Beatitudes in Revelation (1)
Beatitudes in Revelation (1).
“Blessed is he who reads aloud in the assembly the word of this prophecy; and blessed are those who hear it read and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it – for the time for them to be fulfilled is near.” (Revelation 1:3, Amplified).
“Blessed” = makarioi; a rich Greek word with many nuances, all in the context of enjoying God’s favor: fully satisfied; deeply joyful; delightfully content; profoundly happy; blissfully fulfilled. When Jesus declares that you are blessed, He is congratulating you, confidently affirming that God is active in your life. You are blessed when you put yourself in the position to be transformed by God. You are blessed, you are most fortunate, you are to be envied, because you now have the unexpected privilege of participating in the Kingdom of God. When you are blessed, you are aware that your blessedness does not depend on your outer circumstances. You are thus filled with hopeful joy. So when Jesus says that you are blessed, it is time to celebrate, for He is looking upon you with favor. In these Beatitudes, Jesus is saying that God wants us to be blessed, He is for us, He wants good to happen to us.
Beatitudes. At the beginning of the book John offers three beatitudes, three blessings to all those who receive these words. You will be blessed, John promises, if you do three things in response to this revelation. You are in a favorable position, you will be joyfully fulfilled and satisfied, if you do these three things: If you read these words aloud in your assembly; if you are fortunate enough to be one of those who hear them read; and if you keep yourselves true to what is written in this message. So these three things… if you read it aloud, if you hear it read, and if you heed the words, treasuring them in your heart and obeying them. John seems to highlight the fact that these words in his revelation must be read aloud, not secretly or privately. These are words that were meant to be read orally and openly. You will also be blessed if you hear these words, because they are straight from Jesus to you. Finally, you are to be congratulated, happy you will be, if you keep these words, think about them, take them in and embrace them in your life. There is power in reading Scripture aloud in a group setting, and we need to heed John’s advice: When we experience the blessing of hearing the Word, it needs to be translated into one’s life and kept sacred as you live them out. Listen to the Word, and allow it to influence you for eternity.