Pastor, Preach the Revelation of Jesus Christ
Greg Schmidt
Have you preached through the book of Revelation, or have you avoided it – worried that it’s too cryptic, confusing, complicated, or controversial? Maybe you’ve passed over it to avoid the eschatological debates and divisions that might surface in your church. I’m here to warn you, if you keep avoiding Revelation, you will be depriving your people of some of the most powerful and awe-inspiring images of Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. I’m not just warning you – I’m exhorting you, even admonishing you, pastor, preach the Revelation of Jesus Christ to your church family!
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation 1:1 begins with a clear stated purpose: this is “the revelation of Jesus Christ...” For all the wonderful and, at times, lively conversations the book of Revelation may spark in your ministries, it is very important to keep the simplicity of Revelation 1:1 front and center. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ that is all about Jesus Christ, given by Jesus Christ. [1] This revelation was given to the Apostle John, to the seven churches, and to us. This book and these visions are saturated with soul-stirring, sin-convicting images of Jesus that drive the church to give ultimate loyalty to the victorious Lamb while we are surrounded by temptations to compromise to the pressures of this world.
As we unpack the Christ-centered visions that Jesus gave to the Apostle John, we must pay careful attention to how much time we give to eschatological speculations, end times charts, and possible modern day fulfillments of biblical prophecy. No question, the book of Revelation addresses future events. John says this is 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). Later, John connects this vision to specific eschatological details, saying, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (Rev 1:7). If we are faithfully preaching the text, we will faithfully lead our people to think about the future. However, it is important to remember that this was written to seven literal churches in the first century, meaning some of what was written has likely been fulfilled in the past, while some applies directly to our present realities, whether seen or unseen. The varied genres of Revelation (Apocalyptic, Epistle, Prophecy, and Narrative) need to be considered while we discipline ourselves to remember the most important present and future reality that Revelation unveils: the triumph of the Lamb is the greatest message we can preach!
Both Hard and Easy to Preach
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is hard to preach in that it requires us to read these visions with first century perspectives. Like any good Bible expositor, we must first understand what this meant to John’s original readers, requiring us to have a substantial understanding of the historical and cultural context of the day. The cultural context that John was writing from and to includes both the Jewish Scriptures and the pagan culture under the rule of the Roman Empire.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ can be easy to preach because the best illustration of Scripture is Scripture itself. If there are over 500 allusions to the Old Testament in this book [2], we can regularly turn our people back to key passages like Daniel 7 and 10, showing the heavenly interchange between the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man, alluded to frequently in Revelation (Rev 1:13–16). Pointing our people to the Scriptural allusions in the book can be a more effective and Christ-exalting illustration of the text than other personal illustrations we may find ourselves instinctively using at other times. When we faithfully preach the tone and message of this book, we’ll find ourselves naturally serving as worship leaders, highlighting the beauties of Jesus Christ that drive us to our knees in humble submission.
Revelation is also easy to preach because we have extensive resources that illuminate the culture of the pagan Roman Empire. These commentaries reveal the intense pressure the church faced to worship Caeser as god, along with the accounts of faithful believers who refused to bend their knees, such as Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, whose martyrdom is foreshadowed in Revelation 2:10. They also shed light on the rampant polytheism in these seven cities and the temptations Christians faced to engage in the immorality and idolatry of their time, like the worship of Artemis in Ephesus. The historical insights and resources available to help us navigate the cultural context are vast [3].
The Magnum Opus of Revelation
When we study Revelation in its proper context, we discover John’s central message: Jesus reveals himself as the slain Lamb, victorious Warrior, and the reigning King. Through this, he encourages, exhorts, and admonishes his people – from the first century to the end of time – to remain faithful and loyal to King Jesus during intense persecution, immense tragedy, and tragic suffering. G.K. Beale is helpful in this regard:
The goal of Revelation is to bring encouragement to believers of all ages that God is working out His purposes even in the midst of tragedy, suffering, and apparent Satanic domination. It is the Bible’s battle cry of victory, for in it, more than anywhere else in the New Testament, is revealed the final victory of God over all the forces of evil. As such, it is an encouragement to God’s people to persevere in the assurance that their final reward is certain and to worship and glorify God despite trials and despite temptations to march to the world’s drumbeat [4].
It is Jesus’ glorious and vivid revelations of himself that encourage and convict God’s people to remain faithful and not compromise. These visions are the magnum opus of Revelation. These visions are the fuel and fire that drive our worship and faithfulness. These visions are the climax and culmination of all of the ways Jesus himself has been promised and revealed in the rest of the Bible. It is here in Revelation where we piece together Jesus’ intentional depiction of himself. He is both the Lion and the Lamb. He is the holy Warrior, Judge, and gracious Savior. He is the one who sees and knows all, standing against his enemies and sealing and fighting for his bride.
Starting in Revelation 1:8–20, John sees the Son of Man standing among the seven churches, holding the seven stars. This imagery connects to Daniel 7 and 10, emphasizing that Jesus is one with the Ancient of Days. This assures the churches that Jesus knows their situation and is with them in their trials. Each of the seven messages to the churches in Revelation 2–3 includes a reminder of certain aspects of Jesus’ vision given to John in 1:8–20.
In Revelation 4–5, the scene shifts to the throne room of God, where the Ancient of Days sits in glory. John sees a scroll that cannot be opened and then hears of the Lion of Judah, who is in fact worthy to open the scroll. However, when he looks, he sees a slain Lamb standing in the throne room. Jesus, the conquering Lion, shows his conquering power through his humble sacrifice! In Revelation 7:9, a great multitude praises the Lamb for salvation, reinforcing his role as the victorious, reigning Savior.
Revelation 12:1–6 portrays the birth of a male child, representing Christ, who will “rule all nations with a rod of iron.” In Revelation 14:1–5, Jesus is revealed as the Lamb on Mount Zion, surrounded by the 144,000 who are sealed and protected. Revelation 14:14–20 offers another powerful image, where the Son of Man appears with a crown, holding a sickle to harvest the earth, separating the righteous from the wicked, and placing the wicked in the great winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.
In Revelation 17:14, we are reminded that those who oppose the Lamb will be defeated, while his followers are called “chosen and faithful.” Revelation 19:6–10 presents the marriage supper of the Lamb, where God's people, his bride, celebrate their union with him. In Revelation 19:11–16, Jesus is depicted as a warrior on a white horse, judging and making war. His robe is dipped not in the blood of his enemies, but in his own blood poured out for his people. Once again, Jesus is shown as the divine warrior and sacrificial Lamb, the "King of kings and Lord of lords."
Finally, in Revelation 22:12–16, Jesus declares himself the "Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end," and affirms his identity as the Root and Descendant of David, the bright morning star. In these stunning revelations, Jesus is shown as the triumphant King, the sacrificial Lamb, the divine warrior, and the eternal Savior.
Truly, these are some of the most awe-inspiring depictions of Jesus revealed to us in the Scriptures!
Conclusion
Our people need to see these visions of Jesus Christ taken from both the Old and New Testaments. Our people need to be reminded of these visions of Jesus Christ that show us his work as judge over all the earth. Our people need to have their worship inspired, not by shallow motivational messages, but by our faithful presentation of what the Word reveals to us of our Savior and King. Our people need their affections for this world challenged by the deeper and more satisfying affections that should arise as they hear the double-edged sword of Jesus’ words. Our churches and those who claim to be a part of our churches need to be warned against the danger of compromise and the consequence of giving our loyalty to other gods. Our people need to be reminded in the face of adversity that our Savior will continue to reign victorious. Our people need to be reminded that tribulation will come with loyalty to Christ’s kingdom, while we’re also equipped and empowered by God himself to patiently endure through it till the end (Rev 1:9). Our people need to be encouraged to be among those who conquer and receive the crown of life, eat from the tree of life, escape the second death, are given a new name, and rule the nations with a rod of iron alongside Jesus Christ.
Our people need to be shown the Apokaluyis (unveiling) of Jesus Christ [5]. Pastor, preach the Revelation of Jesus Christ!
Greg Schmidt - Restoration Church - Wausau, Wisconsin
[1] Darrell Johnson, Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey through the Book of Revelation (Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2004), 6.
[2] “…as many as 278 out of 404 verses in Revelation contain references to the OT and that over five hundred allusions to OT texts are made in total (compared with less than two hundred in all of Paul’s letters)” (G. K. Beale, A Shorter Commentary on the Book of Revelation [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015], 1.
[3] I have personally found more helpful resources for the book of Revelation than any other single book I have preached from Scripture. Eight resources that I have found most helpful: Darrell Johnson, Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey through the Book of Revelation (Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2004), G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), G. K. Beale, A Shorter Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015), William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1940), James M. Hamilton Jr., Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches, Preaching the Word (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), and Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020).
[4] G. K. Beale, A Shorter Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015), 1.
[5] Apokaluyis in the Greek literally means to “lay bare” or to “disclose truth” or to “manifest.”