A massive earthquake. The sun becomes dark, and the moon turns red as blood. Celestial objects fall on Earth. Blood rains from the sky. A plague of voracious, horrifying-looking locusts destroys much of the land. The reign of the Antichrist.
These are only a few of the described judgments that will fall upon the Earth during the tribulation period, as described in the book of Revelation — the last book of the Christian Bible.
The visions were given by the resurrected Jesus to the apostle John when he was exiled to the island of Patmos (off the coast of Turkey). John, an eyewitness of the Christ and the last disciple to die, wrote this Revelation as a letter to the seven churches in Asia in the first century.
These churches suffered intense persecution under the Roman Emperor Domitian (A.D. 90-95). Christ’s message commended them for their strengths, encouraged perseverance in their faith, and warned them about their weaknesses. It is an enduring and current message that likewise has admonished and encouraged believers throughout the centuries.
Revelation is written in a Jewish literature style called “apocalyptic.” The style uses symbolic imagery to communicate the ultimate triumph of God over evil and to bring hope to those under persecution. In apocalyptic writings, events are usually ordered by literary patterns other than strictly chronological. That trait of this style originates countless debates and different views among Christians about the sequence of critical events described in the book.
The book of Revelation has undoubtedly captured people’s curiosity from every walk of life through the centuries. Musicians have written about it. Artists such as Michelangelo, Gustave Dore and William Blake have graced museums and churches with paintings depicting astounding scenes from the book.
But even though the judgments described in the book evoke the perfect material for a horror movie, the purpose of Jesus’ prophecy about the future of humanity is not to leave his followers fearful or hopeless. Conversely, Revelation is a book filled with hope for believers who endure the trials of this world without losing their faith.
Many books and Bible studies on Revelation are available — most of them attempting to bring scholarly light and interpretation to the prophecies given to John by the risen Christ.
But I recently reviewed a new book by bestselling author Jeff Kinley that offers believers a fresh, hope-filled perspective concerning the end times: “God’s Grand Finale – Wrath, Grace and Glory in Earth’s Last Days.”
Kinley is the author of 40 books and one of the most established voices and experts in the field of Bible prophecy.
In his new book, Kinley delves into 13 distinctive characteristics of God, vividly illustrated in Revelation. These characteristics provide hope and a view of God’s unchanging character throughout Scriptures. Kinley hopes the book will challenge readers to understand end-time events comprehensively, deepen their reverence for God, and grow their faith.
During my interview with Kinley for my podcast, I asked him a question that many people often have regarding the judgments described in Revelation: “How can we reconcile this imagery of judgment and wrath with the idea of a loving and merciful God?”
Kinley’s answer invites believers to reconcile the apparent conundrum by considering God’s whole character throughout the Scriptures.
He pointed out that people often gravitate toward comforting Scriptures but may avoid challenging passages like Matthew 23, where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and calls them “sons of hell.” Or as in the book of John, chapter 4, where Jesus asserts the exclusivity of his person as the only way to God, the Father. Likewise, In Matthew 24 and 25, when Jesus describes Earth’s future, he mirrors events described in the book of Revelation.
“The issue,” says Kinley, “is that many people may selectively embrace or ignore these teachings based on emotional comfort or cultural preference despite the profound and challenging messages within them.”
“God’s Grand Finale” is a timely book. As we watch events unfold in the Middle East and around the world that cause Christians to believe that the circumstances described in Jesus’ last Revelation to the church may be closer than ever before, this book serves as a beautiful resource to remind us that the God of love and grace is also the righteous judge of evil. He is consistently both throughout scriptures.
But in the end, his salvation is available and accessible to anyone who puts their trust in him, and his faithfulness to his children will never fail.
Patricia does a two-part interview with Jeff. Search God-Sized Stories with Patricia Holbrook on all podcast platforms or YouTube for the interview with Jeff Kinley.
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, podcaster and international speaker. Visit her new website: www.PatriciaHolbrook.com. For speaking engagements and comments, email patricia@PatriciaHolbrook.com.
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