Seven Reasons Why I Read The Book Of Revelation
[with
quotations from Matt Proctor]
“The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things
which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His
servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of
Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and
those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written in it; for the time is near.” Rev
1:1-3 (NKJV)
a) The
Written Word includes the Book of Revelation.
John is a preacher writing to ordinary Christians. When we read Revelation through eyes of
devotion to Christ Jesus, we strengthen our obedience and deepen our faith. John uses as many as 500 familiar images from
the Old Testament to communicate the Mind of God.
b)
"When you read Revelation, don't ask, 'How does this help me figure out
the calendar?' Rather, ask, 'How does this help me follow Christ?'" Matt Proctor
c)
"It is only when I see evil as clearly as I should that I pray as
fervently as I should. That is why I
need the Book of Revelation." Matt
Proctor
1. When
I read the Book of Revelation:
I
approach Jesus more humbly (chapter 1).
The Gospels show us the human Jesus. The Human One (Son of Man) is one of us and
knows our weaknesses and strengths. John
leans on His breast at the Last Supper.
[John 13:23-25]
But Rev.
ch 1 shows a towering, terrifying vision of The Risen Christ huge and blazing
in His Holiness! Not only is Jesus fully
Man - He is fully God! He is The Boss
over the Universe! Compare Col. 1:15-20.
“There’s
seven halogen floodlights, solid gold.
Right in the middle is the Human One, dressed like a High Priest with a
gold belt around His waist. His face and
hair are brilliant white, His eyes are on fire, His feet are glowing
furnace-bronze, His voice is like a wild white-water river. His right hand’s holding seven stars and His
words are like a samurai sword - razor sharp both sides. Looking into His face is like looking into
the sun at noon.” Lacey
This
vision seen through Jewish eyes: Jesus the Son of Man is wearing the robe of
the High Priest with the gold band of a king around His chest. His hair is white, not with age, but with
heavenly glory. The fire-blaze of His
eyes, the feet of polished brass, and the voice of command, show great power
and authority. He has authority over
even death and Hades the world of the dead.
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven,
and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:10-11
2. I
love the church more honestly (chapter 2&3).
The Lord
added me to His church. I have been
adopted into His Family. Compare Eph.
2:18-22.
All
(local) churches fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). (Gasp).
This is clear in Rev. 2&3. We
have our feet of clay. BUT - Jesus still
loves these churches! He loves them (and
us) just as they are, commending each one (except Laodicea
"Are
your ears awake? Listen to the Voice of
the Holy Spirit speaking to the churches.
Christ-conquerors are safe from devil-death." Compare Gal. 3:3; 5:22-23.
3. I
enter worship more completely (chapters 4&5).
"Wow! That's really all you can say when you enter
the Throne-room of Heaven. You shield
your eyes from dazzling light! You drop
to your knees in fear and wonder!
Incense fills your nostrils! A
vast angelic host shakes the very foundation of the sky with their praise! The countless thundering voices reverberate
in your chest! Amid all this, you are
drawn irresistibly to the Figure on the Throne.
HE is more glorious, more holy, more powerful, more beautiful than you
ever imagined! [compare 1 Cor. 2:9-10]
"They
sang a new song! Worthy! Yes worthy!
Our God! The slain Lamb is
worthy! Take the power, the wealth, the
wisdom, the strength! Take the honor,
the glory, the blessing! You created it
all! Because You wanted it to be! Paying in the Blood of Your death You bought
men and women from all over the earth!
You bought them for God!"
"It's
not the big deceptions, but all the little lies we buy that eventually bring us
down. That's why we must call sin of
every size by its true name." Matt
Proctor
"The
world will reject, but God will reward (Rev. 11:17-19)." Note Jesus in John 16:33. “But take heart, because I have overcome the
world.”
“But
cowards who turn away from Me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers,
and the [sexually] immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol
worshipers, and all liars - their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and
sulfur. This is the second death.” Rev. 21:8
The Book Version
God wants us to trust who He is, what
He’s done for us in Jesus, and what He promises to finish doing. Along the way,
He has some good advice and specific commands, but not many answers to the
mysteries of life that torment us.
4. I
endure suffering more confidently (chapters 6-9).
"A
genuinely Christian life should feed the soul as well as the mind; should offer
a vision of men and women made whole by the love of God, the knowledge of
creation, and the reality of things unseen; should enable us to see the beauty of
the world in the light of eternity; and should help us recapture the nobility
of the human story and the dignity of the human person. This is the kind of
witness that sets fire to the human heart." Chaput
When the
going gets tough, what do we do??? Tornadoes,
sickness, floods, cancer, car wrecks - the effects of sin affect us all (Romans
8:18-21). The Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse ride across the world. “Flash
image of a tyrant riding on a white horse, invasion in his manic eyes. War.
