The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. (Revelation 1:1 NKJ)
The revelation of our Lord and King, Jesus, is His unveiling of the divine mysteries and He is showing them to us. There is also an urgency, because this is coming soon. Or this is what He has told the apostle John, who is receiving these visions from an angel.
Of course, two centuries have past and still these things have not take place. Did we misunderstand? I think there is an urgency because while He is eternal and He has waited, our lives are still short, fragile and uncertain. How often has a death come early and unexpectedly?
There are two more truths that shine through. As believers, we are His servants. We belong to our Master, we are indebted to Him for our salvation. Paul instructs us: you are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 NIV).
And yet, He loves us and wants us to know the secrets of heaven. To that end, He provides visions to John, instructing him to write them down and us to read them together.
What does John see and hear? He sees a God so glorious he hardly has words to describe it, so he uses poetic language.
Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness,
the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev 1:5)
Jesus is trustworthy. He was raised from the dead first, but we will follow. He is more powerful than all the kings of the earth. All of them will obey His orders.
Someone like a son of man,
dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet
and with a golden sash around His chest.
The hair on His head was white like wool, as white as snow,
and His eyes were like blazing fire.
His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,
and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
In His right hand He held seven stars,
and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.
His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Rev 1:13b-16)
His appearance will be magnificent. His eyes will see all things. His voice will be heard everywhere. His words will work the changes He desires and will defeat those who choose to oppose Him. He will shine like the sun.
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| Ella & Zach, safe in his crib |
Even as I look for photos, I cannot select one. The description produces frightening images, yet He is lovingkindness personified. How can we grasp this? I prefer to picture Him as a baby, meek and mild. Like my grandson who I pick up and plop in a crib and be confident he will still be there when I come out of the bathroom. But He is not. He is uncontrollable power.
"Look, He is coming with the clouds,”
and “every eye will see Him,
even those who pierced Him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of Him.”
So shall it be! Amen. (Rev 1:7)
No one will miss or mistake His coming next time. He will not be disguised as a baby. He will not grow to be a man. Instead He will come out of the clouds. He will instantly reveal who He is. There will be no faith required. And everyone will have run out of time.
- It is urgent we become His servants, obey Him, trust Him, because He is powerful and He is faithful.
- It is urgent we recognize Him and can distinguish Him from the frauds who will try their best to fool us.
Jesus came as a baby in Nazareth 2000 years ago. But let's not be fooled. He is not that now. He is power and light and loves us. He will come again.
Beloved Jesus, You will return for us. Give us wisdom through Your Holy Spirit to recognize You and not fall prey to the imposter. Let us wait with expectation and joy!
Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
