A major concern of the Book of Revelation is to lift the veil and show to the church in every generation the spiritual reality below the surface of world events and the conflict that energizes the persecution against God’s people. This unveiling begins with a vision of God’s holiness as he is seated in majesty upon his everlasting throne. In this way the outcome of the conflict between God and the devil is never in question.
The Book of Revelation can be broadly divided into three main sections: The introduction (1:1-3:22), The main vision (4:1-22:7), and the conclusion (22:8-21). The messages to the churches prepare us for the main vision by calling us to assess our spiritual condition, repent, and give proper attention to the Divine Author. John opens the main vision by noting the divine Source of all that he saw: “the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet.” This is the voice he refers to in the introduction: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet” (1:10).
The messages to the churches, with the warnings of things to come and the promises to those who hold fast to the faith, have prepared them for the ordeal of life in a hostile world. God’s people must face an implacable enemy in a bitter struggle, an enemy that is able to make use both of human government and social forces in its war against the kingdom of God.
The vision of God’s throne teaches Christians that when they find themselves in danger they can be confident that their struggles and hardships will not end in defeat for the Kingdom of God. However little we can understand the purposes of God, however impossible it is for us to see how our troubles contribute to the victorious progress of the divine plan, God is in absolute control over all that happens in this world and is working out his perfect design.
“Revelation is preeminently a book about God and his greatness. The secrets of history and of spiritual conflict center on God himself…When God’s people are beset by temptation or persecution, a revelation of God’s character and glory is the best remedy” (Poythress, 97).
