I invite your attention to the
book of Revelation, chapter 1. On St. Croix we have been going
through this book. Well, we've been in it for quite
a few months now, going through it verse by verse. And today we're going to look
at chapter 1, the beginning of the book. And you can read along with me
silently because we're going to look at it word for word. You'll begin reading the Revelation
of Jesus Christ. That is the name of this book. We sometimes call it the Book
of Revelation, and that's what it is, but it is the Revelation
of Jesus Christ. This book is sometimes called
the Apocalypse and that is the Greek word here translated revelation,
unhappily. Nowadays, the word apocalyptic
has to do with something dreadful off in the future. That's not
what the word means. This is the revelation of Jesus
Christ. This is the unveiling of Jesus
Christ. It is as though Jesus Christ
is a subject that is not very clear to us. It might be compared
to a statue that has been made and is to be dedicated, and on
the day that the statue is to be dedicated, it's covered in
a tarpaulin or some kind of a covering, and on the occasion that the
statues to be dedicated, they slowly began pulling that tarpaulin
up, and bit by bit by bit, you're seeing more and more of what
was under it. This is what this book does with
Jesus Christ. This is the unveiling of Jesus
Christ. This book is the revelation of
Jesus Christ. If you're going to this book
looking for 666 and the mark of the beast and who is Antichrist,
you're going to be greatly disappointed, I'm glad to say. People say,
I do not understand the book of Revelation. Perhaps you're
looking for the wrong thing. This is the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Well, it's difficult to understand. It was meant to
be. This book is written in code,
and you must have the key to the code. And the key to the
code is Jesus Christ. And if you'll look for Jesus
Christ all the way through this book, you'll understand it. Of
course, you'll need some background into the Old Testament Scriptures
because they're brought into this book all the way through.
No book in the Bible quotes the Old Testament more than this
one. It quotes the Old Testament and shows how that Jesus Christ
has fulfilled everything that was written in the prophets and
in the law. This is the unveiling of Jesus
Christ. Next line, which God gave to
him, Jesus Christ. Now I want you to observe how
this revelation has come to us. It came first from God. This is God the Father gave it
to Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him. Why did God the Father
give this revelation to Jesus Christ? Read it to me. What does
it say? To show His servants. Now, unless you are a servant,
you're not meant to understand this book, and you never will.
You will not. But if you're one of God's servants,
this book was written for you. And God gave this revelation
to Jesus Christ so that God's servants might know about Jesus
Christ. He gave it to him to show his
servants and what's included, things which must shortly take
place. This book is not about something
off in the future. This book was written about 96
A.D. by John the Apostle. John the
Apostle was probably about the same age as Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ had been dead for almost 60 years. John is now an old
man. And this book was written about
things which must take place very shortly, even in the first
century, and had been taking place ever since, and will take
place until Christ returns. But this book is not about things
way off in the future. It was meant to be a comfort
to you and to me as well as it was to be a comfort to those
who received it first in the first century, about 100 A.D. Things which must shortly take
place and He, that were to be Jesus Christ, sent and signified
it by his angel to his servant John. So observe how this book
has come to us. God the Father gave it to Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ gave it to an angel. And an angel gave it to John. And John, verse 2, bore witness
to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ and
to all things that he saw. In verse 3, you're going to read
a promise that is not found in any other book in the Bible.
This is the only book in the Bible that has this promise.
Here it is. Blessed is he who reads, and
those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things
which are written in it, for the time is at hand." Notice,
somebody is intended to understand this book. Somebody is, and blessed
is that person who reads and understands. Now, the reader
and the understander are two different people. The reader
is an understander. But notice, blessed is he who
reads. Remember, the book came from
God the Father to Jesus Christ. From Jesus Christ to an angel. From an angel to John. And from
John to the pastor of the churches. That's the reader. That's who
I am this morning. I'm the reader. Blessed is he
who reads. and they who understand." Those
who notice the singular. Blessed is he who reads, I'm
reading now, and it's blessing me. And those who hear the words
of this prophecy, I hope that's you. I hope that's you. I hope
that you're receiving a blessing from this already. Oh, but you'll
have to do something else. You'll have to keep those things
which are written in it, for the time is near." So, you're
to hear it, and you're to understand it, and you're to keep and obey
what you hear and understand. Verse 4. Oh, by the way, do it
because the time is near. It's time to do it right now.
