Believe it or not, the first book of the Bible that I did an in-depth and formal study of was the Book of Revelation. This is the last book of the Bible and often viewed as one of the most difficult to understand, so I guess I started at the end rather than the beginning and jumped right into the deep end! While I am immensely thankful for that study, I would not recommend it as the first book for someone to study. That is in large part because so much of the book draws upon images and ideas that come from other parts of the Bible; it is kind of like the last book or movie in a long series that is best understood when you know you have watched or read the prequels. I’m not saying you can’t study it until you have read all of the other books in the Bible, but I do think that it is fitting that it stands at the very end of our Bibles.

I have to confess that since doing that study of Revelation almost thirty years ago, I have not spent a ton of time studying it for a number of reasons. One is that I have simply focused on other parts of the Bible in my studies and research, working primarily in the gospels during my doctoral program and then teaching courses on them and on the Book of Acts and Paul’s Letters. Perhaps the biggest reason is that I have seen some studies of this book having a negative impact, causing people to become distracted over details and denounce those who have different views on these details; rather than leading to love and unity it often leads to division and arrogance. In saying that, I am not primarily pointing the finger at others but rather at myself, as I saw that happen in my early study of the book and then later when I would look back and critique some of the views and ideas I had been taught and held.

I decided to do more study of the book this past year, reading it closely and also reading through a number of different books discussing it. I did so for my own benefit but also to be able to write and teach on it. Not only has my overall understanding of the book itself grown – probably in part because I understand the rest of the Bible much better than when I was 16! – but also my understanding of its purpose and value for us. I believe that all Scripture is profitable and serves to teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and train us in righteousness (see 2 Timothy 3:16), and this book is no exception. It has been misinterpreted and misapplied in many ways, but such misunderstandings and misuses of it should not detract from what it intends to do. 

I’ll highlight three particular purposes and benefits of this book that have come to mind as I have been studying it and thinking about it over the past year. 

To Find Comfort Even in the Chaos and Confusion
The opening chapter of Revelation features the risen and exalted Lord Jesus appearing and speaking to the Apostle John while he was on the island of Patmos, not because he was on vacation but because he had been sent there as a punishment and restraint upon his ministry by the authorities. How Jesus looks and what he says (see Revelation 1:12-20) should bring comfort to us. John’s description of him points to his power and majesty; he is greater than anyone on this earth. In addition, he says that he was dead but is now alive and that he holds the keys of death and Hades; he is in complete control. In his hands are lampstands that represent the churches; he’s got the whole world in his hand and his church in his hand. The world may seem to be spinning out of control at times, but this opening vision and then the words that follow show that we have hope in the midst of all of it. He hasn’t and won’t forget us. He can’t and won’t lose. The more I read the book, the more I am reminded of that truth. Even if it seems like things in this world aren’t conforming to His kingdom, we know that he has a plan and he has power.

To Grow In Courage in the Midst of Circumstances That Could Provoke Fear
Not only should Revelation comfort our hearts, but it should also put courage into them. When Jesus appears to John, he tells him “Don’t be afraid” (1:17). While many are afraid of reading this book and many are afraid of what it says, Jesus says “don’t be afraid”; this book blesses us by casting out fear and putting courage into our hearts. This courage should lead us to be witnesses to Jesus’s work even in the midst of hard times. The importance of testifying to Jesus’s work is found in the fact that Jesus is named as the “faithful witness” (1:5) and those who are said to “conquer” do so “by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony” – witness and testimony come from the same word. John was in prison for the “testimony” of Jesus (1:9) and could be tempted to stop testifying to what Jesus has done, but the book calls for him and for us to witness as we wait for His return. We are given a picture of what will happen at the end not so that we can claim that we know something that others don’t, but rather so that we will proclaim the truth of what Jesus has done in the past so that others can share in the hope and comfort that Jesus brings.

To Increase in Our Love For Christ When Tempted to Love Other Things More
The churches that first received the Book of Revelation were being tempted to compromise or abandon their faith. That can happen in a number of ways, such as through believing false teachings or engaging in immoral practices. It can also happen through complacency, forgetting who Jesus is and what he has done. That is easy to do in the midst of a world that confronts us with greed and sensuality and packages up lies in ways that make them look an awful lot like the truth. It can even happen through taking pride in what we know rather than in the person that we follow. Revelation reminds us of who Jesus is over and over again to remind us of who He is and why He alone is worthy of our worship; the pathway to resistance to lies and persistence in the truth comes through deepening our devotion to Jesus. 

Blessed If You Read and Keep The Blessing
Confusing details and contentious debates should not obscure the fact that we are blessed to have the Book of Revelation. In fact, we are told in the book that there is a blessing upon those who read it and hear it – and keep it (see Revelation 1:3; 22:7). I think that the word “keep” is very important here. Revelation is not about knowing things about the future but rather about keeping God’s Word in whatever you might be experiencing now. Let us read it and hear it so that we might keep it and experience the blessing that comes as we worship the Lamb and witness to His work in the midst of the twists and turns we might encounter until he comes and we experience the new heavens and new earth. 

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible translations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.