Revelation 1:1-3 A Tell-All
John has a special message he gets to share with us. Today he establishes Who the source is; God Himself.
When Jesus was walking with His disciples they asked Him about the end times. They did this because He spoke frequently of a final judgement and a reckoning that would occur. His disciples wanted information about what that time would look like. “Is it soon? How will we know? What do we need to do?” Jesus gave them some of the answers they were seeking but left a LOT of detail out. For John, and the rest of us who read about John’s vision, He filled in SOME of the missing detail.
Jesus doesn’t have ALL the details Himself. He told His disciples that He doesn’t know the day, hour, or timing of His return; only the Father does. So this gift to John was first a gift to Jesus. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants” (verse 1a). And He was supposed to share this knowledge with His servants, starting with John.
Daniel had a vision of the times ahead but he was told not to reveal all he had learned. John was given the opposite instructions. So here we go, looking at what John received in his “tell-all” encounter.
John spends time here in the beginning to establish through whom he received this information and the authority behind it. We already saw that this information was first passed from the Father to the Son. Next it passes into the hands of His angel and then to His servant, John. This is NOT a game of “telephone” where the message gets distorted as it passes from one to another. We can be certain that God would protect His message, just as surely as He protected all the prophecies that came before.
We can also trust John to give us the straight scoop. He was an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry and was one of Jesus’ closest friends. He would NOT go spreading unfounded rumors about Him. Their relationship was too deep for that. After Jesus died for John, John would willingly die for Him and His message of truth.
I am NOWHERE
near an expert on John’s vision or the meanings contained therein. I have been concerned about approaching this book for some time. If you have been with me for any length of time, you will have noticed that trepidation in some of my other posts. But we are promised a blessing if we dig into this book and I will trust God as to what that looks like. “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” (verse 3).
I don’t believe it will be an earthly wealth that we can take to the bank but a spiritual readiness that we can trust in. The Father, through John, will be giving us guidance and information designed to carry us through the tough times ahead. When exactly are those “tough times” you ask. I would say they started the moment Jesus stepped out of the grave and will continue until He steps foot back on earth as its ruler. But the “tough stuff” will continue to grow even more difficult as the days march towards that final event. And this book will help us know what to look for and what to avoid in our own lives. We need to “wake up and pay attention” to what this book contains.
Father God, You know how inadequate I feel to this task. But, as You shared with me earlier this morning, I’m inadequate to the task of previous books too but I have still moved forward by RELYING ON YOU! That is the same way I want to look into this letter from You. Let You impress on my spirit the things YOU want shared or that are relevant to my life right now. I put my heart and mind in Your hands. Lead me (us) where You will Father. Thank You for the “inside information.” Please help me use it wisely in my life. Let me hear Your heart and what You would have me to do with the information You impart. Thank You that I am NOT doing this on my own.
Screaming and kicking or hiding my face because I’m scared, here I go. Keep me in Your arms and carry me where You will.
