I reached Revelation the other night in my Bible reading, and I still can't get over being blessed! I love that the Bible is a living Book and no matter how many times you read a passage you can always glean something from it.
I've always read Revelation with my focus on the "prophecy" theme; and of course, it is a book of prophecy. However, after having spent the past few months focusing a lot of study on Christian persecution, I thought more about John and his circumstances. He had been mistreated and exiled to Patmos. Not exactly what he'd hoped or bargained for I'm sure!
I'm also sure he depended on the Lord (he was in the spirit on the Lord's day!) but how frustrating it must have been for him! He had been tortured, denied fellowship with friends and family, and left there to die he might have presumed, and I'm sure that's just the "high points" of his experience.
Then the Lord showed up and gave John a vision of Himself, Heaven, and the wonderful victory God would bring about for His people Israel and the Church, AND told him to write it down!
Perhaps up to this point John may have felt he'd outlived his usefulness to the Believers he'd left behind back in civilization. Yet here was God telling him to write what would be the final book of the Bible that would foretell the final events of the way of life as we know it. God was using what was perhaps John's lowest point in life to bring about one of the greatest highlights of his ministry.
Not even the great Apostle Paul was allowed to write or tell about his vision of Heaven; but John was commanded to! And what a book he wrote!
To me, Revelation is a book of hope. It let's us know that no matter how hard the devil works to destroy and corrupt, no matter what the evil people in government or religion have up their sleeves, ALL of it will come to naught because God will (and already has!) conquer all. God and His Word triumphs over all.
Revelation also is a book of conviction. As a lost person, the end time prophecies of Revelation had a lot to do with the conviction I felt that ultimately caused me to cast aside excuses and become a Christian. I was faced with the reality that Jesus was indeed coming again, at any possible time, and I was not ready and would face judgment if I failed to submit to the Lord and be saved. I wonder how many other Christians could testify that Revelation had such an impact on their lives? I'm sure there are many.
Revelation is a book that gives us details about Heaven, and New Jerusalem. John also describes God and the throne. I wonder how many dear saints, knowing they would soon be going to Heaven, spent time studying Revelation in their latter years for that reason?
Revelation truly is a wonderful book, and it was written by a man who had spent most of his life serving God. He knew, lived, walked, and talked with Jesus during Jesus' earthly ministry. He witnessed the miracles and the preaching of Christ. Now he had been cast aside on an island of exile, but wait! God was NOT finished with John!
That in itself blesses my heart!
It also tells me something important: God doesn't forget, leave, or neglect His children. They may face persecution, exile, or death, but God will be with them, and sustain them; and perhaps in the process or even because of the process, use them for His glory to do something that will be a blessing to many!
I've always read Revelation with my focus on the "prophecy" theme; and of course, it is a book of prophecy. However, after having spent the past few months focusing a lot of study on Christian persecution, I thought more about John and his circumstances. He had been mistreated and exiled to Patmos. Not exactly what he'd hoped or bargained for I'm sure!
I'm also sure he depended on the Lord (he was in the spirit on the Lord's day!) but how frustrating it must have been for him! He had been tortured, denied fellowship with friends and family, and left there to die he might have presumed, and I'm sure that's just the "high points" of his experience.
Then the Lord showed up and gave John a vision of Himself, Heaven, and the wonderful victory God would bring about for His people Israel and the Church, AND told him to write it down!
Perhaps up to this point John may have felt he'd outlived his usefulness to the Believers he'd left behind back in civilization. Yet here was God telling him to write what would be the final book of the Bible that would foretell the final events of the way of life as we know it. God was using what was perhaps John's lowest point in life to bring about one of the greatest highlights of his ministry.
Not even the great Apostle Paul was allowed to write or tell about his vision of Heaven; but John was commanded to! And what a book he wrote!
To me, Revelation is a book of hope. It let's us know that no matter how hard the devil works to destroy and corrupt, no matter what the evil people in government or religion have up their sleeves, ALL of it will come to naught because God will (and already has!) conquer all. God and His Word triumphs over all.
Revelation also is a book of conviction. As a lost person, the end time prophecies of Revelation had a lot to do with the conviction I felt that ultimately caused me to cast aside excuses and become a Christian. I was faced with the reality that Jesus was indeed coming again, at any possible time, and I was not ready and would face judgment if I failed to submit to the Lord and be saved. I wonder how many other Christians could testify that Revelation had such an impact on their lives? I'm sure there are many.
Revelation is a book that gives us details about Heaven, and New Jerusalem. John also describes God and the throne. I wonder how many dear saints, knowing they would soon be going to Heaven, spent time studying Revelation in their latter years for that reason?
Revelation truly is a wonderful book, and it was written by a man who had spent most of his life serving God. He knew, lived, walked, and talked with Jesus during Jesus' earthly ministry. He witnessed the miracles and the preaching of Christ. Now he had been cast aside on an island of exile, but wait! God was NOT finished with John!
That in itself blesses my heart!
It also tells me something important: God doesn't forget, leave, or neglect His children. They may face persecution, exile, or death, but God will be with them, and sustain them; and perhaps in the process or even because of the process, use them for His glory to do something that will be a blessing to many!
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