The Revelation is one of the most confusing books in the canon.  Why?  Mainly because John used a whole symbolic language that was very accessible to his ancient audience, but is gibberish to us.

In this series, I want to update the symbols in Revelation, to make John’s timeless picture of Christ more accessible to twenty-first century Americans.

The Prologue:

This is an uncovering and showcasing of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show us – his servants – what’s going to happen soon.  He made it known by sending his messenger to his servant JR., who preaches concerning the Word of God which is Jesus Christ.

God is with the person who reads this prophecy, and with the people who hear and live by it, because it’s almost time.

JR., to the seven churches in America:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and was and will come, and from the seven doves in his Office, and from Jesus Christ the honest witness, the first to rise from the dead and the ruler of all presidents and prime ministers and dictators in the world.

To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins with his blood, and made us One Nation Under God, and ministers serving his God and Father, to Jesus be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen!

Look!  He is coming back, and every person will see him – even the people who don’t believe.  And every denomination and ethnicity  and nation will be in mourning because of him.  It’s going to happen.  Amen.

The Lord God – the one who was and who is and who will come, the all-powerful – says,

I am the A and the Z.

The First Vision:

I, JR., your brother because through Jesus I share your pain and joy, your victories and defeats, I was in Dayton because of the Word of God which is Jesus Christ.  I was worshiping one Sunday when I heard a loud voice coming from behind me.  It was louder than a jet engine.  The voice said,

Write on your blog what you see and publish it so that the seven churches can see it.  Make sure the Reformed, Hispanic, Wesleyan, Mainline Protestants, Baptists, Black  and Evangelical churches.

Then I turned to see who was talking to me, and I saw seven golden pulpits and in the middle of the pulpits I saw the Messiah.  He was wearing a three-piece Armani with a Rolex and silk pocket-handkerchief.  His head and hair were bright, pure white – practically glowing.  His eyes burned with intelligence.  He had on tough, sturdy steel-toed work boots.  His voice was loud and powerful.  He was holding seven stars in his right hand and he had a platinum gavel coming out of his mouth.  His face was beautiful, but I couldn’t even look at it – it was like trying to stare at the sun.

When I saw him, I was overwhelmed – I passed out.  But he shook me back awake, telling me,

Don’t be afraid.  I am the first and the last, and the ultimate source of life.  I was dead, but look – now I’m alive forever and ever.  I have the keys to Death and the Afterlife.

Now, write what you have seen, what you’re seeing now and what you’re about to see.

And just to clarify the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven pulpits: the seven stars are the guardian angels of the seven churches – their representations in Heaven.  And the seven pulpits are the seven churches themselves.

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