Let us turn again to God's Word
and turning to the chapter we read, the book of the Revelation,
chapter 1, and directing you for a while this morning to the
words that we have here in verse 10. Revelation 1, 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
day. and heard behind me a great voice
as of a trumpet. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
Day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet. Revelation chapter 1 and verse
10. There's a connection of course
here between the Lord's Day and the fact that on that particular
day the Apostle John being in the Spirit heard the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And all that we might know what
it is to be in the Spirit on the Day of the Lord and to experience
something of what John himself knew hearing that great voice
as of a trumpet. Those words really at the end
of the verse that I would center your attention on for a while
this morning, the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, a great voice
it says, as of a trumpet. As we come to consider the significance
then of that voice, I want us to take up really some three
headings. First of all, to see that the
voice is a declaration really of the revelation that God had
given to the Lord Jesus Christ, as we're told in the opening
words of the chapter, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
unto him, to show unto his servants, things which must shortly come
to pass. How does God communicate this
revelation? And I want to mention some three
ways in which the revelation is brought to John. First of
all, it's a revelation clearly by signs, as it says there at
the beginning. he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John. The end of verse 1. It's a revelation
by signs but primarily as we shall see it's a revelation by
and through words. The sound of the great trumpet
And then thirdly, we'll see that it's a revelation that must involve
the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit. It was as John was
in the Spirit that this word from God came to him. Those three
things then I want us to consider as we proceed this morning. First
of all, Now, the revelation here, certainly in this book, is one
that comes by means of many signs and symbols. As I said, there
at the end of verse 1 we have that expression telling us right
at the outset how the message is going to be communicated. He sent and signified it. It says, "...by his angel unto
his servant John. And of course this word signified
is derived really from the word sign. It's a message that is
brought by signs and by symbols. We see how in the course of his
own ministry the Lord Jesus Christ communicates not only by his
words, by his teachings and by his preachings, but also by the
mighty deeds and the miracles that he performs. We have the
record there in the second chapter of John's Gospel of the first
miracle that Christ performed when he was at a wedding feast
in Cana of Galilee and he turns the water into wine. And the people there are astonished
that the best wine was being served last of all, which was
most unusual. But we're told, aren't we, in
that chapter, how this beginning of miracles or signs, that's
the word that's used, and it's the same root really as the word
that we have here in verse 1, signify. this beginning of signs
Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth His glory. So, through the miracle the Lord
Jesus Christ is communicating something, is showing something
of His great glory as that One who is nothing less than the
Eternal Son of God, God manifest in the flesh. And how as a result
of what the Lord does there in the miracle his disciples believed
on him, it says. And this book of Revelation,
is it not a book that is full of signs and symbols? And we see it immediately really,
as John sends his greetings to the seven churches there in Asher
Miner. Verse 4, Grace be unto you and
peace, he says, from him which is and which was and which is
to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne and
from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first
begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth
unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. He sends greetings really in
the name of God, in the name of the Father and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. It is so evident that he is speaking
of God the Father, when he refers to Him which is, and which was,
and which is to come. And it's evidently the name of
Christ that we have there in verse 5. But interestingly, when
he speaks of the Spirit, there at the end of verse 4, he speaks
of seven spirits. Seven spirits. and the number
is symbolic the number seven of course it's the perfect number
it's not that we're to think in terms of there being seven
Holy Spirits there is but one Holy Spirit but seven speaks
of the perfection that is there in God the Holy Ghost and all
his works and of course as part of the Holy Scriptures, this
book of the Revelation is one that has come from the Spirit
of God. It was the Spirit who was moving John, as he was revealing
these things to John. So he was writing under the inspiration
of the Spirit. And that work of the Spirit is
a perfect work, and that's all that the number 7 indicates.
