“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw …”
During the ruthless reign and rule of the Roman Emperor Domitian (the last year of his reign in the year A.D. 95) something momentous and marvelous happened: the Risen Christ pulled back the veil of mystery which separates the Obvious from the Actual to reveal Himself to one called John the Theologian.
John Saw the Lord in the midst of a Rough Time. Domitian, the head of the Roman government-an agent of the Devil, Had Declared War on the Church.
Let me interject this corresponding note. I am learning from observation, and especially from observing the tactics of two presidential administrations, that when an administration is having trouble at home, it invariably declares war of some type on someone to divert attention away from its failures and boost or enhance its popularity. What better way to solidify nationalism, unite divided interests and rally support than to declare war. Nelson Mandela commented on this policy recently when rebuking President Bush. In a speech to the International Women’s Forum he said: “One power with a president who has no foresight and cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust.”
Domitian was a Great Political Strategist. He saw his empire crumbling, detected his influence and popularity waning, witnessed the economy faltering, and so, he picked out a Scapegoat. He pointed his malicious finger at the Church of Jesus Christ and blamed them for everything.
Being a shrewd politician, Domitian declared war on a people whom he thought he could easily defeat. He picked on those --
Who had beaten their swords into plowshares;
Who had become doves rather than hawks;
Who were peacemakers and not peace breakers;
Who were meek, kind and tenderhearted;
Who would turn the other cheek when slapped;
Who would bless when cursed;
Who would pray when persecuted.
He picked on those --
Who had exchanged their weapons for the Word;
Whose helmet was salvation, breastplate righteousness, girdle truth, shield faith and shoes a ready witness.
He picked on those --
Whose banner was the Cross;
Whose Anthem was Amazing Grace;
And whose Leader was the Suffering Savior.
He picked on a people whom he thought he could easily defeat. So he Declared War on the Church!
A.D. 95 was a Rough Time for the Church. She was --
Chained in dungeons, made sport of in Coliseums;
Fed to lions, chased by wild dogs;
Tarred and feathered, lit up as human torches,
Crucified on crosses, tortured on racks;
Beheaded, speared and beaten,
Banished, excommunicated and exiled
Starved, made homeless and jobless.
Yes, A.D. 95 Was A Rough Time for the Church!
Even John himself was not left untouched. For Domitian personally saw to it that this ninety year old man called John would suffer. According to Irenaeus, an early church father and historian, before Domitian placed John on Patmos for life, he first tried to kill him by placing John in a boiling pot of oil. But miraculously the oil could not hurt him. So Domitian decided that since John was an old man that he didn’t have long to live; so he gave John a life sentence and exiled him to the isle called Patmos. But history records that the next year, A.D. 96, Domitian died and his successor, Nerva, pardoned John. Domitian died but John lived on and died of natural causes.
But A.D. 95 Was A Rough Time for John and for the Church. And it was in the midst of this Rough Time that John writes and says: “And being turned, I saw …”
Now the relevance of this passage of Scripture is this: THE LORD STILL REVEALS HIMSELF IN ROUGH TIMES. And certainly, the infant days of this Twenty-First Century are ROUGH TIMES!
When Pits become Prisons, He still leans over the hole of hopelessness to show His face and extend His hand.
When Hannahs are shut up with Penninahs, He still opens barren wombs.
When Josephs are downtrodden, He still lifts them up.
When saints are weary of rowing in the midnight of some storm of life, He still shows Himself by walking on the storms and calms the elements.
When cupboards become bare and the cruse is oil-less, He still causes the oil to flow and puts meal in the cabinet.
When brooks run dry, He still has a Cherith and ravens to feed you.
When sickness and disease take you captive and lay you low, He still shows up saying “Rise, take up your bed and walk!”
Yes, Jesus Still Reveals Himself In Rough Times! In Fact, HE LOVES ROUGH TIMES AND TOUGH PROBLEMS! It is then He asks us “Is anything too hard for Me?” He can take the rough and make it smooth, the tough and make it tender. When we have given up and buried people or plans or dreams or desires in the tomb of finality, He still says “Show It To Me!” Yes, Jesus LOVES TO SHOW UP AT MIDNIGHT, or SITS BY A WELL AT MIDDAY, or STEPS INTO A SITUATION WHEN IT HAS TURNED TO A CRISIS, or SLIPS THRU THE WALLS WHEN DOORS ARE LOCKED! JESUS LOVES ROUGH TIMES!!!
John says I saw, which is a Personal Testimony of a Private Sighting. This is not the “I” of Egotism but the “I” of Transformation. It is the “I” of growth and maturity.
