A Revelation and a Promise

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The night after I was baptized as a 22-year-old mother, I sat up late and cried. From the moment I made a profession of faith several weeks before, I became convinced that I would never be worthy of the gift of eternal life. While it is true that we sinful mortals are not worthy of the goodness of God, there was something darker at work in my heart and mind.

At the time, I believed that Jesus saved me, not only from my sin, but also from an angry God. If God ever caught sight of me without Jesus standing in front of me, He would surely strike me dead on the spot. I believed that God would let me into heaven because of Jesus, but I’d only be allowed a small corner of a room and scraps from under the great banquet table. This was a poor understanding of the character and work of God. But this is the understanding I absorbed from my environment and experiences in early life.

Decades have passed since that night I sat up crying. The destructive work of fear, shame, and guilt left spiritual and mental scars in my heart and mind. As I grew in faith, I began to pray to be whole, healed, and Spirit-filled.

If I’m honest, I probably expected some mystical, highly emotional, spiritual moment that would dramatically change who I am. The truth is, the work of becoming whole, healed, and Spirit-filled is ongoing. It has been a process of stripping away one mask, one twisted belief at a time, then replacing the wrong belief with the true belief.  

The hardest part of the journey has been learning to be honest with myself about myself. I am not who I should be. I am not who I hope to be or who others expect me to be. I am not who I am going to be one day. Today, I am exactly who I am and no matter what or who that is today in this moment, God’s grace and love covers me.

Finding a Good God in the Promises

The book of Revelation in the Bible tends to create controversy. There are images of dragons, dire warnings, fire of hades, and dramatic visions of spiritual beings. The human proclivity to gravitate toward drama and intrigue causes many theological debates and speculation.

But a revelation is… a revelation. The letter was written to reveal the truth. By focusing on the dramatic, mysterious apocalyptic aspects of John’s letter, we miss what was revealed to us.

John’s letter of Revelation is an assurance of all that God has promised to His faithful followers.

In John’s letter is an assurance of God’s goodness toward me personally. There are many assurances in the letter of Revelation, but there are three particular assurances that resonated with me in my recent reading.

Three Assurances

Assurance number 1: God will make all things new.

Paul wrote that all of creation is groaning in eagerness for God’s children and all of God’s creation to become what it was created to be (Romans 8:19). We then see this promise fulfilled in John’s revelation of future events.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” Rev 21:5.

Assurance number 2: Jesus is coming again.

As Jesus told his disciples that he was going to come back to get them and take them to his Father’s house (John 16:7), Jesus also assures us that he is coming again.

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:12-13).

Assurance number 3: The Lamb's Book of Life.

The idea that names are written in heaven is repeated several times in scripture. Luke records that Jesus tells the disciples who are returning from healing and casting out demons, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Paul later writes that those who believe in Jesus and are fellow workers for the gospel have their names written in the book of life (Phil 4:3). John includes in his revelation that only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter heaven (Rev 21:27).

Why Is It Good News?

For someone who started their spiritual journey in Christ in tears of shame, the idea that God has written my name in his book is joyful and exciting. Jesus promises (Rev 3:5) that anyone who perseveres in faith will never be removed from the book of life. He says anyone that confesses his name before the Father, he (Jesus) will confess their name to God.

God wrote my name in the book of life before the foundation of the world. Jesus not only knows my name, but he will also speak my name to God when I stand in his presence. John’s letter of Revelation is an assurance to me that I won’t be sneaking into the back alleys of eternity and eating crumbs from under his banquet table. I am an invited member of the family, a royal heir with Jesus.

Revelation is a reminder that God has promised good things to those who believe in his Son. It is also a reminder that God is faithful to keep his promises. Good things are yet to come!

Revelation 21:2-4

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Copyright @ TA Boland 2025