To: en
Dear En, today let me share with you how the last book of the bible has become so precious to me. For many years the book of Revelation was a big mystery and obstacle: time and time again I tried to read it but the message never fully came across to me. A recent book, Apocalypse, The Coming Judgement of the Nations by Grant R Jeffrey helped to improve the situation. I wrote the date 20.10.94 on the cover when I bought the Grant Jeffrey book: after I finished my first reading of this book I offered it to Mark to read, but I think he has two or three law story books to catch up first.
The opening verse of the last book of the Bible states clearly that the book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus. The KJV often heads the book as the Revelation of St John, as it was John to whom this was revealed, while he was on the island of Patmos (Rev 1:9-10), but indeed as we read Rev 1:1 it is clearly the revelation of our Lord and Saviour, the very Jesus who is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed one.
Rev 1:3 contains a promise of a triple blessing: a blessing for the one who reads it and a blessing for one who hears it and a blessing for one who takes to heart what is written in it. I think this is wonderful: Jesus offers a blessing just for reading His word, and a blessing just for hearing his word. Read and be blessed, En.
I think Rev 1: 1-3 is a good enough start to the Book of Revelation. Of course the rest of the opening chapter is great, the letters to the 7 churches contain God's eternal truths, good for yesterday, today and forever, the seven letters to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergammum and others spoke to them in those days and yet can be directly applicable to us today: and they will be relevant tomorrow and forever: we may return our discussion of these letters at a later date:
I love Rev 4:1 - Rev 5:14 as a beautiful glimpse of heaven: The description here is congruent with that given in Isaiah 6:1-4. Many people wonder what heaven is like: I think these two portions of scripture are there for our blessing. Read and know what it will be like when we stand before The Throne.
There are difficult bits of Revelation. I do not deny that. For the while skip the hard bits and rest at Rev 21:1-7. What a beautiful promise is found here. No more tears. No more death. "He who overcomes will inherit all this, I will be his God and he will be my son (daughter)".
You probably have found Revelation a difficult book. It is still somewhat of a mystery to me. But gradually, as I read and meditate upon it, God reveals more and more of his eternal truths to me. Read and be blessed, my dearest En.
From: Su Min
Subject: Revelation
For any comments or enquiries please write to Dr. Lim Su Min
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