Why we should read the book of Revelation, Part 2

Continuing on the Timing Revelation, end times and prophecies, I pick up from Part 1 of this series of articles on “why we should read the book of Revelation", when we are living in the the end times spoken of in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the Bible. And the book of Revelation is the last unfolding of it all.

So here's the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say in his popular monologues way back when:

Let's look at 2nd Peter, chapter 1 from the beginning:

v.1_Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

2_Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3_According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4_Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5_And beside this, (or on top of this) giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6_And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7_And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

So these are all the characteristics that Jesus Christ has given to us if we received Him and follow Him diligently...


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Not barren and unfruitful

v. 8_For if these things be in you, and abound (in you), they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(and this includes in the knowledge of His Word because He is the Word that became flesh, and that includes the book of Revelation... so we shouldn't be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Him and His Word...)

9_But (now listen to this) he that lacketh these things (what things, those that Jesus Christ has given to His followers) is blind, and cannot see afar off (cannot see very far), and hath forgotten that he (or she) was purged from his/her old sins.

10_Wherefore the rather, brethren, (or even more so brethren) give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

11_For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly (or an entrance will be supplied to you) into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

12_Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

13_Yes, I think it is right as long as I am in this tabernacle (or in this temporary body), to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;(or by reminding you of these things).

14_Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15_Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease (or after I passed away) to have these things always in remembrance.

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17_For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Peter refers here to when Jesus was baptized and the voice came from heaven from the Father).

18_And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (So they were personal witnesses of this event)

And here are those 3 verses read earlier in Part 1:

19_We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed (or pay attention), as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20_Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21_For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

That's what the book of Revelation is – a light that shines in a dark place AND the understanding of what God's plan is for all of human history.

Imagine if we didn't know what is to come as we find ourselves in a world that is getting worse by the year, month and even week as it is now. We've seen a lot happen in the last couple of years – so much so that we can't even recognize the world we live in... covid, and the confusions and the lockdowns and the talks of a reset... things unheard of until now...

I often mention the 50's when I was growing up, how peaceful and predictable everything was. Today it is nothing like it.

It seems that there is rebellion everywhere – just as we read in the book of Matthew: wars and rumours of wars, nations against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, children against parents, etc...

If we didn't have the book of Revelation we would not know what is happening... imagine... that's the hope that we have – even though there will be times of tribulation like there never was before as Jesus said and will never be again (Matthew 24:21) .

Actually here's how this scripture reads; “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” So we need to be ready because there will be great judgment upon the people and nations who rejected Him.

All ends in Victory

But we also read at the end of the book of Revelation that all this will end in victory, when Jesus returns – it all ends well for those who love the Lord...there will be a time of restoration of all things when Jesus returns to this earth to take back His Kingdom. Talk about a reset!

The book of Acts, chapter 3 and verses 20 and 21 says:

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

And the verses just before that say:

18_”But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

19_“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

This was from an appeal by Peter to the Jews and all who were there around the temple when he healed the lame man at the gate, just after Jesus had been taken up to heaven which we read in Mark 16: and Luke 24.

So back in the book of Revelation after Jesus gives John the letters to send to the 7 churches of that time, giving them warnings for their errors and short-comings, and blessings for those who endure to the end (chapters 1 to 3), which by the way are a picture of the churches that will be at the end times...

we read in the following chapters from chapters 4 to 18 the blueprint of God on how He will put an end to the rebellion of Babylon – the godless system of anti-Christ which has been existing already in the earth:

1 John 4:3 says: “ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world.

But God is now preparing for that time of refreshing and Kingdom of Jesus Christ where He will reign in peace after Satan has been bound for a thousand years and judgment pronounced on the wicked -- Chapters 19 and 20.

And then comes the new heaven and the new earth... and Christ's eternal Kingdom... which we will look at in the next segment...

And we will continue in the next article, Part 3, of this series on “Why we should read the book of Revelation.

/DMH

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