Chapter 23

The Beginning of the End: The Revelation of John

In This Chapter

Interpreting John’s apocalyptic vision

Enduring persecution with the early church

Defeating Satan with God’s army

Returning to Paradise

T he Book of Revelation describes the events leading up to the end of the world, when the earth will undergo cataclysmic disasters never before seen or imagined. Earthquakes will rock the planet to its very core. Meteors will cut huge swaths out of the earth. International and supernatural powers will meet in a final battle to determine the fate of the world. How will it all end? When will it all end? Why will it all end!?! The Book of Revelation gives the answers to all these questions and more. The only problem is, no one really understands all the answers Revelation gives since it is a highly symbolic and enigmatic work. In this chapter, we help you to decipher this cryptic book and marvel at its magnificent imagery.

Seeing the Future (Revelation 1–3)

The Book of Revelation (also known as The Apocalypse of John) derives its name(s) from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means to “uncover” or “reveal.” Thus, Revelation is an unveiling or “revealing” of the future. The one to whom God reveals the future is called “John,” who has traditionally been identified with Jesus’ disciple by that name, and the author of the fourth gospel (see Chapter 18) and 1, 2 and 3 John (see Chapter 22).

Scholars usually place the writing of Revelation around 95 C.E., a time of intense persecution for Christians under the emperor Domitian (81–96 C.E.). John, himself, is the victim of persecution, and now lives in exile on the small island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. And it is while wastin’ away in Potmosianville that John has a most amazing revelation.

John has a revelation

John says that on “the LORD’s day” (Sunday) he heard a voice commanding him to write down what he was about to see, and to send his vision to seven churches located in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Here’s what he saw:

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke to me, and turning, I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the seven lamp stands, I saw one “like a son of man,” clothed in a robe reaching down to his feet and having a golden sash across his chest. And the hairs of his head were as white as white wool, as snow. And his eyes were like a flaming fire. And his feet were like burnished metal as in a furnace having been fired. And his voice was like the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edge sword. And his face was shining like the sun in all its power. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet, as a dead man. And he put his right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, and now behold, I am living forever and ever. Amen. And I have the keys to Hades and death. Write what you have seen, and what is now, and what is about to occur after these things.

—Revelation 1:12–19

That’s quite a vision! So what does it all mean? And what’s going on here?

Reading Apocalyptic literature can be a complicated undertaking. Here are a few points of clarification for this particular passage, which can help you interpret similar passages.

The term “son of man” comes from the book of the prophet Daniel (see Chapter 11), and in John’s time was a common expression for the Messiah, who in John’s view was Jesus.

The long robe symbolizes priestly garments, and represents Jesus’ status as the ultimate High Priest — having offered the final sacrifice for sins: himself (see Chapter 22).

Jesus’ white hair and fiery appearance recall the description of God in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7) and reflect John’s view that Jesus shares in God’s divine status.

The seven stars in Jesus’ hand represent the angels of the seven churches in western Asia Minor (apparently guardian angels assigned to each church), while the seven lamp stands represent the seven churches.

John’s revelation borrows heavily from the prophet Daniel’s own revelations. Therefore, if you find yourself stumped on what something means, turn to the Book of Daniel, especially chapter 7, for possible clues. If this doesn’t work, then read the rest of this chapter, because we do a lot of the work for you.

John addresses the seven churches

Jesus asks John to relay messages to each of the seven churches in western Asia Minor, evaluating their condition, recommending certain actions, and encouraging them to persevere during these trying times.

Each of Jesus’ messages to the seven churches begins with a description of him that addresses that church’s present situation. For example, to the church of Smyrna, Jesus introduces himself as “the First and the Last, who died and who was raised to life”(Revelation 2:8). Why is this important for Smyrna? This church is enduring severe persecution, and some of its members have even died for their faith. So Jesus instructs them, “Keep the faith, even to the point of death, and I will give you the Crown of Life” (Revelation 2:10). As one who died and came to life again, he can make that kind of promise!

Here’s a brief summary of what Jesus says to each church:

Ephesus: Jesus empathizes with their recent struggles against false apostles, but warns them not to abandon “their first love” (Jesus), and to maintain the zeal for God that they originally possessed. Additionally, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus to continue to “hate the works of the Nicolaitans.”

Although little is known about the Nicolaitans, Revelation associates them with the false prophet Balaam from the Hebrew Bible, who led Israel into idol worship and sexual immorality (Numbers 25:1–2). The Nicolaitans seem also to have mingled their newfound Christian faith with the idolatrous and sexual practices of pagan religion.

