(Part 2)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 10/8/2017
If you weren’t with us last week, we just began an exciting new adventure into the world of Revelation. With all of its prophecies and puzzles, the book of Revelation is easily the most challenging book of the Bible. As I said last week it can give you a charley-horse between the ears. Its also the most abused book of the Bible with prophecy pundits constantly ripping Revelation’s apocalyptic imagery out of it’s biblical and historical context and forcing a wooden literalism onto it that does great violence to the original intended meaning of John’s vision.
Despite all this, the book of Revelation is intended to be a blessing to God’s people. In fact, as we saw last week, right in the opening paragraph of Revelation, we read: “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says” (Revelation 1:3 NLT). So for the next several weeks, I want to help you see Revelation as the blessing God meant for it to be.
Last week, I outlined three keys to unlocking the meaning of Revelation: (1) the setting—Revelation was written to seven historical churches in the Roman empire in the first century, (2) the style—Revelation is written in a unique style known as apocalyptic literature, replete with figurative language and fantasy imagery, and (3) the symbolism—the fantastic beasts, battles and events that unfold in John’s vision are symbolic of real people, places and events relevant to John’s original audience.
By keeping these three keys in mind as we study Revelation together, we can unlock the meaning of this incredible book of the Bible. Are you ready to dive in?
If you have a Bible or an app on your phone, open it Revelation 1. It shouldn’t surprise any of us that the star of Revelation is none other than Jesus, himself! Right from the beginning, he steps into the spotlight. And the first chapter of Revelation makes it clear that this book is all about Jesus. In the opening chapter, John introduces us to Jesus by describing his advent, his activity, and his appearance—each of which carry great significance. First, John describes the advent of Jesus.
• THE ADVENT
After some brief greetings and opening comments by the Apostle John, Jesus suddenly bursts onto the pages of Revelation when we read: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen” (Revelation 1:7 NASB).
We’re going to spend a little extra time on this verse, because this verse is the central theme of everything that follows in the book of Revelation.
This passage is often assumed to be a vivid and literal description of Christ’s glorious Second Coming (Advent) at the culmination of human history. However, I believe, when properly understood, this passage has an altogether different meaning. In other words, this is not a refence to Jesus’ final coming at the end of the world, but to a figurative coming at the end of the Jewish age. Why do I say that?
First of all, we need to remember that when dealing with apocalyptic visions, things are rarely as they appear. Just a seven-headed beast represents a succession of kings and a prostitute represents a great city, this vision of Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven also represents something beyond the surface.
Furthermore, John begins the book of Revelation by telling us, “This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1 NLT) and “he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3 NLT). Clearly, Jesus and John expected the prophecies of this book to be fulfilled in the very near future, not twenty centuries down the road.
Finally, the imagery of Jesus coming on clouds finds its origin in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Daniel, like Revelation, contains several apocalyptic visions. In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar dreams about a statue with a golden head, silver chest, bronze belly and iron legs. Daniel explains that the four sections of the statue represents four successive kingdom that would rise and fall—the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and finally the Roman Empire. He then explains that it’s during the reign of this fourth empire that God would establish his kingdom on earth. Later, Daniel experiences an apocalyptic vision of these kingdoms represented by a series of bizarre beasts, not unlike the beasts of Revelation. When it comes time for God to establish his kingdom on earth, this is what Daniel see:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14 NIV)
Daniel witnessed Jesus, the Son of Man, “coming on clouds” during the time of the fourth kingdom (the Roman Empire). Interestingly, Daniel was told to “seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future” (Daniel 8:26 NIV). But John is told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near” (Revelation 22:10 NIV). So, while the coming of Christ on clouds was a far-future event for Daniel, it was a near-future event for John!
So, if this “cloud coming” is not a reference to the glorious Second Coming of Jesus, what does it refer to and when did it happen? Thankfully, Jesus himself answers that question.
In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus and his disciples are walking through Jerusalem and some of the disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones. Jesus responds, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2 NIV). Shocked, his disciples ask, “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7 NIV). Jesus then goes into a lengthy speech about the fall of Jerusalem. He warns that there will be wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6), that the prophecy of Daniel would be fulfilled (Matthew 24:15), that Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20), that there would be great distress in the land, many would fall by the sword and Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). Then, Jesus quotes Daniel, saying, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30 ESV). Then, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34 NIV).
Jesus applies Daniel’s vision of the “Son of Man coming on the clouds” to the impending devastation of Jerusalem. And then makes certain that his audience knew these things would happen within their lifetime.
For Daniel, the “cloud coming” of Christ was in the distant future. For Jesus, it was within a generation. For John, it was very soon. Thus, the imagery of Jesus coming on clouds is not a literal reference to his Second Advent, but a symbolic picture of Jesus coming in judgment to destroy the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. “The tribes of the earth” (land) refers to the twelve tribes of Israel—the Jewish people. “Those who pierced him” refers again to the Jewish people who cried out, “Crucify him! Crucify him! His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27)
The devastating destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem was carried out in A.D. 70 at the order of Nero Caesar. But more importantly, it was Jesus’ judgment against the people who pierced him and persecuted his followers. It brought an end to the Jewish age, the age of temple sacrifices, and to the Jewish persecution of Christians.
This “advent” of Jesus in judgement of Jerusalem is the central theme of Revelation. But there’s more. Furthermore, John describes the activity of Jesus.
