Exposition of Revelation Chapter One By Lin Brown

Transcription

1 Exposition of Revelation Chapter One By Lin Brown Bible Text: Revelation 1 Preached on: Sunday, May 9, 2010 Grace Particular Baptist Church 5725 Imperial Lakes Blvd Mulberry, FL Website: Online Sermons: So it is hard to follow a good sermon, but it is even harder to follow a sermon that exalts Christ as the last one did. This morning I would have us turn to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. We begin reading in the first verse of chapter one. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 And what more would you want to have revealed to you than that? Would you know the future? Would you know the deep providences of God? Would you want to know great theological truths? What more would you want to know than a full, complete, revelation of Jesus Christ? To the suffering church, it is comfort. To the presumptuous church it is exhortation. To the saints of God in affliction it is healing. To the saints of God in torments it is deliverance. To the saints of God in persecution it is their comfort above all comforts. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. 2 This revelation belongs to Jesus Christ. It is his alone and it is about him. It is about his work. It is about his person. It is about his glory. It is about his enemies. It is about his victories. This revelation is given by God unto him to disclose unto his servants. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants... 3 To show unto his people, to show unto his elect, to show unto his chosen, things which must shortly come to pass. 4 1 Revelation 1:1. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. Page 1 of 1

2 The word shortly is one very difficult word in Greek. It means it will certainly come to pass and be assured what is spoken of in this book is certainly to come to pass. Jesus Christ has signified it and has signed it and has sealed it in his blood that it will be so. Or it also can mean that it will come to pass very quickly. And be assured one day is with the Lord as 1000 years and 1000 years as one day. And time is no issue to the triune God in calling out his purpose and in performing his purpose. And it also means that those who will receive this revelation historically would see the events take place before their eyes and would need the words of the comfort of this Word for their life to get through it. But are you and I any different? Do you and I not need the words of the truth of this great book to get us through daily trials, to get us through daily tribulations, to get us through the persecution of our enemies, to get us through the opposition of sinners, to get us through one day in our life? And so it is a very timely and timeless book. While it is not timeless in the sense that we will find great technological machinery here and we will not find great sensational things here such as missiles and helicopters and those kind of things that we have been enjoined to see here. We will not see them. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. 5 He authenticated it by sending the messenger from heaven to John, Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 6 This angel bore this to John, the record of the Word of God, the Old Testament. And of the testimony of Jesus Christ, 7 what Christ did when he walked here upon this earth, when he walked among men in the flesh, when he walked as the perfect Savior here upon this earth. And of all things that he saw. 8 All things that were revealed to him as he was the messenger he would bring to light what was told him. Blessed is he that readeth... 9 And right off in verse three we encounter a Beatitude, one of the Beatitudes of the book of Revelation. 5 Ibid. 6 Revelation 1:2. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Revelation 1:3. Page 2 of 2

3 Blessed is he that readeth There are many Christians who avoid reading the book. There are many Christians who avoid it like a plague and say it is wrapped in such deep mystery I can t comprehend it. It is wrapped in such darkness I can t get through it. It is wrapped in such misunderstandings and such puzzling things, it is beyond my understanding. Let me tell you, dear ones, naturally it is beyond your understanding. Naturally you are going to come to some of the excesses that modernism has come to in understanding this book, but in Christ when you have the mind of Christ you see him pictured beautifully for you in this book over and over and over again. And they that hear the words of this prophecy This church is blessed. It has been blessed since we were out on 555. It has been blessed since we were at Lake Ruth because I have preached over and over the words of this prophecy, not because of what I have had to say about it, but because I have read it to you. Listen to what he says. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. 12 How do you keep some of these things? You keep them and store them up in your hearts. You keep them in your minds and at the forefront of your battle every day with the powers of darkness, whether they be fleshly manifestations of that spiritual hierarchy of evil or whether they be an outright frontal attack of that spiritual hierarchy of evil, you draw upon the understanding of what Christ has done and what Christ will do and what Christ will always do in facing his foes. For the time is at hand. 13 The time is always there for the practicing of faith. The time is always there for the application of the battle being fought by faith because this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. And so as we see in this great book over and over and over again the saints of God go through tribulation. They go over tribulation. They are succumbed under the power of tribulation and die in faith and live in faith and are victorious whichever way it is whether in death or whether in life. They ride through the world with the captain of the Lord s host throughout these pages, through the seals, through the trumpets, through the vials 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. Page 3 of 3

4 poured out, the Church rides triumphant with its Lord through the pages of redemption history. John has been permissioned to write what he saw to the churches. And so in verse four we have an address to the churches. John to the seven churches which are in Asia The seven churches which are in almost a horseshoe in that area that we know now as Turkey, almost a circuit. John to the seven churches But are these seven churches just seven historic churches? We must ask ourself that. For if they are, for if this be only historical then we have no part nor lot in it. We have no interest in it other than to study the history of the Church. And certainly that is a great study. Many people study the history of the Church and find great challenges to their faith and great building up of their faith. But it is not just a history of these seven churches. This is a message to all churches who are found to be like them. This is a message to all churches who are found to be in their situation whether it be a blessed situation or whether it be a cursed situation. We will look historically at some of these churches from the standpoint of what was going on in them at that time. For is not time locked? It is characteristic of churches in all ages, of some churches here and some churches there throughout all time. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace Remember, this is John writing to these seven churches. And his opening words to them are, Grace be unto you, and peace. 17 What do you cherish most in life? What is most precious to you? Over and over the writers of New Testament epistles begin their words with Grace to you. Grace and peace be unto you. What is our greatest need? We need grace. What is our greatest need? We need peace. The lack of peace causes so many problems among God s flock. They are restless. They stir. They can t settle down. And so the benediction, if you will, of grace and peace be unto you is always appropriate for the sheep of God who are always troubled within themselves and among themselves and with each other. 14 Revelation 1:4. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid Page 4 of 4

5 But this grace and peace that is given unto the sheep of God cometh, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come. 18 The eternal God sends grace and peace to his children. The eternal God, God the Father speaks grace and peace. He thunders not from Sinai. He roars not in the law. He speaks in the gospel with grace, grace and peace to you from the eternal God. Just think about other religions whose gods come and go, whose gods fail, whose gods are as sinful as themselves. Grace and peace comes to the children of God from the eternal God who changes not, who sins not, who makes no mistake. It is peace that he would have with his children. What a great blessing. And from the even Spirits which are before his throne. 19 God is a trinity. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So why then does the revelation constantly insist that it is the seven Spirits? Because here in Revelation it is not a down payment. It is not an earnest. It is not a part of the Holy Spirit. It is the fullness of the Spirit. It is the completeness, the unquenchableness, the lack of power that maybe in the Spirit because of our disobedience is not here any longer. He is the seven fold complete Spirit of God, the all powerful God as he always is at the throne, as he always... When we come to the throne of God we will come to a picture of the greatness and fullness and completeness of the Holy Spirit. And do you know what? If we could all be filled with the Spirit here upon this earth all the time 24/7, you know what this place would be? It would be heaven. It would be heaven. But we quench the Spirit and we grieve the Spirit and we resist the Spirit. And so we [?]. We get him as a down payment. We get him as an earnest. It is a seal. It is a promise. He is a seal. He is a promise that we will be in heaven when we will enjoy his fullness there. Heaven is the place of the fullness of the Spirit. I can t comprehend it. Maybe you can. I can t get a hold of that. I don t know what that would be like to be rid of my flesh, to be rid of my doubts and be rid of my fears and be filled up with the Spirit of God. And thank God one day I will know that and you will know that if you are his child. Well, here at the throne of God there is only grace and peace and there is the fullness of the Spirit. And from Jesus Christ Ibid. 19 Ibid. 20 Revelation 1:5. Page 5 of 5

6 Grace and peace also from Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ whose eyes will burn like fire, whose wrath will burn hot against the wicked and the evil which is to his chosen grace and peace. Jesus Christ who goes without, who goes not without description here. Who is the faithful witness. 21 Those who will be called to witness must know they have a faithful witness. He is the faithful witness. He didn t give up. I was thinking today about giving up. [?] What s the use? But Jesus didn t do that. He could have. He could have said, This is too much. It is too much a price to pay. The agony is too great and, beside, I don t want you to be mad at me, Father. And he could have drawn back. But he is a faithful witness. He is the witness that goes to the finish, to the completeness. And if he hadn t, we wouldn t be here today. And the first begotten of the dead. 22 Adam, the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil you are going to be dead and everybody else along with you. It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. If Christ doesn t come back in the end time you are going to die. I don t care how young you are or how old you are, you who are older like me, well, we think you are going to die pretty soon, relatively speaking in life. You young ones think you will never die. I remember believing that. I remember thinking I am never going to die. I am going to get old. I will keep living. But it is appointed unto man, if Christ doesn t come back at end time you are going to die. But Jesus is the first begotten of the dead. Jesus died and will die no more. Lazarus died and was raised, but he died again. But Jesus will die no more. He is the first begotten of the dead. He is the first resurrected, complete, finished one from the dead. And let us focus that he is the resurrection and the life. Let us understand that there is no resurrection apart from him. Let us understand that he is our resurrection. And if he be raised, we shall be raised also. And the prince of the kings of the earth. 23 He is the ruler of every ruler in every period in time and dispensation of history. Whatever ruler it was, whether it was the most malignant and evil ruler, he rules over 21 Ibid. 22 Ibid. 23 Ibid. Page 6 of 6