Smyrna: Jesus commends this community for their bravery and perseverance against harsh tests and poverty. Jesus encourages them to face their difficulties and, in some cases, impending deaths with courage.

Pergamum: Jesus praises them for their steadfastness in the face of oppression. However, like the church at Ephesus, they are warned about the immorality of the Nicolaitans.

Thyatira: This church is commended for their love, faith, service, and patient endurance in adversity. Yet, they are condemned for tolerating an immoral prophetess equated with Jezebel, the Phoenician princess who was married to King Ahab and who promoted the worship of other gods and goddesses within Israel (see 1 Kings 16:31, 1 Kings 18, and Chapter 10 of this book).

Sardis: Times are hard for the church at Sardis, as they appear spiritually “dead.” Yet, Jesus offers hope to those among them who have remained true to him, and warns the others to “obey and repent.”

Philadelphia: Jesus commends the Philadelphia church for remaining loyal to him while they hold such little power. They are encouraged to patiently hold out during persecution because Jesus is coming soon.

Laodicea: This community, consisting of proud, wealthy, and influential members, is simply going through the motions of devotion to God. Jesus warns them that “because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

Some scholars have suggested that the image of Jesus spewing lukewarm water out of his mouth alludes to the water from nearby hot springs, which was lukewarm (and therefore useless) when it arrived at Laodicea.

Following these messages to the seven churches, John retells his fantastic vision of future events, which is intended to encourage (or frighten — depending on one’s allegiances) Christians to remain faithful to God no matter how difficult persecution gets.

Unraveling the Future: Jesus Opens the Seven Seals (Revelation 4–11)

The events in Revelation unfold simultaneously on two stages: heaven and earth. First, John is given the “heavenly” perspective, where he witnesses God majestically enthroned and surrounded by His heavenly court. John is then given the “earthly” perspective, where he witnesses the devastation that takes place on earth. The priority of showing heaven first seeks to remind John’s readers that no matter how bad things get on earth, God is still in control — an important message for those undergoing persecution.

In the case of Revelation 4–11, John’s heavenly vision is of God holding up a scroll on which is written the apocalyptic events soon to unfold on earth. However, in order to read the scroll, the seven seals first must be opened.

Seals were dabs of clay placed upon strings around a scroll. The clay would be impressed with an individual’s stamp, which informed the recipient who was sending the letter and which guaranteed that no one else had opened it.

God asks, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2). Sadly, no one is found who is worthy to fulfill God’s request — that is, no one until a slain Lamb, symbolizing Jesus and his sacrificial death, approaches, takes the scroll, and begins opening the seals.

Seals 1–6: The four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the day of wrath

The opening of each seal on the scroll introduces a new stage of God’s judgment on earth. Although the judgments are written down on the scroll, John gets to see the action live — the ultimate pop-up book.

The first seal releases a rider armed with a bow and seated upon a white horse (symbolizing war). The rider is given a crown and sets out to conquer.

The second seal brings forth the second horseman, mounted on a bright red horse (symbolizing bloodshed). This rider wields a giant sword, and removes peace from the earth so that people begin to kill each other.

The third seal ushers in the third horseman, who carries a scale to judge people. This rider’s horse is black (symbolizing famine), representing the lack of food and intense hunger that inevitably followed war in the ancient Near East. The extent of the people’s hunger can be seen in the exorbitant prices for wheat and barley.

The fourth seal releases the fourth horseman: “Death.” He rides a pale green horse (symbolizing the color of death), and he is given power over a quarter of the earth to kill with a variety of weapons: sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.

The fifth seal reveals the souls of the martyrs, who ask Jesus, “How long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” They are told it won’t be long until they receive their desired justice.

The sixth seal brings with it the “great day of God’s wrath,” a day foretold by the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. In preparation for God’s judgment, the earth quakes, the sun turns black, the moon turns blood red, the stars fall, and the islands and mountains disappear.

Between the opening of the sixth and the seventh seals, four angels are placed at the four corners of the world, poised to destroy the earth and all its inhabitants. However, one angel is given a seal of protection to be placed upon the foreheads of 144,000 people, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. (We discuss the tribes of Israel in Chapters 6 and 8.) This symbolic number represents Jewish Christians who will escape God’s final judgment.

