Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, August 29, 2015

Today’s Scripture:

“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: 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.” (Revelation 1:17–18).

Question for Deep Consideration:

Have we reason to fear?

Today’s Observation:

When John really took in the vision of His Master, now glorified, he did what everyone has done who experienced the presence of a heavenly being—he fell down at His feet. In this case, the Being was Jesus Christ. As we have already said, John was familiar with the voice, because he and Jesus had spent quite a bit of quality time together in the past. But, when John saw the beautiful brightness of his glorified King, his immediate spiritual impulse was fear and worship. He feared, because the majesty of Christ stood in stark contrast to John’s humanity. He worshipped, because he was already accustomed to worshipping, and this experience took that worship to another level! Whenever the Lord reveals Himself to us, it is quite difficult not to worship.

Notice Jesus’ response to John’s fear. Jesus reached out His right hand, touched John, and told him not to be afraid. Let that sink in. John had no reason to fear, because he had a relationship with God. He was there to reveal Himself to John, and to give him a special message for the world, not to condemn and destroy him. Thus, He told him not to be afraid.

Was there any other reason John needed not to fear? Jesus continued by saying that He was the first and the last. We made reference to this point in another lesson. Jesus was claiming His divine identity and prerogatives in this statement. Only eternal Jehovah has the right to identify as Alpha and Omega. He is the Beginning and the Ending. He is the One who was, is, and is to come. He is I Am, just as much as His Father is Eternal God. Here is one of the ways He said it to Isaiah: “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, And his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; And beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6). Check it out in another version: “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. Who is like Me? Let him [stand and] proclaim it, declare it, and set [his proofs] in order before Me, since I made and established the people of antiquity. [Who has announced from of old] the things that are coming? Then let them declare yet future things. Fear not, nor be afraid [in the coming violent upheavals]; have I not told it to you from of old and declared it? And you are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no [other] Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6–8, AMP). So Eternal God, the Son (Blessed be His name), chose again to condescend to speak to frail humanity, so we would know His plans for the closing moments of earth’s history, and how we must prepare.

As if this were not enough, Jesus did not stop there. He continued by reminding John that He was the same One whose humanity was dead, but is now alive forever. He successfully completed the miracle of blending humanity with divinity, and carrying this mystery of godliness into the heavenly sanctuary, where He now ministers in our behalf. Not only this, His success and victory, in the flesh, having been completely submissive to His Father, afforded Him the right to take away the need for people of faith to fear. Here’s how another Bible writer put it: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of...