By Justin Borger with assistance from Generous Giving staff
The book of Revelation, written by the apostle John, begins with several letters from the Lord Jesus himself to seven early churches in Asia Minor. In the letters the risen Lord addresses specific issues in each church—including commendation for the church in Smyrna because of her faith amid poverty (2:9) and harsh criticism for Laodicea’s arrogant attitude toward wealth (3:17). Following the letters comes a series of symbolic visions pertaining to the judgment of the wicked, along with the fall of the evil empire of Babylon and all her excessive luxuries (Revelation 18:3). Throughout the book the saints are called upon to withdraw from the idolatrous economic systems of this world (e.g., 18:4-5) despite the high cost to persevere until the ultimate victory of Christ Jesus—the King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16). At that time the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of God (11:15-18), all the wealth of the world will come flowing back to Jerusalem (21:24-26), there will be no more hunger and no more thirst (7:16), and the faithful in Christ will receive their inheritance in the new heavens and the new earth (21:1, 7).
Our study of Revelation consists of two parts. In the first section, readers will find our stewardship study notes. These notes analyze, in a passage-by-passage fashion, the implications of the book’s teaching for Christian generosity and related issues. The second section consists of short essays describing the book’s major stewardship themes. These notes and essays are not intended to be comprehensive explanations of the author’s goals in writing this book, nor do they exhaust the book’s possible applications in matters related to stewardship and generosity.
While Generous Giving’s Bible study material will aid anyone who is searching the Scriptures for guidance, they may prove especially useful as sermon helps for pastors and as a resource for teachers, advisors and lay leaders interested in obeying and teaching the message of Scripture in matters of generosity and stewardship. We readily acknowledge our fallibility in writing these study notes, for they are the work of humans, not God. Please search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) as you read this material critically, carefully and prayerfully. May God bless you in your studies.
Passage-by-Passage Study Notes
Revelation 2:17 — Jesus promises to give gifts to those who remain faithful to him and overcome the world. Among the gifts listed here are manna, which represents supernatural provision from God, and a white stone. Commentator Robert Mounce notes that “it seems best to take the white stone as a tessera that served as a token for admission to [a] banquet. These little tablets of wood, metal, or stone were used in ancient times for many purposes. They were distributed to the poor in Rome by the emperors to insure a regular supply of corn, given to the victor at games and to gladiators who had won the admiration of the public and had been allowed to retire from future combat” (Robert Mounce, Revelation, 83).
Revelation 2:20 — Throughout the Scriptures (and especially in the prophets), the charges of “adultery,” “prostitution” and “sexual immorality” often refer to participation in idolatrous economic systems and practices. This connection is grounded in two facts: (1) Idolatry represents a break in the covenantal marriage relationship between God and his people, and (2) the incentives for idolatry were often economic in nature. Along these lines, commentator Robert Mounce notes that such sins seem to have been a problem for the church in Thyatira. “In a city whose economic life was dominated by trade guilds in which pagan religious practices had become the criteria for membership, Christian converts would be faced with the problem of compromising their stand at least enough to allow participation in a common meal dedicated to some pagan deity. To reject this accommodation could mean social isolation and economic hardship” (Robert Mounce, Revelation, 86). In other words, for the original readers of John’s revelation, faithfulness to God included a willingness to accept serious financial disadvantages. Are we willing to accept a blow to our bank accounts for the sake of faithfulness to God—e.g., refusing to participate in social structures, businesses or practices that would compromise our witness as Jesus’ followers? Even though this kind of obedience is easier to talk about than to apply, faithfulness requires vigilant sensitivity in this area nonetheless.
Revelation 2:23 — See key passage Revelation 22:12. See Revelation theme essay True Wealth.
Revelation 2:26-29 — Again, Jesus promises to give gifts to those who remain faithful to him and overcome the world (compare with note on Revelation 2:17). Among the gifts promised are power to reign with Jesus and “the morning star.” Unfortunately, it is difficult to be sure of what the morning star represents—possibly Christ himself (cf. Revelation 22:16); it seems that Jesus is reinforcing the promise of himself, and noting that we share in his messianic reign over all of heaven and earth. See Revelation theme essay True Wealth.
