Editorial

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
This last month of 1988 it seemed appropriate for us to make the last book in the Bible the theme of the articles selected for CHRISTIAN TREASURY. The final book of God's Word is called the Revelation. Sometimes it is called the Apocalypse, which means the same as Revelation. In one sense the whole of the Bible is a revelation. Creation is only well known by God's revelation of it. Also, God's Word reveals what is in man's heart and what is in God's heart. God is light. Light reveals. God is love. Love covers the believing sinners' sins and washes them away through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary (Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). The past, the present and the future are revealed in God's precious book. It closes with the book of Revelation. As the different articles in this periodical instruct us, it is prophetic and mostly about judgment. Grace is seen at the beginning and at the end and there is a blessing just for the reading of the Revelation. What should stir up and motivate the Christian, as we read this last book in the Bible, is the nearness of the fulfillment of these prophecies that God has told us so much about. Do you and I realize that we are living in the time of Laodicea, and that Laodicea is the last of the four churches that go on until the coming of Christ for His bride, the Church? Do we understand the severity of the judgments that will soon fall upon this earth and upon the earth-dwellers that will be left on the earth? It is quite remarkable how much detail God has made known about the seven years of tribulation that fall upon the earth after the rapture of the heavenly saints. In a similar way God made known to Abraham, His friend. the judgments which were then about to come. "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" Gen. 18:1717And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (Genesis 18:17). God never judges without warning. We have had the warning of the Revelation for 1900 years. Chapters two and three were prophetic of the stages of the Church's history and we can easily see that they have accurately come to pass. In like manner the following chapters from four on shall be fulfilled. And the word is imperative for it says, "the things which must shortly be done." And again, "the time is at hand." Rev. 22:66And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. (Revelation 22:6) and 10. As creatures made for the earth, we can relate to and understand things concerning the earth. But heaven and its glory are unspeakable and can only be communicated to us when we arrive there. Then we shall know as we are known. Since we cannot receive the full revelation of heaven, it seems that God has specially revealed earthly things; past, present and future. Are you interested? A careful and prayerful study of the book of Revelation is very rewarding. One very happy thing for you to look for is—there are seven times that the word "blessed" is used in this last book. Ed.