The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, November 21, 2018 - Revelation 1:4b-8

The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for
Wednesday, November 21, 2018 - Revelation 1:4b-8
Revelation 1:4 From: Yochanan
To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia:
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings.
To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, 6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father — to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds![Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13]
Every eye will see him,
including those who pierced him;
and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.[Revelation 1:7 Zechariah 12:10–14]
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” says Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies,
the One who is, who was and who is coming. (Complete Jewish Bible).
POWER, coming from Grace and Peace.
Are we reading at the end of time or the present time? Twice in this passage the "is" comes before the "was," and the One who "IS" will last into the "IS TO COME." Once again in our readings this week the Spirit invites us into the loving dance of the Trinity, as we meditate on how Grace and Peace flow from the Eternal, from the Firstborn, from the One whose warm dominion is love. The ending will be like the beginning, because Christ IS. He is God's Word in creation; he is God's Word forever. Alpha and Omega; A and Z. We are held in this Power. This is Truth.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, live in me; use me in your Reign of Grace and Peace that is, that was, that is to come. Amen.

Ronald Jensen, '77

Retired, Austin, Minn.

Revelation 1:4 ... 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 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,
6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! 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.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (New Revised Standard Version).

THE LUTHER SEMINARY ®

The Luther Seminary

2481 Como Avenue

Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States

***