Revelation 3:12 — God’s people have replaced the temple in Jerusalem as his dwelling place on earth (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19). So building God’s house is no longer a matter of constructing physical buildings but of caring for the needs of people. We build and beautify God’s house by doing good deeds of mercy and sharing our resources with one another. As the apostle Peter explained, God’s people are like “living stones” that are “being built into a spiritual house” for our God (1 Peter 2:5). The fact that Christians are envisioned as pillars in God’s house (Revelation 3:12) has enormous implications for the way we use our money and church resources. After all, if God has really replaced the physical temple in Jerusalem by inhabiting the hearts of his people, shouldn’t we devote the same amount of money and resources to caring for his people as the Israelites once did to adorn the temple? Especially if some of God’s people are poor or in “disrepair,” shouldn’t church resources be used—first and foremost—to build them up? While building God’s house today may sometimes include contributions to physical building campaigns, it is of far more importance that we attend to the needs of the people in whom God dwells. Indifference toward the needs of other Christians in our own churches or around the world is no different from indifference toward God’s temple or Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 25:41-46). See Ezra theme essay Building Campaigns.
Revelation 3:14-18 (Key Passage) — Blinded by Wealth: The church at Laodicea had a big problem: Their money made them feel mighty. Their physical wealth blinded them to their spiritual poverty. “So arrogant was Laodicea about its wealth,” in fact, “that when the emperor proposed to help rebuild Laodicea along with other Asian cities destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 60, Laodicea refused what we would call the ‘federal disaster relief funds’ ” (Craig Keener, NIV Application Commentary: Revelation, 160). In stark contrast to the poor church at Smyrna, which Jesus praised as being “rich,” he told the self-sufficient Laodiceans that they were really “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). See Revelation theme essays Apocalypse and Affluence and True Wealth.
Revelation 3:15-16 — Jesus is concerned not only with the Laodiceans’ arrogant attitudes but also with their “deeds,” which are “neither hot nor cold.” This helps us to see how important good works like generosity are to the Lord (e.g., Hebrews 13:16; cf. Revelation 2:2, 19; 3:1, 8). Jesus’ criticism of the lukewarm Laodiceans often has been interpreted as a complaint about their lack of religious enthusiasm—as if Jesus wanted them either to fire things up or to snuff out their spiritual Bunsen burner altogether. But this is not the point. The analogy of being “neither hot nor cold” must be understood against the historical background. Laodicea was known for its poor water supply, while surrounding areas were known for the usefulness of their hot and cool springs. Before the age of water heaters and refrigerators, these springs were incredibly helpful natural resources, but Laodicea’s lukewarm water wasn’t good for much of anything. Like their water, Jesus wanted to spew them out of his mouth. Compare Jesus’ disgust with the Laodiceans’ lack of good works with God’s delight in generosity (Hebrews 13:16).
Revelation 3:17 — Jesus draws an incredibly close connection between physical wealth and spiritual poverty here and in Revelation 2:9 which should not be taken lightly (cf. James 2:5; 5:1-5)—so much so, in fact, that on the surface it seems like there is a direct connection between being physically wealthy and spiritually bankrupt. Smyrna is poor, and Jesus says to them, “You are rich!” Laodicea is rich, but Jesus tells them that they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Jesus’ difficult words represent a serious challenge to the way that we view material wealth and prosperity. Jesus viewed wealth as a real threat to our spiritual well-being, and so should we. Of course, it’s important to distinguish between the duty we have to be productive and the spiritual dangers that are posed by prosperity. The Bible never warns against working hard or being productive. In fact, it does just the opposite (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 21:5). But productivity always presents us with the dilemma of deciding what to do with our expendable income. After we take care of the basics, will we deny Jesus by keeping more than we need (cf. Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 10:17-25; 1 John 3:16-17) while others are literally starving? (One Christian relief and development ministry notes that 24,000 people die from hunger and hunger-related causes every day.) Or will we recognize that God makes us rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion (2 Corinthians 9:11)? See Revelation theme essays Apocalypse and Affluence and True Wealth.
