Sunday, December 4th - AM - Behold, He Cometh! Part One (Rev. 1:7)

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Note the theme of Revelation as found in this verse:

The current verse obviously is the theme verse for the whole book (Tenney). Sequentially in the book’s development, His personal coming is described in 19:11–16, but the verb also describes preliminary phases of His return for judgment (cf. 2:5, 16). [Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 77.]

Note the connection that Walvoord makes dispensationally to the Rapture:

The present tense of the expression “He cometh” (Rev. 1:7) points to the future Rapture of the church (John 14:3). [John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 929.]

Note Dr. Strouse's masterful use of cross-references to both OT and NT eschatology:

[Quoting] Daniel’s prophecy...“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” (7:13), John began his focus on the fact that OT prophecies will be fulfilled in the Lord’s coming. Clouds are significant in divine dealings with man, as several OT passages suggest (cf. Num. 11:25; Ps. 104:3; Isa. 19:1; Nah. 1:3). The Lord Jesus Christ predicted about Himself, saying, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mt. 26:64; vide also Mt. 24:30; Mk. 13:26; 14:26). Concerning the first phase of the Second Coming, or the Rapture, Paul averred, saying, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thes. 4:17). [Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 46.]

“And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.” (Numbers 11:25, KJV 1900)

“Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: Who maketh the clouds his chariot: Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:” (Psalm 104:3, KJV 1900)

“The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: And the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, And the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.” (Isaiah 19:1, KJV 1900)

“The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Nahum 1:3, KJV 1900)

Matthew 26:64 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30, KJV 1900)

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26, KJV 1900)

Note Dr. Gill's imagery of Christ's coming with clouds:

The manner of his coming will be with clouds; either figuratively, with angels, who will attend him both for grandeur and service, or literally, in the clouds of heaven; he shall descend in like manner as he ascended, and as Daniel prophesied he should, Dan. 7:13. Hence, one of the names of the Messiah, with the Jews, is ענני, Ananir, which signifies clouds; and his coming is so described, both to denote the grand and magnificent manner in which he will come, making the clouds his chariots; and to strike terror into his enemies, clouds and darkness being about him, thunder and lightning breaking out of them, as tokens of that vengeance he comes to take upon them; as also the visibility of his coming, he shall descend from the third heaven, where he now is, into the airy heaven, and sit upon the clouds, as on his throne, and be visible to all: [r Targum in 1 Chron. 3:24. vid. Beckii Not. in ib. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 35. 9. (John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 686.)]

1. By Every Eye

Revelation 1:7 KJV 1900

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Note the pattern of three continued as seen in the conjunctions "and"

Every eye shall see Him. The glory of God is so bright and so full of light that it actually shines brighter than the sun (see Re. 21:23). When Jesus Christ returns, there will be a display of His glory that will surround the earth, and the reflection of the Lord’s glory will be seen by every eye. Remember also there will be an innumerable host of angels and believers who are accompanying Christ back to earth. The idea is this: there will be so many that they will surround the earth. Whatever the case, Christ in all of His glory and majesty is going to return to earth, and when He returns, every eye shall see Him. [Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Revelation, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 16.]

2. By His Enemies' Eye

Revelation 1:7 KJV 1900

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Zechariah 12:10 KJV 1900

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplications: And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, And shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

John 19:6 KJV 1900

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

John 19:36–37 KJV 1900

For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Acts 2:36 KJV 1900

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

B. His Arrival Will Bring Sorrow (v. 7b).

1. The Weeping World

Revelation 1:7 KJV 1900

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Greek, “all the tribes of the land,” or “the earth.” See the limitation to “all,” Rev 13:8. Even the godly while rejoicing in His love shall feel penitential sorrow at their sins, which shall all be manifested at the general judgment. [Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 552.]

Note - Of interest is the promise to Abraham that in his Seed (fulfilled through Christ) should all the "families of the earth be blessed" and here all the "kindreds (tribes/families) of the earth" will be wailing because of Him. They who love darkness find the Light painful.

Somehow all of living mankind (“kindreds”)[103] shall see and “shall wail” ... because of him. The root behind “wail” [...104] ...refers to sorrow and regret, as several eschatological passages indicate. {[103] The Greek expression [translated "kindreds"] refers to all people of every tongue and nation (Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6). [104] The verb occurs 8x in the TR. (Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 47.)}

“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, Shall bewail her, and lament for her, When they shall see the smoke of her burning,” (Revelation 18:9, KJV 1900)

Most persons accept that Jesus Christ was a great man and one of the greatest religious teachers of all time, but they reject His deity. They believe that man can be good enough to become acceptable to God on their own. Therefore, they reject the fact that Jesus Christ had to die for the sins of the world.

