Sunday June 15, 2008

Revelation 1:9-20 Exposition

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John is writing these things from exile on the island called Patmos. John had been preserved from death but was still living out his punishment for preaching the Gospel. God brought about the circumstances which led to John's exile so that he would be there to receive, record, and transmit this message to the church. Many of the other Apostles had fallen to martyrdom for declaring Jesus as Lord. Yet our Lord himself had foretold that John would survive in John 21:20-23

20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"

NASU

Jesus was not indicating anything as bizarre as an abnormally long life for John, but it was clear that ther was a different calling for John than for Peter who would die a martyr's death by crucifixion.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

Here was John in exile likely separated from other believers he he describes himself as being “in the Spirit” on the Lord's day. With no luxuries of gathered friends and family, music, entertaining messages or anything else which “church” affords, John is nonetheless in worship, drawing near to the presence of God on the Lord's Day. If there is a first lesson in being the church God wants us to be it is that we must be in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Should anything keep us from worship with our fellow believers in our home congregation, we are called to all the more ensure that we are “in the Spirit” participating in some genuine form of worship and devotion to our Lord on this His day.

Second it is important to note that the message to John came to him while, “in the Spirit”. We often say “I do not know God's will.” or “God doesn't seem to hear my prayers.” While your situation may be different, the first question you should ask yourself is this. Am I “in the Spirit”? That is, are you attentive to God and God alone in your times of devotion and especially on the Lord's day. God is not likely to speak to us when we are performing a religious service out of habit or routine. Should we expect to encounter God's best when we are looking to give Him our least?

The voice itself was like a trumpet. When God speaks or calls it is impossible to ignore. It would take a force of sheer will to disregard a voice like a trumpet. Too often when we know clearly what God wants we will attempt to disregard the voice, believing we may not have heard correctly, yet it is not the ears or the mind which failed but the will that resists.

11 saying, " Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

Christs message was to His church, like any Spiritual gift, Johns vision was for the building up of the body of Christ. So it is with our own Gifts as well a Christian Spiritual experience. These are not given that we may be puffed up with pride as spiritual giants, but that we may use what God gives to build and strengthen His Church.

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;

Christ does more than reveal himself but in setting the scene for John, He displays his role in the church. John sees first the seven lampstands.

13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

This is Christ, the Son of Man, clothed in majesty, and standing in the midst of the lampstands.

14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

Christ appears glorified not in the humility of His earthly appearance, but more like the transfigured appearance which He had shown Peter, James and John, His whiteness and fiery eyes display His holiness and purity and you see a glimpse too of his passion and life. This is no ghost of a dead prophet like the translucent and shadowy visions we picture in movies. No one could see what John saw and believe they describing someone dead. He is also similar in appearance to the Son of Man as seen by Daniel (Dan 10:4-6)

5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

NASU

John's continued description follows this same pattern.

15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

John describes the Son of man in this vision in terms of beauty and awe and majesty. Our Lord is no source for us of boredom. His very person and liveliness makes us alive, grabs our attention and calls us to hear his words.

16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Here we see two ways He shows us who He is, with the sword from His mouth, and the stars in His hand. He himself will explain the stars. We have been told in Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edgedsword , and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

NASU

His face is glorious, shining with an intensity that would force us to look away. This also reminds us of both the transfiguration as well as the Son of Man, again as in Daniel. The similarities to Daniel are important as John's vision deals with much of the same subject matter as Daniel and sets the couse for the New Testament saints to know what to expect and hope for in the end. Knowing this will encourage the Church to stay and stand strong in the future.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, " Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

Even though fear gripped John in Christ's glorified presence He is comforted by the reassurance of Who it Is that is speaking to him, Namely the “first and the Last”. Our comfort is not in our situation or in any natural thing, but our comfort and courage comes from the person of Jesus Christ.

18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

As John falls “like a dead man” and perhaps even fears death, he is reassured that Life and death are in the hands of the one who holds the keys to death and “hades” the grave. Jesus conquered death and as its conquerer now exercises authority over death itself. If we know and trust Jesus, and he has authority over death, then death is not something we have to fear.

19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

John is instructed to write both the events leading up to the vision he is to be shown, what he sees now, and what he is about to see. This is the purpose of the vision, that its contents be transmitted to the Church, that she may be blessed with what Christ imparts to her though His Word.

20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The first explanation Christ gives is of the stars and lampstands. The stars are the “angels” as it says, of the seven churches. This can either mean, angelic beings charged with the care of the churches, or the “messengers” of those churches, namely their pastoral leadership. In either sense we gain comfort knowing that the messengers, whether angelic or human, reside in the palm of Christ's hand. The greatest responsibility is the preseervation and the proclamation of Christ's own message to His Church. The task is impossible without the guidance and protection of Christ's own hand.

