,,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 his throne; 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,And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. “
Rev. 1: 4-6
John is a witness of Jesus Christ who testifies to the word of God. the testimony of Jesus Christ, and everything that Jesus showed him, and he is now a testimony, ie Revelation sent to seven churches in Asia Minor. To whom John sends we can read in verse 11 where we have written the names of the churches to whom John was to send Revelation.
,, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
Rev. 1:11
In addition to these churches mentioned here, there were other local churches but the Lord Jesus chose seven representative churches that had different problems that symbolize and represent the period of the church until the coming of the Lord Jesus for it.
In addition to these churches, Revelation was given to all people, especially the church throughout history, and of course to us to find out details about events that will soon begin to fall apart because the signs of the times indicate that "the last time" is near.
,, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Rev. 3:22
John continues with the greeting "grace and peace to you" and this greeting is not from him because he cannot give grace and peace, true grace and peace can be given only by God and here practically as if he said, "Grace to you and peace from Lord Jesus Christ "savior because salvation and everything we receive from God at the expense of the Lord Jesus Christ and that as a gift because none of what we receive we deserve everything is free as a gift. How important this word is in the New Testament is testified by the fact that the great the number of books of the New Testament begin with the words "grace and peace to you" in greeting sentences.
If there were no grace today, practically no one would be alive because all we deserve is death, but we are alive by the grace and grace of God and not on the basis of some of our merits or deeds.
Everything we have in the physical, physical life is God's grace, and also all spiritual life and salvation is by grace from God, whom Peter calls the God of grace.
,, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,”
1 Peter 5:10
,, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Eph.2: 8-9
We see that we are saved by grace, but that is not the end, we need to continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
,, But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
2 Peter 3:18
,, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”
Titus 2: 11-12
Here we have advice for an honest earthly life, and we also have a promise that we will receive grace if we find ourselves in some trouble or perhaps illness.
,, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness….”
2 Cor.12: 9
,, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
In the context of those tips for an honest life, there is also a record of whom God gives grace to.
,,… for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
1 Peter 5: 5
and in Jacob God adds and says that he gives greater grace than problems
,, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
James 4: 6
"Grace to you and peace" here is first grace and then peace, and that is because peace is the result of grace. We get peace when we are in a good relationship with God, which means that we are born again and live according to the will of God.
,, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Rom.5: 1
When we have this peace with God we are safe in God's hands and God will never throw us into hell because of our sins because the Lord Jesus died on the cross to redeem us and make us righteous, it is ours to believe in God confess our sins and live according to God's will.
,, And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.”
John 10:28
Now that we are so sure and reconciled with God, God gives us another grace. Peace from God, and this is something that someone who is not at peace with God will never get, and we need this peace every day in life. We do not think and worry about daily problems we already enjoy in communion with God who is close to us and who cares for us we see from the seventh verse that we only need to ask in prayer and in the end to give thanks.
,, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Phil. 4: 7
,, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Phil. 4: 6
,,…: 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 his throne; 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,And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. “
Rev. 1: 4-6
Below we see where grace and peace come from. Grace and peace are not some human creation as many try to show or try to bring peace in some way by various activities or actions. We have seen that grace and then peace comes from God and here we see that three times it is written that they come "from" the Father "," from "the Son and" from "the Holy Spirit.
We also see in these verses that God is eternal because he writes, "of him who is, and who was, and who is to come," and he writes similarly in 4: 8.
,,… Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
Rev. 4: 8
And now we could say this differently to God who has always been God until now, God who is God now and God who will always be therefore eternal God.
Here is another confirmation of what we said with a small difference, it does not say "which will come." Because here in chapter 11 are described events from the future that are already there, so the "future" is at this moment "present" and here we see confirmation that future events are still described for us in Revelation, but John saw them as the present or even the past when they were shown to him, so it says "you will be" and not "who will come."
,, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
Rev. 11:17
Here is something else from chapter 16 where we see something similar but it says even in the past, "that you judged this" so these are events from the time; when the Lord Jesus came "for us another perspective of the future but for John it was a perspective of the present, this is what today's modern reporters would say "on-site report"
,,… Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.”
Rev. 16: 5
It goes on to write, "and of the seven spirits that are before His throne."
