GUEST POST – Straight to the heart of Revelation

Last updated on: September 16, 2017 at 6:31 pm by Adrian Warnock

GUEST POST – Straight to the heart of Revelation 2017-09-16T18:31:21+01:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The following post is an extract from Straight to the heart of Revelation:

INTRODUCTION: GOD IS ON THE THRONE

“And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:10)

The President of the United States rules from the Oval Office. He sits on a chair behind the impressive Resolute desk and in front of the carpeted Seal of the President. The whole room is designed, in the words of President Bartlet in the TV series ‘The West Wing’, “to remind guests that this is the office of the President of the United States, and that the person on this side of the desk is the President.” Even in a democracy, there is no doubt that one chair tops them all.

Ancient kings were less subtle in the way they demonstrated this fact. King Solomon made a throne of ivory and gold so that he could sit at the top of six magnificently decorated steps, with his feet resting on a footstool of pure gold. The Persian King Xerxes appears in the film “300” at the top of a massive throne reached by twenty ivory steps, with the whole structure transported at his bidding on the shoulders of several dozen slaves. His herald loudly proclaims him to be “the ruler of all the world, the god of gods, king of kings,” but his throne already conveyed this claim without words. It tells us that Xerxes is in control. Xerxes will prevail. Xerxes is to be obeyed.

That’s why thrones and their modern, democratic equivalents play such an important role in times of great crisis. It’s why President Reagan addressed America from his chair in the Oval Office after the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, and why President Bush addressed America from the same chair on the day that two passenger jets crashed into the Twin Towers in New York. Both Presidents chose to address the nation from their ‘throne’ in a show of force that they were still seated in the Oval Office and that they would prevail. In George W. Bush’s words: “They have failed; our country is strong… The functions of our government continue without interruption.”

We need to understand all this if we are to grasp the message of the book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible is not primarily about weird beasts, strange allegories, or encoded detail about the final years of Planet Earth. It’s a book which focuses on one great fact which trumps all others throughout the whole of AD history. It’s a simple fact, but a fact which changes everything: God is on the Throne of the universe.

The Greek word thronos, from which we get our English word throne, is only used 15 times in the New Testament leading up to the book of Revelation. It’s in the background in the gospels when Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom has come, and it moves to the foreground in Acts when the apostles go into all the world to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. But it’s in the book of Revelation that the Throne of God moves centre-stage. The word is used 46 times and in 17 of the 22 chapters. Again and again John’s vision picks up on the many Old Testament references to the Throne of Heaven, and tells us that one fact is central to the Christian worldview and to how Christians must live within AD history. God is on the Throne. God is in control. God will prevail.

John received this vision whilst exiled on the Greek island of Patmos in about 95AD. He was aged about a hundred, the last surviving disciple, and his exile hadn’t dented his position as the elder-statesman of the Church. Times were bad, very bad, and the Church stood at a moment of extreme crisis. The early apostles had all been killed by beheading, crucifixion or worse. Thousands of ordinary Christians had been martyred in wave after wave of persecution, either as human torches in Nero’s gardens or as fodder for the lions at the public games. Even worse than this persecution from the outside was the way that the Church had also become riddled on the inside with false teaching, immorality and corruption. Even the faithful had begun to flounder in disappointment and despair. Whatever had happened to Daniel’s picture of the Kingdom of God filling the whole earth? What had happened to the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the unstoppable advance which Jesus promised to the Church?

It was in this tumultuous context that Jesus appeared to John to give him answers for the Church. The first word of the book in Greek is apokalupsis, which means Revelation or simply Apocalypse, and which literally means disclosure, laying bare or unveiling. The Revelation John received is Jesus’ message to his suffering and bewildered Church which lays bare his plans and purposes for the period between his ascension and his triumphant Second Coming. If at first it seems daunting, inaccessible and frankly a bit weird, then that’s because it is packed with divine secrets which are meant for-our-eyes-only. Daniel received an apocalyptic vision like John’s several hundred years earlier and was told that he received it in a series of strange pictures so that “none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” We need to understand John’s Revelation in the same way, as a deliberately baffling series of pictures and portents which reveal God’s purposes and strategies to his People alone. If the Holy Spirit brings them to life then they provide answers to our deepest questions, but if he does not then they will only yield ideas for fantasy novelists and the writers of computer games. The book can be divided simply along the following lines:

Chapter 1 John’s vision of Jesus and the start of the Revelation
Chapters 2-3 A first overview of AD history – The Seven Churches
Chapters 4-5 John’s vision of Heaven and the continuation of the Revelation
Chapters 6-7 A second overview of AD history – The Seven Seals
Chapters 8-11 A third overview of AD history – The Seven Trumpets
Chapters 12-14 A fourth overview of AD history seen from Three Perspectives
Chapters 15-16 A fifth overview of AD history – The Seven Bowls
Chapters 17-20 A sixth overview of AD history which expands on the Seventh Bowl
Chapters 21-22 John’s vision of the Age to Come and the end of the Revelation

I have written this book because we still live in the time of John’s crisis and because the Revelation he received from Jesus is still the definitive answer to today’s big questions. It’s God’s answer to the questions which face us every day of our lives, and it’s time for us to rediscover the book of Revelation and its message of hope.

In a world where an estimated 170,000 Christians are martyred for their faith each year, we still need the Revelation which Jesus gave to John.

In a world where the Church remains terribly flawed and where every week sees another church close down and its building turned into a nightclub, a restaurant or a mosque, we need the Revelation which Jesus gave to John.

It’s a Revelation which changes everything. It’s a Revelation that God is on the Throne. And he is working out his strategies from the control-room of Heaven.

Books

Previous Post

July 1, 2010

GUEST POST- Phil Moore on Holy Joe

Next Post

July 3, 2010 GUEST POST - Revelation is all about Jesus

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "I am the resurrection and the life"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter Paul Jesus Moses

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »