In the Gospels, we read of John the Baptist, a man called by God to prepare the way for the arrival of Jesus. Whilst John prepared his community by baptising them with water, he claimed that Jesus would baptise them with the Holy Spirit. Since then, Christians have tried to reconcile the difference between their experience of the Holy Spirit and what they read on the pages of Scripture. How do we make sense of experience, unmet expectations, the now and the not yet?

At the beginning of John’s Gospel, we are given a glimpse of the three persons of God together; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As Jesus, the Son, is baptised, the affirming voice of God the Father is heard, and the anointing Spirit of God is revealed as a descending bird. The New Testament reveals the Holy Spirit as a gift-giver and guide. The Holy Spirit leads us to repentance, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness. The Holy Spirit is an agent of transformation. How do we prepare for this change? How do we partner with new possibilities?

When we read the Bible as a whole, we see that God has revealed himself to us as one God in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called ‘ruach’ in Hebrew in the Old Testament. Denoting wind or breath, it creates the image of a gentle, powerful, sustaining, yet invisible entity. The Holy Spirit empowers men and women within the Old Testament, resting on them and appearing to them. In the story of the artist Bezalel in Exodus, the Holy Spirit gives skills and abilities beyond the natural. How do we understand the Holy Spirit through scripture? How do we know the personal presence of God? How do we open ourselves to be empowered by Him?

‘Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up: You’ll rule the nations, your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my Father gave me; I pass it along to you—and with it, the Morning Star!’ (Revelation 2:26-28). In the second half of our series on the Book of Revelation, we’ll be doing a deeper dive into the second and third chapters of the book, also known as the Letters to the Seven Churches. 

‘This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan.’ (Revelation 2:8b-9).

In the second half of our series on the Book of Revelation, we’ll be doing a deeper dive into the second and third chapters of the book, also known as the Letters to the Seven Churches.

You walked away from your first love—why? In the second half of our series on the Book of Revelation, we’ll be doing a deeper dive into the second and third chapters of the book, also known as the Letters to the Seven Churches. In these seven letters, Jesus gives his specific perspective from Heaven, transforming our view of Himself and the church. In this symbolic book, the number seven is a sign of completeness. As Jesus speaks to the seven churches of Asia, he is, in turn, speaking to the whole church in every place and every age. As we understand Jesus as portrayed in Revelation, we turn our attention to our loving response. How are we, despite the turmoil of the times, to keep our love for Christ and the church from going cold?

One day, Jesus will return and set everything right forever. On that day, every tear will be wiped away. The final pages of the Bible echo its first chapters in the Book of Genesis. The story ends in a garden city, a restored and expanded Eden. The Book of Revelation presents a heavenly perspective of history, the climax of Old Testament prophecy and expectation. It’s a symbolic vision that brings hope, reveals historical patterns of empire and celebrates God’s ultimate promises. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set ‘eternity in the hearts of men’. The Book of Revelation teaches us to live hope-filled with what is inevitable in the light of eternity.

One day, Jesus will return and set everything right forever. On that day, every tear will be wiped away. The final pages of the Bible echo its first chapters in the Book of Genesis. The story ends in a garden city, a restored and expanded Eden. The Book of Revelation presents a heavenly perspective of history, the climax of Old Testament prophecy and expectation. It’s a symbolic vision that brings hope, reveals historical patterns of empire and celebrates God’s ultimate promises. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set ‘eternity in the hearts of men’. The Book of Revelation teaches us to live hope-filled with what is inevitable in the light of eternity.

What do you imagine when you think of the future? The Book of Revelation is not an ending but a beginning. In the final act of Revelation, a cosmic wedding occurs, symbolising the promised relationship between God and His people. As illustrated in the Gospels, God has come to live amongst us. All things are made new. The old passes away, and a new heaven and a new earth emerge. Humanity and all its diversity work in harmony in the presence of God, which fills the earth.

The Book of Revelation presents us with a war in which Jesus is the ultimate victor. In the book's last chapters, we read of a final battle. As the nations arrive on the battlefield, we see Jesus arrive, not dressed in armour but in kingly and priestly robes, riding a white horse. But He’s covered with blood before the battle begins. Armageddon never takes place, Jesus has already won through His blood poured out on the cross. Although Revelation doesn’t give the details, it does give the destiny of the cosmos.