My Seven Favorite Images From Revelation

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, speaks to Christians struggling to live faithfully in the face of societal pressures pulling them way from God. Using hundreds of images from the Old Testament, John the Seer describes as best he can the divine visions given to him while he was exiled on the Island of Patmos. Through symbolism, allegory, metaphors and layers of meaning John proclaims boldly that God rules and overrules in the affairs of humankind. These seven important images from Revelation help me remember that God wins!

7. The Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Messiah
Revelation 11:15-19

The kingdom of the world has become God's Kingdom: a Kingdom of justice and wrath. Those who choose not to serve God will suffer because of their choice. In verse 19 we are given an image reminiscent to the description of the events immediately following Jesus' death on the cross in Luke. Here, wonderfully, the temple "was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen..." Nothing separates God from his people.

6. Two Harvests
Revelation 14:14-20

In Revelation John describes two harvests. It's different from the harvest parables in the Gospels because there is no separation between good grain and weeds. First the "Son of Man" harvests all the "grain" on earth. In the second harvest an angel uses a sickle to collect "the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." All of the grapes must go through the "wine press of God's wrath" located outside the city. The grain and grapes symbolize people and all people, sinners that we are, will suffer the consequences of poor choices. But through the blood of the Lamb, shed outside the city, there is hope. The image in verse 20 of a river of blood 200 miles long coming from the press is quite disturbing, but this horror movie description is actually meant to point to the power of Christ's cross and the blood he shed for us "over ripe grapes" on that cross.

5. Nations Lament
Revelation 18

For as long as there has been sin, death, evil, and the devil people have been tricked into turning from God and believing the devil's lies. The nations discovered earlier in Revelation 17 that they had been deceived all this time by "Babylon" (which represents Rome, or to a greater extent sin, death and the devil). They now know that all that was so important to them was just a lie... but even so they lament the loss of things they once held dear. (Does this sound like Wall Street today?)

4. The Dragon
Revelation 12

The either cartoonish or sinister way the devil has been depicted in culture has always seemed like a joke to me. It's led me to keep my focus on Christ and his Gospel and not talk about some goofy devil. Revelation has changed that for me. In Revelation John the Seer uses the image of a dragon to symbolize the devil, sin, and death. The dragon pursues symbols of Christ and Israel and fails. He is defeated and banished from heaven and though his time is short he continues to lash out, seeking to destroy the woman's children, which symbolizes followers of Jesus. How true it is that sin tempts us and lies to us in order to pull us away from faith. A dragon, whose is on his last breath, is in hot pursuit. This makes a lot of sense to me. It helps me name the forces of sin that have an effect on my life.

3. New Jerusalem
Revelation 21

In his last vision of the end John describes a Holy City descending from Heaven. God now dwells among mortals. There is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. The age of the dragon is over. No one will tempt you to sin. No one can turn you from God ever again. This is God's new creation. "See, I am making all things new." says the voice of God from the throne. He has transformed us into his new creation.

2. Great Multitude
Revelation 7:9-17

So often one's vision of the end is peppered with thoughts of who's in and who's out. We might ask ourselves if we are good enough to "go to heaven." Is anyone good enough? John gives us an image early in Revelation of a "great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" standing before the throne of God in heaven. Wow, that's quite a group. These are believers robbed in white and are a greater crowd of people than John could comprehend or imagine. So who's in? Boy, its A LOT of PEOPLE.

1. Eden Restored
Revelation 22:1-7

Genesis begins with a description of how people got into this mess of sin. It involved a man and a woman, a serpent tempter, fruit from a tree, and broken boundaries between God and creature. The dragon has been on the loose ever since then. Revelation ends with a description of the end of sin and death. It is finished. So within the Holy City the brokenness of Eden is make whole again. The tree of life is there by a river of life-giving water. It bears 12 types of fruit monthly and the tree's leaves bring healing to the nations; the same nations that lamented the defeat of "Babylon." There is healing, forgiveness, and new creation here. Best of all... you can eat all the fruit you want. Eden is restored! Praise be to God!