Persevere
Revelation’s central charge is for Christians to persevere through tribulation with the hope that their endurance will lead to blessedness when Christ returns. John identified himself as a “brother and partner” with all believers “in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus” (1:9). Being a part of God’s kingdom means facing tribulation from the enemy. Satan hates God and Christians, and he goes “to make war … on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (12:17). He carries out his evil plan by empowering a beast “to make war on the saints” (13:7). John refashioned Daniel’s visionary imagery (Dan 7:1–8, 17) to identify the powers and authorities of this world as Satan’s chosen instrument for waging war against God’s kingdom. Satan twists earthly authorities to persecute the church, promote sinfulness, and suppress the spread of the Gospel. Amid a visionary description of Satan’s battle plans and his ultimate downfall, John twice paused to reinforce the vision’s message: “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints” (13:10; cf. 14:12).
Christians can faithfully persevere amid tribulation because Christ has already secured the victory of God’s kingdom through his death and resurrection. Satan wages war against God’s kingdom and earnestly desires to destroy God’s people, but the only reason he fights with such fury is “because he knows that his time is short” (12:12). We must persevere through trials and tribulations, but we can do so with confidence because we fight against a defeated foe.
Witness
We are in a real battle, but we do not wage war as the world does. Christians are those “who follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (14:4). If we are going to be conquerors (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21), we must conquer as Jesus did. Christ won the victory not through violence or military might; he conquered as the sacrificial Lamb who laid down his life for others (5:5–6). The very first title for Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation is “the faithful witness” (1:5). Likewise, Christians must faithfully proclaim the “testimony of Jesus” (19:10). Being a faithful witness amid a spiritual battleground is no easy task. The world will reject, persecute, and even kill those who preach the gospel (1:9; 6:9; 11:7–9). However, the work of Christ has already secured the victory over Satan, and believers “have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (12:9–11).
Worship
Jesus taught us to pray to our Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). Revelation provides a glimpse of what it looks like for God’s will to be done in his heavenly kingdom. On earth, Satan roams, sin corrupts, and death and destruction abound. In heaven, God is seated on his throne, surrounded by the hosts of heaven worshiping God and the Lamb (4:1–5:14). As it is now in heaven, so it will be in all creation when Christ returns.
Revelation communicated many of its central theological doctrines through worship. Worship identifies God as the sovereign creator of all things (4:11), the mighty savior (19:1), the one who is worthy of all honor and praise (15:3–4), and the one who judges righteously against his enemies (11:17–18; 16:5–7; 19:2–3). Revelation also demonstrates the divinity of Christ by identifying him as a recipient of worship, which is proper for God alone (19:10; 22:8). Just as the Father is “worthy … to receive glory and honor and power” (4:11), so the Lamb is likewise “worthy … to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (5:11).
The songs of praise in Revelation do not function merely as theological discourse; they also bid believers to participate. Even while we labor on this earth, Revelation invites us to taste the glories of heaven as we join our voices with the heavenly chorus singing praises to our great God who sits on the throne.
A Tip for the Pulpit
Most committed churchgoers could probably recount the big-picture story of Genesis. They might be fuzzy on some of the details, but they could start with creation; recall Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and conclude with Joseph in Egypt. Not so with Revelation. I began studying Revelation in depth around four years ago. Before then, I had read through the book a few times during Bible-reading plans, but I really did not know the story. I dare say this also describes most people sitting in the pews every Sunday. One can easily get lost in the details of John’s visions. Before people can rightly interpret any part of Revelation, they first need a good handle on the whole story.
One way that pastors can help their congregations see the big picture of Revelation is by preaching large portions of the text. Revelation is a highly structured book with (mostly) clear literary markers denoting its different sections. I recommend devoting one sermon to each major movement. Consider the following preaching plan:
1) Introduction and Trinitarian Greeting; Rev 1:1–8
2) The Glorified Christ Among His Churches; Rev 1:9–20
3) Christ’s Messages to His Churches; Rev 2:1–3:22
4) God’s Heavenly Throne; Rev 4:1–5:14
5) The Seven Seals; Rev 6:1–8:1
6) The Seven Trumpets; Rev 8:2–11:19
7) Conquering Satan through Faithfulness unto Death; Rev 12:1–15:4
8) The Seven Bowls of Wrath; Rev 15:5–21
9) Babylon the Prostitute & New Jerusalem the Bride; Rev 17:1–19:21
10) All Things New; Rev 20:1–22:21
Preaching large sections is hard work, but it forces the pastor to keep the text’s main message at the forefront of the sermon.
Cody Roberts
Cody Roberts serves as pastor of Red Bluff Baptist Church. A native of Winfield, Alabama, he holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Cody and his wife, Becky, have one daughter and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their second.
- Cody Roberts
