Jesus is shown as various images in Revelation; a ‘lion’ (Rev. 5:5), which represents his royal power; a ‘root’ (Rev. 5:5 & 22:16), which denotes his Davidic lineage; a ‘rider on a white horse’ (Rev. 19:11), which symbolizes his victory over evil; and finally, the image of a ‘lamb who was slain’ (Rev. 5:6). The lamb is the most important symbol for it represented his sacrifice on the cross to redeem all of mankind. In humble obedience to his Father’s will, he was the only one who could unseal the book that reveals the events that were to come.
The Lamb shares all the power of God’s throne (Rev. 7:17). When the end of time arrives, the Lamb will come in judgment (Rev. 19:11); THEN Christ will show Himself as the Lord of the world, as foretold in the OT. He is also the source of new life with God in the NEW Jerusalem.
Revelation has the enduring message of Jesus Christ and how he fulfills the hopes of believers, without regard to the grim circumstances that may arise.
One of the unique characteristics in Revelation is its use of the numbers 4, 12 & 7. We find 4 living creatures, 4 horsemen, and 4 angels; 12 elders, 12 entry gates into the city of God, 12 foundations, and 12 variety of fruit on the tree of life; and 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, and 7 declarations of blessings. In apocalyptic literature those 3 numbers represent completeness and perfection. Conversely, 3-1/5 is the number that is often associated with Satan and represents a fracturing and diminishing of God’s unity.
The 144,000 elect in chapter 7 shouldn’t be taken literally. The 144,000 refers to those who were martyred ... 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. 144,000 is a multiple of 12,000 x 12, which stands for totality. A martyr is someone who opts to die rather than renounce their religious beliefs. No martyr will fail to see God’s reward.
While there has been much speculation thru the centuries as to who “the Beast” actually is, for arguments sake we will state, as most scholars have concluded, that “the Beast” is the Anti-Christ. His number is “666”. It would appear that John didn’t define the meaning of the number to create mystery, but more than likely, John simply wasn’t told what “666” meant. Therefore the significance of the number is inconsequential.
“The word diabolos signifies one who accuses another (Rev. 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10). Hence the other name given to him is “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10). The name Satan signifies one who lies in wait for or sets himself in opposition to another (Rev. 20:2, 7). These and other names of the same fallen spirit point to different features of his evil character and deceitful operations.” [1]
Next we’ll continue to dig around in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to see what else we can explore. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Sources: The Life Application Study Bible; Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The MacArthur Bible Commentary.
[1] Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
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