When Christ Appears

David Jeremiah gently guides readers through the book of Revelation in his new devotional. He writes, "There are two primary purposes of the book of Revelation: to describe the triumphant return of the King and to detail the victorious rule over the kingdom."

Each entry in his devotional is short. He covers a few verses--a paragraph or two--at a time. Each entry ends in prayer. Each entry BEGINS with Scripture. These are all good things to have in a devotional.

I do wish that each entry did not include a reminder to READ THE STUDY NOTES FOR THESE VERSES IN THE JEREMIAH STUDY BIBLE. I felt it would have been more appropriate to encourage readers to read this devotional alongside his study Bible once in the introduction or foreword. But to include this as part of each and every devotional was a bit tacky, in my opinion.

One of my favorite entries was "How To Recover Your First Love" (Revelation 2:5-7). Here David Jeremiah offers some practical advice. Devotionals don't always do practical, which is why it's worth noting here.
1. Remember. Restoration begins with remembering (Rev. 2:4). We remember why we gave our hearts to Christ in the first place, and what our relationship with Him was like when we were first saved.
2. Repent. To repent means to change our minds and turn to go in the opposite direction. If we find that we have forsaken our first love, then we make the deliberate choice to change direction and turn back toward Him. We turn our hearts and our minds--and anything else that needs turning, anything else that need re-orienting--back to Him. It's a conscious decision, an act of the will.
3. Repeat. We do again the things we did at first. (Revelation 2:5). We practice again and again the faithful steps of discipleship that we once took eagerly and voluntarily as new believers. We make a point of reconnecting with Him, rebuilding the relationship the same way lovers and friends do. We engage in those activities that used to bring us close to Christ and bring us joy.
At times, David Jeremiah can be very thought-provoking. Here's one of my favorite insights:
"In heaven, the Church will experience an intimacy in worship that the angels can't know. It's something only those who have been rescued and redeemed can understand. We were lost and now we are found. We've been forgiven and set free."
I didn't always agree with him, however. He called Revelation 5 through 11 dismal. And it seems he views the book as a whole as dark. I have an entirely different reaction to the book. It is one of great joy. It is bursting forth with WORSHIP because one gets perhaps the best glimpse from the entire Bible of GOD'S SPLENDOR AND MAJESTY. The book never fails to awe me.

Overall, I would recommend it as a devotional. But there are better books on Revelation out there.

Loved this quote by C.S. Lewis:
"There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan." C.S. Lewis

I love Dr. David Jeremiah's radio broadcasts and his books. He is very informative while always sticking to Biblical values and precepts. This one is written in short increments, so that it remains interesting if a person doesn't have an hour or two to spend reading at a time. This also makes it an excellent tool for Bible study. The book of Revelation is daunting to a lot of people, but Jeremiah explains it in a way that makes it incredibly interesting. I was most impressed.

This would make a wonderful, introductory study to the book of Revelation. It’s organized as a daily devotional. Each section discusses only a few verses, but it works through the whole book. While Revelation is about the future, Jeremiah also draws lessons for today from it. He starts each section with Scripture. Then he teaches us what they mean by using other Bible verses and ends with a short prayer.
It was very encouraging. We get to glimpse the glories of heaven, absolute justice, the holiness of God, and our own redemption. It’s also sobering. For we also see Divine wrath, judgment, ultimate depravity, and eternal punishment. It’s convicting. We are asked to examine ourselves and see how we really stand before God. At the very end, he briefly shares the Gospel so that we too can know Jesus as our Savior.
It was one of the best devotionals I’ve ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Worth Publishing. No favorable review was required, and these are my honest opinions.

Dr. Jeremiah has once again succeeded in writing a book that helps make understanding Bible truths much easier. He has written several books focusing on End Times and prophecy and I have enjoyed them all. This book guides the reader through Revelation Scripture. Perfect for new Christians or those who may have read through this Book in the Bible which can be daunting due to metaphors and imagery. I highly recommend this book. I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

At the beginning of the book, the author gives the definition of the word “Revelation“ in Greek. The translation of the Greek word “apokalupsis”, which means “to reveal, to disclose, to uncover.” This book discusses events that will occur, they are futuristic and unimaginable right now, consider what the early church must have thought about what was written about the end times!
The author states that this book is written “by” and “about” Jesus. The book of Revelation is the only book that will give a blessing to those who read it, (there are seven blessings in all), and the events that this book reveals will happen in quick succession after the first events occur.
John the revelatory was elderly, banished on an island in the Aegean Sea, yet God chose to reveal Himself in His “glorified form” to Him, and John was allowed to transcend the limits of time and space in the spirit realm, he could be transitioned upward to see heavenly things, and he could be projected forward in time to view events that would occur in the future.
Join John on a journey through the book of Revelation - you will not be disappointed!

The author offers a verse by verse study of the book of Revelation. Each section of text he discusses is given, followed by his easy to understand explanation of the text, followed by practical applications of the text in daily Christian life. This book is unique in its content and approach to studying Revelation. I love it!

When Christ Appears is a wonderful complement to reading the Book of Revelation in the Bible. It is easy to read and easy to understand, but filled with a richness and depth that brings you to a new level of knowledge of the Book of Revelation. Each chapter takes a “chunk” of Revelation and breaks it down even further, feeding your soul with small, palatable bits at a time. Then he wraps up each chapter with a brief, yet beautiful prayer.
The book explains the cultural background of some of the symbolic language, along with spiritual insights and scholastic tidbits that help the reader make sense of what is often a confusing book of the Bible. Dr. Jeremiah not only explains the symbolic and literal meanings of Revelation in layman’s terms, but he also helps you understand how to apply these gems of God’s Word to your own life.
When Christ Appears is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to grow in the knowledge of the Word of God. I highly recommend this book for any Bible scholar’s or seeker’s bookshelf.
Many thanks to Worthy Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!