John has gone from being a simple follower to the Beloved Bishop of the Seven Churches in Asia Minor. This John wrote of Jesus as being the Eternal Word-the Son of God and God the Son in his Gospel Narrative. He viewed Jesus as the Word made flesh. He spoke of Him often as YEHOVAH-the Great I AM. He described Him as being the Miracle Worker and the Miracle of miracles. He depicted Him as being a Grave-Robber and as a Shepherd of sheep. He even wrote in his epistles of Him as Light, Love and Liberty. This John Knew Jesus. He had --
Leaned on His bosom and felt His heartbeat;
Looked into His eyes and seen His compassion;
Sat at His feet and heard His doctrine;
Pressed His flesh and felt His humanity;
Witnessed His mighty works and perceived His divinity;
Accompanied Him when buffeted and recognized His humility;
Lived with Him long enough to know His poverty;
And so, THIS JOHN KNEW JESUS! So well did he know Jesus that he took the holy liberty of calling Him “THAT.” In his First Epistle, John opened it by writing:
“THAT which was from the beginning,
Which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes,
Which we have looked upon
and our hands have handled of the Word of Life …
Declare we unto you.”
YES, JOHN KNEW JESUS!!!
However, Some Sixty-Two Years Have Passed Since The Last Time John Had Seen The Risen Lord.
When John saw Him last, He had recently emerged from the grave a Victor having the keys of death and hell in His hand!
When John saw him last, His head bore the marks of the crown of thorns, His hair the color of a young man.
When John saw Him last, His hands and feet bore the marks of the nails and His side the marks of the spear.
When John saw Him last, He wore a poor man’s suit and shoes.
He saw Him last on Mount Olivet, hands raised in blessing, ascending into the heavens in the chariot of the cloud walking on the wings of the wind.
When John saw Jesus last, He Looked Like A Man.
But you know, a lot of changes can take place in Sixty-Two Years! Those who are over Sixty don’t look like they did when they were in their Thirties. Their hair has either changed colors or has relocated. Their body has gone thru some physiological changes. Their eyesight and hearing has diminished. Their strength has weakened. Their steps have shortened. They just don’t look the same. A Lot of Changes Take Place In Sixty-Two Years!
And if you haven’t seen someone in sixty-two years, its possible that you might not recognize them. So the Alpha and Omega decided one Sunday morning in the year A.D. 95 to Visit an Old Friend on an isle called Patmos.
Now our Text suggests that there are Certain Requirements For Seeing The Lord.
I. John says that Sunday morning in solitary confinement HE WAS IN THE SPIRIT.
Which means that John walked in the Spirit, lived in the Spirit, was led of the Spirit, was taught by the Spirit, was filled with the Spirit, was thrilled by the Spirit. John couldn’t be in the congregation of the righteous on the Lord’s Day, so he says “I was in the Spirit.” He was in communion and union and fellowship in the Spirit of Christ.
IN THE SPIRIT is a Good Place To Be. Its not enough just to gather together on the Lord’s Day; we need to Get Higher! We need to gather in His Name and then worship in spirit and in truth. We need to make contact with the Holy Spirit. We need to get out of the flesh and into the Spirit. We need to enter in the Spirit, sit in the Spirit, stand in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, read in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, teach and preach in the Spirit, give in the Spirit, respond in the Spirit and leave in the Spirit.
John is saying to us: If we really want to See the Lord then its mandatory that first of all, WE MUST BE IN THE SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is He who reveals to us the Son of God. He gives us eyes to see and ears to hear Jesus. It is He who pulls back the curtain and shows us Jesus. He enlightens the eyes of our understanding, quickens our spiritual perception so that in all situations we might see Jesus.
So, if you want to see Jesus, You Must Be Born Again Of The Spirit, for unless you are born again you cannot see. You’ll see men as trees walking. You’ll see the armies of men and miss the horses and chariots of fire. You’ll see the giants and miss the goodies. You’ll see the glitter and miss the gold. So if you want to see Jesus, you must be In the Spirit.
John says “And being turned I saw …” That suggests
II. Secondly that If You Haven’t Been TURNED, You Can’t See Jesus.
If you’re still seeing prison walls and iron bars; if you’re still seeing the flesh, the sensual, the material, the world - you haven’t seen Jesus! If you are still seeing the Obvious-the Problem, you haven’t seen Jesus. YOU NEED TO BE TURNED!
Turned from Sin and Self
Turned from Satan and Society
Turned from Science and the World.
So Secondly, if you really want to See Jesus, you must Repent and Believe!
John says “And being turned I saw …” If you are born from above and are looking above, then you ought to have seen Jesus.
Maybe you’ve seen Him as a Babe in Bethlehem.
Perhaps you’ve seen Him as the Elect in Egypt.
Or perhaps you’ve seen Him as a Lad in Nazareth.
Or mayhaps you’ve seen Him as a Light in Galilee
Or as a Friend in Samaria or as a Rabbi in Judea.
But surely you must have seen Him as the SUFFERING SAVIOR on the Cross, the Dying Lamb in the Sheep’s Gate. You saw Him Hidden in a Tomb.
BUT YOU NEED A FRESH SIGHTING!
See Him as THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST. He stands with a garment down to His feet and a golden girdle wrapped around His chest.
See Him as THE ETERNAL ONE. For His hair and head are white like wool and white like snow.
See Him as THE OMNISCIENT JUDGE. For His eyes are like a flame of fire.
[Go to verses 15 and 16 and expound]
John says that He Saw The Lord. And His Response to Seeing Him was that --
HE FELL - verse 17a. And when he fell, John says
HE FELT verse 17b. And when he felt, John discovered
WHO HE WAS - verses 17c-18.
