The Final Book of of the New Testament, the Revelation, provides exciting but difficult reading Some regard it as a book of mystery while others, without reading it, position Revelation alongside the writings of Nostradamus Perhaps no other book of the Bible has been the subject of so much speculation.
Public references are frequent
When commenting on disasters, the news media frequently alludes to this book Armageddon, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse or the “great tribulation” are often used to describe natural or political disasters As a result, many think of doomsday whenever the book is mentioned With such adverse publicity, few are inspired to read such a “depressing book” and the Revelation remains sealed to a majority of the public Fortunately, reading the book dispels these dismal notions and shows that Christ’s last message also has a positive side.
Paradoxically, the message is one of hope for those upholding God’s principle, but one of disaster for those opposing Him Since most men are opposed, it is fitting newspapers publicize only the gloom and doom side of the book Yet what do we find when we open its pages? Almost immediately Jesus presents us with special blessings.
A three-fold blessing
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand” (1:3)
Three groups are blessed he that readeth, they that hear and they that keep the things that are written therein Here is evidence the message is not just depressing.
Shortly after the manuscript was written, only a few copies would be available Those possessing copies would want to share Jesus’ last message with others Appropriately, the first blessing is offered to those prepared to read the message, perhaps by reading it aloud to others (Col 4 16) Today the book is readily available but presumably we will be blessed by encouraging others to read it They in turn will discover there are additional blessings promised.
The Revelation contains a direct promise of blessing for reading it Did God anticipate many would neglect this book or ignore its prophetic revelation and so add this special incentive? Ironically, the one book with this unique incentive is so often left unread.
The second blessing is for those who “hear the words of this prophecy” Chapters two and three promise rewards to him that overcomes (27,11,17,26, 35,12,21, 21 7) As the time for Christ’s return approaches, it is urgent we hear Christ’s message while there is yet time The messages to the seven ecclesias can help us assess our standing before Christ and change our ways before it is too late.
The third group who are blessed are those who “keep those things that are written therein” Keeping the commandments is more challenging than simply reading or hearing Yet the first two steps are necessary, for only after reading and hearing (understanding) are we motivated to keep the things written m this revelation.
Six more blessings
Six additional blessings are pronounced in the prophecy (14 13, 16 15, 19 9, 20 6, 22 7, 22 14) making seven m all Perhaps this is significant as seven is the most common number used in the Revelation (54 times).
The last two blessings reinforce the blessing found in the opening verses:
“Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (22:7)
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (22:14)
Clearly, understanding the book involves obedience to our Master.
Prominence of symbols
A prerequisite for understanding the book is mentioned in the first verse “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” (Rev 11)
Christ’s message is addressed to his servants Some have suggested that only they will understand its message and, in part, this may be true Certainly when it was written, its symbolism prevented Roman authorities from understanding the message Today a vital part of reaching an understanding is a thorough knowledge of the use of the symbols in other parts of scripture Only Christ’s servants would have such an intense interest in God’s word to search this out.
The model is Christ speaking m parables to the multitudes m the later stages of his ministry He said to the disciples that he did this so that only the truly interested would understand his message at that point in time “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matt 13:16)
Get an overall picture
In addition to recognizing the symbolic aspect of the book, we need to pay attention to the context of the verse, chapter and whole book (as we must with all scripture) Where words or phrases are not immediately plain, we should examine sentences or paragraphs before deciding what is meant If the meaning is still not clear, then scripture must be compared to scripture This biblical approach has been used by Christadelphians since the days of John Thomas It applies as well to the interpretation of doctrine and the study of prophecy Ignoring this method leads to misunderstanding and false beliefs as men jump to premature conclusions Although the puzzle we’ve been given is a difficult one, the identification of many of the symbols is easier for those with a good scriptural background.
When symbols are identified
When statements are plain, or where symbols are interpreted in the text, we must accept them and build the rest of our interpretation around them Since many of the symbols are interpreted for us, spiritualizing them is unprofitable.
For example, take the Lamb symbol Since the Lamb plays a major role in the prophecy, his identity is made plain for the reader within the book itself There is no need to guess the meaning “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful” (Rev 17 14) Any Bible reader quickly recognizes this as the Lord Jesus Christ and his followers Comparison with other scripture confirms the identification (John 1:29, 10:3, I Peter 1:19)
Consulting history
After a symbol is identified, comparison with history is necessary Only then can we decide whether the prophecy has already been fulfilled This is the most difficult step In reality the Revelation is a post graduate course on the scriptures A basic knowledge of the scriptures and history is a prerequisite if we want to be confident of our understanding.
Doctrinal points covered
As well as providing assurance through fulfilled prophecies, the Revelation speaks on many doctrinal matters It teaches the reality of the resurrection and judgment (20:4,6).
We are taught the true facts of life – that we are created for God’s pleasure and that this present life is but our probationary period (4 11) This is a hard concept for us to grasp Somehow, in our rebellion, we imagine we are free agents We don’t stop often enough to reflect that life is a gift from God and that it is to be used in His service
A powerful closing exhortation
In the closing verses of the book we read “And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev 22 12) The characteristics of those excluded from blessing are outlined “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a he” (22 15)
It is sobering to think that unless we keep Christ’s commandments faithfully, we will not share in the final vision pictured in these last chapters (e g 211-4).
Will you and I share in these rewards? We are, as one of our hymns kindly points out, “making our answer now” Let us then endeavor to serve our Master better by keeping his commandments recalling his words “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15 14)
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