What is the book of Revelation in the Bible?

What is the book of Revelation in the Bible? Sounds like a weird question. Everyone knows what it is, don’t they? But how many of you have read and really figured out the opening sections: the Prologue and the Greeting? For that matter, how many realize there’s no “s” on the end of Revelation? It’s one revelation, not a whole bunch of them.

The Book of Revelation, often misunderstood, is an unveiling of divine truths rather than a mere foretelling of apocalyptic events. It opens with a prologue and greeting that emphasize the importance of truly reading and understanding its contents, as well as clarifying common misconceptions.

The adjacent image is like a modern-day hi-tech version of the opening verses in Revelation.

I’ve been to the case in Patmos where it’s believed John received the vision from Jesus. Except for the actual cave having a very low ceiling –

I couldn’t stand upright – this could totally have been displayed on the walls of the cave.

As we go through the book, try to imagine what each scene would look like on the cave walls. Not to figure out it out, but to get the mindset of someone back then, trying to grasp the awesome power of what they read, and what John saw in the vision from Jesus.

Of course, since we’re doing Revelation – without the weeds, there’s no attempt to make them realistic since we don’t even know what they really are. So please, don’t try to make sense of the image: who are the people, how are the faces in the clouds, or anything else. That’s not the point. So please, try not to get lost in the weeds.

So, in the words of Tinker Bell on the Disney Fantasyland ride – Here we go!

Is there a difference between revelation, apocalypse, and The Greek word “apokalypsis” (ἀποκάλυψις)?

Before we go anywhere else, let’s see what this book really is. In order to do that, we need to look at one of its common names, Revelation (or the Book of Revelation, or The Revelation of Saint John the Divine, or other similar names).

Next, if we look at the Greek word in Revelation that we read as “revelation”, we see “apokalypsis”(ἀποκάλυψις). You probably think it means apocalypse, as in a cataclysmic series of events that will bring about the end of the world, or something like what we see in disaster movies. But that’s not correct. It means, wait for it, revelation.

Therefore, while the apocalypse, as we know it today, is the events in the Book of Revelation, it is neither the title nor the word in the first verse. As we’ll soon see, this is God’s Revelation, not ours. Therefore, it’s not our place to change His words to fit what we want them to be. Rather, it’s up to us to determine, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what those words meant when God gave them to us.

The revelation begins

Prologue – Revelation

1. Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

It’s kinda boring, right? Obvious. Who needs to read this?

Uh – we all need to read this! Let me start at the end of the paragraph – did you get that far? – and we’ll see why it’s so important.

Blessed are those who read this

Seriously? We’re blessed just by reading this?

I’ve heard people say this is the only place where the Bible says we’re blessed by reading this book.

That’s not quite true. Actually, it’s not even close. But then, for those who skim the words, that’s probably what you’ll pick up on. After all, according to various studies, the words we pay the most attention to in any given paragraph or sentence are the ones at the beginning and end of the segment.

And so, we read verse 3, and maybe our mind gets this: Blessed is the one who reads … the time is near.

Then we think, oh gosh, the time is near. Better read this quickly. Gotta hurry. Especially since we’re blessed merely by reading! That’s awesome!

It’s also not true. It’s in the pile of misconceptions along with the title of this book being Revelations.

And that’s why we need to read it. And I mean really, truly read it. Because the mere reading of this book being a blessing is no more true than merely saying “I believe” leads to salvation. If you want to check out that one, please read, carefully, Are we supposed to Believe God, Believe in God or Follow God? Just the title should get us to notice we need to do more than say I believe. Even more than believe in. It’s the following part, or at least our desire and best effort to follow Jesus that truly matters.

It’s the same here with Revelation. It’s our desire and best effort to read, believe in what it says, and then live accordingly that matters.

But, before we go any deeper into the fallacy of thinking that reading Revelation is all that’s required, let’s go back to the beginning and see exactly what it is that we’re reading.

Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ

Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

Let’s begin with a simple question. What is a revelation? Is it a book? A fancy religious word?

Here’s what dictionary.com says about the word revelation. Note, although it includes religious meanings, the top 2 uses are not inherently religious at all.

Obviously, we’re into the 4th definition. And yet, we’re also in definition three territory as well. #4 is a specific instance of #3. So, maybe we should turn to a non-secular definition/interpretation to see what it’s really about.

