01 - Glorified Messiah 2009

Jesus said to the Apostle John a 3rd time:

"Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

 20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

 22Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

 24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.”—Jn 15:18-24

In these passages, Jesus predicted that John would live much longer than Peter.

He is the only one of the 12 not martyred.

But in his older years, John was banished to a lonely island called Patmos for his witness.

Patmos was located in the Aegean Sea around 60 miles SW of Ephesus and 100 miles east of Athens.

Patmos was tiny, about 10 miles long and 6 miles wide. It was barren of trees and extremely rocky. In short, no vacation resort.

It was on this tiny island that John was enslaved in chains. He was forced to work the mines of the island with nothing but criminals.

Because of John’s connection to it, Patmos today is a destination for Christian pilgrimage. Visitors can see the cave where John is said to have received his Revelation (the Cave of the Apocalypse), and several monasteries on the island are dedicated to Saint John.

Now, at the time of John’s banishment, the church was experiencing vicious persecution. Nero had burned Christians in his garden and now Domitian was wreaking havoc with the church.

John’s revelation came at a time of an anti-Christian state—the Roman Gov’t—and a multitude of anti-Christian religions…

The immediate intent of the Revelation was to provide encouragement that Jesus was Lord and in control, and an evangelistic appeal to the lost…

The Revelation came to him on just one average ‘workin’ in the coal mines’ kind of day.

The Bible records that John was spiritually translated by the spirit of God. He was given a succession of visions so incredible that they’ve boggled the minds of thinkers throughout the ages.

His Revelation reached far beyond his day and has rolled down to the very end of time and into eternity.

WHAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE

Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of all history

Accurate prediction of rise and fall of world empires

Incredible cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness

Twenty-one terrible judgments falling on a Christ-rejecting world…

An evil Anti-Christian/Anti-Christ society set up by the most diabolical, evil, wicked ruler to ever set foot on the world stage.

The establishment of a one-world economy, 1-world religion, and 1-world political system.

The total destruction of Anti-Christ and his world system.

The worst war in the history of all mankind.

The glorious return of Christ as the Lion of Judah.

A thousand years of peace under the rule of Christ.

A final, brief rebellion against Him.

The final Great White Throne judgment of sinners.

Eternity begins.

Keys to understanding the Revelation

It is not always chronological: That is, John will sometimes jump from the future to the past, then back to the future.

Examples:

Jesus is born in Ch.12, is exalted in Ch. 5, and is walking in the midst of His churches in Ch.1.

The beast who attacks God’s 2 witnesses is in Ch.11 is not brought into existence till Ch. 13.

John wrote as it came to him.

The Revelation constantly uses the words “Like” or “As”…”Appeared to be” or “something like.”

This is because John was grasping for ways to describe what he was seeing. So he uses pictorial language through the use of metaphors and similes.

For instance, if we were watching an Amtrak train speed by we might say something like, “It shot by me like a bullet.”

Or watching a firework display, we might say, “That skyrocket fell like a shooting star.”

John is a 1st century man describing 20 and 21st century events the best he can.

Why should we study the Revelation?

It’s part of the Bible.

No story is complete w/o reading the last chapter. Revelation is the last chapter in God’s book, describing how the beginning in Genesis ends up.

Revelation gives us a sense of urgency. Men must accept Christ now because Revelation events could begin any time.

And most of all, There are a total of 66 books in our Bible, but only one of them promises some kind of a special blessing for those who will attempt to try and read and keep the words, revelation and knowledge that is contained in it - and that is the Book of Revelation.

“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, for the time is near.”—1:3

Let’s Begin

“This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John.”

REVELATION is from the Gk. word “apokalupsis” (ap-ok-al'-oop-sis)”

We get “apocalypse” from this word. It means “to bring to light.”

The first part of the word, “apo” means “from” or “Out of.”

The second part, “kalupsis” means “To cover or hide.”

