A God Who Helps in Time of Need

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come…
-- Rev 1:4 NIV

For the saints in the churches of Asia who faced daily hardships, persecution, and threats of death, this greeting was particularly meaningful. The God who "is," reminded them of the great I AM who visited the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt, delivered them from Pharaoh's army, and led them to the Promised Land. The second phrase, "who was," connects the God the Christians worshiped to the faithful I AM of the past. The final phrase, "who is to come," reminds them that God will yet deliver them from their tormentors and graciously lead them to a new heavens and a new earth where they would dwell in peace forever and ever.