Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
"Is the book of Revelation difficult to understand?" No! The very name means it's open, clear, something the heavenly Father wants you to understand.
"But there are so many conflicting interpretations of it!" Its divine Author tells us, "Blessed [happy] is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy" (1:3). Note: the happy person is not the one who gets bogged down in bewildering, conflicting commentaries about the book; he's the one who actually reads the book as it is.
"But its symbols are complicated and confusing!" They are on purpose, like a holy cartoon that conveys a message too deep and important for mere words. They will make sense; be patient. Read!
"I have to work to make a living; I can't spend years in universities. And conflicting preachers confuse me. Can common, ordinary readers understand it?" The honor of God is at stake--He has promised that either "reading" or "hearing the words of this prophecy" will be rewarded. John 3:16 says that those who believe will not "perish" (those who don't believe spend their lives "perishing"). Not understanding Revelation or having no hunger for it is a bleak existence, even though you may be absorbed in the propaganda of the media. Jesus came to give you life "more abundantly" (John 10:10). Don't be too proud to enjoy that truly rich life. Read the book itself. Revel in it.
"Is there some key word in Revelation that I need to know, to start with?" Yes, "the Lamb," the crucified One who is the Savior of the world, especially of those who believe (1 Tim. 4:10). "The Lamb" is there some 25 times. He is your Elder Brother! The book will bring you close to Him. Stay with it. You'll understand what the cross means.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 31, 2005.
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