REVELATION CHAPTER 1 – THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST – THE FATHER’S PERFECTION PART 3 OF 6
In this series of messages we are exploring the wonders of the Lord and His beautiful character and ministry from the first chapter of Revelation chapter 1. So many wonderful facets of His glory are emerging as we delve into each verse. The book of Revelation is all about Jesus Christ and chapter 1 is about the Father’s revelation of the Son. We continue from last time.
Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Rev 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet”
This is Sunday and not “the Day of the LORD” which is something altogether different. When the Lord speaks we must take notice. His is the voice of authority. Many times the apostle heard that voice as it were, when the disciples walked with Him, a trumpet of authority over disease and death and the satanic, demonic world. “Take up your bed and walk!” “Lazarus, come forth!” “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” What a voice of authority it will be at the Rapture when the Lord calls us up to Him in the clouds. Those rapture words I believe will be “Come up here!” taken from the rapture verse in Revelation 4 v 1. His is the voice of authority and command.
“The Lord’s day” is Sunday and not the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday. The seventh Day Adventists through the writings of the false prophet, Ellen White, make the spurious claim that it was the Roman Catholic church that changed Saturday to Sunday, and even claims this as the mark of the beast. It is very clear that the Lord’s day is Sunday, the first day of the week, and the Acts and Church history make that very plain. Sunday is the day of the resurrection.
SUMMARY REVELATION OF JESUS 1:10 {{Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet (The Lord, the voice of authority over all the earth – the supreme authority. The voice of victory. Here He summons John to hear the command set out in verse 11.)}}
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Revelation 1:11 saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Rev 1:12 I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands
This voice, as the following verses show, is the Lord of the churches, Jesus Christ. He is there in the middle of the lampstands (from the next verse), but this one mentions them. The lampstands are there to provide light, but they can not do that of themselves. They need a light source and we know that is the olive oil that provides the means of light. These lampstands are the churches (the seven churches) which are to function as the light of the world, each one as a tiny glimmer of The Light of the World.
The church is meant to reflect that glorious light of the Saviour but so many of them have wicks that are broken and missing and defective, and are useless in being a witness in the world. They give no light; they are so dull in some cases that it is black. The lamps are fed by the olive oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit and that is the cause of so many ineffective churches – the Holy Spirit is missing. He is grieved and banished, and churches don’t follow the word of God which was given by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. The Lord of the churches spoke to John and he listened. If churches listened to the true Voice, then what a difference that would make. There is also an application to the personal believer. He and she needs to be a lampstand enriched by the olive oil (the Holy Spirit) to shine brightly for the Light of the World. How many remember that Sunday School chorus – “See this little light of mine; I’m going to let it shine.”?
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Revelation 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.
The revelations to John just keep coming. First, the Position then the Person then the Priestly Office.
(a). The Position. John sees this One in the middle of the lampstands, and we know from the last verse of this chapter 1, than the lampstands are the churches so we have the Lord revealed as He ministers in the middle of His churches, but I do want to say that the Lord is not in the middle of all churches. We will see that later on. The redeemed people are very precious to the Head of the Church, and the local churches ought to represent the character and function that the Lord would approve of. Chapters 2 and 3 give the state of the 7 Asia Minor churches of John’s time, but they represent the condition and prophetic history of church periods. That will be done in chapters 2 and 3 in our bible study.
(b). The Person. This is none other than the Son of Man. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us – Son of God - Son of Man, the God-Man. Each Gospel portrays the Lord Jesus Christ in a separate capacity. Matthew – King; Mark – Servant; Luke – The Son of Man; John – The Son of God, God the Son. Of all the Gospels Luke shows in more detail, the Lord as perfectly human, feelings, emotions, identifying with lost human beings. John’s gospel does not neglect that but adds the great element of divinity throughout the gospel. The wonderful person is the One whose revelation is being given to us in this chapter.
