Are you someone who likes surprises?
You might answer, “It depends on whether the surprise is pleasant or unpleasant.”
As I continue with some introductory remarks about Revelation, let me just note that when it’s to the benefit of those He loves, throughout the Bible it’s characteristic of God to unfold significant facts about the future.
In the Old Testament, the Lord frequently makes use of His prophets to raise warnings about a perilous tomorrow. Then when His people suffered in exile, God had His servants speak words of encouragement regarding Israel eventually being restored to the land.
Likewise, it was a distinguishing trait of Jesus in the New Testament to reveal future events. For example, knowing that betrayal and crucifixion were in His immediate future, and that this was the last thing His Twelve were expecting, our Savior prepared those closest to Him as carefully as possible for this unexpected turn of events.
Here’s John 13:19:
“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he.”
Jesus told them ahead of time that He would rise from the dead and that He would soon be gone from their physical presence, but in the near future they would experience the miraculous entrance of the Holy Spirit into their world.
I also hold the conviction that Jesus went to great pains to inform both that early generation and all future generations regarding the end-times. This was so common folk like us could better prepare ourselves for what is to come. He made sure we understood enough—maybe not all the details of what’s ahead, lest we be overwhelmed—to be able to act wisely.
The most complete picture Jesus gives us in the New Testament about what’s to unfold in the future is in the final book of the Bible.
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