Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement - "The Alpha and the Omega"

 Now. wonder of wonders! The Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself speaks.  How appropriate this as a preface to the visions that are about unfold, since he is our Grand Instructor and ultimate Source of Revelation! (Isaiah 30:20) Our God declares: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, . . . and the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) This is the first of three times in Revelation that Jehovah speaks from heaven. (See also Revelation 21:5-8; 22:12-15.) First-century Christians would quickly have recognized alpha and omega as the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jehovah is calling himself by those two letters stresses that before him, there was no almighty God, and there will none after him. He will bring to a successful conclusion, for all eternity, the issue of Godship. He will be forever vindicated as the one and only almighty God. Supreme Sovereign over all of his creation. - Compare Isaiah 46:10; 55:10, 11. 

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Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement - "Coming With the Clouds" -Conclusion

 Jesus will be 'seen' also by "those who pierced him." Who might these be? When Jesus was executed in 33 C.E., the Roman soldiers pierced him literally. The guilt of that murder was shared by the Jews, for Peter told some of these at Pentecost: "God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you impaled." (Acts 2:5-11,36; Compare Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37.) Those Romans and Jews have now been dead for close to 2,000 years. So those who 'pierce him' today must represent nations and people that display the same hateful attitude was show when Jesus was impaled.  Jesus is no longer here on earth. But when opposers passively consent to such treatment, it is as just as though such opposers were 'piercing Jesus himself. - MATTHEW 25:33, 41-46.

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Chapter Four/Jesus Comes WIth Encouragement - "Coming With the Clouds" - Continue

 During Jesus' last evening with the disciples, he told them: "A little longer and the world will behold me no more." (John 14:19) How is it, then, that every eye will see him"? We should not expect that Jesus' enemies would see him with physical eyes, for the apostle Paul said, after Jesus' ascension to heaven that Jesus now "dwells in unapproachable light," and "not one of men has seen or can see," him. (1 Timothy 6:16) Evidently, John meant to "see" in the sense of "discern," just as we can see, or discern God's invisible qualities by means of his creations. (Romans 1:20) Jesus "is coming with the clouds. Even when the sun is hidden by clouds during the daytime, we know itis there because of the daylight that surround us. Similarly, though the Lord Jesus is invisible, he will be revealed like "a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those do not obey the good news about him.' These too will be compelled to "see him." - 2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-8, 28. 

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Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement - "Coming With the Clouds

 Next John jubilantly announces: "Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief because of him. Ye, Amen." (Revelation 1:7) No doubt John was here reminded of Jesus' earlier prophecy concerning the conclusion of the system of things. Jesus there stated, "Then the Son of man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:3,30) Thus, Jesus 'comes' by turning his attention to the executing of Jehovah's judgments on the nations. This will result in momentous changes on earth, and since "all the tribes of the earth" have ignored the reality of Jesus' kingship, they will indeed experience "the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty." - REVELATION 19:11-21; PSALM 22:3, 8, 9. 

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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 among mankind to be raised to immoral spirit life. (Colossians 1:18) Now in Jehovah's presence, he is exalted high above all earthly kings, being invested with "all authority . . . in heaven and on the earth." (Matthew 28:18; Psalm89:27; 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 became anointed Christians like John. These have been declared righteous on the basis of Jesus' 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 the Kingdom. (Luke 12:321; 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 mighty belong to Jesus!

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Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouragement - Conclusion

 "Undeserved kindness and peace"-how desirable these are and especially when we appreciate their source! The "One" from whom they flow is the Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself, "the King of eternity," who lives "from time indefinite to time indefinite." (Timothyu1:17; Psalm 90:2) Involved here, too, are "the seven spirits," which term indicates a fullness of operation of God's active force, or holy spirit, as it brings understanding and blessing to all who pay attention the prophecy. Also occupying a key role is "Jesus Christ," of whom John later wrote: "He was full of undeserved kindness and truth."  (John 1:14) Thus, John's greeting has the same elements that the apostle Paul mentioned in closing his second letter to the Corinthian congregation: "The undeserved kindness   of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the sharing in the holy spirit be with all of you." (2 Corinthians 13:14) May those words apply also to every one of us who loves mankind today.

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Chapter Four/Jesus Comes With Encouagement

 What follows next should be of absorbing interest to everyone associated with the congregation of God's people. Here is a series of messages. They have particular application as "the appointed time draws near.  (Revelation 1:3) It is to our everlasting benefit that we heed these pronouncements. The record reads: "John to the seven congregations that are in the district of Asia: May you have undeserved kindness and peace from 'The One who is and who was and who is coming,' and from the seven spirits that are before his throne and from Jesus Christ." - REVELATION 1:4, 5a.

Here John addresses "seven congregations," and these are named for us later in the prophecy.  That number "seven," is often repeated in Revelation. It signifies completeness, especially in connection with the things of God and his anointed congregation. Since the number of congregations of God's people worldwide has grown into the tens of thousands during the Lord's Day, we can be sure that what is said primarily to the "seven congregations" of anointed ones also applies to all of God's people today. (Revelation 1:10) Yes, John has a vital message for all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses and all who are associated with them everywhere on the face of this earth.  

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Chapter Three/Things That Must Shortly Take Place - Conclusion

 It is urgent that we observe the words of the prophecy, "for the appointed time is near." The appointed time for what? For the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation, including God's judgments. The time is near for God and Jesus Christ to execute final judgment on Satan's world system. When Jesus was here on earth, he stated that only his Father knew "that day or the hour." Looking ahead to the troubles that have multiplied on earth from World War I onward, Jesus also said: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen." So the appointed time for executing God's decision must be drawing perilously close. (Mark 13:8, 30-32) As Habakkuk 2;3 states: "The vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late."  Our salvation through the great tribulation depends on our observing God's prophetic Word.  -MATTHEW 24:20-22.

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Chapter Three/Things That Must Shortly Take Place - Channel of Communication - Continue

 John was faithful in bearing witness to the message that God through Jesus Christ gave to him. He described in detail "all the thing he saw." The John class has earnestly sought guidance from God and Jesus Christ in order to understand the prophecy fully and make known its fine points to God's people. For the benefit of the anointed congregation (and also of the international great crowd that God will preserve alive through the great tribulation), John writes:  "Happy is he who reads aloud ad those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who observe the thing written in it; for the appointed time is near." - REVELATION 1:3.

You will benefit greatly by reading Revelation and even more so by observing the things written in it. John explained in one of his letters: "This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments and yet his commandments are not burdensome, because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the faith." (1 John 5:3, 4) You can become supremely happy by building such a faith! 

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Chapter Three/Things That Must Shortly Take Place - Channel of Communication - Continue

 The apostle John writes that Jesus presented Revelation "in signs," or symbols. These are vivid and thrilling to examine. They depict dynamic activity and should, in turn, stir us to zealous efforts in making known to others the prophecy and its meaning.  Revelation presents for us a number of electrifying visions, in each of which John participated either actively or as an observer. Those of the John class, some of whom have shared of upwards of 70 years in the fulfillment of these visions, are happy that God's spirit has unlocked the meaning so that they can explain to others. 

These visions in Revelation are not presented in chronological order. Each has its own time period of fulfillment. Many of the visions echo words of earlier prophecies that provide clues as to their interpretation. For example, Daniel's prophecy described four fearsome beasts, explaining that these portrayed ruling powers on earth. Hence, we are helped to understand that the beasts of Revelation represent political entities, including those now existing. - DANIEL 7:1-8, 17; REVELATION 13:2, 11-13; 17:3. 

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