“Revelation 1:17-20”

Monday, November 27, 2017

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

When Jesus revealed Himself to John in a vision of His awesome glory, he “fell at His feet like a dead man” (verse 17), overcome by reverence and awe, fear and trembling. Like the prophet Isaiah before him, the Apostle was drained of all his physical strength at the sight of such divine splendor and majestic grandeur (Isaiah 6:5). But our loving Savior not only spoke soothing words to him, Jesus “placed His right hand” on Him and tenderly allayed his fears. Over and again in Holy Scripture our Lord encourages us, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 6:34; 28:10; 14:27; John 6:20, 31; 14:27, etc.). Friend, if you belong to Christ you have no reason to fear what may befall you upon this earth, and you can stand before God with complete comfort and confidence on the Day of Judgment.

Jesus is “the first and the last.” “He is first because before Him there is no God; last, because after Him there shall be no other. First, because He is the cause of origin; last, because is the judge and the end.” (Harkrider) Jesus is “the living One” who once “was dead” but is “alive forevermore” (verse 18). Christ defeated death for us by His own atoning, sacrificial death and powerful resurrection. He holds “the keys of death and of Hades.” “Death claims the body and Hades clams the soul, but Jesus, when He shall speak, both the grave and the unseen state shall give up their prisoners.” (Harkrider) Our Lord’s absolute authority over life and death is assurance that we shall live forevermore with Him if we are faithful until death (Revelation 2:10). 

Jesus told John to write down in a book the visions he saw, things which were presently taking place and events which were going to happen in the future (verse 19). Even though the majority of the prophecies recorded in Revelation have long since been fulfilled, the book still has utmost relevance to mankind today, and supplies hope and comfort to God’s faithful in all generations of human existence. It is not always easy to live your life as an obedient child of God, but it is most certainly always more than worth the effort. Our brethren in Christ who lived in the Roman Empire in the first few centuries A.D. faced possible abandonment from family, banishment from society, great financial loss and the potential loss of their very lives. But “contrary to hanging one’s head in despair and hopelessness when persecuted, Revelation says, ‘look up and see the victory in Jesus Christ.’” (Harkrider)

Please read Revelation 2:1-7 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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