However, before we do that, we need to look at something else, since there’s so much packed into the Greek word we read as “Revelation” when it’s used in this sense.

The revelation of/from Jesus, given by God, made known to John via an Angel of God

The revelation of/from Jesus, given by God, made known to John via an Angel of God. No wonder we don’t read all this. The sentence hasn’t even ended yet and we’ve almost got enough people for a pick-up game of basketball!

And yet, we do things like watch baseball, with 9 players from each team on the field. And American football, with 11 players on the field at any given time, plus lots of subs, offense and defense players, special teams, and third-string players who only get on the field when multiple people are injured.

When we include the practice squad, that’s up to 69 players on each team. Now, multiply those 69 players by 32 teams and we have 2,208 players! And that doesn’t even include the ones brought in when someone gets injured and someone’s brought in during the season. Plus, players get traded from one team to another.

But we, at least many of you, manage to keep track of every one of them, along with their statistics.

So, why can’t we keep track of a relatively few people in Revelation? It’s not that many.

But here’s something a bit mind-blowing for those who can’t keep track of everyone in the Bible, myself included, and have to keep looking them up.

There are two books that contain short bio’s/information on all the men and women in the Bible. I asked an AI engine about those two books: do you know how many people are included in “all the men of the Bible” and in “all the women of the Bible”? Here’s what I got back:

The Bible features a vast number of characters, and while it’s challenging to pinpoint an exact count, there are some resources that provide comprehensive lists.

Men in the Bible:

• • All the Men of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer is a well-known reference book that lists over 3,000 men mentioned in the Bible. This includes both major and minor figures.

Women in the Bible:

• • All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen is another popular reference that lists around 300 women. This includes prominent figures like Mary, the mother of Jesus, and lesser-known women who played significant roles.

There’s a “mere” 3,300″ people. A lot, for most of us. But for people who can keep track of players and stats for every baseball or football player, season after season, this isn’t hard at all.

It begs a question. What are our priorities? I’m old enough and have spent enough time in the digital world to claim I could never remember lists of things, like with history, and have spent much of my life in IT long before it became a household item to say I learned how to remember where to find things, but what those things are. Which is true. It’s what I’ve done. But still, it says something about my priorities. I’m just not sure, after all these decades, that an old dog can be taught a new trick that it’s always failed at. But still, … priorities?

Unraveling the path of the Revelation from God to us

No matter what you’ve decided about your ability to keep lots of people straight, let’s see what happened with this Revelation.

Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Talk about a long heading. Let’s break it down.

John, who testifies to everything he saw

Let’s start with someone each of us knows. The person we see in the mirror. Going backwards is often a good idea, since it gives a known starting point. In this case, ourselves.

The first piece of the path we examine is: … to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw …

Who is John testifying to? Well, initially it was people living back then. But it’s also (potentially) everyone who lived since then, and everyone who will be alive before “The End” happens. Obviously, that includes us.

We also see it comes to us from John. In case there’s any question, John is the John who was a disciple of Jesus. Here’s a bit about John, extracted from All The Men In The Bible:

 

The Man Whom Jesus Loved

John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the fisherman who became the beloved disciple, The Apostle of Love.

This younger brother of James has the rare distinction of being known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” The original of his name means, “whom Jehovah loves” and John’s experience corresponded to his name. From the many references to this honored disciple we can gather these facts:

His godly parents were probably cousins of Christ, and John was their youngest son.

His mother followed Christ, ministered unto Him, was at the Cross and among those who went to anoint the body of Christ with sweet spices.

His father was a fisherman owning his own vessel and prosperous enough to hire servants.  John himself was also a successful fisherman.

He was called to discipleship while plying his nets.

He was one of the select triumvirate, Christ’s inner cabinet of three, Peter and James being the other two.

He was treated by Christ with greater familiarity than the others enjoyed.

He sat next to Christ at the Last Supper.

He was intrusted with the care of the mother of Jesus.

He died when he was almost one hundred years of age.

He wrote the gospel and three epistles bearing his name, and also the Book of Revelation. How true are Wesley’s words of John the Beloved:

Maybe you noticed, there’s nothing in there to indicate that this is “John’s” revelation. Yes, John is the author of the book named Revelation. But it’s not his revelation. It’s Jesus’ revelation.

