Is Revelation a Sealed Book?
Publish date:
Aug 12, 2009
Summary:
Is the book of Revelation meant to be understood by the common person?
Many people believe that the book of Revelation is a “sealed” book—one not intended for us to understand. And it is true that the book of Revelation can be difficult to understand, but the fact that it is a revelation, and carries a special blessing for those who study it, means that God intended it to be understood. In verse 3 the blessing is for those who not only hear, but also take to heart what is written, and one can only take to heart that which is understood.
To understand the book of Revelation we need an intimate knowledge of God and His Word, as well as the promised guidance by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit was promised to those who obey God (Acts 5:32). He will lead God's people into all truth (John 16:13).
The great truths of the book of Revelation are hidden to the casual reader, as they are couched in types and symbols drawn largely from the apocalyptic writings of the Old Testament. The book is written in a chiastic structure that seems to throw events out of sequence, but the structure actually builds in such a way as to highlight the central issues of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The book of Revelation was written to show God's people "things which must shortly come to pass" (Revelation 1:1). This statement is true for all generations of God's people—from the time it was written to the very end of time. Each generation can draw solace from its pages because all time periods are covered by these prophetic writings.
It is important to note that the book Daniel is another prophetic book that deals with end-time issues. Revelation and Daniel should really be studied hand in hand, so as we progress through a chapter-by-chapter study of Revelation, we will often be referring to the book of Daniel to shed light on what we are reading.
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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