Revelation 1:3-6 – Blessed is the one who reads aloud 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. 4 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, 5 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, 6 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.
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy…” Let us always remember that God does not predict, like a meteorologist who interprets the clues to give his best guess of what the weather will be. No, God speaks of what He knows. Remember that God is omniscient. Since He knows everything, He knows the future. He KNOWS the future. He tells of things that will happen because he knows they will happen. When God speaks it is absolute and unerring truth. If God says it will rain, it will rain, even if it had never rained before. God does not speak of the future as someone who makes an educated guess, but as someone who knows what does not yet exist (Romans 4:17, Matthew 24:25). So sure does God know the future that He exists in what is not yet existing, but beyond all doubt, will come to exist (Isaiah 46:8-10). When God reveals a prophecy to us, it is not a prediction of what is to come and then we wait to see if God was right. No, it is a statement of what God knows and there is not a margin of error. This is of highest importance to us. Because God knows the future, we know that we shall be eternally secure in His grace. We know that He will rule forever and that He will forever keep those that are His. No error is possible. There are no “ifs.” God has spoken and it is not a matter of if something will happen, it is only a matter of when it will happen. What God says will happen is, to us, as sure as what has already happened. The fact that yesterday the sun rose in the east and set in the west, is no more true than what God has stated will happen. Praise our God!
“To the seven churches in the province of Asia…” This book is written to the seven churches of Asia. Why did God choose to write to seven rather than three or five or seventeen? Well, He didn’t say. We can surmise, but we must always be careful to express that what is said is only an opinion and not expressed by God. Therefore, being clear that it is an opinion, some think that the number seven is used because it expressed completion. Also, many think that these seven churches aptly represent the condition, or stages of all churches. Some think that these seven churches represent the different stages the church, as a whole, will be in at different time periods. One thing is certain is that the church is the body of Christ, the children of God. This letter is written to the children of God.
“…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.” His greeting is a greeting given to the believer, to who the peace of God is solely available to. Only those who know of a sure and eternal future with God have the deep down eternal peace of God. Before a man can have the peace that God gives, He must first be recipients of His grace. Who give us this grace and peace is God, God the singular, yet plural, person of the Holy Trinity. We see God the Father sending Jesus His Son, who is led and empowered by God the Holy Spirit. What is a witness but somebody who has seen something, heard something or has done something and then recounts what he has seen, heard or personally experienced. Or what the witness has a sure knowledge of, such as an expert witness. Jesus sent His angel to reveal, to uncover, what is within this book. Jesus has testified, the angel revealed and John recorded it and passed it on. Jesus is firstborn from the dead. Jesus was the one who defeated death. We are blessed to receive the benefits of His victory. Jesus has preeminent and absolute authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14). All authority is under Jesus (Matthew 28:18). Who is the boss, none other than Jesus! Praise God!
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” The victory of Jesus that belongs to all believers is complete and omnipotent. It is the power of Almighty God released for our benefit. Almighty God freed us and lives within us. The God who created all and has no limits, lives within. Praise the Lord! The veil is rent in two and what separated us from full communion with God was defeated by Jesus (Matthew 27:51). We have been freed from our sins and from the power of sin (Romans 6:17-18). We were slaves to darkness but are freed by Jesus to live in the light (Psalm 107:14). Jesus paid the whole price to set us free. He paid it with His own blood. Oh Family, let’s jump up and down and praise Jesus! Let us spread the Good News, Jesus did it all and to Him we owe everything.
“…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.” Ephesians 2:10 states that we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are not the authors, the creators, the givers, or the finishers of our salvation (Ephesians 12:2). It is all through and by Jesus. The Word says here that we are a kingdom, united under His kingship. We are priests serving as Jesus our High Priest determines. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a prized possession of God who saved us from living in the stench of evil while residing in darkness. The job of a priest is to get the message of God to the people and pray for the people. We are His prized possession. Family, we are His prized possession! What do you value most in your life? That is us to Him. Praise the Lord! We who were not a people, not a group, were called to be His people (Hosea 2:23), and His servants, and He has all the assignments of His people, as a group mission and as individuals, ready for us to do. Remember the famous quote of Hannibal Smith from the television series The A-Team “I love it when a plan comes together?” Well, all of God’s plans “come together.” In fact they are together now. We shall see them. It is not a matter of if, but when. Praise our God who is all-powerful and all-knowing so that all He has said, and all He has promised, will come to pass, at just the right time. Because He said so. Good enough! Better than good enough! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.