He has called me to do.
So, am I going to get everything right? No, but I don’t believe anyone will be allowed to get it all right. I’ll be stating my opinions.
What I am going to share with you is what God has laid on my heart. Isn’t that what we are to do – serve Him in the way He calls?
Introduction to the On the Day of the Lord Theme
In the Book of Revelation, we are introduced to Sovereign God more than in any other book. Oh, yes. We can see His power and majesty throughout His Word.
But — just as at the cross — we are shown all of God’s attributes in Revelation. We see not only His wrath but also His love, mercy, and grace.
Is Revelation one of those times where there is past, present, and future prophecy contained within its words? Maybe. Probably.
We know that it is definitely talking about the future.
This year, we are going to look at Revelation through the lens of the end of the age and the beginning of eternity. It has been described as being in the day of the Lord.
We are going to look at it as being on the day of the Lord. That day has arrived!
It is easy to think that Revelation is a stand-alone book. It doesn’t quote directly from the Old Testament as other New Testament books do.
However, John correlates his phrasing with that of the Old Testament. John’s imagery harkens back to Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah. He pulled in the Psalms, Samuel, and Chronicles, too.
We do know that Jesus’ description of the end times in Matthew 24 described the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the age. That ties into Revelation.
Also, Paul’s letters corroborate what John says. I want to pull all those passages in to see if we can make the connections.
I am also going to chase some rabbits to make sure we know what we are talking about and its significance. So, no. We aren’t going to be in Revelation the whole time.
But think of it this way. We know part of Jesus’ mission was to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies. We have to know what those prophecies are.
Do we really think Jesus has fulfilled all of them already? That would mean there are none about God calling us to Himself.
Revelation is a difficult book to understand. There is a verse in Matthew that seems to fit real well here. “At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children’” (Mt. 11: 25 ESV).
Why is it so difficult? Because the more we study, the more confused we can become.
So, am I going to clear everything up for you? Maybe some things (hopefully) but not everything.
My prayer is that this theme opens the eyes of our hearts to what God wants us to know. May He remove the veil so He can reveal things to us at a deeper and deeper level.
What should you do if I say something you question? Dig deeper into them so that you can find what God is telling you.
Let’s get this party started.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in the Getting Started in Revelation study
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place ...” (Rev. 1: 1 ESV)
The Book of Revelation is an account given to John about Jesus.
It is significant that this is a revelation about Jesus. Remember, the last time Jesus was asked about the end times, He said He didn’t have all the information. “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Mt. 24: 36 ESV).
It is easy to think that didn’t change once Jesus retook His rightful place in Heaven. But we know that – even before the ascension – Jesus was given authority over creation by God. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (Mt. 28: 18 ESV).
Now, too, Jesus is Head of the Church.
- And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1: 22 ESV).
- “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Col. 1 18 ESV).
- So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Rom. 12: 5 ESV).
- “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (I Cor. 12: 12 ESV).
Who better to tell the judgment of the world than the Head of the Church and the One Who will judge the world?
God may have entrusted Him with the timing and sequence of the end times. That would explain why it is God’s message that He gave to Jesus.
The Revelation of God
“... which God gave him ...” (Rev. 1: 1 ESV)
God gave the message of Revelation to Jesus.
We can’t gloss over an important word in verse 1. God gave these words to Jesus. The message wasn’t just Jesus’ words.
God is the source.
Wasn’t that what Jesus did all throughout His ministry the first time? Jesus gave us the message that God gave Him. He was and still is the Mediator between God and us.
Remember, Jesus said He only told us what the Father had given Him.
- “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel” (Jn. 5: 19-20 ESV).
- “So Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me’” (Jn. 7: 16 ESV).
- “So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me’” (Jn. 8: 28 ESV).
- “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment — what to say and what to speak” (Jn. 12: 49 ESV).
- “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (Jn. 14: 10 ESV).
- “Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you” (Jn. 17: 7 ESV).
- “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Mt. 11: 27 ESV).
- “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1: 12 ESV).
Look at how many of those verses are in the Book of John. That could be why God picked him to write the apocalyptic book.
Jesus’ job was – and had always been – to pass on the message. It wasn’t a request. It was a commandment.
If Jesus hadn’t said what God gave Him, He would have sinned against God. We know Jesus didn’t sin, so He said exactly what God gave Him to say.
Think of it this way. The rest of God’s Word was inspired.
- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (II Tim. 3: 16 ESV).
- “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Pet. 1: 21 ESV).
Revelation is a thus declares the Lord book, along the lines of Jeremiah. But it is also along the lines of the Gospels. These are Jesus’ own words.
But then, the message always was about Jesus. The Gospel is about the Plan of Salvation. Jesus accomplished the Plan of Salvation so that our relationships with God could be restored.
Show Things that Must Soon Take Place
“... to show to his servants the things that must soon take place ...” (Rev. 1: 1 ESV)
The theme of the Book of Revelation is about what will happen in the end times.
We’re going to talk about the timing later. Right now, we are going to focus on the message.
The purpose of the Book of Revelation is to show John – and us – what the end of the world as we know it will look like. That way, when it happens, we can know God told us the truth.
Jesus did the same with the Apostles. “And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe” (Jn. 14: 29 ESV).
God gave us time to prepare so that our spiritual conditions may be right when Jesus comes again.
More importantly, the Book of Revelation is showing us Who Sovereign God really is. True, this quote from Young works for all other books of God’s Word, but to me it is especially applicable in this book.
Young wrote, “There is an objective revelation of the character and will of God which is given in His Word; of the great plan of mercy which is given in the gospel; of the great events of Providence which are given in sacred prophecy.”
Resource
God wants us to know Him as our loving Father. He also wants us to know Him as a wrathful God.
The last thing God wants is for us to be blindsided on the Day of the Lord. If we are, we’re lost to Him. We have to know the eternal consequences of our choices.
God is more than willing to direct us in the ways we are to go.
- “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Ps. 32: 8 ESV).
- “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Prov. 16: 9 ESV).
- “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go’” (Isa. 48: 17 ESV).
- “Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me” (Ps. 119: 133. ESV).
We just have to listen to Him.
Made Known by His Angel
“... He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Rev. 1: 1 ESV)
Jesus gave the message to His angel to give to John.
The revelation took more a scenic route, which I had never caught before. There is a couple more steps than from Jesus to John.
In reality, the message went from God to Jesus (more on that later) to the angel to John to us. “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” (Rev. 1: 1 ESV emphasis added).
In later chapters, it does seem that there is an angel that is a tour guide.
This is evidence of the trinity – maybe. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct Persons within one indivisible Divine nature.
Making the Connections
God gave the message to Jesus, Who gave it to an angel to give to John. Because John wrote it down, we can read it still today.
The message that was given is that important. We need to read it. We need to believe it.
We need to prepare.
How Do We Apply This?
- Accept Jesus as God’s Son.
- Accept Jesus as the Head of the Church.
- Accept God as Sovereign God.
- Read Revelation.
Father God. We are humbled that You love us enough to tell us how the world will end. We thank You that You, Yourself, gave the message to Jesus to be passed down. Open the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand what You want us to understand. Amen.
What do you think?
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