Skip to main content

Revelation - A Bible Book Often Avoided

MMB 7-1-2024

I have an app on my phone that reminds me of my daily Scripture reading so I can complete reading the Bible in one year. That completion date for me was yesterday June 30, 2024. The app I use suggests three chapters a day except for Sunday which is five chapter readings.

I completed an inspiring read through the Book of Revelation yesterday. Many avoid Revelation because of its many "Sevens" that appear confusing. Seven Angels, Seven Bowls, Seven trumpets, Seven Scrolls ... they're there. Then there are descriptions of certain creatures with multiple heads and faces and horns which can shock anyone. But Revelation mostly explains the confusing terms as you read on. You can't give up. You can't fear the terminology. You can't avoid those unknowns because they are soon revealed. 

I've decided to re-read the Book. I've done two years of reading through the Bible and I will take a break from that now. But I won't stop reading Scripture. I do journal my reading of three and five chapters but it's not an indepth notation. My re-read of Revelation will be a chapter a day. And I will journal with more depth. I will also use a couple of versions in the reading. My Bible Reading during '23-'24 was in the NLT (New Living Translation). I am choosing the ESV (English Standard Version) and the LSB (Legacy Standard Bible, which is an upgrade from the trusted NASB 2020). The New American Standard is a version I've used since a teenager. While at Bible College I learned Greek and how to translate it into English. My own translating work was almost word for word what was found in the NASB. That intrigued me. Let me say that the word "NEW" usually implies there's an old. And there is. The ASV 1901 was the original. It used the word "Jehovah" in its Old Testament translation. NASB began in 1959 and was completed in 1971. Then updated in '77, '95 and 2020. In those four translations the "Jehovah" reverted back to LORD (all capitals). The new Legacy Standard Bible follows the same translation rules as it's predecessors but chose the term "Yahweh" where the 1901 ASV had "Jehovah".

I no longer have a copy of the NASB and the LSB is not yet available in the bundle I really want. So I'm using life.church's (Pastor Craig Groeschel) YouVersion app (sometimes just called Bible). 

Just so you know, I used the on-line Bible Gateway to read through the Bible in a year. And further, I do have copies of NLT as well as ESV Bibles. Even multiple copies. Those were the two versions I used most often in teaching and preaching very recently. (And occasionally the New King James Version). 

So my new reading adventure begins today. My journal will be full with exciting insights from the Holy Spirit. I'm sure I'll share some of those insights with you. 

Nothing to fear ... much to learn.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Hold - The Finale

Today is July 20th. August is upon us and so is the 6th month of unemployment. Correct. After many applications and about 6-7 interviews I am still without work. I was interviewed twice (two different companies) in person this week and I'm waiting on their call back. Both indicated there must be a second interview with others involved. The last offering (Part 2) eluded to a humbling lesson learned. When I walked out of my last job on February 7th I made a to-myself-statement. Essentially I said I'll never work for this company again. But that was before my first humble pie piece I had to eat. So I put in applications with the company's other stores close by. Also I used a second email address so I wouldn't be tied to the store I worked at. I must have been hungry because I began to eat another piece of that pie. I finally reapplied at the store I exited 5 months earlier and yes, used my regular email address to do so. The first part of On Hold revealed my money from my ...
Post a Comment
Read more

MMB - Monday, November 21, 2016

MONDAY MORNING BLOG - 11/21/2016 Many of my meditations lately have been in the Old Testament. I taught a group of teens at a Sunday gathering recently about the Challenges of Conflicts and talked about Judah's King Jehoshaphat's conflict with three nations preparing to attack, which if they did, the King would have experienced sure defeat. The account is detailed in 2 Chronicles 20. So how did this King deal with this challenge of conflict? The answer became the thrust of my message to those eager Jr High teens. I encouraged those bright young people of diversity and multiple backgrounds, to see the King's response to the news of an imminent and enormous attack ... an ensuing conflict, if you will. This conflict was dealt with head-on by the King and his followers - with PRAYER. Prayer? Oh yes! A National Prayer Meeting, led by none other than the King! King Jehoshaphat called his people to prayer and cried out to God Almighty boldly and loudly before the people of ...
Post a Comment
Read more