MONDAY September 2nd
Revelation 1:3
‘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.’
What we call the book of Revelation, is a Revelation of Jesus Christ, (See 1:1) it is a book that is all about Jesus and the things that are to happen in the last days.
The future, that which is yet to happen in God’s programme for this world is a continuing programme of all that he is unveiling and doing in relation to his programme of salvation which is only to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 1:2 we read that in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son. So, God spoke 2000 years through his Son, and in the 2000 years that have followed, God is still speaking through his Son, and in the final days, the days that we read of in this book of Revelation, God will still be speaking to the world through his Son.
At Calvary he spoke to the world in love, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’, and God is still speaking through his Son, his love is still available to all who are willing to come and accept him. But when we get to the book of Revelation, we see how God is speaking his judgment upon this world through his Son.
Now, I wonder how often we turn to the book of Revelation, I wonder how often we may avoid it because it seems to be ‘too complicated’, or maybe because we have heard so many different interpretations of what it contains that we find it ‘too confusing’. Put all that to one side for a moment and then reset your mind to see it as a book that is a revelation of Jesus Christ, the incredible revelation has been given to us to help us to ensure that we are ready for whatever is next in God’s programme which he is working out through the plan of salvation that is available only through a personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is important, reading and keeping what is found in this revelation, will bring to us blessing! ‘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.’
It would indicate a present blessing, that is as we heed the words we ensure that we apply it to our lives now and will be blessed, and as we keep the words, it implies as we remain faithful we will be blessed as what is written comes to pass, and I personally believe that it also points to our being eternally blessed for we will be safe in the presence of Jesus as the wrath of God which we read of in this book is poured out upon the world that has rejected both God the Father and Jesus his Son.