Resting in Revelation
“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” REV 1:3
We finally made it through the book of Revelation together! I want to repeat my commendation to all of you who wrestled through these sermons with Dan and me over the past year. You’ve been patient and faithful, and Christ is honored in that. You have now officially “heard” the words of this prophecy, and it’s our deep desire that you “keep what is written in it.”
Even though we’re moving forward to a new sermon series, I’d like to encourage you to rest in Revelation.
You might think that sounds crazy - maybe even impossible - knowing full well the gruesome images that are present throughout the book, not to mention the confusing nature of apocalyptic literature. I feel that too - studying these things and presenting them out loud to a room full of people comes with a sense of heaviness.
How do we rest in Revelation?
The idea of resting jumped out at me from Revelation 6:9-11 where an assembly of martyred souls is crying out: “O Sovereign Lord, Holy and True, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood?”
That assembly of souls had given themselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord and died as a result of the Dragon’s war against the Lamb’s children. They chose to obey Christ in the face of opposition, rejection, persecution and ultimately death.
Yet despite heaviness and deplorable injustice causing their death for the sake of Christ, and even amidst the unfolding consequences of the world’s idolatry, they are told to rest.
They’re told to rest because the Risen Lamb is not done calling sinners to repentance. He’s not done rescuing people, even today. Yet they’re told to rest just a little longer — the spiritual warfare, the idolatrous abuse of God’s people, the persecution — it will not last forever because Christ will return to avenge his name, his glory and his people. The command to rest is rooted in the justice and salvation of the Lamb.
But what about you and me who are still in the battle? When you talk about God’s judgment with a co-worker it doesn’t usually seem to result in a restful situation…
Rest in Revelation by studying it to understand so you can obey
This book is meant to be understood and obeyed. Trusting Christ in this world brings ultimate eternal rest but is often met with the opposite of rest here and now. That’s why this book is so important for the church — we need the encouragement and hope of future rest in the face of intense difficulty before then. We have to understand the book of Revelation enough that its significance and purpose don’t fly over our heads.
Our hearts need to be set upon the reality of Christ’s return, and our lives must be oriented towards preparing for that return. That is where we find rest here and now in the middle of the storm. It will only be “a little longer.”
Some of you have had much time and experience studying the Bible and growing in your understanding of it. Some of you are still not sure where to begin. Some of you are somewhere in between.
-If our series in Revelation leaves you with questions and confusion, please take the time to continue studying at your own pace. (Use the Revelation Resources link at the bottom).
-Always ask the Lord to help you understand first.
-Invite a friend to study with you - lean on the gifting and understanding of others in the church.
-Write down questions and ask us for help. We want you to understand Revelation enough to obey it!
Rest in Revelation by obeying it even without perfect understanding
We need to humbly admit that we cannot fully understand every minute detail of Revelation’s expansive apocalyptic symbolism and prophetic outlook (until it happens). We must understand enough to obey, but obey without fully understanding.
Knowledge without obedience puffs up and is actually harmful. Rather than endlessly debating end-times systems and bemoaning political agendas or promoting conspiracy theories, let your limited understanding of the Last Days stir you up to be a faithful witness of Christ’s death, resurrection, forgiveness and justice! Let those conversations exalt Christ instead of hailing the power of the enemy.
It is possible to tell others about the beauty and majesty of Christ and the glorious riches of his grace towards sinners even without knowing who the 24 elders are or who the man of lawlessness will be or when the Rapture will happen!
Rest in Revelation through meditation and prayer
Praying through Scripture is a profoundly rewarding experience, and there has been much written on the topic. The book of Revelation is a deep well of rich and majestic substance that we can drink from again and again during our devotional time with the Lord.
It’s often difficult to know where to begin praying. We often lack the words to say to the One who knows everything. Instead of giving in to frustrated distraction, turn to the book of Revelation and meditate on Jesus’ words in chapter 1 verses 17 and 18 and begin to praise him for those beautiful truths. Or turn over to chapter 4 and begin to pray the words uttered by the 24 elders. From beginning to end, the book of Revelation provides us with Christ-exalting truths which were given to us for this very reason - that your soul would feast on the worth and glory of your Savior King Jesus.