And then when we come to read subsequently of the glorified
Christ. We have that passage of the one
who's in the midst of the seven candlesticks, the midst of the
seven churches. Verse 13. He's like unto the
Son of Man. He's clothed with a garment down
to the foot, girt about the path with a golden girdle, his head,
his hairs white like wool as white as snow, his eyes, there
is a flame of fire, his feet, like fine grass burning in a
furnace, his voice as the sound of many waters, and then in his
right hand he has the seven stars, the angels, or rather the messengers,
the messengers of the seven churches, as he stands there in the midst
of the candlesticks, representing the seven churches. It's all
symbolic, it shows us that the glorified Christ is that one
who is in the midst of his churches, and he is the one who holds all
his ministers in his own hand. He is the one who is exercising
his authority in the churches. The book is full of symbolic
language. Later in chapter 5 we read again
of the Lord Jesus, the glorified Savior. In chapter 5, verse 6,
I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb, as it had
been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. Oh, this
one spoken of as a lamb with seven horns, again the number
seven, of course, highly symbolic. He has seven horns, the horn
speaking of his power and his authority. But it's a perfect
power, the perfect authority. His eyes, seven eyes, not that
he has seven eyes, but it indicates, it's a sign of the fact that
these are those eyes running to and fro through all the earth.
He is that one who is omniscient, he knows all things, he sees
all things. The language I say here then is very much symbolic
language but it is a communication of this revelation that has come
from God to the Apostle John. But the signs, the significance
of all that we're reading here and all that we read certainly
in John the Gospel concerning signs there speaking of miracles
and mighty works. All of these things, of course,
point to the Lord Jesus Christ and point very much to the word
that Christ has come to proclaim. He is that one who is clearly
the fulfillment of the prophetic office. We know that. Remember
the language there that we find at the beginning of the rather
in the second chapter, not the beginning, but the second chapter.
The second chapter of Hebrews. Verse 3 Paul says, How shall
we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard it? God also bearing them witnessed
both His signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts
of the Holy Ghost according to His own will. As the ministry
of Christ was confirmed by the miracles, so the ministry of
His apostles, those who followed Him, that was also testified
by signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy
Ghost. It was a confirmation that the
Word, the Word that they were proclaiming, is the Word of God,
the written Word. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, we're told, and is profitable. And what do the signs do? They
serve the Word, really. They authenticate. these messengers,
these men who are declaring the truth of God. And it's interesting
if we go back into the Old Testament when we think of different periods
wherein God is giving a revelation when he gives the law. The law
was given by Moses, but we see in Egypt how Moses is a man who
is performing mighty deeds and miracles. It's a confirmation
that that word that he is going to declare, the five books of Moses,
that that is the word of God. But besides them all we have
the prophets, and when we think of the prophets, who represents
the prophets quite often? It's Elijah in the Mount of Transfiguration,
when Those favoured disciples see through the veil of Christ's
humiliation, they see something of His glories, His transfigured,
and there are two there with Him, Moses and Elijah. Moses
representing law, Elijah representing prophets. And Elijah's ministry,
of course, as well as Elijah who follows him, their ministry
is very much associated with miraculous deeds. These miracles
are always signs in authenticating the truth of the Word. The revelation
isn't just by signs. Primarily God's revelation comes
through His Word. And this book of the Revelation,
it is part of the canon of Holy Scripture. And it is Christ who is in all the
Scriptures. It's Christ who's in all the Scriptures. The Scriptures and the Lord bear
one tremendous name. The written and incarnate Word
in all things are the same. We often sing the words of that
hymn 878, how true it is. Christ himself says, search the
Scriptures. These are they that testify of
mercy. He is the Word. In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the same
was in the beginning with God. He is the Word of God, the revelation. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us and we beheld His glory, says John. The glory is of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And here is the Lord Jesus Christ
and we have His voice, as it were. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, says John. And then again, how he goes on
at the end of verse 15 to speak of that voice as the sound of
many waters. Oh, a great roaring voice are
we not also told of the sword that proceeds out of his mouth
there in verse 16 and again at the end of the book in chapter
19 and verse 15 out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword it says And
this is the language that we have not only in the New Testament,
we find it also back in the Old Testament. Isaiah 11 and verse
4. He shall smite the earth, it
says, with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked. The rod of his mouth, the sword
proceeding from his mouth, is associated with the breath of
his lips. all Scripture given by inspiration
of God, it's the breathings of God. Yes, it's the work of the
Spirit, but He ever comes as the Spirit of Christ. This is
what we see here, it's Christ, that Word of God, quick and powerful,
sharper than a two-edged sword, the pierces to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, a discern
of the thoughts, and the intents of the heart. Remember how Paul
speaks of it there in Hebrews chapter 4 at verse 12, but then
when we read on in verse 13 we see it's not so much the Scriptures,
it's Christ. It's Christ himself who is that
one who is the great revealer of God. There is a revelation
there, and the revelation is committed to the Lord Jesus Christ,
as we see in the opening words, the revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him. How significant are these words?
