In this piece, we'll be considering 'The Blessing of Prophecy'; And I would love us to begin our consideration from the book of Revelations chapter 1:3, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near”. There are three words I want us to pay attention to in this Scripture, number one is read, number two is hear, and number three is keep. So, the first context of the word blessed is to he who reads. So, there is a reading of the Prophecy, and the Bible is a compilation of prophecies. That's why Jesus said everything that is written in the Scripture, it is written concerning me; how? It was written as a Prophecy. And that's what the Bible says that the revelation of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy because the revelation of Jesus is the fulfillment of things that have been prophesied.

 

So, you will see that from Genesis to Revelation, Jesus said it boldly that they speak of Him, and they testify of Him. He said, I have not come to destroy the law, I have not come to annul the law; as it were: to make it useless, but I have come for the fulfillment of the Scripture. And that's why you see in the interaction of Jesus on the earth, you will see the things and the activities that He engaged in, for example, when He entered into the temple, and He chased those that were buying and selling and exchanging in the temple. And He said that the house of My Father will not be the den of thieves but the house of prayer and the Bible said He did that in the fulfillment of the Prophecy that says that the zeal of the house of the Lord shall consume Him.

 

In John chapter four, when Jesus met the woman by the well, and He was supposed to go another way, but He necessarily had to pass through that place, and the Bible made us understand that when Jesus was there, the location was specific; the Bible says the location was Jacob's well. And the people there were referred to as Samaritans, they were different from the Jews; and the interaction between Jesus and the woman started going on, and Jesus was making her understand that it will no longer matter whether you worship on this mountain, or you worship on that mountain, all those things will no longer be relevant. It would be that those who will worship God, will worship Him in spirit and in truth, to fulfill the Prophecy that God has said. He said I will write My laws in their heart.

 

So, whether you worship on this mountain, it doesn't matter the mountain you worship, the mountain that is most important and that must be conquered is the mountain of your heart. Once God can capture and conquer the mountain of your heart, the Bible says wherever that mountain gets to, you can worship. So, we see that everything about Jesus was particularly about the fulfillment of Prophecy. There was a time that Jesus had to visit a place, and the Bible had already foretold that He was going to walk into that land. He said the land was between Zebulun and Napthali, just as it was scripted and prophesied; Jesus physically fulfilled it on earth.

 

So, everything that is written in the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation speaks of Prophecy, and it speaks of Christ: it is the revelation of Christ. So, in Revelation chapter 1:3, He said blessed is he who reads: our focus is the blessing of Prophecy. So, what is the Prophecy that you are reading? The question is that the blessing is for these three categories of people. If you don't connect to any of these categories, then there is no blessing that will come upon you as scripted in Revelation chapter 1:3. So, the first question is for us to tackle he who reads, and what does that mean? Blessed is he who reads the word of this Prophecy. The Bible says from Genesis to Revelation, they are prophecies told about Christ and He came to fulfill them.

 

So, number one, if you read the book of this Prophecy, the Bible says blessed are you. And that's why in Joshua chapter 1:8, God was speaking to Joshua, He said, let this book of the law, not depart out of your mouth, but meditate on it day and night, observe to do all that is written therein. He said then, your way will be prosperous, and you will have good success. Let it not depart; how will it not depart? It will not depart by reading; so, blessed is he that reads the word of this Prophecy. So, when we're talking about reading the Word of God: reading the Bible is the first place to start if we want to enjoy the blessing of Prophecy. You don't need some dreadlock-looking person with some funny colored clothes, shaking and shaking and prophesying for you to be able to key into what God has for you.

 

The Bible is a book of Prophecy. So, if you read the Bible, you are keying into the blessing of Prophecy. And that's why when God was speaking to the children of Israel, He said to them, when He gave them the law, He said, bind the law, bind these words in your heart. In fact, when you lie down, let it lie down with you. When you stand up, stand up with the word. When you are going in your way, let it company you. Why? It is so because, in so doing, you are enjoying the blessing. So, the Bible says in Revelation chapter 1:3, blessed is he who reads.

 

So, there is a blessing that comes upon you by reading the Bible, because it is the word of Prophecy. Don’t tell yourself that because you have listened to a message that there won’t be a need to read the Bible; listening to a message does not equal reading the Bible: because we have come to a generation where we feel that anointed materials or inspired materials are equal to the Bible. The word of God carries a unique anointing. That's why the Bible says, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing, not just words inspired by God, the Word of the Lord: that's how faith comes; by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So, are you giving yourself to the reading of the word of Prophecy?

