Revelation part four chapter one verses 12-10 August 19th 2012.
The word Revelation means…to reveal or disclose something not previously known or realized.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is from Him and about Him.
It is the unveiling of spiritual truth…
In this Revelation we see Jesus Christ not as the baby in the manger…
Nor do we see Him as the beaten and abused crucified Man on the cross…
But He reveals Himself as he is today.
The book of Revelation vastly expands the understanding of heaven…
The book of Revelation verifies the second coming of Jesus Christ…
The book of Revelation focuses on the sovereignty, power, holiness and righteousness of God.
The book of Revelation enhances the beauty of Jesus Christ…
The book of Revelation promises blessing for obedience…
The book of Revelation tells of the ultimate judgment on those who refuse to believe…
The book of Revelation sets forth Jesus’ standards for the church…
The book of Revelation reveals how perfect worship is conducted in heaven…
The book of Revelation tells of God’s triumph over sin…
The book of Revelation emphasizes Jesus’ demand for holy living…
And the book of Revelation warns in detail about the deceitful schemes and final demise of the devil.
What the O.T. hints at…the book of Revelation explains.
Last week in verses 9-11 we saw where John the writer of the Revelation was on the Island of Patmos.
The Island of Patmos was not a resort and John was not there as a tourist.
The Island of Patmos was a prison and John had been sentenced there as a prisoner because of what he taught and
believed about Jesus.
John did not see it that way though he said he was there for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
It was in the prison setting that John received this revelation.
As I said last week sometimes the things we think are the worst experiences of life are used by God and turn out to be the
best experiences of life.
John writes that he was in the Spirit which means he was not sleeping or dreaming…
It means the Holy Spirit empowered his senses to perceive revelation from God.
Resulting in an experience beyond normal senses.
He also tells us it was on the Lord’s Day.
This refers to Sunday which is the day of our Lord’s resurrection.
Behind him he heard a loud voice as of a trumpet.
Meaning the loud voice he heard could best be described as sounding like the sound of a trumpet.
Throughout Revelation a loud sound or voice indicates the solemnity of what God is about to reveal.
We start today at verse 12.
When John heard the sound he turned to see the voice that spoke to Him.
The voice was that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As far as we know John had not heard Jesus’ voice since He had ascended to heaven more than 60 years ago.
When John turned he saw seven golden lamp stands.
In the Book of Exodus chapter 25 it speaks of the golden lamp stand.
The golden lamp stand was the most beautiful article of furniture in the Tabernacle.
It was made of solid gold and there three branches on each side of the main stem.
The top of each stem was fashioned like an almond blossom and the lamps were set there.
The golden lamp stand holds up the lamps and the lamps in turn reveal the beauty and glory of lamp stand.
When we read this we need to understand what the lamp stand and the lamps mean.
The lamps represent the Holy Spirit…
The golden lamp stand represents Jesus Christ…His glory and His deity.
Where the lamp stand holds up the lamps and the lamp stand reveals the beauty and glory of the lamp stand in Exodus…
What we see in Revelation is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how He works to reveal the beauty and glory of Jesus
Christ.
In the tabernacle of the O.T. the high priest had sole oversight of the lamp stand…
The high priest was the one who poured in the oil…
The high priest lit the lamps…
The high priest trimmed the wicks…
The high priest was to one that was responsible to snuff out any lamp that smoked and did not give off good clear light.
Verse 13 John tells us in the midst of the lamp stands he saw One like the Son of Man.
The Son of Man was the title the Lord Jesus Christ most often used for Himself during His earthly ministry.
John said the Son of Man or Jesus was clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a
golden band.
This garment refers to the garment of the high priest of the O.T.
The golden sash across the chest completes the picture of Jesus Christ in His priestly role.
This is a picture of Jesus Christ the great High Priest walking in the midst of His church.
 He alone has oversight of the church…
 He pours in the oil which is the Holy Spirit…
 He lights the lamps…
 He trims the wick…
John 15 tells us Jesus prunes the branches so they will bring forth more fruit.
That is why Jesus allows His people and His church to go through trials persecutions so that more fruit will produce.
The Lord Jesus is in the midst of His church today and He wants and expects light to come forth into a dark world.
Jesus is the source of light and power of the church.
But not only is Jesus the one who pours in the oil and trims the wick…
He is also the One carries the snuffer and if a lamp does not give good light He snuffs it out and sets it aside.
I believe there are many churches today that do not light the world up but smoke it up.
Smoke it up with false doctrine…
Smoke it up with compromise to the Word of God in order to grow the church and not the Kingdom.
And God has set them aside.
The vision John sees of Jesus includes both comfort and awe.