Today, that may be a distinction that’s not noticed, or even no longer known about. It comes down to one word in that excerpt on John from “All the Men in the Bible”.

He was intrusted with the care of the mother of Jesus.

Yes, this one statement is about John taking care of Jesus’ mother, Mary. But it’s also indicative of many things Jesus “left” for His disciples, and therefore, today, to us.

Unfortunately, intrusted is a word that’s considered archaic today. It’s no longer used. And on those occasions when we read it, that means we may have lost the intent of the author. Here’s something from rephrasely.com on the difference between entrust and intrust.

Entrust means to give a task, responsibility, or authority to someone else.
Intrust means to place something in someone else’s care or possession.

You see, there’s a difference between caring for someone (like Mary) or something (like the revelation that was given to John). More on that after one more look at the two words.

Since the word intrust is now considered archaic, no longer used, I searched for more information to be sure the distinction above is correct. Given so many sources with varying info, I went to Copilot AI to answer this question for me: “rephrasely.com says: Entrust means to give a task, responsibility, or authority to someone else. intrust means to place something in someone else’s care or possession. Is this distinction wrong, or is it just part of what was lost when intrust was used less and eventually became archaic?”

Given that it will come back with common usage info from various sites on the internet, it’s reasonable to expect to get what most people think to be true. When it comes to word usage, what most people think, right or wrong, really is what we’re after. So, here’s the reply:

The distinction you’re seeing onrephrasely.com between “entrust” and “intrust” is a nuanced one. While both words have very similar meanings, “entrust” is more commonly used today and can cover both the assignment of responsibility and the placing of something in someone’s care.

Historically, “intrust” did indeed exist as a variant, with a subtle emphasis on placing something in someone’s care or possession. Over time, as language evolved, “entrust” became the predominant term, and “intrust” fell out of common usage, making it archaic.

So, the distinction is not wrong per se; it’s just that modern usage has largely consolidated these meanings under “entrust.”

Language can be quite the dynamic and evolving entity, can’t it? 😄 If you have any more questions or need further clarification, just let me know!

And there it is. John was given care over the revelation he received, but he was not given authority over it. It’s a very important difference.

I often write about how God is God, and we aren’t, no matter what we’d like to think. Realizing that this is God’s revelation to John, and not just John’s revelation is huge. It means what God wants it to mean. It doesn’t mean what we want it to mean.

Therefore, when we try to figure out the message, we need to remember the path this message took to get to us – and then acknowledge that it’s not from any human, even if he’s considered a Saint by some denominations, but from God. It’s the same thing for anything else in the Bible. It’s given by God to people.

And while we have care over it, like translating it, teaching it, understanding it, it’s all according to God’s intent. God’s message. God’s plan.

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John

So, let’s continue to follow the path. We got this revelation from John. Now we find out John got it from an angel of God.

Sure, we want to know who’s the angel that delivered this revelation to John. Was it Gabriel? Maybe Michael? Maybe even Jesus, since Christians believe some of the mentions of an Angel of The LORD in the Old Testament were in fact Jesus.

However, God’s revelation doesn’t tell us who this angel was. No doubt, for good reason. If that’s the case, then spending time trying to figure it out is spending time in the weeds. So let’s not do that. If there was something to be learned by knowing the angel’s identity, God would’ve told us.

So let’s just acknowledge that the message was delivered to John by an angel.

But who’s angel?

You want to know. But hang on. To tell you now is giving too much away all at once.

More “him”, “his”, and “He”

I hate it when there’s so many third-person references that it’s impossible to tell who’s who. It’s like the old Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first” skit. In fact, if you need a comedy break right now, the full skit is right here on YouTube.

OK – now let’s move on to who’s who in the Revelation Prologue. It’s a bit messy, so I turned to a feature in the software I use for research. It breaks out sentences into related pieces, and then identifies individual words and relationships. Here’s an image of the first 2 verses in Revelation 1.

Is it The revelation of Jesus Christ or the Revelation from Jesus Christ?

We have all the he/him/his issues worked out now. Even the identity of He, Him, and His. But there’s still one question left.

Depending on the Bible translation you use, you maybe saw different wording for the first portion of verse 1.

