God Speaks
This book unveils some of the future activities soon to occur in the life of Jesus Christ. God permitted him to reveal these things to his servant John in a vision; and then an angel was sent from heaven to explain the vision’s meaning. 2 John wrote it all down—the words of God and Jesus Christ and everything he heard and saw.
3 If you read this prophecy aloud to the church, you will receive a special blessing from the Lord. Those who listen to it being read and do what it says will also be blessed. For the time is near when these things will all come true.
4 From: John
To: The seven churches in Turkey.
Dear Friends:
May you have grace and peace from God who is, and was, and is to come; and from the sevenfold Spirit* before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ who faithfully reveals all truth to us. He was the first to rise from death, to die no more. He is far greater than any king in all the earth. All praise to him who always loves us and who set us free from our sins by pouring out his lifeblood for us. 6 He has gathered us into his Kingdom and made us priests of God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever! Amen!
7 See! He is arriving, surrounded by clouds; and every eye shall see him—yes, and those who pierced him. And the nations will weep in sorrow and in terror when he comes. Yes! Amen! Let it be so!
8 “I am the A and the Z, the Beginning and the Ending of all things,” says God, who is the Lord, the All Powerful One who is, and was, and is coming again!*
9 It is I, your brother John, a fellow sufferer for the Lord’s sake, who am writing this letter to you. I, too, have shared the patience Jesus gives, and we shall share his Kingdom!
I was on the island of Patmos, exiled there for preaching the Word of God and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. 10 It was the Lord’s Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast, 11 saying, “I am A and Z, the First and Last!” And then I heard him say, “Write down everything you see, and send your letter to the seven churches in Turkey: to the church in Ephesus, the one in Smyrna, and those in Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 When I turned to see who was speaking, there behind me were seven candlesticks of gold. 13 And standing among them was one who looked like Jesus, who called himself the Son of Man, wearing a long robe circled with a golden band across his chest. 14 His hair was white as wool or snow, and his eyes penetrated like flames of fire. 15 His feet gleamed like burnished bronze, and his voice thundered like the waves against the shore. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand and a sharp, double-bladed sword in his mouth, and his face shone like the power of the sun in unclouded brilliance.
17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; but he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! Though I am the First and Last, the Living One who died, who is now alive forevermore, who has the keys of hell and death—don’t be afraid! 19 Write down what you have just seen and what will soon be shown to you. 20 This is the meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks: The seven stars are the leaders of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the churches themselves.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: The author of this blog was impressed with the thought presented in the introduction to the book of Revelation in The Message Remix by Eugene H. Peterson. He proposes that this final book of the New Testament is “a multidimensional act of Christian worship.” Therefore, I will take that approach as I reflect and pray over this very complex, final book of the Bible. Since the root words for the word revelation mean to remove a veil or to make a secret known, I will try to make the symbolism and pageantry of this book clear and understandable chapter by chapter. It seems that in every verse in this first chapter, John is either offering praise or prayer, describing the majesty of God, or portraying the situation around him. Verses 1-3 declare the subject, Jesus; the author, John; the purpose, to make Jesus known; the goal, that people would hear and heed what was written; and the reason for the book, because the end is near. Verses 4-6 proclaim as a prayer of adoration who Jesus is and what He has done. Verses 7-8 call all the nations to look to the one who was pierced, to mourn for Him, the Alpha and the Omega, the Almighty One. Verses 9-11 tell who is writing, under what circumstances, why, and to whom. In verses 12-16, John describes Jesus in all His glory. Verses 17-20 tell John’s reaction of awestruck submission and Jesus’s response of loving acceptance and assignment.
Prayer: Dear Awe-evoking Father God, thank You for unveiling Jesus the Messiah in all His glory to John the Apostle. Lord, please help me to be faithful to what You want to make known through this book. I’m not a scholar and have not studied it extensively. Please help me and my readers to understand the events You foretell, revel in Your presence, and worship You with all we are. Please bless those who read this book aloud to others. Please bless those who listen and obey as well. Thank You that the end is nearer than it has ever been. Thank You, Jesus, for all that You are and for all You have done. Thank You for calling all nations and individual people to look to Jesus in repentance and faith. May I and others look to You regardless of our circumstances. Prepare and equip us to both experience and convey Your glory to those who do not yet know You. May our reactions be of utter humility that glorifies You. We welcome and accept Your loving response and assignment. This is the true worship You so magnificently deserve. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will seek to worship the Lord at the beginning and throughout this day.
- I will tell someone (preferably an unbeliever) about who Jesus is and what He has done for them.
- I will pray for friends or family members to look to Jesus in repentance and faith.
- I will look at my life as an assignment from God and try to fulfill it relying on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.