 

That is the number one critical way that we can connect with the blessing. While the Lord was exposing me to this, He kept saying to me, that when you open the Bible to read it, you don't know what is happening to you but there is a change happening, there's a transference going on; because these are anointed words. The Bible says all Scripture was given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; anointed men wrote as they were inspired. So, it's not just letters; the Bible says the letter killeth but the spirit gives life.

 

There is a spirit behind every word in this Bible. The spirit is what you interact with when you read it with an open mind. When you read the Word of God with an open mind, you are interacting with the spirit of this book: it is the spirit of Prophecy. So, when you read the word, you are interacting with the spirit of Prophecy, and the blessing comes on you.

 

Number two; ‘And those who hear the words of this Prophecy’. That's another category. What happens when you hear the word of God? The blessing of Prophecy comes; number one: by reading and number two: by hearing. And I've made reference to that before that the Bible says faith cometh by hearing; and hearing and hearing by the Word of God, what do you hear? For you to enjoy the blessing, you must be hearing the word of the Prophecy. What are you listening to? Every word in the Scripture is a word of Prophecy when you hear them.

 

How do you hear them? You can hear them in songs: that's why some churches don't joke with hymns, especially those that are written based on Scripture because I realized that there are some hymns that are just emotional outbursts, or somebody going through a season. Yes! it could help some people, but the best hymns are those that are scripturally based; like in Christ alone. If you look at all the standards of that hymn, it is hearing the Word, and also the hymn song ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. If you look at these hymns, you will see the word of God; not that you will be listening to songs that do not edify the soul and you say, I'm not listening to the lyrics; I'm listening to the beats, you're deceiving yourself. The words of songs carry anointing, and they carry blessings.

 

Every song that you listen to is inspired by a kingdom, either the kingdom of light or the king of darkness. So, if you are unfortunate and you are listening to a song inspired by the kingdom of darkness, then you are also going back. The person singing is taking your soul along with him or her to the kingdom that inspired it. So, if you are listening to a song that is inspired by the kingdom of light, the person singing is taking your soul with him or her to the kingdom that inspired it. Ask yourself, when you listen to those songs and the words; how do you feel and what do you feel like doing immediately after you finish listening to them? It tells you the kind of connection that music and its words have with your soul; let's not be deceived, and let's not pretend we are a woke generation.

 

There are salient principles that guide the world whether you are woke or not, and it's important we give ourselves to these things: don't tell yourself I'm only listening to the beats, the words are just flying over your head; it is a deception from the pit of hell. Those that hear the word of this Prophecy, blessed are they: they come by songs, they come by messages, and they come in the place of prayer. When you pray the Word of God, you are hearing the words of the Prophecy and the blessing comes on you.

 

When you are singing, you are worshiping; you are hearing the word of the Prophecy, and the blessing comes on you. Why do you think heaven will perpetually be a place of glory? It is because what goes on in heaven, 24/7 is worship. And what are they doing? They continue to recreate the same atmosphere, the angels, the 24 elders, and the four living creatures are perpetually recreating the same atmosphere; try it in your own life. You can have heaven on earth experience in your home, you can have heaven on earth experience in your life; what you need is to create an atmosphere. Create the atmosphere of God, in the place of hearing the word, through songs, through words, and in the place of prayer. So, when we talk about hearing, the blessing comes by hearing.

 

Number three: “And keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” What is He speaking about? Obedience: what you do. Keeping is doing. What do you do? The blessing of Prophecy comes on the things you do. What do you do? Good works or bad works; works that are alive or dead works. What do you do daily when you wake up? What are your activities? How do you keep the word of this Prophecy? You keep it by doing the Word. The Bible says, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; If you do it, you are keeping the word. The Bible says that you will not look at a woman lustfully; if you are doing it, you are keeping the word.

 

He said you will not covet your neighbor's property; if you are doing it, you are keeping the word and the blessing is on you. The Bible says, love the Lord your God with all your mind, with all your strength; when you do it, you are keeping the word. He said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every other thing shall be added. When you put God first in everything that you do, you are keeping the word. When the Bible says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him. When you are doing it, not just hearing, and not just reading; you will enjoy the blessing: the blessing will come upon you.

