“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3).

      This vision is first a revelation of Jesus. This should always be foremost in our minds as we study it. It is also a road map through the church age to the beginning of the age to come in which Christ will reign over the earth.

      At the time this vision was given to John, it was almost entirely a look into the future. As stated in the verse above, it began to unfold soon after John received it. It continued through the centuries of the church age until now. As we look back, most of it has now been fulfilled. However, what comes at the end is a spectacular consummation of God’s plan for the earth. Some of the most important events predicted in this vision come at the very end of this age, which is, conclusively, the time in which we’re now living.

      The church age began with the ministry of Jesus in the first century, and it will end with His ministry at the end of this age. Then the earth will be reaped at the harvest at “the end of the age” (see Matthew 13:37-43). The harvest is the time when all of the seeds that have been sown in man will mature and be reaped. This is the time when the earth will experience the maturing of all the seeds that have been sown in man and in the earth through mankind—the good and the evil, the wheat and the tares.

      Revelation is more about what the Lord has sought to accomplish through this age than it is about evil, though it can appear at times that evil is prevailing. God is using the evil and the great darkness of this age to purify the people who will rule with Him in the ages to come. He will overcome in the end. So, at the end of this age, we should expect it to look like the devil and his work will triumph, but we should also expect that the work of God in the earth will ultimately prevail.

      There is also much in the book of Revelation about the exposure and removal of the “tares” from the “wheat” on the earth at the end of this age. The evil that was sown in mankind will test and bring forth the nobility and royalty of the earth—God’s own household. These sons and daughters will reign with Him because they have discerned His purposes from those of the evil one. They will have embraced all of the challenges and trials of standing for His truth and His people and against the great onslaught of “deep darkness” that arises at the end.

      Now that we are the end of this age, we can see how accurately history was predicted in the book of Revelation. As the saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” The Lord truly has saved His best wine for last, and our overall vision of His plan for the earth can be clearer now than it has ever been. After the Revelation of Jesus, this is the revelation we are seeking.

      We cannot help but marvel at the extraordinary and wonderful plan of God for mankind and the earth. The most wonderful of all is how He prepared it to be His own dwelling place. That God will Himself dwell on earth among mankind is the greatest wonder and hope we have. Could there be anything more wonderful than this?

      This revelation is not just for the earth or mankind. It’s much bigger than that. It’s a revelation of our God for all of creation, for all of eternity. He will make His dwelling among those who have been recovered from the worst debauchery there has ever been, or will be. That is the clearest revelation of God and His Son, their nature, and their heart to redeem and restore even the lowliest and most defiled among His creation. It is God’s nature to redeem and restore even those who have fallen to the worst debauchery—if they are willing to be restored.