THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCH
TEXT: Revelation 1:9-20
Revelation 1:9-20 KJV I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. [10] 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. [12] 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. [19] Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; [20] The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
I. INTRODUCTION—THE CHURCH IN THIS WORLD
-Increasingly we find ourselves faced with the question: What is the church going to be in the world?
-It is crucial for all who are in the church to first of all understand their identity; aliens in a hostile land. It would appear from the way the horizon of the future that the American church is due for some pressure-filled days ahead. Therefore, who you are as a saint, a child of God, a believer will have to be firmly settled in your heart.
1 Peter 2:11 KJV Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Hebrews 11:16 KJV But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Hebrews 13:13-14 KJV Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [14] For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
-Because we have enjoyed such great religious liberties for more than 240 years, the church is basically unprepared for the pressure that will soon be exerted on the church.
-The first century church was familiar with all of this. The early Christians were hated and despised as a religious sect all throughout the Roman Empire. There were various motivations behind the hatred:
• Politically—Despised because the Romans viewed them as disloyal because they refused to acknowledge Caesar as a divine authority.
• Religiously—Accused as being atheists because they did not worship the vast array of Roman gods and because they worshipped an invisible God, not an idol.
• Socially—They were from the lower classes of society (1 Cor. 1:26) and loathed by the Roman aristocracy.
• Economically—They were seen as a threat by the pagan priests, craftsmen, and merchants who profited from the idol worship.
-They were surrounded by dark paganism, uninhibited immorality, withering slavery, and oppressive dictators. The Christians were enemies of the world. Because they were enemies of the world, this led to martyrdom for many of them.
• Stephen—Stoned to death.
• James—Killed with the sword. He was led to the place of execution with his executioner observing it all. When he saw the courage of James, he cried out for a pardon for him to the authorities. It was denied. The executioner affirmed his faith in Jesus Christ and was beheaded beside James.
• Philip—Scourged, thrown into prison and then crucified.
• Matthew—Martyred in Ethiopia.
• James the Less—At age 94 was stoned and beaten by the Jews and then beheaded. Then his head was crushed with a club.
• Matthias—Stoned and then beheaded.
• Andrew—Crucified.
• Mark—Dragged by a bull unto his body literally fell into pieces in the streets of Alexandria, Egypt.
• Peter—Crucified upside down with his wife crucified beside him.
• Paul—Beheaded.
• Jude (Thaddeus, brother of James)—Crucified.
• Bartholomew—Beaten then crucified.
• Thomas—Thrust through with a spear by pagan priests in India.
• Luke—Hanged from the branches of an olive tree.
• Simon Zelotes—Crucified in Britain.
• John—The only apostle to die of natural causes.
• Amphianus—A woman, tortured to death on a rack after being forced to witness the execution of her child.
• Julitta—A woman who had boiling pitch poured on her feet, then her sides were torn with flesh hooks, and then almost mercifully she was beheaded. (Sources from the Bible and from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.)
-That was the first century church! But the church through the ages has had to endure tribulation. This may be the thing that the American church faces before all of this winds up. Looming directly in our future are laws that will be enacted to hinder the freedoms that we now possess. How will we react in that moment?
-The church at the moment of the writing of John’s revelation on Patmos had much chaos and confusion in it. There was a so-called church that was present and then there were two churches that John would address that were true-blue—Smyrna and Philadelphia.
-Those were churches that had much great fruit in them:
• True godliness
• Sound doctrine
• Solid teachers with character
• Sober worship
• Disciplines of prayer
• Hunger for holiness
-When we think of churches in our time. . . Are there any that model those things? The big tent of Christianity is by and large marked very much by a worldliness that dominates it. Yet in Revelation 1 there is a vision that John has of the Lord in His church that will define completely what the Lord sees in His church.
