Given how foreign the book of Revelation can feel, we’re often left asking ourselves, “What are we supposed to do with this book?” Perhaps study it, interpret it, or understand it — all good verbs in their own right.
But the verb that flanks Revelation at both the beginning and end is one that might surprise you. It’s the Greek word tēréō, which means to “keep,” “hold onto,” “watch over,” or “obey.” It’s the word Jesus used in the Great Commission when he told us to teach his disciples “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).
In the opening paragraph of Revelation, we’re met by the encouragement, “Blessed are those . . . who keep what is written in [this prophecy]” (1:3). Then at the conclusion we’re reminded, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (22:7; see also 22:9).
Clearly, God wants us to keep the book of Revelation. The question is “How?” The book itself points to at least three ways. So, let’s consider them with eagerness — after all, there is much “blessedness” to be gained!
Keep Reading It
Revelation can be hard to understand — which often leaves us feeling intimidated. After all, with so many different interpretations out there (even among scholars), what are the odds of us getting it right? Perhaps we should just stick to John or Romans and leave Revelation to the super-smart Christians (or super-gifted preachers).
Before we do that, however, we need to weigh what we’ll be missing if we do. Right out of the gate, John offers two blessings for those who use this book properly. One is the aforementioned blessing for those “who keep what is written in it” (1:3). But closely linked to that is this encouragement:
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear . . . (1:3)
Can you imagine a group of Christians sitting and listening to the entire book of Revelation read aloud in one sitting? I can, because I’ve been a part of such a reading several times. And John is right; it’s a “blessed” experience! You should try it. Gather a group of friends and carve out about ninety minutes to just sit and read together. It won’t remove all the book’s difficulties. But prepare to be amazed at the connections and the patterns you’ll notice when you hear it all at once, the way the original hearers likely would have.
Don’t become a prophecy fanatic who obsesses over Revelation while neglecting the rest of the Bible. But please, for your own sake, don’t stop reading this book. It’s the only book in the New Testament that explicitly pronounces a blessing for the one who reads it. So, keep reading it.
Keep God’s Commandments
Of the eleven uses of “keep” in Revelation, two of them have “God’s commandments” as their direct object (12:17; 14:12). In both cases, “keeping God’s commandments” is closely linked with “faith in Jesus.” And in both cases, “keeping God’s commandments” serves as a basic descriptor of God’s people. According to 14:12, “the saints” are “those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” And if you keep Revelation properly, so will you.
Revelation may be a different genre than most of Scripture, but it has the same moral thrust: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13; see also 1 Corinthians 7:19; 1 John 5:3). Consider, for example, this partial list of commandments either stated or implied in Revelation:
- “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (2:7).
- “Repent and do the works you did at first” (2:5; see also 2:16; 3:3).
- “Be faithful unto death,” and conquer the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony (2:10; 12:11).
- Flee sexual immorality (2:21; 9:21).
- Don’t tolerate false teachers in the church (2:15, 20).
- Don’t worship idols — including the beast (2:20; 9:20; 13:8).
- “Fear God and give him glory . . . and worship him who made heaven and earth” (14:7).
Revelation calls us to keep God’s commandments, especially in the face of conflicting commandments (like those of the beast). Indeed, the banner that flies over the whole book could be summed up as “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Keep Its Vision of Jesus Before Your Eyes
The book’s very title is “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). Not only is he the one doing the revealing; he’s also the one being revealed. The main goal of Revelation is to reveal Jesus through unforgettable images and titles. And if the book’s main goal is to unveil Jesus Christ, then surely we keep it by gazing upon the One being unveiled. Anything less misses the point.
If you want to keep Revelation, ask God to help you see Jesus.
See him as “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (22:13). The Old Testament uses these exact titles to describe Yahweh, which tells us that Jesus is the eternal God (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). If he weren’t, then the throne room of heaven would be a scene of gross idolatry — because there every creature falls down and worships him (Revelation 5:13–14).
See him as “the lion of the tribe of Judah,” conquering the dragon so that God’s plans can be carried out (5:1–5). Revelation reaches right back to Genesis and reveals Jesus as the long-awaited Ruler from Judah’s line (Genesis 49:9–10; Revelation 7:15; 15:4). And yet when John hears about a lion, he sees something else — something even more glorious (5:5–6).
See him here as “the Lamb” whose blood “ransomed people for God from every tribe” (5:9). Twenty-eight times in Revelation, Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb.” The name reminds us that he was slain for us as the ultimate Passover sacrifice (5:12; 13:8). Few books better help us behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (1:5; 5:9; 7:10, 12:11).
But don’t just see him slain. See him as John saw him — as a slain Lamb standing (5:6). This striking image shows us what Jesus already said: “I am . . . the living one [who died], and behold, I am alive forevermore” (1:18).
Finally, see him “coming with the clouds” (1:7, 13). This first unveiling of Jesus in Revelation reaches back to Daniel 7:13 and its vision of “one like a son of man.” It especially reminds us that his appearing will not be a welcome sight for everyone. Many will “wail on account of him” (Revelation 1:7; see also 6:16). Indeed, few books paint a fiercer picture of Jesus than Revelation. Like his literary counterpart, the Lion of Judah “is not safe, but he is good.”
When you couple the clear moral demands Revelation makes with the full-orbed vision of Jesus it presents, you may find that one of the best ways to keep the faith in our world today is to keep the book of Revelation.