7 him. Whether it is the most benevolent and good natured ruler, he rules over him. Whether it is a ruler of freedom or a ruler of enslavement, he rules over him. He is the prince of the kings of the earth. And I am glad he is. I am glad I don t have to worry about the one who sits in the seat of authority because I have got one over him, whether that be in the small scope of things or in the larger scope of things. Christ rules over all. He is also a king of another type. He is king of those of whom he has made a kingdom and royal priesthood especially. He is king over his people. The old way of understanding Jesus Christ in all of the Puritans and all of the reformers and all of the good, solid predestinarian Baptists is that Jesus Christ is prophet, priest and king. He is the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords and let us never forget that. Let us never forget that he rules over everything. Paul writing said that in all things Christ might have the preeminence. Is that the case with you? Does Christ have the preeminence in every area of your life? He claims it. But do you dispute it? Do you battle him for it? Let me assure you he will get that area. He will get that situation that is in your life for he is King of kings. He is friends with the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us That is what we just heard about in the last sermon so eloquently. He loved us. He loved his chosen. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. 25 He didn t just love us emotionally. He didn t just love us abstractly. I encourage you and I exhort you. Don t think of the love of Christ abstractly. He loved us personally. He knows his own sheep by name because he chose his own sheep by name. He loved us. And he washed us from our sins in his own blood, selah. Stop a minute here and take time out. Washed from our own sins, not in fuller s soap, not in the waters of baptism, but in this own blood, his blood that washes white as snow, his blood that cleanses from all sin. Most people reading that, the natural man says, How can that be? How can you wash something in blood and it be clean? We think of blood as contaminating, particularly today in our society. Medical personnel that handle blood have to wear gloves. Emergency personnel that come on the scene where there is blood deck out in gloves. It is not something that cleans. It is something 24 Ibid. 25 Ibid. Page 7 of 7

8 that contaminates. But this is not just any blood. This is his blood. And this blood washes white as snow. This blood forgives all sin. What sin do you commit? What sin do you entertain? What sin do you plot in your heart? If you are a child of God, you are washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ. And hath made us kings and priests. 26 He has made us kings. Do you feel like a king? Are you sitting well? No. I feel like I am always being ruled over. I feel like I am always being told what to do. But listen. The fact remains. He has made you kings and priests unto God. What does a priest do? A priest speaks between people and God. I am talking about a real, genuine, biblical priest. He goes to God and speaks for the people. He comes from God and speaks to the people. We [?] such. We are made kings and priests unto God. I know you ladies have a problem with the term king always being male just as we men always have a problem with being the bride of Christ. But God distinguishes his people in whatever way he sees fit. And so all of his children are made kings and priests unto God. All of his children have access. The middle wall of partition is torn down. The veil of the temple is rent. The way of the holy of holies is open. And the sheep come in and the sheep feed and the sheep try and foal in shelter. And his Father, we have been made kings and priest unto God and his Father. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 27 The word dominion is a word that is associated with Adam. Adam was told to take dominion over creation and whatever he called the animals, that is what they were. And he, in essence, by naming them, controlled them. He had dominion and authority over them under God. And unto him be glory and dominion, glory and authority, glory and power, glory in rulership forever and ever, amen. 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. 28 This is a glimpse into what will take place in the rest of the book. Every eye shall see. Remember, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Every eye shall see him here. Some will see him and they will rejoice in seeing. They will glory in seeing. They will be happy and joyous in seeing. But then there will be others. 26 Revelation 1:6. 27 Ibid. 28 Revelation 1:7. Page 8 of 8

