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After some 13 years of study I published my commentary on Revelation in the NICNT series. After another 20 years I revised if for a second edition. In that interim period more than 60 commentaries on Revelation (in English alone) were published. In preparation for the second edition I read, or at least in some cases skimmed, all of them. One can’t help but think that among all this material on the last book of the New Testament there would be one that dealt with the devotional impact of John’s writing. To the best of my knowledge there is no such book. So what I plan to do now is to write a series of posts on the book of Revelation that show the heart of the apostle as he writes of end times. They will not appear sequentially but be interspersed with devotional insights from other parts of the New Testament.

In the first paragraph of the book of Revelation we learn that both the one who reads the text aloud and those who hear it and take it to heart will be blessed (1:3). What’s this about reading aloud? In John’s day the vast majority of people were unable to read so what undoubtedly took place when the manuscript arrived is that one of the congregation who could read did so as the others listened. There is something different about hearing a book read. The reader automatically stresses certain words, adds a pause, becomes a bit emotionally connected with the story and it all gets caught up in the reading. At one point in my life I had he privilege of reading to a dear friend who was bed ridden. During a period of 18 months I read aloud to her 28 books (including classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Toilers of the Sea). Never have books been so enjoyed! The human voice provides warmth. Together we went through various episodes, waited with anticipation as we watched the plot develop. Now and then one of us (or both) would suddenly speak out loud to some character in the book. Couldn’t help!  
​         So when that first century church gathered, having heard that the beloved John had just sent them a letter, it must have been a very special moment. Someone who could read would take the scroll and read while the others listened intently. How heartening it must have been to hear the words, “Blessed is the one who reads this prophecy and blessed as well are all of you who hear it” (v. 3). The Greek makarios is a wonderful word that means “to be fortunate or privileged by some circumstance” and they certainly were. They were listening to words inspired by the Spirit that were coming to them through their dear friend who at the moment was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. It was God who was speaking to them. While the words informed, they were more than that – they put the listeners in vital contact with the eternal God who had given them eternal life. He was there with them in the words being read. Talk about a Sunday service!!
         And that is the true nature of scripture; the words are not ancient words unrelated to anything of importance, but are God himself. In fact, now that I think of it, didn’t Jesus use almost the same words when he responded to the woman in Galilee who had called out a blessing on Mary his mother – “Even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice” (Luke 11:28). To genuinely hear the word of God is to hear God speaking through the Spirit