June 15, 2025 Sunday Worship
The Almighty Still Reigns <Revelation 1:4–8> 

The reign of Emperor Domitian (AD 81–96) was the time when the Roman Empire reached its peak in political and religious control, and at the same time, the early church suffered severe persecution. As Domitian recovered the economic crisis and gained power, he gradually began to call himself a “living god” and commanded that he be worshipped. At that time, all citizens and leaders obeyed, but only the Christians refused and cried out, “You are not a god, but a man.”
This confession of faith immediately led to large-scale persecution (AD 90–96). Christians were tortured and killed, fled to underground caves, and suffered public executions in arenas. They tried to maintain their community, but due to internal betrayal, threats, apostasy, and conflicts, many churches collapsed and fell into great trials.
Even so, some Christians did not renounce their faith even at the cost of their lives, and Revelation became a great comfort and hope. Through Revelation, the apostle John proclaims that the true object of worship is the Almighty God.

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” (Rev 19:6)
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power.” (Rev 5:13)

In the end, Domitian’s persecution was a fundamental battle over “who is worthy of worship,” and Revelation was the Word of revelation declared in that desperate era so that the church would not forget that only God is the true sovereign. At that time, the church leader, the apostle John, was captured and exiled to the island of Patmos near Ephesus. There, God delivered a word to John. In the midst of unbearable suffering and extreme situations, questions arose: “Who is Jesus?” “Is it right to die for Jesus?” “Is it right that my family, my children, die because of my faith?” “What is the value of that?” Amid countless conflicts and questions, God gave the Word, which is Revelation.

At such a time, the very first word John hears is: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 1:1)

This means: “The revelation about Jesus, given directly by Jesus.” It is called the testimony of Jesus Christ. Although Revelation contains many visions and revelations, the word “revelation” used here is singular. It is the revelation of Jesus only. Therefore, Revelation is a book that reveals who Jesus is.
Look at Revelation 1:2: “John testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (NIV) 

Next, John declares that he will testify as a witness. This is to testify to what God will surely do in the midst of suffering and tribulation. A witness is a person who tells the truth about what they have seen, heard, and known.
Look at verse 5:“Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Jesus first came to this earth as the faithful witness, and because He lived that way, He died. The baton of the faithful witness was passed to the apostle John, to the early church and the believers. That baton continued to be passed on, and today, in 2025, it has been handed to us. We, too, have received that baton and thus have the responsibility to live as witnesses. 

Even today, those who decide to live as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ will face difficulties, just like the early Christians. The reason Jesus suffered and died on the cross, as verse 5 says, is that He lived as a faithful witness and did not give false testimony. The reason the apostle John and the early church suffered under Domitian’s persecution is just one: They did not give false testimony, but boldly declared that Jesus is God, and Domitian is not a god but a man.

Of course, even in 2025, right here and now, if someone says, “Jesus is my King,” “The Word of the Lord, not the world, is the standard of my life,” many people will dislike it.

But for those who choose to live as witnesses saying, “God’s Word is my standard,” there will be difficulties. However, Jesus, who was with us in suffering more than anyone else, comes to the suffering church and believers and speaks clearly. That word is Revelation 1:4–8. All 66 books of the Bible are precious, but verses 4 through 8 are like jewels to every Christian. In these words, we find a detailed explanation of what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have done and will do.

“John, to the seven churches in Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come...” (Rev 1:4)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev 1:8)

God is emphasized as the one who is, who was, and who is to come. This passage emphasizes that God is alive now. Why did Jesus first say to the suffering church and believers, “I am alive right now?” Are you going through suffering now? To those in suffering that no one can bear, where nothing can be done by our own strength, He says: “I am alive right now.” The God who created all things, the God who parted the Red Sea, the God who brought down the walls of Jericho—That same power is still at work today. We do not believe in the God of Abraham, Moses, Peter, and Paul alone. We believe in the God who is alive today, June 8, 2025.
In verse 8, God says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega.”

What does this mean to those who suffer? Yes, it is comforting to hear that God protects and guards us like the apple of His eye. But the real power in the declaration “Alpha and Omega” lies in the fact that He knows the end. Why is suffering hard? Because we don’t know when it will end. If I knew my illness would end tomorrow, I could endure today. If I knew my relationship problems would be solved in two months, I could endure them. But because we don’t know the end, we fall into despair. So God says: “Just as your beginning is in Me, so is your end.”

At the time of Revelation, believers thought that the power to end their suffering lay with Roman soldiers or the emperor. But God said to them: “No. The end of your suffering does not lie with Domitian or Roman soldiers. The end of your suffering lies with Me.” Can you say “Amen” to that? God is the Alpha and Omega of our lives. So don’t kneel before just anyone or anywhere. ur beginning and end belong only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Say it boldly: “I will kneel before the Lord alone.” 

“Almighty” – the Greek word is Pantokrator. This word appears only 10 times in the 27 books of the New Testament. Once in 2 Corinthians 6:18, and the other 9 times only in Revelation. You might think “Almighty” is used often in the Bible, but actually, it’s very specific. God spoke of His almighty nature when everything seemed over—like when Abraham was 99 years old and seemed to have no hope for a child: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless.’” (Gen 17:1)

The God that Revelation emphasizes is that same Almighty God. Almighty does not just mean “very powerful.” Almighty means: In a completely ended situation, He brings something totally new. He brings life out of perfect death, hope out of perfect despair, light out of perfect darkness. Don’t say, “Even God can’t solve this.” That’s wrong. We may be incapable, but our God is completely Almighty. 

A Go (baduk) player at the 9-dan level can see ten moves ahead. If the opponent plays here, they will play there. Each move is never random. Even after a game ends, they can perfectly review every move. But God is far beyond this.

“How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” (Psalm 139:17–18)

Do you know how many ways God has? Even when it looks like every road is blocked to me, God sees tens of thousands of ways. Even when all paths are cut off, God makes a way. When we say, “It’s over. I’ve failed,” God says, “Why do you say that? I see a hundred ways forward.” When we say, “God, I see no way,” He says, “My ways are more than the sands of the sea.” “I am Almighty.” The One who says that is with us right now. He is not the God of the past but the God who is alive at this very moment, the One who is the center of the worship we offer today. 

In Revelation 4:1, God speaks to the church and John who were suffering: “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’”

Here, “must” means “surely.” It means the things God has planned and will surely bring to pass. To the church in despair, God says: “Come up here. I will show you the things that must happen.” God shows His vision to the church, even in great hardship.
That is Revelation 7:9:  “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

To the suffering believers of that time, this vision might have sounded impossible. But God says: “Whether you believe it or not, this will surely come true.” As a result, the gospel went beyond Rome, reached Korea, and now here we are—worshipping Jesus today. 

Finally, in Revelation 19:5, God gives this command to suffering believers: “Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both great and small!” Then verse 6: “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns!’”

Back then, Emperor Domitian forced people to call him “our Lord and our God.” But Christians said: “Even if the emperor cuts out my tongue or takes my life, I will give the confession ‘our Lord and our God’ to God alone.”

That is true worship. Worship is confessing by faith that God is still God, no matter how dark and painful the situation is. “Lord, even if my reality is full of despair, You are the Almighty God, my Alpha and Omega. I kneel before You alone.”

So we must choose: Will we kneel before the standards of this world, or will we kneel only before God? Even if there is hardship and suffering in the life of faith, those who believe that only the Almighty God deserves all praise—through such people, God reveals His vision. “The Almighty still reigns.” Place your life on that confession. And I bless you to stand as witnesses who testify to the Almighty God experienced in your life.