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1 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, 2 who
testifies to everything he saw --that is, the word of God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ. 3 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. 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. 7 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. 8 "I
am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who
was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
The
revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must
soon take place. Revelation 1:1
The
book of Revelation is an apocalyptic story. As such, it bears all the marks
of such a genre. There are dramatic battles of cosmic proportion and direct consequence.
There are vivid visual scenes composed of richly symbolic characters. There
is stark evil and awful suffering and it is countered by great goodness. The
story is predictive, yet anchored in current realities. This
biblical book is all about Jesus Christ. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ.
God gives us this revelation through Jesus Christ by means of His angels and
His servant, the apostle John. This revelation opens our eyes; it helps us to
see more clearly what it means to live like and for, Jesus in the midst of
persecution, suffering of this broken world. It tells us what to expect in
this life. It tells us what kind of ending there will be for us and for our
world. It tells us that we will encounter all of these issues and concerns
sooner, not later. The
opening lines of this book form a likely title. When we give something a
title, we try to signal to the reader what they can expect in the body of the
report. With a few well-chosen words, we try to signal the tone, the style,
and the main idea that will be found more fully revealed inside the report.
Clearly, John wants the readers to understand that what he is about to tell
them stands in the tradition and lineage of the prophets of God. And he is
also signaling to them that while it is similar, the story he is about to
tell them is also new. When
John writes, "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave or made
known," he uses a verb form of the noun that is most frequently
translated as "sign." John is telling his audience that he is going
to tell them a story containing many signs and symbols. His story will be
"signified" with many symbolic images. The readers are then
immediately alerted to look for signs and symbols rooted in the Old Testament
prophecies, but which now reveal Jesus in a new way. John's
opening greeting (after the first line or title) is a good example. He greets
his audience in a rather standard formula for his day. Letters from kings and
authorities were said to be from a deity who is, and who was, and who is to
come. But then John adds on to this standard greeting not just "and from
the sevenfold Spirit" (a reference perhaps to wisdom) but also,
"and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from
the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." Note two things
here: First, while conforming to a usual pattern of greeting, John goes
beyond that to make specific reference to Jesus Christ, and secondly, he does
so by using three titles for Jesus that are new. The one who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the author of this revelation, is not just as any old
deity. Rather, He is the one who truly is, and was, and will come, He is best
understood as the One who is a faithful witness, who was raised from the
dead, and who is coming as the ruler of all the kings of the earth. He is
none other than the only true God who has revealed Himself to us in these
latter times as Jesus Christ. The author of this letter is the God who we
worship. It is the God who has saved us from our sins in Jesus Christ. This
savior is worth suffering for. This God has made us to be a kingdom, and
priests of God most high. This is the God who will one day come and act in
such a way that all the peoples of all the earth will recognize clearly the
revelation that Jesus is God. Take
up and read. This apocalyptic story is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave Him to show his servants what must soon take place.
Father
in heaven, I want the story of my life to be caught up in the story of Jesus.
And regardless of whether I live in hard times or good times, I want the
themes and images that most accurately depict who I am: a child of God,
conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. May the world see in me the
radiance of Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Amen.
Suppose
you or someone else, were to write a book on your life. Suppose further that
this book was not only descriptive, but also prescriptive in laying out a
picture of what you think life should be all about. Take a few minutes now to
think about this book. Now
(and perhaps also at various times throughout today) jot down some potential
"first lines" for this book. What themes and images come to mind?
What is central to your life? What do you think should be central?
Furthermore, what kind of titles might you suggest for this story? Finally,
take a few moments to ponder this question: "What do these suggested
titles and first lines reveal about me?" [Top] [Living Life Home] [SWIM Home]
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Copyright (c)1995-2000 Tyrannus Press & SWIM.All rights reserved. |
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