4) The FOURTH POINT that we see in Revelation is: There is a Keynote of Joy.

There is a keynote of joy we see expressed time and again as we read through Revelation. It’s expressed in song, in triumph, in the visions that come out of this book, and, therefore, it should, it must, be evident. It must be something that is strongly a part of our lives as Christians.

The Message that constantly comes from Revelation to us today is one of joyfulness, is one of adoration, is one of thanksgiving—thanksgiving for the Sovereign God of heaven, thanksgiving that we are His people, thanksgiving, yes, even in trial and tribulation, and thanksgiving in knowing that we can be a part of, that we can lay claim to, the great promises of God. And what was it that brought about joy, this expression of joy and adoration and thanksgiving, as we read through the book of Revelation? It was because of the anticipation, because of the assurance, of knowing that the righteous will prevail. No, not everything is going to be made right in this life, but things WILL be made right. This is the keynote of joy.

5. The FIFTH POINT that we see in Revelation is: There is Judgment.

The element of judgment is emphasized throughout Revelation. It is the judgment of a just and a righteous God that stands above the kingdoms and the systems and the conduct of men and brings to bear not only the beauty of His love in the Gospel, but also the wrath of His righteous judgment against evil. This is not some heady emotion with which we are dealing, but rather, it is the unchanging aspect of God’s Own righteous nature.

Judgment emphasizes that in this world, what we choose to be we shall ultimately be, and this because of our own choice and not because God predetermined it, or that God made it happen. We shall ALL be judged according to our works, which adds a sense of moral and of spiritual responsibility to our lives. In this book of Revelation there is also warning upon warning upon warning that because of God’s justice, because of His righteousness, no one will be punished—no one will find themselves in eternal damnation—without having been warned about it. We sometimes don’t understand. We can’t comprehend, perhaps, about how all of that will work itself out, but we must trust God that He will work it out. Once again, He is a God of complete, of ultimate, justice. There IS Judgment.

6) The SIXTH POINT that we see in Revelation is: Evil Will Fall.

In this book of Revelation, it teaches us that evil will be overcome by God Himself. Realistically, in this book, evil is viewed in all of its tremendous power. You know, we have to be reminded time and again as we read the Bible just how fair and balanced it is. That is one of the evidences, one of the proofs that we can look to as we think about the evidences for the validity of the Bible being the Word of God. Many scholars have pointed out time and again that if this, in fact, were a document created by men, it would not be as candid as it is. Things would be painted with a broad brush. Things would look rosy. Things would look cheerful all of the time. The foibles and the warts and the all of the trouble and tribulation would never be revealed. And so, we see in the book of Revelation a very candid, a very descriptive, picture of evil. Just how powerful it is and the terms that are used to describe evil are: a dragon and his angels and his agents—two beasts—and a great harlot and those who bear the mark of the beast and all of those things, and all of the evil and the bloodshed. We can relate to that. We understand. We know how powerful evil forces are in our world today.

But the victory over the dragon and his angels—the dragon being Satan himself, if you’ll recall—has already been accomplished. Yes, he still roams about, even in our day, as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but his power is limited. While there is much evil in the world, evil cannot overwhelm us, but we can give in to it.

But that victory of Christ over Satan and all of his forces has already been accomplished, and we’re simply waiting for the final culmination of that to come to pass. And, yes, evil will fall, and the devil and his angels will go to the place that has been prepared for them.

And one of things that we saw there in the final two chapters of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, was the glorious vision of what is yet to come—that eternal city, the New Jerusalem, that place where there can be no evil, where evil will not enter, where there will be no darkness, because God is the light.

7) The SEVENTH POINT that we see in Revelation is: There Will Be a Glorious End.

John, in what is revealed to him, sees a new heaven and a new earth, a new universe—no, not a physical one, but a universe with righteousness dwelling within it—without tears of sorrow, without tears of sighing, without tears of pain, without tears of death. The redeemed of all ages will be present there in a perfect fellowship with God and with Christ and with the Holy Spirit and with the heavenly host.

It is this kind of world that Christ calls us to. It is this kind of NEW world, of which we, even in this life, can receive a foretaste. What’s that song we sing about “the foretaste of glory divine”? Well, as obedient followers of the Lamb Who was slain, we have a common hope, we are all part of the same family—not the physical family, but the spiritual family. And we enjoy the fellowship, one with another. We have love, one for another. We assemble together. As we assemble together, we sing songs of praise. We worship and adore the Lord. And when we were able to look into—sort of peek under that curtain, sort of peek behind the veil and see—those images of heaven of the throne room of God, what did we see going on there? Was there hatred and bitterness and fighting and troubling and squabbling? No. No, there was perfect union. There was perfect fellowship. And there was singing, and there was praising, and there was adoration of our Father in heaven.

So there is a glorious end that we see revealed for us here in the book of Revelation. But, we can have a foretaste of that glory divine, even in this life, as we are faithful, as we are in fellowship, one with another.

The book of Revelation, then, is a Message—no, not of terror, but rather, a Message of comfort and of hope. Its inspiring and dramatic scenes are there to warn us, but not to frighten us. They are there to lift us up. Its horrible and revolting pictures of evil, and of judgment upon the evil, are calculated to turn us away from being a part and party to that. And so, I hope, I trust, I pray, that the Message of Revelation will inspire us to greater service, to greater faithfulness as Christians, to reinforce our hope of what is to come, and to bless our lives, even in this life that we live now. We can know that there will be a glorious end.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”