The Greek word that is translated as 'revelation' is apokalupsis and means: disclosure, Now what does this book promise to disclose? The answer is right there, it is Jesus Christ. So we begin with the understanding that this is not a book sent by God to disclose the future or the antichrist or the devil or the beast or the harlot. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Now the next part says that this revelation was given to Him by God. Now some may ask "Why would Jesus need God to reveal Himself to Him". Philipians chapter 2 says that Jesus left His place in Heaven and took on the form of a man for the suffering of death. Part of this "emptying Himself" meant that He did not have omniscience as a man. We know that He was tempted in all ways as we are so that He could be touched with the feeling of our infirmaty when we are tempted and that He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. Omniscience cannot be tempted or learn anything in the process.

So Jesus had to learn from His Father who He was and what He came to do. In other words, God had to give Him the revelation of Jesus Christ. But we must remember that the Bible refers to Jesus as the Head and we are His Body. As the Head has gone so goes the Body and this reveals the purpose that God had for giving this important book to the Body of Christ. God revealed to Jesus who He was so that He could understand His purpose and so that He could Overcome the obstacles that were laid in His path by Satan to keep Him from completling His purpose. How much more do we need this same help so that we can Overcome as He has Overcome.

Thus, Jesus sent an angel to His servant John to reveal to us what had been revealed to Him by God about what it takes to Overcome in this life and fulfill our purpose in God. So why is this book so hard to understand? The first reason is that the Church for the most part has completely ignored what Jesus said this book was given to us to accomplish. The second reason is that it was 'signified' by this angel.

This simple means that this revelation was given in "sign language". In other words, it was given in symbolic language. So we need to not only understand WHY this book was given, but also HOW it was given.

For example, no Christian teachers believe that there is a literal Lamb sitting on a literal throne in Heaven. Neither do we believe there is a literal beast that comes out of a literal sea with seven literal heads and ten literal horns. Nor do most believe in giant locusts or four different colored horses who bring judgments upon a literal earth. So far so good. We know that these are just symbols.

Yet, many Revelation "experts" will try to convince us of two literal witnesses who will stand in front of a literal rebuilt Temple in the literal city of Jerusalem warning people of a literal Lake of Fire that burns forever and ever.

Go figure.