HoHum:
The story is told of a woman who was saved later in life. Wanting to make up for lost time, she committed entire portions of Scripture to memory. She hid God’s Word deep in her heart.
As the years passed by and her mind and eyes grew dim, many of these scriptures slipped from her memory. Finally, only one verse remained. A verse she recited to every person who came to visit. “For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
As her final years continued to wane, part of this passage slipped away as well.
All that remained in her mind and on her lips were the words: “He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.” On her death bed, only one word remained. For the last time, it escaped her lips with her final breath. “. . . Him.” "That’s him, he’s Sharon’s Rose, that’s Him, morning star that glows, He’s the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and the End, that’s Him" (Hoppers)
WBTU:
Stephen delivered a powerful sermon about Him (Jesus) that made the audience furious. Then the Lord blessed Stephen with a vision of heaven. Acts 7:56 Stephen described it for them, “Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Standing and clapping. John is nearing the end of his life and the Lord blesses him with some astounding visions of Jesus Christ. John was told to write on a scroll what he saw (Revelation 1:11). John described in vivid detail these visions of Jesus Christ in the Revelation. Revelation in the Greek is Apokalupsis (akin to Apocalypse) which means an uncovering. Imagine a pot of stew on a stove (easy considering many are hungry here). A person enters the house and becomes aware of rich aromas coming from kitchen. Smells are inviting. He tries to guess at some of ingredients. He asks others in the house what is in the pot and gets different opinions. The cook doesn’t seem to be anywhere around. Finally, everyone troops into the kitchen. One of the company takes the lid from the pot; they all crowd close and peer into it. Uncovered, the stew with all its ingredients is exposed to the eye: Apocalypse! What was guessed at is now known in detail and becomes food for a hearty meal. Many still guessing at the ingredients. Hard to pin down all the visions spelled out in Revelation. Eugene Peterson says there are 7 visions presented.
Thesis: Talking about 4 dominant visions in Revelation
For instances:
1. The Lord Among the Lampstands (Revelation 2:1)
Starting in Revelation 1:9 and running all the way through the end of chapter 3, we are given a glimpse of Jesus Christ as the glorified Son of God (Son of Man), standing in the midst of 7 golden lamp stands. The imagery used to describe Jesus here communicates things like his godly power and purity, his supernatural insight, and his otherworldly glory. Read Revelation 1:13- 16 Start with “dressed” and show picture on screen of a depiction of this. We find here that this vision is both heard and seen (2 of the senses most important in written language). The elements seen (head and hair, eyes, feet, right hand, face) are those heard (the thundering voice, the sword like speech) are, throughout Scripture, the means of revelation. Luke’s words parallel John’s vision here: “All that Jesus began to do (what was seen) and teach (what was heard)” Acts 1:1
Self description in Revelation 1:17-18- Start with “Do Not Be Afraid” (Another picture)
As grand as this vision is, John is not seeing Jesus far above, at the right hand of God. Here Jesus is near, standing in the midst of 7 churches. Yes, seven actual churches; the number 7 speaks of completeness, as if these churches represent any and every church, not throughout the ages but 7 descriptions of churches today. Not only is our glorified Redeemer in our midst, not only is He present with his people, but as chapters 2 and 3 reveal, he is watching and guiding and correcting and encouraging us as our risen Shepherd, as our living Lord. Does this cause us to stop and check our hearts toward the faith, family and His kingdom? It should.
