Is Revelation scary? A calm look at a disturbing book
Angel and trumpet: detail from “Last Judgment,” St Mary’s Church, Lutterworth / Walwynl via Flickr
Someone in my Sunday school class suggested studying the book of Revelation. Someone else immediately vetoed the idea. She didn’t want to spend much time being scared.
Lots of people apparently think Revelation is scary and that therefore they shouldn’t read it. Actually, it’s the only book in the Bible that promises a special blessing for anyone who does read it (Revelation 1:3). In fact, the only people who ought to be afraid of it are the scoffers who won’t bother to look at it.
When the book of Revelation is explained, we can face it calmly and hopefully
A place to call home
Everyone will stand before God in judgment someday. For believers, Jesus is our advocate. He has already prepared a place for us. We see it at the end of Revelation, where the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven.
Instead of a scary book, the church should see it as encouraging. God, like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, waits for the time his people will return.
The entire Bible invites people to turn to God. And when anyone does God will throw a party—in Revelation, called the wedding feast of the Lamb. One of my former pastors suggested that God will greet each of us saying, “Welcome home! Let me take your bags. And I want to see your slides.”
Since no one takes slides anymore, we can update the greeting to “I want to see all the pictures on your phone.” The point is that most people would find looking at all of them boring. But God really cares that much about us.
Ultimately, some people will refuse to return. They must not enter heaven, because they wouldn’t enjoy it and would spoil it for everyone else. Those are the people who ought to be afraid, because God must destroy anyone whose presence in heaven would destroy it.
A brief overview of Revelation
The Lamb on Mount Zion and the Redeemed / East window of Yorkminster via Wikimedia Commons
So Revelation begins with warnings to seven representative churches. In each case, Jesus makes a promise to all who overcome. Overcome what? All the temptations to stray from his love.
Then, John sees a door open in heaven. That door remains open for all who die in the Lord. John entered while still in the flesh. And God commanded him to write down everything he saw.
Imagine!
- A man who could only see three physical dimensions, where heaven might have as many as five (length, width, height, depth, and breadth—not one of which quite duplicates any of the others)
- A man who could see only the visible light spectrum, not the infrared or ultraviolet ends
- A man who could hear within only a limited range of frequencies
This man, John, had the task of describing the indescribable. We can imagine that heaven is beautiful, but John hardly noticed. He saw God enthroned in majesty, sovereignty, and glory. Everyone else likewise focused all their attention on him.
John also saw the end of the existing earth and heaven, with its spectacular disasters and acts of judgment. And if you read carefully, you can see God still trying to win some of the last of the rebels. He sends the 144 thousand witnesses. He sends the final two witnesses. But most people remain hard hearted.
Believers and the scary parts of Revelation
The Fall of the Damned / Deiric Bouts, 1450
Remember Pharaoh in Exodus. He hardened his heart, and so God hardened his heart. God will tell determined rebels, “All right, if you insist, be that way.” The story will not end well for them. It’s their destruction that enables the story to end well for everyone else
At some point before the worst of the end, God will take the church out of the world. Why? Not to protect us from suffering. If he wanted to protect us from suffering, he would already be doing it. But the church intercedes for a lost world. Removing the church removes the prayer and enables the devil’s forces to exert their greatest display of power. All to no avail.
All the seal judgments, trumpet judgments, and bowl judgments come with the offer of grace until, at last, no one is left to accept it.
The people who suffer the last plagues will be plenty afraid. Just not afraid enough to refrain from blaspheming their only savior and rejecting the grace he offers.
Alpha and Omega
Mosaic of Christ enthroned surrounded by angels in Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, c.500
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He encompasses all of time on earth and in heaven.
By the way, we’ve all probably heard that there is no time in heaven, but Revelation 8:1, there’s a half an hour of silence there. That’s time. Jesus opens seven seals in sequence. Seven trumpets sound one after another. Angels pour out seven bowls in sequence. That’s time. There’s just no relationship between time here and time there.
Throughout earthly time, God asks only one thing: that we open our hands to accept his. He offers grace and provides the faith needed for salvation. Our part is to believe him, by his grace become like him, and receive what he offers.
God does not put his promises in our hands, but he puts them close enough that we can reach out our hands and grasp them. Something is still required of us, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not much. All who are willing may come. Until only the unwilling are left.
Revelation ends the written Bible. But instead of getting to the last verse and reading, “The end,” we should read “The beginning.” Past the last verse, all that Adam lost in the fall will be restored. And then some.
I have always had a difficult time understanding Revelation. I have tried. Now, you have inspired me to want to study it deeper. Thank you! God bless.
Thank you so much! And God will richly bless you as you study.
