Resource Detail

2026 Revelation Introduction

THE REVELATION FROM JESUS CHRIST

Revelation 1:1-3

Key Verse: 1:1

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.”

When you think about the book of Revelation, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of the end times, the rapture, the Antichrist, the number 666, or the second coming of Jesus. Interestingly, however, the words “rapture” and “Antichrist” do not even appear in Revelation. Is Revelation a frightening book? A mysterious book? A book that is simply too difficult to understand? Throughout church history Revelation has often been misunderstood.

Harold Camping, an American Christian radio broadcaster, believed that he could calculate the date of Christ’s return by studying numbers and timelines in the Bible. In his 1992 book, 1994?, Camping predicted that Judgment Day would come on September 6, 1994. Many of his followers gathered and waited for Jesus to return. But September 6 came and went, and nothing happened. Camping explained that there must have been an error in his calculations. Years later, he made another prediction. This time, he confidently announced that May 21, 2011, would be Judgment Day and the day of the rapture. Some followers gave up their jobs or spent their savings because they sincerely believed that the end was coming. But May 21 also came, and nothing happened. Then, Camping claimed that a “spiritual judgment” had occurred invisibly and that the physical end of the world would come on October 21, 2011. That date also passed without anything happening.

In 2013, I moved from Venezuela to the United States. At that time, a missionary in South America gave me a very serious warning. “M. Juan, you must not go to the United States right now. The Obama administration is planning to force everyone in America to have a VeriChip implanted in their body. Without that chip, you will not be able to buy, sell, or participate in any economic activity. That chip is the mark of the beast—666. The moment it is implanted in your body, you will lose your salvation.” I did not really believe what he said, but it made me a little nervous.

When the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, some Christians connected it to the war of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Some claimed that Russia was Magog and that Russia, Iran, and Turkey would soon form a coalition to attack Israel. They said that the war in Gaza was the beginning of this prophecy.

How should we respond to interpretations like these? Was Revelation really written so that we could make these kinds of predictions? Many people read Revelation and become overwhelmed with fear. But was this book written to frighten us and make us tremble? Is its central message the Antichrist? Like every other book of the Bible, Revelation is ultimately about Jesus Christ our Lord—the Lamb who was slain for our sins. Revelation was not given to fill us with fear, but to give us hope and confidence. It is good news: Jesus Christ has overcome, he reigns, and in the end, he will be victorious.

When I was studying at Fuller Theological Seminary, I took a class of Revelation for one quarter. One of the books I read was Michael J. Gorman’s Reading Revelation Responsibly. This book gave me valuable insight into how we should understand Revelation. Gorman argues that we must read Revelation responsibly, and he provides very helpful ways for doing so. I highly recommend this book to you. Much of today’s introduction is based on it. As I study Revelation, I am also consulting works by G. K. Beale and Richard Bauckham, as well as the Word Biblical Commentary. In addition, I am referring to the book on Revelation written by Pastor Ron Ward and Dr. Mark Yang and published by UBF Press. What I am sharing with you today is not merely my personal opinion. It reflects the interpretive approach accepted within our UBF community. I will introduce the major approaches to interpreting Revelation and explain which approach I will take as we study this book together.

1. Who is the author?

The book of Revelation clearly identifies its author as John. Look at 1:1: “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” The revelation from Jesus Christ was given to his servant John. Now look at 1:9: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” In this verse, the author speaks in the first person: “I, John.” He says that he was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and his testimony about Jesus. This meant that he had been exiled to Patmos because of persecution. From this, we can see that John was a faithful believer and a respected spiritual leader who was well known to the churches in Asia Minor.

However, nowhere in Revelation does he explicitly identify himself as the apostle John. Scholars who study the original Greek have also noticed significant differences between the writing style of Revelation and that of John’s Gospel. Some scholars therefore conclude that the two books were written by different people. They sometimes refer to the author of Revelation as John the Elder or John the Seer rather than John the Apostle. Nevertheless, the church has traditionally accepted the apostle John as the author of Revelation. In the end, whether the author was John the Apostle or another respected Christian leader named John may not be the most important issue. Following the tradition of the church, we will accept the apostle John as the author of Revelation.

