Revelation’s Mighty Man
Rev. 1:9
We’ve seen intro to the book:
Personal & Eventful Revelation
Jesus communicates w/ symbolism
Jesus’ conquerors are witness bearers, even martyrs
Jesus’ coming, is a coming with clouds – double meaning: UP & DOWN
UP to be enthroned; DOWN to bring judgment.
NOT only does this symbolism apply to end of world, but Jerusalem.
NOW will be introduced to the author of the book:
The author of the book is Jesus himself. But Jesus was the author, because He dictated the book, telling John what to write and showing John what to right with word pictures.
So John is the secretary, or the scribe who wrote the book (occurred much in ancient world)
I. The Secretary: John
But first we meet the secretary, or scribe who pens this book on behalf of Jesus
John the scribe introduces himself:
9) I, John, bothyour brother and companion writing to fellow sufferers
in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,
I was on the island that is called Patmos
for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and context of worship, Spirit=matchmaker
I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
II. The Author: Jesus
1. Jesus: The Language
11)saying,“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”and,
“What you see, write in a book and senditto the seven churches which are in Asia:
toEphesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
Alpha & Omega, First & Last
- 2x’s in the NKJV, the A & O phrase is repeated in ch. 1 (v.8, 11)
- 3x’s, this chap stress he is the first & last, beginning & end
– A & O is for Greek. Translate this into English A & Z
- The fact that Jesus refers to the alphabet, means he is the totality of God language,
As being the A & O, it does not mean he is simple those two letters,
but that NO letter is outside of him.
Any letter conceived, spoke, or used it comes through Him.
For being the Word of God, and fully God, He is the voice of God,
the language of God, and thus – EVEN THE ALPHABET OF HUMANITY
- This is important: The reason all human beings speak an alphabetic language, with
sounds, syllables, and symbols is because that’s the way God speaks through
the person of God the Son.
- Alphabetic language does not originate from earth. It does not come from animals,
and much less could it ever evolve from the animal world,
so that human picked up an alphabetic language from an animal ancestor.
- Our alphabetic languages of humanity does not come from earth, it comes from
heaven above. It is passed down from God to mankind, and then passed down from
parent to child, and then from one generation to another.
- So Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Alpha of all human language.
Humans speak, read, and write because Jesus Christ gives then the gift of speech.
- Also Jesus is the Ultimate Omega of all human language.
He is the goal and end point of all language. Language was given to us so that we
could glorify it in to poetry and song and bring out praising into heaven itself.
BUT on a very practical level this explains why language is being lost our culture.
Without Jesus Christ, without the word of God being the goal of man, then the
words of man begin losing value and meaning.
Therefore, in the inner-cities human language has disintegrated into what
is called Ebonics, and when you meet someone from the inner city,
you often can not understand what they are saying.
Without their culture being discipled by God’s word,
then the words of man decrease in value.
But it is not just a problem in the inner-city. It’s a problem in the rural country
where we live. In rural areas like ours, people think they can retreat from the world,
they can escape problems of the inner-city, and they have a sense of independence
and ability to make a living with a variety of jobs.
But the problem is that independence often morphs into isolation,
and isolation kills language with silence
The Omega aspect of language is often neglected because you can
put a lot of space between you and other people. And you can find
jobs where you do not have to use a lot of language skills.
The solution for this in our rural area is for people to discipline themselves
to come together around God’s word, and to value the community of God’s Word-Family.
This brings people out of isolation and brings them into conversation about God’s word.
So silence is ultimately replaced with a good conversation,
because even in the country, and after working all day on the land, there is still an Omega
aspect to language – there is a goal, a value, a destination – which is found in Him who
is the very language of God – that is Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus: The Watcher
12)And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13)and in the midst of the seven lampstandsOnelike the Son of Man,
- Turned to see – hearing precedes seeing
- Why is John’s back to Jesus initially?
- Lampstands with Son in center:
Christ as both Yahweh & Adam in new grove.
- Lampstands as the Watching Church.
- Lampstands as Watching Pastors.
We report to God what is going on.
3. Jesus: The Priest, At Rest
clothed with a garment down to the feet and - barefoot, holy ground
girded about the chest with a golden band. - Jesus work is finished, not around waist
14)1) His head and hairwerewhite like wool, as white as snow, and
2) His eyes like a flame of fire;
15)3) His feetwerelike fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and
4) His voice as the sound of many waters;
16)5) He had in His right hand seven stars,
6) out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and
7) His facewaslike the sun shining in its strength.
4. Jesus: The Metal Man, Not The Dust Man
- feet – signifying the rest of his body
- The first man is dust, the last man is metal
- Metal Man in DANIEL 2, had clay feet - Jesus has strong feet
5 Jesus: The Temple– The LivingTemple
- Metal Man of Dan. 2 – symbolized an Empire-type of Temple
They would house themselves & expand themselves within the empire
Tabernacle Era, TempleEra, Empire Era (Bab., Pers. Gks, Roms.)
- Jesus is depicted as a vertical temple
- bronze like a furnace “altar”
- 1st Lampstands, 2nd his robe, 3rd his person (face, eyes)
lampstand, God’s presence veiled by the curtain, face of God in H.H.
6. Jesus: The Outline/Pattern of the Book
In Jesus the Book of Rev. “lives, moves, and has it’s being”
1) His head and His hair were like white wool
Rev. 1Jesus appears as the Ancient of Days
2) His eyes were like a flame of fire
Rev. 2-3Jesus inspects the seven churches
3) His feet were like burnished bronze
Rev. 4-5Jesus, with holy feet, travels to the throne
4) His voice was like the sound of many waters
Rev. 6-7Jesus, breaking the seals, He rules through the book
5) His right hand held seven stars
Rev. 8-14Witnesses, martyrs, will be the heavenly swarm around God
7 stars are leaders teachers in the church & their messengers
Leader & teachers are killed (apostles & prophets) 144,000 are killed
6) His mouth a sharp two-edged sword came out
Rev. 15-19 Jerusalem/Babylon struck, Christ’s army rides forth
7) His face was like the sun shining in its strength
Rev. 20-22God’s light-presence, his people rest and healed
7. Jesus: The Life Force/Giver
17)And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.
But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,
“Do not be afraid;
I am the First and the Last.
18)IamHe who lives, and was dead, and behold,
I am alive forevermore. Amen.
And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
19)Writethe things which you have seen,
and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
20)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 saware the seven churches.
John goes through Death & Resurrection symbolized.
Falls as though dead, Jesus’ right hand touches him, assures John that Jesus has conquered.
Daniel goes through something similar: Dan.10
Daniel ch. 6 - Daniel’s death & resurrection in the Lions dens anticipated God people returned
Daniel’s “deaths”/ falls and rising anticipated kingdoms that would fall & rise
John death/fall and risings anticipate that God’s people go through (martyred, & ascended)
same hand that holds 7 stars holds John
Jesus has conquered death; so when they suffer death – by NO means have they been defeated
In Christ, we living move and have our being.