Revelation 3:18 — In response to the Laodiceans’ arrogant assertion of their own material affluence, Jesus calls them to make some spiritual purchases to expose their desperate situation. Because they are spiritually poor and naked, the Laodiceans are advised to invest (at no cost, Isaiah 55:1) in the pure spiritual gold and white robes of Christ’s righteousness (cf. Revelation 19:7-8). Because they are blind, the Laodiceans are advised to buy salve for their eyes so that may see again. At this point, more than a little irony comes into play since Laodicea was famous for its medicinal products, including special eye ointment. See Revelation theme essay True Wealth.
Revelation 3:20 — The promise of dining with Jesus reminds us that those who seek him will see the great, eternal banquet in God’s new heaven and new earth, where there will be no starving, no suffering and no loneliness. When we share appropriately with one another as Jesus shared with us (see note on Mark 6:30-44), we remember God’s provision in history and for us today, and we anticipate the great feast with Jesus Christ at the end of time. See also notes on Luke 14:12-14 and 2 Corinthians 8:13-15.
Revelation 7:16 (Key Passage) — No More Hunger or Thirst: In Matthew 6:33 Jesus commanded his disciples to seek first God’s kingdom. But what does seeking first God’s kingdom actually look like? This verse provides one piece of the puzzle by explaining what things are like in the kingdom of God, where no one hungers or thirsts. It shows us that one of our many tasks as kingdom-minded Christians is to feed people who are hungry and thirsty—a big job in our world today. As one Christian relief and development ministry points out, 24,000 people die from hunger and hunger-related causes every day. This means that one person dies every 3.6 seconds—more than 16 people each minute, 1,000 each hour and 8,760,000 every year. Of course, the idea is not that we can save the world or usher in God’s kingdom in our own power. Instead, the idea is that as citizens of heaven, we are called to bring about on earth the characteristics of God’s heavenly kingdom (like peace and no hunger); in other words, we should strive to make this present world resemble our future heavenly home.
Revelation 9:20-21 (Key Passage) — Demonic Possessions: This is, perhaps, the most extreme description of humanity’s unflinching disobedience in the entire Bible. After experiencing the terrors of God’s apocalyptic punishment (Revelation 9:13-19), “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent ... they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood ...” If any of us think that American materialism is a small matter, this passage pulls back the curtain and exposes it as the satanic enslavement that it is. Once a person is given over to the love of money, only God himself can release him from bondage. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters ... You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). Finally, we should note just how closely worshiping “gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood” is linked with worshiping “demons.” It is as if these people were somehow demon possessed by possessions (cf. Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Corinthians 10:12). See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:1-24 (Key Passage) — Fall of Babylon: This passage pulls back the curtain to reveal the fall of Babylon and the ultimate judgment that is coming upon those who persist in rebellion against God. In particular, we find that the evil empire—which embodies the very essence of human pride and disobedience—is driven by a satanic system of economic exploitation (Revelation 18:3; cf. 7, 9; 13:7). While the rich and powerful may not even be entirely aware that they are guilty of such enormous injustice, Revelation 18 shines like a brilliant beam of light to blow their cover. This is a startling revelation. It indicates that in the last days before Jesus’ return, the driving force behind worldwide rebellion will be connected directly with “big businesses” and political corruption, massive materialism and excessive luxury (18:3)—frighteningly similar to our own American culture. Additionally, we should note that this emphasis on the misuse and abuse of material resources is consistent with other key passages on God’s judgment and the fall of the wicked. Zephaniah, for example, prophesied that God’s final judgment would have a decidedly financial focus (Zephaniah 1:11-13). Similarly, in the Bible’s most detailed account of the final judgment, Jesus himself said that the judgment will hinge on the different ways in which the righteous and the unrighteous use their material resources (Matthew 25:31-46). See Zephaniah theme essay Generosity and Judgment and Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:3 — This verse provides the reason for the fall of this supremely wicked empire of Babylon. It shows that wealth is not only worthless in the day of wrath (Proverbs 11:4) but that judgment is coming, in large part, because of the extravagant ways in which wealth has been used. The passage’s condemnation of excessive luxuries should send chills up our spines as American citizens living in the wealthiest nation in the world’s history. How can we fully justify the fact that we as Americans own approximately 40 percent of the world’s wealth but comprise only 2.5 percent of the world’s population? The Bible tells us that God makes us rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion (2 Corinthians 9:11), which means that when we hold onto our excessive resources, we have missed the point of God’s blessings. See 1 and 2 Kings theme essay Accumulation of Wealth.
