For anyone struggling to understand John s writings in Revelation, this book provides true, Biblically-based answers. Through detailed insight into the letters John wrote to seven churches of his day, you will learn how to avoid the inherent pitfalls of the first Adam mentality to overcome today's trials and tribulations. The more you understand the Book of Revelation, the more you will be disarmed of the fears, intimidations, rhetoric, and flood of information spewing from the dragon s mouth. This overflow of propaganda has kept the human family afraid to even read the Book of Revelation, when, in fact, it is the only book in the Bible that declares a built-in blessing to those who read and understand it.
Many modern-day teachers insist that the Book of Revelation is strictly a book of prophecy. I contend, along with Dr. Hiles, that it is no more a book of prophecy than Luke or John and probably less prophetic than Daniel or Ezekiel. The first five words in Revelation give the true purpose of its content: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Only when we see Jesus—what He has done for us and what He is doing through us—can we come into our true identity. That is the purpose of this book: to sound a trumpet proclaiming to everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord and King, and His victory is our victory. That is good news!
In a time when the world is searching for good news and freedom from bondage and fear, Lynn Hiles comes with this powerful book. He announces to everyone that Christ has indeed made us free from bondage. By showing the revelation of Jesus Christ he liberates believers from the fear of pending catastrophe and, instead, encourages us to have faith to believe that the future is bright because the victory has already been won.
This book echoes John’s original Revelation, providing a panoramic overview of the entire Bible and the culmination of God’s covenant with humanity. From the slain lamb to the voice in the midst of the candlesticks, the message is clear: Jesus is the Victor. From the Alpha to the One who sits on the throne, you cannot miss the ultimate triumph of Christ and His own.
Few people can so effectively and accurately interpret God’s intentions for His creation as Lynn Hiles does in this book. I am convinced that the truths that are revealed in these chapters hold the key to a coming tsunami of the Spirit that will bring the people of God into our greatest victories.
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of a nation of kings and priests that reign with Him. Only as we understand the types and shadows of Revelation can we be effective in our role on earth. Although many are planning to evacuate the planet, I believe this book is much needed for equipping the saints of God to rule and reign.
We are indeed moving from a church-age mentality into the age of God’s Kingdom fully arriving. In this profound treatise, my friend has done the church and the world a tremendous service by making the truths of Christ so lucid and understandable. This book is a must-read for any serious student of the Word of God.
YOU and I are on a journey. As we open the pages of the great Book of Revelation together, be prepared to behold the great drama that God has been unfolding throughout the ages. It is a panoramic view of a great mystery that God has been progressively revealing to the human family since the beginning of time. We’re going to take a fresh look at the Book of Revelation and consider again the words of John the Revelator. We will discover that his prophetic vision unveils the greatest of all revelations to the Church and a waiting planet: the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is worth noting that this unveiling of Christ is not exclusive to the Book of Revelation alone; it is the theme of every book in the Bible, from the opening words of Genesis, which declare, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), to the Book of Hebrews where Jesus refers to Scriptures being written about Him. (See Heb. 10:7.) The entire book, or collection of books, that we know as “the Bible” is an unfolding revelation of Jesus Christ. I hope that by soaking in the Book of Revelation, one of the church’s most contentious books, we’ll begin to see Christ more through the “single eye” of faith. “Come and see!” is repeated numerous times in Revelation 6. If somehow by the spirit of wisdom and revelation we can do just that, if we will “Come and see,” God will cause the eyes of our understanding to be flooded with light, and we will be able to behold, perceive, and understand the revelation of Jesus Christ throughout this entire book. It is much to our benefit to receive this renewed vision; it will disarm us of the fear, intimidation, rhetoric, and flood of misleading information that has come out of the dragon’s mouth. This overflow of propaganda has kept the human family fearful of even reading the Book of Revelation, when in fact it is Scripture’s only book that declares a built in blessing to those who read and understand it.
Some of us have been taught all of our lives that Revelation is about Godzilla-like monsters coming up out of the ocean. We’ve been sold stories of scud missiles, fighter planes, flying saucers, and other terrors that are just on the so-called “end times” horizon. Virtually any fearful and paranoid vision can be packaged and sold as gospel truth in the name of the last book of the Bible. But I am persuaded that this book follows the theme of its title: the revelation of Jesus Christ, given to John by God to show His servants what would shortly come to pass. Revelation is not about dreadful beasts or scary monsters, and there’s more to it than just end-time global events and dispensational concepts. Revelation, consistent with the rest of the Bible, is an ongoing revelation of Jesus Christ. It reveals the fullness of God’s redemptive plan. It gives us not only a revelation of the historical Jesus, but also renders a view of who He is today. Revelation gives us a glimpse into what’s happening in the heavens right now and what’s taking place within the presently unfolding life of the believer.
Sorting Through Perspectives
It may come as a surprise to Americans accustomed to the contemporary Left Behind view of eschatology, but the Church historically has never held to one “official” interpretation of the Book of Revelation.
There have always been varied viewpoints and opinions, and I believe there is merit to some of these perspectives that we have neglected in recent decades. Two of the more common ones are the “Historicist” and the “Preterist” viewpoints.
Proponents of the Historicist view believe that biblical prophecy is fulfilled cyclically throughout many different ages in history. Preterists hold to the idea that prophecy has been fulfilled with the closing of the “last days” of the Old Covenant in the first century A.D. Without a doubt, there are many Historicists and Preterists who can give you a legitimate and convincing argument concerning these particular perspectives of the Book of Revelation. I have studied these views and have concluded that they are quite possibly legitimate, at least to some degree.
As you read the pages that follow, you may see things that could pertain to world leaders, kingdoms, and events that have already transpired. If you embrace the Historicist view or the Preterist view, you will find authors and teachers who can profoundly touch your heart with that information. My purpose is not to be at war with any view, but to share what I believe the Lord has revealed to me—namely, that Revelation is not primarily about things and events, but rather, it’s about a Person. Truth be told, I have gleaned from all of the views and voices many ideas that have brought greater clarity to me. None of us have all the answers, but in “the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).
An Overview
In this treatise, I want to examine a Spiritual, Covenantal, and Christological view of Revelation, and the redemptive purpose of God revealed in this vision. Some scholars will tell you that the Spiritual view of the Book of Revelation is an interesting one, but it breaks the flow of prophetic understanding in that it doesn’t just foretell the future. I find this unconvincing. According to Revelation itself, the “testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). In light of this truth, we can conclude that the clearest and purest form of prophetic interpretation reveals Jesus Christ and His Body.
The view presented in this book is Covenantal because the Book of Revelation is about the Church moving from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant in its understanding. And it is Christological because it is a study of Christ the head and His Body being fully unveiled. The word revelation comes from a Greek word meaning to unveil. In this book we will attempt to remove the “veil that is over our minds” as a result of reading Moses and the Old Covenant; in doing that, we will uncover a “mystery that has been hid from ages…which is Christ in you the hope of glory” (2 Cor. 3:15; Col. 1:26-27).
I am thankful that we are living in a day when we now have a more sure word of prophecy; and that more sure word of prophecy is realized as we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2). I do not claim to have all the answers, nor do I think myself an authority on Revelation. All truth is progressive and this is the truth that has been revealed to me to date. I am still learning and open. My purpose is to put this in a public forum so that it will provoke thought and dialogue. As we each bring the pieces of understanding that we have to the attention of others, it can be added to and adjusted, which will ultimately bring greater clarity to hungry seekers.
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