Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, & blessed are those who hear, & who keep what is written therin; for the time is near. Revelation
My favourite gospel is John; my favourite all time book in the bible is Revelation, closely followed by Isiah & Song of Songs. I have a thing for the poets, ok. It helps me remember what I've read. The practical prosaic leaves me cold & clueless, but the poets! Ah, the poets I understand even when their meaning is unclear.
Revelation is where we began this Sunday. Now I love this book for all sorts of reasons. I love the language. I love the sweep & scope. I love the imagery & the awesome sense of fear & power but mostly what I love is the hope & the promise it gives. Friends, says John, it's going to get bad before the end. Real bad, but do not fear. Christ is coming. He will return.
So many Christians don't read Revelation as being too difficult, too impenetrable, too incomprehensible & that is a pity because there is a blessing attached to just hearing & reading this message. Others say, well it's just metaphorical gibberish, not to be taken literally, or it's just meant for the first century church but that's not what John says Christ says : Now write what you see, what is & what is to take place hereafter.
Now I grant you, Revelation is not the easiest book to study. I don't understand most of it. Nor do I expect to. It's the bits I do understand that should worry me ~ & there's plenty of those to be going on with! That being the case I've dug out John MacArthur's study on Revelation. MacArthur & I don't always see eye to eye on things. Well, as a Quaker & a Fundamental Baptist we wouldn't, would we?, but he is still one of the best expository bible scholars I know. {His exposition on the prodigal Son is absolutely brilliant. If you've never heard him on this try & find it; it will reward you in unexpected ways!}
The Lord has a leetle trouble getting my attention. I have a flibberty~gibbert mind, interested in more things than I really have time for & prone to going off at unexpected tangents but just now I have my plate full of good things from the Lord. I can not be spiritually lazy ~ my preferred catlike position, tucked away in some warm, quiet corner, appearing nochantly to be feed then slinking away again. Nope. Because in our very small gathering I am considered the scholar. Ouch. I don't know much but I do love research; it makes my heart merry. So while Dearest makes my eyes glaze over happily planning menus for these things my mind is grappling with what it meant to belong to one of the seven churches in Asia Minor & the various ancient symbols in the Old Testament that have New Testament applications.
Meanwhile I have a child to dig out of bed & convince that she really does like school work, she just needs to look at it with an unjaundiced eye!
5 comments:
I think the members of your little congregation are very lucky to have you. You have curiosity and a breadth of mind. A potent brew indeed.
I love the book of Revelation. I cant even tell you how many Bible college classes and conference meetings Ive sat through while Revelation is studied. I cant get enough. You go! Im cheering you on!
Hi Ganeida,
Revelation is one book that I absolutely love studying. We have completed it once, but I look forward to the day when I study it again.
It is a hard book to understand. One thing that bothers me is the way it's usually preached about. How can everyone be so adamant that they know the meaning of certain things but then everyone has a different interpretation?? LOL
As you describe yourself and your husband, I think better understand why we have two girls are so alike.
Revelation is wonderful to study, but a fearsome concept in its fruition.
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