I’m using the 1984 NIV in the body of this piece. The image above uses the 2016 version of the ESV. But if you’re using something like the 2011 NIV, you see:

The revelation from Jesus Christ, …

What’s the big deal – one says “The revelation from Jesus Christ” and the other says “The revelation of Jesus Christ”.

It’s a really big deal. I asked Copilot to research this question: do you have anything on why the NIV changed the first verse in Revelation from The revelation of Jesus Christ to The revelation from Jesus Christ when updating from the 1984 version to the 2011 version?

The answer was interesting.

The change in the first verse of Revelation from “The revelation of Jesus Christ” to “The revelation from Jesus Christ” in the NIV update from 1984 to 2011 was made to clarify the meaning of the text. The original Greek phrase can be interpreted in multiple ways, and the translators aimed to make the English translation more precise. By using “from,” they intended to emphasize that the revelation is given by Jesus Christ, rather than simply being about Him.

Translation updates like this are often made to improve clarity and accuracy based on the latest scholarship and understanding of the original languages.

First off, the 2011 NIV isn’t the only translation to use the word “from”. You may use a different translation and still see “from”. However, is using “from” really clarifying and/or using the best translation?

Of course, I’m not going to say they are 100% wrong. That’s not my place. However, I do feel it’s my place to ask questions. To be sure we know why we believe the things we believe.

Here’s the issue:

If we follow the train of “ownership” on who did what in the first verse of Revelation, here’s what we find, according to the sentence breakdown we saw earlier.

The revelation of/from Jesus Christ, which God (The Father) gave Him (Jesus) to show His (The Father’s) servants the things that must soon take place. He (The Father) made it known by sending His (The Father’s) angel to His (The Father’s) servant John, who bore witness to the word of God (The Father’s word – with the word (Logos) being Jesus) and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he (John) saw.

If we consider the relative placement of Jesus and The Father, we must remember all the times when Jesus said things like:

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

Jn 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Jn 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Everything Jesus says and does is from the Father. The disciples. The words. Yes, they are both God. And yet, part of the father/son relationship that we know in our own lives also exists (in some way) between Jesus and The Father.

And so, the places in Rev 1:1 that refer to Jesus must also also refer back to The Father. It makes sense in terms of the overall message in the Bible.

Given that, I’d say the best translation, from a clarity of the respective positions of The Father and Jesus, is that the first phrase in Rev 1:1 should read: The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

After all, if everything Jesus said, did, taught, was from The Father, and everything Jesus said, did, taught, was for the glory of The Father, then doesn’t it follow that the revelation – in that context – is from the Father and of/about Jesus?

If the logic was difficult to follow, perhaps this excerpt from a Warren Wiersbe commentary will help:

The Title (Rev. 1:1a)

The word translated “revelation” simply means “unveiling.” It gives us our English word apocalypse which, unfortunately, is today a synonym for chaos and catastrophe. The verb simply means “to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest.” In this book, the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain and gives us the privilege of seeing the glorified Christ in heaven and the fulfillment of His sovereign purposes in the world.

In other words, Revelation is an open book in which God reveals His plans and purposes to His church. When Daniel finished writing his prophecy, he was instructed to “shut up the words, and seal the book” (Dan. 12:4); but John was given opposite instructions: “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:10). Why? Since Calvary, the Resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, God has ushered in the “last days” (Heb. 1:1–2) and is fulfilling His hidden purposes in this world. “The time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3; 22:10).

John’s prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the Person from the prophecy, for without the Person there could be no fulfillment of the prophecy. “He is not incidental to its action,” wrote Dr. Merrill Tenney. “He is its chief Subject.” In Revelation 1–3, Christ is seen as the exalted Priest-King ministering to the churches. In Revelation 4–5, He is seen in heaven as the glorified Lamb of God, reigning on the throne. In Revelation 6–18, Christ is the Judge of all the earth; and in Revelation 19, He returns to earth as the conquering King of kings. The book closes with the heavenly Bridegroom ushering His bride, the church, into the glorious heavenly city.

Whatever you do as you study this book, get to know your Saviour better.  ¹Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 566). Victor Books.

I want to point out something else in there in addition to the Father-Son relationship.

John’s prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the Person from the prophecy, for without the Person there could be no fulfillment of the prophecy.

