I have completed my study on Revelation.
God is calling forth His watchmen, but will they hear?
It is time to open this book and “to read distinctly from the book,” and pray that the Spirit will give the shepherds courage and wisdom to endeavor to give “sense, and helped them to understand the reading,” (Nehemiah 8:8).
Therefore, I strongly urge pastors who are at fault here to repent and start redeeming the time, for Revelation has not been given us just to be superficially referenced. Rather, Revelation deserves an ongoing, open dialogue between the congregation and pastor. God’s people need to be fed with the whole counsel of God.
Consider again Israel’s history, for each time the nation was led into captivity, it was often the direct result of the sins committed by its pastors and shepherds. The leaders, entrusted with guiding God’s people had repeatedly failed in their responsibilities, which led to the spiritual decline and eventual judgment upon the nation.
This underscores why the Lord commanded that the delivery of His judgment must begin at His own house. The neglect and disobedience of those charged with spiritual oversight has always brought dire consequences, not only upon themselves but upon all those contributing to the shepherding of God’s people. God holds His leaders to a higher standard, and when they forsake their duties, judgment is first pronounced among them as a sobering reminder of their accountability. (See Ezekiel 9:6; 34:1-16, and Jeremiah 23:1,2).
I believe that if the church engages in open dialogue and seeks guidance through prayer, that it would by the Lord be richly rewarded with greater understanding and spiritual awareness. That, my brothers, would enormously surpass the occasional mere sporadic quote about it from the pulpit. Which in truth, amounts to little more than a gratuitous nod of recognition of the book’s existence.
I therefore make a plea for ministerial repentance. For pastors who fail to instruct their people in the truths of Revelation, and who do not help them understand and respond appropriately, will inevitably face substantial accountability and shame when they stand before the Great and Chief Shepherd, who commissioned them to faithfully oversee His heavenly flock.
Believe it, Revelation’s purpose is made very clear in the letters to the seven churches: it was given to be taught to all believers, so that every member of the flock might have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches of all ages. Whereby people could learn to recognize and respond to the voice of their Good Shepherd, and with understanding walk victoriously and faithfully in their time, and be found blameless.
Gates of the City 