Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement

"The Faithful Witness"

After Jehovah, Jesus is the most glorious person in the universe, as John recognizes, describing him as "'the Faithful Witness,' 'the firstborn from the dead,' and 'the Ruler of the kings of the earth.' " (Revelation 1:5b)  Like the moon in the heavens, he has been firmly established as the greatest Witness to Jehovah's Godship.  (Psalm 89:37) After he kept integrity down to a sacrificial death,  he became the first from among mankind to be raised to immortal spirit life.  (Colossians 1:18)  Now in Jehovah's presence, he is exalted high above all the earthly kings, being invested with "all authority . . . in heaven and on the earth."  (Matthew 28:18; Psalm 89:27; 1 Timothy 6:15)  In 1914 he was installed as King to rule among the earthly nations. -Psalm 2:6-9; Matthew 25:31-33. 

John continues to express appreciation for the Lord Jesus Christ in these glowing words:  "To him that loves us and that loosed us from our sins by means of his own blood -and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father-yes, to him be the glory and the might forever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5c, 6)  Jesus gave his perfect human life so that those of the world of  mankind who exercise faith in him may be restored to perfect life. You, dear reader, can be included in this!  (John 3:16) But Jesus' sacrificial death opened the way for a special blessing for those who become anointed Christians like John. These have been declared righteous on the basis of Jesus' ransom sacrifice. Renouncing all earthly life prospects, as Jesus did, those of the little flock have been begotten by God's spirit, with the expectation of being resurrected to serve as kings and priests with Jesus Christ  in his Kingdom. (Luke 12:32;Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 20:6) What a grand privilege!  No wonder John exclaimed so affirmatively that the glory and the  might belong to Jesus! 

Next time: Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement - "Coming in the Clouds" 

From the book of Revelation 



















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