So what God is doing with the Revelation is bringing out of hiding or out of cover things that had never been revealed before.

It was given to show His servants (that’s us) things which must shortly take place.

The phrase MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE is a Greek expression meaning a rapidity of execution once it begins; A domino effect.

Now, when it says that those who read, hear and keep it will be blessed, he is talking about those that not only read and listen to it, but also those that preserve it in their hearts as a treasure.

Now, what we’re going to encounter is a series of 7’s—7 churches, 7 Spirits of God, 7 angels over the churches, and so on…

1:4 “This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne…”

The Lord Jesus is revealed as He Who was, is, and is to come.

The seven Spirits John references are 7 different manifestations or attributes that flow from God’s majesty to the Messiah. They are:

The Spirit of the Lord

The Spirit of Wisdom

“ “ Understanding

“ “ Counsel

“ “ Power

“ “ Knowledge

“ “ Respect or reverence for the Lord

This agrees perfectly with Isaiah’s description of the Messiah that was to come in 11:3,

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—      yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—      the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,   the Spirit of counsel and might,      the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

John describes for us in verse 7 the 2nd coming of Christ at the end of the ages:

“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 shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it).”

This is a great example of how John jumps to the end of things before he begins the beginning!

When Christ Jesus returns—the final climactic event to history as we know it—those who pierced Him (the Jews), all tribes of earth (nations and peoples), will mourn, literally “beat themselves” over what they missed.

In verse 10 he describes

”I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a war trumpet…”

The voice he heard instructed him:

“What you’re seeing, you will write in a scroll. And you will send it to the 7 churches…”

The churches He names were near Patmos. John was a row-boat away from Greece where they were.

Contrary to what some may think, these churches were not full of believers. They are imperfect bodies of people containing true believers and unsaved “professors” but not “possessors.”

Jesus sends the equivalent of a postcard to each of these churches with a warning to the lost and correction and encouragement to the saved.

When John turned to see the source of the voice, he saw:

“…seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast.”—vs. 12, 13

LAMPSTAND was a lamp holder with 7 spirals coming off it. Oil was placed in each one with a wick in it.

The phrase SON OF MAN has no article in the Greek. It simply reads “One like Son of Man.”

The description of the risen Son of God is awesome and stunning!

“…clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.”

GOLD symbolizes deity in Revelations

GIRDLE was a leather censure held literally the guts together during work. “Gird yourself with truth” Paul says in Ephesians.

“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire…”—vs. 14

Remember the use of “like” and “as.” John is using the word “LIKE” to describe what he saw.

WHITE depicts wisdom; Gray hair, etc.

FIRE pictures cleansing and purging, and purifying judgment. His eyes were cleansing, and carried the gaze of purifying judgment.

“His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;”—vs. 15

BRASS OR BRONZE are used in scripture to symbolize strength

VOICE LIKE MANY WATERS commanded attention like a rushing river.

Then John sees that the risen, glorified Messiah is holding something:

“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

SEVEN STARS: “STARS” is from Gk. word “ASTEROS” and they represented the seven church to whom John was initially addressing the Revelation.

TWO-EDGED SWORD: This depicts judgment when the glorified Messiah speaks.

When John sees all of this, he faints. Jesus says to him, “Don’t be afraid (Lit. panicking). I am the first and the last.”

In verse 18 He assures John that He “holds the keys to death and Hades.” KEYS represent absolute control and authority.

THE KEY TO THE ENTIRE BOOK is stated in vs. 19:

“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”

Clearly, the glorified Messiah is informing John that he is about to be shown the future; “The things which will take place after this.”

The first chapter is closed out with an explanation of some things he had just seen:

“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands:”

“The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.”—vs. 20

7 STARS WERE THE SEVEN ANGELS (ANGELOS) PROBABLY THE PASTORS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES.

7 LAMPSTANDS WERE THE CHURCHES THEMSELVES.