Let us turn then again to God's
word and I want to direct you for a little while before we
turn to God again in prayer to the opening words of the book
of the Revelation, the first five words in the book of the
Revelation, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. These are the words
then that I want to concentrate your attention on with the Lord's
help for a while this evening. We'll read the verse, the revelation
of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants
things which must surely come to pass and he sent and signified
it by his angel unto his servant John. I'm sure we're all persuaded
of the truth that real Christianity is a revealed religion. There is a vast difference between
natural religion and spiritual religion. We know that there
is a revelation of God in the realm of nature. in creation
God has manifested something of his greatness, something of
his glory, his great power, is to be seen then by the works
of his hands which are all around us and in his government of the
world, his providences, we see that he is that God who is faithful
to his creatures. There is then a revelation in
in nature but we need something more than that that we see in
creation and in providence and so God has granted to us this
special revelation which is of course the scripture and here
we learn of God it is God himself who inspired those Authors of
the various parts, the various books of the Old and the New
Testament, those holy men, they spake as they were moved, says
Peter, by the Spirit of God. So all Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, all is God-breathed. It is then a spiritual revelation
that we have here in the Bible. But it's not sufficient, is it? simply to have a natural understanding
of the things that are written here in God's words is not enough
to have right doctrinal views of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
need to be those who come to experience something of that
grace of God and experimental knowledge of Christ is the vital
thing for us. Joseph Hart says in that familiar
couplet, true religions more than notion something must be
known and felt. It's not just a matter of the
mind and the intellect. Notional things are sent into
the truth, but we must experience that Word of God, which is the
revelation of God in our very souls. Now this was the experience
of the Apostle Paul. He was a religious man. He was
a pharisee, he was the son of a pharisee, he'd been schooled
at the feet of one of the great Jewish rabbis, Gamaliel, and
yet he knew not the real spiritual truth of God. He needed a revelation
and that's what he declares in that short portion that we read
in Galatians chapter 1. When he pleased God, he says,
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace
to reveal his son in me. Immediately I consulted not with
flesh and blood. This was nothing of flesh and
blood. This was nothing of the natural man. This was that that
came immediately from God. It was that revelation that God
gave to him. Not only did God reveal himself
to Paul, but he was revealed in Paul. when he pleads God,
he says, to reveal his son. It is a spiritual revelation
then. This is what Christianity is,
a spiritual religion, a revealed religion. And that is the case
all through the life of the believer. God must constantly come to us
and reveal himself to us. And this was John's experience,
as we see in the opening chapter of this book. Here he is, exiled,
persecuted, alone it would seem, on the island of Patmos, cut
off from all fellowship with his Christian brethren. But he says in verse 10, I was
in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's
Day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet. Then at verse 12 he says, I turned
to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven
golden candlesticks and in the midst of the seven golden in
the midst of the seven candles seeks one like unto the Son of
Man." Isn't there a very real connection here between John
being in the Spirit and hearing that voice and beholding that
remarkable sight of the glorified Christ. It is a spiritual revelation
then that John is granted here at the beginning of the book
that bears that name, the revelation of Saint John the Divine, the
revelation of Jesus Christ. Well, first of all, let's consider
the subject of the revelation. The revelation of, notice that
little word, of Jesus Christ. It's the genitive, we might say,
of possession. It's the revelation that he's
belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that revelation that belongs
to Christ in the sense that it has been committed to him, which
God gave unto him, he says. Now, those are significant words,
the revelation belonging to Jesus Christ. Why is it Christ's revelation?
