圣经最后一卷书
启示录一章1至8节
1耶稣基督的启示，就是神赐给他，叫他将必要快成的事指示他的众仆人。他就差遣使者晓谕他的仆人约翰。
2约翰便将神的道和耶稣基督的见证，凡自己所看见的都证明出来。
3念这书上预言的和那些听见又遵守其中所记载的，都是有福的，因为日期近了。
4约翰写信给亚西亚的七个教会。但愿从那昔在、今在、以后永在的神，和他宝座前的七灵，
5并那诚实作见证的、从死里首先复活、为世上君王元首的耶稣基督，有恩惠、平安归与你们！他爱我们，用自己的血使我们脱离（有古卷作：洗去）罪恶，
6又使我们成为国民，作他父神的祭司。但愿荣耀、权能归给他，直到永永远远。阿们！
7看哪，他驾云降临！众目要看见他，连刺他的人也要看见他；地上的万族都要因他哀哭。这话是真实的。阿们！
8主神说：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、以后永在的全能者。
信息分享
「启示录为圣经带来一个何等荣耀的结束」。这是米彻尔先生(Fred Mitchell)在他研究启示录头三章的专文中的一句评语。
这句评语实在很中肯。圣经由创世记开始，接着便记述人类的堕落，和人类犯罪、失败的漫长历史。历史是否就这样延续下去？不！福音书首先告诉我们，基督降世为人，为我们的罪受死。启示录则让我们看见基督荣耀的得胜，以及神要进行的审判和带来新天新地。这是使徒约翰从神领受而记下来的启示。
启示录告诉我们，基督已坐在宝座之上。「宝座」通常是代表权柄和能力。如今，基督所说的话，不再是从十架发出，而是从祂的宝座发出。
在启示录的一开始，约翰便提到耶稣基督。当他一提到耶稣基督，就禁不住要发出颂赞，正如保罗一提到基督就发出颂赞一样。留意约翰在第5至8节的话。
约翰的颂赞是以耶稣基督为中心。约翰首先指出「祂爱我们」──这个「爱」字所表达的，是祂由过去以致将来都一直爱我们的意思。即使祂的死，也不能终止祂的爱。祂今天仍然活着，祂做在我们身上的事，一切都是以爱为出发点。
基督洗去我们的罪，使我们脱离罪的权势。祂已成就了救赎过程的全部工作。
但约翰并没有在这里停住，他继续指出耶稣基督将要再来──本书的要旨，正是描述耶稣基督再来时，在天上地下所发生的一切事情。
这是一本伟大的书，让我们一同带着感恩的心去研读它吧！
反思：
你是否盼望基督再来的日子？
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?