A Doctrine of Hope
11/27/25 Bible Thought (Revelation 1)
Eschatology—that is the doctrine of the last things—should fill us with hope.
As we embark on a journey through the Bible’s final book, Revelation, I want this to be abundantly clear from the outset.
Revelation is certainly filled with hard things, tribulations, and all manner of interpretative difficulties, but what is likewise clear is that God is sovereign over all, and Christ is exalted in glory. These things will never change.
As such, eschatology should be a source of encouragement. As the apostle Paul once concluded concerning Christ’s return:
“Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18).
That being said, Revelation is probably the most widely debated book of the New Testament. Being largely apocalyptic in genre, scholars come to all manner of conclusions on what some of the imagery in Revelation is referring to. As such, anyone who claims to have it completely figured out, or claims that Revelation is easy to understand is certainly over-simplifying things.
My favorite seminary professor once said regarding his position on eschatology:
“I’m about 51% sure on my position on eschatology. I’m just sure enough I’ll tell you what camp I’m in—but I’m really not that sure.”
If good Bible-believing scholars come to different conclusions on much of it, then certainly we should likewise come with humility and accept that some of it will be difficult to understand. That is okay. In fact, it should be expected.
As a pastor, I would say that questions regarding the end-times vastly outweigh questions I get about other things and honestly, I am far from an expert on these matters.
However, I do know one thing—the Scripture presents on page after page a picture of a sovereign God who is truly in control of world events.
He works all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11) both on the world stage and in our individual lives. The rise and fall of kingdoms are in His hands and ultimately, we do not exist in a world left to chance.
The Revelation, that is more or less a disclosure, or unveiling, of that which is to come was given from our omniscient God to Christ to angels to John to the churches and ultimately us:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw” (Rev. 1:1-2).
Knowing that God not only knows the future but controls it should fill our hearts with hope.
So, as we dive into the pages of Revelation, let us not be distracted and fearful of the antagonists such as the beast and false prophet and of the coming tribulation or any of these things.
Rather, this book emphasizes the sovereignty of God over creation and human affairs, and it culminates with Christ’s second coming at the time ordained by the Father.
Christ is exalted in glory (Rev. 1:12-16) and one day every knee will bow, and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). He won’t be coming back atop a humble donkey on route to crucifixion but riding a white horse from heaven coming to reign.
As we embark on this journey, let us celebrate this wonderful hope that we have that is securely held in the hands of a sovereign God.
In the midst of confusing imagery and frightful figures, we can and should look at the end of the story:
We will experience a resurrection unto eternal life.
We will inhabit a new creation in which righteousness dwells.
Most importantly, God will make His dwelling with us, and we will be His people (Rev. 21:3).
On that day every tear will be wiped away (Rev. 21:4).
These things in mind, eschatology should fill our hearts with hope.
Challenge for Today:
When I think about the end of time, does it fill me primarily with joy, or with dread? What does this reveal about my primary focus when it comes to eschatology?