The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him, to show to His servants what must soon take place. And He signified it, sending it through His angel to His servant John, who testified concerning the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, which he saw. Rev. 1:1, 2.
You are vacationing on a lovely island. One day you walk along the edge of a cliff, occasionally stopping to peer over the edge at the waves crashing against the rocks below. The combination of wind, waves, and noise is exhilarating. Suddenly you stumble upon a very old man sitting on a flat spot near the top of the cliff that overlooks the sea. His gaze fixed far out to sea, he doesn't seem to notice you.
"What are you looking at, sir?" you ask. "Are you waiting for a ship to come in?"
He doesn't answer.
You start toward him, yet he still doesn't seem aware of your presence. Although his eyes are open, you get the impression that he is not really there with you, that his eyes are not focused on anything you can see.
"What are you looking at, sir" you repeat.
Again, no response.
Approaching still closer, you wave your hand in front of the man's eyes.
Still he remains oblivious to you.
Torn between shaking the man, calling the police, or sitting down nearby to see what will happen next, you decide to sit and wait a while.
After a few minutes the old man takes a deep breath and his eyes focus. Then he looks around and sees you. You position yourself in case you need to get up and flee, but he smiles in a friendly way and says, "I suppose you are wondering what is going on."
Tentatively you nod.
Smiling again, he says, "You probably won't believe this, but I just had an encounter with Jesus Himself! And you wouldn't believe how awesome and great He has become since He ascended to heaven. Not only that, but He told me all about the future and the end of the world. Would you like me to describe it to you?"
Would you be interested? Or would you put him off as just another crank? I don’t know how I would respond if I ran into someone like John. But I do know this: the book of Revelation has survived many detractors. Today it is a guaranteed classic. It can bring you into a closer walk with Jesus. I invite you to journey through this book with me.
Lord, I'm starting a new year with a book that has raised more questions than answers in the past. Help me to find the key to a deeper relationship with You this year.
You are vacationing on a lovely island. One day you walk along the edge of a cliff, occasionally stopping to peer over the edge at the waves crashing against the rocks below. The combination of wind, waves, and noise is exhilarating. Suddenly you stumble upon a very old man sitting on a flat spot near the top of the cliff that overlooks the sea. His gaze fixed far out to sea, he doesn't seem to notice you.
"What are you looking at, sir?" you ask. "Are you waiting for a ship to come in?"
He doesn't answer.
You start toward him, yet he still doesn't seem aware of your presence. Although his eyes are open, you get the impression that he is not really there with you, that his eyes are not focused on anything you can see.
"What are you looking at, sir" you repeat.
Again, no response.
Approaching still closer, you wave your hand in front of the man's eyes.
Still he remains oblivious to you.
Torn between shaking the man, calling the police, or sitting down nearby to see what will happen next, you decide to sit and wait a while.
After a few minutes the old man takes a deep breath and his eyes focus. Then he looks around and sees you. You position yourself in case you need to get up and flee, but he smiles in a friendly way and says, "I suppose you are wondering what is going on."
Tentatively you nod.
Smiling again, he says, "You probably won't believe this, but I just had an encounter with Jesus Himself! And you wouldn't believe how awesome and great He has become since He ascended to heaven. Not only that, but He told me all about the future and the end of the world. Would you like me to describe it to you?"
Would you be interested? Or would you put him off as just another crank? I don’t know how I would respond if I ran into someone like John. But I do know this: the book of Revelation has survived many detractors. Today it is a guaranteed classic. It can bring you into a closer walk with Jesus. I invite you to journey through this book with me.
Lord, I'm starting a new year with a book that has raised more questions than answers in the past. Help me to find the key to a deeper relationship with You this year.
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