The Apocalypse Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

"Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse" by SIKU – Edge Group is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

When you read the word “apocalypse,” what comes to mind?

Maybe it’s full-scale destruction, the zombie apocalypse, a gritty war movie (Apocalypse Now), or a bad X-Men movie (X-Men: Apocalypse). OR there’s the granddaddy of them all—Left Behind—the book series, the kids' books, the film, the sequel, the remake, or the video game. (Did you even know they made a Left Behind video game?)

The problem with all of these is that they’re wrong. Yes, the dictionary defines apocalypse as “the final destruction of the world.” But that’s not how the Bible uses it.

The Real Meaning of Apocalypse

Our English word apocalypse is a transliteration of the Greek word ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis), which means an unveiling or revealing. In fact, the first verse of the Book of Revelation begins, “The apocalypse (unveiling, revealing, revelation) from Jesus Christ….”

So, an apocalypse has more in common with a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat or a game show host revealing what’s behind door #2 than with the end of every single Ghostbusters movie.

Look at the Book of Revelation as an Unveiling

What does this mean for understanding The Revelation? In this book, God peels back the curtain between our physical and spiritual realities. We can see, albeit through symbols and metaphors, spiritual truths about the past, our present, and the future.

If you’re an MCU fan, you understand this idea. [Spoiler Alert!] In Spiderman: No Way Home, there’s a great scene of the sky ripping open to reveal a purple multiverse dimension. Or, in the end-credit scene of Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness, we see Cleo slicing a hole in their universe and revealing a new one. Both are great examples of peeking through from one reality to another.

The Book of Revelation is an unveiling of Jesus Christ from Jesus Christ.

Jesus is unveiled as the slain but victorious Lamb (Rev. 5). He is revealed as the Faithful Witness (1:5). He is shown as the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing One (Rev. 1, 19). These are just a few of the unveiling of Jesus throughout the book.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Intimidated by Revelation

There’s no doubt that The Revelation is an intimidating book. But a proper understanding of apocalypse can give you hope. That’s because the book doesn’t reveal dragons, scrolls, or antichrists. It reveals Jesus Christ.

All that other stuff is secondary to the loving Savior who ate with sinners, played with children, and died to give you new life.

So, when you open the Book of Revelation, remember that God is unveiling Jesus to you. Now, that’s good news.