Prologue…

 Prologue….

Starting to read Revelations this week…

I couldn’t help but but imagine John receiving these words…

 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. 

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 

John,To the seven churches in the province of Asia:Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits 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, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”and “every eye will see him,even those who pierced him”;and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”So shall it be! Amen. 

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

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.

Rev.1.1-8,Rev.1.17-18

But, as this is the Christmas season and the celebration of Christ’s birth, I was taken back to his earthly beginnings….

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. 

The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Luke.1.26-33

Here is a young woman visited by an angel with great news …the Son of the Most High, coming to earth… and she is an instrument of that fulfillment…

Where as in Revelations He has come and now wants to tell more of what is to come…John is privileged to write down the words given…

John and Mary both told not to be afraid of their wonderful news…they’re encounters with an angel foretelling….

Mary, going through the months of readying for the birth of Jesus, pondering  in her heart the words spoken to her about the Son to come…John on an island receiving and recording the words given…

Both were gifted with an immense job to carry out…playing their parts in the God’s amazing plan…of which we  are a part of as well…

We are blessed because of Jesus..we are blessed reading the words of Revelations….

 Thank YOU…

Mary, did you know….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1H1-scfD1s