Synopsis "A Reason To Believe"
The beginning of the Book of Revelation when Apostle John is preparing to write those letters to the seven churches in Asia includes this verse from Christ: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand." This inference is toward all people not just to those of those seven churches. Then, verse 19 gives the time-inclusive prophesy. It's Christ's instruction to John: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." It's these things written 'which shall be hereafter' that create the 'reasons to believe' Revelation. A time line can be created once these clues and reasons are understood. Many people refuse to read the complete Book of Revelation. Some believe it's written as a story of striving and struggling internally for personal fulfillment and salvation. And, considering Revelation from that perspective the true meaning of Revelation could never be interpreted. The meaning of Revelation can be interpreted in only two ways. First is true and pure belief. Second is by deciphering and understanding the secret codes Christ planted in the words and visions he gave John. John did not understand many of those visions himself, but he reported them anyway in the form of metaphors. Most of those eventful visions happened after John's death, and in pictures he could describe only in strange metaphors. For example, one metaphor in Chapter 13 describes a miracle of 'fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.' In John's time that fire would have been a true miracle, other than normal lightening. In this case, however, John was describing modern warfare from the air; which he had no way to comprehend. He reported only what he saw in those visions given to him by Christ. He had no alternative but to use metaphors. What would citizens of that day have thought if John had written, 'I saw planes shooting missiles and rockets at the enemy from the sky?' If John had used those words, likely the book of Revelation would never have survived even his generation. Furthermore, how would John have known to write or say 'airplane?' By understanding the many strange metaphors used in Revelation the reading then becomes very clear such as with reading a novel. Each clear story that emerges from these hidden codes create another reason to believe the full context of God's Words in Revelation. Within Revelation, there are many reasons to believe. Each reason of revelation, in itself, is a reason to believe. This book clarifies and exposes seven reasons, but each within itself is a reason to believe.
