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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

Apocalypse

February 15, 2011

The word is associated with doom and gloom, fantastic scenarios of judgment and battle. Yet the word itself means nothing of the sort.

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John...
                                                  - Revelation 1:1 TNIV

The book in the New Testament called "The Revelation of John" takes its name from the very first word: apocalypse. But what is an apocalypse? It means an unveiling, a revealing, which is exactly what God does with John; he shows him "what must soon take place." But it is God's revelation, God's unveiling. God is the one who shows us. The last several hundred years of interpretation of this wonderful book often treat it as an episode of NCIS, a mystery to be figured out. But like the rest of the gospel, if God does not show us, reveal it, do it, we'll never get it right. The revelation is written to a people in a time of travail, hard times.

It's written not to be "figured out," or feared, but a message revealed to us to face the challenge of the now, even "our" now! Take heart.

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson