God said that the human heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9) and, above everything else, it is the heart that one must guard (Proverbs 4:23).

God's story as recorded in the Bible is one of heartache and loss. Since the time of Adam, God has been working to resolve the problem of sin by making His will known to people in every generation through His prophets. Sin, which results in death (Romans 6:23), forced God to leave this world, but God has made a promise to return to end all death, mourning, crying and pain (Rev 21:3-4). 

In every era, God sent a prophet to urge people to turn away from their worship of manmade idols and turn back to the true God. 2000 years ago, the very people whom God wanted to save killed the prophets He had sent on His behalf (Acts 7:52). Nearly all the Old Testament prophets from Isaiah-Malachi were imprisoned and/or killed for delivering God's heart to the people.

God made His will known to prophets through visions or dreams, which the prophets recorded in parables (figurative language) (Hosea 12:10). Moreover, God never does anything without first revealing His plan to His prophets (Amos 3:7). This is so that people can see and believe when the reality of God's promise appears. This is why, when speaking about the promise of Jesus' return (second coming), Jesus said "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe" (Jn 14:29).

In the Old Testament, hundreds of prophecies were recorded about a coming Saviour who would redeem people back to God. Jesus came as this Saviour at his first coming 2000 years ago, fulfilling all these prophecies - including the place of his birth (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5-6) - but neither the leaders nor the people understood the prophecies and refused to listen to Jesus' words. Instead, they persecuted and killed Jesus. How did God feel witnessing the blood-shedding sacrifice of His son for the salvation of humanity?

Jesus came 2000 years ago to fulfil the Old Testament promise, bore the cross for the redemption of humanity and made a new covenant in his blood (Lk 22:14-20). This new covenant (promise) is God's final work recorded in figurative language in the four Gospels and book of Revelation. Do you know when and how the Lord will return?

Before Jesus bore the cross 2000 years ago, he asked whether he would find faith on the earth upon his return (Lk 18:8). This book of Revelation is a book of prophecy (promise) which marks Jesus' return - his second coming. As every promise of God has fulfilled since the time of Genesis, the prophecies recorded in the book of Revelation will most certainly fulfil (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 14:24). 

Jesus promised to send his messenger to make known to the churches everything he has seen and heard (Rv 22:8,16). The promised three mysteries in the book of Revelation (Rv 1:20; 17:7; 10:7) are shown by Jesus to this messenger. When the reality of the promise appears, will believers listen to his words or persecute? God and Jesus' will is to create a world of peace that is absent of death, mourning, crying or pain (Rv 21:3-4). How will this be fulfilled?