Let’s face it: Revelation could be a scary ebook. Because of this a few of us have averted Revelation, contemplating it too troublesome to interpret and perceive, too controversial or too scary. We might have missed this as a result of we assumed the ebook was solely concerning the future, with nothing sensible for us as we speak.
It’s true that whereas the apocalyptic prophecy of Revelation presents some challenges to us as fashionable readers, it additionally supplies presents of perception and understanding to those that are prepared to take part in it. Revelation is a letter written to equip us for trustworthy devotion to Christ as we await his return. And that is the encouragement all of us want!
I need to invite you to check Revelation on your pleasure.
I need to invite you to check Revelation for the enjoyment of it. And since Revelation is stuffed with sevens (seven church buildings, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, and lots of extra sevens), it appears acceptable to supply seven explanation why Revelation is a pleasure to check.
1. Revelation is a message despatched to us by God.
It’s unbelievable that the God who created the world deigned to talk to us in human language. Within the Bible, the God of the universe tells us what we most have to know. And there’s something particular about the best way his message is conveyed to us within the ebook of Revelation. At first, they gave their particular provide chain:
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to indicate his servants what was about to occur. He introduced this by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the phrase of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all the pieces he noticed. (Revelation 1:12)
What John wrote within the ebook of Revelation got here from God the Father, to Jesus Christ, to his angel, to John, who first wrote it for the seven church buildings that initially obtained it, and likewise for all who have been then or might be. develop into partakers of the tribulation and the dominion and the affected person endurance which are in Jesus (Revelation 1:9). God has a message for you within the ebook of Revelation that you do not need to miss!
2. Revelation opens our eyes to see the risen and glorified Christ.
Most of our psychological pictures of Jesus are formed by the Gospels. In our thoughts we see him as a child in a manger, standing on a hillside and studying, hanging on a cross. However within the ebook of Revelation, John has a imaginative and prescient of Jesus as he’s, proper now, as we speak. Whereas John was imprisoned on an island known as Patmos, he heard the voice of Jesus chatting with him, felt Jesus attain out and contact him, and noticed Jesus in all his resurrected, ascended glory (Revelation 1:920).
We don’t want our understanding of Jesus to be restricted to the years of his earthly humanity, as magnificent as these within the Gospel pictures. The Jesus whom we name upon and with whom we talk day-to-day is the resurrected and glorified Jesus. Seeing him as he’s now, by John’s vivid document of his imaginative and prescient, builds our belief in him, heightens our consideration to him, and spreads our pleasure in him.
3. Revelation provides an image of Jesus’ presence with us.
In Revelation 1, John sees Jesus in the course of the candlestick (verse 13). They have been informed that the candlesticks represented church buildings (verse 20). When those that first obtained this letter gathered to listen to it learn to them, it will need to have deeply inspired them that Jesus didn’t stand aloof whereas his followers suffered for him. He was there with them, strolling of their midst, conserving their hearth burning for the gospel, correcting them, watching over them, strengthening them.
We’d like these similar reminders, do not we? What a pleasure it’s to have this Revelation image of Jesus standing within the midst of His folks. Within the midst of struggling due to our devotion to him, as we face temptation to be untrue to him, we are able to make certain that he’s with us, offering what we’d like for affected person endurance.
4. Revelation allows us to see this world from a heavenly perspective.
In Revelation 4:1, John information how he was known as to go up into heaven and to enter by an open door to see one thing. In a visionary state, John friends into the heavenly throne room of God and sees thunderous worship happening across the throne. However from this vantage level he was additionally enabled to see what was occurring on earth from the angle of heaven.
Typically we foolishly assume that now we have all the info we have to assess what is occurring in our world. However we do not. Our views are restricted by our humanity and our earthly place. However as we think about what John wrote about what he noticed, we discover that we’re higher capable of see the true nature of our current actuality. That is the angle we’d like. As an alternative of seeing the choices of this world as engaging, from a heavenly perspective we are able to see how ugly and unsatisfactory they’re. As an alternative of seeing the persecution of trustworthy believers as a tragic defeat, they might see it as an excellent victory.
5. Revelation assures us that God will cope with evil on this world.
Jesus taught us to wish, Ship us from evil (Matthew 6:13). He delivers us day-to-day, and Revelation reveals us that He’ll someday ship us in a remaining and remaining approach. His outpouring of wrath would be the reply to our prayers. You and I don’t need to dwell ceaselessly in a world contaminated with evil, riot, idolatry and immorality. And we cannot must. The day is coming when God will cleanse all ugliness and evil from his creation, making it match for us to dwell in as our everlasting house.
6. Revelation reveals us what our everlasting future might be like.
Typically the idea of heaven or eternity can appear so imprecise. We would like particulars. And whereas the Bible might not give us all the small print of a marriage, the final chapters of Revelation uniquely present lovely photos that give us a way of our everlasting future.
As we take a look at photos of marriage in books, we are able to smile, feeling that we are going to benefit from the intimacy of communion head to head with God. As we learn his photos of the town, we sense the richness of being a part of a folks from each tribe, language and nation. His picture of the temple leads us to think about what it could be wish to bask within the radiant glory of God ceaselessly. And as we take up the pictures of the backyard, we exhale as we anticipate what it is going to be wish to dwell in an environment of therapeutic, wholeness and full contentment for all eternity. Are you able to nearly really feel the enjoyment of this marriage, this metropolis, this temple, this backyard?
7. Revelation guarantees bliss.
Once we consider the beatitudes, most of us in all probability consider Blessed are the . . . statements from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:312). However do you know that Revelation has its personal beatitudes? On its pages there are seven statements about an individual who’s blessed. As we assessment the seven beatitudes of Revelation, it turns into instantly obvious that the blessing God guarantees is nothing like the trendy model of social media #blessed.
Who might be blessed, in accordance with Revelation? Those that hear and preserve what’s written within the ebook of Revelation (Revelation 1:3; 22:7). Those that refuse to compromise with the world (Revelation 19:9). Those that die within the Lord (Revelation 14:13). Those that keep awake, ready for Christ’s return (Revelation 16:15). Those that rule with Christ (Revelation 20:6). These whose robes are washed within the blood of the Lamb have the appropriate to eat from the tree of life (Revelation 22:14).
Revelation units earlier than us true and lasting bliss, not false and fleeting bliss.
Revelation units earlier than us true and lasting bliss, not false and fleeting bliss. It’s the bliss round which we need to orient our lives. That is the bliss of the everlasting Sabbath relaxation into which Adam did not convey mankind. We are able to make certain that Jesus, the final Adam, is not going to fail to introduce us to it. Revelation reveals us how he’ll do that. The anticipation of this bliss is what fills us with true pleasure now.
My good friend, do not let the ebook of Revelation scare you. Do not ignore it. Dive into it. Analysis it. Let it change your perspective. Discover pleasure in it. Expertise the bliss promised in it.