-A real saint, a true pastor, a man of God, a disciple of Christ should desire some things in the church:
• John 15—An abiding presence of the Lord
• To walk in the Spirit
• To be strong in holiness
• To be pure in righteousness
• Under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ
• Led by godly men and women
• Protected by discernment
• To know the truth
• A holy glory that would surround the church
-Those are my desires for the church. What are your desires for the church?
II. THE LORD’S WORK IN HIS CHURCH
A. John’s Times
-When you look at the overall scope of the book of Revelation, you will find:
• Revelation 1—The Lord’s Work in His Church
• Revelation 2-3—The Lord’s Word to His Church
• Revelation 4-22—Prophetic events given in their nature
-John was the last living disciple, an apostle of the Lord, who was observing trends in the 1st Century church. He had been involved in its blazing birth but now just 50-60 years after its birth, he realizes that there are churches that are defecting. In fact, the majority of them are defecting. If the majority were defecting back then, what can be said about today?
-Titus, the destroyer of Jerusalem, had a brother named Domitian. Titus was a very gifted general, a mighty man of war. He served under his father Vespasian. But before he could ascend to the throne of the Caesars, he sickened and died.
-In the natural course of events, Domitian, came to power in the Roman Empire. Domitian was everything opposite of the good traits of both his father and his brother. He was cruel and bloodthirsty. He and Augustus were the first of the Caesars who demanded for his subjects to call him, “our lord and god.” Some martyrs in the early church died because they would not say, “Caesar is lord.” Instead they would say, “Jesus is Lord.”
-John, the writer of this book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, was an aged pastor in the Roman province of Asia. Because of his refusal to bow his knee to anyone but the One True God, he was exiled to an island called Patmos.
-John, at ninety-years old, is sent to Patmos to break up rocks in this penal colony for political prisoners. His violation:
Revelation 1:9 KJV I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
-He is locked down for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He was preaching the Gospel and he was sent to the Alcatraz of the Roman empire. There were around fifty other penal colonies that Romans used but Patmos seemed to be one of the worst.
-Patmos is a very unique place.
• It is about twenty-four miles west into the sea off the Asia Minor coast, directly opposite the ancient town of Miletus.
• It is some six or eight miles long, and not more than a mile wide, being about fifteen miles in circumference.
-The approach to the island is difficult, the coast is high, and consists of a succession of capes, which form many ports, some of which are excellent. The only one in use, however, is a deep bay, sheltered by high mountains on every side but one, where it is protected by a projecting cape.
-About halfway up the mountain there is shown a natural cave in a rock, where John is said to have seen his visions and to have written this book around 94 A.D.
-It is remarkable that visions could come to a man at a place of banishment. When the Lord shows up in a place of worship on the Lord’s Day everything can change no matter what the circumstances may be.
-William Barclay in the Daily Study Bible wrote this about John on Patmos:
Banishment to a remote island was a common form of Roman punishment. It was usually meted out to political prisoners and, as far as they were concerned, there were worse punishments. Such banishment involved the loss of civil rights and all property except enough for a bare existence. People so banished were not personally ill-treated and were not confined in prison on their island but free to move within its narrow limits. Such would be banishment for a political prisoner; but it would be very different for John. He was a leader of the Christians and Christians were criminals. The wonder is that he was not executed straight away. Banishment for him would involve hard labour in the quarries. Sir William Ramsay says his banishment would be "preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, and sleep on the bare ground, a dark prison, and work under the lash of the military overseer."
B. Revelation 1:9-20—The First Vision
-In that first vision that John is allowed to see it is a portion of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Seven stars, seven messengers, or seven angels. He is brought to understand that these are men who are the pastors of those churches. John also observes seven lampstands which are the seven churches of Asia.
-In this first vision, John can see the Lord moving in the midst of His church. There is no other place in Scripture that identifies as clearly that will show the Lord working in the church. But John is also aware of the tribulation, the persecution, and the trouble that is in the church and He is still working despite those conditions.
-Carefully note what John emphasizes in Revelation 1:9. . . He is writing not as an apostle, a disciple, a pastor, or an elder. . . He is writing as a brother and a companion in the battle. He is linked up to the church as a brother in tribulation, one under pressure, politically, mentally, spiritually, and physically.
