What Is Revelation About?

Revelation is written to first-century believers to alert them to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that was soon to take place. Jesus pronounced this destruction in Matthew 23-24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.

Jesus said Jerusalem would be left desolate and the temple would be destroyed. This destruction occurred in AD 70 when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

Throughout Revelation, the judgment Jesus foretold is being fulfilled as the old covenant judgments are poured out on first-century Israel (see the curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28).

These judgments are for Israel’s violations of the old covenant and to avenge the blood of the saints. In Revelation 19, Mystery Babylon, also described as the prostitute, is destroyed. Mystery Babylon is physical, old covenant Jerusalem, which included the temple.

Once the old covenant judgments upon Israel were completed, heaven would no longer pour out judgments on earth. Rather, heaven would pour out the water of life through the new Jerusalem to the nations.

This is the symbolism of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth. God’s new way of relating to earth would no longer be according to the old covenant law but would be only through the new covenant of grace.

With the destruction of the physical city of old covenant Jerusalem, a new Jerusalem was needed.

However, the new Jerusalem would not be a physical, rebuilt Jerusalem but a spiritual Jerusalem built as more and more people from all over the world became believers in Jesus. Just as the temple of God is a spiritual temple consisting of believers (Ephesians 2:11-22), the new Jerusalem is a spiritual city consisting of believers.

This spiritual city of believers is a symbol for the presence of God expanding throughout the nations.

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