Understanding Revelation

A free 18-week study designed to help you find peace and confidence from God’s Word in an ever-changing and upside-down world.

Lesson 1 • Unveiling Christ

Unveiling Christ is the first lesson in a series titled “Understanding Revelation.” This opening study, from Revelation 1:1-8, shows us how the book of Revelation unveils the person and purpose of Christ in all of His glory, and lays the framework for a greater appreciation of the entire book. Watch

Lesson 2 • Gem from Heaven

Once we understand who Christ is, we are able to engage in what Christ does. This second lesson in the “Understanding Revelation” series moves us from our Lord’s attributes (last week) into his actions; from his person to His purpose. In Revelation 1:9-20, we are confronted with a unique vision of Christ’s roles as prophet, priest and king. By understanding these three functions, we become inspired to follow Christ victoriously. Watch

Lesson 3 • Your First Love

Have you ever thought about why God commands us, above all, to love Him? If so, how much do you prioritize the Great Commandment? In this third part of the series, “Understanding Revelation,” we are challenged to allow the opening words in Revelation 2 to touch our hearts that we might reclaim our first love for God. Watch

Lesson 4 • Hot and Cold

This fourth message in the series, “Understanding Revelation,” brings fresh insights about the seven churches in Revelation with a special focus on the church at Laodicea. In Revelation 3, we will find strikingly accurate descriptions of the real problems and solutions Christians face today, with specific application for our lives. Watch

Lesson 5 • The Throne

One of the keys to understanding the book of Revelation is to read it from the right vantagepoint. When we read the book from the perspective of our temporal world, it seems confusing and convoluted. It makes more sense, however, when we view the events described in Revelation from the vantagepoint of the throne of God as described in chapter 4. Join us to gain a heavenly perspective of God’s plan for planet earth. Watch

Lesson 6 • The Scroll

The world produces several million books each year. But none have come close to the importance of the book described in Revelation 5. Produced in scroll format, this tome unlocks the master plan of redemption. By pondering this Revelation 5 scroll, we learn how to prepare for our journey from the throne room of God to face the difficulties that will arise at the end of time. Watch

Lesson 7 • Birth Pains

Revelation 6 and 7 describe six of the seven seals that are opened by God to launch end-time events. In this video, we note the parallels between the seven seals and the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24. Both passages speak of the birth pains required for this world to give birth to the next. By reflecting on God’s purpose for the coming birth pains, we find reason to trust His sovereign plan. Watch

Lesson 8 • Protected

What could be more unsettling than a biblical description of the Great Tribulation, a time of world distress of unparalleled proportions? Revelation 8 & 9 and their seven trumpets depict horrific terrors released on earth from the gates of hell. Buried within this passage are profound promises that those who trust in God will be protected. Watch

Lesson 9 • Hidden Picture

Revelation 10 & 11 contain four mysteries, that like hidden pictures, are easily missed by the average reader. We will reveal the often-overlooked pictures in this section to highlight four points of application for every believer. Together, these four application points can inspire us to move beyond debate and division that we might unite with fresh resolve, and strengthen our faith. Watch

Lesson 10 • The Mark

Movies and books about the apocalypse highlight “the mark of the beast.” But what is this mark really? Revelation 12 & 13 provide, through pictorial representations, an understanding about “the mark” that is often overlooked. Once we see this deeper meaning, our focus turns to being sealed with “the mark of the Lamb” rather than with “the mark of the beast.” Watch

Lesson 11 • Both/And God

How easily we humans become entrenched in our patterns of thinking. The media rides on the rails of polarization, enforcing our tendencies to react rather than reason, making it increasingly difficult for the average person to look squarely at both sides of an issue. Revelation 14’s description of the 144,000 and of the winepress of God challenges us to see God and the world in a more holistic manner; our either/or mentality is challenged by a both/and God. Watch

Lesson 12 • God’s Wrath

As modern Christians, we embrace Jesus as the Lamb, but have a difficult time understanding Him as a Lion. When confronted with the Biblical theme of God’s wrath in Revelation 15 & 16, we may find ourselves rushing past the descriptions of His anger and justice that we might get to the celebration at the end of the book. To accept God’s love, however, without embracing the necessity of His justice is to denigrate both. Understood correctly, God’s wrath will motivate us to love and trust God more deeply. Watch

Lesson 13 • Babylon

Revelation 17 & 18 focus on the utter destruction of Babylon through graphic and emotive poetry. What is Babylon and why must it be destroyed? More to the point, why are we urged to “come out” from her, and what does that mean? These and other issues relevant to our lives will be explored through Biblical history and personal application. Watch

Lesson 14 • The Wedding

Revelation 19 opens with a climatic celebration that fulfills the rich and wondrous promises throughout Scripture of God’s eternal love: the wedding supper of the Lamb. Ushered in by uproarious praise, this final and complete union between Christ and his Bride, the Church, should give every believer a fresh confidence that God loves them and will reward faithfulness in ways we cannot now comprehend or even imagine. Watch

Lesson 15 • Two Millenniums?

The Millennium has become one of the most pivotal issues for interpreting the book of Revelation. If, however, the thousand-year reign of Christ is so important, why is it not even mentioned until near to the end of the book? And why is the word “Millennium” not found anywhere else in the Bible? In Revelation 20, we will discover the importance of the Millennium and will uncover important insights that we can all embrace, regardless of our interpretive methods for understanding end-time events. Watch

Lesson 16 • The Great White Throne

Careful reflection on the meaning of “The Great White Throne” opens before us the most significant issues of our lives: God’s judgment and our eternal destiny. We will ponder the various stages of God’s judgment to better understand our accountability before God, what we might expect on the final day, and how to live faithfully for God through the trying experiences of our lives. Watch

Lesson 17 • Your True Home

Each of us have lived in dwellings of some kind. None of us, however, have experienced a perfect home. The home God is preparing for us will exude perfection in a manner that we cannot fully grasp while in our mortal state–it will be a new type of new. Revelation 21 describes this future reality with words and images that will encourage our faith to build indomitable hope within us. Watch

Lesson 18 • Quickly

This final study in Revelation highlights key themes and a closing point of application all wrapped around the word “quickly.” Once we grasp the usage and implications of quickly, we will understand the central idea behind the entire prophecy. This simple idea, in fact, upholds the main point of the entire Bible. Watch