The seventh seal: The beginning of the end

The opening of the seventh seal ushers in a period of silence lasting half an hour. Then, breaking the silence, seven angels sound seven trumpets. A disaster strikes the earth with each blast. For example, hail and fire mixes with blood destroying one-third of the earth’s vegetation. A fiery rock the size of a mountain falls from the sky into the sea, destroying one-third of the marine life and ships in the sea. Then a star named wormwood (a bitter plant) falls into the earth’s rivers and springs, contaminating the water and killing many people. (Many interpreters believe that the descriptions of the fiery mountain and falling star refer to meteors hitting the earth.) Then the sun turns dark, locusts are released on the earth, and 200 million mounted troops kill one-third of the earth’s population. The sounding of the seventh trumpet signifies that it is time for God to judge the earth.

Between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets, John sees “two witnesses,” who prophesy in Jerusalem against humankind’s sins (Revelation 11:3–12). They are eventually killed by those tormented by their prophecies, but three and a half days later they come back to life and ascend into heaven. So who are these two witnesses? Although they are not named, they are described in ways that recall Moses and Elijah, two of the Hebrew Bible’s greatest prophets, and who many people thought would return to earth before the coming day of God’s wrath.

A Pregnant Woman, a Dragon, and Two Beasts (Revelation 12–13)

Revelation 12 and 13 describe the activity of a woman, a dragon, and two beasts. No, this isn’t a kung-fu action flick (at least, not yet). John is speaking metaphorically: The woman is a great people, the dragon is the archenemy of the righteous, and the two beasts represent a great empire. And when these figures collide, it’s not a pretty sight.

A star is born: The coming of the Messiah

John has a vision of a pregnant woman. She is clothed with the sun, stands on the moon, and wears a crown of 12 stars. This seems to be an allusion to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37, where Joseph’s father (Jacob) and mother are equated with the sun and moon, and he and his 11 brothers with 12 stars. That is, this woman symbolizes Israel, and she is about to give birth to something — or, rather, someone — very important (the Messiah).

In John’s vision, the pregnant woman endures a very painful labor, but she eventually gives birth to a son (Jesus, the Messiah). Suddenly, a great red dragon (Satan, or the Devil) appears with seven heads (perhaps the seven hills of Rome) and ten horns (most likely the ten Roman emperors from Augustus to Domitian) and seven diadems (or crowns) on his heads (apparently the seven provinces of the Roman empire).

Rome was often described as “the city set on seven hills” in antiquity. Therefore, people reading Revelation during John’s day would not miss his allusions to Rome when describing a dragon with seven heads or a woman sitting on seven hills (see Revelation 17:9). Moreover, those familiar with the prophecies of Daniel from the Hebrew Bible would know that horns represent rulers. Thus, the tenth horn or ruler of the Roman Empire was Domitian, the emperor likely in power during the writing of Revelation.

The dragon approaches the woman in order to destroy her child, but God takes him away to His throne (symbolizing Jesus’ ascension to heaven), and the woman flees to the wilderness, where she is cared for by God.

The notice that God protected the woman (symbolizing Israel) seems to refer to the Jew’s immunity from participating in the imperial cult (worshiping the Roman emperor as a god). This immunity was granted due to the antiquity of the Jewish religion. Christianity by this period was no longer perceived as part of Judaism, but as an upstart religion. Therefore, Christians were compelled to worship the emperor, and many were killed if they refused.

War of the other worlds: Michael battles beasts and the dragon

The dragon’s arrival on the world scene ushers in a cosmic war between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Michael (God’s warrior angel and Israel’s protector) and his forces meet in pitched battle against Satan and his dominions in the heavenly realm. This is actually a “rigged” fight, because Jesus’ death and resurrection have rendered Satan ultimately powerless against the forces of good. Therefore, in short order, Michael and his angelic host defeat the great dragon, who is then cast down to earth.

Once on earth, the dragon (Satan) tries in vain to kill “the woman” (Israel), but has to settle on battling her children who “bear testimony to Jesus” (Christians). Two more beasts show up to assist the dragon in his quest: the Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Earth. The Beast from the Sea receives his power from the dragon, while the Beast from the Earth speaks for and exercises authority on behalf of the Beast from the Sea. In addition, the Beast from the Earth forces others to worship the Beast from the Sea. Finally, the Beast from the Earth makes everyone receive a mark on their right hand or forehead, allowing them to buy and sell. (For more information on what this mark may have been, see the sidebar “The mark of the Beast: 666” later in this chapter.)

In the context of John’s day, the Beast from the Sea most likely represents imperial Rome, and in particular the Roman emperor, who demanded that his subjects worship him as a god. The statement that the dragon gave his power to this Beast means that John believed Satan controlled Rome (as evidenced by its persecution of Christians). The Beast from the Earth most likely represents Roman provincial power, since the governors of the provinces enforced the worship of the emperor, and executed those who refused. In addition, they oversaw the right to participate in Roman commerce.

