We have looked at the benediction (word of blessing) and noted the blessings of the book of Revelation to the modern reader. Now let's look at the salutaion or word of greeting, because it too indicates the relevance of the book for people today.

The Salutation (word of greeting)

"John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace..." (Rev 1:4)

One important thing about this greeting is that it shows for whom the book of visions was intended. John wrote his book for plain people. He did not circulate his book among philosophers, or esoteric groups in monastries, universities, or literary clubs. He wrote to churches. The members of these churches were ordinary people like you and me. That tells us that the book of Revelation is not for people with their heads in the clouds. It's for plain and practical folk. We should therefore expect its teaching to be plain and practical.

How the book of Revelation is relevant to you

Although much of the book is a record of mysterious visions, the basic teaching that these visions represent is the same plain simple gospel taught in the other books of the New Testament. A major goal of my writing on Revelation is to present the visions to you in that light. It's not a strange book tacked on to the New Testament as an afterthought. It's the same message as the rest of the New Testament, but presented symbolically in visions.

Revelation's Relevance to Daily Life

Whether we live in the first or the twenty-first century, the important time for all of us is here and now. Many centuries have passed since the book of Revelation was written, but the time during which each one of us personally experiences the things written in the book is right now. For each one who reads Revelation, the events it describes are fulfilled quickly, and the end is always very near. "Your life is but a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Jas 4:14). "All flesh is like grass, and the glory of man is like the flower of the grass. The grass withers and its flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever" (1Pe 1:24). None of us has much time. That's something that plain and practical people understand. We need a book in which there are lessons for today, while we have a today. That's the purpose of the book of Revelation. "Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the wilderness... but exhort one another daily while the day is called Today, in case any of you become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Jas 4:14).

Reminders of the Stages of Salvation

The book of Revelation is a personal blessing to each of us, because of the way it reminds each one of us of the three stages of our own salvation.

You will perhaps have noticed that in the New Testament, our salvation is spoken of variously in three different tenses: "We have been saved... we are being saved... we shall be saved".

You will also see how this view of time lines up with the description of Jesus in our next lesson (Rev 1:4-7).

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