REVELATION 52 Devotions

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Introduction

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 20

Week 21

Week 22

Week 23

Week 24

Week 25

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

Week 40

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Week 44

Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Week 48

Week 49

Week 50

WEEK 51

Week 52

REVELATION 52 Devotions

Steven J. Ottolini, PhD

ISBN 979-8-89309-031-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89309-032-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2024 Steven J. Ottolini, PhD

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

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www.covenantbooks.com

To my wife, Molly; our three children and their spouses; and our eleven grandchildren. With covenant love.

Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of His roar, sorrows will be no more. When He bares His teeth, winter meets its death, and when He shakes His mane, we shall have spring again.

C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Introduction

I was raised Italian Pentecostal, my eschatology (doctrine of last things) at the time, of course, dispensational. We heard about beasts and prostitutes and death and destruction, the end of the world, and of course, the rapture. My sister, who was fourteen years old at the time, got filled with the Holy Spirit, as we called it. I had not received it yet and was living the life of a rebellious teenager. I had my own bedroom at the time, and my sisters shared a bedroom in our small home. Each night after my sister received the Holy Spirit I would peek in her room to see if she was still there or she had gone up in the rapture and I missed it! Thus began my lifelong pursuit of the truth about the so-called end times in the Bible. Interesting how my fear was not of hell but of missing the rapture. Our elder brothers would ask us teens repeatedly, Are your bags packed? Do you have your ticket punched? Do you have oil in your lamp? I was seeking to be ready for the rapture, not seeking to have a relationship with Jesus in this life or the life to come. Many years have passed since my Italian Pentecostal days and many changes in my life. God chose me to be His child, married, have three children, called to ministry at the age of twenty-five, two years of study in England, youth pastor, church planter, elder, masters in theology, PhD in theology, and truly reformed/covenantal with regard to scripture.

Through my years of formal study, I began to see the folly of the dispensational school of understanding scripture. In my opinion, the church has been held captive to a false eschatology. This book is my contribution to the church to once again see the beauty and majesty of the book of Revelation. In John's own words, we are to be encouraged and blessed when we read the book of Revelation. This dispensational scheme only produced fear in me, date setting, looking for the end of the world instead of seeing the brilliance of Jesus in His role as Messiah. My intention in this book is for believers to catch a fresh vision of Jesus Christ as victor over sin, Satan, and the world. My appeal in this book is for the believer to come away from date setting, decoding, reading Revelation with one eye and reading the newspaper headlines with the other eye and to stop trying to guess who the antichrist is! The book of Revelation is written by John to startle the believer to the dangers of compromise with the world system and herd the reader to the face of Jesus. After all, the intent of John's writing is declared in the first line of the book of Revelation: The revelation of Jesus Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit as you read this book to bring you back to your first love, Jesus. Fall at His feet and worship Him as you see Him afresh in the pages of the book of Revelation. Revelation is primarily a book of worship of Prince Messiah, the bright morning star and the King of kings and Lord of lords. John, with the angels and living creatures, the church in heaven, and the church on earth, is in praise, adoration, and worship of the one who is worthy.

Following is fifty-two devotions from the book of Revelation, one for each week of the year. Each devotion begins with scripture from the book of Revelation under the title Worship. Read the scripture and spend a moment in quiet reflection on the scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. After the scripture, the heading reads, Worship with Understanding. Consider this a short teaching or commentary on the scripture to perhaps give you insight that propels you toward Jesus. Each devotion then ends with a prayer or a quote or a hymn from church history to connect you to the great throng of witnesses all proclaiming in unison, Jesus is Lord. I am under no pretense that I have the last word on the book of Revelation; it is a complex book. This book is an offering for you the believer to consider. I do not believe we will have perfect understanding of the book of Revelation until we are in the fullness of the kingdom of God. I have long-abandoned position titles relative to my understanding of God's last things: premill, A-mill, postmill, futurist, historist, etc. I am convinced that Revelation is a symbolic portrayal of the conflict between a good God and a bad devil. Revelation is a picture book, symbols, representations, like a political cartoon. To read Revelation and decode it and set times for the events is missing the point of the book. It is a book of visions, not predictions of the future. It is a book to cause you to cheer for the good guys and boo at the villains. God willing, my next two books on Revelation will be how to read, understand, and apply the book of Revelation. Also, how to preach from the book of Revelation. I have been set free from dispensationalism. I no longer fear the book of Revelation; it is my favorite book of the Bible. My prayer is this will be your experience too as you worship with the book of Revelation.

Steven J. Ottolini, PhD

Week 1

Worship

The revelation of Jesus Christ…

—Revelation 1:1

Worship with Understanding

It was Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa, in the fourth century who wrote, The keys to the book of Revelation have always hung by the door. The book of Revelation is about one person, the God-man, Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation is given to us by the Holy Spirit to edify us, encourage us, and bless us. Instead, most modern readers are scared by the book of Revelation. The tendency of today's readers of Revelation is to focus on the end of the world, the beast, the antichrist, Armageddon, Satan, locusts with scorpion tails, lions and tigers and bears, oh my! John, the author of the book of Revelation, wants us to focus on Jesus Christ! Along with John's gospel, the book of Revelation is the best Christological book of all sixty-six! In your worship of God, regain your focus, your center, on the man Christ Jesus. As we journey through the last book of the canon, begin and end with a vision of Jesus Christ.

