Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near.
μακάριος ὁ ἀναγινώσκων καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες τοὺς λόγους τῆς προφητείας καὶ τηροῦντες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα, ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἐγγύς.
This verse is a call to pay attention and read the Book of Revelation. People are interested in this book because they believe it tells about the end times. This is true, but there is so much more to Revelation than just a blue print of the events at the end of the age. There are important messages throughout the book that both inform and challenge us. John instructs us to do three things, found in the three participles: read, hear, and keep. This is a revealing sequence when it comes to any part of the Bible. Each one of these actions is completed with the others. We can read and not really pay attention to what is written. We can read and hear, but without obedience, the words of the Bible have no impact on us.
John expresses an urgency because the “time is near.” Christians have lived with this sense of urgency since the day Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1. This urgency comes from at least two things: 1) we have a compelling love to share the good news of Jesus Christ to all creation (Mark 16), and 2) we have a sense that Jesus could come at any time and we want to be found ready (Matthew 24). Both of these motives are fueled and guided by our study of the Bible. The Bible is our road map that shows our spiritual heritage and points the way forward. It guides how we live now. John does all three of these in this book. He reflects backwards on what God has done in Christ. Revelation actually has more allusions to the Old Testament than any other New Testament book. John writes about how believers should live in the present, such as enduring persecution and living holy lives. He also looks to the future and how God will close this age, the trials that humans will go through, and the final judgment and eternal hope.
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