The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Revelation 1:1-7, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood–

6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father– to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

Admittedly, this is the most difficult book in the Bible to understand. It is, nevertheless, a splendid completion to a Divine Library of 66 books. The key phrase is: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The Rev. Archibald Brown notes a striking balance between Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis, we see the Earth created; in Revelation, we see it passing away. In Genesis, we see the inauguration of sorrow and suffering; in Revelation, there is no more sorrow and no more pain – all tears are wiped away.

Throughout Revelation, the Church is never mentioned as being on earth. In fact, between chapters three and four, the Church is removed. Thus, to the end of the book, there is but tribulation. Yet, after reading the entire account, the reader may return to the subject again and again for particulars. Chapter One views the LORD as the “Glorified One.” Chapters two and three view Him as the Head over the church. From chapters four through twenty-two, He is the Triumphant One!

There is infinitely more that can be contained in the few lines we have here; yet the entire Book of Revelation will stimulate the reader to become more and more like Jesus Christ – every single day! “More like the Master, I would ever be; more of His likeness, more humility; More strength to labor, more courage to be true; More consecration, for work He bids me do…”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom