the book of revelation
"This is the revelation God gave." —Revelation 1:1
The Bible is the greatest revelation the Lord has given through His Church. Thus, it is appropriate for the Bible to end with the book of Revelation. This book is given:
- "to Jesus Christ" (Rv 1:1),
- through Jesus to us who are His slaves (Rv 1:1),
- to us by an angel sent to John (Rv 1:1),
- to show us "what must happen very soon" (Rv 1:1),
- as a "prophetic message" (Rv 1:3),
- to bless us (Rv 1:3),
- to the Church (see Rv 1:4), and
- to call us to repent and return to our "early love" of God (Rv 2:4).
In the book of Revelation, the Lord has saved the best wine until last (see Jn 2:10). It is a great privilege to enter into the mystery of the book of Revelation. Therefore:
- thank the Lord for Revelation,
- ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to all truth in Revelation (see Jn 16:13),
- read the whole book of Revelation in the next two weeks, not only the excerpts read at Mass each day,
- live what you read in Revelation, and
- share what the Holy Spirit teaches you in Revelation.
Let us end the Church's year learning, loving, and living Revelation.
Prayer: Father, through the book of Revelation, prepare me for Your Son's final coming.
Promise: Lord, "I want to see." —Lk 18:41
Praise: John and Liz repented of years of using contraceptives. Their marriage is closer than ever before.
Reference: (For a related teaching, you may want to order or download our booklet Simple Reading Guide to John and Revelation on our website.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 3, 2018
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.