Have you read Revelation as a letter? I have, but it didn’t help me understand its message
much better. As Mark reminded us last Sunday, God wins in the end! Maybe that’s why you
haven’t read it: why worry if we know God wins?
Three problems here… First, the letter must have meant something clear to its original church
readers. They would have understood each section, illustration, and vision. Why, then, do we
struggle to interpret it today?
Second, the Church Fathers considered this letter so important that they included it in the
“biblical canon,” now called the Bible. “Canon” means “rule, standard, measuring rod.” It is the
fixed standard of truth and practice by which Christians measure their faith and conduct. This
is why Baptists adhere closely to Scripture and place less importance on other Church
writings and traditions.
And third, if all we needed to know was that God wins, why is this included in the Bible today?
Surely, it must mean something to us now—something I suspect is very important. As we look at
just the first three chapters of this letter/book, I’m sure we’ll hear God speaking to us in our
own time.
In our first sermon, we saw God the Father and His Son, the LORD Jesus, and met John, who
undertook the task none of us would volunteer for: recording what he saw and heard. I’m glad
he was faithful; 2,000 years later, we have his letter.
Let’s read the letter through first-century believers’ eyes: What was God telling them, and how
was He encouraging them amid extreme persecution? Though we may not face the same
persecution, it could come, as it does for millions of Christians worldwide. May you gain fresh
insight into our LORD God to encourage you through your trials.
Bob
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