I realized a while back in my life that I avoided reading the book of Revelation probably as much as many of the books of the Old Testament. Part of the reason for me was because some of the imagery in Revelation is challenging to follow, imagine and even fully comprehend. Additionally, even when I did take a stab at it, I tended to gloss over Revelation 1:3 that notes the importance of reading Revelation. But I have committed to being intentional about reading all of the Bible (and yes, this includes the details of the tabernacle and the many lists of descendants) and so Revelation is now in my regular reading rotation. However, I am a Christ follower, not a Bible scholar, so I do not intend to discuss the intricacies of what everything means in the Book of Revelation in this writing. But I do want to start with the following reading from Revelation as a basis for my comments.
Revelation 1:3, 5b-8 (NIV): “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
So, my intention in this post is to share three basic thoughts I have and that become more real each time I spend time in Revelation. First, in reading Revelation, I continue to gain insight into what it means to worship our true Lord and Savior, although I also realize how much I fall short each day in my worship. Second, the Book of Revelation continues to affirm that God will judge the world, and those He finds faithful will spend eternity with him, while those who reject him will spend eternity in Hell. That reality guides my daily focus and purpose, although again, I often fall short. And finally, reading Revelation reinforces for me that Heaven is a real place, and that only through God’s grace will my desire to spend eternity with him there become a reality.
For me, one of the most challenging aspects in my daily Christian walk is to worship the Lord in a way that demonstrates my full devotion to Him. I know that God deserves my full attention, praise and worship (see Psalm 96:9, NIV “Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth”), but I also know that my imperfections and the world’s distractions get in the way of giving God all the Glory He deserves. But then when I read about worship in Revelation it gives me hope and encouragement in knowing that one day my worship will not be hindered, and that I will worship God in a way that is fully pleasing to him. Just ponder worship elaborated on in Revelation 5:11-13 (NIV): “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Oh, how glorious it will be to worship God in a similar way and without worldly hinderances. But until then my hope is that each of us seeks to worship God daily in increasing measure and devotion, and to seek to please Him fully.
Because God’s love for us is so amazing (see John 3:16, NIV, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”), it can be easy to downplay God’s judgement. Additionally, sometimes it is difficult to reconcile the fact that the same God who loves us will also judge us. However, according to 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV) “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad”. Considering that in our sin we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), God’s judgment should be a very sobering fact as we live out our life on earth. Fortunately, Romans 10:9 (NIV) provides insight into how the Christian will be spared during God’s judgment – “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. But, I also think it is important to balance the surety of our salvation with a healthy fear of God. For me, knowing it is only by God’s mercy and grace that I am saved from God’s judgement, and by taking to heart that it is a small gate and narrow path that leads to heaven, helps keep me grounded and focused on protecting my faith (see Matthew 7:13-14, NIV, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”).
Therefore, I desire for the following verses in Revelation related to God’s judgement to direct my life, to help me to stay focused on “the narrow path” and to prioritize the importance of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Finally, reading Revelation gives me hope in knowing that God has prepared a place for me to live with Him for eternity (see John 14:3, NIV, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”). Heaven will be a glorious place of wonder, a Holy City where we will dwell with God and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV). And because of God’s judgement, but also because of his mercy and grace we need to heed the fact that “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).
Revelation 22:12-13 (NIV) “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Amen.
Amen