9 And they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. 29 Some will see him as the one that they caused to die. Will that be you? Will you look upon him and say, My sin caused the prints in his hands, the prints in his feet, the wound in his side, the wounds upon his head? Will you say that? I pierced him. It is for my transgressions that he suffered all that. There are those who will look upon him and say, So what? He didn t do anything for me anyway. You see, the vision of Christ brings all sorts of reactions in different people. In the saints of God the vision of Christ brings shame and sorrow and sadness and joy and happiness and glory. In the non elect, in the wicked of this world it brings disdain and hatred and anger. And we will see that. We will see that over and over in this book as it takes place. And all kindreds of the earth, all the earth dwellers, all of the ones who don t have a home in glory land, all of the ones who don t have a heavenly hope, all the ones that are fixed down here on earth shall wail in bitter anguish because of him. Even so, Amen. 30 I am Alpha and Omega. 31 Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith as we were reminded in the last sermon. There is a finisher of our faith. 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. 32 Again, words that are very needful and very comforting to the Church of God. I am he which was and is which is and was and is to come. I am eternal. Man cannot blot me out. The contradiction of sinners cannot destroy me. The plots of the wicked the kings of the earth and the powerful of the earth cannot destroy me. I am the almighty. Now John turns his attention toward himself and he said, I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation Ibid. 30 Ibid. 31 Revelation 1:8. 32 Ibid. 33 Revelation 1:9. Page 9 of 9

10 John says, I know. Here I am in Patmos. I am not undergoing the fires of tribulation and suffering that you are. I have been exiled and I am your fellow brother and your companion in your tribulation. John on Patmos is writing to you and I. I am your companion in tribulation. 34 Why we think the tribulation is something yet out in the future, I don t know. Don t you have enough of it today? Don t you suffer enough tribulation in this life to understand that Jesus words are true? In this life you shall have tribulation. 35 And John is a companion in that tribulation, in all of the tribulation of all of the people of God. But we are all one body under one head, members of one another wherever we are, whenever we are. And also in the kingdom. 36 John was both in the tribulation and in the kingdom. You and I are both in the tribulation and in the kingdom. Are we the people of God? We are in the kingdom of God. We are in the realm of his Spirit kingship. And patience of Jesus Christ. 37 Tribulation worketh patience and that patience is to be found in Jesus Christ who is long suffering, who suffered long, who endured the contradiction of sinners. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos. 38 He was there because of the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He was there under the providential hand of God for that reason. For what was that reason? To present that to those who lived there on the far side of Patmos or whether he was there in penalty for preaching it there on the [?], regardless, the providence of God had put him there for those two reasons, the testimony of the Word of God... for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 34 Ibid. 35 John 16: Ibid. 37 Ibid. 38 Ibid. Page 10 of 10

11 I was in the Spirit. 39 I was full of the Spirit. I was completely controlled by the Spirit on the Lord s day. Some stretch this out to mean the day of the Lord. In other words, the Spirit transferred him from Patmos to the day of the Lord, those of those who like the apocalyptic imagery here as being only visual on the final day. I prefer to think it as being a vision of the spiritual world. And any time that you are full of the Spirit you see more clearly the spiritual world than you see it now. Well, when you come in here on the Lord s Day just the Lord s Day as any other Lord s Day are you Spirit controlled? Are you Spirit filled? Do you have visions of the heavenlies? But more importantly, do you have knowledge and understanding of the sovereignty of God over his creation? You see, if you understand God is sovereign over his creation, then you understand his creation s place correctly. You don t fear man. You don t disrespect his more powerful creatures in creation. You don t over estimate your own ability. You know God is sovereign and God rule over all things. I was in the Spirit on the Lord s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. 40 It will always be the spoken audible word because Christ is the incarnate Word and Christ will always use the medium of speaking the spoken word. And John hears that. He says, As of a trumpet, 41 a sounding forth of those things that were taking place. This great voice is a trumpet, but it is an audible and it is an intelligible voice because this voice says, 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. 42 So here is the commission of the Lord to John. 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. 43 John has so much as heard a voice and now he turns to see the voice that spake with me. I kind of picture John as being down upon his knees. He is in the Spirit and he hears a voice behind him and he rises to see. 39 Revelation 1: Ibid. 41 Ibid. 42 Revelation 1: Ibid. Page 11 of 11

