“I have always been scared of the book.” This was the statement the life-long Christian lady made about the book of Revelation.
It isn’t just the mystery and the difficulty, but it is the frightening nature of the visions. The thought of the end of time, judgment, and God’s wrath being poured out are frightening. For many the book of Revelation is just scary.
It was this same lady who stated, after a class study of Revelation 21-22, “I understood tonight that the Christian should not be scared, but rather anticipates and longs for the coming of Jesus.” The book is not trying to scare, but comfort. The vision of Jesus in Revelation should make us say with John, after Jesus said for the third time he is coming quickly, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)
John had began the letter by saying, “Even so, Amen” after the vision of the Lord coming in the clouds (1:7). He now ends it with the plea for the Lord’s coming.
The secret to not being scared is loving Jesus. He is our Savior and victorious warrior on the white horse that is coming to eradicate evil and vindicate the righteous. We don’t have to be scared. The early Christians who were suffering heinous persecutions and slander were not scared, but comforted by the book. They were crying out, “how long?” Christ encourages them to be patient and endure. They were eager for His coming!
We are so comfortable here on earth, we don’t want to leave. We are so rarely wronged or persecuted for righteousness, we don’t cry for vengeance and vindication. So we fail to anticipate.
Peter said we are to be “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
Do you pray for the Lord’s return? Are you anticipating it? Being honest with you; this is tough for me.
We need to revive the 1st century aramaic expression “Maranatha” – “Our Lord, Come!” (1 Cor. 16:22)
One of our teenage youth closed out a devotional in prayer yesterday with these words, “Lord, we look forward to seeing you.”
Let’s anticipate and long for the coming of our Lord and Savior! Don’t be scared of the ending, be excited.
This is a great challenge for us! Go live with anticipation today!
