High and Lifted Up

As we consider our text this morning, there are a few things that need to be said beforehand.

First, we are dealing with apocalyptic literature. John in the Spirit, is given a glimpse of Spiritual realities. He has the curtain pulled back for a moment if you will. And the way God through the apostle John communicates these truths to us is by way of symbols. These fantastic symbols, give us something tangible of the realities behind them. We cannot see an angel because they are spiritual beings, so how do we go about describing them. There are hosts of spiritual forces of darkness at work against Christ and his church, how do we describe it. This is whats taking place in Revelation, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc.

We all know what it’s like to see something so beautiful, so majestic, so haunting, that you say I just can’t describe it, or in attempting to describe it, you have to qualify it with, you just had to be there. That’t what we have here except turned up several notches. John receives this vision of otherworldly spiritual realities and the best he can do to describe it is give us these symbols. This is especially true concerning the glorified and risen Christ. We can’t handle that vision now. We won’t be able to handle it until we have glorified bodies and eyes and intellects.

Here is a helpful definition of a symbol:

Symbol- “……..symbols communicate things that cannot adequately be expressed by other means”

This all might sound complicated, but the message behind these symbols in the book of Revelation is simple; God wins this cosmic spiritual battle in Christ. And His people are more than victorious in and Christ by his Spirit.

One of the verses that captures that theme is Revelation 17:14“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

And it is a book that is meant to bring about comfort to the militant suffering church. To bring assurance to persecuted saints. Because we all know that there have been many times throughout the churches history where we don’t seem to be winning, it doesn’t seem like the church is being built and the kingdom advancing. This book gives us this window into the current and future state of Christ conquering for the glory of God and the salvation of his bride. It also compels the church to obedience, to further holiness, and calls to faithfulness and repentance.

This is a book full of beauty, majesty, and awe. It is full of the terrible judgement and holiness of God as he conquers his and our enemies. And it is full of anticipation, longing, and glory.

As we open up our text we are in the introduction to the book as a whole. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ, given to John. A blessing is pronounced on the one who reads and hears aloud the words of this prophecy. John writes this letter as a fellow brother and companion in tribulation. Even though he is an apostle, John identifies himself with us. John has been exiled to Patmos because of his faithfulness to the gospel and to Christ.

We are going to look at our text in three parts; the vision, the response, and the explanation of the vision.

The Vision

The Vision we’ll consider under the following heads:

1)The character of the One in the vision

2)The function of the One in the vision

The one like a Son of Man has divine perfections.

Verse 10

“I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,”

The one speaking to Him in commissioning speaks with the power and authority of YHWH.

Taking us back to Exodus 19:16“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.” Exodus 19:19“And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.”

He speaks as one who has total sovereignty over all history Revelation 1:11 “saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”

and he commissions like a king. He commands, “What you see, write….”

Verse 14,15

Revelation 1:14–15 “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow,” This alludes to Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days.

Depicts for us eternal existence. He possesses all wisdom, He possesses all knowledge, “His eyes like a flame of fire;” He has a searching and piercing gaze.

“His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,”

He is entirely pure in his being, works, and words.

Verse 16

Revelation 1:16 “, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,”

His word is powerful and effective and it is sure to cut. Just as His gaze pierces without resistance, the same with His word. Hebrews 4:12 “……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 His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

He has the glory and brightness of the only true God and LORD.

We combine these passages with the allusion to Daniel we learn that He is the ancient of Days, the eternal and only wise God, but He is also the Son of Man. He is the one who by nature has all authority and power, but he has also been given all authority and power. This one is the fulfillment of Daniels Son of Man.

*I encourage you to read over the cross references throughout the week for your own edification. You learn that I believe every 3/4 verses is a direct reference or allusion to an OT text. What is John doing on Patmos, meditating on OT texts and comparing them to the life of our Savior.

His functions

He is present with the church…..this divine-human figure is present in the church.

He is in the Midst of the candlesticks. He even walks in the midst of the candlesticks. We have temple imagery here. The church is God’s temple and He is once again walking in their midst. He is present with them.

Our first question is;

Why did you come this morning? Are we just here to do church. Are we here to be with our weekly spiritual social club. Maybe you’re a visitor and you’re just here because it’s Easter. Children, why are you here? Is it simply because you’re required to be here? Or are we here anticipating the blessed presence of our triune God and our risen Savior? He is here with us today. With “all power and authority” “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the ages” “I will build my church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it.” Eph 2

What manner is he present?

