I’ve spent a lot of time in Revelation this week. Something stirred deep within me—my “eyes of the heart” seemed to open, allowing me to see things I had missed in previous studies. As a teenager, Revelation felt like a frightening book. But it really isn’t, once you understand why God led John to write it and why it has remained in Scripture since the beginning. It unveils what is hidden and reveals what is yet to come.
Revelation, the final book of the Bible, captures the visions God gave John of future events leading to the promised new Heaven and new Earth. The book is filled with deep symbolism, layered imagery, and descriptions of things with no real parallels in our world today.
We truly do live in a broken world—one filled with distrust, anger, and violence, much of it amplified by a media that thrives on fear. They paint a dark, bleak picture of our reality. In Revelation, this mirrors what is called the Great Tribulation—a period of intense suffering and persecution before Jesus returns. John describes disasters, famine, and turmoil affecting the entire earth and all creation. This is the reign of the Antichrist and leads into the final judgment.
Yet John also sees beyond the brokenness. He is shown a renewed earth, a restored paradise, and the glorious return of Jesus.
I know it may sound a little silly, but it reminds me of the game Monopoly: each time around the board you try to make it “home,” but along the way you’re weighed down by mortgages, expenses, and saving those “Get Out of Jail Free” cards. But unlike Monopoly—where the game ends in bankruptcy or victory—in Revelation, the story ends with Eden. We will dwell with God and Jesus in a renewed creation. No more tears. No more hatred. Only love, laughter, and peace.
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