The result is going to be catastrophic: when men see Jesus Christ return to earth, they will then know that He is exactly who He claimed to be: the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, the Savior of the world. They will know that God does love the world, love it so much that He actually sent His Son to die for the sins of man. But note: when Christ returns, the idea is not that of salvation. It is that of wailing, of mourning and crying out, because of the judgment that Jesus Christ is bringing with Him. Jesus Christ, the Lord God of the universe, will be returning in glory to execute justice upon all who have rejected Him and worked evil upon the earth.

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” (Mt. 25:31–32).

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38).

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th. 1:7–8).

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14–15).

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Re. 1:7).

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Re. 11:15–18).

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Re. 19:11–16, see vv.17–21).

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Re. 22:20).

[Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Revelation, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 16–17.]

2. The Wishing Witness

Revelation 1:7 KJV 1900

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Note the absolute certainty of the Second Coming of Christ as prophesied:

This expression of faith in, and desire after the coming of Christ, is signified by two words, the one Greek and the other Hebrew; suggesting, that this is an article of faith among all the saints of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, and is what they are wishing and waiting for. [John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 686.]

The “even so” is Greek; “Amen” is Hebrew. To both Gentiles and Jews His promises and threats are unchangeable. [Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 552.]

Verse 7 ends with a double affirmation of the certainty of fulfillment of the prophetic oracle just given. Ναί (Nai, “yes”) is the usual word of affirmation in the Greek language, and it is followed by the Hebrew word of affirmation amēn (cf. 1:6). Combined this way, the two words constitute the figure of speech called synonymia, whose function is to strengthen the certainty of what has just been prophesied (Bullinger). They are used in a similar way in 22:20 with the effect of saying, “It is so, amen” (Charles). It is absolutely fixed that the coming of Christ will happen as prophesied and will bring with it the resultant effects noted earlier in the verse. [Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 79.]

II. Believe His Character (Rev. 1:8).

Remember Who He Is!

A. How The Master Desires to Be Known (v. 8a).

1. He Is Self-existent

Revelation 1:8 KJV 1900

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The vast majority of the 48 occurrences of this expression are voiced by the Lord, Who said, “I am the God of Abraham” (Mt. 22:32), “I am the door” (Jn. 10:7), “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11), “I AM the true vine” (Jn. 15:1), etc.... [Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013).]

2. He Is All-Encompassing

Revelation 1:8 KJV 1900

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Alpha and Omega, being the first and the last in the alphabet, may stand for the whole; and it seems to be a proverbial expression taken from the Jews, who use the phrase, from Aleph to Tau, for the whole of any thing, which two letters in the Hebrew alphabet stand in the same place as these; [John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 686.]

Note the contrast between the TR and the CT:

Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Greetings from John, the Writer, and from Christ in Heaven

Here in the original Greek the Omega is not spelled out as is the Alpha. Why? Because Christ is the beginning, and the beginning is already completed. But the end is yet to be; so He didn’t spell out the Omega in this instance. One day He will complete God’s program. This is a very interesting detail in the Greek text.

“Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος, λέγει ὁ Κύριος, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὁ παντοκράτωρ.” (Revelation 1:8, Scrivener 1881)

“Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ, λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὁ παντοκράτωρ.” (Revelation 1:8, NA28)

Note although he is right in his ultimate conclusions concerning the fulness of Jesus Christ, we must stress our disagreement with McGee's philosophy of "studying" from the Critical Text while preaching and teaching from the "Authorized" or "King James Version."

Note - the CT also omits "the beginning and the ending."

...the beginning and the ending; the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, leave out this; which seems to be explanative of the former clause, Alpha being the beginning of the alphabet, and Omega the ending of it; and properly belongs to Christ, who knows no beginning, nor will he have any end with respect to time, being from everlasting to everlasting; and agrees with him as the first cause of all things, both of the old and new creation, and the last end to which they are all referred, being made for his pleasure, honour, and glory: [John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 687.]

Note John Phillips thought-provoking words:

The Lord Jesus is God’s alphabet. The alphabet is an ingenious way of storing the accumulated wisdom of the race. Our literature is composed of various letters of the alphabet arranged in an endless variety of ways. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the first letter and the last, the first and final source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. His decrees will be based on omniscience. He cannot be deceived, disputed, discredited, or disconcerted. He could not be when He came the first time to redeem; He cannot be when He comes the second time to reign. [John Phillips, Exploring Revelation: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Re 1:8.]

Note what this applies through the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual:

Jesus Christ is the beginning and the ending of all there is. He began all things and He shall end all things. All things find their purpose, meaning, and significance in Him. Man, the world, history—no matter how chaotic and disjointed life may seem—all things are under the control of Jesus Christ.

