Five keys to understanding Revelation
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne. ~ Revelation 1:4
Have you ever started reading something and thought, “I think I know what this is about,” only to discover that you had it completely wrong? That was me with the book of Revelation!
But as I began to study Revelation, I discovered that the book isn’t centered around the Antichrist. It isn’t even centered around the apostle John. It’s centered around Jesus Christ. Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus, His authority, His victory, His plan, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purposes. That’s when I realized that the book of Revelation in the Word of God is still His story!
That realization completely changed the way I read this book. Instead of being afraid of what was coming, I became fascinated by what God was revealing. The more I studied, the more I realized that Revelation isn’t meant to leave God’s people hopeless and terrified. It gives us hope, assurance, direction, and a reminder that no matter how chaotic things look, God is still on the throne and His plan is still at work.
As we begin this journey through the book of Revelation together, I want to start with five keys that I believe will help us understand Revelation and, more importantly, receive what God wants to show us through it.
1. The central theme is the revealing of Jesus Christ
The very first words of Revelation tell us, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” That’s our starting point. Revelation isn’t the revealing of the Antichrist. It isn’t the revelation of John. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord. The King of kings and Lord of lords.
God gave Jesus this revelation to show His servants what must take place. This is God’s invitation to His people to understand what He is doing and how we partner with His Spirit as He continues His purposes in this age. When we keep Jesus at the center, the rest of the book begins to make more sense.
As we begin this journal, start by following these steps:
- Before you read, ask the Holy Spirit, “Show me something about You today.”
- Look for what each passage reveals about God’s character, Jesus’ authority, and His plan.
- Don’t make the enemy the main character or focus in your reading. Remember who has the final word.
- When something seems confusing, don’t panic. Keep reading and keep asking the Holy Spirit for understanding.
2. Jesus’ servants are meant to understand this revelation
Revelation can certainly seem mysterious. There are symbols, numbers, creatures, heavenly scenes, judgments, battles, and events that can make you think, “Okay, Lord, I’m going to need some help with this one!”
That’s exactly the point. This isn’t a book we’re expected to understand simply through human reasoning. Jesus gave this revelation to His servants, and He gives His people the Holy Spirit to help us understand spiritual truths.
Recognize that there are things God wants His people to know. It’s almost like an encrypted message that has been preserved through generations, not because God wants to keep us in the dark, but because He wants us to seek Him for understanding.
Follow these steps to remember:
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding before you begin reading.
- Read slowly. Revelation isn’t a book to speed through just so you can check it off your Bible reading plan.
- Write down what you understand and also write down what you don’t understand. Don’t feel like you have to figure everything out in one sitting.
- Let Scripture interpret Scripture. When something seems confusing, look at what the rest of the Bible says about that subject.
3. Everything in Revelation points back to God’s redemptive plan
The stories and events taking place in heaven and on earth are woven around God’s plan and the central role of Jesus. There are going to be some passages that seem frightening. There will be events that are difficult to understand. There will be battles, judgment, persecution, and things that make us uncomfortable.
But don’t lose sight of the bigger story. It’s still His story. God hasn’t lost control. Jesus hasn’t lost His authority. The enemy isn’t suddenly in charge. Even when Revelation describes things happening on earth, heaven is still heaven. God is still on the throne.
That’s important for us today because sometimes our own lives can feel a little like Revelation. Things can get chaotic, circumstances can seem completely out of control, and we can wonder, “God, what in the world are You doing?” This book of Revelation reminds us that what looks chaotic from our perspective isn’t chaotic to God.
Remember this:
- When life feels out of control, remind yourself that God is still on the throne.
- Don’t allow frightening circumstances to become bigger in your mind than God’s promises.
- Look for God’s faithfulness even in difficult passages.
- When you’re tempted to focus on what the enemy is doing, shift your attention back to what Jesus is doing.
4. Some chapters give us additional details and background
As we move through Revelation, there will be chapters that seem to interrupt the flow of the story. You may think, “Wait a minute, where did we go now?” Don’t worry. You’re not lost!
Some portions provide additional details about what is happening in heaven and on earth. Some passages give us background information that helps us understand what is taking place from a higher perspective. Not everything is presented like a straight chronological timeline from beginning to end.
