The scroll and the Lamb

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Revelation 5

Before John’s vision looks at a series of sevens – seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls, which depict the end from different viewpoints – we are introduced to the scroll and the lamb. Revelation contains so many allusions to the Old Testament and fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. The scroll is paralleled in Daniel […]

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Understanding Revelation

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Revelation 4

  A group of Bible college students had finished playing basketball in the gym. They noticed a cleaner in the corner reading a book. “What are you reading?”, “The Bible.” “What part of the Bible?” “Revelation.” Thinking they could help the poor soul, they asked “Do you understand what you are reading?” “Yes” – they […]

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Philadelphia & Laodicea

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Rev 3:7-22

Philadelphia The church in Philadelphia is commended – they are faithful! God loves faithful obedience over the long haul. Although they have little strength they have kept God’s word. They are facing opposition from non-Christian Jews but they will see victory and security, so John encourages them to keep going. The key of David that […]

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Living Faith 

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Rev 2:18-3:6

The book of Revelation gives us seven letters from Jesus to seven churches. The fourth letter is addressed to the church in Thyatira. This small city was renowned as a centre for manufacturing, and a large number of trade guilds existed, each with its own patron deity and festivals. In addition, the Greco-Roman god Apollo […]

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Purity and Holiness

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Revelation 2:1-17

Today’s reading comprises the first three letters of Jesus to the churches in Asia Minor, now known as Turkey. We start at Ephesus, on the western coast and then travel north to Smyrna and finally further north to Pergamum. The general pattern of the letters (including the next four in tomorrow’s reading) is a command […]

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The hope to come

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Revelation 1:1-20

The last book of the New Testament! Well done if you have studied the daily Scriptures and read the commentaries in the Gateway Church ‘New Testament in a Year’ up to this point! Only one more book to go. And what a book of hope! ‘Revelation presents the final chapter in God’s story of salvation […]

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Hey Jude!

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Jude

I love that, at the very start of his letter, Jude reminds us of some key aspects of our identity before diving into the main part of his letter. The NLT version says ‘I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the […]

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Dear Friend

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3 John

Whilst many of the letters in the New Testament are written for the benefit of a whole church or group of churches, 3 John is simply a letter from one friend to another, brimming with love and familiarity. The Oxford dictionary definition of a friend is ‘a person with whom one has a bond of […]

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You can’t handle the truth

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2 John

A Few Good Men is a great film. Tom Cruise plays a rookie military lawyer who has to defend a squad of marines accused of murder. They claimed they were acting on orders. Jack Nicholson plays a tough guy marine officer. One climactic scene has Nicholson on the stand being interrogated by the Cruise character. Cruise is […]

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