Waiting for Jesus Christ in a Broken and Sin-Filled World

It's understandable that people in general are afraid of the Book of Revelation - there's a lot of scary stuff there; but Christians? Who have the Holy Spirit? Who anticipate the second coming of Jesus? Is it because of its complex and often terrifying imagery its focus on divine judgment and its apocalyptic themes of the end of the world? Or maybe because of its severe warnings (and promises) to the Churches?There are several possible reasons why Revelation can evoke fear or apprehension in people including followers of Christ:The Complex and Symbolic LanguageThe Focus on Judgment and DestructionDepictions of Evil and Spiritual WarfareThe End-Times FearsThe Fear of the UnknownThe Cultural Depictions and MisunderstandingsThe Perceived Irrelevance or InaccessibilityThe Misinterpretations of God's CharacterA More Hopeful Perspective on RevelationWhile Revelation certainly contains judgment and terrifying images the overall message is one of hope. It culminates in the victory of Christ over evil the restoration of all things and the establishment of a new creation where God will dwell with His people forever (Revelation 21:3-4). For believers Revelation is meant to encourage perseverance faithfulness and hope in the face of suffering and persecution.When understood through the lens of God's ultimate plan for redemption Revelation can be seen as a book that calls believers to trust in God's sovereignty to endure in faith and to look forward to the ultimate renewal of all things. Far from a book of hopeless fear Revelation is an exposé of God's victory and the final fulfillment of His promises.The Revelation serves as a guide for those who will be alive at that future time or for a roadmap for our children and grandchildren. For this reason God wants us to be prepared and to understand this end-times prophecy. Prophecies concerning the Messiah's first coming have already been fulfilled but about half regarding His second coming remain unfulfilled. The Book of Revelation answers the question What will occur during the last days (Daniel's 70th week)?The Book of Revelation is rich in symbolism and imagery but its primary message is one of hope for believers: the final victory of Christ over all evil the establishment of God's eternal Kingdom and the promise of new creation. Revelation leads us from our present struggles to the ultimate triumph of God's will revealing the heart of God for His people and His creation.