Revelation 1:17 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.”
The First and the Last
I don’t know about you, but when I come to the book of Revelation, I am slightly intimidated and anxious by the events I read. What I don’t understand can intimidate me, and what I do understand can make me anxious! The truth is, whatever you do or don’t understand, the book of Revelation is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Revelation isn’t a revealing of things; it is the revealing of a Person.
In Revelation, Jesus Christ is revealed by His names. For example, in verse 5 He is “the faithful witness,” the “first begotten of the dead,” and the “prince of the kings of the earth.” Regardless of who is in power, Christ is sovereign. No one ever voted God in, and no one will ever vote Him out!
He is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” He is the Bookends and the Capstone for all eternity and history.
Second of all, Jesus Christ is revealed by His appearance. John describes Christ in very descriptive detail in verses 12-16. He describes the very God of Heaven in all His majesty and power. What do all of these descriptions mean? What about the later events and details in Revelation? Of course, the Bible is meant to be studied and understood, but do not let that keep you from the authority and confidence you ought to have with God’s Word in your hand and God’s Spirit in your body. You can understand the Bible, and you can know God.
God predated every religion, every church, every preacher; and He will postdate every politician, leader, and king you can conceive. He is everything! He is first. He is last. He is the Power for right now. You don’t have to understand every sign, every event, and every nuance of Bible prophesy. If you know the Person the book of Revelation reveals, you can have confident assurance for today.