What does it mean to say, or to pray, “Amen”?  “Amen” isn’t just punctuation or a throw-away religious cliché.   It means “So be it! … truly! … this is sure to be!”  Saying “amen” is a declaration of faith:  you revere God, trust him to run the world, and rely on him to lead your life.  So you hand all things over to him with a bold, settled confidence:  he’ll surely do what’s best, in his way, in his time, for our good, for his glory!  AMEN.

Look at the nine occurrences of “amen” in Revelation.  Read these verses slowly—and aloud (1:3).  And let this pulsating expectancy of faith in Jesus Christ course through the veins of your soul:

• 1:6:  [To Christ, who] made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.
• 1:7:  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.  Even so.  Amen.
• 3:14:  And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”
• 5:14:  And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
• 7:12:  [All the angels worshipped God] saying, “Amen!   Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!  Amen.”
• 19:4:  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen.  Hallelujah!”
• 22:20:  He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”  Amen.   Come, Lord Jesus!
• 22:21:  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.  Amen.