(c). The Priestly Office. John sees the robes of ministry. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest and serves us in the most important way. How did/does He fulfill His Priestly ministry? He was the One who entered with His own blood into the holy place – {{Hebrews 9:11 “When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, Heb 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption,”}} Having obtained salvation for us through the redemption of blood, He now serves us with all the strength and energy that He as God has. {{Hebews 7:27 “who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.”}}
{{Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Heb 2:18 “Since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”}}
Isn’t it so lovely to have a Great High Priest, One who draws near to comfort and to help. We may go to people for help and some might help, but others are not very interested in you or in individuals, and some would like to help, but don’t know how to. Jesus wants to help His needy children and to comfort and to embrace us in any trial or in any heartbreak or need. He has not only saved us, but serves us. He is both faithful and merciful. These two qualities are very hard to find in any human being in a balanced way. With all of us we may be too far one way or too far the other way. To illustrate that, here is a story.
There is a story I heard years ago from an Irish preacher. One farmer had two pigs to send to market and gave one son a pig each. The stipulation was that they had to get to the market on time. That was essential. One son belted his pig along the lane at a fast rate and got there on time for the sale. He was faithful to his father’s wish, but was not merciful. The other son let the pig take its time and when he got to the market, it had closed. He was merciful but not faithful to his father’s wishes. Faithfulness and mercy, neither son had, and we struggle to combine the two seamlessly, but our Lord Jesus Christ is our Faithful and Merciful Great High Priest. He serves us with all His love, for us, members of His Body. He is fully qualified as the following verses show:-
{{Hebrews 4:14 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, Heb 4:15 for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Heb 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”}}
SUMMARY REVELATION OF JESUS 1:13 {{Revelation 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man (He is the Son of Man; the Lord who ministers in the middle of His churches), clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. (He is the Great High Priest ministering on behalf of His saints always, faithful and merciful.)}}
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Revelation 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
(a). For this great revelation of this special One John saw standing in the middle of the churches, we need to go to the book of Daniel to this passage – {{Daniel 7:9 “I kept looking until thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames. Its wheels were a burning fire.” Dan 7:10 “A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands were attending Him and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him. The court sat and the books were opened.”}}
This is none other than the Ancient of Days. The image speaks of eternity and of wisdom and of judgement. Judgement is what is coming in Revelation the book, and this is the hint of what is going to follow in the coming chapters. What John saw was a spectacular sight, even a fearful one. We associate The Ancient of Days with Jehovah in the Old Testament, but here in the New Testament this is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord in His full divinity. He is seen taking His seat on His throne and the books were opened. There are a number of events in Revelation that match this event. The first is the Lamb in the midst in Revelation 4 and 5. The second is the opening of the scroll with the seven seals in Revelation 6. The third is the King coming to His throne (start of the Millennium in Zechariah 14). The fourth is the throne at the great white throne when the books will be opened. “the books were opened” – the Lord is Judge of the whole earth, and the final Judge of those who are not saved in Revelation 20. Fire is always true to its types. It means judgement and cleansing. The vision Daniel had was of judgement by the Ancient of Days. (Then comes cleansing of the chosen people in their restoration.)
All the above were images and pictures of the glorious Lord in many facets. These revelations just keep coming just as if the pages of a book are turned, featuring one marvel after another.
(b). His eyes were like a flame of fire. They pierce through into the very thoughts and deeds and intents of the person’s soul. Nothing is hidden from the scrutiny of the Lord. {{Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.” 2Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”}} The eyes of the Lord will be on the coming judgement in the earth but they are on His saints always. What does He see in you? We are saved but we must not take our salvation lightly or live carelessly. Yes, we may be caught out, but back to the Lord we must flee. Elijah is a prophet of judgement and he called down fire. In Revelation 11 the two prophets will also call down fire. Fire is judgement as is the symbol brass, and Revelation, after chapter 5, is all about judgement, the wrath of God.
SUMMARY REVELATION OF JESUS 1:14 {{Revelation 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow (the Ancient of Days revealed in Daniel. The eternal Almighty. This is the Son of God seated on a judgement throne), and His eyes were like a flame of fire. (The Lord who searches the hearts of men. He is the Discerner and the Judge, the Dispenser of wrath.)}}
THIS IS THE END OF PART 3. PART 4 WILL FOLLOW IN THE NEXT MESSAGE. MORE AND MORE CHOICE REVELATIONS OF THE LORD WILL BE IN STORE.
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ronaldf@aapt.net.au
