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The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Revelation 1:1-2 ESV
Have you ever read the Book of Revelation? Many say it’s a difficult book to understand. Some time ago, I realized that everything I know about Revelation is based on someone else’s interpretation. That didn’t sit well with me. I needed to be able to read Revelation for myself, with Holy Spirit, of course, to hear what He wanted to reveal to me personally, just like what happens when I read other books of the Bible.
Then, I got a revelation about the Book of Revelation 🙂. I realized that while the Gospels reveal who Jesus was on earth, Revelation tells us who He is right now, as the risen King; the Lion of the Tribe of Judah; the Lamb who was slain who sits upon the Throne in heaven. I wanted to know more.
I wanted to know more about the message the writer of Revelation meant to convey to the original readers. And what the original readers would have understood. The first lines of Revelation say that it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Does this simply mean that it’s a revelation of the end times given by Jesus Christ to John or a revelation of who Jesus Christ is? I think it’s both. But I don’t think many of us have read it as a means of understanding who Jesus is now… the risen King, seated in heavenly places.
Everyone says Revelation is a hard book to read. It shouldn’t be. I don’t think Father would give us a book about Jesus and make it exceptionally hard for us to understand. Maybe the hardest part about reading Revelation is trying to read it without superimposing the prophecies and predictions of others.
A few months ago, I wrote a devotion about God’s open invitation for us to “come up here”. He wants us to know Him more. He wants us to get a deeper revelation of the resurrected Jesus as He reigns right now. As a follower of Jesus, it’s important now, more than ever before at any time in history to know who our King is.
Invite Holy Spirit to read Revelation with you. (If you need a little help, I recommend two books: When the Lamb Roars and Revelation for the Rest of Us).
Deborah Ruck @ As Bold As THE Lion blog
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