It's a genitive, isn't it? It's the revelation of. And it
means the revelation belonging to Jesus Christ. God has given it to him. And
here we see, therefore, that he is that one who is subject
to the Father. He has received something from
the Father, to communicate, to show to men. Now, as the Eternal
Son of God, he is of course equal to the Father. And we see that
even in this chapter. The Father is described in verse
4, as He which is, and which was, and which is to come. That's the description of the
Father, but then when the vision is being described to John, we're
told in verse 8, it's the Lord which is, and which was, and
which is to come. The Lord Jesus Christ. is described
in exactly the same terms as the Father. The Father is being
described there in verse 4, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ who
is being described there in verse 8. They are equal. I and my Father
are one. And he says to Philip, doesn't
he in John 14, he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. He is
the image of the invisible God. He's equal. Equal to the Father,
equal to the Son. But we have to note that in the
Covenant he is the mediator between God and man. And in the Covenant
Christ comes as that one then who serves God. He comes to serve
God in the outworking of the Covenant. Behold my servant,
says God, whom I uphold, mine elect. in whom my soul delighteth,
I have put my spirit upon him." He's anointed. He's anointed
by the Father for his work. And so, he can also say in the
course of his ministry, when he's speaking as the mediator,
my Father is greater than I. Oh, he has come as that one who will
serve God. How will he serve God? He'll
serve God in the way of of revelation. He is that great prophet that
even Moses speaks of in Deuteronomy. I will raise him up a prophet
says God from among their brethren like unto them and I shall put
my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that
I shall command him. He comes to speak the words of
God This is the revelation. It's not just a revelation to
be seen in signs and symbols and mighty works and miracles.
It's primarily the Lord Jesus coming to speak the words of
God. Again, John repeatedly reminds
us of that in his Gospel. John 3.34, "...he whom God hath
sent speaketh the words of God." for God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. Again, in chapter 7 and verse
16, he says, My doctrine, or my teaching, is not mine, but
his that sent me. And here, in chapter 19 and verse
10, we read of the testimony that God gave unto him. He has
received a testimony. that He is to testify to men. It's in these last days that
God has spoken unto us then by His Son. The opening words of
Hebrews reminds us how God spoke in times past to the fathers
by the prophets. But in these last days the end of the days really, the
final revelation, in his last days God has spoken unto us by
his Son. It's the revelation then which
God gave unto him. And the interesting thing is
that as Christ is that one who has authority to speak the words
of God, so we see that he also is that one who is as authority
to unfold the works of God. He speaks the words of God, but
in his mediatorial kingdom, he is that one who also unfolds
the works of God. We're reminded, aren't we, that
all things are in God's hands. God's God's sovereignty. Even as the Lord is about to
leave His disciples there in the opening chapter of the Acts
He's about to ascend to heaven from whence He came and the Lord tells them they're
not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of
the Father of which He had spoken of, the promise of the coming
of the Holy Spirit And then we're told there in
Acts 1 verse 6, When they therefore were come together, they asked
of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is
not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father
hath put in his own power. No man's to know, but God only
knows that day. Of that day, Christ says in the
Gospel, of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. He's speaking, you see, as that
one who is the mediator of the covenant, he's speaking of the
God-man, servant of God. But the Father has put that power
into the hands of Christ in that office that he has as the Mediator
of the Covenant he has authority to unfold all the providences
of God just as he is that one who is speaking the words of
God and giving his full and final revelation of God so he is the
one who also reigns sovereignly in the day of grace and isn't
that what's unfolded to us in Revelation chapter 5 there in
the opening words of that chapter John says I saw in the right
hand of him that sat on the throne in the previous chapter we have
the vision of God's throne and God in the midst of his throne
I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book
written within and on the back side It's a scroll, sealed with
seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof. And no man in heaven nor in earth,
neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither to
look thereon. And I wept much because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And then of course in
the following chapters we have the loosing of the seals. But
it is clear there that the Lord Jesus Christ is that one who
has authority He reveals those things that
are to come. And so, again, looking at what
we have here in the opening chapter, the revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass. He shows things which must shortly
come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto
his servant John. Again, at the end of the chapter,
verse 19, write the things which thou hast seen, and the things
which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The mystery
of the seven stars, the mystery of the seven golden candlesticks all of these things come from
the Lord Jesus Christ all power he says all authority is given
unto me in heaven and in earth all he has power he has authority
God has put all things under his feet and given him to be
the head over all things to the church which is his body the
fullness of Him that filleth all in all. We're living in that
day when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns in His mediatorial kingdom,
accomplishing now that great work of salvation by the ministry
of His Spirit. He has come as the Spirit of
Christ to reveal the things of Christ. The revelation then is
one that is given to the Lord Jesus Christ, it's His possession.