We look for encouragement in so many places: friends, Christian concerts, self-help books, a quick fifteen-minute pick-me-up sermon, on and on. The biblical solution to discouragement is to see Jesus by the Spirit in the word of God, not seeing Jesus in a dream or in your vanilla latte from Starbucks or in a cloud formation but by the Spirit, from the Bible.

This is the story of the hall-of-faith fame, which is Hebrews chapter 11. All the saints before us, in obedience to God, had their hearts and minds fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ. Abel and Enoch saw and believed in Christ and were commended for their faith. Noah saw Christ and endured a stinky cruise to a new world. Abraham saw Christ and believed God when the gospel was preached to him (Gal. 3:8). Abraham believed God and His Word (Christ) against all contrary circumstances. Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets endured unspeakable hardships because Jesus Christ is worth it!

John, like all the apostles, always pointed out to the people of God to see Jesus and the kingdom of God in fullness. This is the biblical method for believers in crisis: to open your eyes and see Jesus Christ. Jesus is the revelation John communicates in the book of Revelation. In fact, the entire Bible points to Jesus Christ. I'm not saying this; Jesus says it in Luke 24:27.

Paul the apostle had one fear. It wasn't the fear of death or bodily harm or rejection or the Romans or persecution. Here is Paul in his own words in 2 Corinthians 11:2–3: "For I feel a divine jealousy for you since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Paul was afraid for Christians to be deceived and drift away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Oh, how we drift away from our first love as the church in Ephesus did in Revelation 2:4. So many distractions today: a billion channels on TV, phones in our hands that could probably launch a spaceship in Houston, sports, games, games, and more games. I once was counseling a man who complained that he was too busy, and we should cut out so many meetings at church. Asking to see his busy" schedule, I discovered he was on two softball teams and two bowling leagues!

I am not advocating for a monastic lifestyle; but I am appealing to the modern church to return to the centrality of Christ in both personal life and corporate life. One can sing ten songs in a modern church and say the name Jesus maybe once or twice.

Reading the book of Revelation should lift the believing reader to heights of love and gratitude for Jesus. Jesus is the subject of the book. Jesus is the hero of the book. Jesus is why the book was even penned by John. In your devotions, fall deeper in love with Jesus every day. Do not make Jesus a priority in your life; make him your life (Gal. 2:20).

Obey today. Hebrews 12:1–2: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus (NIV says, fix your eyes) the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Receive Paul's apostolic prayer today in Ephesians 1:17 (I pray): That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of Glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (that you might see Christ). In 20 and 21: Seated at God's right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

As the river seeks the sea, so Jesus, I seek thee! O' let me find thee and melt my life into thine forever.

—Charles Spurgeon

Week 2

Worship

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him 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 from the dead, and the ruler of the kinds of the earth.

—Revelation 1:4–5

Worship with Understanding

The book of Revelation is classified three ways in literature: (1) An apocalypse, a class of Jewish or Christian writings that appeared from about 200 BC to AD 350 and were assumed to be a revealing, an unveiling of ultimate divine purpose. (2) A prophetic writing, of or related to predictions of blessing or chaos from a divine source. Prophecy is also used for edification (building up), encouragement, and consolation (comfort) (1 Corinthians 14:3). (3) An epistle, an apostolic letter of communication of direction, understanding, revelation, and doctrine to special groups or a person.

John writes a letter to seven churches in Southwest Asia, now modern Turkey. A letter from a spiritual leader that promises blessings to those who read it. The promise of blessing for reading revelation is repeated seven times in the book (1:3, 14:3, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, and 22:14). The book of Revelation isn't designed to scare you but bless you! God's people in the late first century needed to be blessed and encouraged. The Christians were suffering great persecution (tribulation) by apostate Jews and the Roman government. These two groups conspired together to have Jesus crucified and went on to persecute the seed of the woman, the church.

The Jews, who were apostate, sealed their fate when asked by Pilate if he should acquit the King of the Jews? The apostate Jews bellowed back, We have no king but Caesar! Crucify him! (John 19:14–16). When the apostate Jews played the whore with the Roman government and even agreed to have Christ crucified, divine judgment upon the apostate Jews and Rome was inevitable. This theme of days of vengeance plays a major role in understanding the book of Revelation (Luke 21:20–24). The nascent church in the first century was pressured by the Roman government to pay homage to Caesar (Domitian at this time). By declaring "Caesar is Lord! The faithful Christians refused to worship Caesar by countering with Jesus is Lord!" Persecution was intense to compromise, and Antipas (a Christian in Pergamum) lost his life refusing to bow the knee to Caesar (Rev. 2:13).

The book of Revelation is written to real people in a real world with real problems and threats to life. Hence, John wrote the book of Revelation to them to edify, encourage, and comfort the saints in tribulation. Reading the book today with understanding will equally build you up, encourage you, and comfort you.

