Every Saturday we’ll depart from our usual journey, to look at the first and the last books of the Bible. On Saturday mornings we’ll dive into the book of Revelation, and then in the evenings we’ll jump right back to Genesis.
Today let’s look at the third verse of Revelation:
“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 1:3
Often, the book of Revelation is shied away from, because it feels heavy, and because a lot of the language is both poetic and prophetic. For this and a number of other reasons, it can be difficult to understand. As we begin our pilgrimage through Revelation, visiting seven churches, reliving the story of the world, and that of the nativity, as we look beyond creation unto the new creation, we should keep these words in mind.
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy”
This book would have been taken to churches across the known world, to be read aloud, and heard by the whole congregation. It was a blessing for those who read it then, and it is a blessing for me to read it to you now. If you have the opportunity to read it to your church, your family, your children, be blessed as you carry the word of the Lord on your lips, so that they might be blessed, for…
“Blessed are those who hear”
This book is full of encouragement, and exhortation. Many of these might be hard to hear, but are an invitation to repent of our earthly ways, and come back to God. Last year, I landed in hospital and it turned out they had run out of all but one of the medicines I needed. It was brutal. Around an hour in, a tired nurse walked in holding an option. He told me that he’d looked through their entire storage cupboard looking for something that might help, which this would, but it was going to be deeply unpleasant. It was one of the most loving things anyone has ever done for me. I’m so thankful for him. What did I have to do next?
“Who keep what is written in it”
After he left, I had to take the treatment, which I did. There are going to be moments along this journey where we have to make a decision. Follow the ways of the world, or follow God. Why?
“For the time is near”
Christ died for our sins. The first portion of this book is a collection of letters given by Jesus to his church through the apostle John. Earlier this week we talked about John’s exhortation to return to the commandment to love God, and to love one another. Jesus is our first love, our bridegroom, the one with whom we will spend eternity after the end of all things. He died for us, he intercedes for us now, and these words are given to bless us on our way, as we wait in the tension between creation, and the new creation. Tonight at Dusk, we’ll look at the former, but this morning as we pray, let’s forward to the latter.
Let’s pray.
Praying through the Bible
Lord God,
Thank you for the blessing you gave us,
When you delivered this book to the church.
As we read the words, and as we hear them read aloud,
Help our hearts to receive the words of this prophecy,
For blessed are those who hear them,
and those who keep them,
As we look forward to eternity,
Help our eyes to shed the scales of mortality,
That obscure our understanding,
Your Kingdom is at hand,
and the time of the end draws near.
Thank you, Lord, for calling us home,
One we never deserved,
but have received by your grace.
Amen
Today’s Readings
Whether you’re ready to sit and read these now, or you think later might be a better fit, I recommend looking through your plan for the day now. If you follow this Bible reading plan, you’ll finish the whole Bible by the end of the year. We’re starting this morning with just 26 verses, across four chapters of the Bible. When will you sit down to read or listen to them?
Revelation 1:1-3
Genesis 1:1-27
Psalm 7
Psalm 8
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother's name was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
1 Chronicles 1:17-231
Recommended Media to Start Your Day
Last year I had the opportunity to interview a friend of mine, Raleigh Sadler, for his own podcast! We spoke about his love of walking, and about the multitude of ways that walking—both physically and metaphysically—impacts our lives and the lives of those around us. If the word pilgrimage stood out to you today, this is the episode for you.
A helpful reminder if you’re pondering the presence or absence of creativity today:
Finally, here’s a hilarious and oddly educational video about roasting coffee beans in beef fat. James Hoffman is one of the greatest coffee creatives out there, and this is no exception.
1-2 Chronicles are two of the most overlooked books of the Bible, despite covering great swathes of history, and God’s faithfulness throughout. Each day I’ll share a short portion of these books, so by the end of the year, you’ll have read through them in their entirety.
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