Revelation is no usual book. It is a sweeping analysis of history from the first advent of Christ to the second. Jesus had promised that the Spirit would teach His apostles “all things” (John 14:26). The Spirit had come and fulfilled the promise. Apostles had communicated the authoritative word. The task of revelation was finished. The book of Revelation is the last apostolic word to the church. The Almighty Savior, seated at God’s right hand, opens His sovereign lips personally to declare that nothing is to be added to what has been recorded. Beware of meddling with Christ’s revelation. 

—Walter Chantry  

Source: Chantry, Walter. Signs of the Apostles. Edinburgh, UK: Banner of Truth, 197. Quote retrieved from Grace Quotes at gracequotes.org.

This is how the book of Revelation works. It is a picture book of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is as John says here, “the revelation of Jesus Christ” in other words what you and I are chiefly to see in the book of Revelation is not puzzles but a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There is a painting in the New Testament of which the New Testament is the book and revelation is the movie. You got that? There is a statement in the New Testament of which the rest of the New Testament is the book and the book of Revelation is the movie? Do you know what that statement is? It’s the words of our Lord in Matthew 16:18, “I am going to build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” And this is a story that’s told, isn’t it, in the Acts of the apostles and the rest of the New Testament, and here is the movie that the apostle John sees in high definition—technicolor—of the way in which the Lord Jesus Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will seek to prevail against it but never be able to overcome it.

—Sinclair Ferguson

Source: Ferguson, Sinclair. “Revelation or Obfuscation?.” Podcast Audio. This podcast originally appeared here at The Gospel Coalition.

No other book of the New Testament is as permeated by the Old Testament as is Revelation. Although its author seldom quotes the Old Testament directly, allusions and echoes are found in almost every verse of the book. Revelation’s message remains thoroughly “New Testament.” The church universal is called to maintain a faithful witness in the midst of persecution, following in the footsteps of the Lamb, who died to free them from their sins. Having conquered through faith, they are promised the blessing of eternal life in the presence of God in the new heaven and new earth, all with the purpose that they worship him and that he receive the glory forever. However, the imagery is drawn almost exclusively from the Old Testament, thus reminding the reader that redemption in Christ is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plans.  

—G.K. Beale and Sean M. McDonough

Source: Beale, G.K. and D.A. Carson. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

The fear most people identify with because the visions are so odd to a modern reader, is that they think: I can’t possibly understand it. But Jesus is the one who brings it to us, and Jesus knows our need. With the unhealthy interest, I’m thinking of the people who think that they’ve got some secret clue so that they can calculate the date of the second coming—which the Bible itself says you can’t know before hand—or they find secret messages within the book of Revelation, or they speculate about the details of the second coming. They spend, as it were, half of their Christian life just trying to puzzle things out. My message is partly that this is not a puzzle book; it’s a picture book. It’s not something that we just calculate from, but it’s something that is intended to move us with the big picture of Christ’s rule and God’s plan for history. 

—Vern Poythress  

Source: Poythress, Vern. Interview with Nancy Guthrie. Blessed: Conversations on the Book of Revelation with Nancy Guthrie. Podcast Audio. June 1, 2022. https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-blessed-the-organization-of-revelation-with-vern-poythress-episode-6/

As we dive deeper into the book of Revelation, Christians commonly walk away with two wrong responses. First is they hear about God’s awful wrath and the persecution on the church and they become scared, very scared. Second is they contemplate the heavy symbolism and make it their life’s goal to interpret the events down to the smallest detail. Then they often dogmatically defend their position, even to the expense of dividing the church. If the first individual has his head in the sand, the second has his head in the clouds! 

—Randy Smith  

Source: Randy Smith, quoted from his message, “The Beginning of the End—Part 2” on Revelation 6:1-17, preached on October 25, 2015. Adapted from Bruce Ware, Eschatology, biblicaltraining.org, retrieved from Grace Quotes. 

The lone fact that so many well-intentioned and intelligent Christians believe so variously when it comes to Revelation 20 must give us pause. The book of Revelation itself is probably the most curious and oft-debated piece of the canon. This ought to place us in a position of caution when either accepting or dismissing another’s interpretation. 

—Author Unknown  

Source: Author Unknown, retrieved from Grace Quotes

The word “revelation” is the Greek apokalupsis and means literally “unveiling” or “taking off the cover.” Thus this book is not intended to be mysterious or confusing, but illuminating and revealing. In this opening statement, John stresses the wonderful fact that Jesus Christ, even though now glorified in heaven, is still a resurrected man. In his continuing humanity (even though also deity), he received from God this prophetic unveiling of the future, with full authority to reveal it to his servants for their guidance and blessing.

—Henry Morris

Source: Some content taken from The Revelation Record by Henry M. Morris. Copyright © 1983. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Many contemporary discussions of Revelation are so preoccupied with what the book means that we’ve ignored what it’s for, which isn’t complicated: it is to be obeyed (Revelation 14:12) and rejoiced in (Revelation 19:7), and we are to be convicted (Revelation 2:16, 21) and emboldened (Revelation 2:10) by it. 

—Thomas Keene 

Source: Thomas Keene, quoted from his article “The Book of Revelation Comes with an Answer Key.” This article originally appeared here at The Gospel Coalition. 

The time is at hand (Revelation 1:3; 22:10). That’s not related necessarily to time itself but more to the sequence of events. [All that happens in Revelation] This is next on God’s calendar of Messianic events. 

—John MacArthur

Source: Copyright 2023, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This Grace to You article originally appeared here at gty.org.

Now the symbol of Jesus as the slain Lamb—this is crucially important for understanding the book. The Old Testament promise of God’s future, victorious kingdom was inaugurated through the crucified Messiah. Jesus overcame his enemies by dying for them as the Passover Lamb so they would be redeemed. Because of the resurrection, Jesus’ death on the cross was not a defeat; it was his enthronement. It was the way he conquered evil… The Lamb conquered his enemies by loving them and dying for them. And now the message of the Lamb’s scroll reveals the mission of his army. The church, God’s kingdom, will be revealed when the nations see the church imitating the loving sacrifice of the Lamb, not killing their enemies but dying for them. It is God’s mercy shown through Jesus’ followers that will bring the nations to repentance. 

—BibleProject  

Source: Revelation 1-11 are copyright 2016 by Bible Project and are available for viewing at www.bibleproject.com

Read the triumph of God in Revelation 21 and 22. Satan has not been victorious in his attempt to use sin to separate people from fellowship with God ever since his meeting with the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden. He has utterly failed, and we will be with Christ forever and ever! Yes, God’s story ends, “And they lived happily ever after.”  

Don’t try to overanalyze or interpret every little thing in the chapters of Revelation. Rather, meditate upon the contents of the chapters. This is heaven! How limited words are in explaining its glory! The fellowship between God and people is restored. God dwells with His people. Every purpose is realized and every promise is fulfilled. Heaven is the opposite of what we experience here. All is beautiful! 

The last words of Christ in his Revelation are “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). Our response should ever be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).  

—Henrietta Mears  

Source: This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.