12/08/02 INI Rev. 1:4-8

Jesus is coming! -- the message of the Advent season. Why did Jesus come 2,000 years ago as the Child of Mary, if He is not still coming to us today with His salvation? Or to put it another way: Which of you wants to go forth into this new church year without the assurance that your Savior will come to you throughout the new year as he has in the past?

We need to be convinced that He is coming in all our trials and sufferings. We need to be continually assured that He is coming FOR us -- that neither height nor depth, no accusation of the devil, no created thing, shall prevent His second coming and our final redemption from the earth. This is the very purpose of the Book of Revelation. John received this book from Jesus in about 96 A.D. Portions of this book remind us that while

John writes to the "seven churches in the province of Asia." Later on he names these congregations, all of which are in the area of present-day Turkey. But why did our Lord choose only "seven" of the churches at this time, when there were hundreds of Christian congregations in the Roman Empire? The number "7" is the most important and most often used number in Revelation. It represents "completeness." It's the number "3" of the Triune God, plus the number "4" -- the number of the world of his creatures over which He rules and from which He calls His children. So the seven congregations may be understood to represent ALL Christian congregations -- their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the problems they face throughout the N.T. period.

Domitian was the Roman emperor at this time. He was the first to persecute Christians who refused to worship him as God. John, the last remaining apostle, had been exiled to the island of

Patmos. Hundreds of Christians were martyred because they would not worship the emperor. Revelation was given by Christ to His Church of all times to encourage and strengthen believers in times of trial and affliction.

"Grace and peace to you." -- the usual apostolic blessing found in Paul's N.T. letters. GRACE is the undeserved kindness of God in Christ, along with all the undeserved kindnesses He shows to unworthy sinners like us. PEACE is the condition established by the grace of God in Christ. So Paul writes in Romans 5: "Having been declared righteous by faith" in this grace, "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

This blessing of grace and peace comes from the Triune God. The description of God in v. 4 as "the One who is, . . . who was, and . . . is to come" reminds us of the wonderful name God gave himself at the burning bush: "I AM THAT I AM." This blessing of grace and peace is also from the "seven spirits before His throne." Here the Holy Spirit is pictured in His life-giving work. From before the throne in heaven He goes out into all the world with the saving power of the Gospel. That number "7" may point to the Spirit's work of making God -- the number "3" -- ONE with mankind -- the number "4". This uniting of God with man is accomplished as the Spirit brings "grace and peace" to the heart of sinners through by the working of faith in the gospel.

"Grace and peace" also come from Jesus Christ. He is "the faithful witness" -- the one who came from heaven to reveal the truth about God. Christ is the "firstborn from the dead" -- the One who died and rose again, breaking the power of sin and death for us. He is "the Ruler of the kings of the earth" -- the One who rules all the nations of the earth and their kings. When they rebel against His will He shall break them with a rod of iron, dash them in pieces like a potter's useless clay vessel. (Ps. 2)

You and I and the whole Christian Church on earth are to receive this Triune blessing of grace and peace in the coming Church Year. We are to possess that grace and peace for by means of the gospel in Word and Sacrament. We are to rely on that grace and peace in Christ, and go forth in courage and strength as the ancient Christian Church did? Why? Because we are among those who have been called to

reign and serve as a kingdom of royal priests. This faithful Witness, "Firstborn from the dead," and "King above all kings has loved us and loosed us from our sins by His blood! In this way Christ has "made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father." In Rev. 5 the song of the Church goes like this: "You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

All the kings and kingdoms of the earth are only shadows, passing in the night. Christ, Who cannot be dethroned, has established His own kingdom of grace and peace, with us as fellow rulers with Him now and forever!

I have read that at the farewell dinner for England's great Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, he proposed a toast to the Queen. It was the traditional thing to do. But then the Queen did something never before done by a ruler of England. She raised her own glass and said: "to my Prime Minister." We offer our little toasts to the goodness of God in hymns of praise and prayers of thanksgiving, but the Eternal King grants you and me an honor way beyond our station -- a toast to us that involved the greatest sacrifice in the history of the universe.

But do we really reign on earth where the worldly and the wicked seem to be lords of all? Oh yes. For the Word of our King reigns; and that Word is ours. In and by that Word which remains eternally, we also reign with our King! Think what this means for you in the coming Church-year. If you give up the word or any part of it, you will injure your connection with the King and the means through which you reign with Him on earth. May our gracious Lord and King find us hearing, learning, and confessing His Word faithfully!

See what you are made to be in Christ! No king in Israel was permitted to perform priestly duties. But we are made to be a "royal priesthood." (I Peter 2:9) As Christ is King and Priest in one, so are we both a kingdom and priests. We do not serve by offering bloody sacrifices. Our priestly service is to "serve His God and Father," as v. 6 pictures us. What a happy service it is to present ourselves and all that we have as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1) to God the Father in the coming year! Yes, we agree with John: "to Christ be glory and power for ever and ever!"

At this point, John might have gone right into the first vision

of Revelation. Instead, he gives the summary-theme of the whole book and of all he has been permitted to see:

"Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye

will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all

the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him."

In the new Church Year we remain a Church which is to LOOK for Christ's coming to judge. This final coming is the great hope of Christ's kingdom and priests. We cry with John: "So shall it be. Amen!" He will come "with the clouds" just as He once ascended into heaven. Everyone shall see Him! Even the unbelieving Jews who pierced Him -- who put Him to death, refusing to believe His Word -- Even they will be forced to see Him in His glory.

Furthermore, "all the peoples of the earth will mourn -- beat their breasts -- because of Him." This expression is from Zechariah 12:10 where the prophet pictures the hopelessness and bitterness of this grief; like that of a parent who mourns the loss of his only child who has died and cannot be returned. The blessed Church of Christ, the kingdom and priests of v. 4 shall then see God as He is AND LIVE; but the rest of mankind will call to the mountains and the rocky cliffs in desperation, saying, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One sitting on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb." (Rev. 6:16)

This is all absolutely true! -- "It shall be so, Amen." John says. But Christ Himself, your Savior, adds His own signature to this statement concerning His coming: "I am the Alpha and the Omega . . . the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet -- Alpha and Omega -- are the Savior's own designation for Himself as our Almighty and Eternal God Who is coming to us and for us. Here we have His Word and signature on it! Whatever will suffer in the new year our Savior declares that He was before all of it, He is also after all of it. Like the day that follows the night, and the sunshine that follows the clouds, He will be there to bless the end of your trials in the new year. He may come in this new church- year. May we be a church which is looking for Him as we receive His blessings of grace and peace and serve Him as His Kingdom and priests. Amen.