The Book of Revelation Devotions Day 77

DAY 77

As we bring the study of Revelation to a close, I find it ironic that we close with 77 days of devotions (not planned.) 7 is a divine number of completion/spiritual fullness and that is just fine with me. I am a little tickled by it actually.

Anyway, on this last day let us look at how Jesus started and ended the book of Revelation. It is quite remarkable…

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:17-18 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. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelation 22:12-13 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

He started and ended the book (chapter 1 and chapter 22) with the statement that He is the first and last, He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega. He started everything and He will end everything. He is the beginning. Jesus is the beginning. That means more than what we glean from first pass. Look at Genesis 1:1 and John 1.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Jesus is the beginning, so -In “Jesus” God created the heaven and earth.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the WORD, He is the beginning. Nothing was created without Him, all things were created through Him. Jesus is the Word of God and…

In the Word of God, the Bible, He gets the first words and the last words! Genesis 1:1 In the beginning (Jesus) and Revelation 22:21 The grace of Jesus be with all God’s people. AmenJesus!

And actually if you look at Revelation again you will notice something else. After the introduction statements in Revelation 1, pay attention to the first concept addressed (verse 4) and to the concept in the last verse of Revelation 22.

Revelation 1:4-5 Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the (sevenfold Spirit) before his throne, 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,

Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

As scary and full of judgement that the book of Revelation is, it starts and ends with a pronouncement of His GRACE to us. So GRACE, is what we need to rest on, that is the message that we need to take away from Revelation. That is the message that we need to spread to the world. Grace is how we are saved and how those in the world will be saved. We need to be busy spreading that grace to everyone in our lives. That message needs to be the loud message that is made clear by Christ followers around the globe.

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Jesus, Come Soon! But first help us to be the message of your grace to the world around us! Help us to be conscious of the fact that we are surrounded by lost people. Break our hearts for what breaks yours. Help us to see people for who they are to you so that we have the compassion that you have for them. Forgive me for my neglect of your mission for me. Help me to walk in what you planned for me and be who you created me to be. Thank you, Lamb of God, for your sacrifice and your grace that flows freely to me. Help me to freely give that to others.

HALLELU YAH! WORSHIP GOD! COME LORD JESUS!