The Book of Revelation

Start with a question Revelation is full of symbols. Is it also a place where we can find the identity of God? When we approach the final book of the Bible, we must not import a philosophical framework from centuries later. We must let the text speak for itself. We must ask: Who is sitting on the throne, and who is the Lamb?

The opening "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." (Revelation 1:1) God gave the revelation to Jesus Christ. The giver and the receiver are distinguished from the start. And two verses later we see who the giver is: Jesus Christ "hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father" (Revelation 1:6). And we saw in Lesson 16 that, from glory, Jesus says "my God" four times in a single verse (Revelation 3:12).

The throne "And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." (Revelation 4:2) "One sat on the throne." The four living creatures cry "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come," and the elders say: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things" (Revelation 4:8, 11).

A note on "holy, holy, holy." Some read the threefold "holy" as pointing to three Persons. But look at the sentence itself: the threefold cry is followed by "which was, and is, and is to come," so the text itself offers a link to past, present and future. The cry is addressed to the one “Lord God Almighty,” not to three Persons.

The Lamb "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." (Revelation 5:1) Then another comes: "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne... stood a Lamb as it had been slain... And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne." (Revelation 5:6–7) The One on the throne holds the book. The Lamb comes and takes it from His hand. Everyone agrees that the Lamb is Jesus. So the One on the throne, the one who is worshipped, is the one from whom the Lamb receives the book: the Father. This is the same scene as Daniel 7: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit... I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." (Daniel 7:9, 13) Two figures: one seated, one approaching.

The worship "A great multitude, which no man could number... stood before the throne, and before the Lamb... And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels... fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God." (Revelation 7:9–11) "Our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." The redeemed in heaven know whom they call "our God," and they give honor to the Lamb. And on the last pages: "They shall be priests of God and of Christ." (Revelation 20:6) "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." (Revelation 21:22) "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him." (Revelation 22:1, 3) Again and again: two named together. One is called God. The other is called Christ, or the Lamb.

A hard text This is the text most often raised, so let's read it closely. Here is what the text shows:

1. Revelation 1:8: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
2. Revelation 22:13: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Jesus speaking, see 22:16).
3. Revelation 21:6–7: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end... He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

The same title appears in the mouth of each. But look at 21:7: the one who says "I will be his God" is speaking of a relationship with those who overcome, and in 3:12 it is Jesus who says "my God." So whoever is speaking at 21:7, the text keeps two apart.

What does the shared title mean? We saw in Lesson 14 that the Son carries the Father's name ("my name is in him"). A title the Father gives to the Son, together with His name (Exodus 23:21; Philippians 2:9), does not make the Son the Father. Notice that the same book that gives Him the title has Him say “my God” (Revelation 3:12), and has the One on the throne say “I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (21:7). Module 6 gives this a full study.

Who is the first angel's message about? "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:7) Now compare how the early believers prayed, after being threatened: "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: ... For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed..." (Acts 4:24, 27) The same description, "made heaven, and earth, and the sea," and the same One is addressed. And He has a "holy child" named Jesus. So whom did they mean? And look at what Jesus said, in John's own Gospel: "the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

What Trinitarian scholars themselves say It's fair to hear how defenders of the Trinity describe their own evidence. The evangelical theologian Charles Ryrie, in Basic Theology (1999, pp. 89–90), wrote that the Bible doesn't clearly teach the doctrine of the Trinity by a single proof text, but argues that this doesn't make it untrue, since a doctrine can be taught by combining what Scripture says in several places. (Please read his own words; a summary doesn't replace them.)

This is how the Trinity is defended: not from one verse, but by joining several. The Bible doesn't need a single proof text for a doctrine to be true. But a doctrine built from many texts must show that each link is solid. That is what we've been testing.