The most important priority in life is our spiritual life. Our physical life is obviously high on our list of daily activities, but our spiritual life ultimately informs us how we are to live our life now and into eternity. I invite you to read through the pages on the right side of this blog to see how God created us to grow spiritually and receive guidance for our journey throughout our life. God gives us a clue of how to do this when he says in Isaiah 57:15, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." Jesus Christ gives a further clue when he says in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

The Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation 

Holy Living in an Unholy World

A number of years ago I look two of the church’s I pastored on a study of the book of Revelation with my primary source a commentary on Revelation by Dr. M. Robert Mulholland Jr., was a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, “Holy Living in an Unholy World.”  One of the chapters is entitled “The Big Picture” which give us a bird-eye view of the real struggle we face in the world, and how we are to fight it.  To me it gives us a deeper understanding of Scriptures like Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:11-19, and Ephesians 6:10-18, and what is going on in the spiritual realm, and how it affects us in a profound way. Dr. Mulholland tells us that when we read the book of Revelation, and all visions, we much understand that they are: 

• Visions are beyond the range of ‘normal’ human consciousness. Human languages is sequential. Visions are single, unified, holistic encounters with reality. Therefore, language and he is in capable of describing the vision experience.    

• The author really did experience the visions and through language tempted to communicate the dynamics of the vision. The vision can’t be expressed in words. Therefore, simile is used, as in Revelation 1:10 -16, so we need to for the use of ‘like’ and ‘as’. 

• Books such as Daniel and Revelation are not blueprints.  We can't make them fit the status quo of our world view.  They dramatically shaped and changed the seer's life and we must open ourselves up and allow the vision to change us and help us see and understand the world differently and deeper.

• The literal portrayal of the vision is a vehicle for entering into the vision and having it affect you. 

• The ultimate interpretation of the vision must be incarnation. We study scriptures so we can be shaped by God for His glory. Vision shapes you so you can be part of God’s work in the world.  

The book of Revelation makes known how our fallen flesh and the powers of darkness seek to deceive us and draw us away from God. And it also looks at how God works to draw us to Him and how to live for Him. We will also take a close look at the consequences of our choice to accept or reject Christ. It is a call to salvation and holy living in an unholy world as we excitedly and expectantly wait and prepare for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ when He returns in power and glory to set up His Kingdom for eternity.

The following shows the sections that Revelation is divided into. Click on the title below to go a section. 

  1. The Purpose of the Bible, How to Interpret Visions, The Biblical Image of City, The Structure of Revelation
  2. Setting the Stage -1:1-8
  3. The Vision of Christ -1:9-20
  4. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -2:1-3:22
  5. Deep Heaven - 4:1-5:14
  6. The Agony and the Ecstasy -6:1-8:5
  7. Sin and Salvation - 8:6-11:18
  8. The Big Picture - 11:19-15:51
  9. Redemptive Wrath -15:6-16:21
  10. The Agony of Defeat -17:1-19:10
  11. The Victory - 19:11-21:8
  12. The Thrill of Victory - 21:9-22:9
  13. The Living End - 22:10-21