Beyond Today Daily

What Does "Revelation" Mean?

God intended the book of Revelation to be understood.

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[Darris McNeely] I picked up a new job at the Ambassador Bible College this semesters as I've begun to teach the book of Revelation. Fascinating to go through that book. I have studied the book of Revelation for many years and taught from it, preached from it, but now I get to go through it in a classroom setting with students and show them exactly the meaning of the prophecies and the teachings, spiritual and otherwise, in this book that ends the New Testament.

You know, a lot of people are afraid of the book of Revelation, or they read it and they can't understand it, and really, it shouldn't be something that we worry about. And you should go into it with a desire and with an understanding that you can learn and understand what the message is in the book of Revelation. In fact, from the very first verse in Revelation 1:1, we have this assurance from God that we can understand. It says, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants things which must shortly take place."

The word 'revelation' actually comes from the word 'apocalypsis', and what that actually means, it's a revealing. God's desire is to reveal, to make open, to make plain. There are seals in the book of Revelation that God opens to our understanding. Many of the symbols of the book interpret themselves. And so, from the very first words of the book and by the name of the book itself, we have this assurance that God wants to unveil and reveal to us, really, the matters of unseen, the unseen reality of the world, the spiritual dimension of existence and reality.

This is pretty deep. It's...actually, it's pretty fun when you really get into it and understand the complexities of the spirit world and what God wants to show us. You can understand that. The Father has given to Jesus Christ, who then gave to the apostle John, for all of the servants, all of the people of God, to read that book and to gain understanding about the events leading up to the close of the age, but also how we are to live as Christians in obedience to God during that time in our lives today.

So, don't be afraid. Dip into the book. Recognize that you can understand the book of Revelation. That's exactly how God intends it.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.

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The Book of Revelation Unveiled

The Book of Revelation Unveiled

The fundamental message of the book of Revelation is simple. It promises that God will institute universal peace, prosperity and cooperation over all the earth immediately after the return of Jesus Christ. It reveals how this wonderful new world will be established and why it will never be destroyed or superseded by any other way of life or social order.

Darris McNeely

Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.