聖經最後一卷書
啟示錄一章1至8節
1耶穌基督的啟示，就是神賜給他，叫他將必要快成的事指示他的眾僕人。他就差遣使者曉諭他的僕人約翰。
2約翰便將神的道和耶穌基督的見證，凡自己所看見的都證明出來。
3念這書上預言的和那些聽見又遵守其中所記載的，都是有福的，因為日期近了。
4約翰寫信給亞西亞的七個教會。但願從那昔在、今在、以後永在的神，和他寶座前的七靈，
5並那誠實作見證的、從死裡首先復活、為世上君王元首的耶穌基督，有恩惠、平安歸與你們！他愛我們，用自己的血使我們脫離（有古卷作：洗去）罪惡，
6又使我們成為國民，作他父神的祭司。但願榮耀、權能歸給他，直到永永遠遠。阿們！
7看哪，他駕雲降臨！眾目要看見他，連刺他的人也要看見他；地上的萬族都要因他哀哭。這話是真實的。阿們！
8主神說：我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，（阿拉法，俄梅戛：是希利尼字母首末二字），是昔在、今在、以後永在的全能者。
信息分享
「啟示錄為聖經帶來一個何等榮耀的結束」。這是米徹爾先生(Fred Mitchell)在他研究啟示錄頭三章的專文中的一句評語。
這句評語實在很中肯。聖經由創世記開始，接著便記述人類的墮落，和人類犯罪、失敗的漫長歷史。歷史是否就這樣延續下去？不！福音書首先告訴我們，基督降世為人，為我們的罪受死。啟示錄則讓我們看見基督榮耀的得勝，以及神要進行的審判和帶來新天新地。這是使徒約翰從神領受而記下來的啟示。
啟示錄告訴我們，基督已坐在寶座之上。「寶座」通常是代表權柄和能力。如今，基督所說的話，不再是從十架發出，而是從祂的寶座發出。
在啟示錄的一開始，約翰便提到耶穌基督。當他一提到耶穌基督，就禁不住要發出頌讚，正如保羅一提到基督就發出頌讚一樣。留意約翰在第5至8節的話。
約翰的頌讚是以耶穌基督為中心。約翰首先指出「祂愛我們」──這個「愛」字所表達的，是祂由過去以致將來都一直愛我們的意思。即使祂的死，也不能終止祂的愛。祂今天仍然活著，祂做在我們身上的事，一切都是以愛為出發點。
基督洗去我們的罪，使我們脫離罪的權勢。祂已成就了救贖過程的全部工作。
但約翰並沒有在這裡停住，他繼續指出耶穌基督將要再來──本書的要旨，正是描述耶穌基督再來時，在天上地下所發生的一切事情。
這是一本偉大的書，讓我們一同帶著感恩的心去研讀它吧！
反思：
你是否盼望基督再來的日子？
THE LAST BOOK OF THE BIBLE
Revelation 1:1-8
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
4 John, to the seven churches which 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 from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Message
'What a glorious end to the Bible is the Book of Revelation'. With these words Mr Fred Mitchell introduced his studies on the first three chapters in Revelation.
They are so true. The Bible starts with creation, then the sad story of the fall of man. This is followed by a long story of sin and failure. Is that story to go on forever? No! The Bible also tells us of the coming of Christ the first time to die for our sins. The Book of Revelation gives us a vision of the glorious triumph of Christ and tells us how God is going to bring it about. It is a revelation by God to John, who wrote it down for us.
Revelation shows us Christ on the throne. A throne always speaks of authority and power. Anything that Christ says now comes from his throne and not from his cross.
In this first section of chapter one, John starts to speak of Christ. As soon as he does, he bursts out into a doxology (hymn of praise) as Paul often did when he was writing about Christ. Notice what. John says in verses 5,6,7 and 8.
John's praise is centred in Jesus Christ, 'To him who loved us and still does'-the word 'loves' means he goes on loving us and always will. Even his death did not end his love. He is alive now and all his dealings with us are in love.
Christ has washed us, or released us, from our sins. He has done everything that needed to be done.
But John doesn't stop there. He points forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ and that is what the book is all about-what will happen on earth and in heaven when Jesus comes.
It's a great book, so let's enjoy It together.
A QUESTION:
Are you looking forward to Christ's coming?