The Revelation is here described as a prophecy, and therefore as part of the prophetic tradition. There is a divine blessing attached to reading it in an assembly, since hearers are included, and also for those who ‘keep’ its words (1,3; 22,7). The Greek word (τηρέω) for ‘keep’ evokes the Hebrew verbs שומר and נוצר, which both signified the act of guarding, preserving, or observing God’s instruction (Torah), covenant or commandments. In English it is perhaps better rendered as ‘take to heart’. This is the first of seven beatitudes in the text (cf. 14,13; 16,15; 19,9; 20,6; 22,7.14), and is very similar to Lk 11,28.