Even though the true Christian life is the hardest life we can live, it is also the best and the most fulfilling life we can live. It is hard, but it is worth it, with dividends that will last for eternity. The righteousness, peace, and joy that we find in His kingdom are worth much more than any earthly treasure.

      It is this life that this study of The Revelation of Jesus Christ makes clear to us. This is about the ultimate battle between light and darkness that has been waged over mankind and planet earth for ages. The last and greatest battle for them is now unfolding. We see in the book of Revelation how the light will surely win and how the earth will be the glorious center of the universe as the dwelling place of God.

      The book of Revelation is not a book to be feared or shunned because its symbolism is so difficult. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher and will reveal what we need to know. As we see the mysteries of this vision unfold, we will understand how we have been living it. We do not study just to understand Revelation, but to be prepared for the ultimate battle and to experience and celebrate the most glorious journey ever. As we follow the King, we will see how every great saga ever written was about this one we are living.

      We have covered the first three verses of the Revelation that lay the foundation for the rest of the book. Now, we continue with the next verse: “John to the seven churches that 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” (Revelation 1:4).

      Why would the Lord address these seven churches in Asia (Minor) to the exclusion of all of the other churches in the world at the time? Obviously, the Lord had intended for these seven churches, their histories, their condition at the time, and even the meanings of their names to send a remarkable message to the church as a whole, throughout the entire church age.

      In biblical numerology, seven is the “number of completion,” or wholeness. We can see an accurate outline of all of church history in these seven churches through the sequence in which they are addressed. Before we view this remarkable overview of church history told in advance, we need to absorb what is said about them first.  

      Let’s begin with Revelation 1:4-8: “John to the seven churches that 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, 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 released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to 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.’”

      The message of Jesus to His church throughout this age is about who He is and how He is coming back. It is a shallow reduction of the faith to believe that Christianity is all about saving as many as possible from earth so they can receive eternal life and dwell with Him forever in heaven. This is true, and wonderful beyond comprehension. However, He is coming back to the earth, and bringing those who are His with Him, because He loves the whole world.

      The Lord, along with those who are His, is coming back to the earth to restore it to the wonderful paradise He originally created it to be. The first one thousand years of our eternal life are going to be spent working with Him to restore mankind and the earth to what it was created for—to be God’s home. God is going to dwell on earth among mankind, and we will be with Him in the most glorious, interesting, wonderful place. The earth, His creation, will again be how He created it to be. Those who have become His “new creation” in this age will have glorious, new spiritual bodies that are of His divine nature. They will reign with Him over the multitudes of people restored upon the earth, living as they were originally created to be.