My personal study through this book has been very enlightening. I have seen several overarching truths that are repeated throughout the book.
1. Jesus Christ is supreme. He is God. He calls Himself the “Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (2:8; 22:13), which are the same words that God the Father uses to identify Himself (1:8; 21:6). He receives worship from angels and believers and the four living creatures (5:9-13; 7:10). He has all knowledge (symbolized by His seven eyes in 5:6) by which He he accurately judges His churches in chapters 2 and 3. He has all power and authority by which He unleashes God’s wrath (5:7; 6:1) and executes final judgment on all of creation (19:11-21; 20:11-15). He alone can accomplish and secure the redemption of His people (chapter 5). In this there is hope.
2. God is completely sovereign over all hearts and events. Over and over again, when Revelation talks about the devil and his minions causing destruction, it says they were “allowed” (9:5; 13:5, 7, 14, 15; 16:8) or “given” (6:4, 8; 7:2; 9:1, 3). There is nothing outside of God's control. He is sovereign over both the good and the evil. While God is in no way the source of evil, He uses it to accomplish His always good purposes. As much as Satan tries whatever He can to destroy God’s people and thwart God’s plan, he actually winds up furthering God’s redemptive purposes as God uses it for the good of His people, the glory of His name, and the spread of His gospel (Romans 8:28). In this there is hope.
3. God is patience in slowly pouring out His wrath. The truth is that all human beings are separated from God and deserve immediate His punishment and wrath (Romans 3:23), and there is nothing we can do about it. This is the bad news, but the good news is that God does not delight in punishment, but in steadfast love and mercy, and He desires that all people be saved (Jeremiah 9:4; Ezekiel 18:32; 2 Peter 3:9) and He provided the way of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Romans 5:8). Because of this He is very patient with us and does not immediately pour out His just wrath upon us. In the Book of Revelation, you see Him slowly pour out His wrath in the opening of the seven seals and then in the blowing of the seven trumpets and then in the pouring out of the seven bowls. He would be right and just to immediately judge us for our sins (Romans 1-3) and give us no time to repent. We do not deserve even one seal or trumpet or bowl, but God is infinitely patient and loving and He delays His just anger in order that many more people might be saved. In this there is hope.
4. Human beings are extremely wicked and sinful. Although God in His infinite patience gives people time to repent, they do not. They even recognize that He is the one bringing the plagues that are causing them torment, but they still refuse to repent and turn to Him (2:21; 16:9, 11, 21). They, instead, curse Him and continue to worship their own idols. We are born God-haters. There is no one that is innately good. We may be good compared to others, but even that is by God’s grace as He restrains evil. We are not as bad as we could be, but even more than that we are nothing in comparison to a perfectly holy and good God. We are rebellious and selfish and prideful and we reject God and make ourselves the god over our own lives. God would be right and just to have annihilated the whole human race after the fall in Genesis 3. But He didn’t. Do you see the grace in that? He chose to allow us to live so that He could save a people for Himself. He knew before creation that we would rebel against Him, but He chose to create us anyway, and He purposed in advance that He would save us by slaughtering His own Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8). In this there is hope.
5. God’s people are not exempt from suffering. The health and wealth gospel, which is really no gospel at all, is wrong. Joel Osteen is wrong. This is not our best life now and God does not will that His people live safe, comfortable, trouble-free lives. Just look at the examples throughout Scripture and throughout history. Joseph, Daniel, the Prophets, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, Jason Martyr, David Brainerd, Jim Elliot, and countless other unknown Christians have suffered, and even died, for their faith in Christ. God ordains that His people suffer (John 15:20; Acts 14:22; 1 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:12). In His mysterious wisdom and plan, He uses the suffering of His people to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. In Revelation 6:11, we see that God has an appointed number of His people that will die for their faith. God does not save His people from suffering and persecution, but He sustains them through it. In this there is hope.
6. Our salvation is secure and we will see His face! This is my absolute favorite promise in Scripture. One day I will see my Savior, Jesus Christ, face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4)! There will be no more sin to blind my eyes or temptations to distract my gaze, but I will see Him as He is in all of His beauty and perfection and glory. And I will join in with the song of the redeemed. In this there is hope!
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:12
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