Revelation Chapter One
Greetings
Revelation 1:1-3
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
John
writes that the time is near. If the time was near two thousand years ago,
think about how near it is today.
Revelation 1:4-8
John, To the seven
churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and
from the seven spirits before his
throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and
has freed us from our sins by his
blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for
ever and ever! Amen.
Look, he is coming with
the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those
who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the
Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty.”
This
is the introduction to the book of Revelation. It is written to the seven
churches so that The Church might heed the warning and understand how we are to
live for Christ on this earth.
It
says that in his next coming every eye will see him. Everyone on the earth will
know that Jesus is Lord, but also those who have died. He says that even those
who pierced him will see his magnificence.
This
chapter is also further proof that Jesus and the Father are one. He says in
verse 8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God . . .” Jesus is the
Lord God Almighty.
I, John, your brother and companion in
the suffering and kingdom and patient
endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus. On the Lord’s Day
I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which
said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking
to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone
“like a son of man,” dressed in
a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were
white like wool, as white as snow, and his
eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In
his right hand he held seven stars,
and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged
sword. His face was like the sun
shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am
the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive
for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is
now and what will take place later.
As
stated previously, this letter is written to the seven churches, of which we
are one if we know Christ. These are warnings to those who seek to be or are
followers of Christ. Included in this passage are warnings and blessings both
to those who disobey God and those who follow his teachings.
The
first three chapters address the church and those who think they are a part of
the church alike. It is written to those who attend church but don’t really
know the Savior as well as those who follow Christ and do as he commands.
It
is a sobering command for those who need to come closer to Jesus as well as a
wonderful blessing to those who have already accepted his love.
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