Revelation: Removing the VeilThis revelation was given by God to the Apostle John because we needed to know it.
Part 1, 
If Christ Is With Us, Death Is DefeatedThe book of Revelation teaches us a lot, especially when we begin to carefully delve into its words, when we see how Christ holds the world in His hands and acts with wisdom in all things.
Part 2, 
Why Did the Lord Leave Man the Book of Revelation?Only the people of God, the saints, can receive revelations from God, and only they can interpret them, because a revelation, words from God, is given from God, from the Holy Spirit.
Part 3, 
For the Time Is at Hand…We have to understand that God acts outside of time, and the events of Revelation don’t relate only to the end times.
Part 4, 
Blessed Is He That Readeth…Christ sent the revelation through an angel to His servant the Apostle and Evangelist John, who conveyed the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ about what he saw and heard.
Part 5, 
He Hath Made Us Kings and PriestsA man who is close to God, my dears, truly feels like a king—he has no need of anything. At the same time, he may have absolutely nothing.
Part 6, 
John, Our Companion in Tribulation, and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus ChristOne of the most significant and frequent references to the Holy Trinity is in the text of Revelation.
Part 7, 
Because Thou Hast Left Thy First Love…The greatest miracle is that the Church exists.
Part 8, 
Fear None of Those Things Which Thou Shalt SufferThus, God says the following: He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Nothing exists outside of Him; in Him is everything. He is the Beginning and End of all things.
Part 9, 
Holding Fast to the Name of ChristTo hold fast the name of God is a blessing; it’s martyrdom, and it’s a confession.
Part 10, 
Sin Is Marriage with SatanSin will never lead us to good; it brings only evil, torment, and suffering. It’s the consequence of our deeds, not the punishment of God.
Part 11
“That which ye have already hold fast till I come“
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come (Rev. 2:24-25). God will not allow them to face great trials if only they preserve what they have before His coming. This is a very important word from Christ. “Keep what you have until I come.” It’s like our Baptism. What happens in the Sacraments isn’t just a ceremony—it has its own essence. During Baptism, the priest gives you a candle so you understand what you’re receiving at that moment. You’re given a fire that you have to preserve, living in such a way that no one extinguishes it in you. Because throughout your life, satan will try to extinguish your candle through all kinds of circumstances, temptations, and sins. And if he manages to extinguish it, then he drives grace out with the help of sin. Christ says here: “Keep what you have. Keep it until I come.” Our struggle is to preserve the grace of God until Christ comes—until the Second Coming, until the end of our life (which is coming soon). Until Christ visits us, we must preserve this grace.
And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father.
And I will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches (Rev. 2:26-29). The morning star is the one that shines and heralds the morning and the sun. It’s a symbol of victory, a symbol of light, a symbol of the coming of the Sun of Truth, Christ. We all have ears, but which of us hears is another question. We all have eyes, but which of us sees? We have to ask these questions sometimes. Christ often speaks about it: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mt. 11:15, 13:9). Of course, we’re not deaf—we can hear. But do we hear with our hearts? Do these words enter into our hearts? If they had, we’d probably be different.
“Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead“
Let’s briefly look at the next epistle, the epistle to the bishop of the Church of Sardis, a city in Asia Minor.
The message to the Church in Sardis is from Christ Himself, outside of the Gospels, and it is a shocking one. He tells the bishop that although he appears alive, he is actually dead because of his sins. This is a stern warning from Christ, the only one in the book of Revelation where He speaks directly to us.
Sin brings death to the soul, and it is a hard thing when a person’s soul is dead. But there is hope in God’s power to raise the dead. We must examine ourselves to see if we are truly alive or dead spiritually. And the way to tell if someone is spiritually dead is when nothing moves them, no trials or sorrows bring them closer to God.
A story is shared about a good man who was an atheist but had all the good qualities in him. He refused to show respect to a monk on the Holy Mountain, displaying his lack of faith. It took a strong encounter with an elder to awaken him to his spiritual deadness.
We are challenged to consider if we are in the same state as this atheist or even worse, pretending to be religious but cold and unresponsive to God’s touch. Our actions and reactions reveal the true state of our spiritual life. Nevertheless, we see ourselves as very much “alive.”
A man came to Mt. Athos with the intention of becoming a monk, accompanied by his father who tried to dissuade him from his decision. Despite being involved in religious activities, the father was not allowed to receive Communion due to his intentions. This incident highlighted the hypocrisy of some individuals who consider themselves devout but harbor negative traits.
It is frightening to encounter individuals who believe they are pious but are spiritually dead. These individuals may attend church regularly and follow religious practices, yet their actions reflect hatred, greed, and other serious sins. Avarice can corrupt even those within the Church, leading to oppressive behavior and a lack of compassion towards others.
It is crucial for individuals to reflect on their spiritual journey and remember the initial fervor they felt upon entering the Church. Repentance and a return to genuine faith are necessary to avoid spiritual decay and complacency. Failure to do so may result in spiritual death and separation from God.
Remaining vigilant and repentant is essential to prevent spiritual decline and maintain a genuine connection with God. Failure to do so may lead to spiritual stagnation and a lack of awareness of one’s spiritual state. “I will come like a thief, unexpectedly, catching you off guard, and I will shake things up.” (Rev. 3:4). In Sardis, there were a few individuals who remained pure and untainted by sin, walking in white with the Lord because they were deemed worthy. God knows each of us by name, and those who stay faithful will be clothed in white robes, symbolizing a pure life and a place in His Kingdom. (Rev. 3:5-6). Let those who have ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.
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