This refers to the Holy Spirit but it says "seven spirits" because seven is the number of perfection, fullness and completeness. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is actually described here because in Isaiah it is written about Jesus:
,, And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;”
Isa 11: 2
n several other places, the number seven is mentioned in connection with the Holy Spirit.
,, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What [are] these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying], Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they [are] the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole eart”
Zech.4: 2-10
Here we conclude from the sixth verse that it is the Holy Spirit, "not by power or virtue but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."
,, And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
Revelation 5: 6
Here we have seven spirits and seven eyes relating to the seven aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit who brings us God's grace, so Paul was able to write in 1 Corinthians:
,, Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ”
1 Cor.12: 4-12
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the firstborn from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth."
We have seen the whole of Revelation to be encouraged by the Lord Jesus to the church and it says here, "Faithful witness," and that is what the prophet Isaiah prophesied many years earlier.
,, Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
Isa.55: 4
and faithful because God is faithful and he can be unfaithful
,, God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Numb.. 23:19
,, Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”
Deuter. 7: 9
,, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,”
Luke 1: 69-73
,, God [is] faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Cor. 1: 9
,, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”
1 Cor. 10:13
,, Faithful [is] he that calleth you, who also will do [it].”
1 Sol. 5:24
And in Revelation it says more
,, And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”
Rev. 3:14
The Lord Himself has practically confirmed that He is faithful and that He has come to bear witness to the truth
,, Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
John 18:37
"and the firstborn from the dead" here this does not mean that Jesus was the first to be resurrected because we read that there were people who were resurrected before Him but they later died again. Jesus was the first to be resurrected in a glorified body and He more this part of the verse never refers to and will never die.
,, But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Heb.7: 24-25
"and the Prince of the kings of the earth" prince means ruler. The Lord Jesus is the ruler and prince from beginning to end, from creation to eternity, He is the faithful and true from eternity, He is the firstborn in the glorified body and He is the eternal ruler and prince , He is King of kings and Lord of lords because he writes.
,, And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
Rev. 19:16
,, He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth”
Ps.72: 8
,, Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”
Ps.72: 11
"He who loves us" John continues and says that God loves us permanently and does not say that he loved us because then it would mean that he once loved us and that now he may not love us for some reason. And that it is written like this to me we would not have the lasting certainty of salvation because it may happen that Jesus returns and God returns just at that moment and we are left with what we would say, "we were unlucky". However, he does not write like that, but clearly writes beautifully, "who loves us "So constantly and not sometimes or sometimes. He loves us all the time and that is by the grace we talked about, we deserved nothing, neither salvation, nor forgiveness of sins, nor life by grace, the only thing we deserved was to throw us into hell and that it would be deserved because we do mostly what we should not do. And not only does it not punish us but it makes us kings and priests.
,, 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, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Rev. 1: 5-6
Jesus loved his own even in the most difficult moments before going to the cross, we read in John:
,, Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
John 13: 1
and this greatly impressed Paul, so he wrote:
,, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Eph.3: 18-19
and this love of Jesus cannot be understood by human reasoning this is the love of God that transcends every mind.
,, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Rom.8: 28-39
"And wash us from our sins with your blood" unlike a little while ago where it says in permanent time now we have a part that was completed in the past and it is finally no more new washes once all the work Jesus finished and it happened on the cross of Golgotha where we are redeemed once and for all by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we need daily cleansing in the form of confession of sin, but not complete washing.
,, Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash [his] feet, but is clean every whit: ... "
John 13:10
,,… and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1: 7
So the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin and God will never mention what He cleansed again.
,, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
Heb.10: 17
"And make us kings and priests to God and your Father" of course and this is by grace because this is unthinkable for us humans. We know what we are and what we like to do, but still God does not act on us according to our mistakes but makes us kings and priests.
,, But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
1 Pet.2: 9
So we became the king's priests and now we all have direct access to God based on the merits of the Lord Jesus, unlike the people in the Old Testament where only the high priest had access to God once a year in the holy of holies and he did not have that approach without sacrifice. sacrifices.
For us, that sacrifice is the Lord Jesus Christ, and based on that sacrifice, we have access to God constantly.
"That is the glory and the state forever." Amen. "And now, in the end, John wants to say that to the One who gave us so much mercy and grace, and that belongs eternal glory, praise and authority forever.
True message from God! You are good.