In the first letter of John, likely written by the author of the Gospel of John, the centrality of abiding in Christ, as commanded in John 15, is at the heart of its message. As in John’s Gospel, abiding is not meant to be taken figuratively but quite literally. It signifies the state of being with Christ which believers are to seek with their whole hearts. The Greek term that John uses here, just as in the Gospel for “abide” also means to “remain in” or “stay with” Christ….
Revelation is the final Book in the Bible for a reason. It deals with the “end times” and what has been called the “Messianic woes” which are to immediately precede the Second Coming of Christ. It has long been suggested that the book was written in a secret code for which, regrettably, we have lost the codebook. It has also served as a strengthening document of faith and hope in the coming of Christ during times of Church persecution throughout history, encouraging Christians to, “Keep the faith! Hold on! Christ is coming soon.”
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