October 19 – Revelation 1:1-8
Dear Lord God, we come before You in worship and praise, for You are the orchestrator of Your creation. Be with us as we spend time with You, and guide us to what You want to show us.
John did not just write letters in old age. John dealt with banishment to the island of Patmos at the end of his life as well, which must have been so hard on old bones. If John was in his late teens when he first met Jesus, that would mean by AD 90, he was around 78 years old at this time. If he was more of Jesus’ age when they met, then, of course, he was 90 in AD 90. Now that’s old. He was the last man standing among the disciples who could witness the fact that Jesus really lived as a real human, and He really died and then rose again because He was also God in the flesh – Son of God – Messiah. I can’t even imagine how it felt to still be here when John probably longed to see Jesus again. But look what Jesus did for “the disciple Jesus loved.” Jesus sent an angel to John in exile who told him wondrous things about what was to come and asked John to share it with the world. We won’t have time to read all of Revelation together, but let’s peek at it and learn from this revelation where we are told that we are “blessed” if we read it (Revelation 1:3). John starts with praise. After all, he witnessed this revelation. I love that his yearning for His Lord is all over these first few verses. It makes me so happy that John got this revelation to comfort and inform him as he waited to be reunited with Christ in Heaven.
My verse: Revelation 1:7, “Look! He comes with the clouds of Heaven. And everyone will see him—even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!”
My response: Lord, what a moment when John got to see in advance what he’d been preaching all those years – You, returning on the clouds. I echo John and feel his joy, Lord. Yes! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, and bring us home. (And please, Lord, continue to draw people to Yourself so they are not among the mourners who have run out of time to repent and belong with You …)
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
