Worship
Scripture
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who ‘
““And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”” -Revelation 22:7, ESV
A Personal Journey of Faith
When I was just 6 years old, my mom sat my brother and I down on our long, yellow, corduroy sofa. I remember my feet didn’t even hang over the edge of the cushions. She shared with us that she had just finished a book on the return of Jesus and the Lord impressed on her that He was coming back, and she was not ready. She gave her life fully to Jesus and shared the gospel with me and my brother. I remember hearing her words about Jesus and salvation through Him and knowing in my heart and mind that what she was sharing was absolute truth. My brother (4) and I both gave our lives to Jesus that day. Our whole family was saved, and six years later my parents sold everything and moved us to Germany to be missionaries so they could take the gospel behind the Iron Curtain. I share this story of my salvation all over the world. I am so thankful that my mom spared me of a life without Christ. Praise God for our moms (and dads) who tell us about Jesus when we are young so we can avoid life without Him! I just love my mom!
Keeping the Words of Prophecy
My family and I went on a lovely vacation a few weeks ago. It was to celebrate me having turned 50 in March. I would wake up each morning to spend time with Jesus as He had me eagerly devouring the book of Revelation. Having spent some time building a solid foundation of understanding the rapture and tribulation, I read this book with a whole new perspective. For the first time, it made so much sense. I never understood where I existed in that book—what was mine and what wasn’t mine. Where did I fit in the timeline of the seals, trumpets, and bowl judgements? The answer is nowhere. That isn’t for me. It isn’t for anyone who is in Christ Jesus. Walking into this book with a deeper understanding had me read with a sober mindfulness of what is soon approaching for those who are not in Christ. The wrath of God outlined from Chapter 6 is about what will take place during the seven years of tribulation, the Second Coming, millennial reign of Christ and the final battle. What is ours to work through with the Holy Spirit is chapters 1-3 (until we return back on the scene in Chapter 19). Do any of those warnings apply to you or me in our current walk with Jesus? That’s one thing we need to take before the Lord.
Jesus says, “‘Look, I am coming soon (Revelation 22:7)!’” Another translation for “soon” is “suddenly.” He will come like a thief in the night when we are not expecting His return. Is your lamp filled with oil? Are you ready for His sudden and imminent return? My mom was not that day back in 1979, and in an instant, our whole family was saved. She did not hold this truth to herself but from that time forward, lived to tell everyone about Jesus.
“‘Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophesy written in this scroll (Revelation 22:7).’” How do we keep these words? According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, to keep means to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard, to keep one in the state in which he is, to observe, to reserve, and to undergo something.
How do we attend to these prophecies that literally caused John to feel sick when he saw them. He was undone by what God showed him is coming on a world which has rejected Christ. We are to hide these things in our heart, almost like Mary did in her observation of the first coming of Jesus. It is time we take them to heart, to see what John saw that is coming upon the world very soon. Many believe that we as believers in Jesus will not be here to observe them—we will be with Jesus during that time. But for those you love who are far from Christ, this will be their reality. Oh, God, let us be undone by that sober truth.
“God has given us 2000+ years to prepare for the coming storm that will sweep the entire earth. When that happens, there will be no place to hide. Plagues, earthquakes, hail, fire, and starvation will run rampant through the whole globe. COVID will seem like a case of the sniffles in comparison to what people will be exposed to during the seven-year global catastrophe. ‘Blessed’ almost feels like an understatement for those will escape this time.” -Amir Tsarfati, Revealing Revelation
The Urgency of Gospel Witness
Therefore, I must ask the question: How does the book of Revelation shape our urgency of sharing the gospel with the lost?
We can’t just read the words of this letter without taking them to heart. (Well, I guess we can!) Oh Lord, transform us by Your Word! Revelation is a prophetic warning of what is soon approaching as the world stage is being quickly set for a one world government, currency, religion, and leader. But Jesus is our conquering King who reigns in victory! He has salvation in store for those who desire Him. He has given us the playbook for the end of days and His victory over Satan. We know the story, and if we keep it to ourselves what good is that for those who are perishing?
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” -Romans 10:14-15
Seven Blessings in Revelation
What is profound is the blessing that comes with reading this book and allowing it to shape and change us. The book of Revelation is packed full of blessings—seven final blessings that we read in this last love letter. It comes with great warning and great reward, and if we hear and apply what God is saying:
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” – Revelation 1:3 (ESV)
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.'” – Revelation 14:13 (ESV)
“‘Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed.'” – Revelation 16:15 (ESV)
“And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.'” – Revelation 19:9 (ESV)
“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” – Revelation 20:6 (ESV)
“‘And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.'” – Revelation 22:7 (ESV)
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” – Revelation 22:14 (ESV)
A Call to Faithful Witness
Beloved, go tell the world about Jesus! Don’t keep Him to yourself in the privacy of your life. Go with boldness and conviction that Jesus is the only way. If we would live with the imminent return of Christ ever before us, I believe it would be easy to count our lives as nothing. We are out of here, but those we love who don’t know Him will endure more than we could even imagine. We must trust in His mercy on His people. But for those of you stuck in fear, shake it off. Ask the Lord to untie you and set you free to boldly proclaim the love and power of Jesus. It’s time. We must go.
“Jesus is coming, and He is bringing His reward with Him. What is that reward? It is to go to the place that He has prepared for us, and there to experience the bema seat judgement, during which we will be recompensed for our faithful service here on earth. Remember, He is not coming to take us to a judgement seat of salvation. That’s not necessary, because if you are not a believer in Christ, you will not be going with Him. When we lift off from this earth, there is nothing but good waiting for us for the rest of eternity.” -Amir Tsarfati, “Revealing Revelation”
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” -Revelation 22:20-21, ESV