 

Let’s look at Revelation 1:3 again, so that we'll see that reading is not in isolation, hearing is not in isolation, and keeping is not in isolation. Revelation 1:3 says blessed is he who reads and those who hear; so, it is not to read alone. It is and; not or; not either; not neither. ‘And’ means that they walk together. There are things you must do together. You cannot say because I'm reading, I will not be hearing. You will not say because I am hearing, I will not be keeping. So, what is the whole blessing of the Prophecy, it is in reading, and hearing, and keeping the word of this Prophecy. The blessing of Prophecy comes on us when we read and hear and keep the word of this Prophecy. So, this year, as we journey with the Lord, we must give ourselves wholly to this, we must give ourselves completely to this, this must become our daily practice if we want to enjoy the blessing.

 

The Bible talks about the blessing, he said the blessing of the Lord makes rich. If you want your ways to be rich; we're not talking about new notes, we're not talking about those things: the riches of the Lord or beyond money. When we talk about the riches of God, it is that your soul prospers. He said, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers; that’s the riches of God. It is not in having plenty of zeros behind the money in your account. No! it is in the prosperity of your soul, the prosperity of your life, and it comes by the blessing. If the blessing was not important, Jacob will not supplant Esau for the blessing. If the blessing was not important, the devil will not waste his time, tempting Jesus. If the blessing was not important, the devil will not be so sneaky and waste his entire resource tricking Eve.

 

The blessing is the reason we walk in all of the inheritances that we have in God. Isaac said to Esau, he said, go and bake me venison, and make it; that my soul will delight in and I will bless you. Was it just a blessing? No! The blessing is a definer, it defines your path, and it defines your future. The blessing defines the trajectory of your life, and that's why immediately Rebecca heard it, she says, I know what I heard from the Lord. God told me there are two nations in the womb. He said the elder shall serve the younger. She said what your father is about to do, will set your brother ahead of you: go and kill one of the lambs, and give your father and trick him so that you can receive the blessing. Whosoever Isaac blesses is set ahead automatically. So, if the blessing of Isaac can be that powerful, then the Lord’s blessing over your life is of much more relevance; you can't joke with it.

 

This year, what will set us apart is the blessing, and the blessing is tied to this Prophecy. For us to receive all that God has for us, we must attract the blessing; and this is how to attract the blessing: read, hear, and keep. So, we want to look at why the Prophecy is tied to Christ Jesus; I want us to see Revelation chapter 1:4-5, John to the seven churches which are in Asia; grace to you and peace from Him, Who is and Who was, and Who is to come. When Jesus was been introduced, this name that He is called shows us how eternal, the blessing is. He said, grace to you and peace from Him: who is Him? Christ Jesus. But He is not just who is, He is also and; because these and are very important, and who was: the same person is the one Who is and He is the one Who was.

 

So, when we are talking about the blessing that Isaac pronounced on Jacob; it is the same blessing that was. And that's why God said, I will be called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He said, this is the name that I will be called, and known as; across generations; there is a significance. You will notice that Abraham handed the blessing to Isaac on instruction because if God left Abraham, he would have blessed Ishmael; because by reason of their culture, Ishmael was his first child: a male child. And that's why when Abraham was talking to God, he said to God, You have not given me any child, the one that was born in my house, my servant, He called him Eliezer of Damascus.

 

He said, he will become my heir, why? He was the first child, even though not of his body but he was born in his house, that was the culture. In fact, at a point, we saw that Abraham was negotiating with God, that God do something for Ishmael too; because culturally, Ishmael should not go empty-handed. In fact, the blessing was supposed to be for Ishmael, but Ishmael was born out of disobedience, and God said, no! The one that will carry the blessing is the one that will come from Sarah: which is Isaac. So, when Isaac came, on instruction, the blessing was on Isaac. But when Isaac now came on the scene, Isaac now had two sons; his favorite was Esau, the Bible made us understand that the reason why his favorite was Esau, was because Esau was a wild man. He was always hunting game, and his father loved him; Jacob was always in the house, and his father felt he was a weakling. But by reason of Prophecy, Rebecca had chosen Jacob, even though two of them are her children, she was a woman that was inclined, because of what she heard.

 

So, when the time came for the blessing, Isaac was not going to consult God: whom should I bless, but culturally, Isaac was going to bless Esau, because Esau came out first, even though they were twins, so culturally he is the firstborn. So, because God had spoken, and none of the words of God falls to the ground, Rebecca acted the way she acted; Jacob got the blessing even though he did not allow God to put the blessing on him directly. But let us see from Jacob, what happened: Jacob had twelve sons, it was easier for Isaac; they were two, but Jacob had twelve sons. Who among the twelve, will he put the blessing on? That's why when he came to his twelve sons, he blessed them according to tribes, and you will see that the blessing was according to tribes until Jesus came: because I'm trying to help us understand how the blessing connects to Christ.