The lampstands are the churches which can take comfort that Christ stands in the midst of them. One can even infer that Christ does not stand closer to one than another, but stands in the midst of His faithful churches. Our congregations may know that Christ does not belong to us but that His Church belongs to Christ. He stands beside His Bride in whichever congregation she resides, and guides and protects His message and messengers.

Heads up for the Summer series

The following will be the scriptures for the Summer series on Revelation and God's calling for the Church we are to be. Read on your own to prepare or use this like any other post for comments or questions on the sermons.

Week 1 June 15 2008

Rev 1:9-20

9 The Patmos Vision

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, " Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, " Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

NASU

Week 2 June 22 2008

Rev 2:1-7

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

2' I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 4'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent. 6'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

NASU

Week 3 June 29 2008

Rev 2:8-11

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

9'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.'

NASU

Week 4 July 6 2008

Rev 2:12-17

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

13'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16'Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'

NASU

Week 5 July13 2008

Rev 2:18-29

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

19' I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21' I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them — I place no other burden on you. 25'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26' He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end,TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON,AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

NASU

Week 6 July 20 2008

Rev 3:1-6

3:1 Message to Sardis

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ' I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5' He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

NASU

Week 7 July 27 2008

Rev 3:7-13

7 Message to Philadelphia

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

8' I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11' I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12' He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

NASU

Week 8 August 3 2008

Rev 3:14-22

14 Message to Laodicea

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

15' I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17'Because you say, " I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19' Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21' He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

NASU

Week 9 August 10 2008

Rev 4

4:1 Scene in Heaven

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, " Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

5 The Throne and Worship of the Creator

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY,WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 " Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

NASU

Last week I said concerning Revelation 1:4 that I found no quarrel with the idea that the seven spirits could be angelic beings. In spite of this I have found little to back me up on this and much more evidence to suggest as I believed before, that this sevenfold Spirit, is none other than the Holy Spirit. The most concise argument to this effect I found in the Geneva Bible and include it here.

"Rev 1:4
That is, from the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. This Spirit is one in person according to his subsistence: but in communication of his power, and in demonstration of his divine works in those seven churches, perfectly manifests himself as if there were many spirits, every one perfectly working in his own church. Which is why in Rev 5:6 they are called the seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb, as if to say, as his most absolute power and wisdom. In Rev 3:1 Christ is said to have those seven spirits of God , and in Rev 4:5 it is said that seven lamps burn before his throne, which also are those seven spirits of God . That this place ought to be so understood, it is thus proved. For first, grace and peace is asked by prayer from this Spirit, which is a divine work, and an action incommunicable in respect to God. Secondly, he is placed between the Father and the Son, as set in the same degree of dignity and operation with them, besides, he is before the throne, as of the same substance with the Father and the Son: as the seven eyes and seven horns of the Lamb. Moreover, these spirits are never said to adore God, as all other things are. Finally, this is the power by which the Lamb opened the book, and loosed the seven seals of it, when no one could be found among all creatures by whom the book might be opened Rev 5:1-10"
(from Geneva Notes, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Blessed be God who reveals His truth to us in His Word. We would be lost to our own fickle imaginations without it.

In Christ,
Mark

Revelation Series for Summer

Taking a break from Acts, I want to spend some time on the first part of Revelation this Summer and look at the Letters to the Seven Churches. The goal will be for our church to mine from these Scriptures the call of God for the kind of Church we are to be. We'll begin this week with the introduction in Revelation 1.

Revelation 1:1-8

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

4 Message to the Seven Churches

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, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood — 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 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 mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, " who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

NASU

Rev 1:1-8 Exposition

The Revelation of Jesus Christ,

Do not treat the book of Revelation as any kind of cryptic book of predictions. It does prophesy future events in its content as the past present and future are in the hand of the sovereign God. Yet it is not some book of shadowy secrets to be opened by adepts to gain knowledge kept from ordinary men. It is first and foremost “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” and since it says “which God gave Him to show his bond-servants,” we can assume that it is Jesus' revelation, that is the Revelation made by Jesus Christ. This is a contrast to a revelation of the person of Jesus. Again by necessity, just as prophetic warnings and predictions occur by necessity, the book also includes some revelations of the person of Christ, but none which are new and in any differ from the rest of Scripture. We are not meeting a Jesus any different than the one pictured for us in the Gospels.

which God gave Him

The message is God's own given through Jesus Christ.

to show to His bond-servants,

The book is shown by Jesus to the church, “his bond-servants” those who serve him and are bound to him. This accurately pictures the church which is called to serve the cause and Word and good news of Christ and is bound to Him by gracious election and by personal response and baptism. Our obligation to Him is one of gratitude for all he has done for us.

the things which must soon take place

The book is a gift to the church, not for hiding but for revealing “the things which must soon take place.” It's purpose is to strengthen the church to endure in faith in times of tribulation which came upon the church and will always face her until the end. It is a word of hope for us that we can and shall persevere.

and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

As the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” the book has Jesus as its Author, “His angel” as the author's messenger, true to the name “angel”, and John as its faithful transcriber as John too is Christ's “bond servant”. This is not John's own creative writing, the bond servants of Christ are not called to creativity or originality concerning our message but to faithful transmission of God's own Word.