Prophet, Priest, and King

And he is present with is voice as our Prophet. We’ve mentioned already that he speaks with power and authority. His voice is the very voice of God. When he speaks, nothing resists the sword of his mouth. It cuts regardless. Anything that stands in opposition to the perfection of His precepts and promises will be obliterated. He is too pure to behold iniquity in His temple. If you read on, you see that several of the churches are caught various sins, and if they persist in their rebellion, they will feel the sword of His mouth. His all-knowing and penetrating gaze will sound forth in his all-searching and penetrating voice, Hebrews 4:12–13 “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 there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

The Heading in the NKJV nails it on this verse:

The Word Discovers Our Condition

And we ask another question this morning;

Who did you come to hear? In one sense you came to hear me, and pastor Rendall. But in another; greater more awesome and glorious sense. You come to hear the risen Lord Jesus. He is a present Lord and He is not silent. Maybe a better way to put it is do we come to be confronted? Do we come to be disrupted in one sense. Lord, discover in me my hidden sins, my hidden faults. One thing is for sure, when he speaks, there are no neutral hearers. We don’t get to stand over the Word as master. It masters us. Our Lord and his word are not tame! And if we are honest with ourselves it will expose us. It will wound us. For our good. But, there is no going away and saying, “that was interesting, I’ll consider that further this week”. No, the word is alive, it is powerful and effective as we’ve already learned. Softening or hardening.

There is a warning for how we here.

Both Hebrews and Revelation I believe give us this dire consideration on How we hear the eternal Word of God. Be careful that you don’t harden your heart (Hebrews). Repent and endure to the end. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches( Revelation).

As reformed folk, we’ve confessed this idea for a few centuries. That the word of God preached is the Word of God.

From what we’ve caught of the vision so far, we can conclude that, this one is neither a tame Lord, nor safe Lord. We cannot get him under our control, and he is not to be trifled with.

But He also speaks peace and comfort and assurance to us.

He is not a tame Lord, but he is a good Lord.

Ephesians 2:17“And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

He is at work both to break and to bind up.

Priest

He is present as our Messianic Priest-King. He tends to the lampstands. As he walks among them he tends to them, trims their wicks pores oil in them. He keeps them bright burning and clear. This is what Jesus does in the church now. He keeps us bright and shining lamps by His word and Spirit. And he keeps us bright and shining individual Christians by fellowship with us. He knocks at the door of your heart. He is there to pore the oil of His Spirit afresh into the lamp of your sole. He would have fellowship with his people collectively and individually. And He rules in our midst as a King. He is clad in Kingly garments and he exercises kingly authority.

And John’s response is just what we should come to expect when God reveals himself in such ways throughout redemptive history. He falls at His feet as though dead. This is the appropriate posture for a fallen sinful creature standing before the exalted and risen Christ. And perhaps it teaches us something of how we are to approach him in our worship. What our heart posture should be. God’s name is to be hallowed in our prayers both individual and corporate. There shouldn’t be any flippancy to our prayers or our worship.

Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

This vision should surely shape our worship. I was thinking how great a text this might be as a call to worship.

The explanation of the vision will be considered under the following:

The Saviors touch

“He put his right hand on me”

Is He a tame Lord, or safe Lord, no. But he is a good Lord. He means to do John well. To lift Him up and support him, and to strengthen him. To further equip him as an apostle, to further poor out his Spirit upon him as his Great High Priest.

And just as we need the same heart posture of fear and reverence as we approach God, so we need the same assuring touch of our Savior. That assurance of pardon, to know again his priestly function as our offering for sin and continual intercessor. Any good liturgy should lay out the reality of the depth of our sin and lowliness and then build us up with the assuring pardon of the gospel of Christ.

John has already given us this wonderful opening benediction in vv5,6.

“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”

He is for us, in all of this terror and majesty and splendor, this one is for us.

And this is where the vision begins to be explained by Christ. Everything here basically follows the run of the mill on visions in the Bible. There is a vision; the response; and the explanation of the vision.

It’s interesting to contrast John laying in Jesus bosom and now John falling down before him as dead. We are not sure weather John was aware of who it was up to this point in the vision, but we know one thing, this Christ is entirely unlike the Christ John knew according to the flesh. The Jesus according to the flesh was one who had not completed His earthly mission. He had not been exalted yet. And the one in the vision here, the risen and exalted one is the Jesus John needs without a doubt—though a bit more disruptive. And He is the one we need as well. And this is the Jesus we are now striving to be made ready for. Think about that for a moment. If there’s anyone who could behold the risen and exalted Lord Jesus, we’d a thought it would be John out here in exile meditating on the Word on Patmos. We want to be those who are striving to be made ready for that vision of Him that will be ours in glory.