 

So, from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, came again, a single line of blessing, and that blessing line is called Christ Jesus. After Jacob, it was split into tribes, there was blessing for Reuben, Levi, Judah, Benjamin, and so on; and when it got to Joseph, it was split to Ephraim and his brother (Manasseh). So, we saw that the blessing was split, but when it now came to Christ, the blessing, now came again as a single source. That's why the blessing cannot be located elsewhere, the blessing cannot be located anyhow; the only source of the blessing is Christ Jesus. And that's why the Bible says it pleased the Father, to give Him a name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee bows, and every tongue confesses.

 

So, the blessing you and I are seeking, we must only seek it in Christ. So, Jesus became the source of that blessing, and that’s why the Bible says; He is the one Who is in the time of Abraham. The blessing that was moving from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob: He is that blessing. When the blessing moved around, the Bible says and He is the one Who is to come. Eternally, He remains the blessing. That's why Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, no one approaches the Father, and no one connects with the blessing except through Me. So, it's not enough to say we are reading, it is not enough to say we are hearing, and it is not enough to say we are keeping; we must read through the lens of the One that is the way, we must hear the One that is the way, and we must keep according to the One that is the way.

 

So, everything centers around Jesus. That's why the Apostle wrote has inspired by God, saying, looking unto Jesus, as you are reading, you are looking unto Jesus, you are not reading it like a storybook, you are not reading it because you were mandated: not because you want to fulfill all righteousness; you are reading looking unto Jesus. Bible calls Him the author; Who is the beginning; and He is the author and the finisher, Who is to come; of our faith. So, you are not just reading, you are reading to see Christ; looking unto Jesus, the source of the blessing. When we are hearing, it is wise for us to hear Jesus because that's when the blessing can come.

 

When you are keeping, let it be that you are keeping Jesus; so, as the Bible says we can grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He said we continue to aspire; we continue to follow; we continue to look unto Him until we grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. So, verse four of Revelation chapter one said grace to you and peace from Him, Who is and Who was and Who is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead. So, because He is the Firstborn, even culturally, that's why the legality of Christ cannot be debated.

 

Christ Jesus is the only begotten of the Father, the Firstborn among many brethren, the Firstborn from the dead. And that's why, if we look back to Scripture when God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on the altar for Him, it is a similitude; it is a Prophecy for the fulfillment of what God is going to do when He sacrifices Christ Jesus. So, you see that everything that happened in the Scripture points to Jesus. If there's anything scripted in the Bible that does not point to Jesus, then it is not there; everything points to Jesus. So, he said He is the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins, in His own blood.

 

What qualifies us for the blessing is that we have been washed by His blood. Verse six, and has made us kings and priests, to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. These are the two bodies of the blessing: kings and priests. In a Scripture, where God was speaking, He said that forever, there will be a descendant of King David that sits on the throne. Then He said again, forever, there will be someone from the tribe of Levi that ministers to God as a priest. And you now ask, in the physical sense, how many people are left in the descendants of Levi? In the physical sense, how many people can we trace, genealogically to David, but spiritually in Christ? We can all be traced to Christ, as a descendant of David, and as a descendant of Levi. That's why the Bible says, He is a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek that has no beginning and has no end. So, the blessing comes on us via Christ Jesus, in His Spiritual order.

 

So, what we are conversing about the Prophecy, is spiritual, and can be obtained spiritually. So, He said, He has made us; another word you can use for He has made us is that He has blessed us. So, if you're a believer, and you're looking at how you have been blessed, you have been blessed as a king and a priest, who is a king? A king is one that has dominion: that rules. The Bible says, you will declare a thing and it will come to pass; is that not what kings do? He said you will speak a word and it shall be established, that where the word of a king is; there is power. So, the blessing is that you will have power in your words, your words are no longer empty, your words are no longer light; they scattered the kingdom of darkness, and they put the devil on his knees, why? The blessing has made you a king.

 

In Christ Jesus, you are a king; you rule! you reign! as a king in Christ, and that's why Jesus is called the King of kings. Jesus is our King and we are kings; we reign with Him. So, the Bible says when we speak, it comes to pass, we declare a thing, and it is established. He said, whatever we allow on the earth is allowed in heaven, whatever we disallow on the earth, is disallowed in heaven: that is kingship and dominion; that’s the blessing. But let's not forget how the blessing comes; it comes through Christ, and it comes by connecting in Christ Jesus to the Spirit of Prophecy, by reading, hearing, and keeping the word. So, the Bible makes us understand that the blessing comes in two legs.