But also, this is the amazing thing, this revelation really
primarily concerns the Lord Jesus Christ. It centers in Him. He is the image of the invisible
God. He is the one who has come to
reveal God. He is the brightness of His glory.
He is the express image of His person. It is, in that sense,
the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's Christ revealing himself,
and in revealing himself, revealing all that God is. The law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And what do we have here in the
word that I announce as our text? The great voice as of a trumpet. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet." It's
the gospel trumpet. It's the gospel trumpet. That's what John hears. That's
blessed sounds concerning God and the grace of God. And again,
Do we not have the same language back in the prophecy of Isaiah,
Isaiah 27 and verse 13? And it shall come to pass in
that day that the great trumpet shall be blown, says the Prophet,
and they shall come that were ready to perish. Oh, it's a proclamation to those
who are perishing in their sins. It's a proclamation to those
who are in the very grip of sin and of Satan, dead in trespasses
and sins, unable to release themselves. Oh, but when the sound of the
trumpet comes, why, this is the word of the Lord. It's a mighty
word. Where the word of a king is,
we're told, there is power. There's power in this word to
accomplish all the goods, will and pleasure. of Him who is reigning
now in His glorious Mediatorial Kingdom, even the Lord Jesus
Christ. But then, do we not have to recognize that
it's not enough just to be hearing that Word as the Scriptures are
read and as the Scriptures are opened up and expounded and preached
And there's the proclamation of the Gospel. It's not enough
just to hear these things outwardly. There must be something inward. There must be something of the
work of the Spirit. And this is what we see in the
text. John is in the Spirit. It's the Lord's Day. And John
is in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and he hears the voice.
And interestingly, When he turns to see the voice
that speaks, what does he behold? I saw seven
golden candlesticks. That's the first thing that he
says, I saw seven golden candlesticks and then in the midst of the
seven candlesticks one lay unto the Son of Man. It is the Lord
Jesus Christ there in the midst of the churches. Because the
seven golden candlesticks, as we see at the end, are the seven
churches. Where will we find Christ? On the Lord's Day we'll
find him in the midst of his people. That's why we're not
to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Because this
is the order that is established in the Word of God. This is what
God himself has ordained, the gathering together of his people.
And it's unto Shiloh that the people gather. Who is Shiloh?
