Revelation

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Why is it called that?

Because Jesus is revealed there in a way the gospels do not show Him.

I have traditionally thought of Revelation as a three part book showing the 7 churches, the judgement of Israel, and the restoration of all things at the end. Seeing it as this apocalyptic book,..that reveals the end times. And yeah, It does.

Many people when they first become curious about the bible turn directly to the last book hoping to catch a glimpse of the end times and see prophesy foretold. Many of those folks see the metaphorical pictures and wild things going on and disappointingly put the bible down, when actually they should have turned first to the gospel of John to learn first about who Jesus is. And once they do , they then can see the glorious extent of who the Saviour really is in the closing pages of the bible.

Knowing that Revelation is full of prophesy is good, yet within the book itself is contained the verse "The testimony of Jesus, is the Spirit of prophesy" 19:10. Meaning the real intent of prophesy is to show us Jesus.

Not just to let us peek at the future so we can ooh and ahh.

We know that the real message of all of the bible is Jesus. Jesus Himself taught the two on the road to Emmaus a long study on how He's seen throughout scripture. No book though has a more powerful and awesome picture of Jesus than Revelation.

Every day it seems as I go into yahoo Christian chat rooms to spread the truth and light of our Saviour, I encounter the "anti-Jesus is God" and unitarian crowd. Aside from the constant presence of Muslims purveying their perversion of who Jesus is to them, I find myself wrestling daily with these people who are always in there (in among sound Christian brethren), kicking and screaming that Jesus cannot be God because of gospel verses that say He prayed to His Father and His Father was greater, and whatever, like a stubborn children refusing to accept that santa claus isn't really real.

These types fail to read in Revelation where Jesus is worshipped by hosts and saints and martyrs, glorified, high and lifted up. Here for a third time in one of John's books, He uses the term "Word of God" 19:13.

Verse 20:6 has "priests of God and of Christ", showing they are the same. Nowhere else in scripture will you find priests doing service to more than one figure. In 1:18 Jesus clearly is the one speaking, in 1:17 He's the first and last as in several places, the Alpha and Omega.

The gospels tell His story.....Revelation reveals His glory.

People who insist that the bible doesn't say He is God, have decided to throw out Revelation altogether, knowing it is the strongest place showing His deity. They say "Jesus is never worshipped as God", using only the gospels as reference where He is shown laying aside His glory and taking on Himself the form of a servant for His purposes. And overlooking Thomas's awesome comment by the way.

What a wonderful book revelation truly is. The only one a blessing is promised to the reader of. 1:3

It's dawning on me now that the reason Revelation is the last book in the bible is more than because of chronological placement, or for it's finality of times in it's content,...but because the real blessing is on those who can see the completion of the story of Jesus here.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.