Realism and Hope in the Book of Revelation

I’ve been studying the Book of Revelation. I see something I already knew about Revelation and something I had never seen before: The Gospel is clearly there in the Book of Revelation, and realism – even cynicism – about people is also there.

An image of the Gospel message is in Revelation 7. “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude . . . from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’" Then John is told, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (7: 9-14) This picture of people from every tribe and nation touches me. They sing to praise God for salvation from destruction. The life-giving blood of Jesus Christ has brought them together before God’s throne.

An image of realism about people is in Revelation 8 and 9. A third of everything in nature is destroyed. A plague of stinging locusts tortures people. Many people suffer and die. Others suffer and wish they could die but cannot. God is trying to get through to people through their pain. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Many will not be roused. This is the conclusion of all the pain of chapters 8 and 9: “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (9:20)

I know some of those unrepentant people. They play out their lives on the field of death. They refuse to turn, refuse to learn. They continue down the path of destruction. Even pain cannot get through to them. Despite opportunities to turn from the path of death and receive the gift of life from Christ, they continue toward destruction.

After more than 39 years as a pastor, I believe the good news that we human beings can change. God will give anyone who comes to Him a new life. I see people change but not often. Jesus said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13).