I just don’t get it…. Why would God destroy the world?… we’re just mere flesh n blood… we’re nothing special…. We lived our lives, and when it’s time to go according to God… why won’t he leave us in peace??… we’re DEAD…. We loved our lives… it’s over… it’s not like we’re getting a seconds chance.. so I’d like to think that God has no more in store for us?… or am I wrong??… with all the scariness in this world.. Gods going to take it away anyway… what happens when we’re gone???…. I just don’t get it… and I BELIEVE IN HIM… I just don’t understand, that’s all…?
Evidently, you believe that God exists, which is not the same thing as believing in God as revealed in Scripture. The church today has almost entirely stopped teaching about sin, and it’s the reality of sin that answers all your questions. I pray that you will find people, perhaps a Bible study group, that can explain it to you. In the meantime, look for other posts here about the fall.
It’s not your fault you don’t get it. The Church has done an abysmal job getting the true message across. Blind guides and False prophets, compromised and corrupt hierarchies.
Basically, there’s the Kingdom of God and then there’s the Church. The latter —as we know it (501)(C3) real estate holders— is the tomb the Bride of Christ will rise up out of.
We need to be tough saints, and have a very clear vision of Jesus as depicted in the gospels to spiritually survive what’s the coming hour we’ve been born into. We may not have asked for it, but here we are.
It is and will be scary. Let no one fool you. The Bible says it’ll be so bad that men will faint (die) from fear. And the days so bad that if it weren’t for the elect those days wouldn’t be “cut short.” So be prepared to pick up your cross daily and follow Him. Where? Well, to our Cross—- just like our Master.
If it helps any, I’m scared too. I pray for peace (of mind) always bc I have a good idea of what’s coming — some already experiencing— hunger, war, torture, rape,— our children—- Lord, help us!
I’m not sure why you say I don’t get it. My title refers to the many church people who refuse to read or study Revelation because they fear it’s scary. Living through the events described will be scary for anyone who is unprepared for them. Some of the signs (at least the first four trumpet judgments) are already happening and have been happening since before anyone alive was born. Reading about those events should not be scary for anyone who takes the warnings. Believers ought to take comfort in the worst of circumstances. “Read the back of the book. We win.”
it’s like reading a nite mares.. and we been told that this earth will made into a paradise NOT destroyed.all will be raised from there graves .so why is revelation so horrible an scary…
Alas, we have not been told that IN SCRIPTURE. Earth will be destroyed and replaced with a new one. All will rise from graves, some to everlasting life and some to eternal punishment. But we have a choice. Revelation ought to be very scary for those who will refuse to repent, but they will probably not read it. For everyone else, Revelation tells of God’s final acts of redemption for those who turn to him.
I agree there is a blessing in reading Revelation, but I also believe it’s important to acknowledge it’s going to be the final warfare between good and evil and the time is now for Believers to get that clear vision of who Jesus is in order to survive (spiritually) what’s coming. We didn’t ask to be born in this hour, but here we are. We need to be tough saints. Scripture says “the days will be cut short” for the sake of the elect. That tells me it’s going to be rough. I agree Revelation is scary, but we are to take heart, He has overcome the world. We need to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. Follow Him where? To our death. Just like our master.
Once we accept the reality, we can begin to really live— by His grace.
I feel the opposite. As a Believer it can be incredibly daunting to consider when those seals start breaking. The world appears mostly oblivious and much of the professing church either doesn’t know what to think or they think they’ll get a pass from what will take place. It’ll be the final battle for our souls, some of us will suffer and be martyred, yet we’ll be sealed and preserved. We didn’t ask to be born at this hour but here we are. A helpful writing I’ve read is The Voice of the Lord in the book of Revelation: Prophecy for a World in Crisis by Richard E. Bieber (1927-2021). You can download it for free at http://www.mmirror.net located under Booklets
I’m currently in a women’s Bible study class at my church. When the Bible study leader told us we were going to do Jen Wilkins study “Revelation, Eternal King, Eternal Kingdom” everyone in the class groaned and some women even opted out. I was dreading it myself, I’ve tried to read Revelation before as it was so frightening and hard to understand. But now, after doing this study, I’m so glad I did! I’m learning that yes it’s still scary, but there’s hope for the believers in Christ. I recommend doing an in depth study of Revelation to really understand the symbolism in this very important book in the Bible.
Yes indeed. When the Bible tells us to fear the Lord, it doesn’t mean to fear reading what he has written for us. Study it all, and don’t skip anything–neither the parts that seem like they might be scary or the parts that seem like they might be dull.
Revelation is very scary because it gives me nightmare and I stop reading
for a moment and I thought Revelation compares based on the book of Left Behind book series. Have you ever read Left Behind and Left Behind movie series?
I have not read the book or seen the movie. If you have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and not acknowledged him as Lord, you are right to be scared. But if you have acknowledged him, Revelation is an encouraging book.It describes the final destruction of evil and the triumph of good. If, as a believer, you read it all the way through, it promises you a blessing.