Thought 1. The exhortation is clear: we must put our trust in Jesus Christ and cast our lives upon Him. When we do, we receive the great gift of God spoken about in verse four. We receive the grace of God’s care and provision and the great gift of peace, and we become safe and secure for eternity.

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (Jn. 10:28–29).

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ep. 2:4–7).

[Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Revelation, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 17.]

B. How The Master Is Described By John (v. 8b).

1. He Is Eternally Unchanging

Revelation 1:8 KJV 1900

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Note the doctrinal emphasis of these verses from that great Baptist theologian of days gone by:

which is, and which was, and which is to come; who is God over all, was God from all eternity, and is to come as such; which he will shew by his omniscience and omnipotence, displayed in the judgment of the world: who is now a Saviour of all that come to God by him; was so under the Old-Testament dispensation, being the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and is to come, as such, and shall appear a second time unto salvation to them that look for him: particularly this phrase is expressive of the eternity of Christ, who is, was, and ever will be; and of his immutability, who is the same he was, and will be for ever the same he is, and was, unchangeable in his person, in his love, and in the virtue of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; he is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever. This same phrase is used of God the father in ver. 4 and is a further proof of the deity of Christ; and which is still more confirmed by the following character, The Almighty; as he appears to be, by creating all things but of nothing; by upholding all creatures in their beings; by the miracles he wrought on earth; by the resurrection of himself from the dead; by obtaining eternal redemption for his people; and by his having the care and government of them upon him, whom he keeps, upholds, bears, and carries to the end, through all their infirmities, afflictions, temptations, and trials. [John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, vol. 3, The Baptist Commentary Series (London: Mathews and Leigh, 1809), 687.]

Note the connection of the title "which is to come" with the promised Messiah of the OT:

“The coming one” (ὁ ἐρχόμενος [ho erchomenos]) is Christ’s “great name in Old Testament prophecy” (cf. Matt. 11:3) (Lenski). [Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 76.]

John the Baptist, “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:2–3; cf. Luke 7:19–20; John 3:31; 6:14; 11:27). Erchomai is used nine times in Revelation to refer to Jesus Christ; seven times by our Lord in reference to Himself. Thus, the theme of the book of Revelation is the coming One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite the scoffers who deny the Second Coming (2 Pet. 3:3–4), the Bible repeatedly affirms that Jesus will return. That truth appears in more than five hundred verses throughout the Bible. It has been estimated that one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament refers to the Second Coming. Jesus repeatedly spoke of His return (e.g., Matt. 16:27; 24–25; 26:64; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26) and warned believers to be ready for it (e.g., Matt. 24:42, 44; 25:13; Luke 12:40; 21:34–36). The return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth is thus a central theme in Scripture. [John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 28.]

2. He Is All-Powerful

Revelation 1:8 KJV 1900

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The Greek word for “Almighty” is pantokratōr, “the all-powerful One.” It is used 10 times in the New Testament, 9 of them in Revelation (2 Cor. 6:18; Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22). [John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 929.]

“And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18, KJV 1900)

“Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:11, KJV 1900)

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8, KJV 1900)

“Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” (Revelation 11:17, KJV 1900)

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” (Revelation 15:3, KJV 1900)

“And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” (Revelation 16:7, KJV 1900)

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14, KJV 1900)

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (Revelation 19:6, KJV 1900)

“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15, KJV 1900)

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Revelation 21:22, KJV 1900)

Conclusion:

Illustration Applied: Remember that child who was waiting for daddy to come home and fix that thing he had broken? We as God's children can take comfort in the thought that our Brother, who has called us His friends, and has laid down His life for us, and taken it again, ascended into heaven, will be able to fix this old broken world when He comes back as He promised.

One of the most stirring pages in English history tells of the conquests and crusades of Richard I, the Lionhearted. While Richard was away trouncing Saladin, his kingdom fell on bad times. His sly and graceless brother, John, usurped all the prerogatives of the king and misruled the realm. The people of England suffered, longing for the return of the king, and praying that it might be soon. Then one day Richard came. He landed in England and marched straight for his throne. Around that glittering coming, many tales are told, woven into the legends of England. (One of them is the story of Robin Hood). John’s castles tumbled like ninepins. Great Richard laid claim to his throne, and none dared stand in his path. The people shouted their delight. They rang peal after peal on the bells. The Lion was back! Long live the king! One day a King greater than Richard will lay claim to a realm greater than England. Those who have abused the earth in His absence, seized His domains, and mismanaged His world will all be swept aside. [John Phillips, Exploring Revelation: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Re 1:7.]