Greetings and Doxology Part 3 of 3 (Revelation Series)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

We see here that Jesus has done two things for us:
He has given us royalty. Through Him we may become the true sons of God; and, if we are sons of the King of kings we are from the lineage from which there can be none more royal. He has made us priests. The point is this. Under the old way, only the priest had the right of access to God. When a Jew entered the Temple, he could pass through the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of the Israelites—but there he must stop; he could not go into the Court of the Priests; he could come no nearer to the Holy of Holies. In the vision of the great days to come, Isaiah said: “You shall be called the priests of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:6). In that day every one of the people would be a priest and have access to God. That is what John means; because of what Jesus Christ did, access to the presence of God is now open to every man. There is a priesthood of all believers. We can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), because for us there is a new and living way into the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-2215).16). Together believers make up a kingdom of which Christ is their King; and eventually, they are priests because each has direct access to God because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Their whole purpose, of course, is to serve God.

Those of us who are members of the New Testament Church (born again believers), have been washed white in the precious blood of Jesus. The moment we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we become sons of God and have access to God through the blood. We are Kings, we are priests . . . And we approach God through our mediator, the Lord Jesus (1 Timothy 2:517). Because of Jesus, there is no longer need for any other human mediators to connect us to God. Therefore, all believers are the object of Jesus’ love, released from sin, a part of the kingdom of God, and able to pursue God directly through Jesus Christ. Therefore, in this day and age, there is no such thing as priesthood separate from worshipers . . . We are all priests when we are born of God’s Holy Spirit and washed in the blood of the Lamb. We approach the throne of God only through a new and living way, purchased by Jesus on the cross (Hebrews 10:19-2018).

The doxology ends with words of praise: to him be Glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” means “let it be so.”



Special Notes and Scripture Reference

1 Grace means all the undeserved gifts of the wondrous love of God.

2 Peace means the harmony restored between God and man through Christ.

3 (Rev. 1:9-11) 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

4 (John 14:27) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

5 (Hebrews 2:9; NIV) But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

6 (Romans 5:1; NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 (Rev. 1:20) The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

8 (Isaiah 55:4) See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler, and commander of the peoples.

9 (John 18:37) Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

10 (1 Corinthians 15:20) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

11 (Philippians 2:8-11) 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 (Colossians 1:15) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

13 (Ephesians 3:17-19)17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

14 (Matthew 21:43) Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

15 (Hebrews 10:19-22) 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

16 (1 Peter 2:5, 9) You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. This verse definitely refers to Gentile believers . . . Those of us who in times past were without God and without hope, but who through the death of Jesus are made sons of God.

17 (1 Timothy 2:5; NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

18 (Hebrews 10:19-20; NIV) 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,