The Revelation of Jesus Christ -- 7/2/06 (Eternal Realities)

Sunday, July 2, 2006

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
Readings from Revelation

We have been looking at the truth that God is holy. God the Father, Jehovah Yahweh, the I am that I am, is holy. Jesus, the Son, is also holy. We have given a good bit attention to this truth. Why? Why this emphasis? Because of the scriptural command: "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…" (Rom. 12:1). Literally, "Stop being conformed to this world."

The truth is that we have been conformed to this world in our thinking about God. We have followed the world in taking a low view of God. The mindset of the world has infiltrated (perhaps more accurate to say "invaded") the church in the last half century. Just look at the state of religion in our nation. What do you find? You find a Christianity that has become man-centered instead of God-centered. People speak of the "me generation," and the professing church cannot escape that label. We are bombarded with the kind of thinking that tries to make God the servant of man. People come to God for what they can get out of Him, and we are not immune to that attitude, for our flesh is always attacking us along those lines.

And what about Jesus? We would be led to believe that Jesus is our "buddy." But how often do we hear that Jesus is holy, that He is high and lifted up, set apart, unique, in a class by Himself? How often are we reminded that He is every bit as holy as the Lord Jehovah, the Father in heaven? Since this truth has become outdated and unfashionable for our religious society, we must let the Spirit of God reinforce it in our minds and hearts through the precious Word of God. That is the reason for this emphasis.

This morning let’s turn to Revelation, the last book in the Bible. Let’s begin by looking at the title of this book. You understand that the titles up at the top of your page were added by man. They were not in the original text. The title of this last book is found in the opening words – "The Revelation of Jesus Christ."

Now some of you may be really excited that we are going to be in the book of Revelation this morning. In general, if you ask American Christians what book of the Bible they would like to study, the number one answer is "the book of Revelation." I have never preached through this book. There is a simple reason for that. The simple reason is that I don’t understand it well enough to preach through it. I don’t say that with pride, but with shame. Nevertheless, that is the truth. But let it be known that there is a blessing for those who read and hear the words of this book and keep those things which are written in it, as we are told in 1:3.

Our purpose this morning is not to delve into the details of this book, but to use it to get a clearer picture of Jesus and His relationship to the Father. In doing that, we are perfectly in line with the purpose of this book. Its purpose is stated in its first words – "The Revelation of Jesus Christ."

Please note that this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Revelations of Jesus Christ. It is not the book of Revelations, but the book of Revelation. There is one revelation in this book, and that is the revelation of Jesus. The word here rendered "revelation" means "unveiling." When Jesus walked on this earth, His glory was veiled. As we read in Isaiah 53:2-3…
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

While He was on the earth, He looked like any other man. But in this book Jesus is unveiled; the veil is removed. Now we see Him in His glory, majesty, splendor, and holiness.

Before we begin to read from Revelation, let’s read some other passages. From Isaiah and from the Psalms, let’s read about Almighty God and His glory.
Isa 42:8-9 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 9. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 45:5-7 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Isa 48:10-11 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
And then Psalm 96…
O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 2. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. 3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 6. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice 13. Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Now let’s come to Revelation. Read Rev. 1:1-6…
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice in verses 4-6, we see God the Father – "him which is, and which was, and which is to come." And we see the Spirit of God, here referred to as "the seven Spirits which are before his throne." We find this reference four times in Revelation – 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. I don’t know all the reasons why John speaks of the seven spirits of God, but I suspect it has something to do with Isaiah 11, where the prophet speaks of "the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" (Is. 11:2). And then we see Jesus Christ. Notice the doxology to Him, starting at the end of verse 5 – "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…" When you don’t know what to pray, how about giving thanks for these things. That will occupy us for a while. And then those words at the end of verse 6 – "To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." To whom? Is he talking about God the Father? Or is He talking a bout Jesus? It isn’t clear. It could be either way. I believe He is talking about Jesus, as the next verse continues to speak about Jesus.

Now Rev. 1:7-8…
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

So who is speaking in verse 8, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending…"? Is this Jehovah, God the Father? Or, is it Jesus speaking? The King James versions that I have seen take it to be Jesus speaking, as indicated by the red lettering. We are not told. This idea of the one who was and is and is to come is also found in 4:8; 11:17; 16:5. A comparison might lead us to believe that God the Father is speaking these words, but we can’t be sure. But what about the term "Amighty"? While it would seem to refer to the Father, remember Is. 9:6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." There the coming Messiah is referred to as "The mighty God."

