The book of Revelation was originally written to give hope to the early church when Christians were being fed to lions, nailed to crosses, burned at the stake, and boiled in tar. It was written by a Christian who himself was suffering “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9 NIV). It was written specifically to a generation of Christians yet to come who will experience what Jesus described as “great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again” (Matthew 24:21 NIV).
Many readers have missed the blessing awaiting them in the book of Revelation because they have been intimidated by its numerical symbolism or overwhelmed by its awesome imagery. They read of mysterious lampstands and sacred seals, worldwide earthquakes and trumpeting angels, monstrous beasts and miracle-working dragons — and quickly turn instead to the soothing poetry of the Psalms or the simple promises of the Beatitudes.
I hope you’ll resist that urge and stay with me for what I believe is one of the most thrilling and fascinating books in all of Scripture. Revelation is, above all, a book of hope, and the blessing to be found in its magnificent imagery has been, for me, a continuous, awesome experience of worship as it has led me to a fresh, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. My book, The Vision of His Glory, is my humble attempt to share with you how this richness of worship, this wealth of hope, this vision of His glory, is intended for all of us.
The book of Revelation begins by clearly stating its theme. “The revelation of Jesus Christ . . .” The theme of Revelation is not primarily prophecy, or future events, as many suppose; it is Jesus!
Prophecy Was Received From God
The word revelation literally means “to unveil.” In the book of Revelation, God uses prophecy to “unveil” Jesus, enabling us to see Him in a unique way. And when we see Him clearly, we see a vision of His glory that transcends our smallness.
When Jesus was alive on earth, He was so “veiled” that His own mother, His stepbrothers and stepsisters, even His own disciples did not fully understand who He was. But we have a clearer view of Him. Through prophecy, God lifts the veil, enabling us to see Jesus in a way that those who walked and lived with Him on earth could not.
Through prophecy, God lifted the veil in the Old Testament so believers could worship Jesus Christ. For example:
- Adam and Eve could worship Jesus Christ, through prophecy, as the Seed of the woman who, in essence, would take away the sin of mankind and bring man back into a right relationship with the Creator (Genesis 3:15).
- Abraham could worship Jesus Christ through prophecy as the One through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
- Moses could worship Jesus Christ through prophecy as the Prophet like himself who would deliver people, not from bondage in Egypt, but from bondage to sin and Satan (Deuteronomy 18:17-18).
- Isaiah worshiped Jesus Christ through prophecy as the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV), and also as the Lamb by whose wounds we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5).
- Micah worshiped Jesus through prophecy as the Baby who would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
- Zechariah worshiped Him through prophecy as the King of kings and Lord of lords who would one day rule the entire world (Zechariah 14:9)!
Although these Old Testament believers and those who listened to them did not fully understand who Jesus is, through prophecy they were able to “see” Jesus in a way they could not otherwise have seen Him. Because through prophecy, God “unveils” Jesus Christ.
Prophecy Was Recorded by John
God not only unveiled Jesus Christ through prophecy in the past, but through the book of Revelation, He uniquely unveils Jesus as our hope for the future! This “revelation of Jesus Christ” was recorded by the prophet John, but, as Peter explained, “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21 NIV).
What God gave and the Holy Spirit inspired, John faithfully recorded: “[God] made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1b–2 NIV).
Revelation is so thrilling because it is not just a prediction — a weather forecast — of what is to come. It is the prophet John’s eyewitness account of the future! In this stirring account, he says he personally testifies to everything he saw! For you and me, the book of Revelation describes the future. For the apostle John, it was history! Nearly fifty times, John says, “I saw.” Almost thirty times he says, “I heard.” What a personal testimony the apostle John had!
God uniquely revealed Jesus to John — and, through prophecy, He has revealed Him to us so that we might read and reflect on the vision of His glory and find hope for the future.
Prophecy Is to Be Read by You
What is your attitude toward prophecy? One attitude is to avoid it because it seems too difficult to understand, too controversial to discuss, too meaningless to be personally relevant. People with this attitude tend to feel more comfortable in the Psalms, the Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles. They leave prophecy to the theological heavyweights such as the seminary professors or preachers or professional Bible scholars.
Others are so fascinated with prophecy they spend hours trying to interpret the symbols, count the numbers, and even make predictions based on their calculations. They tend to forget about personal holiness, obedience, and winning the lost.
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that prophecy was given to ordinary people like you and me to give us hope for our future: “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:3 NIV). Blessed! Blessed! Blessed are those who do not give just a superficial reading to the book of Revelation but who continually read, study, apply, and live by it!
And what is this special blessing? It is the blessing of seeing Jesus! It is the vision of His glory that gives hope!
When was the last time you read prophecy? Make the time to reflect on what God says through prophecy so you can refocus on who Jesus Christ really is.
During your time alone with God this week, make time each day reflecting on what He has said through prophecy. Reread the Scripture passages highlighted here, identifying His attributes so you can live your life in praise of who He really is.
With a focus on Jesus Christ, Anne Graham Lotz brings clarity and understanding to the book of Revelation in The Vision of His Glory: Finding Hope Through the Revelation of Jesus Christ — now fully revised and updated!
With heartfelt passion and deep scriptural understanding, Lotz walks readers step-by-step through the Revelation narrative, uncovering profound truths about God’s sovereign plan. Discover strength, encouragement, and the enduring hope that comes from trusting in God’s promises.
Called "the best preacher in the family" by her late father Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God's Word. TheNew York Timesnamed Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Her "Just Give Me Jesus"revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries to hundreds of thousands of attendees. Anne is a bestselling and award-winning author of 18 books. She is the President ofAnGeLMinistries in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she served asChairmanof the National Day of Prayer Task Force from 2016–2017. Whether a delegate toDavos Economic Forum, a commentator to theWashington Post, or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Anne’s aim is clear — to bring revival to the hearts of God’s people. And her message is consistent — calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.
