Revelation 1:3 3Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things that have been written in it, for the time is near.
This verse calls listeners to pay attention to what John writes in this book. People are interested in this book because they believe it tells about the end times. However, Revelation is more than a blueprint of the events at the end of the age but contains important messages that challenge any time and context. John instructs to do three things, found in the three substantival participles: read, hear, and keep. This sequence fits any place in the Bible. Each one of these actions is completed with the others. We can read without really paying attention to what is written. We can read and hear the words of the Bible, but without obedience, they have no impact on us. The participle used for reads is singular because one person would read the book aloud to the group. Few people could read at that time, so someone had to read a text like this to them.
The words of this book are described as prophecy. Prophecy in the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament, has a future sense, as in foretelling, but it is usually intended to make an impact on the present situation. After hearing a prophecy in the Bible, a person is expected to respond in obedience and commitment to God. John saw the growing conflict between the world (particularly the Roman and provincial governments) and the church. This book reminds readers of the need for exclusive loyalty to Jesus rather than to any political system, leader, or worldly value.
John expresses an urgency because the time is near. Christians have lived with this sense of urgency since the day Jesus ascended into heaven, as recorded 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 motives are powered and guided by our study of the Bible. The Bible is our road map, showing our spiritual heritage and pointing the way forward. It guides how we live now. John refers to three aspects of time. He reflects on what God has done in Christ through the victory of death and resurrection. Revelation builds on Israel’s sacred past—the story of God—with more allusions to the Old Testament than any other New Testament book. John also writes about how believers should live in the present, including enduring persecution and living holy lives. In addition, he looks to the future and how God will close this age, victory over the trials that humans face, and the final judgment and eternal hope.