Book Quotes: Amen

From The Names of God by George W. Knight (page 70):

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. Revelation 3:14.

This verse was spoken by Jesus as He prepared to deliver a special message to the church at Laodicea. By designating Himself as the Amen, He claimed to be speaking a truthful, authoritative word for this church.

The word amen has a rich biblical history. In the Old Testament, it was used to confirm an oath or consent to an agreement. For example, Nehemiah called on the people of his time not to cheat and defraud one another. The people responded with "amen" to pledge their agreement with Nehemiah's proposal (Nehemiah 5:13).

Jesus often used the word verily in His teachings to show that He was about to speak God's words of truth (see Matthew 16:28). This Greek word is rendered as "I tell you the truth" (NIV) or "I assure you" (HCSB) by modern translations. The early church used amen to declare "let it be so" or "let it be true" at the close of prayers (see 2 Timothy 4:18), just as we do today.

Because Jesus is the great Amen, we can trust His words and His leadership. He is the sum and substance of Truth (see John 14:6). He will never say or do anything that will cause us to stumble or go astray. He has promised that if we follow Him, we will know the truth, "and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).