REVELATION CHAPTER 1 Verses 4 thru 8 (A VERSE BY VERSE EXPLANATION) Taught by Pulitzer Nominated Author - APOSTLE MASON

[Apostle Terry Angel Mason]

REVELATION CHAPTER 1 Verses 4 thru 8
Greeting the Seven Churches

REVELATION CHAPTER 1 vs. 1-3 COVERED IN THIS AUDIO MESSAGE BELOW -- LISTEN --
Listen to this Audio Message: http://alovesong.podomatic.com/entry/2013-02-17T22_18_42-08_00
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Verse 4: John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace be unto you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.

John, now focuses his attention on seven local churches, located in a land area called Asia. This is not Asia as we know it today, but probably a portion of Turkey. Only seven churches are mentioned, though there were undoubtedly more in existence. Seven is God’s number of perfection. The number also pictures seven different sets of conditions of Gods’ reflecting the History of God’s people through the Church Age.

God’s salutation found in 19 books of the 27 books of the New Testament is presented here as well: Grace be unto you and peace – Watch it!

It is not PEACE AND GRACE! But grace and peace, for this is God’s program for sinners. They cannot have peace until He has shown them His Lovely grace! God must show His unmerited favor and love, “CALLED GRACE,” before one can experience peace.

This grace is shown through the sacrifice of Calvary, and is freely bestowed upon ALL WHO BELIEVE, AND RECEIVE CHRIST! That’s why Ephesians 2:8 and 9 states: “For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Again, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to ALL men (Titus 2:11). Then, when grace has don’t its job, peace follows. Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). This peace was made through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20)!

Thus, Romans 15:13 states: “Now the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. My brothers and sisters, only Jesus can give one this peace. An unsaved psychiatrist is unable to do the job! Psychiatrists need the same peace that they strive to give. Thus, we must turn our problems over to the son of God.

We also find that the message of grace and peace is from the entire Trinity. First the Father, which is and which was, and which is to come! Then, from the Seven Spirits which are before the throne, a designation of the blessed Holy Spirit, in all of His holiness, for seven means perfection. And from Jesus Christ, verse 5, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood!

The question is often asked, “Why is Christ the first begotten from the dead, when Lazarus and others were raised first?” The answer is simple; others were raised to life but they died again! They were raised from physical death to physical life, only to eventually die a second time!

Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to immortality, never to die again! So, He is the first to have been resurrected with a new never dying body! This is why Christ should be the first that shall rise from the dead (Act 26:23). And why He only hath immortality (1 Timothy 6:16)!

Five times Christ is called “The First Begotten” or “The First Born” from the dead. Another five times He is called, “The Only Begotten.” The term, “ONLY BEGOTTEN” refers to His incarnation, when He came in the flesh. Whereas “First Begotten” or “First Born” refers to His resurrection. For instance, “He bringeth in the first begotten into the world (Hebrews 1:6). “Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn or first begotten of every creature (Colossians 1:15). And He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning; The First born or again: THE FIRST BEGOTTEN from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18)!

Romans 8:29 declares: “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His son, that He might be The First Born, Ye, The First Begotten, among many brethren!

Please, think through these verses carefully so that no cultist can trip you up on the terms, “First Begotten” and “First Born,” as he or she attempts to make the eternal Christ have a beginning. No, praise God, Christ is from old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Yea, He is one with the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6). This of course is future, when the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) returns to earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

This glorious event will be a fulfillment of Psalm 2:6, which states: “I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.” At that time, the Lord Jesus shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river; unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8).

Verse 6: And He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!

Verses 5 and 6 contain three glorious statements concerning Christ’ work on our behalf:
1) He loved us
2) He washed from our sins in his own blood and
3) He hath made of kings and priests unto to God and His Father.

The order is beautiful! Let’s examine it in detail. First the Lord Jesus had to love us in order to wash us and make us kings and priests. However, it is even more thrilling when one sees that His love is in the present tense, meaning that He continues loving those He has washed. This is why John 13:1 triumphantly declares: “Jesus, having loved His own which were in the world. He loved them until the end.”

