3 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)
I
find it encouraging the way God chose to describe the blessing associated with
the book of Revelation. This book of prophecy speaks of things that would soon
take place. It calls its readers to think of the time being near. It originates
in God, so what is soon and near is clearly from his viewpoint. In heaven,
God’s children will all find themselves with the same perspective.
What
stands out in this blessing is what it does not say. It does not describe a blessing
for those who think they have figured out when things will happen. It does not
pronounce a blessing on some religious elite who think they understand things
that no one else can see in the words God breathed out. It does not suggest a
special status for great thinkers who decipher images and numbers to pinpoint
the end of the world.
Instead,
the blessing describes three things that any group of people can do together.
First, there is a blessing on the one who reads aloud the prophecy. When this
letter arrived at each of the churches one of the men would have read it aloud
to the rest of the gathering. The blessing would have encouraged this man that
simply reading the book to the congregation had God’s seal of approval, and so
he could rest in reading it.
Second,
there is a blessing on those who hear what is read. As the gathering of people
came around to listen to what was read aloud, each one could hear for themselves
what God had breathed out. They could welcome these words, no matter how
strange the visions they described, and know they were blessed in hearing them.
Third,
there is a blessing on those who keep what is written in the revelation. This
prepares the readers to look at the book as an expression of God’s will that is
clear enough for them to keep what it says, or to put into practice what God
tells them in the book.
These
three descriptions are three dimensions of a particular group of people. Every
gathering of Jesus’ disciples that received this letter would be characterized
by one of the men standing up to read the document, the people gathering around
to hear it, and then everyone working together to do what it says.
In
other words, there is no blessing for someone who reads this aloud but does not
do what it says. There is no blessing for people who hear it read but do not do
what is written. The blessing is on the groups of people who receive this
letter, have it read aloud, hear all that it says, and then put it into practice.
This
blessing is precisely what Jesus had already said in his famous Sermon on the
Mount:
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does
them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods
came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because
it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and
great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7)
Allowing
the breathed-out words of God to condition our hearts and minds for how we are
to travel through the book of revelation, invites us into this restful
relationship with God. Wise people will be blessed as they hear these words and
do what is written. No matter how poorly things appear for them in this
lifetime, theirs is the life that will stand.
On
the other hand, foolish people will hear these words, perhaps even have fun
playing interpretive games with what the words mean, but will not live by them.
No matter how well things appear for them in this lifetime, theirs is the life
that will not stand.
What
should we conclude? Gather with God’s people to read, hear, and do the book of
Revelation (as with all the rest of Scripture). You will be blessed. You have
God’s word.
© 2012 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, Canada, V1K
1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
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