Revelation: Coming SoonSample

Many people are scared to read Revelation, the last book of the Bible and probably the last to be written. It contains weird-looking creatures and is full of strange, cryptic numbers, and so has been unread by many Christians.

As we journey through the pages of Revelation, we will see that most of what seems odd to us is not as daunting as we might think. Chapter one is the introduction to the whole book. It provides the context and outlines some of Revelation's major themes. Verses one through three tell us what the book is, what it is about, and what benefits it will bring us.

First, we see that this is a “revelation” (v. 1). That word, sometimes translated as “apocalypse,” literally means “unveiling.” It is like drawing back the curtains so we can see what is happening beyond the immediate. We see what is on stage when the curtain draws back at the theatre. In this book, we will be allowed to see what is happening and will
happen from every angle and perspective.

Verse one also tells us that this revelation has come from Jesus Christ and is made known to John through angels. It concerns what must soon take place! Most people are fascinated with the future, often trying to find out what lays ahead by means of which God disapproves. Tarot cards, horoscopes, mediums, and Ouija boards are all wrong ways of trying to discover the future. In Revelation, God has revealed everything we need to know about the future.

Secondly, this book is a testimony because John “testifies” (v. 2). Just as a witness in court gives testimony to what they saw at a crime scene, John will tell us all that Jesus has shown him. Further, this testimony is “the word of God” (v. 2). Jesus uses that phrase to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures. In other words, this book is to be treated as having the same authority as any other part of Scripture.

Thirdly, this book is a prophecy (v. 3). This combines the previous two ideas: it is about the future, and it is from God. In verse three, John tells us what this prophecy will do for us, twice using the word “blessed.” To be blessed means to be truly happy, but it has a bigger Bible meaning than that! It means to be declared in the right with God, never to have to face His judgment, and so be able to live with Him forever. The response that brings this blessing is also spelled out in verse three. Blessing comes to those who hear it and take it to heart! We will learn what that means as we read on, but verse three concludes by telling us why we should respond to what John writes: because the time is near!

Reflect: Are you excited about reading this book? Are you ready to find out about the future? Will you read on? Pray that the Lord would give you an appetite for hearing His word and taking it to heart.