God has spoken, do you believe His words? Early in Jesus’ ministry, when some followers began grumbling and left off following, Jesus asked His closest disciples whether they wanted to leave also. Can you resonate with Peter’s response: “You have words of eternal life, where else would I go?!”
Sometimes we inwardly say “I’ll follow You, where else would I go?” but we forget about listening, we find it hard to sit at His feet and learn. Read? Study? Meditate? Memorize? Muse upon Your Words? Direct my gaze for more than a fleeting moment? Read just Scripture, rather than devotionals referencing only scattered verses? Doesn’t God know how busy I am? Or how exhausted I am?
He says “My words are spirit and life.” Do you believe this with your whole being?
Many Christians have been misled to assume that some of Jesus’ words are too confusing, we ought to leave them for scholars and stick to our favorite passages. Have you encountered this? It is usually (drum roll please) the book of Revelation. But how can this be when God has promised:
Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3
Read, Hear, Keep
Those who read, or hear, and keep these words–listening with their whole inner being–to the words that are spoken by God–not spoken to confuse, but rather to distill, to grow, to awaken and arouse from sloth, to bless with flourishing in a season of waiting for Christ’s return, a season filled with tribulation. (This has always been according to Who He is! See here)
Many won’t read, or stumble through in order to check the “bible in a year” box off their yearly to-do-list. Consider though, that our God delights to reveal Himself and His will, to teach His people, and to give understanding! Let us approach this book with our hearts warmed to privilege of discipleship, of learning, of choosing the ‘good portion.’
How then, can you approach this book?
Let me begin by saying you must be wise about who you will have as your teachers–too many dispensationalists will not accept that metaphors are metaphors, that symbolism is symbolic; and they try to create timelines when Jesus has already stated it is not for us to know times and epochs. Yet, too many others turn everything into allegory (which it is not). We have in Revelation a lot of history, a bit of what is happening during this time of awaiting Christ’s return, and a bit about our promised future–but the book is not one chronological outline. What was God’s intent in giving us this Scriptural book? A good question to ponder as you begin!
Read, re-read, and re-read! Read alongside the Old Testament, knowing that Revelation quotes and alludes to the Old Testament Scriptures in every chapter.
Books I highly recommend:
Blessed, by Nancy Guthrie. I’m on my third reading! My children and I are reading one chapter of Revelation once a week, discussing, and then reading part of this book to go along with our reading. This has been so fruitful and refreshing. I do not want my children believing that Revelation is a book to be feared, or to be relegated to scholars alone. I want them to seek the LORD in all His Word, to know Him as He has revealed Himself, and to find hope and comfort in the promises He gives. If they can begin now to love all of His Word, Revelation included, then when the deep trials of this post-Genesis 3 world attack, they too will persevere and overcome and cling to their first Love. I love how Nancy Guthrie ends each section answering “how can we keep these words?”
Reversed Thunder, by Eugene Peterson. I read this about 13 years ago at the recommendation of my pastor, and found it helpful–though I cannot remember any particulars. Perhaps I’ll revisit it soon.
And this fine commentary by Beale. He also has an abridged version. I’ve read this little by little over the course of a year. You should be growing your home library in a way that will encourage spiritual growth. Commentaries are much more edifying than you may think! More edifying than “devotionals” that would have you try to apply verses out of context, and skip around like a squirrel searching for buried acorns. If I am unsure which commentary would be best, I turn to Ligonier recommendations: https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/top-5-commentaries
For years, teaching the women’s morning Bible study, we would study one or two Old Testament books in the Fall, and one New Testament book in the Spring (except the year we did 2 John, 3 John and Jude). Following such a pattern, you could grow your own theological library with two or three commentaries per year. The first commentary I ever bought? The NICOT for the Book of Isaiah.
Persevere, and be among the overcomers, beloved! As you study and meditate on the book of Revelation, the Holy Spirit will strengthen you to persevere. You will be blessed indeed for listening to and keeping His word.