Like many, I've avoided reading the Book of Revelation in the Bible thinking that I wouldn't ever understand what's written there even if I try my best to grasp it . So, why bother I thought and had put it off for a long time. I'm not someone who likes to rely on Bible commentary for interpretation, although I admit that there are some great Bible commentaries to help us understand the Bible better.
So, when our Women's Bible Study coordinator announced that we'll be doing the Book of Revelation this Fall I was exited, especially when I learned that we're going to follow Beth Moore's video session series for the study. Like me, 80-100 women too had got excited to sign up for this study to learn what's said so unique and mysterious manner in signs and symbols in this last book of the Bible.
As Beth Moore points out in her study book- " no scholar, commentary , denomination, preacher or teacher can plausibly claim to have all the answers and ultimate interpretation for this fascinating finish of scripture,"it's futile to expect a full understanding of everything written in the book. "As long as God is glorified and His Word held sacred and inspired, having our views challenged can be a very healthy thing," Beth Moore writes and further adds, " An ardent desire to know God through the study of Scripture mixed with a humble spirit concocts the best kind of student. " I pray that I become such a Bible student with a humble heart, and develop an ardent passion for God as Beth Moore does.
Yesterday was our first video session lesson and I've given below what I've learned so that by writing it not only I help myself to remember better, but also hope that those who read this post will be motivated to study the Book of Revelation and helped to come to know Christ as God wants Him to be known to His followers through this book.
The author of this book: John the Apostle, who wrote the Book of John and the epistles John 1 and 2 in the Bible.
Place, where it was written: Island of Patmos( off the coast of Asia) where John had been exiled by the Roman authorities.
Date written: About 95 AD
Setting: Christians were tortured, persecuted and burnt on stakes during the Roman emperor Nero's rule. After Nero's death, Domitian became the emperor of Rome. Although he didn't persecute the Christians as Nero did physically, he did bring psychological torment to the believers. It is said that Domitian was one of the three emperors of Rome who demanded the worship of him by his Roman subjects. Because Christians and Jews refused to bow before anyone but their God, they were mocked, ill treated and looked down as low and uneducated.
Theme: Unveiling of the true vision of Christ.
Purpose: To reveal the full identity of Christ to his believers and to warn the seven churches in Turkey at that time as well as to the believers at large in years to come to keep up their hope and faith to the end and to declare what is to take place at the end of the time.
The purpose of the writing the book is clearly given in the first eight verses in the first chapter of the book. It is given direct and simple that anyone could understand. You don't need a commentary to understand at least to know its purpose. Help may be needed to understand the following passages and later chapters because they deal with a lot of symbols that cannot be easily understood.
In Revelation 1:1-2 reads as follows:
"revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it know by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw-that is , the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."
It goes on to say in verse 3-" Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take it to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
See, it's not that hard to understand that. God wanted to reveal His son as the King of glory to His believers. Understanding His father's heart, Jesus summons His angel ( name not given, but must be a special one to be Christ's chosen angel) to go to His beloved disciple John in Patmos and reveal to him in a vision what God intends to reveal to the churches.
So, what did John do when he was given such a vision.? As a faithful servant, he records everything he saw and heard from the angel.
More importantly it is said that whoever reads out or hears this prophecy( the events predicted to occur in the future) and believe it in his heart is said to be blessed by God. In those days, not many were educated enough to read or write. So, its either the priest or the scribe who reads out the scripture for the people in the assembly. That's why the one who reads as well as the one who hears and believes are considered to be blessed according to this scripture.
Don't we all want to be blessed by believing what is said to be about our Christ our Saviour, who loved us enough to shed His precious blood to cleanse us from our sins so that we could have an unhindered relationship with God the Father, the Alpha and Omega, the creator of the universe and freed us from all bondage to make us live a contented and fulfilling life?
Christ didn't die so that we could have a prosperous life as some false Christian preachers teach. Christ wanted us to become alive in spirit and enjoy a fulfilling life even amidst troubles and having less to own. Christ alone is sufficient to have the joy and abundance He talked about. Such a loving Lord, who walked on earth two thousand years ago along the sea of Galilee is going to return to earth in a breathtaking way, not as as the one with blond hair and blue eyes in a white robe as we mentally picture Him, but as the King of kings in His full glory surrounded by angels with trumpets in an unknown and unexpected time. Except the Father, no one, even Christ doesn't know the exact time of His coming. Never for a second believe if anyone predict a date or the year of His coming. If anyone predicts, he's nothing but a false prophet.
"The time is near, " it says in verse 3. How near, we don't know. Only the Father knows. Even John may have thought it might happen while he was alive.. But it didn't happen. 2000 years have gone by since then and not many in this day and age believe that to happen. And those of us, who believe in His second coming are being scoffed and scorned by the learned and unbelievers in this modern age.
What does Revelation 1: 7-8 say?
"Look, He is coming with the clouds
and every eye will see Him.
even those who pierced Him
and all the people 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."
The Sovereign God has spoken, and it is up to us whether we want to believe what it says or not. I choose to believe it and be blessed by it, even if I'm looked down and scoffed at by others. What about you?
God reveals Himself to us in so many ways. Though He at times speaks to His people through visions, dreams and scriptures, He does reveals Himself t us through daily occurrence in life we usually overlook. nature, people, trouble, disasters are some venues through which He chooses to get our attention and reveal Himself to us .
As an assignment for this week, Beth Moore has asked us to write down whatever we sense God's revelation to us in a personal way. To do that , I need to have my eyes, ears and heart wide open to detect God's movement and voice in my sphere. Yes, I need to keep my spiritual antenna up to view my God (yours too) in action. Isn't that exciting? Aren't we so blessed to get a glimpse of the all loving God in our day to day routine. That's what is called faith walk. It comes with prayer, humility and surrender. Prosperity and self-recognition need to take the back seat if we need to see what God want us to see. Come on board my friend! Do not delay. Precious is our Lord and precious is His blood that was shed for you and me..
Hope to continue on this Book next week after my next Bible study on Thursday evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment