Except for some loved passages, I have always struggled to
Revelation from the King James Version of the Bible. So I was thrilled to find the New
International Version (NIV) online on the site www.biblegateway.com, a wonderful site
where one can review several different versions of the Bible side-by-side.
What I’ve always loved is the continuity and consistency in
the Bible: We’ve already discovered that John uses snippets from the Old
Testament throughout this book and I was grateful to see that the NIV lists
these references at the end of each chapter!
How wonderful. Well, this
continuity and consistency are carried forward too! Those familiar with Christian Science church
services will know about the Explanatory Note, read each week just prior to the
sharing of the Lesson-Sermon. It reminds
us that the “canonical writings” (i.e. those in the canon1) along
with the corroborating passages from the textbook Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, are applicable to all ages:
past, present, and future. And of course
in Revelation we find passages like “who is, and who was, and who is to come,
the Almighty” (Rev 1: 8) – past, present, future – the Alpha and Omega
(beginning and end).
1CANON (Dictionary.com)
|
a list of writings, esp sacred writings, officially
recognized as genuine
|
CHAPTER ONE
Favourite verses: I
love verse three (NIV): “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written
in it…” We can anticipate good results
with our reading! I also like the phrase “in the Spirit” of verse 10. This tells us where John was mentally and
spiritually. We know too, that
physically he was at Patmos. Got the
picture?
What visionary he was!
Headings: NIV
provides helpful “headings” within each chapter e.g.
-
at verse four “Greetings and Doxology”
-
at verse nine “John’s Vision of Christ”
CHAPTER TWO - MESSAGES
Although the Ephesian church is working hard and
persevering, they have “forsaken the love [they] had at first”. It seems they need to re-kindle their
original vibrancy!
Those at Smyrna need to be faithful; the faithful at
Pergamum appear to be holding on to bad teaching as are those in Thyatira.
CHAPTER THREE – MORE MESSAGES
The church in Sardis is told to wake up, to strengthen
themselves; those in Philadelphia are enduring patiently and are shown “an open
door that no one can shut” but they must “hold on to what [they] have” or the
crown may be taken from them. I’ve
always been interested in the message to Laodicea: they are lukewarm! Neither one thing nor the other. Here is something lovely in verse 19: “Those
whom I love I rebuke…” And verse 20: “If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person…”
CHAPTER FOUR – ELDERS
IN WHITE
Here is the open door to heaven – what a sight: a rainbow,
crowns of gold, flashes of lightning, and a sea of glass!
John’s imagery is careful and clear. Are we as careful and precise as we ponder our angel
messages?
Julie Swannell
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