All Glory and Praise Be Unto Jesus Christ Today

The book of Revelation begins with a hymn of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, “…and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5 – 6.

         The first description of Jesus is that He is the faithful witness. The word “witness” is the Greek word martereo, which describes a person whose testimony of the facts is more important to them than their own life. We get our English word “martyr” from this Greek word. Jesus fully revealed the heart of the Father to man. He also revealed the faithful heart of man to God. He lived as God intended man to live. In living this way, He was rejected by man, which led to His death for man.

The crucifixion of Jesus not only revealed the love of the Father for man, it also revealed the sinfulness of man toward God. Jesus is the faithful witness of both. His sinless life revealed the hypocrisy of those who lives were full of sin (ours) with full knowledge that He would become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus is the faithful witness of God to man and man to God.

         Jesus is the firstborn of the dead. This phrase reveals the fact that there has only been one person who has lived in perfect fellowship with the Father; Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus died, and God the Father raised Him up on the third day. Hallelujah!!! Death had no claim on His life because He never sinned. Jesus robbed death of its reign over man by His sinless life. He conquered the grave and forever made it something to walk through rather than be trapped in! The resurrection of Jesus Christ created a new humanity for the new heaven and new earth that God has promised to create. Jesus is the firstborn of the new creation. In Him, you are next.

         Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. The book of Revelation will reveal the failure of all of the kings of the earth and their kingdoms. History reveals the same truth. One by one, every kingdom and scheme of man has failed because of sin. Sin has always had the last word in people’s lives, until Jesus stepped onto the scene. He rules by His sinless life in perfect fellowship with the Father. The authority of Christ is the word of God. He rules with the two-edged sword that proceeds from His mouth; the word of God. All of the kings of the earth have tried and failed, but Jesus overrules them all, by His faithfulness to God’s word. He is the Word of God!

         Today, memorize this powerful three-fold description of Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. Meditate on the truth of it and pray it back to Him as a declaration of praise.  

Revelation Begins With the End in Sight

In the introduction of the book of Revelation, 1:1 – 8, you see the ending of the book with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming in the clouds, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7.

         When Jesus ascended to heaven in Acts 1:9 – 11, His disciples watched as, “…he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight…and behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Jesus is coming back the same way He left, in the clouds; the clouds took Him from their sight, and the clouds will reveal Him when He returns. The difference is that when He left, only His disciples saw Him, and when He returns, everyone will see Him.

         The phrase “all the tribes of the earth” in Revelation 1:7, is the Greek word phuley, which describes a large group of related people. The relation could be biological, or geographical or cultural or all three. There are several words in the Greek language to describe people groups. The word phuley is one of those words. But the key word in that phrase is the little word “all,” which in Greek means “all.” In other words, every eye on earth will see Jesus Christ when He returns.

         The disturbing thing to see in this verse is that from every tribe there will be people who will “wail” when Jesus returns. The Greek word is kopto, which means loud weeping and lamentation. It was used to describe the mournful sounds of a funeral procession in ancient times. In those settings, people would beat themselves, and even cut themselves to inflict pain to express the pain of regret, remorse, grief, and loss for the person who had died. For that reason, the word took on the meaning of cutting and separation, as well as the sound of pitiful grief.

         This verse reveals that there will not be a single people group on the earth that will have been totally reached and born again when Jesus returns. In every cultural, geographic, and biological group of people, there will be souls who will not be ready for the promised return of Christ. The work of sharing the gospel and spreading the Kingdom of God will still be in full swing and spreading when Jesus comes back. Later in the book you will see a picture of the redeemed with people from every tribe, Revelation 7:9. We will still be working and sharing the gospel of Christ in the fields of the world, with success, when our Savior and King returns! The question is: will you?

         Today and everyday, begin your day with the end is sight. Jesus Christ is coming back! Hallelujah!!!

The Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational in our faith. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in Scripture, the revelation of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is seen from cover to cover. The book of Revelation begins with this definitive revelation, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:4 – 6.

         God the Father is often referred to as eternal, “…who is and who was and who is to come…” He is also called “…Father…,” of our Lord Jesus Christ. He loves and forgives, He provides and protects, He disciplines and corrects; most of all, God the Father is in control over all of His creation, working out His plan of redemption according to the counsel of His good, pleasing, and perfect will through His Son and by His Holy Spirit.

         God the Son is often referred to as the Christ, the Anointed of the Father, who carries out the good, pleasing, and perfect will of the Father, “…Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings on earth…who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father…” God the Son accomplishes the eternal plan of God the Father on earth, perfectly. He reveals the glory of the Father by His perfect relationship with the Father.