The mark of the Beast: 666

In one of the most famous mysteries of Revelation, John says that the Beast of the Earth will force everyone to be marked on the hand or forehead with the number 666. Those who do not receive the mark will be unable to buy or sell food or other necessities (Revelation 13:16–18). Because seven is the number of perfection in the Bible, the three-fold repetition of six symbolizes complete imperfection or evil. So who is this Beast, and what is the mark? The answers to these questions depend on whether you think Revelation refers to past or future events or both.

Those who think that Revelation refers to past events usually identify the Beast with the emperor Nero, who intensely persecuted Christians, and who many in antiquity thought would come back from the dead to do more of the same. The evidence for this identification derives from a practice known as gematria, where letters are assigned numerical values. Nero’s name in Aramaic (the common language of first-century Palestine) adds up to 666. Also suggesting that gematria is at work is that in some early manuscripts of Revelation the number of the Beast is 616, which corresponds to the second most common way to write Nero’s name.

Those who think that Revelation refers to future events usually argue that anyone is “open game” as a candidate for the Beast. For example, during the Protestant Reformation, many Protestants accused the Catholic Church or Pope of being the Beast. The Catholic Church, in turn, thought this “honor” was more befitting of Martin Luther and the Reformers. Since then just about everyone important in politics or religion has been accused of being the Beast. Similarly, the mark has been identified with everything from ancient monetary systems or tattoos to modern credit cards or the World Wide Web. (Note: The Hebrew letter corresponding roughly to English “w” is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, making www equivalent to 666!)

Those who think that Revelation refers to past and future events usually argue that John didn’t really think that Nero was going to come back from the dead, persecute Christians, and fight a cataclysmic battle against God. Rather, John is arguing that Nero has already been “resurrected” — not literally, but figuratively in the actions of the emperor Domitian. Moreover, anyone — whether during John’s time or in the future — who persecutes God’s people and who opposes the truth participates in the “nature of Nero.” But this is not to say that John intended his book to be read only figuratively or even “ahistorically.” Although many throughout history may embody Nero’s attitude toward God and His people, John also believes that there will be an actual final showdown between good and evil, where God’s truth will prevail, the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished. This “past-future” understanding of Revelation explains why people throughout the centuries have found reflections of their own time in its pages.

Armageddon and Judgment Day (Revelation 14–20)

Armageddon is a Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew words har megiddo, or “mountain of Megiddo,” a location in the Jezreel Valley of northern Israel. In antiquity, all roads connecting Africa with Asia and Europe passed near Megiddo, and its strategic position ensured that many important battles would be fought here, including, according to Revelation 16, the “final battle” between the forces of good and evil.

Reaping your reward: God’s final harvest

Before the climactic battle between good and evil, “one like a son of man” harvests the earth, and then an angel prepares some grapes to make wine (Revelation 14:14–20). These activities are not preparations for a party, but they are metaphors for preparations made just before God’s final judgment.

The one like a son of man is Jesus, who gathers a harvest of righteous people still on earth in order to spare them from the disasters about to come.

The harvest of grapes, which are trampled and made into wine, symbolizes God’s wrath, which He is about to pour out on the earth in judgment.

It is from Revelation 14:14–20, along with similar passages in the Hebrew Bible, that The Battle Hymn of the Republic gets its famous opening lines: “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the LORD. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.” (Sing it with us now!)

God serves up seven bowls of judgment

With the grapes of wrath fully trampled, God unleashes His wrath in the form of seven plague-wielding angels who pour out their bowls upon the earth:

The first bowl inflicts sores upon those who bear the mark of the beast and worship its image.

The second bowl is poured into the sea, turning it to blood and killing all of the sea creatures.

The third bowl similarly turns all of the world’s rivers into blood.

The fourth bowl is emptied on the sun creating intense heat that scorches people.

The fifth bowl is poured upon the beast signifying Rome, and it turns his kingdom dark.

The sixth bowl is dropped on the Euphrates River, causing it to dry up. This allows kings from the east and their armies to cross this great natural barrier. Three demonic spirits issue forth from the dragon, the Beast from the Sea, and the False Prophet (the Beast from the Earth), and they amass a great army for battle at Armageddon.

The dragon, the Beast from the Sea, and the Beast from the Earth represent a type of false or evil trinity, corresponding to the true and righteous Trinity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The seventh bowl is poured into the air, causing lightning, earthquakes, and resulting in the total destruction of Rome, here symbolized as “Babylon.”

