To help us appreciate the book of Revelation, it is helpful to view it as the last movement of God's great symphony of salvation through Christ planned before the world began, 2 Timothy 1:8-10; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8 -- and revealed throughout the Scriptures, cf. Luke 24:25-27, 44-49. We need to hear the powerful theme of Jesus our Savior picked up from all of Scripture leading to a great finale as history comes to an end. As Dr. Alan Johnson points out in his excellent commentary on "Revelation" in the Expositors Bible Commentary, p. 411 -- of the 404 verses of Revelation, 278 contain references to the Jewish Scriptures. There is also the rich context of New Testament references to the Second Coming lending solid understanding to Revelation.

Listen to this great finale as we hear in the last movement of God's inspired Word -- a recapitulation of the victorious theme of salvation through the blood of Christ:

"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'" Revelation 1:17.

"Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father -- to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Revelation 1:4-8.

"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever." Revelation 5:9-10, 13.

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever." "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great -- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." Revelation 11:15, 17-18.

"Now have come the salvation and the power of the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." Revelation 12:10-12.

"And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses and servant of God and the song of the Lamb: 'Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.'" Revelation 15:2-4

"After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.' And again they shouted: 'Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.' 'The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne. And they cried: 'Amen, Hallelujah!' Then a voice came from the throne, saying :'Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!' Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like and roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:' Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.'" Revelation 19:1-8.

As in great works of music, the major theme repeated throughout the entire composition comes to a powerful climax in the finale. As we can see in the above quotations from Revelation, the theme of final victory over sin and Satan through the blood of the Lamb is repeated throughout the book. So, rather than seeing a linear/consecutive progression from beginning to end, the victorious theme -- salvation in Christ through His blood -- comes up repeatedly. As in great symphonic composition there is that final movement which brings the whole piece together in a victorious restatement of the main theme.

Also, as in great music, there is usually a darker, minor-key theme which is in contrast to the major one. In the case of Revelation, that darker, minor-key theme has to do with Satan and his opposition to the great plan of salvation accomplished through the blood of Christ. The great conflict between Satan and Christ for world dominance comes to a head as the antichrist appears in chapter 13. Although he gains world control by means of deceitful satanic power and brings great persecution on God's people, the antichrist is no match for the powerful return of Christ -- King of Kings and Lord of Lords.