2. When was Revelation written?

Most scholars believe that Revelation was written around AD 95, near the end of the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian, who ruled from AD 81 to 96. At that time, the Roman Empire dominated the Mediterranean world. The emperor was honored not only as a political ruler but also as a divine figure. Temples were built in his honor, sacrifices were offered to him, and people publicly declared their loyalty to Caesar. Emperor worship was especially widespread in Asia Minor, where the seven churches in Revelation were located. Participation in the imperial cult was closely connected to public life, business, social relationships, and political loyalty. Refusing to participate could make a person appear disloyal or even dangerous to the empire. This created a serious challenge for Christians. The Roman world proclaimed, “Caesar is lord,” but Christians confessed, “Jesus is Lord.” Would they worship the emperor to protect their jobs, businesses, and social standing? Would they compromise in order to avoid rejection or persecution? Or would they remain faithful to Jesus, even if faithfulness brought suffering?

Revelation spoke to believers facing these pressures. The entire book can be read as a powerful critique—and even a parody—of the Roman Empire and emperor worship. It portrayed Rome symbolically as “Babylon,” the wealthy and powerful city that opposed God and oppressed his people. Against Rome’s claim that Caesar was lord, Revelation proclaimed that Jesus Christ alone is Lord. Rome appeared powerful, but its power would not last. God’s kingdom would ultimately triumph. Therefore, Revelation called believers not to compromise with the empire, but to remain faithful to Jesus—even unto death.

3. What kind of book is Revelation?

Understanding the genre of Revelation is very important because it determines how we interpret the book. Revelation is three kinds of literature at the same time. It is an apocalypse, a prophecy, and a letter. We might describe it as “an apocalyptic prophecy written in the form of a circular pastoral letter.”

First, Revelation is an apocalypse.

The first verse calls this book “Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.”The word apocalypse means “unveiling” or “revelation.” Other important apocalyptic literature in the Bible include Daniel 7–12 and Mark 13, with its parallels in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Mark 13 is sometimes called “the Little Apocalypse.” Apocalyptic literature uses vivid, symbolic, and sometimes mysterious language. It presents a cosmic conflict between the forces of evil, led by Satan, and the forces of good, ruled by God. Animals, colors, and numbers often have symbolic meaning. Therefore, we should not assume that every image must be interpreted literally. The table below shows the symbolic significance of colors and numbers in Revelation.

Second, Revelation is prophecy.

Revelation explicitly calls itself a prophecy in 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, …” Many people assume that prophecy means predicting exactly how and when the world will end. But biblical prophecy speaks God’s words of comfort, warning, and challenge to his people in their actual historical situation. Revelation was first written to Christians facing pressure, exclusion, and persecution under the Roman Empire. It encouraged them to remain faithful to Jesus and challenged them not to compromise with Roman power and emperor worship. For this reason, Revelation is called “resistance literature.” It reminded the church, both then and now, not to surrender to the demands and practices of a corrupt system that has already been judged by God and will eventually come to an end.

Third, Revelation is a circular pastoral letter.

Revelation was not written as a secret code for Christians. It was originally addressed to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The book was meant to be circulated among these churches and read aloud during worship. Each church faced its own spiritual and social challenges. Some believers were suffering persecution. Others were tempted to compromise with the values and practices of Roman society. Therefore, we must first ask what Revelation meant to those original believers within their historical setting. Then we can ask what the same message means for us today. Revelation is a pastoral letter calling God’s people to faithful worship, patient endurance, and courageous witness to Jesus Christ.

4. How should we read Revelation?

Once we understand that Revelation is an apocalyptic prophecy written in the form of a letter, another important question arises: How should we interpret it? Should we take its visions literally, symbolically, or allegorically? Throughout church history, four major approaches have developed.

The Preterist View

The word preterist refers to the past. The Preterist View understands most of Revelation’s prophecies as referring to first-century events, especially the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 or the eventual fall of the Roman Empire, portrayed as “Babylon the Great.” The Preterist View helps us take seriously the historical situation of the original readers. However, it can limit Revelation’s message almost entirely to past events.

The Historicist View

The Historicist View sees Revelation as a prophecy of major events throughout church history. However, its interpreters often identify its symbols too specifically with Western emperors, popes, wars, and institutions while overlooking the worldwide church.

The Futurist View

The Futurist View understands Revelation 4–22 as describing events surrounding Christ’s return. Dispensational Futurism interprets the visions more literally and chronologically, including the rapture, seven-year tribulation, Antichrist’s reign, Christ’s return, and millennial kingdom. Modified Futurism interprets the visions less literally, rejects a pretribulation rapture, and may see the seals, trumpets, and bowls as different perspectives on the same period.

The Idealist View

The Idealist View sees Revelation as a symbolic portrayal of the ongoing conflict between God and Satan. Its visions reveal timeless spiritual realities, emphasizing Christ’s final victory and the new creation rather than a detailed timeline of events.

