What We Can Learn from Revelation

Before you begin:  Watch Part I and Part II of the Book of Revelation Summary by The Bible Project.

Revelation: the last book of the Bible that is only seemingly the end of the story.

Revelation looks forward to things to come – the restoration of Eden, and our broken, sinful hearts. There is much we can learn from Revelation 22, the final book of the Bible, especially when it comes to the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another.

I think we can then safely say that the end is never truly the end. It's the opening of a door to our future, and when it comes to our personal stories, that future is pointing towards the glory of God.

And when it comes to the ultimate story of mankind, we can safely say the same.

When we see how far God's led us from our initial sin in Genesis to not only redeeming our iniquity but creating a reality with Him that is better than anything we've ever experienced, we can find that same line of hope in our own stories.

No matter what we've been through, we can look forward to living securely in God's glorious light.

Towards the end of the last chapter of Revelation, there's an interesting part where Jesus tells John that anyone who adds to or takes away from this prophecy will either experience plagues or be denied any share in the tree of life.

So how can this warning assist us in writing the ending to our own stories?

1. Being honest about our stories until the very end and attempting not to keep anything in the dark is an act of obedience to our pure and holy Lord.
2. Adding to our stories or "fluffing" them up (so to speak) is an egregious affront to God. We're not writing these to make ourselves the hero. We're writing these to show others who the Savior of the world was, is, and always will be.

If we can take away anything from our study of Genesis 1, Psalm 88, and Revelation 22, it's that God so loved the world that He redeemed us and saved us from ourselves, despite the pit we once found ourselves in.

And what an honor it is to be able to create testimonies that help light that flicker of hope in others.

Take some time to sit quietly and reflect on your "end" (no pen or paper necessary). Allow God to bring to mind the best way to finish your story. And when you're ready, let's move to the next lesson and dive into Revelation 22.