Because it was given to him by God. The words are significant
in this sense. because here we are reminded
of Christ's position in the Covenant. In the Covenant he is one who
is subject to the Father and he has received something from
the Father. He has received a revelation
from the Father that he is to communicate to men. In the Covenant
he is that one who is God's servant then. Now as the eternal son of God
he is of course equal with the father and we have a pattern
of that even in creation with regards to humankind we are told
are we not that it was God who created the first man out of
the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life and Adam became a living soul and then God takes a rib
from Adam and creates Eve and brings these two together and
a man is to cleave to his wife and the command is that they
should procreate and then we read of children being born and
what do we read concerning the birth of of Seth. In Genesis 5 verse 3,
Adam lived 130 years and begat a son in his own likeness after
his image and called his name Seth. This son then that is begotten
by Adam is a son in his own likeness and after his image. In creation the offspring is
clearly of the same nature as the parents. And I say that is
a wonderful illustration in the sense of what we see when we
think of the eternal Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is of the same substance as the Father. In the words of the Nicene
Creed, He is begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father. He is as much God as the Father
is God, when we think of Him as the eternal Son of God, that
One who is eternally begotten by the Father. Remember how he
speaks to us as the wisdom of God in that great chapter, chapter
8 of the book of the Proverbs, and there in verses 24, and 25
he says when there were no depths I was brought forth when there
were no fountains abounding with water before the mountains were
settled before the hills was I brought forth eternally brought
forth eternally begotten before ever there was any creature he
is the eternal son of the eternal father then I was by him As one
wrought up with him, I was daily his delight rejoicing always
before him, he says there at verse 13. He is the eternal Son of God,
he is equal to the Father. And he says to Philip in John
chapter 14, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. How sayest thou then, show us
the Father? He is equal to the Father. He
is God. He is God manifest in the flesh. This is why the Jews sought to
kill him. They said he had not only broken the Sabbath day,
but said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. But as the mediator of the new
covenant we see quite clearly that he who is God's eternal
son in that covenant he becomes the servant of God behold my
servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth and
here we see him you see as that mediator of the covenant he has
received a revelation from the Father, the revelation of Jesus
Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass. And as he receives this revelation
and he is to show it, unto his servants what do we read later
in the chapter verse 19 write the things he says to John the
things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the
things which shall be hereafter the things which must shortly
come to pass this is what has been committed to him now during
the course of his earthly ministry, we see how the Lord Jesus time
and again speaks of those things that God has put into his own
hands. And so God alone is the one who
knows of these things at the time of his ascension, after
he had accomplished his work, after he had fulfilled all that
that he had undertaken in the eternal covenants, he finished
the work, remember? He'd made an end of sin, he'd
made reconciliation for iniquity, he brought in everlasting righteousness,
he could say from the cross it is finished, as he yielded up
the ghost as he committed and commended his spirit into the
hands of his father, and then after his resurrection he is
there with his Disciples 40 days and 40 nights showing himself
by these many infallible proofs, they see the evidence of the
reality of his resurrection before he ascends again to heaven. And in Acts chapter 1 we have
the record of that ascension. And there at verse 6 we read
these words, When they therefore were come together, that is Christ
coming to his disciples, 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. The times and the seasons which
God hath put in his own power. These things belong unto God,
in the course of His ministry, in the Gospel. He says, on one
occasion of that day and of that hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Neither the Son, but the Father. You see, as Christ is faithful
in executing that work in the covenant, so the Father commits
these things into his hands. All power, he says, at the end
of Matthew's gospel, as he gives commission to his apostles, all
power, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth. He is that one who, now as the
mediator reigns in heaven, his mediatorial kingdom, he reigns,
he is the head over all things to the church. He is that one
who has authority from God to unfold the providences of God. And we see that here in the fifth
chapter, do we not? He opens that seven sealed book
As John says, I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne
a book written within and on the back side a scroll sealed
with seven seals and I saw a stronger angel proclaiming with a loud
voice who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof
and no man in heaven or 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 saith 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
Christ is that one then who in this day is ruling, reigning
as the head over all things, governing all things, unfolding
the providences of God. And he is head over all things
to the church, of course, which is his bottom, the fullness of
