Revelation 1 vs 12-20

The predestined pattern (meaning there none other) of being useful, a

resource, engaged personally in the Kingdom of God is put on display in

this chapter. First, John sets himself in a position to hear through his own grit

of faithfulness. His faithfulness has cost him worldly convenience. Once he

hears, he then has to turn. He can only hear, he is unable to see until he

turns. Once he turns…, he sees for himself. And what he sees causes him to

worship. He falls to the feet of Jesus as a dead man. There is a death to the

ability to stand personally in the presence of Jesus. He is Lord. He is

Almighty!

Then, (and it is only THEN), he personally experiences the condescending

goodness of the Lord Jesus as in this one-on-one scene there is no correction

or rebuke from the Lord but He puts his hand upon John. The infinite and

perfect, touching the finite and flawed… And John hears these words that

flood into his soul like electricity, “Do not, do not any longer, be afraid…”

And Jesus reveals Himself to John himself… NOW, John is ready to be

engaged personally in the Kingdom of God!

This is the predestined narrow-pathway pattern of anyone and everyone

who has ever really understood who God is and what God has for them!

Revelation Chapter 1 Verses 12 - 16

 Here we have the only Biblical physical description of Jesus. Why not

before? I would submit to you because the work He came to get done

before this moment was just that, done. And now this form is the form

of Jesus Christ forever. His true form. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:16,

“Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we

know Him thus no longer.”

 Notice, entirely significant for the times we are in today, where is the

Lord? He is in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. We will

find out in verse 20 of this chapter that the lampstands are the churches,

or better said, the seven golden lampstands are the church. Lampstands

in and of themselves have no light. The light is set upon a lampstand.

Jesus said He was the Light of the world and then in Matthew 5:14, He

said, “You are the light of the world.” This is the reality and the

relationship of the Body of Christ. Without Jesus a church has no light.

With Jesus, His light upon the candlestick of a church, that is a church,

the candlestick becomes an agent of light as well. Without Jesus, its

dark… A church without Jesus as the Light is no church at all…

 And be very clear, there can be no debate, if you are a Christian, you

need to be in church. That’s where Jesus places Himself. Yes, I know

that God is omnipresent, and He is present in your homes too, and you

can say what you need to say to yourself to make it ok. But God would

have you to gather with the Saints, to serve corporately, to make a

statement to the world that God is worthy to be served and He is

worthy to be praised!

 Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider one another in order to stir

up love and good works (how?), not forsaking the assembling of

ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,

and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” We are in the

“So much the more,” most definitely right now. Christians are called

to church. There can be no debate.

 Now, John no doubt remembers Jesus beaten almost to death. He was

there the whole time. John no doubt remembers Jesus nailed to the

cross and hanging there for hours bleeding and gasping for each breath

with the crown of thorns too small for His head pressed into Him. John

was there…the only disciple at the cross! He no doubt has burned into

his mind the image of Jesus’ destruction as He died there on the

cross…but now he turns and what He sees is the Lord in all of His

eternal magnificence! Something like the Mount of Transfiguration

but even more complete.

 Jesus is clothed with a garment down to the feet!! He remembers Jesus

laying his garment down to wash the feet of the disciples…he

remembers his garments being divided among the Romans there at the

cross…but now he sees something significant…the garment of the Lord

will never again be laid down…the robe of the Lord will never again be

divided… He reigns! The work of salvation, the hope of mankind,

complete!

 And robes down to the feet were only worn by two types of

folks…kings and priests! Jesus put aside His kingship to become man-

kinds’ high priest and now here He is…forever both! Our King and

our High Priest! The head of the churches! The priest or Way or Single

Mediator to the Father and the King, the Single Authority!

 And He was girded about the chest with a golden band…gold always

speaking of deity. His head and hair, gleaming and His eyes like a flame

of fire!

 His feet like fine brass! Brass is iron mixed with copper which

produces strength that endures. Brass is only used materially in the

Bible in one other place and that is to construct the brazen alter. This is

the Revelation of Jesus Christ! He is our righteousness that forever

endures. Endured to the end and now endures forever proclaiming our

righteousness to the Father through us being in Him!

 And His voice…like the sound of many waters! Power and

tranquility in perfect harmony! And in His right hand, seven stars

which we know to be the seven angels of the seven churches or maybe

better translated, the seven messengers or pastors if you will…why

would I say that? Because that word in the Greek for angels is a word

that is derived from the root word aggello meaning “One who is sent.”

 And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…well what is

that? We know from Hebrews 4:12 that is the Word of God! “For the

word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged

sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and

marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

And, notice, it comes right out of the mouth of the Lord…not man…

 And His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength…, it was

like looking at the noon-day sun.

Revelation Chapter 1 Verses 17 – 18

 Death could not hold Him. Jesus says here that He has the keys to death

and to hell. Where did Jesus go when He died upon the cross? He went

to Paradise. A compartment of hell that today lies empty. He went to

proclaim to those that had died before the finished work of the cross that

salvation has come and He marched the captive souls out of Hades to

eternal freedom as we read in Ephesians 4:8-9, “When He ascended on

high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Now this, He

ascended,” what does it mean but that He also first descended into the

lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who

ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”

 Jesus has the keys to all that we fear. We fear death. We fear

destruction, we fear the power of hell, and yet Jesus has the keys to

all of those things and can show you how to use them! What would

you do, who would you be (I pray for myself that the answer would be,

“not much different”), what would be your witness and testimony of the

power of God if you and I were free from fear? It’s been said, “If you

want to learn how to walk on water, one must first master the fear of

climbing out of the boat.”

 I know that fear is crippling and everyone today who lives in fear would

in a moment, if they were able, would disown, disavow and abandon

their fear if they could. And so, I do not condemn, and neither does the

Lord…, here’s the cure. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Focus on self sends

you into cycles of worldly repetitions…, but if you set your eyes on

Jesus and study Him and press into Him, His majesty and power set you

free to the point that you may say, Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is on my

side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Revelation Chapter 1 Verse 19

 Write the things which you have seen…Chapter 1, the risen and

glorified Lord! It’s made clear for us in verse 11…The things which

presently are…Chapters 2 and 3…the seven churches or the church age.

And write the things which will take place after this or meta touta in the

Greek. Chapters 4 – 22 as chapter 4 opens up with “meta touta.” The

Great Tribulation period, the second coming of Jesus, the Millennial

Reign, the final judgments and then finally the new heaven and the new

earth.

Revelation Chapter 1 Verse 20

 And so next week we’ll get into the letters to the churches.