What did John tell the church to encourage them during first-century tribulation? First, he commends his readers to grace and peace from three persons. God: who is who was and who is to come. A title emphasizing God's eternality. He has existed forever. He exists now (in the first century) and will exist forever. John uses this phrase four times in Revelation (1:4, 1:8, 11:17, and 16:5). The Holy Spirit: From the seven spirits who are before his throne (found two more times in 3:1 and 4:5). Of course, there is only one Holy Spirit. This early use of the number 7 is an indicator of the symbolic nature of the entire book. The book is not to be read literally but as a book of symbols and imagery; like an opera! The number 7 refers to Isaiah 11:2 and 3, which describes seven benefits of the Spirit of God to be enjoyed by the future Davidic king. Jesus Christ: The faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

A blessing of grace and peace conferred on the suffering saints by the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus in the blessing is given three titles: the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Jesus Christ the faithful witness. The concept of faithful witness in the book of Revelation is attributed to Jesus but also to those who follow the lamb wherever he goes. Antipas, who was martyred, was called my faithful witness in Revelation 2:13. Jesus testified to the truth that he has received from God. Jesus Christ is the source of the revelations John communicates to his readers, for He is the foundation of truth and reliability. Jesus was a witness to the truth, but more than that, Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Equally, Jesus is the faithful witness to who God is and witness to God's true nature of holiness and righteousness to a fallen world by being the exact representation of the divine nature (Hebrews 1:1–3). God did not just speak to us through the lips of Jesus as he did other prophets; God spoke to us in the being and life of Jesus as a faithful witness! Those who are in union with Christ are called to continue the faithful witness of the Christ in all we testify to with our lips but also demonstrate to a fallen world in our life and deeds.

Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead. This phrase, firstborn from the dead, also appears in Colossians 1:18. Habakkuk refers to believers as the assembly of the firstborn. Jesus is the first human to be raised from the dead as head of a new species of human, a new creation. We die in Adam; we are raised in Christ. As our federal head, Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead. We are assured of bodily resurrection because our federal head has come before us as the first of a new creation order. Westminster Shorter Catechism proclaims the believers' destiny to raise from the dead in WSC Q&A number 37: Q: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? A: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

Jesus is titled the ruler of the kings of the earth. Please note this is Jesus's title before all the drama of the book of Revelation barely begins. Casual readers of the last book of the Bible think that the book of Revelation is about a duel between the forces of evil and good. Sometimes evil wins; sometimes good wins. We have to wait until the end of the book to see how wins! This is nonsense. John saw seven visions in Revelation. He somehow needed to communicate what he saw by the Spirit. John used his vast knowledge of scriptures (the Old Testament) to communicate his vision. A strong understanding of the Old Testament is imperative to understanding the book of Revelation. This is why the book is so difficult for American readers in the West; we are Bible illiterate. Without using the scripture to interpret the scriptures, Americans use their own fallen imaginations. This is why the sixty-sixth book of the canon is so neglected in the West. Jesus was designated as ruler of the kings of the earth in a reference to Psalm 2. Psalm 2 looms large throughout the entire book. Please read and meditate on Psalm 2. Picture a three-year-old little boy, red faced, pounding on his daddy's knees, insisting and demanding buying candy at the grocery store. The yelping, crying, and frustrated screaming can be heard all over the store! At first the daddy laughs at the futility of a small, angry boy trying to overcome a two-hundred-and-twenty-pound grown man. But then the daddy's visage changes, from laughter to wrath. The daddy picks up the little guy with a swoop up to his chest and marches him away to the restroom for corporal punishment.

This is Jesus Christ, the ruler of the kings of the earth. The little kings may pound His knees, Jesus may momentarily laugh at this futile outburst, but then…this is the book of Revelation. No king or evil actor or nation or army better not challenge the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. Grace and peace to you from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

Jesus when now hidden, I by faith behold, what my soul doth long

For, that thy word foretold: face to face thy splendor, I at last shall

See, in the glorious vision, blessed Lord, of thee.

—Thomas Aquinas

Week 3

Worship

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

—Revelation 1:8

Worship with Understanding

The name God appears eighty-three times in the book of Revelation, mentioned at least once in every chapter. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. All things were created through Christ (Col. 1:16–17), and all things are being restored back to Him as God restores all things (Eph. 1:10). All the created time and space is in a trajectory to glorify the son. The phrase Alpha and Omega is shared by God the Father and God the Son in Revelations 1:8, 1:17, 21:6, and 22:13. There is a word in theology called aseity. The word means self-existence. This is the attribute that God possessed alone and never communicated to His creation.

In these modern times, humans love to put God in the docket and question Him as if they were superior to God. If God created all things, who created God? they opine. The question betrays an imbecile understanding of who God is and the bold-faced rebellion of the creature. God always was, and He is, and He is to come; He is eternal. When we become like Him on resurrection morning, we will be immortal, but we will never be eternal, like God. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

The first verse in our Bible tells us this, In the beginning, God… (Genesis 1:1). Before there was earth, sky, trees, birds, tigers and fish, there was God.

Notice, this is God speaking directly to the reader, not through an angel and the like but God declaring He is the Alpha and Omega. There are two aspects of God that every