[TITLE]
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known
by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies
to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus
Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who
reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to
heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
[LETTER]
4 John, To the
seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him
who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his
throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who
is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the
kings of the earth. To him who loves us
and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and
Father — to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
[PROLOGUE]
7 Look, he is
coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those
who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of
him. So shall it be! Amen. 8 The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
[STAGE SETTING]
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and
kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of
Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's
Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11 which
said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:
to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and
Laodicea."
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.
And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the
lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe
reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and
hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing
fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his
voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and
out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun
shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then
he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do
not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I
am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of
death and Hades. 19 "Write,
therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
20 The
mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven
golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
1) John was in the Spirit
2) John turned around to SEE the voice
3) Jesus put his hand on John
4) Jesus gave John a message beneficial to
himself and others
Acts 9:17-18
A few days later, Ananias, a Christian, went to the house where Saul was
staying. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who
appeared to you on the road as you were coming here — has sent me so that you
may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see
again. He got up and was baptized.
Mark 5:24-29 Woman
bleeding for 12 years - She exhausted all finances and all possibilities, so
she turned to Jesus and touched the hem of his garment and was healed. He turned to see who had touched him. Disciples: “Many
people are here and you ask about one who touched you?” He cares about
the one who turns to him. “Your faith has made you
well.”
Matt 14:29-31
Then Peter got down out of the
boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the
wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand
and caught him.
John 10:4-6
A good shepherds’ sheep follow
him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger;
in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a
stranger's voice." Rev 1:12
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking
to me.
Do you recognize the voice of your savior, Jesus?
Over the next several chapters of Revelation you will
hear a lot about turning around but never see those words. The word you will
see that talks about turning around is the word REPENT. metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o); to think
differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction) = turn
around!
metanoia (met-an'-oy-ah); implies reversal of a decision.
Turn from sin to righteousness from death to life from Satan to God
You
would think EVERYONE would want to repent and turn to God…
Rev 16:8-11
The fourth
angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch
people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name
of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent
and glorify him. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the
beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in
agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but
they refused to repent of what they had done.
Jesus was in the world, and though the
world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that
which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who (did turn
around) received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word (OR…the unseen voice) became
flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory
of the One and Only, who came from
the Father, full of grace and truth.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.
And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was
someone "like a son of man,"
John turned around to SEE the voice
Jesus put his hand on John
Jesus gave John a message beneficial to himself and others
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