READ SCRIPTURE
Grace and Peace to the Seven Churches
In The Seven Churches, we followed Marcus through the crowded streets of first-century Asia Minor. He lived beneath the reach of Rome, where the emperor’s image appeared on his coins and Roman authority shaped the world around him.
Then Marcus heard the news.
A message had come from John on Patmos, written to seven churches.
By nightfall, Marcus would hear its words read aloud.
Our storytelling ends there.
Now we read the words Marcus was waiting to hear.
Revelation 1:4–8
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
John is writing to seven churches in Asia.
He greets them with grace and peace.
Jesus Christ is described as the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
John says Jesus loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
He tells his readers that Christ is coming with clouds and every eye shall see him.
The passage closes with the Lord declaring:
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.”
For now, we stop here.
There is more to discover in these words. But first, we let them stand as they were written.
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