REV 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear
the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for
the time is at hand.
This is the only book in the Bible that has a clear
declaration of a blessing for reading it. There is a condition in the
verse and that is that you keep those things that are written in it. The
book of Revelation is mostly prophecy, but there are some very practical things
for us to apply to our lives today. We should also be affected by all the
prophecies that are foretold. They will all come to pass exactly how it is
recorded in this book. Many of them are very terrible to be quite honest.
The tribulation will be an incredibly terrible time to live thru. Reading
this book should have the effect of getting us more concerned about and more
active in getting people saved and thus sparing them from the terrible
tribulation. And more importantly, saving them from the fires of hell.
This book also has the most detailed description of what heaven will be like.
We get a glimpse of the wonders that we have to look forward to. We see
the ultimate victory of Jesus, we see that the devil and his wicked demons will
all be thrown into the lake of fire never to bother us ever again.
Revelation is a book that can impact your life. We need to read it and
then let it affect us and God promises that we will be blessed for it.
Thought On This Chapter
REV 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.
Jesus is the beginning and the ending. Jesus was
in eternity past, He is here in the present, and He will always be.
He is eternal. Jesus never changes.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day,
and for ever.
To change would mean that you are more perfect today or
less perfect than yesterday. You cannot change perfection. God is
the one great constant.
Verse 8 also tells us that Jesus is the Almighty.
Too many people only look at Jesus as a good man or a good teacher. Some
only see Him as a babe in a manger. They are all missing the truth of the
matter. Jesus is the Almighty. He is God the Son co-equal with God
the Father and God the Spirit. Jesus is one member of the one triune God.
The Great 3 in 1. There is no power that Jesus does not have. There
is no prayer that He does not hear. There is no situation that He cannot
take care of if it is His will. Nothing is too hard for Jesus. He is
the Almighty.
This truth should affect us in many ways. One, we
should bow our knee before Him. Two, we should have total faith and
confidence in Him. Three, we should also be obedient to His commands.
Four, we should do all we can to serve Him.
REV 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
REV 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
REV 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
REV 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
REV 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
REV 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
REV 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
REV 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
REV 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
REV 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
REV 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
REV 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
REV 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
REV 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
REV 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
REV 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
REV 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
REV 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
REV 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
REV 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
General Information About the Book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation is the only book of
prophecy in the New Testament.
The key words are I beheld and I saw.
The key verse is Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was,
and which is to come, the Almighty.
The theme of the book is the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
This revelation contains the things which
were, are and will be.
REV 1:5 And
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the
dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The shed blood is very important. Without it we could not be saved.
He washed us from our sins in his own blood. The Bible tells us that life
is in the blood. We also know that the wages of sin is death, and that God
declared that without the shedding of blood is no remission. To have
remission of sins Christ had to shed His blood. Dieing in His sleep would
not have sufficed. Death by hanging would not have worked. Jesus had
to shed His blood. And on the cross Jesus poured His blood out. The
solder thrust a spear thru His side and water and blood came out. The
heart is encased in a sack of water. This cushions the heart. I
believe that this is where the water came from. The spear punctured the
water sack and the heart, and then water and blood ran out.
And this was precious blood.
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were
not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain
conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
It was the precious blood of the very Son
of God that was shed to wash us from our sins.
Too many people are ashamed of the shed
blood of Christ. They take the songs about the blood out of their hymnals.
Too many preachers have quit preaching about the blood. That is just plain
wrong. We don't need some watered down, modernized, sorry, no good,
rotten religion without the blood. No Sir.
Give me a hymnal with the blood still in
it. Give me a Bible with the blood still in it. Give me that old
time religion. Amen.