2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,

John writes in the third person of himself as this kind of faithful witness, testifying truly to the Word of God as well as the testimonial account of Jesus. John's goal is to be faithful to the revealed Word of God as well as the accounts of Jesus' words and deeds.

even to all that he saw.

John is also testifying to the vision which he was given to see. The words “all that he saw” is from the Greek hosa meaning “all of the things” rather than giving us the sense of him telling these things to all the people which he saw. This tells us that we are about to read an account of a vision.

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

We are blessed by this account. It is a gift to the church and one too precious to be neglected as it often is for its difficulty. Taking into account its purpose as a revelation from God to the church and a gift with a blessing, unlocks much of what seems hidden and makes study of it worthwhile, encouraging the reader to bear with and trust in God with those things which are hard to understand. We are told the blessing is for those who “read” and “heed”. One does not receive any magical “blessing” for reading alone, but the gift or blessing is for those who read and pay attention to and obey what is writted and faithfully apply what is there. We are additionally warned that the time is near. Certainly the early church would need these words to endure the early tribulations of persecution which were coming. Likewise the church in every age needs these words to be assured of God's sovereign control of their situation and struggles and of Christ's ultimate victory. The church in the days of the final tribulation described herein will need these words to survive to the end. We do not know the day or hour of Christ's return, but these passages give us hope and reason to endure.

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

John now begins to address his immediate audience, not the general “bond-servants” of Christ, but the specific seven churches of Asia Minor (called Asia in John's day). These as we will see are messages of encouragement, warning, rebuke, correction, and praise, to the specific gathered bodies of believers in those seven places, which have application to any and all churches at all times when they find in these letters something which describes them.

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,

First a greeting from the letter's true author, not John, but God, who is described as eternal, “who was and is and is to come. Also from the seven spirits or “sevenfold spirit” depending on the translation, before His throne. This I believe points to none other than the Holy Spirit, but should you wish to believe it is some angelic creatures who add greeting, I would not quarrel since the point is the same, that the message and greeting comes from none other than the throne of God and no lesser place.

5 and from Jesus Christ,

Encouraging me to believe that the seven spirits are the Holy Spirit made manifest with the perfect number seven and perhaps alluding to the nature of the Spirit, the same Spirit who rested on Jesus as in Isaiah 11:2

2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

KJV

Even as I underline these attributes, one might debate whether these are six or seven. Yet the point is that it is possible that the Spirit, of whom additional attributes could be Holiness (as He is the “Holy” Spirit) or eternity (as He is the Spirit of the LORD, which is the Hebrew name of God, “I am”, the eternal” etc.) my point is that to see the Sevenfold Spirit as the Trinity completing Holy Spirit would be appropriate as the greeting already includes the Father, as well as the Son Jesus Christ.

the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Jesus is here described by His attributes, “the faithful witness” who reveals the Father, the resurrected “firstborn from the dead”, and the “ruler of the kings of the earth” demonstrating His Lordship and echoing the proclamation of the Church, “Jesus is Lord”.

To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood —

Jesus' name is not said without praise as John breaks mid-sentence to Praise His works. Jesus; “ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood”. The choice of Christ to love his bond-servants the church, and to forgive our own unloving disobedience is displayed here as part of a list of reasons for praise. The cross and His Blood were His means of accomplishing what He willed for us and demonstrating his love and gracious forgiveness while remaining perfect in justice and holiness.

6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father —

Not only have we received His love and forgiveness but also we have been elevated, no longer just servants owing Him a debt of gratitude but also his kingdom citizens and priests who are now able to serve His God and Father in worship.

to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The result of these things is unlimited praise equal to that of The Father Himself and due only to God, therefore unreservedly declaring Jesus to be God as well. This praise ascribes to Him glory, and “dominion” lordship, and rulership, not only now but also for eternity, Not for a mere season but always.

7 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 mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

Here we are reminded of what was revealed by the angels at the mount of Ascension; Acts 1:11

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

KJV

and by Jesus Himself , Matt 24:30

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

KJV

Jesus own Word of promise are repeated here to assure the church of the truth of His promise even as His return seems delayed and the church prepares to endure suffering and tribulation.

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, " who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Our final assurance is in the eternity of God. There is no changing or defeating God or what he has purposed. This is good news for if our future and even our end is secure in God's hand then whatever we may face, mistreatment, imprisonment, suffering, or even death, we may know that our end is secure. God is, and exists without end existing also in our present. God was, and therefore was present in the past bringing all things about to fulfill His purpose. God is to come, and will not disappear leaving us to our own ends. God is Almighty, no to be defeated, thwarted, disappointed, frustrated, or out maneuvered. Therfore what have we to fear. As Romans 8:31 tells us.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us ?

KJV

In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark