“The Revealing Of The Almighty”

Revelation 1:4-8

The Revelation of Jesus can be summed up in two statements:

1. Who is Jesus?

2. He is coming again!

Greeting Vs 1:4a

Author - John the Apostle

To: the seven churches in the province of Asia (Modern Day Turkey):

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.

Grace and peace to you - very familiar greeting seen often in Pauline literature

Grace - God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

Peace – shalom; Sabbath rest/The peace of God.

The Trinity Vs 1:4-5a

7 Titles of the Godhead.

1. Who is

2. Who was

3. Who is to come

4. Seven spirits around the throne

5. Faithful witness

6. Firstborn

7. The ruler of the kings of the earth

God the Father

1. Who is,

2. Who was

3. Who is to come

God the Holy Spirit

4. Seven spirits from before His throne

God the Son

5. Faithful witness - the work of the Holy Spirit; Witness of the Father

6. First born from among the dead - The work of the resurrected Christ

7. Ruler of the kings of the earth - the ruler of all who is God the father.

Revelation of Jesus

From this place in verse 5 to the end of verse 8 there is a steady revelation of Jesus in all his fullness.

His plan of redemption - 5b

“Him who loves us”

Him who loves us – present tense, continuous love

Has freed us - past tense - the work is done on the cross once for all.

By his blood - at the cost of his blood is literal; love in action

His purpose for the believer - 6a

“has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father.”

Ex. 19:6 - “you are to be for me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. (1 Peter 2:9)

We are royalty - adopted by the King.

We are sons of Adam.

We are given the privilege of being sons of God because of Jesus John 1:12

Note we are a kingdom - it is together that we are complete.

His praise for eternity - 6b

“to him be glory and power for ever and ever.”

1:6 - Glory and dominion

4:11 - Glory honor and power

5:13 - blessing, honor, glory, power

7:12 - blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, might

Jesus, the Almighty, is coming again! Vs 7-8

Vs 7-8 - An over view of the entire book

“Look, he is coming with the clouds” - 7a

The idea of Jesus coming in the clouds first seen in Daniel 7:13

In the N.T. Mark 13:26, 14:62, Matt. 24:30, 26:64

“Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;” - 7b

This will not be a secret catching up of Christians but a grand entrance - 1 Thess. 4:13-18

To those waiting anxiously His coming is a long-awaited reunion of love.

To those who refused Him, His coming will be a time of grief and mourning.

“All the people of the earth will mourn because of him.” - 7c

Zech 12:10

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

So shall it be! Amen! “So be it!”

“I Am” - Vs 8

“the Alpha and Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come;”

The speaker is the one in context just referred to. It is Jesus

I Am Alpha and Omega - The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

to pass.

1:8 - Alpha and Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come

1:17 - the first and the last

2:8 - the first and the last

21:6 - the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end

22:13 - the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end

“the Almighty!”

12 times in N.T. 9 of those in Rev.

Ruler over all things.

2 Peter 3 - he is not willing that any should perish.

You don’t even realize the slow coiling of the serpent’s grip around your heart as it grows colder. He has you deceived into thinking you are in control as he squeezes the very life out.