-If anyone had a reason to be depressed and defeated, it would have been John. Give consideration to what has taken place:
• Jerusalem had been destroyed 20-25 years earlier and it was literally a wasteland.
• All of the other apostles had been martyred along with a host of his close brothers and sisters in the churches.
• Jerusalem was in ruins where more than 100,000 had been slain in the streets by the Roman general, Titus.
The Temple had been destroyed just as Jesus had prophesied it to be.
• The Roman armies had then gone through Israel and had destroyed more than 900 cities.
• Mass genocide of the Jews had taken place.
-John has seemingly seen every bit of the hope for the work of the Lord totally gone and evaporated from his spirit. Now he is on a rock in the Aegean Sea. He had formerly been a pastor and now he is an exile, a prisoner, a man waiting on death.
-Now John is going to get a look at the real spiritual condition of the churches that will be shown to him by the Lord.
• Ephesus—Loss of their first love.
• Pergamos—Immoral and sin was rampant amidst them.
• Thyatira—Compromised with sin, worldliness, and paganism.
• Sardis—Simply dead.
• Laodecia—So nauseating to the Lord that He will vomit them up.
• Smyrna—Incredibly faithful under persecution.
• Philadelphia—The church of the open door.
-What would the Lord say about our church? What would he say about my efforts? What would he say about your involvement? What would he say about the condition of doctrine, godliness, holiness, and evangelism in this church? That is a heart-stopping question that we all will have to answer in the future. May I inform you that when that moment arrives, no excuse will be fit to even come from your mouth.
-John was in a terrible place. He did not know how things were going to turn out but he did know that the future looked very grim as the revelation of the Lord Jesus would unfold to him.
Revelation 1:10 KJV I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
-It was Sunday on Patmos and this was John’s usual routine. The church had commonly worshipped the Lord on the first day of the week and John’s routine was going to prove to serve him well on this day.
-A trumpet bursts forth that John could hear. The trumpet in the Bible is associated with a number of things:
• At the giving of the Law in Exodus
• At the opening of the Temple
• At the final call ushering in the Rapture
-All through the book of Revelation we find trumpets or loud voices (Rev. 5:2, 12; 6:10; 7:2, 10; 8:13; 10:3; 11:12, 15; 12:10; 14:2, 15, 18; 16:1, 17; 19:1, 17; 21:3). They usually serve as great announcements but this first one that John hears is from the Lord Himself.
-This trumpet is also associated with a command: Write! Write this in a book, in a scroll, and send it to the seven churches so that they can understand what is being given here. There are twelve visions that are in the Revelation and after every one of them the command is given—write it down (Rev. 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5) except for the one in Revelation 10:4 where John is told not to write it down.
-What we can gather from this is that John wrote the book of Revelation seven times to be sent by seven messengers to seven churches. Those churches actually follow the postal route and are to be dropped off and read.
-Each church received the entire book of Revelation and could see where their church was addressed as well as the others that were there.
C. Revelation 1:12-17—The Lord’s Appearance
Revelation 1:12-17 KJV 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:
-John can see the voice that spoke to him, the glorified Son of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of the candlesticks, the lampstands, or His churches. It is mysterious but John will define that mystery in Revelation 1:20:
Revelation 1:20 KJV The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
-The mystery is no longer a difficult one: The Lord is simply in the midst of His churches.
-In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord had already clearly defined that His church was to be the light of the world. Moses (Exo. 25:31) and Zechariah (Zech. 4:10) as well both hint at the fact of the hidden meaning of those lampstands through typology and now John is brought in to see it much more clearly.
-The Lord has to be in the middle of his church! What would the Lord be doing in the midst of His churches in Revelation? His uniform and appearance can define what He is doing there.
1. The Robe and the Belt
-In Revelation 1:13—A robe that extends to His feet speaks to His dignity, His royalty, and His reign. The robe directly ties him into the role of the High Priest in the Old Testament.