Revelation 18:4-5 — The call to “come out” is a call to withdraw from unjust and idolatrous economic systems. Those who refuse to leave Babylon behind will be destroyed, just like Lot’s wife, who looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah and was destroyed along with those wicked cities of greed and injustice (compare Genesis 19:26 with Ezekiel 16:49). The major application from this urgent plea to get out of Babylon lies in the fact that we—as citizens of the wealthiest nation in the history of the world—need to live in a way that is conscientiously different from the selfishness that surrounds us. How can this be done? There are a thousand different ways—all of which include radically sacrificial generosityon behalf of the poor and oppressed. Those who seek first the kingdom of God must pull away from the old order’s economic lifestyle and practices in order to seek first God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:31-33) in new and creative ways.
Revelation 18:5 — “The judgment comes when Babylon’s sins are piled as high as heaven (18:5); sometimes God delays judgment only to wait until the measure of judgment over several generations is full (cf. Gen. 15:16; Matt. 23:36; Luke 11:50). Such prophecies indicate that those who profit from the sins of their ancestors will also share the judgment due their ancestors as well as that due their own sin” (Craig Keener, NIV Application Commentary: Revelation, 425). Accordingly, we ought to ask ourselves how we may be profiting from our fathers’ sins. Are there, perhaps, reparations that need to be made? On the issue of restitution and intergenerational responsibility, see Leviticus theme essay Jubilee and Jesus as well as the notes on 1 Kings 21-22 and 2 Kings 9. See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:6-7 — Babylon’s punishment itself highlights the essentially economic nature of her sin. The voice from heaven calls on God to give Babylon “as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself” (Revelation 18:7). In other words, Babylon’s luxuries were a liability in the end. Not only could she not “take her riches with her” when she went—there was no “U-Haul behind her hearse”—but also her very riches themselves stood out and brought judgment upon her and the nations for their infidelity (cf. James 5:3-4). Additionally, commentator Craig Keener points out that the “double portion” mentioned in verse 6 was the recompense exacted from thieves in the Old Testament (Exodus 22:4, 7, 9) (Craig Keener, NIV Application Commentary: Revelation, 425). This suggests that we actually can rob others by living extravagant lifestyles in which we consume luxuries that deprive others of basic necessities (cf. Job 31:16-17; Ezekiel 16:49). See also key passage Revelation 22:12. See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:9-10 — The rich and powerful weep and wail because of the fall of Babylon. They howl because the source of their luxurious life has been lost. And while it is easy to overlook the downfall of such selfish people, it’s worth asking ourselves what gives us the most grief in our lives. Do we weep more because 24,000 people die every day from hunger and hunger-related causes, or are we more touched by the poor performance of our own financial investments? See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:12-13 — The purpose of this inventory is to overwhelm the reader with Babylon’s endless extravagance. There is also a clear allusion to the list of Tyre’s luxurious trade products in Ezekiel 27:2-24. Like the prophets of old, the apostle John highlights the perils of pride and prosperity. Just as Jesus blessed the poor and cursed the rich (Luke 6:20, 24), God will work at the end of history to bring down the prosperous kings and merchants (i.e., rulers and businessmen) who oppose him by their greed and selfishness (cf. Isaiah 23:1-18; Ezekiel 16:49; Zephaniah 1:11-13; Luke 1:46, 52-53; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; James 5:1; Revelation 3:15-17). Like Tyre, Babylon represents a world power well known for her prosperity and lucrative trade industry. But God determined to destroy this unholy commercial hub, turning her pride into shame. See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 18:14-15 — See note on Revelation 18:9-10.
