I enjoy returning to the book of Revelation often in my personal worship times. I am beginning to realize that missionaries(you!) are a part of the prophetic messages of that book. It is so easy to think of Revelation as a scary story of what is about to happen on the earth.
Yet, this book is a revelation of Jesus, according to its title.
The message of Revelation is an urgent message from a God who desires to save people more than anything else. He is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). It is a drama portraying what God is doing to save this world from its plight. It is a drama about mission!
Let me share a couple of examples of the way Revelation reveals how important your mission work is to God. I love the picture of God on His throne in Revelation 4-the glow, the brilliance, the rainbow! And in His right hand was a scroll.
This is the scroll which reveals the guarantee of our salvation, the good news of God’s mission to save sinners like me! Only the Lamb (Jesus) could open that scroll since He was the One who was sent to make our salvation possible. God’s mission is to save. From His eternal glorious throne, He is seen as making His mission-to-save a number one priority!
In chapter 12 we find the “Great Controversy” vision. This is the vision of the Woman clothed in the brightness of the sun who gave birth to the child who would rule the world (Jesus). The vision continues on to show that Jesus was victorious over sin and the Devil.
In the victory song for the Dragon’s (Devil’s) defeat (verse 10), we read: “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God …” Yes, it is God’s salvation offered to everyone. Every missionary is a bearer of that good news.
And we all know Revelation14. The angels cry out “with a loud voice” to call everyone to worship God and accept His salvation. Isn’t that the responsibility of every messenger of God, every missionary?
It is God’s mission to save many from every “nation” of the world. And God is still using His partners! As missionary families to another culture than your own, as parents, as godly neighbors in your adopted community, you are involved in sharing the good news of salvation.
You are participating in the mission of God, Himself.
The next time you read from Revelation, read it from the perspective of a saved missionary! The judgment, the “loud cry,” the call out of Babylon, all of these are cries from God Himself to a lost world- a world He wants to save.
He isn’t warning you of judgment and a “time of trouble.” Those warnings are for those who have not yet chosen to accept His salvation.
The book of Revelation is actually giving you something to rejoice about (the end of sin and a new earth!) and something to share. “Jesus Saves” is the message of Revelation and the message given to every missionary to share with all those who He wants to save along with you.
We are praying for you on the front lines of God’s mission to save. Maranatha!
By Lester Merklin