(The following is the November 29 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Revelation 1 and pay close attention to verses 1-4.)
People often misunderstand the apostle John’s prophecy in the book of Revelation. Many get bogged down in the imagery and fail to zoom out wide enough to see the bigger picture. Some avoid reading or trying to understand it because of previous bad experiences. Rather than avoid it entirely or try to explain everything with detail not even John attempted, it’s wise to read it in amazement with gratitude to God for the promises it contains for his children.
Spurgeon said the purpose of Revelation “is not to lead us into speculation but is meant for practical purposes. Things written concerning the future are not intended so much to gratify our curiosity as to stimulate our watchfulness. The main objective is to keep us constantly on the lookout.” * “It is the climax of biblical revelation, for it weaves all the threads of prophecy together within the narrative of God’s plan for his creation.” **
John tells us in the opening verses how to receive God’s blessings from the book: “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” (v. 3). Don’t ignore the book; read it. Read it aloud and some passages may bring you to worshipful tears. Don’t avoid conversations, sermons, and Bible studies; dive in eager to hear God’s promises to his children. Pursue its truths with a heart that yearns for God and his eternal kingdom.
“Revelation represents the culmination of the Bible’s grand story, and it is the only biblical book promising a blessing to those who read, hear, and obey it.” *** Don’t miss the blessing God has available through reading, hearing, and obeying his Word in Revelation.
Next Step:
What exposure have you had to the book of Revelation? How did those experiences impact your faith and understanding of the book?
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* CSB Spurgeon Study Bible, ed. Alistair Begg (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1694.
** NIV, The Grace and Truth Study Bible, ed. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2021), 1775.
*** Ibid, 1776.
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