Now let’s read Rev. 1:10-11…
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Now it seems clear that the Lord Jesus is speaking to John, for He is the one who dictates the letters to these seven churches. This becomes more evident as this One speaking is identified in verse 13 as One like the Son of man. That is Jesus, who fulfills the prophecy of Daniel 7:13. And as we observe the description in the following verses, we must conclude that these are indeed the words of Jesus.

Now consider the way Jesus describes Himself – "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." "Alpha" is the first letter of the Greek alphabet; "omega" is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Jesus says, "I am the A, and I am the Z." He clarifies his meaning by adding, the first and the last. He is saying that He was before everything and after everything.
That is very interesting in light of what we read in Is. 44:6, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Who spoke those words? It was God the Father, Yahweh, Jehovah. Not only does He say, "I am the first and the last," but He adds, "And beside me there is no God." He might as well have said, "No one else can make this claim. I and I alone am the first and the last." But now here is Jesus making the very same claim, "I am the first and the last."

So in Revelation, we find three phrases that are very similar and have the same basic meaning…
… the Alpha and the Omega (4 times)
… the first and the last (4 times)
… the beginning and the end(ing) (3 times)

We won’t take time to look up each one of these, but you can find them easily enough by using your concordance. If you check them out, you will find that most of them refer to Jesus. We have already noted 1:8, where the identity of the speaker is not clear. It seems best to understand 21:6 as spoke by God the Father. 21:6, "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Who said? According to verse 5, these words are spoken by the one who sat on the throne. In 4:2 through 5:7, there are six references to the one who sat on the throne, and everyone of them clearly refers to the Father. We will be looking at that passage in a few minutes.

Come to the very end of Revelation, where we find all three of these phrases together in 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." It would seem to be Jesus speaking, as the speaker says in verse 12, "And, behold, I come quickly." Come down to verse 20, "He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Also in verse 16, Jesus identifies Himself as the speaker. So we see that Jesus takes up the eternal truth that God is the first and the last and applies it to Himself.

Now let’s come specifically to Revelation to see Jesus unveiled in His glory. We read down through verse 11 of chapter 1, now let’s read 1:12-18…
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Again, it is obvious that Jesus is in view here. I cannot escape a comparison with what we saw on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matt. 17, where we are told that His clothing was as white as the light and His face shone like the sun. But here it is not just a passing glimpse of the glory of Jesus. Now we are invited to gaze upon Him.

We could spend a long time with the symbolism here, but for now let me call attention to the most obvious points. He is clothed with garment down to His feet. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they realized they were naked and tried to cover up. Not so with Jesus. He is completely clothed. I am reminded of Ps. 91:1, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Surely this complete clothing speaks of Jesus being hid in His Father, even as we who belong to Him have died and are hid with Christ in God. This robe down to the feet speaks of the priest, who was so clothed; and of the judge, who was so clothed; and even of the King, in His royal attire. Jesus is Priest, Judge, and King. Around His chest is a golden girdle, a golden band. Both then and now gold symbolizes that which is precious. There is nothing quite like gold. Surely this refers to the value, the preciousness of our Lord Jesus.

His head and hair are white – white like wool and white as snow. We know that white is the color that speaks of purity. His eyes are like a flame of fire. We read in Hebrews that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13). Those eyes pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit (4:12), even as a flame of fire pierces everything it touches. His feet are like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace. In the scripture, brass speaks of judgment, God’s judgment upon sin. Remember the bronze (brass) altar of the tabernacle, where animals were offered as a sacrifice for man’s sin. There the animal was killed, picturing the judgment of God upon sin. This is where we often fail to understand the holiness of Jesus. Holiness is a wonderful thing, but it is also a frightening thing, because judgment waits for any unholy person who stands in His presence. His voice is like the sound of many waters. Have you heard the waves of the ocean crashing against a rock cliff? The sound is deafening and brings a sense of power and awe. So is the voice of Jesus. Perhaps too the reference to many waters reminds us that all the prophecies of the many voices through the centuries come together in Jesus. We read in Heb 1:1-2, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…"

He had in His right hand seven stars. In verse 20, Jesus Himself tells us that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches in Asia. And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.

Now comes the question with which every interpreter of Revelation must struggle. Is this a literal sword? Or is the picture meant to convey something else? Whether you take it literally or figuratively, this is a sword of power and judgment. We read in Rev 19:15, "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." This fulfills the prophecy of Ps. 2:9, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." But why does this sword come out of His mouth? Because this sword is the Word of God, and the Word of God is sharp for judgment. Jesus Himself speaks of that judgment in John 12:48, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

And His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. When John looked on the face of Jesus, it was like the sun – not like the sun on a cloudy day, but like the sun in its full strength. What happens when you look at the sun? You have to quickly turn away, because it’s brightness is blinding. So it is with the holiness of Jesus Christ.

