Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near. Rev. 1:3
The text says, "Blessed is the one who reads....and those who hear..." What does that mean? Why does one person read and many persons hear? Because books in the New Testament times were scarce and expensive to to produce, most people would encounter one only when someone read it our loud to them. The book of Revelation was meant to be read in church. It was intended, not as a written work for study by individuals, but rather to be heard orally by groups of people. A special blessing rests on the public reading of the book of Revelation.
In 1995 I had the privilege of leading a tour of the seven churches of Revelation in Turkey. The trip was an adventure in many ways. Thirty-nine people, including my family, crowded into a single bus with a Turkish driver and a Muslim tour guide. Our driver took more chances on the road than any driver I have ever experienced, yet he did so with a calmness that made it seem like the right thing to do!
Another memorable aspect of the trip was that everyone but the two Turks got sick with some sort of stomach flu by the second day. That made for many desperate stops at remote pharmacies or even more isolated places as the passengers scattered in all directions looking for trees and bushes to hide behind. What was even more embarrassing was that most of the sick ones were vegetarians who professed healthy living. The two Turks who didn't get sick were chain smokers who also transgressed Muslim strictures against alcohol!
A highlight of this trip was the chance to visit the ruins of the seven ancient cities that once contained the churches of Revelation. A young woman in our group prepared a dramatic reading of Jesus' message for each of those churches. As prescribed in the text, one or more read out loud as the rest of us listened. After each reading we sang a song that she had written based on the message to the seven churches. The impact was unforgettable. We heard the letter to each church right on the spot where those congregations originally listened.
I doubt that most churches today would have the patience to hear the entire book of Revelation read out loud (it takes about an hour and a half)! But in small pieces we were able to re-create some of the original setting on our trip. In Pergamum we heard the letter while standing on the site of the "seat of Satan," the great altar of Zeus. Then in Thyatira we listened while surrounded by a friendly group of Turkish schoolchildren whose teachers then treated us to apple tea. John encourages every Christian to experiment with dramatic readings of Revelation in church and in family worship.
Lord, give me attentive ears to listen to You and Your Word as never before. I also pray for a heart that is willing to obey.
The text says, "Blessed is the one who reads....and those who hear..." What does that mean? Why does one person read and many persons hear? Because books in the New Testament times were scarce and expensive to to produce, most people would encounter one only when someone read it our loud to them. The book of Revelation was meant to be read in church. It was intended, not as a written work for study by individuals, but rather to be heard orally by groups of people. A special blessing rests on the public reading of the book of Revelation.
In 1995 I had the privilege of leading a tour of the seven churches of Revelation in Turkey. The trip was an adventure in many ways. Thirty-nine people, including my family, crowded into a single bus with a Turkish driver and a Muslim tour guide. Our driver took more chances on the road than any driver I have ever experienced, yet he did so with a calmness that made it seem like the right thing to do!
Another memorable aspect of the trip was that everyone but the two Turks got sick with some sort of stomach flu by the second day. That made for many desperate stops at remote pharmacies or even more isolated places as the passengers scattered in all directions looking for trees and bushes to hide behind. What was even more embarrassing was that most of the sick ones were vegetarians who professed healthy living. The two Turks who didn't get sick were chain smokers who also transgressed Muslim strictures against alcohol!
A highlight of this trip was the chance to visit the ruins of the seven ancient cities that once contained the churches of Revelation. A young woman in our group prepared a dramatic reading of Jesus' message for each of those churches. As prescribed in the text, one or more read out loud as the rest of us listened. After each reading we sang a song that she had written based on the message to the seven churches. The impact was unforgettable. We heard the letter to each church right on the spot where those congregations originally listened.
I doubt that most churches today would have the patience to hear the entire book of Revelation read out loud (it takes about an hour and a half)! But in small pieces we were able to re-create some of the original setting on our trip. In Pergamum we heard the letter while standing on the site of the "seat of Satan," the great altar of Zeus. Then in Thyatira we listened while surrounded by a friendly group of Turkish schoolchildren whose teachers then treated us to apple tea. John encourages every Christian to experiment with dramatic readings of Revelation in church and in family worship.
Lord, give me attentive ears to listen to You and Your Word as never before. I also pray for a heart that is willing to obey.
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