Greeting from God and the Spirits in Sky

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirit before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelations 1: 4-5

John starts by addressing seven churches. Seven is not the same as one. God never intended for all his churches to look, act and smell alike. They are geographic churches with weaknesses and strengths. They were churches that God knew would change with time and circumstance. He also knew that change causes stress he therefore blesses with peace and focuses on God who is the same yesterday today and forever. The second half of the greeting is very interesting; it is a greeting from the spirits before the throne. Speaking about angels is popular but I don’t think we meditate on their role in our lives enough.

The first thing that we should remember about angels, heavenly or hellish, is that they are old. They have been looking upon the condition of mankind for a long time. The angels around the throne, they are cheering the church on. They want us to succeed and are allowed at times to help us along. We don’t know them but they know us. I have grandchildren that I have never seen face to face. They don’t know me, but I know them. I love them as I do those who have been in my home many times. Our relationship with angels is like this. They are sending greeting to those whose lives they have observed and been a part of even as family separated by distance. My favorite verse to meditate on in regards to the topic of Angels is Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” There is a security that comes from this verse that we should always experience. I am always a “little one” in my father’s eyes and I know that he is watching me.

The greeting does not end with angels however but with the man who is God, who is and will be King of kings and Lord of lords. Why men reject such a benevolent God is a great question but it is answered easily when we witness the hardness of men’s hearts. Jesus is the greatest of these witnesses and the one whose rule must prevail. William Booth founder of the Salvation Army said all people must be either be pardoned or punished.

The book of Revelation details many of the punishments to come. The prophet Zechariah wrote of Jesus’ Kingship on earth and of his throne in Jerusalem. “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves “On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’ Zechariah 12”4-5

The severity of his judgment is proportional the generosity of his pardon. God became man!!!! The distance between God and man is greater than the distance between man and dog, but I no man would become a dog, especially for a dog that bites the hand that feeds it. Man has been a dog that has bit not just the hands of his master, but his creator. Jesus will show us his bite marks himself when he comes again and no one will be free from accusation. All sin is sin against God and God alone.
Revelations 1:5-8 brings us from creator to redeemer, and blest are those who read these words aloud!

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”