VERSE 7: look, He is coming in the clouds! Everyone will see Him, including those who pierced Him. All peoples of the earth shall morn over Him. So shall it be!

Notice all will see him, the dead and the alive. How sad it would be for those who pierced Jesus to realize they truly pierced God's Son. All bow to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (reference Revelation 19:11-16)

For the Son of Man (Christ) will come like the lightning  which flashes from the east to the west.           Matthew 24:27

Prophecy foretold 400 years before Christ birth: "I will fill the descendants of David and other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at whom they stabbed to death, and they will morn for Him like those that morn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first born son. Zechariah 12:10

It was Enoch, the 7th direct descendant of Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them: "The Lord will come with many thousands of His Holy Angels." Jude 1:14, this was prophesied 1,000 years before Christ birth.

VERSE 8: I am the first and the last, "says the Lord God Almighty, Who is, Who was, and Who is to come.     

Jesus is stating he was before all things and is the ending of all things, NOTHING was created on earth, heaven Anyplace or Power without accept through Him. He is over all governments, kings, lords, those seen and not seen. He is God. Reference: John 1:3,  Colossians 1:16,17  Hebrews 1:3,  Ephesians 1:10

VERSE 9: I am John, your brother and as a follower of Jesus I am your partner in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to His Kingdom. I was put on the Island of Patmos because I had proclaimed God's Word and the truth that Jesus revealed.

Unlike many ministers today he wants no praise. He is only a fellow brother with us. He is exiled for preaching the Gospel, what happened to free speech? We see being a christian cost something, but the true believer awaits heaven for the Holy Spirit confirms our redemption and strengthens  strong in faith.

"I have told you this so you will have peace by being united to Me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world.!" John 16:33 and 15:18-20

The name it claim it and pie in the sky mentality is no true unless what we ask is God's will. Many of us ask what we want for. We should pray if it be your will God, let it be so.

Christians who are verbal about the true Word of God are looked down on politically and usually in the work place. It is politically correct to use the term God for that could be any old god, But say the name of Jesus and you have started a fire.

VERSE 10: On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me.

VERSE 11: It said, "Write down what you see, and send this book to the churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodecia."

VERSE 12: I turned around to see who was talking to me, and I saw 7 gold lampstands.

Revelation 1:20 explains the gold lampstands as the churches and the 7 stars are the angels of the 7 churches.

Believers are to be the lights to the world to witness to the world the truth of the Gospel.

You are the light of the whole world, a city on a hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14

In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Are we as a church witnessing to the world the Gospel?  Are we living lour lives differently as God directs? Or, are we living lives no different from this world? Are churches abiding in what Jesus taught or have we become a man made church?

VERSE 13: And among them there was what looked like the Son of Man, wearing a robe that reached to his feet, and a gold band around His chest.

Here we see Jesus clothed as the Old Testament High Priest for now he is the High Priest in Heaven, intercessing for the believers. Reference: Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 4:14

Jesus hears are prayers, He knows our needs and is

Seeing that we have a great High Priest, that has past into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Hebrews 4:14

Right now on this earth we need help to overcome, and Jesus is that help. No other religion has a living God, that defends and loves them personally, one who can hear and answer prayer. One who was God and became a man to know our needs and our temptations and rose from the grave immortal. Jesus is all this and more.

VERSE 14: And His hair was white as wool, or as snow, and His eyes blazed like fire.

600 years before the birth of Christ Daniel prophesies the following;  While I was looking , thrones were in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow. and His hair was like pure wool. His throne mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire, and a stream of fire was pouring out from it.There were many thousands of people there to serve Him, and millions of people stood before Him. The court began its session, and the books were opened before Him. While I was looking, I could still hear a little horn bragging and boasting. As I watched, the fourth beast was killed, and its body was thrown into the flames and destroyed.The other beasts had their power taken away but, they were allowed to go on living for a limited time. During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and He went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to Him. He was given authority, honor and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races and languages would serve Him. His authority would last forever, and His kingdom would never end. Daniel 7:9-14

Wow! This should make us jump for joy. Here we have a word given 600 years before Christ was born that exactly matches the Revelation given to John 600 years later. Brothers and sister it doe not get any truer than this.

Here we also see Jesus unhappy with the Church preparing to get things right.

VERSE 15: His feet were glowing like bronze being heated in a furnace, and His voice sounded like the roar of a waterfall.

Here Christ is preparing for judgement!

VERSE 16: He held seven stars in His right hand. A sharp two edge sword came out of His mouth. And He looked like the sun shining at its brightest time.

The seven stars are the seven angels or messengers to the seven churches. The two edge sword is the Word of God. That is why I love to hold my Bible and utilize it. It is the believers sword against the enemy. Flesh and blood cannot defeat Satan, but the Word of God cuts him every time.

God's word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep into the place where the soul and spirit are joined. God's word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12

The sword is God's truth, it does surgery on the believer, removes the bad and replaces with good. It cuts Satan because He knows the truth and His time is short.

This scripture is also related to the Great White Thrown Judgement, The Great Tribulation, Armageddon as stated in Revelation 20:11-15

VERSE 17 When I saw Him I fell down at His feet like a dead man. He put His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

This brings tears to ones eyes, for surely we will all weep at Jesus feet, not wanting to look Him in the face. But then so many times He has said, "Don't be afraid". Finally home with our Lord, what a day that will be!

VERSE 18: I am the one who lives. I was dead but look, I am alive forever and ever! Behold I have the keys to death and Hades.

We are told not to worry, John14:1

We are not to fear death, Hebrews 2:14,15

Hades was the place where those who died before the cross. Sheol was also before the cross, Hades for the righteous and Sheol for the wicked. For us today after the Cross it is Paradise where the believer goes after death. Jesus released those in Hades after His death. But those in Shoel still remain until Judgement Day.

And by the Spirit He went and preached to the spirits in prison. Those were the spirits that refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for people while Noah was building the big boat. And only a few-eight in all were saved in the boat through the flood water. 1 Peter 3:19,20

The word preached used in this scripture is Kerysso, which was used as judgement, not evangelizing.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. All these people were judges by what they had done. Revelation 20:13

VERSE 19: So write what you see. Write the things that happen now and the things that will happen later.

VERSE 20: Here is the hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand and the seven golden candlesticks you saw: the seven lampstands  are the seven churches. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.

These are seven literal churches in different cities. They are also seven church periods and stages of church history that are applicable for the church today.