12 And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. 44 He has already been told to write to the seven churches. Now he is going to see the seven churches and he is going to see depicted before his eyes the state of those seven churches and why he must write to them and speak to them what he is being shown on the isle of Patmos. He turns and he sees the seven golden candlesticks and very quickly from the sight of the churches he sees the Lord of the churches. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man. 45 He saw the vision that Daniel had seen many, many years before, the Son of man. Daniel records for us that in the midst of the fiery furnace one walked among the three Hebrew children who was the Son of man. Christ in his incarnation loved to embrace the term Son of man. John sees in the midst of the Church what should be, the Son of man. But this Son of man is clothed with a garment down to the foot. 46 He is clothed with a full length garment, the garment of the royal priesthood, if you will, the garment of the high priest. And girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 47 His upper torso is girt with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire. 48 This is the very aged and eternal, timeless high priest of God. And his eyes were as a flame of fire. 49 We must be instructed. We must know and understand that the Lord s eyes see everything. We told our children numerous times, I am sure, The Lord sees what you are doing even though I don t. Well, let us all be instructed to that. The Lord s eyes burn like a flame of fire. 44 Revelation 1: Revelation 1: Ibid. 47 Ibid. 48 Revelation 1: Ibid. Page 12 of 12

13 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 50 What a great one we have before us. What a great vision we have before us, this one who is girt in the garment of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. We see in the holy of holies, in the heavenly of heavenlies him decked out in all of this attire. And he had in his right hand Verse 16 brings us back from the vision of the high priest to the New Testament understanding of Christ in his control through that priesthood both as the sacrifice and as the sacrificer. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 52 He had in his right hand seven stars. He controls those who rule his Church. He controls the pastors and the elders. He controls all who rule his Church in a special way. He holds them in the right hand of his power. He holds them in the right hand of his authority. He holds them in the right hand of his sovereignty. And out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword. 53 The Word of God is always that sharp two edged sword, dividing asunder of soul and spirit and joints and marrow. The Word of God is that sword. And his countenance was as the sun shining in his strength. 54 Not as the sun as it wanes in the evening tide, but the sun as it shines in its fullness at noon day in the bright burning orb that is so glorious that our eyes cannot behold it. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. 55 Every vision that we have of Christ in his fullness should render us in this state, falling at his feet as dead, falling at his feet as absolutely sufficient [?] for what we are called to do. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last Revelation 1: Revelation 1: Ibid. 53 Ibid. 54 Ibid. 55 Revelation 1: Ibid. Page 13 of 13

14 How gracious the Lord is to his people. He lays his right hand upon them saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last. I am the changeless one. I am the tireless one. Don t fear. Does that put you at peace, fear not from the mouth of Jesus? Fear not. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. 57 That is just great, glorious news. I am he that was dead. I have already gone through it and now I am alive forever, ever more. I won t ever go through it again. And because I live you shall live also. He who lives and believes in me shall never die. Man can t make such promises. Churches can t seal such things to their people. I can t make such promises to you. You can t make such promises to me, but the Lord of glory has made it to all his people. I am he that liveth and am alive forever more. Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 58 He controls them. There is not a person going to hell that doesn t go there because Christ doesn t control that situation. Not a person going to die that dies because Christ didn t control that situation. He controls it all. He holds the keys of both things that we fear the most. We fear going to hell. We fear dying. The keys are in Christ s hands. As we will see, he uses those keys. He opens, he shuts and no man opens. He shuts and no man opens. He opens... he shuts and no man opens. Man can t force the door, can t force the time, can t force the situation there in the power of Jesus Christ. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. 59 Write everything that I am about to reveal to you. I don t think this is any necessary division of the book. Some do. If you do, I don t have any problem with that, but I just don t see it as such. I see it as him saying, You have already seen some things, write that. You will see some things now. You are seeing things now, write that. You will see some things, some more things to come, write those, too. 57 Revelation 1: Ibid. 59 Revelation 1:19. Page 14 of 14

15 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. 60 So very quickly and very briefly the Lord gives an interpretation of what the summation of the vision that John has been given. I am going to show you the state of those who are the ministers of those churches and I am going to show you those churches in their entirety to come. This finishes the first chapter. It finishes our message for today. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you understanding as we go and continue with our preaching this great book. Gracious Lord and heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy grace and mercy. We thank thee for thy Holy Spirit who is faithful to speak and to give us knowledge and understanding and enlightenment in revelation. We thank thee for this book and we thank thee that it carries a great blessing that those who read and those who hear and those who do are blessed indeed. May that be the case with all of us we pray in Jesus name. Amen. 60 Revelation 1:20. Page 15 of 15