Readers and Listeners

     "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near."

     Well, last night we saw an introduction to the glory of Christ and the mindset for studying Revelation that John presents us with. Tonight we'll begin to look at lessons for Christians in Revelation. Now that we've grabbed a glimpse of Christ's glory, let's look at what we are to do with such a wonderful knowledge.

     From the text above, we can see that there are two types of people being addressed: readers and hearers. There is blessing in store for both those who read or teach Revelation to others, and there is also a blessing for those who hear, learn from, and keep the words of this book. In the Greek, "reads" (anaginosko) originally meant to "perceive accurately" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, p.145) but over time its morphology changed to mean simply "reads". As a teacher, we can see that as we teach the Word of God, we must handle it rightly. The word did start out meaning "perceive", for then we could perceive what is not there. Rather, we are to "perceive accurately", we must be intimately acquainted with the book of Revelation and so that we can teach it as the pure Word of God. We must be sure that what we teach is true to what is contained in the book of Revelation and God's revealed character because teachers must watch over the souls of those that they teach as those who will have to give an accounting (Heb. 13:17).

     Just as the teachers must perceive accurately, so also must the hearers hear accurately. The hearers are not blessed people if they allow the information to go in one ear and then just fall out of the other. They are blessed if they "understand" or "comprehend" what is being said ("", p.114). They must be actively involved, listening, processing the truths that the teachers bring. Then, not only should they be aware of the teaching that they are hearing, they must apply those verities. The Greek word is tereo, and it's the same word used in Jude 1:21 where we see Christ able to keep us from stumbling. Although it is the same word, there are two different meanings or flavors of the word. Both usages mean "to keep an eye on, watch, and hence to guard, keep, obey" ("", p.1380), and they are derived from the Gk. word teros which basically means a prison guard, an officer of prisoners. Although it is the same word, there are two different flavors or varieties of the word. Jude uses the word in the broader sense, like the warden being officially responsible for keeping the prisoner in his cell. John, here in Revelation, is more specific in his use, the hearers are simply to "watch, observe attentively, keep the eyes fixed upon" ("", p.1380). I say simply but just as the reader is responsible for accuracy of transmission, the hearer is responsible for accuracy of reception. Latin, the sister language of Greek, has a similar verb, tereo (identical spelling), it means "to have" the reader has got "to have it" they need to obtain an understanding of the text. They must not only understand and comprehend what is being said, they have to also focus and pay attention minutely. Both are responsible in each their own area, and both will be blessed for their efforts.

     Lord, help us to grow, to be accurate teachers and attentive listeners as we realize the importance of this closing book of the Bible. It is not a book to be trifled with, please give us both an understanding and wisdom of Your ways.