And the question that poses itself is; whence this state? Whence this glorious state? Whence this exaltation? Whence this glory and majesty? How did this come about?

Jesus will answer that.

First, He commands us “Do not fear”.

These are words found on Christs lips throughout his ministry and are frequently YHWH’s words to his people in the Old Testament.

And often in connection with the following.

“I am the First and the Last.”

I am the creator and cause of all things and their final end. All of History is falling out according to my good and wise plan for my glory and your good. He is sovereign over history. From the initial creation, to the cross, to the current text in Revelation, to our present state, and to the consummation of all things. I am the only sovereign Lord of history.

Colossians 1:16–17 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.(Everything bends, tilts, and tends toward Jesus and for the exaltation of Him) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

Fear not, all things are in my hands.

Let me prove it to you is what Jesus says next. Notice the pattern - Living—dead—living—in verse 18. Do you want to know whence my exalted state? Do you want to see my sovereign control over all things? Even the forces of death are subject to me and under my authority.

“I am He who lives”

Listen to one commentator on verse 18:

“Christ describes himself to John in five statements as the basis on which he commands and commissions John to write and send the contents of the vision to the churches. The first statement (“first and last”) speak of Christ’s essential nature as the eternal God. The next four statements show that the life he possesses (“the living one”) is the life of one who was dead and who has conquered death to bring in life forevermore. Taken together, these descriptive names develop the full identity of Christ as the divine Messiah. He has come into his present station through suffering, death, and vindication.”

The reality of the vision we’ve seen comes about through suffering, death, and vindication.

“and I was dead”

the one who possesses life in himself was dead. The Word became flesh, died for us, and is now alive forevermore, deathless.

“Behold” give diligent attention.

“I am alive forevermore.”

I have unending life and I have the ability to give it! I won it for you!

And I have the power and authority over death and hades.

If death is already overcome, then by what can Jesus be overcome? Nothing! Behold! Give diligent attention. I have overcome the greatest enemy of mankind. I have defeated and have dominion over, I have power and authority over the realm of the dead and death itself. What I keep bound stays bound, What I set free, none can resist! “If the Son of Man set you free, you will be free indeed!”

“I have the Keys of Death and Hades”

IV. Jesus is glorious as the Victor over death and hades.

a. He has descended into the realm of the dead into hades. 1 Corinthians 2:7–8 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Here is what they thought. If we can get Jesus into hades, then somehow we can keep him there.

Jesus has descended to the lowest parts of hades and disarmed the devil and the powers of darkness, He has taken the keys of death and hades ( which implies power and authority over them). He has proclaimed his victory over satan and the powers and rulers as well as to the wicked dead. You have fallen in the pit you dug for me, your wicked plans have fallen out to your own hurt. To the wicked dead, I am the one you have denied, and you now await your eternal torment. And the righteous dead come with Him out from under the earth(where all had to go) and into His blessed presence where they await the resurrection of their bodies and conformity to His glorious body.

This is the gospel, this is good news. For those who are in Christ, there is no more hades, no more terror of death. Jesus has power and authority over death and the realm of the dead. And now all of those trusting in him will no longer experience the torment the devil placed on us of the swallowing powers of death. It’s lost it’s sting in Jesus. It has no victory because Jesus is the victor. Our mighty conquerer over our greatest enemy. We are more than conquerers in Him who loved us and saved us!

Lennice didn’t have to fear death, sure the means to it. But what awaited her is presence with the Lord. She is. Even now lives in the presence of the Lord! Free of pain, suffering, sin, tears. Awaiting the consummation. We have ample testimony of saints on their death bed expressing this out of world confidence. Why? because of the resurrection. Because of what we have in Christ and God’s precious promises to us in Him. Because his Holy Spirit works those realities and assuring graces in our minds and hearts.

Strive to be that kind of Christian. Who see beyond the appearances of things, and by faith, see the realities of God defeating sin and death and ushering in His own Kingdom. Like the puritans, we want to more and more learn to live and die well. Does the resurrection play into that? Yes. Does the glorious person of our risen Lord affect that? Yes. That’s what Revelation wants to give us. It gives us a glimpse of our conquering Lord, getting the victory in Christ. It doesn’t always look that way. But John would assure us that it is so. And even so, we pray that the Lord Jesus would come, and consummate the victory, to bring in all of His elect. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen!

Please pray with me.

Father in Heaven, what a blessed reality that Jesus is the ever living, ever reigning, ever ruling Prophet, Priest, and King. And that all these realities and glorious offices are established by His victorious resurrection and exaltation. Give us greater assurance of these things, and move us by your Holy Spirit to greater obedience and faithfulness in the days ahead. Amen.