God Thinking XXV - The Beginning of Revelation 6

"There is something extraordinary about knowing the essence of something, and it is the essence of life that is extracted in this revealing book of prophesy.

 Let’s get started:

Revelation 1

V1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John:

V2 Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
V3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

You are blessed to have the Book of Revelation.  The prophesy contained herein is for you, and in the overall big picture, the time is at hand. 

You have got to see this message as it really is - for the living, the time is at hand.  The time was at hand when John wrote the book, and the time is at hand now.  The  revelation of Jesus Christ is for the living and the time that is at hand is for each generation to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, while they are living.  For the living - the time is at hand.

V4 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 the throne;

V5 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,

V6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.

V7 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.

V8 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 seven Spirits would have been better translated the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, as found in Re. 4:5, seven hard breathes of fire, one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit.  The seven Spirits are also referred to as the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit.

Try to envision the throne of God.  Jesus holding the angelic hosts and the church in His hand.  Round about the throne is fire burning before the throne.  Jesus was lit up like the sun.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit present - And John was there to capture this moment in time.

And now John shares his vision of God revealed with us.  Don’t be too hard on John if sometimes his words fail him.  John wrote what he saw.  And what he saw, he saw when he was in the Spirit, for only in the Spirit can anyone be in the presence of God.

At times John could hardly find words that could even begin to describe this encounter with God - And so it is with you."

 

Excerpt from God thinking XXV - The Beginning Of Revelation by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013