The end of Revelation reminds us that the church relates to her King not only as an army engaged in spiritual warfare, but also as a bride preparing for her wedding day. The Lord has chosen us for Himself. At the conclusion of the age, when all of His enemies are defeated, the church of Jesus Christ will be fully cleansed, no longer having the spots, wrinkles, and blemishes that currently mar her beauty (Eph. 5:25–27). On that occasion, all who are in Christ will be presented to the One who died for them and will appear before Him as a bride clothed “with fine linen, bright and pure” at the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7–9).

God wins. If I had to summarize the message of Revelation in just two words, those would be my choice. They not only convey the point of the book but also hint at its main storyline. Despite what some overly speculative interpreters would have us believe, the main character in the last book of the Bible is not the Dragon, Beast, or False Prophet; rather, it is God. Revelation is primarily about Christ, not the Antichrist. And the main point of the book is to demonstrate in graphic imagery the victory of God in Christ.

Through the incarnate ministry of His Son, God has conquered the Devil and his demons; the world and its deceptions; and sin and its destruction. Through faith in Him, we are also victorious over all these enemies. Because He wins, we also win. His victory secures ours. This truth provides fuel for an ever-increasing joy on the part of every believer.

But there is no victory without a contest, and Revelation makes it very clear that the battle between those who belong to Christ and those who oppose Him is real, intense, and deadly. The Devil never simply forfeits. Just as our Lord did not secure our salvation without severe trials and suffering, so His disciples should not be surprised when their devotion to Him invites brutal conflict.

At the very beginning of the book, God promises a blessing to everyone who “reads aloud the words of this prophecy” and to those “who hear, and who keep what is written in it” (1:3). That blessing includes at least two elements: a stubborn hope that breeds bold courage and an abiding joy that prompts unreserved worship.

Too often, circumstances tempt us to despair by eclipsing those unseen realities that can be accessed only by faith. John surely faced this as he contemplated his exile on Patmos. But when “the revelation of Jesus Christ” came to him, visions of the risen, exalted, and enthroned Lord brought an eternal perspective to his present challenges. What he saw transformed his prison into a sanctuary. His circumstances did not change, but his perspective did.

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