Sometimes God gives us the big picture, then backs up and gives us more information about what we just read. It’s kind of like watching a movie where the director suddenly says, “Let’s go back and look at what was happening over here.” It doesn’t mean the story stopped. It means you’re getting more information.
Keep these points in mind as you read:
- Don’t get discouraged when the sequence seems difficult to follow.
- Pay attention to repeated themes, people, places, numbers, and events.
- Ask, “What is this passage helping me understand about the bigger story?”
- Keep reading instead of getting stuck trying to solve every detail immediately. It’s a plan not a puzzle.
5. Lastly, Revelation speaks about the past, present, and future
Remember, Revelation was written almost 2,000 years ago.
Some of what John saw relates to events that were happening in his own time. Some truths continue to speak to the church today, and some things point toward what is still to come. That means we need to be careful not to read every verse as though it was written directly to our generation and our newspaper headlines.
John was writing to real churches, living in a real world, facing real persecution and uncertainty. They needed hope then, and we need hope now. This book is timeless and the imagery was intended to span the ages so we could understand it still today. Here’s the amazing part. The God who was faithful to them is still faithful to us.
Revelation reminds us that God holds all of history in His hands. He was there in the beginning, He is here with us now, and He will still be God when everything we know has passed away. He is the One who was, and is, and is to come.
Grace and peace for today
In today’s reading, John begins his message with a greeting to the seven churches. Because Jesus had given John a message for the churches, John begins much like the other New Testament letters, with a powerful reminder of the gift of grace and peace.
I love that because before John begins talking about everything that is going to happen, he reminds the churches where their peace comes from. Grace and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come. The world around them was filled with uncertainty, persecution, and turmoil, but their God was still the same Father that loved them and rescued them. And He is still the same for us today.
We live in a world that can change from one day to the next. News changes. Circumstances change. People change. Plans change. Our schedules change. Sometimes our plans change before we’ve even finished making them! But God doesn’t change. He is our constant in an ever changing world.
We can take the same encouragement John gave those churches and carry it into our lives today. When we’re facing uncertainty, God is still our refuge. When we’re facing a difficult assignment, His grace is still sufficient. When we’re walking through a storm, His peace is still available. The great part is that we can give that same grace and peace away, today.
There may be someone in your life today who doesn’t need another explanation about everything going wrong in the world. They may simply need someone to remind them that God is still good, still present, and still working. You can be that person.
Here are some ways to live this out today:
- Remember to start your reading by asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you.
- When you feel anxious about the future, remind yourself that God holds the future.
- When you encounter something confusing in Revelation, write down your question instead of giving up. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal answers as your read.
- Look for Jesus throughout every chapter.
- Share the grace and peace you’ve received with someone who needs encouragement.
- When the world feels unstable, make God’s unchanging character your place of stability.
- Don’t read Revelation just to find out what happens at the end. Read it to know the One who holds the ending in His hands.
Today I want to encourage you to as we continue through Revelation, don’t approach this book with fear. Approach it with expectation. Don’t begin by asking, “What is the Antichrist going to do?” Begin by asking, “What is Jesus revealing about Himself?” Don’t allow the difficult passages to keep you from the beautiful ones. Don’t allow what you don’t understand to overshadow what you do understand.
You may not understand every symbol, every number, or every event the first time you read it, and that’s okay. I certainly didn’t. But you can understand this: God is still on the throne. Jesus is still Lord. His grace is still available. His peace is still ours. And His story is still moving toward His ultimate victory.
So let’s keep reading. Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom. Because Revelation isn’t simply a book about what is coming. It’s a revelation of who Jesus is and when you know who holds the future, you don’t have to be afraid of the future.
Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 1:4-8
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Journal:
- What has been your perception of the book of Revelation before beginning this study? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What stood out to you most from Revelation 1:4 – 8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What does this passage reveal to you about Jesus? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is the One “who was and who is and who is to come”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Where in your life do you need God’s grace and peace right now? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Are there things about the future that you’ve allowed to create fear in you? How can you surrender those fears to God? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What is one thing you’re asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you as you continue through Revelation? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
