Revelation 1:4-8 (NRSV)
Read Revelation 1:4-8 on biblegateway.com
Verse 4John 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, Verse 5and 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 freed us from our sins by his blood, Verse 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7Look! 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. Verse 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Devotion
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? A plane? Could it be "Superman"? No, it’s a Lamb who appears to have been slain. Yes, now I see: it’s Jesus Christ, the faithful martyr, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth.
I cannot prove it, but I’m pretty sure "coming with the clouds" is a metaphor. Christ will return enrobed in the mysterious splendor and awesome majesty of his Father -- the same God who spoke to Moses in clouds and thunder on Mount Sinai.
Will we, like the Israelites of old, cower in fear when he comes again? Will we be filled with remorse and regret? Perhaps. But John assures us that Christ comes with a greeting of grace and peace. His wounds are a sign of his love for us. He offers to set us free from our sins. He invites us to serve in his everlasting kingdom. Can it get any better?
Prayer
O Lord, how shall we meet thee? How welcome thee aright? Your appearance surprises us, confuses us, startles us. Even through the darkest clouds, help us to sense your grace and peace. Amen.