That's the Lord Jesus Christ. But where is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He's there where his people are gathered unto him. How important
it is, then, that we recognize the necessity, really, of corporate
worship. And of course, we learned that
so severely, really, just four years ago in the lockdowns, where
really we have to acknowledge the powers of birth. Government
oversteps its mark in forbidding the corporate worship of God. We see quite clearly that Christ
is there where his people are gathered. And it's a corporate
gathering. Christ is in the midst of his
gathered church. But how important it is that
we Know that gracious ministry of the Spirit. If we're going
to receive the Word profitably to our soul, who is the Spirit? Well, He is the Comforter. And
again, how the Lord Jesus speaks of Him time and again in those
remarkable chapters in John 14, 15, and 16, where repeatedly
Christ speaks of the necessity of him
departing. If he does not depart, the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, will not come. But if he departs,
He will send the Spirit. And He says, He comes from the
Father, the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. And the Father
will send in My Name, He says. It's a great statement that we
have there at the end of John 14. We see again the Triniton. we see Father, Son and Holy Ghost
the Lord speaks of the Holy Ghost as the Comforter whom the Father
will send but he says the Father will send him in my name all
he comes to bear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ and we
need that gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit he is the one
who applies salvation There must be that experience
of the grace of God. It's not enough to have God's
words before us on the page of Holy Scripture. No, we want the
Spirit to take that word and to make it a blessed reality
in our souls. We cannot understand it of ourselves,
it's a spiritual book. And we need the Spirit who gave
the word in the first place to interpret the words and to apply
the words. And how does he do that? Well,
he comes to reprove, says Christ. He comes to convince of sin,
of righteousness, of judgment. He'll do that work in the soul
of the sinner. He'll show the sinner something
of himself in the mirror of the word of God. But He'll do more
than convince and reprove, He comes also as that Comforter
and as that Revealer. He will guide you, says Christ,
into all truth. He shall glorify me, He shall
not speak of Himself, He shall take of mine and show it unto
you. God has to reveal them, God has
to reveal them unto us by His Spirit, says Paul. The Spirit
Searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. What man
knoweth the things of man, sayeth the Spirit of man that is in
him. Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit
of God. John's in the Spirit. And there
we need that blessed work of the Spirit to open our understandings
that we might understand the message. But not only that, to
move also in the depths of our soul and to grant us believing hearts
and obedient wills, the blessed sealing of the Spirit. Remember
again how in the opening chapter of Ephesians we see Paul, as
he begins that great epistle, speaking very much of the doctrine
of God. We see the three persons of the
Godhead in that opening chapter. We see God the Father, the one
who makes choice of the people, elects them in the Lord Jesus
Christ. We see Christ as that one who comes to do the great
work of redemption. But then we also have the Blessed
Spirit who comes to seal all of that work. I've mentioned
it many a time, but it is interesting to observe the punctuation as
we have it there in our authorised version. the book of Ephesians opens with
words of greetings typical Pauline introduction Paul an apostle
of Jesus Christ by God's will he is sending greetings to the
church at Ephesus verses 1 and 2 but then from verse 3 through
6 we have a sentence one sentence in which he speaks very much
of God the Father and God's sovereignty in electing and predestinating
the people and then we have another sentence from verse 7 right through
12 long sentence from 7 right through
12 in which he speaks of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ
in whom we have redemption through his blood and so forth So he's
spoken of God the Father and God's predestination. He speaks
of God the Son and the purchasing, the procuring of this great salvation. And then we have a sentence,
verses 13 and 14, in whom he also trusted after
that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also after that he believed you were sealed. with that Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, unto
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of
His glory. In whom also, after that ye believed,
ye were sealed. Literally it is, in whom also
believing ye were sealed. Believing ye were sealed. In
believing there is a blessed seal of the Spirit, We are not
to grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom we are sealed unto
the day of redemption. We read later in Ephesians 4
in verse 30. O God grant that we grieve not
the Spirit, that we heed what the Spirit says to us here in
the Scriptures of truth, that we bow to the authority of the
Word of God. that word that reveals to us
the wonders of the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We might have that desire week
by week, Lord's Day by Lord's Day, to be just like John there
on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord's Day, and he says, I was in the
Spirit. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
Day. and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet. O God grant that we might know
that great trumpet calling, that trumpet call of the Gospel, and
be found obedient to the words of Him who speaks by His Spirit
here in His Word. May the Lord grant His blessing
on His Word today. We're going to sing as our concluding
praise The hymn 984, the tune is Hampstead
340. Hark! how the gospel trumpet
sounds, Christ and free grace therein abounds, free grace to
such a sinner's burden, and if free grace, why not for me? 984, tune 340. so How can the gospel from this
come? Christ and free grace therein
are bound. Free grace is such as hitherto
been. And give free grace, why not
for me? The Saviour died, and by His
blood ? He died to set the captives free
? ? And by my soul I loved holy ? ? The flag of Christ has now
been raised high ? Still can feel the strength The
strength to roll the bridge head free And I'm not sore, I'm not
woeful Thus Jesus came upon to earth
To come in His righteousness There all His daughters born
and free And by my soul I love only Thee. In eternal life by Christ be
still, And with reverence raise to Thee, They'll sing of grace
so rich and free, I'll trade my soul for it.