When I named this series Revelation – without the weeds – I chose that because I didn’t want to get into things that would take us away from the core message in Revelation. I was thinking of things like all the times in The Left Behind series where they were chasing down the physical events that were prophesied in Revelation.

That’s not why God gave us the Book of Revelation. But then, coming across this excerpt, the point got driven home even more directly than what I had in mind. Add to that the relative positions of Jesus and The Father within the Trinity of God and, well, it gets us even more into the intent of the book and rips us away from the weeds right off the bat.

So, now we know who’s who in the opening 2 verses of this amazing book.

Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Now, since we know who’s who, and we understand the importance of the Father-Son relationship, we can get into Revelation knowing what’s important – and what are the weeds that we have to watch out for.

Let’s look at Wiersbe’s 2 sentences one more time:

John’s prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the Person from the prophecy, for without the Person there could be no fulfillment of the prophecy.

Therefore, as we read the book, remember, it’s a Revelation of Jesus. Yes, there are events foretold. But they aren’t the thing we should focus on. As we’ll see, the more important part of the events is how they affect our relationship with Jesus – or not – if we’re unfortunate enough to still be alive then.

But the present is also important. This book, and the view it gives us of the times that must come, can aid us in helping people see where the world is now, where it’s going, and how to avoid the perils by believing now. Before these events take place. After all, the prophecy in the Old Testament has been unsealed. We have the ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to understand it now. At some point, as these events unfold if not before then, all believers will be gone. Now is when we must act for the benefit of family, loved ones, friends, and yes – even strangers.

Are we really blessed just by reading Revelation?

Before we close this piece, let’s look at verse 3, since it’s also part of the Prologue.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Question – Do you see the guy sitting on a park bench in the adjacent image? He’s off by himself in the park. There’s no one anywhere near him.

Further, the park is on the edge of the city. More isolation from people.

Sure, it’s important to have alone time to relax and be with God.

But what if this guy reads Revelation, then goes home and does nothing with what he read?

The verse says: Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy… But is reading it all that’s asked of us? Is it all that’s needed to be blessed?

As you can imagine, I’m going to say no, that’s not all that’s needed.

I know – you’re thinking, maybe screaming, but it says Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy!

Yes, it does say that. In English. Sorry to say, the inspired word of God didn’t come to anyone in English. And John didn’t write Revelation in English. What we have in the NIV and the vast majority of our English Bibles is a translation from Greek. Sadly, the translation from Greek to English loses a lot of nuance and meaning in the process. Things really do get lost in translation.

Before we get into the details – not the weeds, but important details, I want to share some of what I found on an AI inquiry to see what people, knowledgeable or otherwise, think about this verse.
To that end, I asked Copilot: Is Revelation 1:3 the only place in the bible where people are blessed by merely reading the bible?

It came back with:

While we might like to believe reading is all that’s required, it seems that among those who put things out on the web, that’s not the most common interpretation. And it shouldn’t be. Notice especially the final one:

While Revelation 1:3 is the only verse that specifically mentions a blessing for reading the words of the prophecy, the Bible as a whole encourages engaging with God’s Word and promises various blessings and guidance to those who do.

Context! Even if we manage to convince ourselves that one part of one verse says we only need to read Revelation, it’s certainly not compatible with the overall context of the Bible.

Worse yet, it’s not even compatible with the context of this one verse!

Here’s another sentence breakdown, again from the ESV:

Notice the following:

• It’s one sentence, about who is blessed
• There are two bullet points under the one thought of who is blessed
  • one who reads
  • those who hear
  • and who keep what is written in it.
• For the time is near is about the one thought. (we’ll come to that in a moment)

The question then is this: are the one who reads, those who hear, and those who keep what is written three different sets of people? Or one? Or is it a mix-and-match to fit our desires?

A Jewish version of Rev 1:3

I know this is the New Testament. However, John, the author was Jewish. He wrote it for Jews and non-Jews alike. Therefore, we should consider a Jewish viewpoint when we read it. Here’s one that’s addressed to both Messianic and non-Messianic Jews:

Rev 3:3 Blessed. This is the first of seven blessings, the others being at 14:12–13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 22:14. See v. 4 on “seven.”

Reader … hearers. Like Sha’ul (Co 4:16), Yochanan expected what he wrote to be read aloud to the congregations.

