The Master Key to the Book of Revelation is right there, hidden in plain sight right at the very beginning – but most people just kind of gloss over it or don’t pay much attention to it. They’re anxious to get into the Seals, the Trumpets, the Bowls, the Judgments, the Lake of Fire, the Beast, and the New Jerusalem. But… right here in the Book of Revelation, chapter one verse one, we have the Master Key that unlocks the door that gives you access to all the hidden treasures stored there in that divine storehouse of the Book of Revelation.
The Master Key to the Book of Revelation is the understanding that “THIS IS THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.” This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The purpose, the point of this book, is not to reveal the Antichrist, although it discusses that. It’s not to reveal what’s going to happen in the end-times, although it discusses that. It’s not to reveal the essence of the New Jerusalem and heaven on earth, although it does talk about these things. The purpose of the book is to reveal Jesus Christ. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
This is the Master Key that helps us to understand the Book of Revelation. When you get buried in details, and you get lost, and you get off the main path, so that you start speculating what the woman who sits on ten hills is all about; and what is the ten-horned monster; and what is the five kings that are fallen, one is and one is to come; and you get lost in those details and those nuances, come back to this Master Key! The Master Key that unlocks the door, that keeps you focused, that keeps you on the narrow path, and gives you perspective as you go through this Book of Revelation.
You should look at it this way (to change the analogy a bit). You should look at this as a compass that always points north. It always guides you and directs you no matter how far off the beaten path you may get – and you can get lost in a lot of the symbols and the nuance and the details of Revelation. You can actually lose sleep trying to understand how all these different things fit together. When that happens, at whatever time that happens, reach into your pocket and pull out this compass that always points north – and it is Revelation 1:1. It points you to True North, which is Christ. “This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Now certainly it does reveal other things; but the purpose of the book is to reveal the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all of these things. Yes, it does tell us about the last days; but the purpose of the book is to reveal Christ as Lord of Lords, as King of Kings, as Ruler of the Kings of the Earth, as the First and the Last, as the Alpha and the Omega, as the Beginning and the End. All of these many different revelations and names of Christ – so many new names that we didn’t have until we come to the Book of Revelation. Some are familiar, like “the Lamb of God.” We are familiar with those names. But names like “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth” – that’s a new revelation of Christ!
My point is that whatever we may agree with or disagree with about some of the details here, the main point, the main thing (as they say) is to keep the main thing the main thing. My biggest criticism of Bible prophesy teachers and people who speculate in the Book of Revelation is that they don’t keep the main thing the main thing. They forget. They get off track. They either don’t acknowledge, or they fail to remember, the Master Key to the Book of Revelation. “This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Everything else that is shown and revealed and talked about, it is all subservient to this Master Key, this Master Revelation, this one overriding, overwhelming preeminent truth: that Jesus is Lord.
No matter what happens, good or bad; no matter how far removed from God’s purpose things seem to get; no matter how dark it gets; no matter how big the devil looks; this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and His preeminence and His Lordship; and most importantly, the fulfillment of God’s purpose for all things. Although many things are revealed in the Book of Revelation, the primary purpose is to reveal Jesus and to show how the great purpose of God will be fulfilled in Christ.
It is a progressive revelation. Hebrews chapter 2 says we do not yet see all things submitted to Him.[1] But in the Book of Revelation, guess what? We see all things submitted to Him – but we have to enter into the spiritual realm. We have to enter into this prophetic tense where we see something that has not yet happened. It is still progressing; it is still unfolding before our eyes. But what we have in the Book of Revelation is the assurance that even though we do not yet see all things submitted to Him, we will see all things to Him. The presence of the word “yet” in Hebrews 2 – “We do not yet see all things submitted to Him” – implies that one day we will see all things submitted to Christ – and the Book of Revelation confirms this. It solidifies this. It says no matter how long you have to wait, no matter what kind of hell on earth you have to go through, in the end we will see all things submitted to Jesus Christ. He is King of Kings, He is Lord of Lords, and He is the fulfillment of this great purpose and plan of God as the Alpha and as the Omega. Praise the Lord!
That’s the Master Key to the Book of Revelation. When you get lost, when you get off track, always come back around to Revelation 1:1. Right there, right in the very beginning of the book. If we would just stick with that then we would not get off track in the beginning. We would stay exactly where we need to be, and we would all benefit. It’s right there. The Master Key to the Book of Revelation is in the first verse of the first chapter of Revelation.
[1] Heb. 2:8.