         God the Holy Spirit is often referred to with the symbols of fire, oil, and water. He gives light and meaning; He heals; He gives life. God the Holy Spirit is also associated with the number seven because seven represents completion, perfection, holiness, “…and from the seven spirits who are before his throne…” God the Holy Spirit gives meaning to the accomplished work of God the Son and applies the saving, healing, life-giving work of the Son to all who believe, according to the good, pleasing, and perfect will of the Father.

         But the most important aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity is that God is one God, not three. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is one God in perfect oneness and unity. Each one is God and together He is one God. Impossible for our minds to comprehend because we are His creatures and are limited to time and space. And revelation from God is first to be trusted before it can be understood. Understanding is the fruit of faith and obedience, not the other way around.

         As you read and study the book of Revelation, know that God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is center-stage in moving all of history toward His good, pleasing, and perfect will of completion. Jesus Christ is the one you see and know in this book. And in seeing and knowing Him, you experience the love and grace and provision and protection and inspiration and healing and relationship of and with the Father by the Holy Spirit. AMEN and Hallelujah!!!

         

The Blessing of God's Word

The book of Revelation has seven blessings scattered throughout its twenty-two chapters. The first two are found in verse three, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3. The word “blessed” is the Greek word makarios, which was used in the Greek world to describe someone who was rich. Their wealth gave them something to rise above the struggles of the poor. They were not disturbed or threatened by circumstances. They had something greater. The blessing that God promises goes way beyond any and all material wealth. The spiritual strength in the blessings of God is eternal and arms believers with confidence for every occasion in life.

         The church in the day of John’s writing was suffering intense persecution by the Roman authorities. It was open season on the followers of the Way. The apostles had all been martyred. John had been exiled. As believers were found they were forced to confess their allegiance of worship to Caesar with the confession, “Caesar is Lord.” Instead they would declare, “Christ is Lord.” They would then be tortured and killed. The church had gone underground. Many were beginning to wonder if it would survive.

In this setting God gave the promise of a greater strength and power than of Roman persecution and the fear of death; the power of a word from God, of His Son, Jesus Christ, for His own glory by the Holy Spirit to all who would believe. No doubt the church was praying for relief, for deliverance, and for the persecution to end. We certainly would. But instead, God gave them a blessing in the midst of suffering. He gave them this word, His word. This is instructive for us today. Our greatest need is a word from God. And regardless of the situation or circumstance, God’s word provides the strength to rise above the fray. The blessing of God’s word is eternal. It is from God, of God, and for God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Today, spend time in God’s word. Read Revelation 1, out loud, and meditate on the reality of Jesus Christ. He is with you and for you. According to God’s word, there is a blessing in reading God’s word, out loud. Try it today and experience the richness of eternal Truth, and know for certain that there is nothing more powerful than the child of God armed with a word from God! They are blessed to be a blessing.

The Book of Revelation

The book of Revelation has always been fascinating to believers. The images that John describes in Revelation are strange and even grotesque and yet full of meaning. The author is the apostle John. He is writing from the island of Patmos where he has been exiled. He is an old man, probably the last living apostle of the original followers of Jesus Christ. John wrote the gospel of John along with 1, 2, 3 John, but only in the book of Revelation does he name himself as the author, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.” Revelation 1:1 – 2.

         The book of Revelation is about Jesus Christ, according to verses one and two. It is the revelation that God the Father gave to His Son, Jesus Christ. It was given to Christ in order to show to His servants. This book of Revelation is for the servants of Christ.

The word “servants” is the Greek word dulos, which is translated as “bond slave.” A bond slave was a slave that had been set free by his master and with his freedom chose to remain a slave to his master. The decision was never to be reversed. The slave would be bound to his master, to serve his master, for the rest of his life.

The concept of the bond slave is found in the Old Testament in Exodus 21:1 – 6. The identity of the bond slave was a pierced ear, according to Exodus 21:6, as well as by his position at the side of the master; standing slightly behind and at the right elbow of the master. At this position he was able to easily hear the desire and the command of his master and quickly carry it out. The dulos was loyal, faithful, totally devoted to his master. He lived for his master because he had been set free by his master but chose to serve him because of his love for the master.

The book of Revelation cannot be understood by anyone other than the dulos of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons people have difficulty understanding the message and meaning of the book of Revelation is that they are still trying to serve two masters. Nothing but confusion will result. Begin this study by giving your heart, soul, and body to Jesus Christ in full and undiluted faithfulness to Him. As you begin to read each verse, pray the vow of devotion, “I belong to You, Lord Jesus, and I will love you and serve you for the rest of my life on earth and throughout all eternity. You are a good, good Master, and I am Your dulos.”