The Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ

I see on the Web that many people are fascinated with the future.:

• · Faithfully read their horoscope,
• · Seek out Tarot Card readers,
• · Have their palms read,
• · Consulting psychics!

All these attempts to discern the future, however, are ineffective. And why would you want to know? The truth of the matter is God is the only One who knows and declares the future. (Isaiah 44.7; 45.21; 46.9-10)

The Old and New Testament in the Bible provide a glimpse of the future. One has to be a prospector and dig the gold up. The Scriptures are the only reliable way to see the unveiling of the history of the world. A majority of prophetic Scriptures are about two themes;

• The return of Jesus Christ in His Second Coming,
• The glorious Kingdom that God gave Him

The book of Revelation is the most detailed look into the future in all of the Scriptures. From this book, His glory will blaze forth as unmistakably as lightning is from the East to West flashing in a dark sky. (Matthew 24.27)

John, the beloved one, starts the Revelation with Revelation 1.1-8 with two major sections.

1. One, he presents us with specific characteristics of the entire book.
2. And two, John provides a preview of the Second coming of Jesus Christ.

Revelation - Its Essential Nature – The Revelation shares eleven specific characteristics that reveal the uniqueness of the Book of Revelation, and the essential nature of the book.

The Greek word “revelation” appears eighteen times in the New Testament. (Luke 2.32; Romans 8.19; 1 Corinthians 1.7; 1 Peter 1.7) There is a detailed record of God giving a complete record of the ending. It warns the church to the dangers of sin and instructs it in the ways of holiness.

It reminds believer’s that they have the strength of Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Trible of Judah, and the ability to overcome Satan and its forces. It reveals the glory and majesty of our God and depicts the reverent worship constantly attending God’s Throne.

It reveals the glory and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ and His victory over the forces of darkness. It details the events associated with the Second Coming, revealing His glory that will blaze forth as unmistakeable as lightning flashing in a dark sky. (Matthew 24.27)

The Theme of Jesus Christ – Keep in mind that all Scripture comes from an extraterrestrial source, which is our God from above. (2 Timothy 3.16) It reveals several insights on the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, Jesus Christ is:

• · The faithful witness,
• · First-born of the dead,
• · Ruler of the kings of the earth,
• · The Alpha and Omega,
• · One who is and who was and who is to come, and
• · The Almighty.

Eight references in the first chapter alone, which we will review in greater detail perhaps later. The majesty and glory of our Lord in song, poetry, symbolism, and prophecy. In it for readers, Revelation has the heavens open, and the reader sees as Stephen did, (Acts 7.56) visions of the risen glorified Son of God.

The Devine Source that God gave Him. The book of Revelation is the Father's gift to the Son in a deep and beautiful sense. It can be said that all Scripture is from God (2 Timothy 3.16). However, the Book of Revelation is of Jesus Christ. It is a Revelation about the soon coming King.

Revelation reveals it is a reward for His perfect, humble, faithful, holy service in which the Father promised to exalt the Son. Paul said this:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2.5, 8-11)

Christ's exaltation promised in the last three verses of that passage, is described in detail throughout Revelation. The Book of Revelation chronicles the Son's obedience, and His promised inheritance from God the Father, ending in the showing of the full glory of Christ.

The Human Recipients to show His bondservants – To further exalt and glorify His Son, the Father has granted to a special group of people the utmost privilege of understanding the Revelation. John describes these people as Christ's "bondservants."

“Doulos” is a Greek word meaning “bondservant.” Many do not understand the role of a bondservant concerning our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Americans, in particular, instinctively cringe at the thought of servitude, slavery, or bondage. Bondservant, as we speak of it, is a willing slave, serving out of love and devotion to his Master. (Exodus 21.5-6)

This, in a nutshell, is why many unbelievers find the Book of Revelation such a mystery. It clearly is not meant for them. It was given by God Almighty to the Son to show those who willingly serve Him. Those who refused to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord cannot expect to understand Revelation.

Paul explained it this way, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2.14) The unbelieving skeptic finds Revelation as nothing but confusion.

But for a bondservant of Jesus Christ, Revelation unveils prophetic truths about the future of the world. No other book or person can do the same.

Revelation’s emphasis on future events sets the book apart from all other New Testament books. The first four books of the New Testament are about the past, especially the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The next twenty-two is about the present, especially the life of the Church.

Revelation, though it does contain some information about the past (Revelation 1), and the present (Revelation 2-3), the book primarily focuses on one thing – the future. Perhaps a dual emphasis can be found in Revelation. One emphasis is the portrayal of Christ and His future glory with the blessedness of the saints.

The second emphasis is the judgment of unbelievers to eternal punishment. Read that carefully if you are not born-again. The profound and compelling truths in the Book of Revelation result in both sorrow and joy.

As always, thank you for reading the essay. I will continue to write on the Book of Revelation soon. I hope there is something in this that you can take away and use in your own life. I have twenty-four credit hours in the Book of Revelation, and I am continuing to learn more about it every day.

Let me know if there is a subject you would like me to write about. Again, thank you for reading the essay and God's continued blessings to you, Gary