Bible Verse of the Day Thursday April 27th, 2023

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

John the Apostle had a closer relationship with Jesus than any other human blessed to be in Jesus' inner circle while He was on earth. Of course, he was part of the inner circle of the three disciples, Peter, James and John but even in that small circle, he held a special place. If we could say that Jesus had a best friend during His earthly ministry, it would be John the Apostle. Several decades after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Roman Government exiled John to the Island of Patmos. While on that penal Island, John was called to Heaven one day for a surprise visit with his dear friend he had not seen in many years.

John knew Jesus well; however, he had never seen the Savior as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It would be a severe understatement to declare that what John witnessed that day was an astonishing, unforgettable sight. The voice of Jesus thundered, his eyes were as flaming fire, and His face was as bright as the noonday sun. The glory of Jesus so overcame John that he collapsed as a dead man. Then suddenly he felt a hand touch his body and he heard his old friend's voice. Jesus said he was the first and the last, then told John he was alive forever and held the keys to death and Hell.

Jesus told John to write what he had seen in Heaven that day. John obeyed Jesus, as he did when they walked the rocky paths of the Land of John's ancestors. John wrote the marvelous Book of Revelation that we have today to gain a glimpse of the glory that will be ours one day when the Father says to His Son: "Go bring my children home,"

The words Jesus spoke to John that day were not only for John but for all that are ready and willing to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. We do not have to yield to the fear that Satan is peddling because Jesus is alive forever, and we can know eternal life through the saving knowledge of the precious blood of Jesus, shed for us on the Cross of Calvary. Today we can all feel the comforting hand of Jesus on our shoulders, just as John did on the day he met Jesus face to face.