him that filleth all in all. O Christ's reigns and rules in
his mediatorial kingdom. This is the day of grace. This is the gospel dispensation. And then these things will ultimately,
of course, be brought to a glorious consumption, as we see from what
Paul writes in the 15th chapter of his epistle to the Corinthians. There in chapter 15 and verse
25, Paul says concerning Christ, He must reign. He must reign
till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all things under
his feet. But when he says all things are
put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted, which did
put all things under him. And when all things shall be
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject
unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all
in all." Or the blessed consummation of the reign of grace. The Lord
Jesus is that one then who today is reigning, but reigning as
the mediator of that new covenant, the covenant of God's grace. And this is what is committed
to Him here, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto
Him. to show unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass. But the words, the first five
words that we're really considering the revelation of Jesus Christ
we're not only to think here in terms of that that has been
committed to the Lord Jesus Christ but do we not also see this blessed
truth that he himself is the subject matter of that revelation. What is the revelation? The revelation
is Jesus Christ himself. He is that one who comes as the
image of the invisible God. He is that revealer. In him we
have the revelation. No man hath seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father,
He hath declared Him. And what a blessed declaration
that is that we see in the Gospel. It is that fall and that final
revelation that is spoken of, of course, in the opening words
of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews. God, who at hundred times and
in diverse manner spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and so forth. He is the brightness of the Father's
glory, the express image of his person. He is that one who comes
in as the great revealer. And how we all need to know this
gracious revelation, to experience it in our very souls. That's blessed in shining of
the gospel. We have the revelation here,
of course, in Holy Scripture. The Scriptures are completed
with the coming of Christ. He is that great prophet that
God promised to raise up, like unto Moses, but in many ways,
of course, so much the greater, so much more superior. He is that one who has come to
give this full and final revelation of God. We have it in the scriptures,
but we need to know that revelation in our souls that God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness is poured a shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. There must be that ministry of
the Spirit in taking the word which the Spirit himself inspired
and applying it to us and granting to us such a revelation. And so, we turn in the second
place to what we read here concerning the showing of the revelation. God gave unto him, it says, to
show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Now, as I've already indicated,
in the immediate context. The reference here is clearly
to the content of this book. This book is the Revelation. And how significant are the words
that we have in this opening verse. God gave the Revelation
to Christ that he might show unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass and he sent, it says, and signified
it by his angel unto his servant John. And here is the key to
unlock this mysterious book. The key is here at the beginning
in the opening verse. It was sent to John, it was signified
to John. by his angel. How important is
this word to signify? It derives of course from the
word for a sign, and the book is full of signs,
the book is full of symbols. It's not a book that we're to
interpret in a literal sense, to expect to see these mysterious
creatures that are spoken of throughout the book. The language
is highly symbolic, Apocalyptic language is what is used throughout
the book of the Revelation. But we're thinking not so much
of what we have in the book, but these opening words, the
revelation of Jesus Christ. And these words remind us, do
they not, that Christ is the only true revealer of God. Christ is the only true revealer
of God. He is the image of the invisible
God. We can only know God in and through
the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. For there is one
God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Now, we often refer to that verse
in 1 Timothy with regards to Christ as the one who mediates
on our behalf. When we come to call upon God
in prayer, we implore the name of Christ. We look to God to
accept us, to receive us for the sake of Jesus Christ. We
confess Him to be our mediator. The way, the truth and the life,
He says, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. And it is right for us to emphasize
that particular truth of Christ as the mediator. But there is
something more in what we read there in 1 Timothy 2.5. Look
at what it actually says. This is why we have to be precisionist
when it comes to the reading and the study of the Word of
God. We have to consider the words, the order of the words.
And the beauty, of course, of the authorized version is the
literalness of the translation. Now what does it say? There is
one God and one mediator, it says, not between men and God,
it's the other way. One mediator between God and
men. One mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus. God comes to us through Christ. God reveals himself to us in
the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But of
course the amazing thing is that this revelation that we see in
Christ Jesus involves all the persons in the Godhead. It is a revelation from the Father,
it is a revelation by the Spirit, it is a revelation in the Son.
