I hope you are as excited about studying the book of The Revelation as I am. The days in which we live are like sign-posts pointing toward the final page on the Kingdom calendar. Sure, people have said, ‘we are in the last days’ since Jesus left this earth, but, friends, I cannot help but believe that we really are in the last days. It seems like everyday offers additional signs that point in that direction.
Today we will open the book of The Revelation and look at the first three verses of chapter one.
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
While I could teach for a month of Sundays from these three verses, I want to tighten the lens on two points today.
First, we need to understand how The Revelation came to be, and then we will look at the rewards of interacting with it.
In verses 1 and 2, John the revelator gives us the stream by which we received the words of book of The Revelation. All of the books of Bible are divinely inspired; they are the breathing forth of the very words of God. The Revelation, however, tells us clearly how it came into being.
God gave the words to Jesus, who sent His angel to John. John then wrote the words of Revelation for the servants of God and Jesus Christ.
God gave The Revelation>>> Jesus >>> Angel >>> John wrote >>> You and Me
The Revelation is not for unbelievers. In fact, pre-Christians cannot understand the book because it was never intended for them. The book is given to believers to help them understand and to encourage them in all that will take place.
Now, let’s look at the rewards of reading and studying Revelation. Yes, you read that correctly. Rewards, blessings. Who doesn’t want to be blessed? God has promised blessings for those who read aloud the words of the book, those who hear those words, and those who keep or obey them.
I’m a word nerd, and I love looking up the original words and meaning of words in the Scripture. Usually it adds a whole new dimension to my study. Such is the case with this word ‘blessing’.
The Greek word used here is makarios. Check out the definition from Zodhiates (#3421)
“Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present and involved in his life. The hand of God is at work directing all his affairs for a divine purpose, and thus, in a sense, such a person lives coram Deo, before the face of God.
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Y’all if that doesn’t make your heart pound and give you a reason to study and lean into The Revelation, you need to check your pulse! God is telling us that if we will read, study, and keep the words of The Revelation, we will live coram Deo, and God will direct all our affairs for a divine purpose.
SIGN. ME. UP!!!
What kind of blessings might we be in line for? How about comfort, guidance, and assurance for starters? I bet every single one of us could use a big dose of each of those blessings. So, let’s fully ENGAGE in our study of The Revelation and expect the blessings of God to cover us. Here are some questions to ponder and share.
- Did you know that The Revelation was a book with a promise meant specifically for you?
- What are some of the thoughts that must have been going through John’s mind as he sat to begin writing The Revelation?
- Was there anything in today’s lesson that will strengthen your faith for The End and for today? If so, please share it in the comments