Raging famine. Death. Yes, but.”
Lacey
When we rethink John’s vision, we note the
White Horse leads the way. “But to the
Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.”
Heb 1:8 The Gospel of Christ conquers the world! But at the same time Satan uses tyrants to
send war, famine, pestilence, death - and lies.
Jesus predicted this in Matt. 24.
“But the end is not yet.”
Note what Paul said. “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and
strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish
ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the
latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will
rejoice.” Phil 1:15-18
"How
long, Strong God, how long, Holy and True?”
“Sit back and wait, until the full number of martyrs is filled from
among your fellow-servant brothers and sisters."
In
chapter 7 we see and hear a vast crowd - too many to count - of believers
singing praise to God! God does remember
us and will save us! When the going gets
tough, I can sing along with the song of the "Sealed and Saved."
"They
were shouting and singing heartily!
Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from The
Lamb! Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor,
power, and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!"
In
chapter 8 the angel adds incense to the prayers of God’s people. Peals of thunder, lightning and an earthquake show that God did hear the prayers and has acted on them.
5. I
speak God's truth more courageously (chapters 10&11).
"Then
I was told, Once again you must proclaim God's gospel-message about many
nations, races, languages, and kings.
God will complete His secret plan, as He announced to His servants, the
prophets." Compare Acts 4:29-31.
Preaching is
not all congratulations and conversions.
Gospel is Good News! But when
John "swallows" God's message, it's bitter. Persecution follows. When the witnesses finish speaking their testimony,
they are killed! What does this all
teach us - tell God's truth about Jesus no matter the consequences. John doesn't write as much to instruct us in
how to tell others, as to inspire us so we do tell the Good News of Jesus
Christ with courage and boldness!
6. I
see evil more clearly (chapters 12-18).
Satan is
so sly that I often don't recognize his fingertips. John throws back the curtain of the visible
world to show us reality. Materialism
and pleasure-mad ways are not harmless.
What sometimes looks harmless is really hellish. This world is not a playground but a
battleground. And the battle is for our
souls! John warns in 1 John 2:15-17,
"Do not love the world. . .what the sinful self desires [lust of the flesh], what
people see and want [lust of the eyes], and everything in this world that people are so
proud of [the pride of life] - none of this comes from the Father." (GNT)
When
John wrote, the Empire of Rome was “Babylon Babylon
REVELATION
shows us the final Victory of God’s People!
Jesus is coming soon! We will be
raised from the dead!
Life is a
succession of mysteries - some joyful, some sorrowful. But the Lord has promised us a peace and joy
that no one can take from us. It will
take us all eternity - the time of the glorious mysteries - to give Him thanks
and praise! [Romans 5:1-6]
Persecution
began very quickly. Acts 8:1 “A great wave of persecution began that day,
sweeping over the church at Jerusalem , and all
the believers except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria
The
Church in Pergamos had a faithful martyr, Antipas (Rev. 2:13) who was killed
for his faith.
“Beloved,
do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened to you . . .” (1 Peter 4:12-13).
“These
present days of martyrdom are as brutal as any endured during the early and
dark ages of the Church.” Knowles
Would you
be a Christian if it cost you your job, your house, perhaps even your family??? Many did obey in faith!
Faith of our Fathers!
living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
When-e’er we hear that glorious word
Faith of our Fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to Thee till death!
John
wrote: “They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation
12:11).
7. I
love Christ's Second Coming more deeply (chapters 19-22).
When the
world I look out upon seems to be hopeless - what do I pray? I pray the prayer that John the Apostle taught:
"Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)."
The world is a place marred by sin.
We are tired of famine, abortion, murder, deceit, natural disasters,
cancer, death, sin, and Satan running wild through this world. Jesus is tired of it too!
Jesus
will come crashing through the clouds, the angelic hosts behind Him. Time will screech to a Halt! In an instant (not some drawn out Armageddon
battle), Satan and sin and death will be defeated! They will be thrown into the Lake of Fire
On my
darkest days, I turn and read the Book of Revelation and that keeps me
going. And God promises you that you
will be blessed (Rev. 1:3).
"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is
near."
"Then
I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had
disappeared. And the sea was gone
also. And I saw the holy city, the new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared
for her husband. I heard a loud shout
from the throne, saying, 'Look, the home of God is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His
people. God Himself will be with
them. He will remove all of their
sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone
forever.'" Rev. 21:1-4 The Book Version
"Look,
I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to repay all according to their
deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the
gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. . . The [Holy] Spirit and the bride say,
Come. Let each one who hears them say,
Come. Let the thirsty ones come - anyone
who wants to. Let them come and drink
the water of life without charge."
Rev. 22:12-13,17 The Book Version
