by By Tim Moore
Some people have a hard time accepting reality. Some things simply sound “too good to be true.” That could be said of Jesus’ promises to those who accept Him: absolute forgiveness and eternal life in the presence of God.
On the other hand, some people cannot accept the clear teaching of Scripture regarding the wrath of God that abides on all who do not obey the Son by accepting Him as Savior and Lord (John 3:36). They like the sound of a god who would not harm a fly but cannot accept the living God who will pour out His righteous indignation on a world that has rejected Him. They are even more appalled by the idea of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, administering the wrath of God. Yet that is exactly what Revelation teaches (6:16).
It has been said that Revelation is too hard to understand. But Henry Morris, the founder of the Institute for Creation Research, once said: “Revelation is not hard to understand. It is hard to believe; but if you will believe it, you will understand it.”
It is critical that we understand up front that this final book in the canon of God’s Word is not merely the fanciful and imaginative vision of John the Apostle. The very first verse in the book establishes that it is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The same verse goes on to explain the purpose behind Jesus unveiling all that John would be tasked to record: “…which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John” (NASB). Driving the point home even further, verse 2 tells us that John “testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
Other prophets of God affirm the divine inspiration to their prophecies by frequently weaving in the phrase, “Thus saith the Lord.” But John established up front that Revelation is the testimony of none other than Jesus Christ.
Revelation is unique in one other respect. No other book offers a promise of blessing for merely reading what is written. But verse 3 says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (NASB). Not clear enough? Jesus repeats the same promise in 22:7: “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Reading and hearing can be easily done. But how do you heed a book of prophecy — especially one as expansive as Revelation? How can I heed the sweeping prophecies yet to be fulfilled and often related to God’s wrath that abides on the unbelieving world? By doing what Henry Morris advocated and believing this great book of prophecy.
In other words — taking Jesus at His Word.