Can you understand such love? Oh, that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge (Ephesians 3:18,19). This love is forever! That’s why Paul declared in Romans 8, verses 37 thru 39, “Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord!”

The love the Jesus Christ hath bestowed upon each born-again believer, should manifest itself in daily living. For He said to His own, “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you! That you also love one another; by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another (John 13, verses 34 and 35).” This love for you and for me, brought Christ from Heaven’s Glory to the cruel cross of Golgotha’s hill. His love made Him shed His blood for the remission of our sins.

Hence and secondly, He washed us! Some do not like the teaching about the blood. They want to earn heaven by their own meritorious works. However, being “white washed” is not the same as being “washed white!” There is a vast difference!!! It is not less toil that solves the difficulty, IT IS NO TOIL!

Listen to God: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy; He saved us by the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). When one trust in the merits of Christ’ shed blood, his sins are gone! For as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103, verse 12). Isaiah declared in chapter 38, verse 17, “Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” God states: “I have blotted as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins (Isaiah 44:22). Yes, He has cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). And then posted a sign there, saying “No fishing allowed!” Oh my friends, come to Jesus and have all your heavy load of sins lifted.

Here is proof: To Jesus give all the prophets witness that through His Name, whosever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sin (Acts 10:43). It matters not how far the wayward son or daughter has gone, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from ALL SIN (1 John 1:7)!

Thirdly, because of His love and the washing of regeneration, Christ has been able to make us kings and priests unto God and His Father. Priest, is the title of every believer. It is also the reason that one does need a minister to help him get closer to God. If you have been born again you are a priest in the eyes of the Almighty! You can bring your own petitions to God. One is not heard any more rapidly because he has been ordained by men. For all born again believers are on the same level. All are members of a Royal Priesthood; an holy nation, a peculiar people that we should show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness, into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). What a calling!!!! Thank you Jesus! And John adds, “To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever! Amen!

Verse 7, Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

This verse announces the Lord’s return to earth. Notice that every eye sees Him. That is why this great event is described as “The Revealing” or “Revelation of Christ” and occurs in Chapter 19 verses 11 thru 16, when He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. Thus, our text is actually previewing what will happen when He returns with His saints in chapter 19. Isn’t it thrilling to know that when the lightening cometh out of the east and shineth, even unto the west (Matthew 24:27), every eye witnesses the spectacle of the ages. Notice also that the Israelites, a special group observe this momentous event, for they will look upon Him, whom they have pieced (Zechariah 12:10).

Furthermore, when He comes in power and great glory, to smite the nations, all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. This is because He comes for Judgment and none will escape!

As John envisions the hour when the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints (Jude 14), He victoriously cries, “Amen and Amen!” The greek for “Even So” is Amen. And “Amen” is the Hebrew for “Even so”. John is literally shouting the praise or the praises of God in two languages, as he says, “Amen and Amen,” He’s coming!

Verse 8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord,“ who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” This text speaks of the eternal Christ. Alpha and Omega are the beginning and ending letters of the Greek alphabet. Christ is saying, “I AM the beginning and ending of all things!” He uses a title, “I AM” which is a verb, indicating being, but not becoming – HE ALWAYS WAS! He was before all things and created all things, for all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth; visible and invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers, ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM, AND FOR HIM! And He is before all things and by Him all things consist (Colossians 1, verses 16 and 17). He also controls all things by upholding all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3)! And He will also consummate all things as well (Ephesians 1:10). Yes, JESUS CHRIST IS ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING.

The terminology, “I AM, THE LORD, WHICH IS AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME, expresses Christ’s oneness with the Father, verse 4. In fact, He adds the term, “THE ALMIGHTY,” a name used for the Father 48 times in the Old Testament, in connection with His person. This verse clearly refutes the doctrine of anti-Trinitarians, which is anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Holy Spirit!
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This excerpt included in the book:
A PORTRAIT OF THE LAST DAYS
{Perilous Times Shall Come}
Book Link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=386419064813839&set=a.1...See More