Project 119: Revelation 1:1-8
| Project 119
This week's devotions are written by MBBC Student Ministry Intern Allison McSwain.
"Long-Expected"
One of my favorite songs of this season is “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”:
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.”
This hymn popped in my head while reading Revelation 1:1–8. Just as the people of God once eagerly awaited the arrival of their Messiah, we now await the same Messiah’s return as it is discussed in the Book of Revelation. At the opening of this book, John gives a great list of Christ’s identifiers: He is the faithful witness to God’s truth, much like a Prophet. He is the Priest who frees us from our sins by His blood. He is the King of all other kings who establishes a kingdom for His beloved.
In a way, Christ the Prophet is also the prophecy—He is the long-awaited hope. Christ’s arrival as a baby was foretold centuries before, even as His Second Coming is foretold here. This prophecy reveals that Christ will come from the clouds, and all will see Him. He is the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8 ESV).
In the season of Advent, we are not limited to looking solely backward into history. The Lord who came is coming again. Join me today in looking forward to the return of our hope—our Prophet, Priest, and King!
“Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.”
Revelation 1:1-8 (ESV):
Prologue
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
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 kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and 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 tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”