Revelation 18:17 — This verse illustrates the truth of Proverbs 11:4: “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath.” It provides an incredibly important warning for us because everywhere we look, we are bombarded by unending ads that promise future safety through financial security. But it’s all a hoax. As the story of Job shows us, this life is a naked-come, naked-go affair. Even for those who are righteous, unimaginable amounts money can be lost in an instant (Proverbs 23:5). Wealth is transient. Cars rust. Bank accounts dwindle. Things fall apart, and sooner or later it all disappears. More importantly, Jesus himself warns against storing up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-20)—not because wealth might be lost but because it always will be lost! “Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions.” (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, 13).
Revelation 18:18-19 — See note on Revelation 18:9-10. See Revelation theme essay Apocalypse and Affluence.
Revelation 20:13 — See key passage Revelation 22:12.
Revelation 21:2-3 (Key Passage) — Belonging to God: God’s covenant relationship with his people hinges on the idea of belonging, a theme that is extremely common throughout Scripture (Leviticus 26:12; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:14-15; Psalm 24:1; Jeremiah 10:23; 51:19; Zechariah 2:8-10, 12; 8:2; 13:9; Romans 12:1; 14:7-8; 1 Corinthians 3:23; 6:19-20; Titus 2:14; Revelation 21:2-3). When we seek joy, comfort and security from something other than this covenant relationship, the problem is that we want not too much but too little. Our worst fears, including our financial fears, can be attributed to the fact we don’t really understand the fact that we are one of God’s treasured possessions (Deuteronomy 7:7). This knowledge—surer than a retirement fund or than guarantees from our government or its most trusted agencies—should be our basis for generously investing ourselves in God’s kingdom and giving up our insatiable greed, instead following Jesus’ call to care for the poor and pursue the kingdom which he already has given to us (Luke 12:15-34). See Revelation theme essay True Wealth and Zechariah theme essay Belonging to God.
Revelation 21:24-26 (Key Passage) — God Owns Everything from Beginning to End: While we tend to think about God’s absolute ownership in terms of creation—i.e. “The earth is the Lord’s ... for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” (Psalm 24:1-2)—the book of Revelation reminds us that God owns everything from beginning to end. At the end of time, God will reclaim his absolute ownership once and for all in the new heavens and the new earth. This passage speaks of this reality, when the kings of the earth will bring all of their splendor back to God, and the glory and honor of the nations will be brought back to the new Jerusalem. In other words, God’s ownership isn’t just connected with where everything came from; it’s equally connected with where everything is going. As the apostle Paul reminds us, everything comes from God, and everything is going back to him in the end. “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36). Zechariah was one of many prophets who understood God’s absolute ownership, not only terms of the beginning, but also in terms of the end of all things. He spoke of the same day, when all the world’s wealth would come pouring back to God as the absolute Owner of everything (Zechariah 14:1-21). “On that day,” wrote Zechariah, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on everything—from the bells on horses to the cooking pots in kitchens (Zechariah 14:20)—so that in the end, just as in the beginning, God will own all in all. Much earlier in Israel’s history, the same words, “HOLY TO THE LORD,” were engraved on the gold plate that the high priest wore as a sign of being exclusively “set apart” for God (Exodus 28:36). By saying that the same words would be inscribed on ordinary objects like pots and pans, God was revealing just how far his ownership ultimately will stretch—to every nook and cranny of creation, from the nebulae in outer space to the socks in our drawers. See Zechariah theme essay All Things Holy to the Lord.
Revelation 22:12 (Key Passage) — Rewards: Jesus proclaims that he is coming soon and will reward everyone according to what he has done. The idea of being rewarded on the basis of works is not only taught throughout the Bible in general (Proverbs 24:12; Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 2:6; 2 Corinthians 11:15; 2 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 2:23; 18:6; 20:13), but it is also taught with respect to the practice of generosity in particular (2 Corinthians 9:6-7; cf. Matthew 6:19-20). See also note on Revelation 19:7-8.
Revelation 22:17 — This passage contains an allusion to Isaiah 55:1-2, where all those who are hungry and thirsty are told to come and buy food and water without money (i.e., for free). This passage should remind us that we cannot be generous unless we are ready to receive God’s free grace. God calls us to come as thirsty recipients—who have nothing—before we ever can be generous recipients who are enriched so that we can give (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:11). See Revelation theme essay True Wealth.