Hearers … obey. In both Messianic and non-Messianic Judaism, learning is supposed to lead to doing. Compare Exodus 24:7, Ro 10:14–21, MJ 6:4–8, Ya 1:22–25, 2 Ke 2:20–21.

“Rabbi David Hoffman (1843–1921), the leading Orthodox rabbinical authority in Germany during his era, [wrote in a responsum:] ‘The Torah of Israel is not only a song and rhetoric which one studies only to understand the religion of Israel. Rather, the purpose of Jewish religious learning is lilmod v˒la˓asot, to study and to observe, and one who learns and does not observe, it would be better if he had not learned.’ ” (Aron and David Ellenson, “The Dilemma of Jewish Education: To Learn and To Do,” in Judaism, Spring 1984)

Prophecy. The author of the book of Revelation claims to be a prophet. The term puts the book of Revelation on a par with the Tanakh—both are inspired by God.  ²Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., Re 1:3). Jewish New Testament Publications.

Hear/read, understand, act. Just like John 3:16 is more than believe, but believe so much that it’s life-changing. That’s the message of verse three that the Jewish people in John’s time heard and understood.

For Christians today, even non-Calvinists like me can understand John MacArthur’s succinct explanation that answers the current question and segues into the question of what the time is near means.

1:3 Blessed. This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience. This is the first of 7 beatitudes in the book (v. 3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). time is near. “Time” refers to epochs, eras, or seasons. The next great epoch of God’s redemptive history is imminent. But although Christ’s coming is the next event, it may be delayed so long that people begin to question whether He will ever come (cf. Mt 24:36–39; 2Pe 3:3, 4).  ³MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Re 1:3). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Of course, this isn’t the only Biblical text that comes with a blessing. Obviously, the Beatitudes are a series of blessings. But it is the one spot where there’s a blessing for reading, understanding and following the words in the Book of Revelation.

As we saw, the time is near doesn’t have to mean the time is coming soon. There’s an element of quickness to the Greek word. It’s difficult to get the point across with technical markups and such for true students of language. So, I asked Copilot to give me something in more common English to explain: why is the Greek word ἐγγύς sometimes translated as quickly in Rev 1:3, which is often used in place of “near” in verse 3.

The Greek word ἐγγύς (pronounced “engys”) primarily means “near” or “close.” However, in some contexts, it can also imply imminence or the idea of something happening soon. In Revelation 1:3, the phrase “the time is near” is often interpreted with a sense of urgency or immediacy, leading some translations to render it as “quickly.”

The underlying message is about the expectation of events that will happen soon or without delay. Translating it as “quickly” conveys this sense of urgency and immediacy in a way that “near” might not always capture.

Translation choices often reflect the translator’s understanding of the text and the context in which the word is used. So, while “near” is the more direct translation of ἐγγύς, “quickly” emphasizes the impending nature of the events described in the book of Revelation.

Putting it all together then, for how to view “the time is near”, is this. In John’s time, they took the most common usage of the word ἐγγύς, meaning soon. As MacArthur points out, “soon” didn’t happen. Now, we may feel like it’s never. But then, we must remember something Peter wrote about The Day of The Lord:

For completeness, the entire passage is included here. The first portion is the introduction.

The Day of The Lord – 2 Peter

2Pe 3:1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Now we get into the so-called issue with the question of whether the Day of The Lord – the prophecy regarding the End Times/Judgement is “near” as in soon, or whether it may be far off but when it comes it will come “quickly”. Pay attention to what Peter wrote to those who thought it was imminent.

2Pe 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

2Pe 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

That should answer the question for it. However, if we take John’s revelation out of the context of other things said in the Bible, it can appear to be a problem. Remember, Jesus also spoke of the thief in the night that we need to watch for.

And what should we do in the meantime?

2Pe 3:11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

2Pe 3:14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

2Pe 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Of course, we won’t do those things.

The seven letters to the seven churches, coming up beginning in chapter 2, address situations that Jesus tells us will take place covering all sorts of the things we’ll need to work on. As usual, the warnings will also come with ways to avoid the outcome that is certain if we make no changes.

We should expect this. After all, it is a Revelation of Jesus – the One God sent that we may be saved.

Conclusion – What is the book of Revelation in the Bible?