In verses 14 -16 we see a picture of Jesus Christ unveiled like no other.
As you read it you will notice it is a seven fold description.
Again seven represents fullness and completeness.
So in this description we see a picture of Jesus as He is today.
His head and hair were white like wool as white as snow.
This speaks of Jesus’ eternal existence.
Daniel 7:9 He is called the Ancient of Days.
White like wool refers to a blazing glowing white light…
It refers to the Shekinah glory or the glory cloud.
The head and hair like wool and white as snow all speak of the holiness of Jesus Christ.
His eyes were like a flame of fire…
This speaks of the penetrating insight into the very hearts of men and women.
Like two lasers the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ loom with a penetrating gaze into the depths of His church.
This represents the all knowingness of Jesus Christ nothing is outside of his knowledge or view.
His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace…
Glowing hot brass feet is clear a reference to divine judgment.
This means Jesus Christ with feet of judgment moves throughout His church to exercise judgment upon sin.
Jesus Christ occupies the position of judge of the church and He does not flatter nor does He ignore what He sees.
His constant charge and command is obey the Word, repent of sin and be forgiven.
The feet like brass also represent His strong and steadfast support of those who are doing His will.
His voice as the sound of many waters…
This represents the voice of authority.
It is the same voice of authority that called the world into existence…
It is the same voice of authority that called Lazarus from the dead…
It is the voice of authority that will raise the bodies of those who served Him from the grave.
Jesus can and will make Himself heard to those who are near as well as to those who are far.
Verse 16
He had in His right hand seven stars…
The right hand is the place of power and safety.
Remember seven is a representative number…
The seven stars are the messengers who represent the seven churches.
This means Jesus Christ holds the messengers in His hand meaning Jesus controls the church and His leaders.
The ministers of the seven churches operating under His direction have all their light, power and influence from Him.
It means they are also preserved and secured by Him and Him alone.
Out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword…
This speaks not only of the Word fo God…
It also signifies judgment on those who attack Christ’s people and try to destroy His church.
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
The face of Jesus Christ is likened to the sun shining in all its brilliance.
All of these are a picture of Jesus’ glory and victory.
Verse 17 John says when he saw Him he fell at His feet as dead.
A vision of the Lord Jesus Christ produced awe and fear in John.
You have to remember that John is the Apostle that laid his head on Jesus at the last supper.
But here John falls at His feet as a dead man.
The affect of the vision was paralyzing to John.
John did not approach Jesus in a familiar way he did not pat Him on the back and say hey man…
John did not see the Jesus that was beaten He saw the glorified Christ.
Falling at His feet is a common response to seeing the awesome glory of Jesus Christ.
This is the attitude of respect we need today in the world and in the church.
What the church and believers need today is a new awareness of Jesus Christ and His glory.
We need to see Him high and lifted up and make sure awe and worship are given to the Lord Jesus Christ in services.
I love the next part of verse 17…
But He laid His right hand on me saying to me…
Do not be afraid…
They are words of instruction, comfort and encouragement.
Jesus commanded away the fears of John.
Jesus says to John I am…
I am is a name for God that describes His eternal power and His unchangeable character…
I am describes God’s stability, security and trustworthiness.
I am the first and the last.
It means He alone is God, the absolute Lord of history and He alone is the creator.
Verse 18 Jesus tells John…
I am He who lives…
Meaning He is the fountain and source of life to others.
And was dead…
This represents Jesus entering into death in His human nature as a final sacrifice to sin.
And behold I am alive forever more…
This means Jesus will never die again and that death is totally defeated.
Amen…even so God is faithful!
And I have the keys of Hades and Death.
The key here signifies the power and authority over life, death and the grave.
Hades refers to the grave the place of the dead.
Jesus is saying He and He alone decides who lives, who dies and when.
Jesus and Jesus alone determines who will and who will not enter death and hell.
Man can tell you to go to hell but man cannot send you there only Jesus can.
Looking back at verse 17 Jesus said to John do not be afraid…
As the Roman government stepped up its persecution of Christians, John must have wondered if the church could survive
and stand against the opposition.
But Jesus appeared in splendor and glory reassuring John that he and his fellow believers had access to God’s strength to
face whatever came their way.
The same power and access to God that John had we as believer’s also have…
This means we do not need to fear life because Jesus is the living One…
We do not need to fear death because Jesus has conquered death…
And we do not need to fear eternity because Jesus holds the keys of Hades and death.
If you are facing trying and fearful times in your life as John was facing in his…
Today Jesus stands beside you and says…
Fear not I am!
I am or God is our stability and security in an unstable and insecure world.