November 7th

Good Evening Meadowbrooke,

For this week’s email, I thought it would be fun to share with you one of the seventy reflections that will be included in my Revelation and its Parallels book (a two-volume book).  You will receive the first volume before we begin my series in Revelation.  The reflection below is on Revelation 1:4-8 and should give you some idea of the tone you can expect during our time in a book that should serve to encourage more than it should scare you.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we will consider Moses, the gods of Egypt, and the 10 plagues.

Grace,

Pastor Keith

A Message to the Seven Churches

Revelation 1:4-8

“My contention is that we desperately need the message of Revelation for today’s world. There is a great conflict between good and evil in our world, and the Christian faith is under attack, as it was in the first century. John reminds us in this book that God rules, even in an evil day; that God has not forsaken his people; and that goodness will finally triumph and prevail.”[1] – Thomas R. Schreiner

The book of Revelation is not just an apocalyptic book; at its core, it is “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Yet, it is also crafted as a letter. John, the author, clearly introduces himself and addresses specific recipients, following the familiar pattern of ancient correspondence: “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come...” The letter concludes in a similar fashion: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” This structure emphasizes that Revelation was written to real Christian communities, congregations with whom John shared a personal relationship. As a letter, it was intended to be read aloud among the seven churches, so that both the reader and the listeners might receive its blessing (see v. 3). This direct connection to first-century believers reminds us that Revelation’s meaning for us today is rooted in what it meant for them. Its message transcends time, offering hope and assurance to every generation.

When we come to Revelation, the letter, there is a sense we are reading something personal that was originally written to a family member from generations ago, but this letter is also written for us!  Revelation is not only from John, it is a letter commissioned by Jesus who “loves us and released us from our sins by His blood...” (v. 5).   Indeed, Revelation is a letter written for all people and ethnicities whose skin pigmentation and culture is no longer what defines them but is now red – the blood of the Lamb.  Those redeemed out of the nations now belong to one glorious tribe, and that tribe is linked to a Lion – the Lion of the tribe of Judah; it is to His tribe the Christian now find his/her identity.  Revelation is a letter written with great love for all who now belong to Jesus and His kingdom as, “priests to His God and Father” (v. 6).

Revelation is indeed a letter, but it is unlike any other ever written. While this letter may have been written down by the apostle John, its true author is the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The message begins with the Father, described as “the One who is, who was, and who is to come” (v. 4)—the same eternal “I AM WHO I AM” revealed in Exodus 3:14. Next, the letter comes from the Holy Spirit, portrayed as the “seven spirits before His throne” (Rev. 1:4; Zech. 4:2-6), symbolizing the fullness and perfection of the Spirit. Finally, Revelation is from Jesus Christ Himself, “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (v. 5). This extraordinary letter carries the authority and love of Yahweh—Father, Spirit, and Son—speaking directly to His people.

Revelation was addressed to seven actual churches, specifically chosen to represent not only the churches of the first century but also the entire church throughout history. Its message is for every generation, and it is also for us today, promising a blessing to all who obey the teachings found in this book. It is a letter to encourage the multitudes, both Jew and Gentile, who the Lamb lovingly redeemed with His blood.  As those redeemed by the Lamb, we have been made into His kingdom of priests, called to actively engage in the divine mission that God has established (vv. 5-6).  In his insightful book, Foretaste of the Future, Dean Flemming highlights a central theme in Revelation that is essential for truly understanding its message:

If our reading of Revelation focuses on events—how the script of the end times unfolds—we will miss Revelation’s God-centered focus. Revelation, above all, tells the story of a sovereign and loving God who is on a mission to save people of all nations and to bring the whole creation to its intended goal. And God accomplishes this magnificent purpose in and through Jesus Christ, the slaughtered Lamb, who by his death triumphs over sin and death, and by the Spirit, who empowers God’s people to bear witness to what God is doing in the world.

If we follow Flemming’s advice, we will uncover the rich blessings that God intends for His people to experience by reading and putting into practice the teachings found in John’s apocalyptic book.