Well, as the Lord may be pleased
to bless us together this evening, we'll continue our meditation
in the first chapter of the book of the Revelation. So the first
chapter in the book of the Revelation, and we'll just read three verses. That's from 16 to 18. So the
first chapter in Revelation, and reading from verse 16 to
verse 18. And he had in his right hand
seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And his countenance was as the
sun shining in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at
his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon
me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead,
and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. Well, we'll leave it there. So we continue really the wonderful
picture and description we have of the Lord Jesus Christ that
the Apostle John was blessed to observe when he was on the
Isle of Patmos and you may remember he was there and he heard this
voice behind him and then he turned to see the voice that
spoke with him And being turned, he tells us he saw first the
seven golden candlesticks. And we're told later on the seven
candlesticks represent the seven churches. And in the midst of
the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of God, clothed
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about with a golden
girdle. His head and his hair were white
as wool, like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as
a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. and then we came to verse 16
and we're told and he had in his right hand the seven stars
which describes to us as the angels or it can be translated
as the servants of God in indeed his right hand and here we have
this picture of God holding his servants in his right hand And
how wonderful to think that God does control everything. All his servants who preach everlasting
gospel are controlled by Almighty God. His hand is upon them. That's a very humbling thought
and consideration, isn't it? And then we're told, and out
of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Well, we're told about
the sword in the Word of God in the Ephesians and in the sixth
chapter in verse 17 we're told and the sword of the Spirit which
is the Word of God. So we can be sure that as John
heard this voice he heard the Word of God from the mouth of
the Saviour and of course that is a sharp sword it's a sharp
word it contains sharp reproofs for sin severe threatenings against
it and gives cutting convictions of it and is a two-edged one
by its two edges may be meant the law and the gospel the law
lays open the sins of men fills with grief and anguish if they're
under the influence of the work of the Holy Spirit. And yet,
not only wounds, but kills. And the Gospel cuts down the
best of man in his wisdom, holiness, righteousness, and carnal privileges. So we see this two-edged sword,
the word spoken by the Saviour, how powerful they are and how
wonderful it is if you and I recognize the truth of it and bow down
before it. And so John was wonderfully favored
to have this vision and to hear this voice speaking to him. And we're told then his countenance
was like the sun shining in his strength. we can imagine what that was
like we have a little view of it really in the conversion of
Paul Paul was converted on that Damascus road and he tells us
when he gave his testimony that the light was above the midday
sun and what it meant was it was indeed the Savior speaking
to him because we're told, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it's
hard for thee to kick against the pricks so Paul was witness
to this great and glorious light and of course it is a great and
glorious light beyond our comprehension because we just have to think
that in the creation of the world sun and moon weren't those things
which were created first but there was light and that emanated
nonetheless from the Savior himself and then of course to realize
that the Lord Jesus Christ is the light of the world he shines
into the hearts of all his people and what a blessing for you and
me if that light has shone into our hearts and has revealed the
glory of the Saviour what an amazing and what a wonderful
favour and what a wonderful blessing that is and so tonight may we
really rejoice in it and realise that the counsel of the Saviour
is as the sun shining in its strength well it just gives us
a little view of what it means and of course we know that in
the end when this world is all burnt up new heavens and a new
earth there'll be no sun and moon because the Savior will
be the light what a light that will be and then we're told and
when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead. When God reveals
himself to us as the all-powerful God, as the all-sufficient Saviour,
what do we do? We fall down. We bow down before
the ruler of the universe. the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. And here we have John falling
down as one dead. Yes, it had such an impact upon
him. He was there in the presence
of Almighty God. It's a good thing when God gives
us a view, a little view, of the greatness of Almighty God. And the Lord comes, And he says
to Peter, fear not, fear not. And we don't have anything to
fear really, if Christ has died for us, if he's redeemed us,
because we're told he's gone before, he's gone to prepare
a place for us in glory. And he says, if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again. and receive you unto myself
that where I am there ye may be also. So it's a wonderful
prospect to realise that wonderful truth and therefore as the Holy
Spirit may speak to our heart we have no reason to fear as
we come before this great God who always was and always will
be. And he tells us, I am he that
liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Well, that's the great and glorious
Savior, who we know did die upon Calvary. He gave his life to
pay the price required for our sin. What a Saviour, what a Saviour
we have, so willing to die for such unworthy sinners. And so we know that the Saviour
does live and we know that because of the effect in our own hearts,
the privilege of coming in prayer and to realise that He is the
One that stands between us and a holy God, our Father in heaven,
and intercedes for us. I am He that liveth and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. Well, so let it be. What a great blessing it is to
have these truths. And as I said when we began our
meditation in the Revelation, how few people really realize
the wonderful words which are contained in this first chapter
in Revelation. It's good to consider it and
it's good to study it. So may we truly thank God for
it. We'll leave our remarks there.