Not to repeat it too often, but it is the Revelation of Jesus. A revelation of things that were foretold in the Old Testament, but that were sealed for a time, or the people were blind for a time, but is now revealed.

And yet, not revealed to all. Without the Holy Spirit, Revelation is a scary book. Or an awesome end-of-the-world movie to make millions of dollars off of. Or something to put the “fear” of God into us.

But then, the “fear of God” was supposed to be the “awe of God”. When we realize that, when we have the Holy Spirit in us, and pay attention to Him, then – and only then – can we realize that Revelation is a book of incredible hope. Hope for those who read/hear it. Who utilize the power of the Holy Spirit to try, as best we can, what this book says. And who change our lives to try to do the things in this awesome Revelation

And so, that’s what we’re going to focus on. Jesus. What Jesus said. The bad and the good. And the ways to see the end in Heaven.

We have a choice. We can spend forever without God. Or, we can spend forever with Him.

This book is a warning to those who think the first choice is a good one. Like people I know who think Hell’s going to be where the “fun” people go. One problem with that thinking is this: God created fun. Satan corrupted that fun. The truly “fun” people will be in Heaven. Those who have a warped sense of what’s fun won’t be there.

How about you? Not sure yet? Do you know people who aren’t sure? This book really sets it straight. But it also tells us, if we’re open to switching from the devil to the Lamb, how to do it.

So, is it good news or bad news? That depends on your point of view. The way I see it, the Lamb wins, and that’s great news, since we can share in His victory.

Do I need to point out, the alternative is sharing in Satan’s agonizing defeat.

As you’ll see, there are all sorts of good things for those who choose wisely. Come, let’s find out as we travel through the Revelation of Jesus.

What’s next?

I have no idea how long this will take, but I hope to get through the entire Book of Revelation. Hopefully, you don’t expect a blow-by-blow analysis of what causes/occurs as a result of each of the disasters that strikes the earth and its inhabitants in the book.

In an attempt to see what might be expected from reading this, I asked MS Copilot to analyze the contents and come up with a conclusion as to what might be expected. It was pretty good, so I included it here to give you an idea of what’s coming. It’s of value not because AI understands what Revelation is about, but because of the way it’s programmed, it can respond in a way that mimics what many people would conclude on their own.

Given that this article serves as an introduction to understanding the Book of Revelation, I expect the next article in the series to delve deeper into specific aspects of Revelation. It might explore the historical and cultural context of the text, key themes and symbols, or significant visions and prophecies. Additionally, it could offer further clarification on common misconceptions and provide insights into how these revelations can be applied to contemporary faith and life. Each article in the series would likely build upon the foundational understanding established in this introductory piece, aiming to deepen the reader’s comprehension and spiritual engagement with the Book of Revelation.

I followed that up with an additional question: “any other observations that may be of interest to me, as the author of this page?”

Absolutely! Here are a few observations that might be of interest:

1. Emphasizing Context: Your focus on the Greek term “apokalypsis” and its true meaning as “unveiling” or “revelation” sets the stage for a more profound understanding. Emphasizing this point throughout the series could help readers grasp the intended message more clearly.

2. Engagement through Visualization: Your mention of the cave in Patmos and imagining scenes on its walls is a powerful way to engage readers. Incorporating more visual and imaginative elements like this can help readers connect with the content on a deeper level.

3. Clarifying Common Misconceptions: Addressing misconceptions, such as the belief that reading Revelation alone brings blessings, adds value to your writing. Continuing to debunk common myths and offering clear, well-researched explanations can enhance your credibility and resonate with your audience.

4. Interactive Elements: Consider adding interactive elements, such as reflection questions or discussion prompts, to encourage readers to actively engage with the text. This can create a more interactive and participatory experience.

5. Personal Anecdotes: Sharing personal experiences, like your visit to Patmos, adds a personal touch to your writing. Including more anecdotes or insights from your own journey could make the content more relatable and engaging for your readers.

By incorporating these elements, you can create a richer and more immersive experience for your audience.

I hope to meet/exceed the expectations.

I also hope to see you in part 2!

Footnotes

• 1
  Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 566). Victor Books.
• 2
  Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., Re 1:3). Jewish New Testament Publications.
• 3
  MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Re 1:3). Thomas Nelson Publishers.