Verse 4. John, this is John the Apostle,
as we said a moment ago, he was probably about the same age as
Jesus Christ. And he's now some almost 60 years
after Jesus Christ has been killed and murdered and slaughtered
on a tree. John is writing to the seven churches in Asia Minor. He calls it Asia. Asia was a
province of the Roman Empire. It later came to be known as
Asia Minor, and it is what we nowadays call the country of
Turkey. John to the seven churches. Seven
churches. Seven is a number of completion. The seven churches are listed
for us later, but this is not only for the seven churches.
individually, but seven being a number of perfection and completion. This is for the entire perfect
and complete church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore,
it is as much for you and me today as it was for Ephesians
and people in Smyrna first century. He says, Grace to you and peace. That's the Pauline greeting. It's also John's grace and peace. Grace is unmerited favor and
peace is conciliation with God. If God gives grace to you, you'll
be at peace with Him. If you are at peace with God,
it is because God has been gracious to you. You did not earn it.
Notice that this grace and peace is from Him who is and who was
and who is to come. That's one person. It means He's
immutable. Whatever God is, now He always
has been, always will be. None of us is that way. I do not know if you are aware
of it, but every one of you looks a little older than you did last
time I saw you. Look at this one. He was just
a short lad not long ago. Look at him now, you know. They're
growing up so quickly. God never grows up. Never needed
to. Never changes His mind. Never
makes a mistake. Created heaven and the earth
and got it right the first time and it was perfect. And never
changes. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad?
He is what He was and always will be. He will be what He is
and always was. And what He was, He is now and
always will be. Immutable, never changes. I am
the Lord, I therefore do not change, and therefore you sons
of Jacob are never consumed. Aren't you glad of that? That's
God the Father. This applies to Jesus Christ
later on, but here it's Jesus Christ, pardon me, it is God
the Father because we didn't read and from the seven spirits
who are before His throne." Seven spirits. Who are the seven spirits? Some have said, well, there are
seven angels, they're spirit beings. There's Michael, and
Angel, and Raphael, and they can give the names. No, it's
not. It's not. No, no, no. The seven Spirits is one Spirit.
It's the Holy Spirit. Seven is a number of completion
and perfection. It's also a number denoting deity. In this instance, the seven Spirits
is the Holy Spirit. And from Jesus Christ, note the
Trinity. So God the Father here is the
one who is and who was and who is to come. The Holy Spirit is
the seven Spirits. who are before God's throne and
from Jesus Christ. Whom is He? He is, first of all,
the faithful witness. His testimony never changes.
It's always true. He is the firstborn from the
dead, not the first one raised from the dead, but the firstborn
from the dead, the most important of those who were raised from
the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. I'm so glad. There is someone
who can be trusted, who has a hand and control over rulers who cannot
be trusted. I'm so glad. The ruler over the
kings of the earth. He is King of kings and Lord
of lords. To Him who loved us and washed
us from our sins in His own blood. I read recently of a theologian
who is said to have been the greatest theologian of his day,
and it was not too long ago. But he was said to be the greatest
theologian of his day and perhaps the most preeminent Bible scholar
of his day. And he was being interviewed
and they asked him the question, what is the most profound Truth
in God's Word. And he said, Jesus loves me,
this I know, for the Bible tells me so. That is profound. Is it not? Jesus loves me, this I know.
How do I know? Here it is. To Him who loved
us and washed us. Now, if He loved you, He loved
you from eternity with an everlasting love, an eternal love, which
means since He never changes, His love never changes. We perhaps
tell our spouses, I love you more today than yesterday, but
not as much as tomorrow. When you think about it, that
doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it? I mean, you know, how
come I have to wait until tomorrow to be loved more than today?
And why did you not love me more yesterday? Of course, you can
always say, well, you're just more lovable today than you were
then. Why were you not as lovable then as you are now? God's love never changes. God
will never say to anyone, I love you more today than yesterday.
He never says that. He cannot. His love is as immutable
as His deity, as His person. And so it is with Jesus Christ. Now if He loves you, He washed
you from your sins in His own blood. Everyone loved by Jesus
Christ has been washed from his or her sins in His blood. And if you have been washed from
your sins in the blood of Jesus Christ, it is because He loves
you. Because everyone loved by Him
has been washed in His blood. To Him who loved us and washed
us from our sins in His own blood, but He did something else and
made us kings and priests to His God and the Father. Kings
and priests. In old Israel, there could be
many priests at any time, but only one king. Only one king. Many priests, but only one king. But you could not be a priest
and a king. Because the king had to come
from the tribe of Judah, and the priest had to come from the
tribe of Levi. So therefore, in Israel, there
was never anyone who was priest and king. until Jesus Christ
came. He is a priest sitting on his
throne. Jesus Christ descended from Judah,
the tribe of the king. In fact, Joseph, husband of Mary,
would probably have been king of Israel if the Romans were
not in control and had appointed Herod, who was not a Jew, by
the way. But had the royal line of David
succeeded, you can read it in Matthew chapter 1, Joseph, husband
of Mary, probably would have been on the throne of Israel.
