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Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” (Revelation 6:1, ESV)
Revelation chapters 1 through 17 illustrate both God’s judgment of those who resist grace and God’s help for those who walk in His grace. The major problem of human history—according to the Bible—is sin, which must ultimately be dealt with for true peace to reign on earth and in heaven.
Views vary widely on the dramatic events of Revelation 6 through 17. Some view these chapters figuratively as a panoramic history of sin and God’s recurring interventions, while others consider them a literal, chronological sequence detailing the seven-year period preceding the Millennium.
I’ve been reading commentaries on the Book of Revelation for years. After reading ten, I thought I knew the book completely; after reading twenty, I wasn’t so sure! Admittedly, it has sometimes been a struggle for me to digest, but one overarching word has finally helped me understand Revelation.
It’s a simple word—the most important word in the Bible and in all of history. And yet, it took me decades to realize that keeping this single word in view is necessary to interpret the Book of Revelation properly. That word is…
Grace!
A well-known story about C.S. Lewis tells of him entering a room filled with scholars debating various religious concepts. When they asked him what the signature, unique mark of Christianity was, C.S. replied without hesitation, “That’s easy, it’s grace!”
The Apostle John writes with that exact same emphasis in the Book of Revelation. Notice how the book is deliberately bookended by grace:
The Beginning of Revelation:
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth (Revelation 1:4-5).
The Last Verse of Revelation:
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen (Revelation 22:21).
Grace is God’s unmerited favor, freely given to those who willfully receive it. This gift covers our sins—past, present, and future—but we find it by following Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those living entirely according to their own will and decisions, apart from grace, find themselves alienated from God. Ultimately, the Book of Revelation portrays what happens now and for eternity for those without grace, contrasted with the glorious reality for those who have received it.
Whenever I discuss Revelation, people often fixate on the terrifying judgments found in chapters 6 through 17. I try to explain it this way: grace must be both life-giving and, for those who ultimately reject it, life-forfeiting. Unrepented sin cannot simply be swept under the rug; an eternity spent alongside unyielding, grace-resisting hearts would be no different than the brokenness of life on earth today.
Grace is costly, as the cross of Christ testifies, and divine justice must address rebellion. Grace can interrupt that justice with unearned favor, but a tragic side effect of hardened sin is that when people finally face judgment, they often double down in pride—blaming and getting mad at God rather than humbling themselves.
As Revelation soberly records:
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory (Revelation 16:8-9).
Receiving unmerited favor through grace—or stubbornly resisting it—is the Book of Revelation’s ultimate message.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!