And now come to verse 17, "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead…" Hear what he said, "I fell at his feet like a dead man." John was reduced to nothing in the presence of the holy Jesus. You remember that Peter fell and Jesus’ feet years earlier and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Lk. 5:8). But now John beholds the risen glorified Jesus, and he can do nothing but fall at his feet like a dead man. O that we might see the holiness of Jesus.

Almost 20 years ago I heard a preacher tell a little story that I have never forgotten (and that is quite amazing for me). He spoke like this: "I had a friend who one day told me that he had seen Jesus. So I said, ‘Tell me about it.’ Well, I was in the bathroom shaving. And while I was shaving, I saw someone in the mirror. I turned around and there He was. It was the Lord Jesus. I asked my friend, ‘So what did you do?’ I talked to Him as I went on shaving. Then I said to my friend, ‘You can be sure it wasn’t Jesus. If it had been Jesus, you would have been on your face before Him.’" That is a powerful illustration of how we have failed to comprehend the holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And now come with me to chapter 4 and let’s read. I will read this passage rather slowly. We won’t try to understand all the details here. Our purpose is to see the glory and holiness of God and His Son Jesus. Read 4:1-11…
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 2. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Let’s read verses 9-11 again…
And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

These strange living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne. And when they do, then the 24 elders fall down before Him and worship Him, declaring that He is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. People ask what we will do in heaven. Who can give a full answer to that question. I can’t answer it, but surely it is here that we find the greatest picture of heaven. I don’t know if this is all that we will do, but this will be the 24/7 attitude of everyone who lives in heaven. Many people paint fanciful, speculative pictures of heaven because they cannot imagine us spending all of our time worshiping the Lord. Whatever the activities of heaven, there will not be a moment when we are not worshiping our Lord. Declaring the worthiness of God will never grow old.

So let me ask you a question: When the 24 elders say, "You are worthy, O Lord…," to whom are they referring – to God the Father? or to Christ the Son? There is an answer to this question. We find it in chapter 5. Now let’s read 5:1-7…
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

So who is in view in chapter 4? It is He that sat upon the throne (6 times in Rev. 4), as distinguished from the Lamb. But let’s not stop. Read 5:8-12…
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

In 4:11 the elders say to God the Father, the One who sits on the throne, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power." Now they sing to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ in 5:9, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood…" Then in verses 11 and 12 they are joined by the angels, the living creatures, and the thousands upon thousands of the redeemed, and they all cry with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" The same worship that is given to the One who sits on the throne is now poured out upon the Lamb.

And now 5:13-14…
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Do you see? Now every living thing joins together to proclaim the praise of the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb. The four beasts chime in with an "Amen." And the 24 elders fall down and worship "him that lives forever and ever." So who did they worship? The One who lives forever and ever. And who is that? Is it the Father or the Son? We have just been told that blessing and honor and glory and power have been ascribed to both. And now the 24 elders worship "Him" – not them, but Him.

The Father and the Son are one in the throne. Who can worship the Lamb and not worship Him who sits upon the throne? Who can worship the One who sits upon the throne and not worship the Lamb.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, I have to confess to you that I am in over my head. This is beyond my understanding. You ask, "So will we worship two Gods in heaven – the Father and the Son?" No, for the Lord our God is one Lord. Then will we see both the Father and the Son? I don’t know. Come to Rev. 22:1-5…
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Look at verse 3, "And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him." Whose servants? The servants of God, or the servants of the Lamb? Verse 4, "They shall see HIS face." Whose face? "And HIS name shall be in their foreheads." Whose name? In verse 5, we see that we will need no candle nor the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give us light. But now go back and read 21:23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

These questions I am asking may well have answers, but I say again that I am in over my head. The relationship between Jehovah God and Jesus, the Lamb, is far beyond my understanding. I cannot fathom it, much less explain it. But praise God that I’m not worried about it. My great concern is not that I understand the relationship between the Father and the Son, but that I fall down before Him and worship Him. My great need is not understanding; my great need is to stand in awe of His holy presence.

While we may not understand many things in the Revelation, surely we can understand this: God is holy. Jesus is holy. Is it any wonder that John fell down at His feet as dead. The wonder of wonders is that we can "keep on shaving," while claiming that He is our Lord and King.

I leave us with this thought. Heb 12:12-14…
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
You say, "Ron, what does that mean?" If means that no unholy person will ever stand in the presence of the Lord – not now, not ever.