What Do You Know – Part One

The Book of Revelation in the Bible is the sweetest book of the Bible. Yes! You read right!

I first read it when I was a little boy in primary school (i.e. elementary school) and I was dead scared because of the events in it and fierce punishment coming upon all people that sin and deny God.

I wept profusely. Imagine me as a child. What did I know? I recall saying, “Please do not let my mother go to hell.” Because I loved her so much, being the only one we (me and my siblings) got at that time. Well, thank God she died as a believer having confessed Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.

From that day I first read the Book of Revelation, I dreaded reading it again because I presumed it was a harsh verdict of judgement against man and devils; fierce one for that matter. I was so afraid.

Over the years, I grew and eventually came to the Lord as my Saviour. Glory be to God! Despite my born-again experience, I dared not read it on my own; not to talk of reading from chapter one to twenty two. Anyone teaching or preaching it brought out the judgement of a seemingly “angry” God on the sinful world, its inhabitants, Satan and his cohorts. That is not true. You will find out in the second part of my story.

Everybody I had listened to preach from Revelation chapters one to four and hardly beyond. It never helped me until recently when I enrolled in Kenneth E. Hagin’s Rhema Bible Training Center Nigeria to know more about God and understand sound doctrines. I felt there is something I missed in my early Christian life that I wanted so daringly. The basic foundation. The simplicity of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A break from “techie” interpretations of the Scriptures. I by no means disrespect all that I have learnt from that time till now. I believe the Holy Spirit just put a new and deep hunger in me for the Lord.

In one of the classes, my Rhema Nigeria instructor started a course titled “Eschatology”. Not to worry. I had the same feeling as you do now. Like “What in the world is this again? Can we just focus on a simple matter? Are we back to all these complex terminologies?”

Well it wasn’t so – I found out later. I braced myself up because I knew the childhood fear of the Book of Revelation was going to surface again. But I was determined to hear another perspective. I trust that the Holy Spirit at work in me and the lecturers would do some justice to my need.

Eschatology instructor: “Eschatology is simply the study of the end times or last days. Period! Eschatology is not suppose to scare or make you afraid.”

I said to myself, “Oh my world! Did you just say that? Okay, Just prove it to me!” I have some childish inquisitiveness that I can’t get rid of. Good or bad – I don’t know. But I like it because it makes me to know more.

Eschatology instructor continued: “Turn your Bible with me to Revelation 19:10. It reads, “…for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.”

Again I said to myself, “Ehen! I like that. Please continue. Tell me more about this!”

Eschatology instructor: Go with me to 1 Corinthians 14:3 and I read, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. Did you see what I mean?”

Wait! Wait!! I just saw it! My goodness! The Book of Revelation contains a lot of testimonies of Jesus. And it contains prophecy. Therefore there is Spirit of prophecy in operation in the book because of the testimony of Jesus. So, if that is the case, the book is to edify, exhort and comfort me and even other believers standing in the faith! And not judge or scare life out of me. Or you that is reading this. Provided… Well, you can click here later to read about what is missing in my sentence.

I was too excited with the opening statements and further bible study under the course. I was nourished. I finished the course. I was happy (the fear was gone), though I could not boast that I read the whole book during the course. Well, I purposed to read it when there would be more time on my side.

So, one day I carried the book and read it from chapter one to the end. What happened to me afterwards? Did I get scared? Did I feel worthless afterwards? Was I afraid that I might miss rapture in the end?

Do you want to know what I found out from the Book of Revelation?

Click here to go to part two.