We have studied the whole Book of Revelation and have seen the Alpha and Omega of God's Plan.
Now THAT is a Promise of BLESSING from God!
We started with the blessing (beatitude) in Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keeps the things which are written in it; for the time is near."
At the completion of the book, we hear the final of the 7 Revelation Beatitudes in 22:7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Well, following the Lord's instructions, we have now all read and heard the words of these prophesies. But what does it mean "keeps the words of this prophesy?" Just like many other scriptures, it is not fully explained.
I pray that you have been blessed by and during our study. I know I have and I have. However, the text seems to clearly imply that you must KEEP the words of the prophesy to receive the full blessing. So how do we do that?
In both cases, "keep" is the Greek tēreō, which means, according to Strongs Outline of Biblical Usage of tēreō :
a. to attend to carefully, take care of
b. to guard
c. to keep one in the state in which he is to observe
d. to reserve: to undergo something
So, with those definitions in mind, here's how we "keep" the words of this prophesy.
(a) Carefully Attend to and Take Care of the Promises and Warnings of Chapters 2 and 3. (b) Apply the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and Guard Your Self and Your Church Against the (c) Insidious Deception and Compromise Seeping Through the Church. Remain Vigilant and Observant of Your Own Heart to Keep Yourself in the Light. And, finally, (d) Reserve Yourself for Christ's Work of Salvation as He Refines You Like Gold.
Yes, it's all about Chapters 2 and 3 - the "Church Age" or "Age of Grace" that we are living in now. After all, what you believe and do about the rest of the book will NOT effect its outcome or your eternity. God's will prevails whether you like it or believe it or not. What you can change is what you do in your life and Church, and that is where you will be blessed.
And we are blessed by knowing and having faith that we have eternity to look forward to no matter what trials this life entails.
So, now you know how the story ends. Join us next time when we unpack Genesis to see how (and why?) the story starts. May God bless you and keep you, smile upon you and give you peace.
Revelation Chapter 22 Epilogue Video
Revelation Chapter 22 Epilogue PowerPoint PDF