Almost every night as I settle into bed I pull out my book light and a book and read until my eyelids get heavy. Silent reading seems second nature to us and essential to every day life, but did you know that this is a rather new practice and something that used to be frowned upon? For hundreds of years, reading was a communal activity where people would gather to hear someone else read aloud. It was a shared activity with others who may have been illiterate but also didn’t have access to scrolls or books. With this in mind, look at the blessing that is proclaimed in the first chapter of Revelation:
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3
There is a blessing here for those who read aloud, for those who hear, and for those who keep the words of this prophecy. Focus on the first descriptor – those who read aloud. Some of us have heard portions of this book read aloud. How many of us have heard the whole book read aloud? How many of us have read it aloud ourselves? The original audience would have likely heard the whole book read to them out loud. What was that experience like? More on that at the end of this post.
Last summer I took a day to get away and fast and pray and part of that time I devoted to reading the whole book of Revelation aloud. Granted, this is probably not the way John meant it to be read aloud – one person, by themselves and to themselves. But this is the only book of the Bible that proclaims a blessing on those who read it, and read it aloud. Because of the length of the book and the intensity of the language, I had been intimidated to do it. I didn’t want any distractions or feelings of self-consciousness. But now was the perfect time.
What was my experience? Was I blessed? What constitutes a blessing? Is it a rush of emotion, a spiritual high? Is the blessing something that comes not instantaneously but over a long period of time? I don’t know all the answers to those questions yet and I still have a lot of studying to do in this book, but here are my first impressions.
A Thrilling Ride
Revelation is in the genre of apocalyptic literature which is very important if we are to read it and understand it for all its worth. This kind of literature was well known to the original audience but us moderns can be uncomfortable with the imagery and symbolism, trying to fit every piece of this puzzle into its proper place. Reading it out loud forced me to move faster through all the parts that confused me and as I did that I began to appreciate the thrill of it. There’s a roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia called Goliath. This hypercoaster reaches speeds of up to 70 mph, but what is most thrilling is the steep climbs followed by precipitous drops paired with the restraints on the seats that don’t seem to be enough for what you’re about to experience. As you crest the hills you can look off to the west and see the Atlanta skyline before the drops force you to rise out of your seat as you plummet down. The tracks of the coaster go outside the park at one point completely disorienting you. But suddenly, you arrive at the end, breathless and wondering whether you should go again.
Revelation is a literary roller coaster, taking you to the heights of heavenly worship then immediately plunging you to the depths of man’s depravity and the coming judgment on Satan and those who worship the Beast. This happens several times over the course of the book, telling us the same story from different angles, until at last you get to the wedding feast of the Lamb and the glorious New Jerusalem. By the end of my reading I was left breathless and in awe of God. I wanted and needed to read it again.
A Humbling Experience
One of the temptations we all face in this world is to shrink God down to our size while at the same time inflating our own egos and importance. Revelation will have none of that. From the beginning vision John has in chapter 1 of the glorious son of man with eyes like a flame of fire and a voice like the roar of many waters, we are encouraged to see ourselves rightly and take our place with John humbly worshiping at the feet of the Lord.
As John gets whisked up to the throne room of heaven by the Spirit, we get a vision of who the hero of this book is. It is not us. Yes, the Lord desires to see his church witness faithfully and endure patiently through every trial on this earth. And there are glorious rewards promised for those who overcome. But we have not written the script and we are not worthy to open the seals. We don’t overcome by clever church growth strategies or by “taking back America” (whatever that means). We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony having loved not our lives even unto death. (Rev. 12:11)
A Sobering Experience
Many people are scared to read this book. The imagery of the beast and the false prophet, the dramatic visions of judgment and the picture of the church suffering for their witness of Christ makes people afraid for their own salvation and for their children’s futures. They would rather be raptured out of all of it! But as I read the book out loud that day and have continued to read or listen to it being read, it has had the effect of downing a strong cup of coffee or being splashed in the face with ice cold water.
If the events of this book are describing the experience of the church throughout what’s called the inter-advent period (between the ascension and the second coming of Christ) from the perspective of heaven, then we should not be surprised by, for example, Christ’s words to the rather wealthy church in Sardis – “Wake up!” Perhaps the over the top imagery of this book is John’s way, and God’s way, of changing our perspective, not so we would fear, but that we would look at the world around us through the right lens, being equipped and prepared to endure.
Read This Book!
I highly recommend reading this book out loud, preferably in your church or another group setting. Imagine how it must have felt being an original recipient of this message. Perhaps you were a member of the church in Smyrna, poor (but rich in God’s eyes!) and about to suffer severe trial, or maybe Laodicea, at ease and rich but sorely deceived about your true spiritual condition. Christ had a message just for you. He knew your works, he was walking among you, and offered encouragement, rebuke, and a promise of reward for those who overcame.
Many scholars believe that these seven churches represent the whole church throughout history. If this is so, then we should also take to heart Christ’s words. He speaks them as the Lamb who alone is worthy to open the seals, who is the faithful witness and ruler of kings on earth. He has given us the true story of the world and how we are to endure patiently as those who are the much-loved, blood-bought kingdom of priests to our God.
Reading this book will be difficult, but in all the best ways. Yes, it will confuse you. It has confused the church for many centuries and no one has unlocked every truth contained in it. But remember, the promised blessing is not for those who understand Revelation but for those who read and hear and keep what is written in it.
The time is near! So join me for this thrilling, humbling, and sobering journey through the book of Revelation.
Women Studying the Word 