The destruction of the great whore

In Revelation 17, John sees a “great whore” who has committed “adultery” with all the kings of the earth. She rides a seven-headed beast, she is elaborately dressed, and she is drunk from “the blood of the righteous ones.” So who is this whore? John tells us that the woman “is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18). During John’s day, this could be none other than Rome, which is further confirmed by the angel telling him that the seven heads of the beast represent seven hills, a common way to refer to Rome during John’s day. But these seven heads also represent “seven kings — five who have fallen, one who is, and one who is yet to come” (Revelation 17:10). If applied to John’s day, the five “kings” could refer to the five emperors leading up to Nero, who is the sixth (if we count Julius Caesar) or the five emperors since Jesus’ life, which would make Domitian “the one who is.” Whatever the case, the great whore or Rome (also called “Babylon the Great”), who gets drunk on the blood of the righteous, soon meets a catastrophic end as God destroys the city in judgment.

The final battle between good and evil

Once Rome is destroyed, God turns His attention toward the final defeat of Satan, which occurs in two stages.

The first great battle against Satan and his evil forces (both human and angelic) begins as the heavens open and a white horse bearing a rider named “Faithful and True” descends with the armies of heaven in his trail. The rider is Jesus, whose robe is “dipped in blood” (symbolizing Jesus’ death on the cross for sin), and from whose mouth “a sword” protrudes (symbolizing God’s truth or the Scriptures, with which Jesus earlier defeated Satan when tempted by him in the wilderness; see Chapter 18 of this book).

The earthly kings, under the leadership of Satan, gather to do battle against the white horse and its rider, as an angel in the sun calls the birds to prepare to eat the flesh of the evil armies (not a good sign if you’re one of the earthly kings). Because of the potency of Jesus’ death on the cross and the truth of the Scriptures, Jesus quickly defeats Satan’s forces, and casts the Beasts from the Sea and Earth into the “lake of fire” (symbolizing God’s eternal judgment). Satan is also captured, and he is bound in chains for 1,000 years.

During this 1,000-year period, all those who had been killed “because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God” are resurrected, and rule with Jesus over an earth devoid of the influence of the evil one. God’s will is now done on earth as it is in heaven.

After this 1,000-year period of heaven on earth, Satan is released from his chains and once more allowed to deceive the nations into doing battle against God. Surprisingly, and despite the thousand years of righteous rule, many follow Satan. Once gathered for battle, however, fire descends from heaven and destroys Satan’s evil army and finally, Satan himself is thrown into the “lake of fire” for eternity. With Satan’s removal, death is also destroyed.

The final judgment

With Satan defeated, all those who have ever lived are brought back to life to stand before God’s throne for the final judgment. During the proceedings, various books are opened that record everything anyone has ever done, and the world’s population is judged based on what is written in these books. Another book is opened, which is called the “Book of Life.” Anyone whose name is not found in this book is thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.

According to the New Testament, no one is righteous enough to go to heaven. Therefore, when God judges humankind based on what is written in the books recording everyone’s life, the assumption is that everyone is going to eternal judgment (what Revelation calls the lake of fire). The only exceptions to this rule are those who have received God’s provision for human wrongdoing — Jesus’ death on the cross. For those who have accepted Jesus’ payment for sin on their behalf, their names are written in the Book of Life, and they will live forever with God in heaven.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Paradise Regained (Revelation 21–22)

God’s creation, which had its beginning in the opening chapters of Genesis, now culminates in the last two chapters of Revelation. In fact, the closing chapters of Revelation contain numerous allusions to the opening chapters of Genesis, providing a fitting ending to the Christian Bible.

Here are some of the similarities between the beginning of Genesis and the end of Revelation:

With Satan and evil defeated, God creates a new heaven and a new earth, which recalls the opening line of the Hebrew Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.”

A “new Jerusalem” descends from heaven and becomes God’s dwelling place on earth among humans, which harkens back to the “old” Jerusalem, where God figuratively dwelt with Israel in the Temple, and which ultimately pictures the Garden of Eden, where God walked and talked with humans before they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Related to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, in this new Jerusalem there is no such tree. There is only a Tree of Life (or, more accurately, Trees of Life), which bring “healing to the nations” (Revelation 22:2).

At the end of Revelation, humans now live as God intended “in the beginning”: free from evil, pain, and death, and in perfect relationship with God, their fellow humans, and creation. Only unlike the Garden of Eden, there is no longer any potential for evil or the curse of pain and death it brings. Quite the contrary, John says of this new Jerusalem,

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former condition has passed away.

—Revelation 21:4

Thus, just like Dorothy returning to Kansas after her amazing adventure, humankind has come full circle, winding up right back where we started, right where we belong. And this is the happiest ending of all, because there’s no place like home.