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Revelation 1:19
Revelation 1:19
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter
Even as Jesus demonstrated His eternal presence in the previous verse, He now instructs John to record the eternal nature of His Word. Jesus as the Living Word of God, the Word made flesh, (who) dwelt among us and now continues to speak to us through the Comforter. Jesus who never changes: the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, eternally. As the manifestation of God’s word and revealed by Isaiah: Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. God’s word is truth, it is power, it is His creative, redemptive gift to us, even as Paul notes to Timothy: His word is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. It stands unchallenged, immoveable, indefectible.
In Mark chapter seven, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their legislative incompetence in the Jewish community. The influence of this self-righteous fraternity, which governed the spiritual lives of Jesus’ contemporaries, can not be understated. In ways similar to the Papacy’s self-proclaimed authority over scripture in the Middle Ages, the Pharisees, likewise, controlled interpretive rights over God’s word in Israel. In Mark7:13 Jesus especially points out that their traditions have taken away the power of God’s word. It is a battle as old as Eden. Do we believe God’s word, or the lies of the devil? Adam and Eve lost everything in denying the truth by following the authoritative reasoning of a talking serpent. In doing so, their eternal lives were cut short and the whole human race became subject to death and darkness. It is God’s breath that gives life; the utterance of His word, the life of our Savior and His commands that, like in the similitude of Lazarus, will call those who believe out of the darkness and up from the grave. Will we recognize His voice when He summons? Do we now hear His beckoning? How will it be possible for people, who do not now listen to Jesus, to be able to respond to His command at the end of time? Will they suddenly obey the command to live, who have never before accepted God’s word as truth for their life? I don’t think so.
The power of God’s word is evident to His followers. How important are the messages of the book of Revelation if Jesus personally instructs John to write down everything to which he is a witness? How much more important is it for us to study this book and seek it’s meaning, for in it contains the light that will guide us through the darkness prevalent during the end of time. God is going to settle the questions of eternity soon and He has made provision in this book to make sure no one is deceived by what will come upon this planet. His instruction is indeed not only profitable, but the only source of power for the salvation of our beings. God did not give John visions for His own amusement, but for our eternal destiny. Home | About Us | Bible Study | Billerica Blog | Bible Commentary | Devotional | Online Giving | Ministries | Prayer | Media | Bookstore | News | Calendar | Contact Us | Sermons
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