But as it was, he's a lowly carpenter, can barely provide for his family. But Jesus descended from him,
not only through Joseph, but also from his mother. She also
descended from David. Two different sons of David.
Their lines have split, gone separate ways, and they come
back together in Jesus of Nazareth. So that he is of Judah, both
through his father and his mother, or more properly, through his
mother and her husband, who was his legal father. He has made us priests to his
God and Father, along with kings. We are kings and priests. We do not have to go to a priest
in a booth. You don't have to come to me
to confess your sins. We all have a high priest, Jesus
Christ, and we're all priests under Him. Every one of us is
a priest, and we are kings. We are ruling and reigning with
Jesus Christ. Well, preacher, how are we ruling
and reigning? Here on earth, through our prayers. We can rule this earth through
our prayers. In heaven, they're seated on 24 thrones around God. In heaven, ruling and reigning
with Christ for a thousand years through this present day and
age. We're priests. We offer sacrifices of praise.
When you sang just a moment ago, you were offering a sacrifice
as a priest. And when you pray, you're praying
as a king. He has made us kings and priests
with God and Father to Him be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen. His kingdom never ends. Behold, He is coming. Notice, in the very beginning
of the book, we're told He's coming. This book is about things
which must take place very shortly. When is this coming? Very shortly. Go to the last chapter in this
book. Revelation 22 verse 20. In fact,
verse 12. Jesus says, and behold, I am
coming quickly, and my reward is with me. Verse 20. He who
testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly. Even so come, Lord Jesus. And
the tense in these verses indicates that He's on His way. It's not
as though he's up there in heaven and seated on his throne and
waiting for the Father to say, you may go now. No, no, no. He's
coming. Well, okay, it's been 2,000 years.
All right. That's a long time. No, it's
not. No, it's not. One day with the Lord is as 1,000
years, and 1,000 years is as one day. So, he's on his way,
and he's coming quickly. He is coming quickly, and He's
coming with clouds. What are the clouds? And clouds
in Scripture oftentimes refer to witnesses. We're also told
that the clouds are the dust under God's feet. I like that
thought. You know, when I see the clouds
going across the sky, there goes God. Clouds are also called God's
chariot. I like that thought. You know,
watching the clouds going across the sky, there goes God. He's
riding in the clouds. The clouds are His chariot. They're
the dust under His feet. the witnesses, and Jesus is coming
with clouds. That's the way He went. He ascended
in clouds, and the angel said, this one whom you see is coming
back in the same manner in which He left. He is coming with clouds,
and every eye will see Him. Every eye will see Him, people
say. And not so much nowadays, but
at one time skeptics would say, Can't happen. Every eye will
see him. Cannot happen. I mean, what if
he comes to North America? How are people in China on the
other side of the world going to see him? I don't suppose anyone asks that
question nowadays. Some of us remember when the
Iraq war first started, and you could watch shock and awe as
it happened, and you could see the reporters who were there
on the scene, and you were halfway around the world, and you could
watch the planes taking off, and you knew where they were
going. Do you realize what they can do with modern technology? Any event that is going on right
now can be beamed in by satellite to the darkest jungle there is.
Then every eye will see him. Do you not imagine that when
he comes, the sight will be so awesome that even the news outlets
will cover it? They may hate him now, and they
may try to stifle the report of him now, but just wait until
he comes, and they'll be reporting, and everybody's going to see.
