Imagine yourself in a car breezing along on the 401 Trans-Canada Highway. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a stop sign in the middle of the road. Brakes shre-e-e-e-e-ch leaving a few layers of rubber on the pavement, your heart comes into your throat, but finally you do manage to stop a hair's breadth from the sign. And you were mercifully thankful you could!
That's what it feels like when reading through the New Testament of the Bible, cruising through Paul's epistles, hitting James, 1st & 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John and on through Jude. Your merry tunes halt as you turn the page to discover Revelation chapter 1.
Uh-oh.
I once had an English teacher in High School who liked to ferret out the Christian students by goading the class to tell whether the book of Revelation was literal or symbolic. Depending on the answer given, usually from a Christian student who was courageous enough to give an answer, Mr. S., the teacher, would then, in his unbelief, twist and turn the student's words until they too were confused. However, that teacher missed out reading Revelation 1:1-3, I think. It's good to memorized them so one can be better prepared to answer a fool according to his folly (see Proverbs 26:4-5).
The apostle John who suffered unbearable torture and treatment on the Isle of Patmos, suffering for his faith, and
"on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 1:9),
tells us what attitude we need when we read Revelation, and how to read this message from God to the seven churches. He wrote,
"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" (Revelation 1:3).
Go ahead, read that verse aloud. As you read aloud, hear what you are reading. Then keep them in your heart.
That phrase 'keep them in your heart' reminds me of Mary the mother of Jesus who kept and pondered the things of Jesus, what she was told about Him, and what He said and did, in her heart. It was like she didn't always understand them but she did consider them, and try to make some sense out of it all. Perhaps, at a later date all the 'puzzle pieces' came together and completed the picture for her (see Luke 2:19).
The verse actually says that Mary "treasured" them in her heart (NIV). Her heart was a treasure chest. This is what we can do as we read aloud throughout the book of Revelation. Treasure the words and as verse 3 also states, the person is "blessed".
You will be blessed. 'Blessed,' according to Oxford Languages Online Dictionary, means,
"made holy" or "consecrated," or even "endowed with divine favor and protection".
Further to this, it says, 'blessed' means
"bringing pleasure or relief as a welcome to what one has previously experienced".We can all use some sanctifying measures; right?
So after reading Jude and you've halted at the stop sign, "Revelation," you will be in for a treat or would it be, a run for your money, so to speak? There is a huge precipice there beyond the sign so don your para-gliding wings and make that leap.
'Sail' through and find the blessing of reading Revelation aloud, pondering and treasuring the word of God in your heart. Let's put the puzzle piece pondering together, together.
~ERC July 2023~
Based on Revelation 1:1-3 NIV.
Sing, Revelation Song, along with Kari Jobe.
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