2. The Lamb Who Alone Is Worthy (Revelation 5:6)
Emotions expressed here (after vision of God’s throne room) read Relation 5:1-4: W. A. Criswell says “[John’s tears] represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. Those tears of the Apostle John are the tears of Adam and Eve, driven out of the Garden of Eden, as they bowed over the first grave, as they watered the dust of the ground with their tears over the silent, still form of their son, Abel. Those are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery. They are the tears of God’s children through the centuries as they cried unto heaven. They are the sobs and tears that have been wrung from the heart and soul of God’s people as they looked on their silent dead, as they stand beside their open graves, as they experience in the trials and sufferings of life, heartaches and disappointments indescribable.” Read Revelation 5:5-7 (Show picture on screen). This lamb does open the 7 seals on the scroll (Revelation 6:1). How do we know this is Jesus? Revelation 5:9. Before he is our Lord among the lamp stands, he is the Lamb who alone is worthy, for the church only exists because of the cross. We would not be His people if we were not first ransomed by his blood. Revelation 5:10. It is important to point out that this vision of Jesus is the vision that dominates most of Revelation. The Lamb is mentioned 26 times in Revelation, beginning in chapter 5, and running all the way through chapter 22. In one sense we could say that everything Jesus does in this book he does as the Lamb, that is, as the one who ransomed us with his own blood; as our Redeemer. How beautiful is this thought: that the One who walks among the lamp stands has already proven his love and commitment to us, to an extent that no one else ever has, will, or can. And so, no matter what happens, even as the world itself is ending, we can rest assured because he knows our name. It is written in “the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).
3. The King Coming to Conquer (Revelation 19:11)
This imagery is similar: a hero riding on a white horse to save the day. Is this Jesus? Yes, he is Faithful and True, as we see in chapter 3:14. Read Revelation 19:12-13. He is the Word of God. Read vs. 14-16- He has this name written on his robe and thigh, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Show picture on screen). Not the first time we have heard this name, Revelation 17:14 says, “They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of Kings…”. Again, everything he does in this book he does as the Lamb. Why is this vision of the rider on the white horse so important? It reassures us. The Lamb who was slain, who is now among us as Lord of the lamp stands, will one day return to overthrow every rebel power, every destructive reality, every stinking lie, every person trying to play God, as they suppress the truth by their wickedness (Romans 1:18). Will he do so in a massive superheroes battle scene, pummeling the forces of sinful humanity who have gathered for war? Well, Jesus will use a sword… but it’s the sword of his mouth; that is, His word. From A mighty fortress is our God, “One little word shall fell him.” The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo! His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him. Sorry but no big battle; just overthrows all the powers with one Word. How powerful is Jesus? He simply speaks and every opposing force is upended, forever! For the men now for the ladies
4. The Husband Receiving His Bride (Revelation 21:2)
The fulfillment of the heavenly announcement in 19:6-8 (Read it), that announcement of the Lamb’s marriage, is found in 2 chapters, 21-22. Read Revelation 21:1-2. Is this really talking about the bride? Yes, have confirmation in Revelation 21:9- read it. (Show picture on screen).
Said in adult Sunday school: A child can see the images of Revelation and get the plot: An evil dragon is attacking the bride of our hero, and she must stay faithful to him as she waits for the day when he rides back victoriously to take her to his castle. This is the end of the story.
What is symbolically represented by the splendor of the New Jerusalem? The splendor of a blessed and eternal union, the union of Christ and his church. Let this truth sink deep into our hearts; the love of the Lamb who was slain, the love of the Lord who stands even now in our midst, the love of the King who is to come, will find its eternal fullness in the love of our heavenly husband. Forever and ever, He will love and cherish; he will provide and protect. He will never leave us, never forsake us. We read this about the city that is in fact a bride (read Revelation 22:3-5). This is our happy estate with Jesus forever.
Transition: Revelation 19:10- Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. We might think that prophecy means prediction. We can find that here and throughout the prophecies of the Bible but that is not the ministry of a prophet. Prophets are not fortune tellers. The prophet is the person who declares, “Thus says the Lord.” He speaks what God is speaking. He brings God’s Word into the world of the present, insisting that it be heard here and now. The prophet says that God is speaking now, not yesterday; God is speaking now, not tomorrow. The prophetic word eliminates the distance between God’s speaking and our hearing. If we make a prophetic word a predictive word we are procrastinating, putting distance between ourselves and the application of the word, putting off dealing with it until some future date. The revelation of “what must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1), means precisely, soon- as soon as hearts are responsive and ears receptive and eyes perceptive.
So what?
Some have red letter Bibles- words of Christ in red. Every word is of Jesus not just the ones in red letters. Anyway, we find the last word of Christ in Revelation 22:20- Yes, I am coming soon. This was spoken not long before in Revelation 22:7- Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. Not the last word but some of the last words of Jesus are in the Great Commission- Matthew 28:18-20.
