4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia.[a]
Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit[b] before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.
All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”[c] says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Revelation 1:4-8
Greeting the seven churches. John begins with declaring grace and peace to the seven churches, from God (who is, who was, and who is to come), from the Holy Spirit (the seven spirits – seven meaning perfect as opposed to 7 separate spirits), and Jesus Christ. Grace and peace from the whole of the Holy Trinity.
Jesus, the faithful witness, shares HIs revelation with us, through John. Verse 7 alludes to the rapture (Matthew 24:30) where Christ will return in the clouds to the sound of trumpet and collect His chosen. All will see Him, even they who pierced Him (persecutors who don’t believe and attack His body – us).
All the people of earth (all tribes) will mourn because of Him, realizing the truth of what so many had denied. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, who was and is to come, the Almighty God. Amen!
