Revelation 1:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

NASB: Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

CSB: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.

NLT: God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

KJV: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

NKJV: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

In this verse John promises a blessing to the person who reads aloud the words which have been written and a blessing to those who hear and respond in obedience to what they hear. This does not seem to imply a universal, tit-for-tat blessing on any person throughout all time who recites these passages. Rather, "the one who reads aloud" refers to the persons who originally read this message to a congregation; those who hear and obey its words refers to that congregation. Both the reader and the audience are blessed: literally, happy or fortunate. In a more general sense, this implies that there is great benefit to those who study and understand this writing.

When read and obeyed, the Word of God rejoices the heart. Jesus promised, "These things I have spoken to you…that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). First Thessalonians 1:6 reports that, when the Thessalonians "received the word in much affliction," they did so "with the joy of the Holy Spirit." The first Psalm describes the person who delights in God's Word as "blessed" (Psalm 1:1–2). David, most likely the writer of Psalm 119, declared in verse 111: "Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart."

John concludes verse 3 by stating that "the time is near." The Greek word translated "time" here refers to a period of time. In other words, John is predicting that the period described in this writing, when God wraps up history, is soon to begin.

Revelation 1:1–3 is the prologue to the book of Revelation. It establishes the authority for the entire writing by stating that this uncovering—this ''revelation''—is from Jesus Christ, given by God to John. John testifies that what he saw was a message from and about Jesus Christ. He promises that all who read and obey the words of Revelation will be blessed.

The Roman government had banished John to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. While John was at Patmos, the risen, glorified Son of God appeared to him and commanded him to write ''the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this'' (Revelation 1:19). John pronounces blessings to those who read and obey Revelation, and then he greets his readers warmly and describes Jesus' appearance.

The apostle John begins this chapter by stating that he received the revelation of Jesus Christ by divine activity. God sent this vision to John while he was on the island of Patmos, likely as a punishment from the Roman government. This book follows John's four prior messages contained in the New Testament: the Gospel of John and the letters 1, 2, and 3 John. Chapters 2 and 3 tell what Jesus dictated to seven churches in Asia Minor, while the rest of John's message concerns future events.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''