Introduction
The Book of Revelation is the final part of the New Testament and the only one presenting apocalyptic descriptions. The author describes himself as “John,” but he fails to offer more details. That is why experts typically believe that John the Apostle is the author, but no conclusive evidence is present to claim it. The Book describes the struggle between the forces of good and evil that will occur when the present age comes to an end. When the battle reaches its climax, God will intervene by sending the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to destroy the evil forces and establish righteousness in the world. The following slides will present the summary of the Book structure and its interpretations.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The Revelation begins with the description of how John received the revelation of Jesus Christ (New International Version, Rev. 1:1-9). Someone who was like a son of a man instructed John to write to seven churches about what he saw and heard (Rev 1:10-13). In addition to that, Christ appeared with seven stars and seven golden lampstands. He explained to John that the stars represented the angles, while the lampstands stood for the churches (Rev 1:20). This information serves as the beginning of the Book and guides the further description.
Letters to Seven Churches
John writes letters to seven churches, including Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. While addressing each of them, John highlights the importance of leading righteous lives because this approach will provide them with various benefits. For example, an opportunity to eat from the tree of life is given to those from the church in Ephesus who will manage to overcome evil forces till the end (Rev. 2:7). The letter to Smyrna indicates that faithful people will not be hurt by the second death (Rev. 2:11). In summary, all the letters demonstrate that people will obtain versatile benefits from being good.
The Scroll and Seven Seals
John is given the vision of the Throne in Heaven and meets the scroll with seven seals. The Lamb is the only creature that is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll (Rev. 5:7-9). These seals stand for disasters that bring much evil to the Earth. For example, when the fourth seal was opened, Death on a pale horse appeared (Rev. 6:7-8). Simultaneously, the sixth seal brought a powerful earthquake that made the moon turn red and the sky fall to the Earth (Rev. 6:12-13). The seventh seal introduces angels that are given seven trumpets.
Seven Trumpets
The seven trumpets are sounded, and they bring much fire and destruction to the Earth. The fifth trumpet is the fallen star, and it represents the First Woe (Rev. 9:1-12). The Second Woe is promoted by the sixth trumpet and occurs when two hundred million horsemen are released and kill the third part of humanity (Rev. 9:13-21). As for the seventh trumpet causing the Third Woe, the Seven Spiritual Figures lead to it. In turn, the Third Woe will further result in the seven bowls bringing more pain and disasters to humanity.
The Seven Spiritual Figures and the Seven Bowls
The Seven Spiritual Figures were those creatures that marked the coming of the Third Woe. A Woman with the sun on her back, who was pregnant with a boy, was the first of them (Rev. 12:1-2). Others were a Dragon and beasts, while the Beast out of the Earth was notable because it made people bear its number – 666 (Rev. 13:17-18). Consequently, the Third Woe happened because the Seven Bowls were poured onto the Earth. They brought blood, darkness, and pain, and the forces of good and evil entered the final battle at Armageddon (Rev. 16:1-21). This event was the culmination point of the entire Book.
Consequences
After the battle, New Babylon was destroyed, and all people mourned its disappearance while John saw it because the angel with seven bowls displayed this vision (Rev. 18:1-19). All the people also praised God for beating evil forces (Rev. 19:1-5). Simultaneously, the wedding supper of the Lamb occurs to celebrate the victory (Rev. 19: 7-9). In addition to that, God destroys beaten enemies and casts the Beast, the False Prophet, the wicked, Death, and Hades into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11-15). This description reveals that good forces managed to overcome evil ones, which allowed for establishing peace and harmony in the entire world.
A New Heaven, a New Earth, and the New Jerusalem
New Heaven and New Earth replace the old ones, bringing many benefits. Thus, there is no more death and pain in the world (Rev. 21:4). God also resides in the New Jerusalem with people, which brings more harmony to them (Rev. 21:3). In addition to that, the river of life and the tree of life became available for people, providing them with numerous benefits and depriving them of the curse (Rev. 22:1-3). In conclusion, the Book ends with Christ’s words stating that he will come soon (Rev. 22:20). This statement provides people with hope that evil forces will soon disappear and a better life will come.
Differing Interpretations
There are different approaches to interpreting the Book of Revelation and its contents. Firstly, historicist and preterist interpretations believe that the stipulated events are real. The difference between them is that historicists consider the Book a generalized overview of history. However, preterists think that the events occurred during the Apostolic Age or when the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century. Secondly, futurists stipulate that the Book presents the events that will occur in the future. Finally, the symbolic approach indicates that the Book offers a general overview of the struggle between good and evil sources. Each of these viewpoints is worth considering because it is impossible to state that one of them is the most convincing.
Conclusion
The Book of Revelation can have practical meaning and be used to impact the intended “audience.” The Book depicts the struggle between good and evil sources, demonstrating that the present world is full of pain, suffering, and death. However, individuals should choose the good side and consider Jesus Christ their savior. When the final battle occurs, people should demonstrate that they are against evil forces to enter the New Earth. In addition to that, the Book demonstrates that people should live faithful and righteous lives to overcome evil forces and reckon on spiritual benefits in the future.
Work Cited
New International Version. Biblica, Web.