4 John, to the seven churches that are in Asia:Grace and peace to you from the one who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before God’s throne,5 and from Jesus Christ—the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 who made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and always. Amen.
Revelation 1:4-6
Welcome to the Book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible. Today and next Thursday we’ll read a few chapters before the season of Advent begins at the end of the month.
In today’s reading, you’ll notice the number seven. This refers to seven churches in what is now the country of Turkey. The number seven is used very often in the book—54 times, to be exact. Seven gives the feeling of completion by taking the number four for the four directions on earth, adding the number three for the three persons in God. Add them up and you’ve got something complete and satisfying.
Bible Breaths are like that—seven syllables; three while breathing in, three while breathing out, and one count for the rest before we breathe in again. Give yourself a moment of rest as your breathing stops for a few seconds and you receive the gift of life once again.
Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…
Kindness and peace from Jesus. v. 3
Jesus first to conquer death v. 5
By Your blood You set us free. v. 5
To You, glory forever v. 6
Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 