• THE ACTIVITY
After this mind-blowing introduction, Jesus speaks, telling John to write in a book everything he’s about to see. Then, John says, “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.… He held seven stars in his right hand” (Revelation 1:12-16 NLT).
A little while later, Jesus tells John, “Here is the secret of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven lampstands are the seven churches, and the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20 NCV).
Most Bibles have a footnote explaining that the word angel could also be translated messenger, and most scholars believe it refers to the spokesperson or preacher of the church (the one who delivers the messages). But the important thing here is—the first thing John sees in this apocalyptic, world-shattering vision is an image of comfort and assurance. Jesus is among his churches. He walks among them. He holds them in his hand.
This is a message the believers in Smyrna, and Pergamum, and Philadelphia desperately needed to hear. Smyra was enthusiastically Roman and was home to a temple built in A.D. 26 for the express purpose of emperor worship. The Christians in Smyrna experienced intense poverty and persecution. Pergamum was likewise a stronghold for emperor worship. But it was also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—the Great Altar of Zeus. The massive temple featured a 20 feet tall statue of the Greek god, Zeus sitting on his throne. It’s no wonder Jesus referred to Pergamum as “the city where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13). And in Philadelphia, the Jewish community victimized Christians and used their political influence to encourage the Roman authorities to persecute them as well. Jesus called them “a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 3:9). Amid all these struggles, you can see how some of these believers could have felt forsaken or forgotten by Jesus.
ILL. Two boys were discussing the way the sun moves across the sky. One of the boys said, “My father says the sun doesn’t really move. It’s the earth that moves and it just looks like the sun moves.” The other little boy thought about that for a moment, then replied, “I’m going to believe my eyes.” So the first boy quietly but confidently said, “I’m going to believe my father.”
If we lived in the first-century and accepted the evidence of our eyes, we might believe Jesus had forsaken us too. But thank God, the Christians in Smyrna, Pergamum, and Philadelphia choose to believe their Father instead of their eyes.
What was true for them is still true for us today. No matter what struggles we face, no matter what trials or tribulation comes our way—Jesus is still among his churches. He walks among us. He holds us in his hands. Before ascending to his throne in Heaven, Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19 NLT).
So, thus far in Revelation 1, John describes the advent of Jesus and the activity of Jesus. Finally, he describes the appearance of Jesus.
• THE APPEARANCE
Of course, this isn’t the first time John’s seen Jesus. You and I have only read about the hands that fed thousands. Not John. He saw them—knuckled fingers, callused palms. He saw them. You and I only read about the feet that found a path through the waves. Not John. John saw them—sandaled, ten-toed, and dirty. You and I only read about his eyes—his flashing eyes, his fiery eyes, his weeping eyes. Not so with John. John saw them. John had seen Jesus. For three years he followed Christ. He knew better than anyone what Jesus looked like. But John had never seen Jesus like this. The image was so vivid, the impression so powerful, he writes, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead” (Revelation 1:17 NLT). So what did he see?
He describes the event like this:
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:12–16 NLT)
If you are puzzled by this passage, you aren’t alone. What are we to make of such a picture? How are we to assimilate these images? Are we to combine them on a canvas and consider it a portrait of Jesus? No. Remember this is an apocalyptic vision of Jesus. So the vision doesn’t tell us what Jesus looks like, but what he is like:
The Perfect Priest—clad in priestly garments.
The Only Pure One—so pure that even his hair is white as snow.
The Source of Strength—with limbs of burnished bronze.
The Voice of God—commanding as a river, sharper than a sword
The Light of the World—beside which all else pales in comparison.
Jesus is all these things and so much more. More than anything, John’s apocalyptic vision of Christ reminds us that there is no one like Jesus. In all of history, he stands alone. More songs have been sung to him, artwork created of him, and books written about him than anyone who has ever lived. In fact, Jesus looms so large over human history that we actually measure time by him; we date our letters, our birth certificates, our checks, and everything else from the year of his birth. Nothing and no one compares to Christ!
Conclusion:
So this is John’s introduction to the book of Revelation—and it’s all about Jesus! The Advent of Jesus presents the theme of the book—the judgment of Jesus against Jerusalem. The Activity of Jesus presents the compassion of Christ—he knows what’s going on his churches, he cares, and he is with us no matter what. The Appearance of Jesus presents the unmatched, unsurpassed, unparalleled person of Christ.
Some people are uncomfortable with the Jesus John presents here—a powerful Lord who punishes evil. They prefer the Jewish carpenter, the pale Galilean, the gentle Shepherd. But when evil comes into your life—when the whole world turns against you and hope flies out the window—you need someone who knows your problems and has the power to do something about it. Revelation says that the Someone we need is Jesus!
So how do we respond to the Jesus that John presents here? Well, how did John respond? “When I saw him,” John wrote, “I fell at his feet as if I were dead.” I think John’s response is the only appropriate response. We all need to fall at the feet of Jesus—we fall at his feet in surrender, in awe and wonder and worship as we’re overwhelmed by the glory and almost blinded by the brilliance of Jesus!
Next week, I want to encourage you to join me as we plunge deeper into the depths of Revelation.
Invitation:
In the meantime, I want to invite you to follow John’s example and fall at the feet of Jesus. Whatever struggles you’re going through—Jesus knows and he’ll be with through them. If you need some help or guidance with that you can talk to me after church, call me at home, or come forward now, while we stand and sing. Let’s sing!
