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Taken together, Revelation 15-16 form “the beginning of the end” of the visions John sees of God’s judgement against the world. The seven plagues these chapters depict represent God’s “perfect” (complete, full) wrath. The praises in 15:2-4 come from those who have emerged victorious over the “beast;” now, they are seen standing on God’s side of the sea. The “song of Moses…and the Lamb” unites the faithful of both old and new testaments in one whole – “the saved” –…

The image of seven angels blowing trumpets in Revelation 8-11 echoes the basic message of the opening of the seals seen in chapters 4-7 – God’s judgement against all unrighteousness. Like the brief pause between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals when John saw those who are saved being “marked” to protect them against the coming judgement, the “break” between the sixth and seventh trumpets heightens the readers’ anticipation – “What will happen next?” During this break, John…

The image of seven angels blowing trumpets in Revelation 8-11 echoes the basic message of the opening of the seals seen in chapters 4-7 – God’s judgement against all unrighteousness. Like the brief pause between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals when John saw those who are saved being “marked” to protect them against the coming judgement, the “break” between the sixth and seventh trumpets heightens the readers’ anticipation – “What will happen next?” During this break, John…

The eighth chapter of the revelation brings us to the conclusion of John’s vision of the book (scroll) with seven seals. After the opening of the first six seals in chapters 4-6 and the “pause” seen in chapter 7, the final seal of the book is now opened. The opening of the seventh seal, which had concealed the contents of the book, might seem to suggest that “the end is near.” The appearance of the Lamb (ch. 6) had begun…

Chapter 4 begins the “hard” part of the revelation – the symbolic section of the vision John saw, that many readers find so challenging and difficult to understand. As noted previously, one of the reasons modern readers struggle to understand the revelation is because this style of literature is virtually unknown in modern western culture. Chapters 4-22 can be divided into a series of visions that share many common themes, even though the particulars of the visions themselves might seem…

“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” (Revelation 1:19) The instruction at the end of chapter 1 sets the context of the vision in vv. 10-20 and previews the rest of the Lord’s message to the churches in chapters 2 and 3 – “…things which you have seen, …which are, and…after this.” By the time John writes what he is told, the vision of chapter 1…

The first three verses of the Revelation provide its readers both the “title” of this book and explain its Source (i.e., “where it came from, and how it was transmitted to them”): “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants– things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,…

The basic purpose of the Revelation is to provide comfort and consolation to Christians facing or experiencing persecution because of their faith. To the modern (western-culture) reader, this may not seem obvious because the symbols and figures the Holy Spirit employs seem so “strange” to us – we don’t typically relate to images or recognize parallels as readily as we grasp plain, straightforward statements. (People in “eastern” cultures, however, often do not struggle in this way since they are often…

There is only one “revelation” – this letter’s proper “title” appears in its first sentence: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants– things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,” (Revelation 1:1). This means the last book of the bible is “the” revelation, NOT “revelations.” The inspired penman is John the apostle, and this letter dates from about 96 A.D. (some biblical scholars…

April 19, 1775 marks the genesis of a term we have come to know as “The shot heard round the world.” With the pull of a trigger, the hammer struck a primer igniting a single black powder charged rifle to propel a bullet downrange into enemy territory. While the mechanics of the gunshot are simplistic, the consequences were monumental. The battles of Lexington and Concord were underway, and from that point forward many would fight to the point of death…

Prayer is an awesome thing! I love the fact that we have a God who loves us and wants to listen to us. Whether things are going good or bad, we often want to talk to those who are closest to us. We talk to friends, spouses, family, or even pay to see a therapist. Sometimes we simply want to “get things off our chest.” Other times we may be seeking advice or just want others to know about what’s…

The need for Jude to “switch topics” and admonish Christians to stand up for the faith (instead of celebrating the joy of salvation, vs. 3) was rooted in the fact that “certain people” (vs. 4) were trying to change and corrupt the body of Christ. These were people who shamelessly masqueraded as faithful Christians in order to promote wanton behavior (“lasciviousness,” KJV) in place of the morality God’s grace would produce. (It seems they were using “grace” as an excuse…