WORSHIP SONG ONE

Revelation 1:5b-7

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be.
Amen.

February 12th

See the bottom of this post for how to use this daily devotional

PRAY

READ ALOUD Revelation 1:5b-7

REFLECT

I often pray the Lord’s Prayer and wonder: “When will God’s name ever be hallowed? When will God’s kingdom come?” John’s first century readers must also have looked at world events and wondered if their prayers for God’s Kingdom would be answered.

The book of The Revelation is a literal apocalypse (Greek: apo = away from, kalupsis = veil), a pulling back of a veil to reveal the day our prayers for God’s Kingdom are answered. John sings: “Look! He is coming with the clouds.” Seven times in The Revelation Jesus promises that He is coming (2:5, 16; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20). As far back as “the seventh generation from Adam”, Enoch “prophesied, saying, ‘See, the Lord is coming with tens of thousands of his holy ones’” (Jude 14). The arc of all Biblical revelation bends toward Christ’s glorious coming. The watchword of Aramaic speaking Christians was, Maranatha, or “Come Lord!” This fervent prayer became so precious even to Latin and Greek speaking Christians that they kept right on praying Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22). The last word of the Bible is this passionate prayer, “Maranatha!”, “Come Lord!”

So vivid is John’s vision of Christ coming that he sees it as occurring this very moment: “He is coming with the clouds.” John likely remembers having heard Jesus’ promise that He would come again “on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). The cloud in which John sees Jesus coming is the Shekinah glory cloud of God, mentioned often in the Old Testament. The cloud manifests God’s transcendent majesty and power (Numbers 11:25; Psalm 104:3; Isaiah 19:1). The disciple who had once walked with Jesus in His humility and lowliness now sees Him coming in revealed glory.

The promise Jesus made to His disciples, He makes to us today: “Do not let your hearts be troubled…I will come again and will take you to myself” (John 14:1, 3). And yet there are those who scoff at Jesus’ promise: “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:4). God’s answer to any who scoff follows: “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It is God’s patience and His grace that have delayed His coming. He wants “all” to turn to Him. As we await God’s coming, we hold to His promise while we pray that God’s name be hallowed and His kingdom come!

“So it is to be. Amen.”

READ ALOUD Revelation 1:5b-7

WORSHIP