-There is also a golden sash (belt) that He is wearing. The High Priest wore this as well and now the Lord in His regal power is fulfilling the role of the High Priest interceding in behalf of His church. When you read the book of Hebrews, that is a prominent theme. The Lord is a Great High Priest!
Hebrews 4:15 KJV For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
-We may wonder what is it that could even bring Him into a connection with us? One of the answers is found in Revelation 1:5:
Revelation 1:5 KJV 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,
-He endured temptation as well as the suffering that was flung on him by His murderers. With every temptation, the Lord has made a way of escape. The Lord is always present in His church whether with our sufferings or with our victorious reign!
2. His Head, Hair and Eyes
-With what John can see next moves from the clothing to the very character of our Lord. His features clearly distinguish the fact there will be a work of chastening and purifying in His church.
-All through the New Testament there are very clear defined boundaries of a holy standard the Lord has set for His church:
• Matt. 5:48—The need for perfection
• 2 Cor. 11:2—A chaste virgin
• Eph. 5:25-27—A sanctified church without spot or blemish
• Col. 1:22—Holy, blameless, and beyond reproach
• 1 Peter 1:15-16—The call to be holy
-Holiness is still to be a priority of the church in the 21st Century.
-Next, John can see his head and his hair which is white like wool, white as snow.
-It was Daniel in his vision of the Ancient of Days who say the Lord in the same manner (Dan. 7:9, 13, 22) who saw almost an identical form. Daniel is not hesitant at all to make the connection with the coming Son of Man who would be the Son of God, the very God robed in flesh (1 Tim. 3:16).
-The white hair is also a symbol of the eternal, glorious, and truthful holiness. Embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ is a holy knowledge and wisdom that only belongs to Him. It is perfect in its content and action as well.
-His eyes—like a flame of fire—The eyes of judgment flash about His church. . . He will purify it. The eyes of the Lord are penetrating, revealing, and with an intent gaze.
-Give great consideration to this thought—there is nothing that goes on in the church of God that is not seen by God.
Matthew 10:26 KJV Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Hebrews 4:13 ESV And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
-Godliness, holiness, and reverence are exalted while sin, impurity, carnality, and immorality are judged.
-The Lord wants these things to be in His church at all times. If not, there are times when the Lord will deal with it through pruning or threshing:
• Acts 5—Ananias and Sapphira
• 1 Cor. 11—Abuse of the Lord’s table led to death
• 1 John—There is a sin unto death
• John 15—The pruning work of the Lord
-John can see the Lord as holy, wise, and omniscient.
3. His Feet
-John now looks to the feet of the Lord. They are like brass which is a continuation of the clear expression of the Lord’s judgment on sinners who are in His church.
-In the days of ancient history, a king would frequently sit on an elevated throne so that those who were judged would always be in a place beneath the feet of the king. The feet of the kings were associated with their authority.
-Now John can see the feet of the Lord literally glowing with heat as if they had been fired in a furnace. The Lord’s discipline is still at work in the apostolic church in our day. We should never be unnerved when the Lord moves to work in that manner in His church.
-Whether it is a work by pruning or the work by threshing and winnowing, the Lord will cleanse and purify the church. The writer of Hebrews alludes to the necessity of this work of discipline in a those who are involved in persistent sin:
Hebrews 10:5-10 KJV Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: [6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. [8] Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; [9] Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [10] By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
-The necessity of discipline is necessary in the church and it will always be that way. Even when leaders fall, it is the pruning process of the discipline of the Lord.
4. His Voice
-John now moves to a description of the voice of the Lord which is like a roaring waterfall. It has changed in character from a sounding trumpet to a mighty waterfall. It is as the roar of Niagara Falls. Perhaps John would have likened it to the roar of the surf on the rocky shores of the isle of Patmos.
-Ezekiel was exposed to this same powerful voice (Ezek. 43:2) and this is another prophecy of the voice of the Son of Man, the Son of God. It has great authority and power. One day that voice will demonstrate its power by calling the dead from their graves (John 5:28-29).
-The Lord interceding for His church with that voice. The Lord purifying His church with that voice. The Lord speaking to His church with that voice.
-The Lord is still speaking to His church at this very moment! Through His Word and through anointed preaching.
5. In His Hands He Holds His Pastors
-John’s continuing description is of the Lord holding seven stars in His hand. The Greek word there is ANGELOI which is commonly translated as “angels.” But there is not a single place of reference to a church that is led by angels. It is better understood to see that these are the pastors and leading elders of the church.
-These men are to be instruments that the Lord can work through. It is a very sobering reality for a spiritual leader to be called by God and there are high standards that are needed in his life (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
-Those who are involved in spiritual leadership should take great comfort that they are literally in the hands of the Lord. The Lord will provide true leaders for His church. He always has authentic leaders for His church who can guide them under the work of the Spirit.
-Some leaders will defect and will be literally out of the hand of the Lord.
6. A Sharp Sword in His Mouth
-John can see that out of his mouth there is a sharp two-edged sword (Also in Rev. 2:12, 16).
-The Lord will protect His church with the RHOMPHAI which is the Greek rendering. It is the double-edged broad sword that can be 3-4 feet long. It was a deadly weapon in the hands of a skilled soldier.
-The Lord used it to defend His church from external threats later in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 19:15 KJV 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.
Revelation 19:21 KJV And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
-Those who attack His church will be those whom God will destroy but the Lord wants John to see it differently as He moves in the midst of His church. The sword is against those who attack the church from within. They move about as typical tares do and sow lies, create discord, and harm the saints of God. Those are the people whom the Lord will deal with them in a particular and drastic way.
-His word has great power:
Hebrews 4:12-13 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [13] Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
-It is a way the Lord works to help to build His church.
7. His Face
-John can see His face and it is like the blazing sun. This is a reference from Judges 5:31 where it describes those who love the Lord. The glory of the Lord shines in and through His church and reflects His glory to the whole world.
D. John’s Response
-What was John’s response? He fell down like a dead man! This was his same reaction when almost 60 years earlier John had been on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Bible states that when they were there they fell on their face and were sore afraid (Matt. 17:6).
-Throughout Scripture we can see similar reactions for those very few who experienced heavenly visions:
• Daniel—No strength was in him. His face was to the ground (Dan. 10:8-9; 8:17).
• Isaiah—Woe is me (Isaiah 6:5).
• Ezekiel—Fell on his face when he saw the visions of the Lord (Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 9:8; 43:3; 44:4).
• Manoah and His wife (Parents of Samson)—We have seen the Lord surely we will die (Jud. 13:22).
• Job—Repenting in dust and ashes when he saw the Lord (Job 42:5-6).
• Saul—Falls prostrate to the ground (Acts 26:13-14).
• Unbelievers during the Tribulation—Hide us from His presence (Rev. 6:16-17).
-You will have to forgive me if I think it is a little trite to hear people say about some of their interactions with the Lord and angels in our days. It is frankly a sad day to witness some of the silly, frivolous, and boastful claims that we hear some make in our days. It is almost as if the Lord has become like Casper, the friendly ghost.
-If we ever get a chance to see the Lord in His absolute brilliance, we will fall down as well. Our proper response to the Lord should be as the writer of Hebrews exhorts us:
Hebrews 12:28-29 KJV Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: [29] For our God is a consuming fire.
-The Lord responded to John’s humility. He placed His hand on him and told him to remove his fear and then he commanded him once again to write the things that he had seen, the things which are, and the things that will take place.
-The appearance of the Lord has to move us into a place of duty.
III. CONCLUSION—WE NEED THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF OUR CHURCH
-We have seen the Lord in the midst of the seven churches and we need the Lord to be present in our church as well.
Philip Harrelson
August 13, 2016