 

Number one, He makes us kings. Number two, He makes us priests. Has priest what do we do? We offer to God; acceptable sacrifices. So, when you worship, your worship is not bouncing. When you lift up your voice in praise to God, your praise is ascending to the heavens. When you pray a prayer of thanksgiving, it is going to go directly; as a priest you offer, and as you offer worship, it is acceptable because that's what Jesus said. He said that those who will worship the Father will worship in spirit and in truth; they don't need to worship on that mountain, on this mountain, or worship through a priest but that you can worship God yourself acceptably, you will no longer be like Hannah and Elkanah that had to trek a long distance to go to Shiloh to worship.

 

You can worship in your toilet, you can worship in your kitchen, because you are looking unto Jesus, and your worship is acceptable because He has blessed you as a priest. So, our blessing is not in mundane things, it is not in things that perish, our blessing is of eternal value; we continue to speak and it comes to pass, we continue to declare and it is established, we continue to allow on earth and it is allowed in heaven, we continue to disallow on earth and it is disallowed in heaven, we continue to offer God acceptable worship and it is accepted. And what happens when we offer like that to God?

 

The Bible says, that Noah offered to God an acceptable sacrifice, and the sacrifice smelled to God as a sweet-smelling savor, and God made a covenant: he said and God said to Himself, that no longer will I destroy the earth with flood, He said as long as the earth remains; seedtime and harvest, cold and heat shall not cease. Do you know the blessing on your life can affect your generation i.e your children's children? Apostle Paul was speaking of the blessing of Eunice and Lois that came upon Timothy: the grandson and the son, because those women understood the blessing as kings and priests and it affected their generation.

 

What are we doing with the blessing? Do we understand the blessing of Prophecy? Are we connecting correctly to the blessing of Prophecy? Because it is in Christ alone, and if there is any Prophecy that does not glorify Christ, don't let anyone tell you things that are not based on the Word of God; you have the blessing in Christ, and you can know the will of God for yourself. The Bible makes us understand that if anyone removes or adds to the word of this Prophecy, the person is doomed. So, if anybody tells you something outside Christ Jesus, that’s the same interpretation. If anybody adds to what Christ Jesus is or removes from what Christ Jesus is in your life; the person is doomed: don't listen to, and don't give attention to it.

 

The possibility of our lives is summed up in Christ; He is the author and the finisher of our faith, outside Christ Jesus, our faith is useless. Don’t have faith in what is not in Christ, don’t have faith for what is outside Christ, you will be believing in vain. There are some people who will tell them that there is a Prophecy, that God said they have to suffer for 20 years before they can make it; it's a lie. When did God give time to people’s suffering? God said in this world we will have tribulation but He didn't give years; He did not say for 20 years, and He didn't say for 10 years rather He said, after you have suffered a while, He will strengthen you and He will establish you and He will settle you. It is a while and you can determine what that while will be in Christ.

 

The Bible says God is not a man that He will lie, nor the son of man that He will repent. He said I know the thoughts that I have towards you, they are thoughts of good. How can God that loves you, want you to suffer for 20 years? God’s thoughts towards us are thoughts of good and not of evil; even when Jesus: His Son died, He only allowed Jesus to finish the business He had in hell, and three days He resurrected Him. So, why would He want you to be there for 20 years? So, we must understand the truth in Christ.

 

The reason the world is falling into the temptation of the devil is that Jesus Himself said in the last days, false prophets will arise and He said they will come to Me and say, Lord! Lord! We did crusade in Your name, we did many miracles in Your name and He said, I will say to them, I don't know you, you workers of iniquity. Don't let any man use you to practice iniquity. Don't let your life become an experiment for iniquity. Don't let your life become an experiment or a platform for people to practice their dead works; know God for yourself. The blessing of the Prophecy comes upon you when you read, hear, and keep the Word of God. Read the Word of God for yourself. Allow Jesus via His Holy Spirit to open the word to you, hear the word of God, and not sing songs and listen to messages that drag your soul to hell. The same way faith comes, is how fear comes.

 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, and also fear comes by hearing and hearing a word that is not of God. We must also keep the word of God, and not lose it. Keep it! Do the word. Whatever God is asking you to do; do it! The Bible says we should stand, therefore; he that stands, let him take heed. Be careful!! Lest you fall. And I pray the Lord will help us in the name of Jesus.

 

Thanks for the gift of your time, We are Lara Gboyega Adedeji and Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!