Just leave it to Jesus Christ. If He says, every eye will see
Me, it will be that way. Every eye will see Him. And furthermore, and they also who pierced Him. They also who pierced Him. Who
are they who pierced Him? Because they're going to see
Him. They're going to see Him. The ones who pierced him, who
were they? That would be the soldiers who
drove the spikes into his hands and his feet. They pierced him. And that would be the soldiers
who said, he's king of the Jews, he needs a crown. So they planted
a crown of thorns and crushed it onto his brow. And they who
pierced him would include that soldier who took the spear and
drove it into his side. They who pierced him would include
that soldier with that cat-of-nine-tails, with metal embedded, who lashed his back with thirty-nine
stripes. They who pierced him. They who
pierced Him are not only the soldiers who did all those things
to Jesus Christ, but it's also Pilate because he permitted it. They who pierced Him are not
only the soldiers, and Pilate But it's also the chief priests
in the Sanhedrin who brought the charges against Jesus and
delivered Him to Pilate. And they who pierced Him are
also all those people who stood before Pilate and said, No, we
will not have Barabbas. We want Jesus crucified. Turn Barabbas loose. We want
Jesus crucified. They pierced Him. They who pierced
Him is not only the soldiers, and Pilate, and the Sanhedrin,
and the legal authorities, and the Jews, the Sanhedrin, pardon
me, they who pierced Him is you, and you, and you, and you, and
you, and every one of us, because we have pierced Him with our
unbelief. We have taken the spear of our
unbelief and driven it into His heart. We have taken our rejection
of Him. We have pierced Him with our
hatefulness and our spite and our wickedness. We have pierced
Him when we say, we will not have this man to reign over us. We, apart from divine grace,
had we been there that day, would have joined those who said, crucify
Him. We, had we been there that day,
gladly would have taken our wicked hands and driven spikes into
His hand and His feet. We have pierced Him. We are as
guilty as all the rest of them through our unbelief and rejection. And we're going to see Him. those soldiers, and Pilate, and
Herod, and the Jews, and the Sanhedrin, and every one of us
is going to see Him when He comes back. Every one of us. We're going to see those hands
and those feet. We're going to see that side.
We're going to see that back and that head. We're going to
see what we did to Him. We're going to see. Are you not glad He loved you
and washed you from your sins in His own blood? I hope that
on that day, you are still not piercing Him with your unbelief.
I hope that when Jesus Christ returns, you have quit piercing
Him. I hope that when Jesus Christ
returns and you see the one whom you
pierced, you can do what He said when He said, lift up your heads,
your redemption draws nigh. I hope that when He comes back
and you see the one whom you pierced, You may say with Thomas,
my Lord and my God, even so come Lord Jesus. I pray that you've repented of
your stripes against him, of your rejection of him, of your
spite and hatefulness against him. I pray that he has washed
you from your sin of rejection and thereby proven that he loves
you. He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and
they also who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn because of Him." They're going to mourn. They that have
not repented of their sins. Do you realize that in this book
of the revelation of Jesus Christ, you can read about the sixth
seal when it is opened up? And it's going to be just a few
chapters later. Go to Revelation chapter 6. Revelation
chapter 6. Let me read to you what's going
to happen on that day when Jesus Christ returns. Here it is. Revelation 6 verse
12. I looked when he opened, that's
Jesus Christ opening the sixth seal. There were seven seals,
this is the sixth one. And behold, there was a great
earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and
the moon became like blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the
earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by
a mighty wind. This is the second coming of
Christ, folks. This is when He comes back. But
it is seen from the perspective of those who pierced Him and
did not repent. Then the sky receded as a scroll
when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved
out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the
great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every
slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in
the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us! and hide us from the face of
Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For
the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? They shall look on Him whom they
pierced, and He comes back in wrath against them. And I hope
that none of you is found among that number Because every unbeliever
on that day is here represented. Everyone. I hope that every one of you
on that day can look up and you see the sky receding. And you see that Jesus Christ
coming on that glorious white horse. leading the armies of
heaven. Lift up your head, folks, your
redemption draws nigh. Lift it up, your redemption draws
nigh. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. And
all who have repented of their sins and trusted in Him, they
will rejoice. But all the tribes of the earth
Not the descendants of Abraham. The tribes of the earth will
mourn because of Him. And even so, Amen. Let it be so. Let it be so. And he says, I am, this is Jesus
Christ talking, I am the Alpha and the Omega. The first and
the last letters of the Greek alphabet. Or if you will, I am
the A and the Z. and everything in between. I
am the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who
was and who is to come, the Almighty. That's Jesus Christ speaking.
That is Jesus Christ speaking. He is what God the Father is
because He said, I and my Father are one. Are one. One in essence. One in glory. One in existence. Two separate
persons, but one God. One God. And here He comes. Him who is, and who was, and
who is to come. The Almighty. Let Him come. Are you ready for Him right now? Would anybody here be disappointed if you were unable to go to lunch
today because Jesus came back? Would you? Anybody disappointed?
Oh, not me. Come right now, Lord. Come right
now, Lord. Some people are saying, wait
a little longer, please, Jesus, some things I need to do. No,
there's nothing I need to do. I've done more than I needed
to do. I've done things I wish I had not done. There's nothing
I need to do. Come, Lord, right now. O God our Father, to your glory
in Jesus' name we pray that he may here be quickly. Even so, come Lord Jesus, we're
ready. To your glory in Jesus' name
we pray. Amen.