Now isn't that true with regards to the way in which we come in
prayer? Again, Paul to the Ephesians
can say that through him, that is through Christ, we have access
by one's spirit onto the Father. We come to the Father and we
come by the ministry of the Spirit helping us in our prayers, indicting
our prayers. and we come through the Son but
so too when he comes to the revelation that we have from God it is from
the Father, it is by that gracious ministry of
the Holy Spirit as he opens our understandings illuminates our
minds moves our wills, warms our hearts and it's all of course
in and through the Lord Jesus Christ the revelation of Jesus
Christ. But thinking of the revelation,
do we not see the three persons involved in this revealing? The
Father is pleased to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners.
Or wasn't this Peter's experience at Caesarea Philippi? When the
Lord Jesus asks the disciples what's being said concerning
him, not that he was ignorant of these things. This is how
he draws his disciples Whom say ye that I am? And it is Peter
who answers, Thou art the Christ, Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. And remember what the Lord said
to Simon Peter, Blessed art thou, Simon, by Jonah. Flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. How we need God
the Father then to grant to us the revelation of Jesus Christ
and this is the promise is it not of the new covenant that
they shall be all taught of God they shall be all taught of God
every man therefore that has heard says Christ and has learned
of the Father cometh unto me all that are taught of God all
who hear the Father's voice they come to the Lord Jesus Christ
The Father reveals Christ. But this revelation of Jesus
Christ is also by the Holy Spirit. In fact, in many ways we might
say it is principally in this day of the Gospel, this day of
grace, it is principally the blessed work of the Spirit to
take of those things of Christ and to reveal them to us. This
is how the Lord speaks of His coming, is it not? In John 16,
how be it? When He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, says Christ, He will guide you into all truth, for
He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear,
that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. He shall
glorify me, For he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto
you. All things that the Father hath
are mine. Therefore said I that he shall
take of mine, and shall show it unto you." There again you
see we have the Trinity. All things that the Father hath
are mine, says Christ, the Speaker. Therefore said I that He, speaking
of the Holy Spirit, He, Christ speaks of Him, you see, with
the personal pronoun, the masculine pronoun. He is the Spirit, He
is the person of the Holy Ghost. He shall take of mine, says Christ,
and shall show it unto you. This is the ministry of the Spirit,
to show unto us the things of the Lord Jesus Christ, to reveal
Christ. As I said at the beginning, real
Christianity is a revealed religion. It's the work of the Spirit.
It's the revelation of Jesus Christ, which is shown, shown
to his servants. The Father reveals Christ, the
Holy Spirit reveals Christ, and Christ the Son makes himself
known, does he not? He manifests himself. Again there in John's Gospel
in chapter 14, Verse 21 he says, He that hath
my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself to him. All those that Christ
loves, those that Christ loves, they love him in return, do they
not? We love him because he first loved us, and if we love him,
We will see that his commandments are not grievous. We will desire
to walk in obedience to his holy commandments, his gospel precepts.
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be
loved of my Father, and I will love him. Or the Father loves
him, Christ loves him. And what does Christ say? I will
manifest myself to him. The Lord is pleased to make himself
known, to manifest himself, the revelation of Jesus Christ. He is the very subject matter
of this revelation, and all that we might be those who know him,
whom to know of course is life eternal. This His eternal life,
He says, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent, the revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants. Well, God grants that we each
might know that blessed revealing of Christ as he comes to show
himself to us. Let us leave it there and before
we pray again we sing and we sing God's praise in the hymn
399 the tune of Ben's 275 hymn 399 amidst 10,000 anxious cares The world and Satan's deep laid
snares, This my incessant cry shall be, Jesus, reveal thyself
to me." 399. Amidst ten thousand anxious fears,
the world and Satan's deep-gated fears, this my incessant cry
shall be, you