Prologue to the Book of Revelation (4)—Read, Hear, and Keep - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 1:3 NKJV

Prologue to the Book of Revelation (4)—Read, Hear, and Keep
As we open the pages of the Book of Revelation, we learn that there is a three-fold blessing for those who read, hear, and keep this book. In fact, the Book of Revelation is sandwiched between blessings: here in chapter 1 verse 3, and in chapter 22 verse 7: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” There are actually seven blessings woven throughout this book that are very encouraging to consider. There are blessings for us now (1:3), for those during tribulation (14:13; 16:15; 19:9), for those during the Millennium (20:6), and for those in the eternal state (22:7, 14). All this reminds us that our God is a blesser, even in a book where there is much judgment!

But let us back up for a minute and take a deeper look at our verse and this three-fold blessing. First, “blessed is he who reads.” This word means to read out loud. What a blessing to read and hear this book and every part of God’s Word out loud! Paul told Timothy, “Till I come, give attention to reading” (1 Tim. 4:13). Here we have the same idea of the public reading of God’s Word. We should never underestimate the importance of the public reading of the Word of God.

Next, there is the blessing of hearing the Word, which only emphasizes the importance of what we just said about the public reading of the Word. But reading and hearing the Word of God is not enough; there must be a willingness to keep the Word, to heed it, to obey it and live it out. Consider those in the Book of Nehemiah who stood for hours hearing the Word of God being read out loud with the result that it had a real effect on them (Neh. 9:3). May this be true of us both privately and in our public meetings!

-- Tim Hadley, Sr.