5. What approach will we take?

As we study Revelation, we will take a pastoral and prophetic approach. This approach views Revelation primarily as a book of Christian formation. It was given to shape God’s people and call the church to remain faithful in the face of inevitable conflict with powers that oppose God. This approach does not ignore the past or the future. We will first seek to understand what Revelation meant to the first-century churches. We will then look for parallels between their situation and the realities we face today. At the same time, we will keep our eyes on God’s promises for the future of his creation. Our main focus, therefore, will be Revelation as God’s living word to the church in the present. We will ask: How does this book call us to worship God, resist compromise, endure suffering, and faithfully follow Christ today?

Revelation raises several controversial questions. When will the thousand-year reign take place? Should we understand it through premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism? Will there be a rapture, and if so, when will it happen? We will examine these questions more carefully as we study the relevant passages. On issues that are not essential to the Christian faith, we can respect and accept different interpretations. For example, faithful Christians may hold different views of the millennium. What matters most is that we understand why Revelation was written, grasp its central message, and faithfully put that message into practice.

6. Outline:

The following is a general outline of Revelation:

1. Prologue and John’s Vision (1:1-20)
2. Christ’s messages to the seven churches (2:1-3:22)
3. God’s throne in heaven, the Lamb and the scroll (4:1-5:14)
4. God’s judgment and salvation (6:1-20:15)
   1. The Seven Seals (6:1-8:5)
   2. The Seven Trumpets (8:6-11:19)
   3. The Spiritual conflict between Christ and Satan (12:1-14:20)
   4. The Seven Bowls (15:1-16:21)
   5. The Fall of Babylon (17:1-18:24)
   6. The Final Destruction of All Evil and the Millennium (19:1-20:15)
5. A New Heaven and a New Earth (21:1-22:5)
6. Epilogue and Jesus’ Promise to Come Soon (22:6-21)
7. What is the purpose of Revelation?

Eschatology—the study of the end times—is certainly an important focus of Revelation, but it is not the book’s ultimate focus. Revelation was not given merely to satisfy our curiosity about the end times or to provide a detailed timetable of future events. Its purpose is to give hope to God’s people during times of trial and temptation so that they may remain faithful to their covenant relationship with him. Revelation seeks to persuade both its original audience and believers today to remain faithful to God despite past, present, or possible future suffering that may come simply because they follow Jesus.

8. What are the main themes of Revelation?

First, the Throne and Worship. God the Creator reigns, and Jesus the Redeemer—the Lamb who was slain—is Lord. At the center of the universe is not Caesar, an empire, a government, or an economic system. At the center is the throne of the eternal and holy God and the Lamb who was slain. The Church is called to worship God and Christ only.

Second, the Call to Faithfulness and Resistance. Satan is real, and evil works through political, economic, and cultural systems that oppose God. Believers can easily be seduced by the idolatry and immorality of the surrounding culture. They may compromise their faith to gain security, pleasure, wealth, acceptance, or influence. The Church is called to resist the values and practices of every system that opposes God. Christian resistance means remaining faithful to God, refusing to worship idols, and following the Lamb even when faithfulness is costly. The church is called to bear faithful witness to him.

Third, God’s Judgment, Salvation, and New Creation. Revelation declares that God will judge evil, save his faithful people, and renew the whole creation. History is moving toward God’s final victory—a new heaven and a new earth where God will dwell with his people forever.

9. What do we seek to gain from studying Revelation?

First, we want to learn how to overcome the world by faith. Jesus has already won the victory through his death and resurrection. Although believers experience trouble in this world, we share in his victory by remaining faithful to him. Christians in some countries face open persecution. In America, we may face different challenges—materialism, secularism, sexual temptation, cultural pressure, and spiritual compromise. Revelation will help us discern these spiritual battles and teach us how to live faithfully in our own context.

Second, we want to become true worshipers. Revelation continually directs our eyes toward the throne of God and the Lamb. Political powers, wealth, success, and pleasure are not our lords. Jesus alone is King and Lord. Therefore, we must worship the Lamb, serve him alone, and refuse to give our hearts to the idols of this world.

Third, we want to develop endurance, faithfulness, and wisdom as we wait for Christ’s return. Trials, temptations, and spiritual conflict are inevitable, but God’s final victory is certain. As we study Revelation, may God help us remain faithful, overcome by faith, worship Jesus alone, and live with hope as we wait for his return and the coming of his kingdom.